Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued 13 Democrats, claiming their strike to block the GOP map represents abandonment of their offices.
The Texas hearing draws insightful debate over rezoning plans
Texas lawmakers and members expressed sharply divided opinions at the Senate hearing over a resubmitted rezoning plan in favor of the Republican Party.
EL PASO, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit inaugurating 13 Democrats amid ongoing positions to redraw the U.S. House District to help President Donald Trump and the GOP maintain a majority in the mid-2026 period.
The lawsuit, filed in the Texas Supreme Court on August 8, alleges that the long absence of Democrats amounts to abandonment of elected offices. The 13 Texas Democrats were part of the terms of lawmakers who left the state on August 2 to deny Republicans.
The map, which was demanded by Trump and pushed through by Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, is designed to give Republicans five new Texas seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the November 2026 election.
Paxton targeted lawmakers from Texas’ most populous cities, including Austin, Houston and Dallas.
“The fraudulent Democrats who have fled the state have abandoned their duties and left their seats open,” Paxton, who runs for the US Senate in 2026 against incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn, said in a news release.
“These ward sick people intentionally obstructed the constitutional process and violated the oath they had sworn to endorse. Their out-of-state rebellion was not checked and Texas business must continue,” Paxton added.
The lawsuit acknowledges the Texas Constitution to grant minority legislators the right to “resist the legislation,” but similarly argues that the constitution allows majority parties to be forced to attend to ensure that state projects are implemented.
“The Texas Constitution, laws and regulations provide a wide range of tools for members of legislative minority to listen,” the lawsuit states. “However, these tools do not include coordinated efforts by minority members to disrupt the functions of Congress, including inducing the constitutional authority of the remaining members. They include forcing members of Congress to force arrest warrants. They abandon and abandon their office.”
Here are 13 democratic state lawmakers targeted by Paxton:
State Assemblyman Ron Reynolds, D-Misouri City
State Assemblyman James Tarico, D-Austin
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin
State Assemblyman Lulu Flores, D-Austin
State Senator Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin
State Rep. Mihaela Plesa, D-Plano
State Assemblyman Sleman Lalani, D-Houston
State Assembly John Beussie III, D-Austin
State Assemblyman Chris Turner, D-Arlington
State legislator Jean Wu, D-Houston
State Rep. Ana Maria Ramos, D-Dallas
State Senator Christina Morales, D-Haulton
State Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, D-Dallas
Paxton said 13 Democrats “have essentially confirmed the basis for this legal action in their own words as they committed an official statement regarding their refusal to return,” according to a news release.
In addition to the lawsuit, Paxton has also moved to enforce arrest warrants in other states and is now launching an investigation into voting advocacy groups from former governor candidate Beto O’Rourke and the Texas majority PAC, claiming it is an illegal financial impact scheme to break Quorum from the “illegal financial impact scheme” from the Texas majority PAC for what he claims.
O’Rourke, a former US representative for El Paso, challenged Paxton and others who were working to rebuild the map of Congress in the hopes of electing more Republicans.
“The man who was blasted for bribery is on the way after those trying to stop theft of five Capitols,” O’Rourke wrote in an X post on Wednesday, August 6th.
Adam Powell covers the government and politics of the El Paso Times and can be contacted by email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
He was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the film Apollo 13. This drastically portrayed an almost tragic mission cleverly guided towards the Earth.
Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell died at 97 in Lake Forest
Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell, famous for Gemini and Apollo missions, died at 97 in Lake Forest, Illinois.
NASA has announced that Jim Lovell, one of the first astronauts to leave Earth’s gravitational gravitation, has died. He was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the film Apollo 13. This dramatized an almost miserable mission that was skillfully guided back to Earth.
According to NASA, the space pioneer known for his work on the Gemini and Apollo missions died on August 7th in Lake Forest, Illinois. Lovell was 97 years old.
more: Apollo 13 was just a part of Jim Lovell’s incredible life
He served as a command module pilot for the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon, and along with his crew he first lifted up on a Saturn V rocket and orbited the Moon. When the oxygen tank exploded during the Apollo 13 mission on April 13, 1970, Label helped lead the three-person crew on a rescue mission to Earth after telling Ground Control “Houston, there’s a problem.”
more: Did Jim Lovell say, “Houston, there’s a problem”? The symbolic quote continues echoing.
It was poured into memories from Sean Duffy, the generation of astronauts and acting NASA administrator.
more: “Legend Returns to the Stars”: Earth laments Apollo’s death Commander Jim Lovell
“NASA expresses sadness to Colonel Jim Label’s family, whose life and work have influenced millions of people for decades. Jim’s character and unshakable courage have made our country reach the moon, transforming potential tragedy into success, and learning a huge amount from it,” Duffy said in a statement. “We celebrate his achievements and still bemoan his passing.”
Lovell made four voyages into space, but never left a mark on the moon. He was to be the fifth person to walk the moon at Apollo 13.
“Even though it didn’t land on the moon, I’m extremely proud of 13,” he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA Today Network. “It was a disappointment for me, but a lot of people landed on the moon.”
Growing up in Milwaukee, Lowell sat down in 2020 for a lengthy interview with his hometown of USA Today Network Paper.
NASA administrator Sean Duffy said Lovell was inspiring millions.
“The character of Jim and the unshakable courage have made our country reach the moon, transforming potential tragedy into success, and learning a huge amount from it,” Duffy said in a statement.
13 | 50: A conversation with Colonel James Lovell 13 years after Apollo 50 years later
Who is Jim Lovell?
According to a NASA biography, Lovell, born in Cleveland, Ohio, became an astronaut in 1962 and set out into space three years later on the historic Gemini VII mission. Lovell also directed the Gemini XII mission, a four-day flight that ended the program.
Gemini 12 will be brought into orbit to Buzz Aldrin and Jim Lovell: November 11, 1966
Gemini 12 was the final mission of the Gemini program. There were two astronauts, Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin. NASA wanted to send humans to the moon. But first, we had to make sure our crew had the right skills, such as docking vehicles into space or taking spacecraft.
Buy-Space.com
Lovell and his crew became the first people to leave Earth’s gravity to the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, and he intended to make another voyage to the moon in his fourth mission, Apollo 13, two years later.
Astronauts faced extreme lack of water and electricity as well as dangerous carbon dioxide levels.
Lovell and his crew competed against the clock alongside NASA personnel on the ground in Houston, transforming the lunar module into a “lifeboat” and using the sun as a guide to continue living in space back to Earth. Their dangerous journey was recorded in the 1995 Oscar-winning film, “Apollo 13,” starring Tom Hanks as Lovell.
Lovell retired from the Navy and Space Program in 1973 and joined the Bay-Houstong Towing Company in Houston, Texas.
When the shooting broke out near the center for disease control and prevention, Christine Coles’ wife was to pick up a toddler at a day care worker on the corner. Instead, Coles received a text from his wife saying he had heard a gunshot outside his daycare, she told CNN affiliate WSB-TV.
When her wife and son entered “lockdown” inside Clifton School, Coles was plagued with anxiety when they headed to the scene. When police stopped her in her car, she said she walked about a mile to get closer to the daycare — just to be stopped again.
“Everyone looks safe. I need to see them,” Coles told WSB-TV. “I just hug him and stay with him and know he’s fine and I’m meeting him in person.”
She said her wife was in day care but couldn’t see her son in another classroom. Clifton School serves families who are employees of Atlanta’s CDC, Emory and Children’s Hospital.
“It’s very scary. Our kids should be able to go to school. People should be able to do it every day without threatening their lives,” Coles said.
Michael Paul Brown, 45, is accused of killing a bartender and three guests at an owl bar a week before August 1st.
Montana Shooting leads police in Manhunt
Police are searching for Michael Brown after a fatal shooting at Owlbur in Anaconda, Montana.
State officials have announced that the 45-year-old man accused of fatal shootings of a bartender and three patrons at a Montana bar on August 8, after a week of manhunt, has been captured by police.
Around 2pm local time, law enforcement officials arrested Michael Paul Brown near the search area of Anaconda, a small community in southwestern Montana known for its forested areas.
Police say he killed four people on August 1st at an owl bar in Anaconda. An Army veteran who lived near the bar was taken into custody by an Anaconda dare Lodge County official on Aug. 8, according to a news release from the state Department of Justice.
For a week, authorities scrutinized mountains outside Anaconda, a rural Montana community of about 9,400 people about 100 miles southeast of Missoula.
“The support we saw from the statewide and the nation to the Anaconda community was also amazing,” state Attorney General Austin Knuundsen said in a statement. “The victims’ family and friends remain in my prayers.”
Brown has been accused of murdering bartender Nancy Lauretta Kelly, 64, with patrons Daniel Edwin Bailey, 59, David Allen Leach, 70, Tony Wayne Palm, 74.
Authorities said details will be released in the evening.
This is a developing story. Please check for updates.
Trump defends BLS Chief shooting in a tense CNBC exchange
Trump fired BLS commissioner Erica Mantelfer, causing a tense exchange with CNBC’s Joe Kernen on “Squawk Box” over the integrity of employment data.
President Donald Trump’s sudden firing of U.S. Labor Statistics Commissioner after a disappointing employment report raised concerns about the future accuracy and completeness of the country’s important employment numbers.
Some economists and former government officials respond to the simple message: worry about relaxation.
These experts cite three reasons why Trump administration officials are unlikely to manipulate statistics for political reasons. Widely equivalent figures are listed in other reports. And Chakanelly has a disability.
“It’s going to be pretty difficult to fix statistics,” said Sarah Estep, an economist at the left-leaning center for American progress, based on politics.
Still, ESTEP and other experts say the reliability of data is being questioned – in itself can have a negative impact on the economy and markets, and attempts to massage numbers are not an area of possibility.
“The concern is that this could mark the beginning of a slippery slope towards the major impact of the White House’s influence on economic statistics. In the worst-case scenario, official releases such as payroll and CPI (inflation) that can be useful for the Trump administration’s agenda could be censored, reengineered or suspended.
A White House spokesman did not immediately return an email message seeking comment. However, on “Meet the Press,” on August 3rd, National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett told moderator Christine Welker that Trump simply wanted to make employment reports more transparent.
“If there are big changes and big revisions, I’m hoping for a big revision of employment data, for example, in September. I want to know why. I want people to explain it,” Hassett said.
What was your July job report?
On August 1, Trump reported 73,000 jobs in July and fired Erica Mantelfer, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after revising the salary additions at 258,000 positions historically in May and June.
The economist said large companies could explain it by the unusually low response rates of BLS’s initial survey.
But true socially, Trump said he “equipped with the number of jobs today being equipped to make Republicans, and I look bad.”
After firing McEntarfer, he appointed William Wiatrowskias’ interim BLS head and said he would name a permanent replacement within days.
William Beach, McEntarfer’s BLS chief and Trump appointee, said it was “impossible” for BLS commissioners to manipulate employment data. He added that the person will not see the report until the numbers are loaded on Wednesday and ready for distribution before it is released on the first Friday of the month.
Keith Hall, who was appointed BLS commissioner by former President George W. Bush and served from 2008 to 2011, told USA Today that too many careers, nonpartisan civil servants are working to draft reports that distort data. Around 40 Republicans and Democrats look at the final number of jobs just before publication, Beach said earlier.
Is Trump trying to control independent federal agencies?
But economists are worried that Trump can test that estimate. His removal of McEntarfer shows his latest challenge to federal agencies where independence is important for a smooth-functioning economy. For months, Trump threatened Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates and threatened to fire him, but experts say Powell can’t be eliminated for no reason.
Economists see employment reports as the global gold standard for accurate and unbiased economic data, providing the best broad snapshots of the US economy in a time of year close to reality, helping to guide the behaviour of investors, businesses, governments and consumers.
Trump’s removal of Mentarfer “poses risks to monetary policy implementation, financial stability and economic outlook,” Jpmorgan Chase economist Michael Feroli wrote in a note to his client. He added, “The risk of politicizing the data collection process should not be overlooked.”
Here’s why some experts say they’re not worried about the reliability of their job numbers:
Other federal government duties
If a BLS commissioner or other key employees oversees the number of jobs, “contradictions will be reported at the state level and are federally susceptible (which will soon be visible in other metrics, such as unemployed claims,” Capital Economics said in a research note.
The first unemployment insurance application provides a reliable measure of layoffs. The employment report also represents the net total of all layoffs, employment, termination, retirement and job switching across the economy.
Private Job Report
Even if the administration “put all major statistical institutions under strict control, economists and investors still managed to infer the true state of the economy from private sources,” Capital Economics said. These include ADP Employment Reports and job postings from major job hunting sites.
“Tampering official data is likely to be exposed sooner or later, and will be politically harmful if discovered,” Capital Economics said.
The market is watching – and reacting
If evidence emerged that managers were messing around with employment data, investors probably demanded higher profits to hold assets such as the US Treasury, pushing interest rates up, Capital Economics said. Trump has been enthusiastically advocating for lower rates.
The research firm added, “The administration tends to avoid upsetting the market — especially when it leads to an increase in bond yields and increased debt service costs.”
Trump tends to push envelopes, but not to tear it
Trump has shown a tendency to push boundaries in his efforts to achieve his goals “without a clear intersection,” Capital Economics said. For example, he stopped firing Fed Powell.
“This fits into the broader pattern of administrations that put maximum pressure on them to reach the issue of deportation to federal layoffs without openly ignoring the courts,” writes Capital Economics.
Many people edit job reports
The Jobs report is like a massive puzzle put together by hundreds of employees, and the piece needs to fit. If the final numbers were fuded, then employees who worked on entering those numbers would recognize it and speak out, Hall said.
“All the data, details, and industry statistics all need to be summed,” he said.
Basic job data
BLS is well-known transparent and provides data that is based behind all the job counts, Estep said. For example, the unemployment rate is based on a survey of 60,000 households, and agents will have a personal response, she said.
At the same time, here are some reasons why some experts are still worried:
Private employment data depends on the number of federal governments
ADP and other private companies provide employment data, but Ferroli said that private sector data is usually “based on federal data” because private sector data is not representative nationwide. For example, ADP relies on the federal employment report two months ago to estimate last month’s figures.
Risk of political interference
At a “press conference,” Hassett told Welker. “The president wants his people (in BLS), so looking at the numbers, they’re more transparent and reliable,” he said.
Estep: “I’ll keep an eye on it” for the potential replacement of long-term civil servant BLS and other institutional political appointees.
“Anyway, are they setting up more plans for the politicization of these statistical institutions?” asked Estep.
The data may be accurate, but is it reliable?
Even if data is unlikely to be manipulated, “it can be unreliable,” Estep said, saying it could affect the market, businesses and consumer behavior. “The element of trust, that’s really scary.”
In an opinion article posted on MSNBC.com, David Madland, a senior fellow at the Center for Progress in America, wrote: “Government data analysts will do their best to produce reliable reports.
“Reputation damage is already done — and the decline in trust has real consequences.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent will serve as the acting interim IRS commissioner until Billy Long becomes US ambassador towards Iceland.
IRS lifts church penalties for political support
The IRS says that as long as it is framed as part of a religious expression, it will no longer punish the worship house to support political candidates during religious service.
No Brands – News Value
President Donald Trump asked Billy Long to step down as head of the Internal Revenue Service, ending his commissioner’s tenure just two months after he was confirmed for the post.
White House officials confirmed on August 8th that USA Today would be removed from his position. Treasury Secretary Scott Becent will serve as the proxy interim committee until a replacement is found.
Long, a former Missouri GOP Congressman and loyal Trump supporter, is being tapped for the ambassador, White House officials said. In a statement posted to X, Long thanked Trump for his role in the IRS and announced that he was nominated as the top US diplomat in Iceland.
“I am excited to answer his call for service and have been deeply committed to moving forward with his bold agenda. An exciting time!” Long wrote.
Before he took office, Trump showed that he would be a long-time nomination for IRS commissioner in a post on social media platform Truth Social in December.
Former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel resigned in January before Trump took office three years before his term ended.
(This story has been updated with more information.)
The August 15th summit will be the first in-person meeting of Trump’s second term leaders, when the president is calling for a peace deal to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump says his encounter with Putin doesn’t depend on Zelensky’s story.
President Donald Trump said he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, even if Putin did not meet Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky first.
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska next week, and will discuss the end of the three-year Russian war with Ukraine in the first in-person session between the two world leaders since Trump returned to the White House in January.
“The highly anticipated meeting between me as President of the United States and myself as President of Russia Vladimir Putin will be held on a massive scale in Alaska on Friday, August 15, 2025,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Society on August 8. “Follow the details. Thank you for paying attention to this issue!”
The announcement comes on the same day Putin’s deadline to end the war in Ukraine. The talks have been floating for several months, initially being to include Ukrainian president Voldymi Zelenkie, and Trump has encouraged negotiations.
more: Trump says that deals to halt Russia’s Ukrainian war could include territorial “swapping”
When that didn’t progress, Trump said on August 7 that he was open to meeting Putin without the presence of Zelenkey being a prerequisite. On July 28, Trump announced that he would either give Russia 10-12 days to end the three-year war in Ukraine, or face “severe tariffs.” That deadline will fall on August 8th.
Trump has threatened to impose “secondary tariffs” of up to 100% on countries that trade with Russia, particularly those in the energy sector. The president also signed an executive order this week to impose an additional 25% tariff on imports from India in retaliation against the country’s Russian oil imports, and double the US tariff rate in India to 50%.
The Trump administration doubled the fee for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s arrest by $50 million, accusing him of being one of the world’s biggest narcotic traffic and collaborated with the cartel to kill the cocaine he added to fentanyl to the United States.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and will be held responsible for his sly crimes,” Attorney General Pam Bondy said Thursday in a video announcing his compensation.
Maduro was indicted in Manhattan Federal Court in 2020 during the first Trump presidency, along with several close allies in federal charges of narcoterrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. At the time, the US offered a $15 million reward for arrests. It was later raised to $25 million by the Biden administration. This is the same amount that the US provided for the capture of Osama bin Laden following the attack on September 11, 2001.
Despite his great bounty, Maduro remains entrenched after denialing the US, the European Union, and several Latin American governments that denounced reelection in 2024 as fakes and recognized his opponents as Venezuela’s officially elected president.
Last month, the Trump administration signed a contract to secure the release of 10 Americans in the capital Caracas in exchange for Venezuela, who was deported to El Salvador under Trump’s immigrant crackdown, to score a score for immigrants who were deported to El Salvador. Shortly afterwards, the White House reversed the course, allowing oil producer Chevron to resume drilling in Venezuela after being previously blocked by US sanctions.
Bondi said the Justice Department seized more than $700 million in assets related to Maduro, including two private jets, and nearly 7 tons of seized cocaine was directly traced to the left-wing leaders.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gill issued a statement characterizing the compensation as “pathetic” and accused the bond of orchestrating “crude political propaganda.”
“We’re not surprised. Where did it come from? Just like someone who promised Epstein’s nonexistent “secret list” and was caught up in scandal due to political favor,” Gill said the same person the Justice Department mentioned after facing the face after facing the last month. “Her show is a joke and a desperate distraction from her own misery.”
FBI opens investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James
The Justice Department has launched an investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, several news outlets reported.
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department convened a major ju judge to summon New York Attorney General Leticia James to investigate whether she violated President Donald Trump’s civil rights, news reports say he indicted fraud.
According to a report by the Associated Press and Reuters, the subpoena seeks records relating to the success of the lawsuit James filed against Trump on alleged fraud in his personal dealings.
The DOJ is seeking records that include lawsuits against the National Rifle Association by James, the top New York prosecutor and longtime Trump and Democrats who have been in public, both news outlets reported.
News reports urged James’ office to accuse the Trump administration of politicizing the legal system.
“Weaponization of the judicial system should hinder all Americans,” James’ office said in a statement reported by the press. “We stand strong behind successful lawsuits against the Trump organization and the NRA and continue to support New Yorkers’ rights.”
In the case of the NRA, the ju apprentice discovered that gun rights groups were responsible for years of financial mismanagement and that former leaders could engage in luxurious spending. The group’s lawyers alleged that the group was targeted for the political advocacy.
Separately, the Justice Department has appointed conservative legal activist Ed Martin as a special lawyer to investigate allegations of mortgage fraud by James and California Democrat James and Sen. Adam Schiff.
The Department of Justice could not immediately confirm USA Today.
Schiff and James denied any misconduct. Neither could be contacted immediately for comment through their spokesman.
A survey that dates back at least to May
The DOJ under Attorney General Pam Bondy has garnered acute criticism for chasing Trump’s enemy. James has been at or near the top of Trump’s enemy list since winning a $454 million ruling against Trump in 2024 to fraudulent lenders by inflated his assets.
Trump is pleading for judgment and continues to criticize James. He should call her a “completely corrupt politician” and “a quirky con man,” and immediately resign in an April post about his true social platform.
In May, the Justice Department began another investigation into James over real estate transactions, several media outlets reported.
The FBIPRED probe is linked to loans and property purchases in New York City and Virginia, the Albany Times Union, Guardian and the Washington Post reported on May 8.
In a criminal introduction filed in April, the director appointed by Trump of the US Federal Housing Finance Agency accused James of forgerying bank documents and property records in multiple cases, obtaining government-supported support loans and more favorable loan terms.
FHFA Head William Plute claimed in her introduction that James may have misrepresented the account of the property, and claimed her main residential status as Norfolk. He cited “media coverage” as the basis.
On April 24th, James’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, sent a letter to the DOJ claiming that the charges against James were worthless and that they were motivated by Trump’s personal animus against James.
“These unfounded, long discriminatory allegations rested by my April 24 letter to the Department of Justice on April 24, suddenly returned to the news a few days after President Trump publicly attacked Attorney General James,” Lowell said in a May 8 statement on James’ behalf. “This seemed like political retaliation, President Trump threatened exactly that Ag Bondi ensured that the Senate would not occur in her surveillance. If prosecutors are genuinely interested in the truth, we are ready to meet false claims with facts.”
James is currently appealing for cuts to the Trump administration to the Health and Human Services Department and enforcement actions related to the election that she calls unconstitutional.
“Special Counsel” to investigate James, Schiff and other Trump enemies.
With mortgage fraud probes, Martin is not a special advisor or independent prosecutor appointed to handle politically sensitive investigations, Reuters said. So, Department of Justice officials cited sources knowledgeable about his appointment and said they must work with the US lawyers’ office to file the charges.
Since the failed bid for US lawyers, conservative legal activists have served as officials for the Special Justice Department, which is to identify efforts to politicize and weaponize the Department of Justice, allegedly made by the previous Biden administration.
A big ju judge sitting in the Eastern District of Virginia will investigate James’ mortgage fraud allegations, while a big ju judge in Maryland will investigate the allegations against Schiff, an NBC news report says.
NBC News said Martin met with Pulte on the morning of August 8th, and that the director of the federal Housing and Finance Agency sent a criminal introduction to the California Senator to the Department of Justice in May.
Used furniture: Tips for discovering, purchasing and cleaning
Buying second-hand items is a budget-friendly option for many people.
The problem has been resolved
Naomi Serviss has won a bookshelves and guitar stands.
Michelle Wolf has gotten three spin bikes. Two spin bikes for teacher classrooms and one for myself.
Joni Holderman got a gentle used rug that was sold for $1,000.
They are part of a growing trend in consumers offering things free via “No Buy,” “Buy Nothing,” or local community groups that are often tagged with the word “free” and community name on Facebook or other web platforms.
These groups provide connections between community members and those looking for neighbors and items who want to provide things for free. We also support the environment by keeping unnecessary belongings out of waste and landfills.
Naomiservis in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, it is a hyperlocal gift economy. She received countless items and handed over by purchasing Nothing Groups, both in her current hometown and in New York City.
Give and receive “electric treasures”
Selvis is a long-standing slifter. But getting something for free is even better.
When Selvis lived on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, she acquired what she called a free “elic treasure.”
Among them were African masks, soft sculpture art, decorative sofa pillows, and even runner rugs that fit the hallways, she said.
“I was happy to hand over the branded raincoat, sporty hat and formal gowns for wedding guests, which I wore once to my neo’s Albany wedding eight years ago,” she told USA Today.
One of her favorite “Gets” was a “stellar” red embroidered kimono, Serviss said. She mounted it on the wall of her one bedroom apartment.
“It was a beauty thing, and when it came time to abandon it, I handed it over to an interesting neighbor,” she said.
When Celis and her husband moved to Rhode Island, she found a new local shopping group.
Servis presented a new set of turquoise IKEA stone products to anyone who posted a “ISO” or “search” message for kitchenware in his grandson’s new apartment.
“Come to this, that same member offered me an impressive antique African doll,” Celis said. “When she responded to my interests, she mentioned how much her grandson loved cooking and wanted me to have a doll!”
Whatever the buy group would buy anything?
The largest network of the Buy Nothing Group through Facebook and the web portal is via the Buy Nothing Project, founded in 2013 by two friends, Liesl Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller.
There were three reasons why women started their first group, Clark told USA Today in an interview: to help save the environment, create an economy of gifts to share items, and help people connect socially with each other.
“We all need each other, and we can create a circular economy within our community and continue to share clothes with our children in particular,” she said.
The woman met on Freecycle. Freecycle is a long-standing web platform where people can post what they have to offer.
Friends launched their own concept on Facebook and created the first Buy Nothing Group on Bainbridge Island, Washington.
Within a few hours, they had gone from two women to hundreds.
The idea is now a global social movement, with 12.85 million users of Facebook groups and 1.5 million people participating in the BuyNothing app available online at https://buynothingproject.org. People in 44 countries have registered groups on Facebook that have not purchased anything, and app downloads come from around 193 countries, Clark said.
“We had no intention of growing the social movement,” she said. “We were meant to solve problems in our own community. That was the amount of plastic we wash on land.”
How to join a no-buy group
It doesn’t cost people to join a buying group. If someone wants to create a new purchase group on Facebook, the license costs $10. The project then stated that it would set up groups and load general rules to start groups.
Clark said there are groups on Facebook who do not register using the name Nothing. She said Facebook also has a similar concept of offering free items within its community, as well as people who provide things on the Facebook Marketplace and don’t belong to it.
Buy Nothing Project also developed a mobile app and website https://buynothingproject.org that can be used by people who do not want to join Facebook. People can find local groups, join global groups online or on the app, or pay minimal shipping for free items. It helps to open up the concept to people in the community who may be too small for their group, Clark said.
Save money: What is the July purchase? We explain to you the trends that can save money.
What are the rules for a group that buys nothing or is free?
All purchasing groups cannot be accompanied by money and nothing agrees with some general rules, including that illegal activities are not permitted. However, after that, each group has its own rules.
A group of Michelle Wolf near Pleasantville, New York, asks the gifter to wait six hours before choosing a “winner.” Wolf said when she’s giving something, sometimes she picks someone based on their “story” and sometimes she uses the app to randomly choose someone.
Wolf “wind” the spin bike when a friend, a teacher of a disabled student, explained that he had broken a spin bike in the classroom.
The kids in the classroom were excited, so did the gifters, Wolf said. She also got a second bike for her friend’s classroom, then one bike for herself.
Holderman said he loves The Buy Nothing Group because he “changes our way of thinking from one of rarity and struggles to one of agriculture and sharing.”
$1,000 “free” rug
The best thing that Joni Holderman from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina received in her group was a West Elm 8 x 10-foot rug, which when she looked at retail value, turned out to be worth $1,000.
“I know it was lightly used, but it’s great,” she said.
Holderman handed me a big beach themed dresser, a sofa and more. She still donates to charities, but for something like a couch, she has to pull it. Instead, someone came and got it.
Instead of making money to sell on the Facebook Marketplace, Holderman wants to pass things on to someone he appreciates. “There’s a whole thing beyond the price. It’s almost antagonistic relationship.”
Free groups help people struggling in this economy
According to Clark, there is nothing particularly useful in today’s economy that communities and similar groups are.
“Everyday people struggle, and we have doubts about where our economy is going and we want to be that safety net,” Clark said.
Groups connect people with one another.
“They come for things,” Clark said, “and they stay for the community.”
Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA Today. Contact her at blinfisher @usatoday.com or follow her on X, Facebook, or Instagram @Blinfisher, @Blinfisher.bsky.social.. Sign up for our free daily money newsletter. This includes Friday’s Consumer News.
“We must treat them as armed terrorist groups, not just drug trafficking organisations,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Idrees Ali and Brendan O’Boyle |Reuters
US doubles the reward for Venezuelan Maduro for cartel ties
The US has increased its pay for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, citing Cartel Thailand.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the United States can use military and intelligence against cartels.
The US Navy can run drug prevention operations at sea, sources told Reuters.
President Donald Trump’s administration can use the military to chase Latin American drug gangs who have been designated as a global terrorist organization and have directed the Department of Defense to prepare options, US officials said.
The Trump administration designated Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and other drug gangs, as well as Venezuelan crime group Trender Lagua, as a global terrorist organization in February, and Trump strengthened immigration enforcement against gang members.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the administration could use the military to chase the cartels.
more: The new House Cartel Task Force hopes Intel agencies will target fentanyl trade
“Now you can target what they run and use other elements like American power, Intelligence Reporting Agency, the Department of Defense, and more.
“We must start treating them as armed terrorist groups, not just drug trafficking organisations.”
The New York Times reported Friday that Trump secretly signed an order to begin using military force against the group.
A US official speaking about the terms of anonymity confirmed the move but said military action against the designated groups appears to be unimmediate and it is unclear what kind of operations they will perform.
The second US official said the authorities, among other things, could empower the U.S. Navy to carry out actions at sea and include drug prevention operations. Operations can also include targeted military raids.
The US military has already increased aerial surveillance for Mexican drug cartels and is gathering intelligence to determine the best way to work.
Not our soil, the Mexican president says
Mexican President Claudia Sinbaum said on Friday that members of the US military would not enter Mexico’s territory.
Sheinbaum said her government had been informed of future orders but had nothing to do with the US military in Mexican soil.
The move to use the US military against the cartel could raise legal issues.
Brian Finecan, along with International Crisis Group, wrote that military action in Mexico is “hard to square with domestic or international law.”
“Even though US military actions in Mexico are arguably illegal, such illegality may not serve as an effective obstacle,” Finycan said after the global terrorist designation in February.
Trump previously offered to send troops to Mexico to support drug trafficking in combat with Shainbaum, Sinbaum said in May that she refused. He publicly said that if Mexico fails to dismantle the drug cartel, the United States will take unilateral military action. Sheinbaum calls such actions a violation of Mexico’s sovereignty.
Trump considered military action in Mexico during his first term. His former defense secretary, Mark Esper, wrote in his memoirs that Trump asked at least twice in 2020 if the military could “shoot missiles into Mexico to destroy the drug lab.”
Esper wrote that he replied that it was illegal and would be an act of war.
Washington’s actions to prosecute and fight cartel activities in Mexico have caused tensions with neighbors in the south and are sometimes seen as a challenge to Mexican sovereignty.
On Friday, Shainbaum questioned Attorney General Pam Bondy’s charges that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.
The Grammy-winning musicians are chatting with Melissa Ruggieri and Shaggy Chat of USA Today ahead of one fantastic day music festival about their friendship.
Sitting on the other side of the plain, wooden tables, stabs and hairy hairs are not normal.
Their 20-year friendship, although not superficially likely, is musically very fitting with the police, produced a joint tour, a Grammy-winning album (“44/876”), a curated festival, and a well-known volley of the Zinger.
Ask what they appreciate most about each other, Sting, 73, land first.
“Oh, where should I start?” he muse. “Now count the ways.”
Shaggy, 56, jumps in with a checklist of mutual benefits. They are both LIBRAS. They share a sense of affinity with Monkey 47 Jin. They worship Bill Withers.
“We’re both obsessed with music and we love the surprise element,” says Shaggy. “What’s very unique is that we have different processes in the ways we achieve… I’m fascinated by his process and I think he’s fascinated by mine.”
Cues a quisical look from the stab wound.
“Do you have a process?” He is dead.
Many laughs were shared in July as a pair chat in the Czech Republic, playing (separately) in the colours of the Ostrava Festival.
They will once again unite for one Fine Day Festival, a two-stage all-day event curated and headlined by The Twosome. Participating in the September 6th production at Mann at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia is an eclectic lineup featuring the original Wailers featuring All, Marcia Griffith, Chance Emerson, Al Anderson, Big FreeDia and Sophie Gray.
This is the second article on one sunny day. Named after Sting’s song about the 57 climate crisisth &9th“Album – They also performed in Philadelphia in 2023. The festival is also a charity partner at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
For both artists, the surprise element is essential to the festival and explodes together.
There are details from the duo about their mutual admiration society, Sting’s “fragile” patience, and why Shaggy loves to hear his music played by Symphony.
Question: What do you appreciate for playing together?
Sting: I love his spontaneity. Shaggy is a very spontaneous performer and creator. I’m more hidden in my books.
Shaggy: People expect him to become this really straight guy and he’s very funny. We play with each other. we Like It feels good with each other.
Who takes time to prepare to go to the stage?
Sting: He’s in so much waste. Because I’m perfect lol. I wear the same t-shirt every night because that shirt knows all the songs. I’m not going to give up on that. (See Shaggy) You have different flocks and gems every night… It’s like going to the stage with the Queen of England, God will rest her soul.
Shaggy: Don’t be fooled by him. He has clothes, they’re all in the same t-shirt lol.
What are your favorite songs?
Sting: I’m Shaggy’s great moral play “It wasn’t me.”
Shaggy: That’s when he gets into the story of the teacher at that school! But for me it’s a “field of gold.” It’s an incredible melody. Songs are recorded in a specific mood. There are some songs you’ve heard, some songs you feel, and that’s what I feel.
Who wants to curate the lineup and bring in fans at the festival?
Sting: We want to surprise people. When we did it in Philadelphia two years ago, he and I introduced us to all the deeds and walked the audience from stage to stage. We really curated the mood. We weren’t sitting in the dressing room waiting for a second. We will be elegant hosts.
Creating a festival is not easy. Why do you do that in the first place?
Shaggy: It’s cool to do that in a place where you’re hanging with your mates. I did it in Jamaica with Shaggy and a friend, so I know how difficult it is. But if you’re going to do it, then have a partnership with Live Nation because this is what they’re doing. It’s different in the US with laws, regulations and permits and deals with all of that.
Sting: We realised that the market has a niche that we can meet in Philadelphia, a great musical town that is a fantastic audience.
And will you share the stage again?
Shaggy: We have two bands together.
Sting: We usually start with “New York Jamaicans.” This was a “New York British,” but now we’re out of the way. But I don’t care.
Shaggy: I’ve been enjoying it lately, saying, “It’s probably me.”
Sting: Written it for Danny Glover and Mel Gibson in the “Deadly Weapons” movie. I’m Danny Glover from this relationship.
Sting, “Fragile” has recently attracted attention for being used in “Adolescence” (Netflix series), and has duets with Barbra Streisand on her new album. How about that song?
Sting: Writing standards has always been my ambition. It is a song that survives the challenges of the times, a song covered by other artists, and I think that “fragile” has achieved that state over the years. It’s a very old song (from the 1987 “Nothing Like The Sun” album). That has many meanings. What are you singing? relationship? Planetary vulnerability? Of our democracy? Our ecosystem? They’re all caught up in one. And I love the Barbra version.
Did you record it in your room with her?
Sting: Yes! There I am on one side of the microphone, one of the greatest singers of our time standing a few feet away from me. That’s something you don’t take for granted.
Shaggy, you performed with symphonies in Pittsburgh, Houston and San Diego. How do you feel when you hear your song presented so differently?
Shaggy: The first time I saw (modern music with Symphony) was when Sting did it (2010 Symphony Tour). It sounded so great, I thought I was going to. For artists who have been doing this for almost 30 years, you are looking for different ways to get inspiration and I have not been alienating these things. Sting recently made him sing Frank Sinatra in reggae. Who came to do that to me?
Famous NASA astronaut Jim Lovell, who commanded the tragic Apollo 13 mission in 1970, forced to abandon attempts to land the moon, has been killed. He was 97 years old.
According to a NASA news release, Lovell passed away on August 7th in Lake Forest, Illinois. The cause of death was not immediately clear.
Lovell’s family requested privacy, but said, “It is sad to announce the death of our beloved father, USN Captain James A. ‘Jim’ Lovell, a naval pilot and officer, astronaut, leader and Space Explorer.”
“We are extremely proud of the achievements of his incredible life and career, highlighted by his legendary leadership, a pioneering human spaceflight,” the family said in a statement. “But for all of us, he was a dad, grandfather and leader of our family. Most importantly, he was our hero. We miss his unwavering optimism, his sense of humor, and the way each of us made us feel that we could do impossible. He was really kind.”
Lovell is already famous among NASA astronauts and was chosen to fly into space with Gemini 7, Gemini 12 and Apollo 8 missions and command Apollo 13.
However, during an unfortunate mission carrying Lovell and astronauts John Swigert Jr. and Fred Haise Jr., the oxygen tank in the crew’s service module exploded when it was about 200,000 miles from Earth.
Lovell delivered the news to Mission Control and said, “Houston, there’s a problem.”
As the damage effectively removed the crew’s power and other life support supplies, the crew of the Apollo 13 had to suddenly abandon the trek to the surface of the moon and use some engine burns to rock the other side of the moon and return to the course towards Earth.
The three crew made a high-scoring splashdown return in the South Pacific about three days after the tank explosion, marking the conclusion of what became known as the “successful and failed” of the Apollo mission.
This ordeal was fictional in Ron Howard’s 1995 film Apollo 13.
In a statement released Friday, NASA administrator Sean Duffy believed that Lovell’s “moderate strength under pressure (it) has helped its crew safely back to Earth, demonstrating quick thinking and innovation that informs future NASA missions.”
Lovell was the first astronaut to do four astronauts. And after first serving in Apollo 8, he joined the crew of Apollo 13. Apollo 8 deliberately patrolled the moon, but did not land on its surface.
In an interview with 90-year-old CNN in 2018, Lovell recalled his adventures as a navigator for Apollo 8. “For me, it was Minlewis and Clark’s expedition,” Label said. “We went somewhere new to see the other side of the moon.
At one point, Lovell stretched his arm towards the spaceship window. The earth was so small he could cover it with his thumb.
“I realized that behind my thumb there were about 3.5 billion people (3.5 billion people), everyone I knew,” Lovell said in a 2018 interview. “I suddenly felt a different feeling about my general life and my position within it.”
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Every year when the Michelin Guide announces its starry restaurant selection in France, journalist Nora Bouzauni receives a gust of anger and resentment messages.
It was an unexpected result of her burgeoning reputation as one of the most influential whistleblowers in the French restaurant industry.
The message comes from the discouraged restaurant staff. This is full of watching you see the abusive and toxic chef who has elevated his life to hell by awarding one of the highest ads in the industry.
“It’s really straw that breaks a camel’s back,” Bouazzouni tells CNN.
Since 2017, French food journalists have reported on the toxic restaurant culture in kitchens across France. But her latest book, “Violence,” published in May, was blown the lid off the story and revealed the scope of physical, emotional and psychological abuse in kitchens across France.
Through testimony gathered from industry workers since 2020, the book tells of chefs who erupt into violent tantrums, deliberately burn staff, or throw pots in their faces if they make mistakes while serving. For people of color, it endures race-based harassment, abused and abused. For women, it is always sexually sexualized. Tapping the bottom every day, boobs say things about their appearance, and in more serious cases, raped by a walk-in cooler by a colleague.
In short, few people appear unharmed.
“The testimony that hit me the most was a very quick aim to dehumanize the people in the kitchen,” says Bouazzouni. “Because dehumanizing the people in the kitchen can potentially be exploited.”
The toxic kitchen culture is not unique to France and has been exposed and condemned for years in English-speaking countries and in European countries.
But Bouazzouni’s work sparked the national calculations in France, reaching the ears of the nation’s top lawmakers. On July 7, a move was submitted to the French National Assembly to create a committee on investigating violence in the kitchen.
“Indeed, behind the smooth, idealized image of the profession presented in various entertainment programs, there is a rigid, almost military and brutal hierarchical structure hidden,” the movement reads. “The working conditions of kitchen ‘brigades’ are often degraded, stressful, and even violent. But silence reigns…”
The mention of “military and brutal hierarchical organizations” is noteworthy as it refers to a system codified by French chefs, restaurateurs and writers August Escofier in the late 19th century. Inspired by his time in the military, the Kitchen Brigade, as is known, was modelled on the army, where ranks and hierarchies determine command chains. At the top of the food chain are chef duijn and sou chefs, followed by certain stations (sauce, seafood, cold dishes, etc.), junior chefs and Comis and chefs departies who are in charge of trainees.
The accuracy of Escofie and the professional restaurant kitchen that he inspired is respected in French culture.
But in many ways, Bouazzouni points out that it is this top-down organization that promotes a toxic kitchen culture and allows chefs to abuse staff with immunity.
Additionally, the Kitchen Brigade System has been exported and replicated in fine dining and hotel kitchens around the world by a corps of international chefs who have come to train in the birthplace of autogastronomy for decades.
“When foreign chefs start learning in France, either in school or internships, they will return to work in other countries and continue to export this method,” Bouazzouni says.
In other words, it’s a vicious cycle.
But how do we revert the French system from a century ago, replicated in kitchens around the world?
Male-dominated kitchens and high pressure situations are known to contribute to a toxic work environment for a long time, but a 2021 paper published in the Journal of Management Studies offered one compelling but simple solution.
For this study, researchers at Cardiff University concluded that there was a sense of freedom from surveillance of isolated, closed, hidden spaces far from the public eye, and a sense of freedom that normal rules do not apply.
“What surprised us in our study was the importance of the locations where chefs worked in the context of cultures of bullying, violence and attack. The kitchen environment has effectively become a different moral universe for them,” researcher Robin Barrow said in a press release.
The study was based on interviews with 47 chefs from fine dining restaurants around the world.
The French celebrity Chefdam cult also contributes to the norm of silence that has long spurred the victims. Top chefs are often lionized in long fawn profiles, documentaries and cooking shows, Bouazzouni said, adding that food media is responsible for feeding the “myth” of French gastronomic cuisine.
But in the last five years, the post-pandemic world has turned the script upside down. France is no exception to the labor shortage and the “big resignation” phenomenon promoted by the labor shortage and the work and dissatisfied employees and younger generations of Western English-speaking countries. Today, 300,000 positions in the French restaurant and hospitality industry are met, says Thierry Marx, chairman of the French Federation of Hotel Trade and Industry (UMIH).
While an average of five new restaurants open every day, 23 restaurants have their doors closed forever.
Marx, who operates 10 high-end restaurants in Japan and France, including Michelin-starred Restaurant Honor and Eiffel Tower’s Madame Brasserie, explains that the brigade system is necessary to delegate tasks and maximize efficiency in stressful high-pressure environments. However, he also acknowledged that the system is flawed and pointed out that the best chefs don’t necessarily make the best leader.
“I think we need to acknowledge that adding management courses and being competent in specialized techniques doesn’t necessarily provide administrative know-how,” Marx said. “And that doesn’t mean you can act like an executioner.”
Over the past few years, the emergence of both the film’s #MeToo movement and the younger generation who are likely to oppose abuse has helped to advance the discourse of creating a safe kitchen in France.
Bondir.E, a nonprofit founded by French female chefs since 2021, organized violence prevention seminars at culinary and hospitality schools to raise awareness early and break the cycle of violence. This is because in France, enrollment in vocational training schools can start with students aged 15, who are still very impressive and easy to teach, for teenagers.
“When you’re 15 years old, You’re still a child,” says Vittoria Nardone, a spokesman for Bondir.E. Suffering is said to be normal and a necessary part of success. When you’re 15 years old and that’s the only example you have to continue, it’s easy to accept. ”
The group has also established a helpline to help victims of kitchen violence and offers specialized training courses on kitchen communication and management.
Both Nardone and Bouazzouni emphasize that while vulnerable individuals and minority groups are simple targets, violence and abuse can be carried out by both men and women of all ages and within all ranks.
Manon Fleury, 34, one of the group’s founding chefs, continues to open his own restaurant, Datil, in Paris, which has earned a Michelin star. As boss, Fleury made an effort to run the ship in a different way than her predecessors. The restaurant is closed over the weekend, promoting work-life balance. All new staff will be given a Code of Conduct Charter that emphasizes a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, and will be provided with leadership training to managers. Communication is also an important part of the workplace, with preservation and postservice briefings and monthly one-on-one meetings. The restaurant is also led by women.
“When I opened the restaurant, I wanted to put women in a position of responsibility. My goal was to set an example to show that women can hold these positions,” Fleury said in a statement. “…Datil has men in the dining room and kitchen, but all managerial positions are held by women.”
Marx admits that times have changed. Workers retain more leverage and have a different relationship with their work.
“Bad management is a reflection of fear,” he said. “If you fall on the most fragile thing, it won’t work anymore.”
A federal judge has halted previous efforts to crack down on communities that the Trump administration says are blocking immigration enforcement.
LA County has been removed from the DOJ Sanctuary jurisdiction list
Although there is no clear definition of a sanctuary jurisdiction, the term generally applies to state and local governments that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
FOX -LA
DENVER – The Trump administration has threatened to sues and withhold federal funds from more than 20 “sanctuary” states, cities and counties due to lack of cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
“Sanctuary policies disrupt law enforcement and put American citizens at risk more than design,” Attorney General Pam Bondy said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will continue to file lawsuits against the sanctuary jurisdiction and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies across the country.”
Including Republican-led Vermont on the list, as well as Democrat-run California and Colorado, comes with an explicit threat of litigation and federal funding suspension. Border Emperor Tom Homan had previously committed to “flooding” these jurisdictions with immigration and customs enforcement agents.
Several federal judges blocked the administration’s previous efforts to punish some of these jurisdictions, including Chicago, Oregon and Portland.
Earlier this year, the White House almost immediately retracted the rather long list after saying that many communities on the list were incorrectly included. In many jurisdictions on the new list, local leaders argue that allowing police to partner with ICE will discourage crime victims and witnesses from moving forward regardless of immigration status.
In announcing the new list, including both New York City and New York, Chicago and San Francisco, the White House stressed that Louisville, Kentucky, agreed to end the sanctuary policy in the face of the threat of lawsuits.
What is “Jurisdiction of the Sanctuary”?
There is no specific legal definition of sanctuary jurisdiction, but Bondi’s office said it was thinking about not working with immigrants or customs enforcement agents, providing government benefits to undocumented immigrants, or refusing to share immigration information about prison detainees.
Federal officials argue that local jurisdictions should at least respect what is known as “detainees.” This will be held by anyone suspected of immigration violations and who have completed prison sentences or been released into the community until the ice agent arrives.
In a statement, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, a Democrat, said he agreed to join the detainee system in return for being stolen from the sanctuary city list. City officials said the decision will affect around 100 people a year, and said agreeing to respect detainees would save more aggressive road-level enforcement of the kind that has caused uncertainty among the citizens of Los Angeles.
“We believe that by focusing Trump administration immigration enforcement measures on a small number of prisoners who commit crimes and are subject to deportation, we best protect law-abiding communities and cities as a whole,” Greenberg said.
Federal courts are currently weighing several cases brought by the Trump administration over jurisdiction over sanctuary listings. Last month, a federal judge abandoned the Trump administration’s sanctuary jurisdiction lawsuit against Chicago and surrounding Cook County.
Which communities are called “sanctuaries” for immigration?
The following communities provide “sanctuary” to migrants who lack legal rights in the country, according to the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondy said the list could change as cities, counties or states changed policies in the future.
Israeli security ministers voted to expand the war in Gaza, marking a major escalation when they were exposed to intense domestic and international pressures to end the conflict.
The Cabinet has approved a plan to capture Gaza city north of its territory as part of Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas, which is held by extremists and saving hostages. However, this move only triggers further fights, putting prisoners at risk, exacerbating the already tragic humanitarian crisis.
The plan also brings it closer to Gaza, which fully occupys Israel, in almost 20 years.
Here’s what we know about decisions that may reconstruct the war in Gaza:
After the marathon session, Israeli security ministers voted to adopt what they call “Five Principles for Ending the War.”
These include the disarming of Hamas, the return of hostages held there, the demilitarization of enclaves, Israel’s security management in Gaza, and the final establishment of a civilian government that is neither Hamas nor internationally recognized Palestinian authority.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the five-month plan will take place in several stages, starting with the acquisition of Gaza City “while distributing humanitarian aid.”
According to Israeli sources, the deadline for the first phase, including Gaza city evacuation and expansion of aid distribution, is October 7th.
This plan means mobilizing thousands of soldiers who are already tired from months of fighting on the territory.
However, the PMO said, “The majority of the Cabinet believed that the alternative plans presented in the Cabinet would not achieve Hamas’ defeat or the revival of hostages.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News ahead of a meeting intended to take full military control of Gaza, but the announced plans focused and focused at least on Gaza city.
Netanyahu is against the hopes of many of the Israeli masses in promoting this plan, and is even a key voice in the military.
Protests broke out in Israel ahead of the security cabinet vote. The hostage family warned the government against the expansion of the military campaign, saying that Netanyahu is preparing for the “biggest deception of all” by insisting that Netanyahu can be released through military means.
Fifty hostages remain in Gaza, of which at least 20 are believed to be alive.
A group of mothers of Israeli soldiers also criticised the plan, saying it was fatal for hostages and Israeli soldiers.
Israeli polls consistently show the majority in favour of ending the conflict to ensure the release of prisoners.
Israeli military recommends pursuing diplomacy to end the war, fearing that expanded operations could seduce the army.
Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), warned of the dangers and international consequences of escalation that would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israeli sources added that his warnings were put aside.
Netanyahu supports his coalition and has received support from far-right members of his cabinet who are seeking a full acquisition of Gaza.
There has already been strong international criticism of the plan. British Prime Minister Kiel said expanding the battle would “just bring more bloodshed.” But the major Israeli allies are effectively given their approval by the United States.
Prior to the decision to expand Israeli war, Trump did not express any concerns. He said it would be “up to Israel” to capture the entire Gaza Strip, adding that he would like more assistance to enter the enclave.
The first phase of Israel’s plan, the capture of Gaza city – will involve forced evacuation of up to 1 million Palestinians to southern Gaza, almost half the territorial population.
The battle has already devastated Gaza, killing tens of thousands of people, and driving away almost the entire population.
A hunger crisis has taken over the Gaza Strip over the past few weeks as Israel has severely restricted aid entry, international aid groups ban activities there, and authorities report daily deaths from starvation.
The plan approved by the security cabinet foresees more aid distribution sites for the enclave. Israel and the United States will increase the number of aid distribution sites run by the Israeli-Assisted Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) that are being held by the controversial US and Israeli-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to Israeli officials with knowledge of the proposal.
However, none of these new sites have been installed in Gaza City. It appears to be designed to leave by forcing hundreds of thousands of people to live there, robbing them of access to food.
UN Human Rights Director Volkal Talk warned on Friday that the city of Gaza’s acquisition would “contribute to greater forced evacuation, more murder, more unbearable suffering, meaningless destruction and cruelty.”
Hamas has condemned Israel’s plan to take over Gaza as a “full war crime” that comes at a “high cost.”
A statement by Netanyahu’s office avoided mention of Gaza’s occupation, which requires Israel to provide basic services to ensure population welfare under international law.
However, the plan assumes that Israel is ultimately fully “security control” on Gaza. The military already controls 75% of the territory, so seizures of Gaza City will bring Israel closer to full occupation.
Israel retracted settlers and thousands of troops from Gaza in 2005, and Hamas quickly came to power.
Not only does Netanyahu rule out Hamas’ role, but also gives little clues about Gaza’s long-term plans, so it is unclear whether expansion means Israel has a lasting presence on the territory.
Israel can take over Gaza militarily, but analysts say it has long-term costly and warned of long occupational complications.
However, ofer Guterman, a senior researcher at the Israeli National Security Institute, emphasized that occupation of the entire enclave is possible purely from a military perspective.
“We’ve done it before. We’ve been in Gaza for decades.”
USA Today reporters and producers should return to the menu for the first time since 2016 and try out McDonald’s snack wraps.
McDonald’s latest Happy Meal special is a collaboration with two animal-inspired cartoon classics.
The fast food chain announced on August 7th that it will release Hello Kitty, Teen Mutant Ninja Turtles and Friends Happy Meal later this month after teasing on social media on July 31st.
The limited-time meals scheduled to be served at participating locations starting August 12th will include a special figurine consisting of a “wild fusion of your favorite TMNT hero and Hello Kitty crew,” McDonald said.
According to the fast food chain, each meal will include one of 12 figure options and a character card that explains “unique skills and story.”
According to the promotional image, the Signature Happy Meal Box has graphics of both Fighting Reptiles and Cat-style girls.
McValue Meal Deal: McDonald’s adds new cheeseburger options
How to get McDonald’s Hello Kitty
Inspired by the teenage mutant Ninja Turtles and Hello Kitty, Happy Meal will be available from August 12th at participating locations for McDonald’s in the US.
You can purchase directly at available restaurants or via the McDonald’s app.
According to McDonald’s, the meal is available for a limited time only.
More unique McDonald’s Happy Meal: Minecraft, Schishmallow, More
The new Hello Kitty and the teenage mutant Ninja Turtles collaboration is just the latest line of McDonald’s Happy Meal.
Earlier this year, the fast food chain launched items inspired by the “Minecraft” movies, including happy meals and collectible items-themed meals.
In May, McDonald’s also added a Squishmallow toy inside the Happy Meal. Most recently, the company announced in June the release of a special “Lil McDonald’s” toy within Happy Meals.
Melina Kahn is a national trending reporter for USA Today. She can be contacted at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
Trump revives ban on trans forces and suspends all gender affirming care
According to a memo submitted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegses, the Department of Defense has restored restrictions on transgender recruits joining the military.
WASHINGTON – The Air Force yanks the retirement benefits of transgender airmen who were kicked out of the military by the Trump administration after saying their applications were approved.
The pentagon moved earlier this year to purge trans service members from military ranks. They were offered a “separation” payment, according to a February memo from department leadership.
The Air Force said in May that transgender airmen who served between 2015 and 18 years could withdraw their voluntary separation pay request and apply for early retirement instead.
Approximately 12 people who applied were said to have been approved as “premature,” according to an Air Force statement. The Air Force then backtracked.
“After careful consideration of individual applications, I disapproved everything,” Brian Scarlett, assistant secretary for Air Force Manpower and Reserve Affairs secretary, wrote in a note originally obtained by Reuters.
“I did everything right.”
“It feels like a betrayal. I’m devastated. I’m heartbroken,” said Air Force Master Sergeant Logan Ireland, who has served 15 years in November, including deployments to Afghanistan and Qatar and multiple overseas tours.
Ireland said there is already a resignation order and a date of retirement on December 1st. His parents had bought tickets to travel to Hawaii’s Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickham, which is currently stationed for the retirement party.
“I did everything right. I was only a few months away from leaving the army with the dignity and respect I thought I would be given,” Ireland told USA Today.
The Air Force said these airlines will “have the opportunity” to apply for voluntary separation. Logan said he received a new deadline of August 15th to apply for payment. The original deadline to apply has passed for a long time – regular Air and Space Force members, Air Force Reserves July 7th, 6th.
Ireland said he doesn’t know what the value of voluntary separation will be, but he no longer has a pension. He said benefits from some states and schools are also off the table.
“We were planning on retiring,” he said. “I’m navigating to getting out of the army with a lot of unknowns.”
The Navy cannot retire transgender members with less than 18 years of service, according to guidance issued in May. According to Army guidance, trans members in 2015-18 can “request “early retirement” and “early retirement” for consideration.”
The Pentagon said military commanders should begin a medical record review of military personnel who believe they have felt gender discomfort and have not made any progress in resignation.
A few days after taking office in January, President Donald Trump signed the executive order, stating that transgender soldiers “didn’t meet the strict standards required for military service.” In early February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses issued a memo banning transgender people from joining the military, and the Pentagon began serving military personnel in June.
A group of trans service members challenged the court’s policy, but the Supreme Court upheld the ban on the May ruling.
Trump also banned transgender people in his first term, but the policy was quickly retracted by former President Joe Biden.
Rescuers are hailing as a “four-legged hero” a furry Chihuahua whose pacing atop an Alpine rock helped a helicopter crew find its owner, who had fallen into a crevasse on a Swiss glacier nearby.
The man, who was not identified, was exploring the Fee Glacier in southern Switzerland on Friday when he broke through a snow bridge and fell nearly 8 meters (about 26 feet), according to Air Zermatt, a rescue, training and transport company.
Equipped with a walkie-talkie, the man connected with a person nearby who relayed the accident to emergency services. But the exact location was unknown. After about a half-hour search, the pacing pooch caught the eye of a rescue team member.
As the crew zeroed on the Chihuahua, the hole the man fell into became more visible. Rescuers rappelled down, rescued the man and flew him and his canine companion to a hospital.
“Imagine if the dog wasn’t there,” Air Zermatt spokesman Bruno Kalbermatten said by phone. “I have no idea what would happen to this guy. I think he wouldn’t survive this fall into the crevasse.”
On its website, the company was effusive: “The dog is a four-legged hero who may have saved his master’s life in a life-threatening situation.”
The US hunter was killed by a buffalo who was tracking it during an expedition in South Africa, organizers said this week.
Texas native Asher Watkins said on Sunday “while we were hunting safaris with us in Limpopo, South Africa,” he was killed by Coenrado Varmack Safaris (CVS), the safari company that organized the trip, in a statement sent to CNN.
CVS leader Hans Vermack said on his website that South Africa’s longest-running hunting safari company was “fatally wounded by a sudden, provocative attack by an unting buffalo that he was tracking alongside one of the professional hunters and trackers.”
Vermaak did not say whether the animal was later killed.
Safari-style hunting is common in South Africa and involves running around the hunting area on open-top safari tracks in search of the game. Once the target animal is found, the hunter will chase on foot before taking a shot.
CVS team member Sara Vermac told CNN via emailThe group “respects family privacy and recognizes the sensitive and traumatic nature of the situation and does not intend to publicly share certain details about tragic events (including Watkins).”
Administrators of the Professional Hunting and Conservation (CPHC), a association representing the South African hunting industry, said in a statement sent to CNN that “the circumstances surrounding the incident are being reviewed.”
It weighs up to about 2,000 pounds, up to about 2,000 pounds, making it considered the most dangerous animal in Africa.
Local reports show that in 2018, a big game hunter was killed in Buffalo, the state, as well. Another man in the area was reported to have been attacked and killed by Buffalo after he fired a shot with it.
South African authorities have even faced criticism and legal action from wildlife groups condemning trophy hunting.
“This didn’t have to happen. Trophy hunting is a cruel entertainment that turns wise beings into targets for grotesque photography and for all grotesque photography.”
Another group posted on social media has been posted on social media. “If Asher Watkins didn’t come to our country to steal the lives of the wildlife in South Africa, he would still be alive and his family and friends would not be heartbroken now.”
