2 months ago
As President Donald Trump tries to convince voters that Democrats have let crime run amok, he's digging into the country's political past to cite one of the most controversial campaign advertisements that relied heavily on racist tropes.
During a campaign stop Wednesday in Gastonia, North Carolina, to stump for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, Trump resurrected a 1988 George H.W. Bush presidential campaign ad featuring Willie Horton, a Black man convicted of rape and ****** ault after his release through a Massachusetts prison furlough program.
A grainy black-and-white prison photo of Horton was used in the ad targeting then-Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who was ahead of Bush in the polls. On Wednesday, Trump evoked the Horton ad in an effort to convince voters Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper, Whatley's opponent in the Senate race, is soft on crime.
"Willie Horton was a bad guy, really bad guy," Trump said, before comparing Dukakis's release of Horton to the pretrial release of a Black man who faces a murder charge for last year's killing of a white Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina.
But Cooper was not the governor when the man was released or when he was later charged with killing the refugee.
#black
During a campaign stop Wednesday in Gastonia, North Carolina, to stump for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, Trump resurrected a 1988 George H.W. Bush presidential campaign ad featuring Willie Horton, a Black man convicted of rape and ****** ault after his release through a Massachusetts prison furlough program.
A grainy black-and-white prison photo of Horton was used in the ad targeting then-Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who was ahead of Bush in the polls. On Wednesday, Trump evoked the Horton ad in an effort to convince voters Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper, Whatley's opponent in the Senate race, is soft on crime.
"Willie Horton was a bad guy, really bad guy," Trump said, before comparing Dukakis's release of Horton to the pretrial release of a Black man who faces a murder charge for last year's killing of a white Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina.
But Cooper was not the governor when the man was released or when he was later charged with killing the refugee.
#black
2 months ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is pressing the Army to explain why it told a unit based in Europe to stop specializing in drone warfare, an order that comes as the world's battlefields rapidly evolve and military tactics increasingly rely on uncrewed systems to fight.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade was building its own drones and practicing the kind of warfare that Ukraine has pioneered against Russia and that Iran has fought against the U.S. — warfare that has killed and wounded American troops. The brigade of 600 soldiers was set up in November to be deployed anywhere that drones were needed.
"We have deep concerns that eliminating this specialized drone unit will limit our ability to learn from allies, particularly the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and hinder our efforts to modernize drone warfare at the speed necessary to compete on the modern battlefield," the lawmakers said in a letter shared with The ****** ociated Press.
It requests a briefing from the Army to explain its decision and was sent Tuesday to departing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army's acting chief of staff. It was signed by Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, independent Sen. Angus King of Maine and Republican Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio.
"This specialized unit was a prudent response in a moment when the character of warfare is changing faster than a conventional formation's ability to adapt," the lawmakers say.
#lawmakers #brigade #explain
The 173rd Airborne Brigade was building its own drones and practicing the kind of warfare that Ukraine has pioneered against Russia and that Iran has fought against the U.S. — warfare that has killed and wounded American troops. The brigade of 600 soldiers was set up in November to be deployed anywhere that drones were needed.
"We have deep concerns that eliminating this specialized drone unit will limit our ability to learn from allies, particularly the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and hinder our efforts to modernize drone warfare at the speed necessary to compete on the modern battlefield," the lawmakers said in a letter shared with The ****** ociated Press.
It requests a briefing from the Army to explain its decision and was sent Tuesday to departing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army's acting chief of staff. It was signed by Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, independent Sen. Angus King of Maine and Republican Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio.
"This specialized unit was a prudent response in a moment when the character of warfare is changing faster than a conventional formation's ability to adapt," the lawmakers say.
#lawmakers #brigade #explain
3 months ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday to confirm he won't send U.S. troops to polling places during November's midterm elections, as Democrats have raised concerns that the Trump administration could use the military to interfere with the vote.
"I'd ask you to confirm a simple statement: the Department of Defense will not send Federal troops to the polls or to seize election materials of any kind," Slotkin wrote to Hegseth and to Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in letters Tuesday.
The Pentagon said in an email that it will respond directly to Slotkin, as it does with all congressional correspondence. The Joint Chiefs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Slotkin told The **** ociated Press that Trump has been laying the groundwork to claim the midterms were stolen. She noted that Trump contemplated using the military to seize voting machines after his loss in 2020 and has deployed the National Guard to cities against the wishes of Democratic leaders. He also deployed active duty Marines to Los Angeles during his immigration crackdown in 2025.
"He's very clearly laying the breadcrumbs to be able to say the day after the election that he didn't really lose the House or he didn't really lose the Senate," Slotkin said.
#slotkin #Trump #defense #joint
"I'd ask you to confirm a simple statement: the Department of Defense will not send Federal troops to the polls or to seize election materials of any kind," Slotkin wrote to Hegseth and to Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in letters Tuesday.
The Pentagon said in an email that it will respond directly to Slotkin, as it does with all congressional correspondence. The Joint Chiefs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Slotkin told The **** ociated Press that Trump has been laying the groundwork to claim the midterms were stolen. She noted that Trump contemplated using the military to seize voting machines after his loss in 2020 and has deployed the National Guard to cities against the wishes of Democratic leaders. He also deployed active duty Marines to Los Angeles during his immigration crackdown in 2025.
"He's very clearly laying the breadcrumbs to be able to say the day after the election that he didn't really lose the House or he didn't really lose the Senate," Slotkin said.
#slotkin #Trump #defense #joint
3 months ago
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban rulers and other officials gathered at Afghanistan's traditional Loya Jirga ****** embly hall on Saturday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of their return to power, touting what they described as restored stability and an end to decades of conflict.
A top United Nations official, however, warned of a grave human rights crisis in Afghanistan, where girls over age 12 are barred from attending school.
The Taliban seized power on Aug. 15, 2021, as the U.S. and other NATO troops withdrew following a costly two-decade war. The U.S. withdrawal led to chaos at Kabul airport as crowds of people tried to flee the country in desperation.
Soon after taking power, the Taliban administration imposed a ban on girls' education beyond the sixth grade and later banned higher education for women, despite having pledged before the takeover that women would be allowed access to education, employment and public participation.
Women have also been banned from public ****** es such as gyms and parks, from taking part in sports and traveling to distant locations without a male guardian.
#afghanistan
A top United Nations official, however, warned of a grave human rights crisis in Afghanistan, where girls over age 12 are barred from attending school.
The Taliban seized power on Aug. 15, 2021, as the U.S. and other NATO troops withdrew following a costly two-decade war. The U.S. withdrawal led to chaos at Kabul airport as crowds of people tried to flee the country in desperation.
Soon after taking power, the Taliban administration imposed a ban on girls' education beyond the sixth grade and later banned higher education for women, despite having pledged before the takeover that women would be allowed access to education, employment and public participation.
Women have also been banned from public ****** es such as gyms and parks, from taking part in sports and traveling to distant locations without a male guardian.
#afghanistan
3 months ago
By Enas Alashray, Steve Holland and Nafisa Eltahir
CAIRO/WASHINGTON/DUBAI, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday that a deal with Oman on control of the Strait of Hormuz was close but would not be enough to free up the waterway, and the United Arab Emirates said Iran had hit another ship there.
Agreement between Iran and Oman over the strait, which separates the two countries, is seen as vital to a wider deal to end the war, which began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28 and led to Tehran establishing a chokehold over the major energy export route.
A U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said on Friday that Washington anticipated an agreement soon between Iran and Oman, so normal oil traffic could resume.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran and Oman were "very close" to an agreement on a new shipping route through the strait, but reopening it would depend on other conditions, including U.S. compensation to Iran.
#Iran #Oman #close
CAIRO/WASHINGTON/DUBAI, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday that a deal with Oman on control of the Strait of Hormuz was close but would not be enough to free up the waterway, and the United Arab Emirates said Iran had hit another ship there.
Agreement between Iran and Oman over the strait, which separates the two countries, is seen as vital to a wider deal to end the war, which began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28 and led to Tehran establishing a chokehold over the major energy export route.
A U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said on Friday that Washington anticipated an agreement soon between Iran and Oman, so normal oil traffic could resume.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran and Oman were "very close" to an agreement on a new shipping route through the strait, but reopening it would depend on other conditions, including U.S. compensation to Iran.
#Iran #Oman #close
3 months ago
Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell says he's been discharged from a rehabilitation center and will continue his recovery at home. The 84-year-old Republican had been away for nearly two months after falling at his home and being hospitalized.
#kentucky #mcconnell #center
#kentucky #mcconnell #center
3 months ago
A ******* eX rocket crashed into the moon at 2 a.m. Wednesday, leaving a massive crater and another piece of "space junk" on its surface. But that will be only the second-biggest dump of ******* eX's week.
On Thursday, nearly a billion shares of ******* eX, held by early employees and pre-IPO investors, will finally break free from their lockups. The shares, totaling around $100 billion at current prices, are more of a supply shock than the entire IPO itself. And while ******* ysts worry that it will cheapen the stock—or, as Morgan Stanley suggests, provide an opportunity "to gain exposure to a potential generational compounder"—SpaceX avoided the worst of this moment by quietly lining up its buyers before the lockup clock even started running.
Every IPO eventually meets this moment, cautioned Gil Luria, head of technology research at D.A. Davidson. Early employees might believe wholeheartedly in the company, but after spending decades with most of their wealth tied up in a single stock, they may want to diversify—buy a house, maybe.
That transfer from private-company insiders to public-market investors is the "natural course of business," he said—but, by definition, it puts pressure on the share price as fresh supply enters the market.
Within 25 days of listing, four index providers—CRSP, FTSE Russell, MSCI, and Nasdaq—added the stock, forcing passive funds inside millions of 401(k)s to buy in. While it's unclear how much ******* eX stock passive funds took on, JPMorgan estimates that the Nasdaq inclusion alone transferred $4 billion of ******* eX into passive accounts. Luria calls the accelerated path into the indexes "a little bit of a bailout."
#Stock
On Thursday, nearly a billion shares of ******* eX, held by early employees and pre-IPO investors, will finally break free from their lockups. The shares, totaling around $100 billion at current prices, are more of a supply shock than the entire IPO itself. And while ******* ysts worry that it will cheapen the stock—or, as Morgan Stanley suggests, provide an opportunity "to gain exposure to a potential generational compounder"—SpaceX avoided the worst of this moment by quietly lining up its buyers before the lockup clock even started running.
Every IPO eventually meets this moment, cautioned Gil Luria, head of technology research at D.A. Davidson. Early employees might believe wholeheartedly in the company, but after spending decades with most of their wealth tied up in a single stock, they may want to diversify—buy a house, maybe.
That transfer from private-company insiders to public-market investors is the "natural course of business," he said—but, by definition, it puts pressure on the share price as fresh supply enters the market.
Within 25 days of listing, four index providers—CRSP, FTSE Russell, MSCI, and Nasdaq—added the stock, forcing passive funds inside millions of 401(k)s to buy in. While it's unclear how much ******* eX stock passive funds took on, JPMorgan estimates that the Nasdaq inclusion alone transferred $4 billion of ******* eX into passive accounts. Luria calls the accelerated path into the indexes "a little bit of a bailout."
#Stock
4 months ago
House Speaker Mike Johnson sounded the alarm over students viewing America through the "wrong lenses" at an event hosted by legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.
"What ADF does every day on the front lines is defend the very foundations of the greatest nation in the history of the world, so that it can continue. We have a great challenge right now because, sadly, the generations coming behind us do not seem to fully appreciate and understand this," Johnson, R-La., told attendees as a keynote speaker at ADF's summit in San Diego on July 9.
The ADF Summit 2026 brought together leaders from law, public policy, media, business, education and Christian organizations. ADF stated that the event celebrated the historic 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the role of the founders and "why our founders held certain truths to be self-evident and what we must do to reclaim the spirit of 1776 today."
America 250 Attendees Fire Back At Critics Of Trump's July 4 Speech: 'What We Needed To Hear'
"ADF was deeply honored to welcome Speaker Johnson as a keynote speaker at our annual Summit," said Kristen Waggoner, ADF's president, CEO and chief counsel.
"What ADF does every day on the front lines is defend the very foundations of the greatest nation in the history of the world, so that it can continue. We have a great challenge right now because, sadly, the generations coming behind us do not seem to fully appreciate and understand this," Johnson, R-La., told attendees as a keynote speaker at ADF's summit in San Diego on July 9.
The ADF Summit 2026 brought together leaders from law, public policy, media, business, education and Christian organizations. ADF stated that the event celebrated the historic 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the role of the founders and "why our founders held certain truths to be self-evident and what we must do to reclaim the spirit of 1776 today."
America 250 Attendees Fire Back At Critics Of Trump's July 4 Speech: 'What We Needed To Hear'
"ADF was deeply honored to welcome Speaker Johnson as a keynote speaker at our annual Summit," said Kristen Waggoner, ADF's president, CEO and chief counsel.
4 months ago
A teacher has been banned from the profession indefinitely for smacking a young boy on his bare bottom after he urinated in a school ball pit.
A tribunal panel found Tsvetelina Kaliszan, 44, who worked at Elm Tree Primary Academy in Wednesbury, intended to physically chastise the pupil.
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) added she did not report her actions to the school on the day of the incident in May 2024.
Kaliszan claimed she "tapped" the pupil and his trousers had not been down at the time, but after hearing from witnesses, the panel found that she had struck his bottom, "specifically two smacks", and that on the balance of probability his bottom was bare.
Kaliszan, who started working at the academy as a class teacher in 2023, was supervising pupils in a soft play area alongside other members of staff in the afternoon, the TRA said.
A tribunal panel found Tsvetelina Kaliszan, 44, who worked at Elm Tree Primary Academy in Wednesbury, intended to physically chastise the pupil.
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) added she did not report her actions to the school on the day of the incident in May 2024.
Kaliszan claimed she "tapped" the pupil and his trousers had not been down at the time, but after hearing from witnesses, the panel found that she had struck his bottom, "specifically two smacks", and that on the balance of probability his bottom was bare.
Kaliszan, who started working at the academy as a class teacher in 2023, was supervising pupils in a soft play area alongside other members of staff in the afternoon, the TRA said.
4 months ago
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Christian parents whose two daughters were seized by the Swedish government more than three years ago brought their custody battle to Washington, D.C., on Friday.
A crowd of Romanian Americans gathered outside the Swedish Embassy in Washington on Friday morning to show their support for Daniel and Bianca Samson, Christian parents who have been separated from their daughters, Sara and Tiana, since December 2022.
The years-long battle began after Sara, then 11, made a false abuse allegation against her parents, stemming from an argument over not being allowed to wear makeup or have a smartphone. Despite Sara quickly admitting she had lied, Swedish social services removed the girls from the home.
Brazil Parents Face Prison Sentence For Homeschooling After Court Accuses Them Of 'Intellectual Neglect'
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Christian parents whose two daughters were seized by the Swedish government more than three years ago brought their custody battle to Washington, D.C., on Friday.
A crowd of Romanian Americans gathered outside the Swedish Embassy in Washington on Friday morning to show their support for Daniel and Bianca Samson, Christian parents who have been separated from their daughters, Sara and Tiana, since December 2022.
The years-long battle began after Sara, then 11, made a false abuse allegation against her parents, stemming from an argument over not being allowed to wear makeup or have a smartphone. Despite Sara quickly admitting she had lied, Swedish social services removed the girls from the home.
Brazil Parents Face Prison Sentence For Homeschooling After Court Accuses Them Of 'Intellectual Neglect'
5 months ago
Gaming is the mega-sector few talk about. With a global market value of $386 billion this year, it dwarfs the size of film and music combined. As many as 350,000 people work in the industry directly, according to market research firm Gitnux. As with all other parts of the business world, talk of artificial intelligence is intense and inconclusive.
Microsoft is one of the Big Daddies. Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Minecraft live within the Xbox gaming empire, catapulted to leading global status by the acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion in 2023. Tencent, from China, and Sony, from ******* an, vie with Microsoft for supremacy at the top of the gaming leaderboard.
With such a successful stable, Microsoft is keen that advertisers engage with gaming platforms, and it has set up a business division—Xbox Media Solutions—to drive profitable deals. The first game it lists on its "global portfolio of fan-favorite franchises" has nothing to do with battlefield simulations in future universes or worlds created by an endless supply of rubble, bricks, and tree trunks. The first game it highlights relies on people matching different types of sweets in a row and has a name that is part pro wrestling, part confectionery store: Candy Crush Saga.
Candy Crush was launched in 2012 with 65 "levels" of candy-matching to complete. Few would have predicted that, 14 years later, it would still be making $1 billion in annual revenue and have a fan base of over 150 million users playing it more than once a month, according to Business of Apps, which covers the sector. The number of levels now exceeds 20,000, and spinoff games include Soda Saga and Jelly Saga. Given its rabid fandom, the $5.9 billion Activision paid in 2016 for King, the company that launched the game, now looks like a steal.
What's next for a game so successful that when writer of catchy tunes Meghan Trainor wanted an exclusive launch platform for the video of her new single "Made You Look," she chose Candy Crush? For the answer to that, it is worth turning to Paula Ingvar, the game's general manager, based at the company's HQ in Stockholm. She does not lack ambition.
Microsoft is one of the Big Daddies. Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Minecraft live within the Xbox gaming empire, catapulted to leading global status by the acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion in 2023. Tencent, from China, and Sony, from ******* an, vie with Microsoft for supremacy at the top of the gaming leaderboard.
With such a successful stable, Microsoft is keen that advertisers engage with gaming platforms, and it has set up a business division—Xbox Media Solutions—to drive profitable deals. The first game it lists on its "global portfolio of fan-favorite franchises" has nothing to do with battlefield simulations in future universes or worlds created by an endless supply of rubble, bricks, and tree trunks. The first game it highlights relies on people matching different types of sweets in a row and has a name that is part pro wrestling, part confectionery store: Candy Crush Saga.
Candy Crush was launched in 2012 with 65 "levels" of candy-matching to complete. Few would have predicted that, 14 years later, it would still be making $1 billion in annual revenue and have a fan base of over 150 million users playing it more than once a month, according to Business of Apps, which covers the sector. The number of levels now exceeds 20,000, and spinoff games include Soda Saga and Jelly Saga. Given its rabid fandom, the $5.9 billion Activision paid in 2016 for King, the company that launched the game, now looks like a steal.
What's next for a game so successful that when writer of catchy tunes Meghan Trainor wanted an exclusive launch platform for the video of her new single "Made You Look," she chose Candy Crush? For the answer to that, it is worth turning to Paula Ingvar, the game's general manager, based at the company's HQ in Stockholm. She does not lack ambition.
