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JD Vance will launch a UK visit to heighten transatlantic tensions

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LONDON, August 8 (Reuters) – US Vice President JD Vance will begin his trip in the UK in a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lamy, bringing new scrutiny of Vance’s insightful criticism of the UK and its governing Labour Party.

Vance, his wife, Usha and their three young children are expected to land in London at the start of the trip, which includes staying with Lamie in Cheving, a rural settlement used by the Foreign Minister.

They later stay in the Cotswolds. It is a picturesque area of the Cotswolds and the British countryside, and is a popular hideaway for wealthy and influential figures, from footballers and film stars to media and politicians.

The visit to the UK has been attracting attention to Vance’s foreign policy views as it emerges as a key figure in President Donald Trump’s administration amid growing transatlantic tensions and political changes within both countries.

A well-versed plan-savvy source described the trip as a practical visit that included several official engagements, meetings and visits to cultural sites. Vance is also expected to meet with the US military.

Vance defends America’s first foreign policy, saying that last year’s election victory over the Left Labour Party meant Britain was the first “truly Islamist” country with nuclear weapons. He also attacked Britain to undermine freedom of speech and to “put the fundamental freedoms of religious Britons in the crosshairs.”

Ramy once called Trump a “right-right extremist” and “neo-Nazi”, but since he came to power, he has dispelled his remarks as “old news.”

Despite the differences, two officials familiar with the relationship said that the pair bonded and formed a warm friendship in sharing their difficult childhood and Christian faith.

Lamy attended Mass at the Vice President’s Washington residence during his visit in March, and the two leaders met again in Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s first Mass in May, officials said.

Officials said there is no formal agenda for the bilateral meeting on Friday, but it is likely to touch on the Ukraine and Gaza crisis along with trade issues.

The UK has pushed Trump to support Ukraine in the war with Russia and accelerate its efforts to end Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. However, Ramy is unlikely to report actively, said Bronwenmadox, director of think tank Chatham House.

“It’s an opportunity to get a British perspective there, but they’re not looking for conflict,” Maddox said.

“I don’t mean this is a sarcastic way, but the UK is pleased with the Trump administration and the relationship that will allow them,” she added.

Vance’s visit comes shortly after Trump traveled to Scotland and came for a private visit, including a meeting with British Prime Minister Pleamer Preamer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Trump is also scheduled to make a full visit to the UK in September, making him the first modern-day elected political leader hosted for two state visits by British monarchs.

Vance’s winter break in Vermont this year was interrupted by a crowd of protesters angered at the administration’s anti-immigration policies and the handling of the Ukrainian crisis.

A coalition of trade unions, pro-Palestinian protesters and climate activists reportedly warn Vance will face similar backlash in the UK in the coming days.

(Reporting by Jarrett Renshawediting by Colleen Jenkins and Lincoln Feast)

Whataburger serves 75 cents burgers on anniversary. How to get

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Whataburger is celebrating its 75th birthday this week by offering its customers to 75 cent burgers.

The Texas Burger Agency said in a recent news release that the offer can only be redeemed online through the #1 Classic Burger app from 11am to 8pm local time. This offer is limited to one burger per customer with a Whataburger Rewards account.

“This anniversary is a way to say thank you. Thank you for your trust, loyalty and for making us part of your table.”

The company debuted its second collection of limited edition Whataburger Memorial Cups before its August 5th anniversary.

The chain operates more than 1,100 restaurants in 17 states, particularly in Texas, the South and Southwest.

Whataburger 75th Anniversary Ceremony at Corpus Christi

The company said in a press release that the anniversary will be celebrated in his hometown of Corpus Christi.

Whataburger fans are invited to participate in the Whataburger Field festival on August 8th. Corpus Christi Hook, an AA affiliate for the Houston Astros, will now take on the Tulsa Drillers, the AA affiliate for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The hook will be played as honey butter chicken biscuits in the 75th anniversary ceremony game. The first 1,500 fans through the gate will receive a limited edition Whataguy mask, while the first 5,000 will receive a Whataguy Cape signature.

The celebration ends with a send-off that includes a “dazzling orange fireworks show” and a free honey butter chicken biscuit coupon along the way.

“When we celebrate this milestone, we are not simply marking time. We respect the memories, traditions and quality experiences that people come back to,” Stroud said.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter for USA Today. You can follow him with X @geuna Alternatively, email him at gdhauari@gannett.com.

Israel has approved a plan to take control of Gaza city

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JERUSALEM/CAIRO, Aug. 8 (Reuters) – Israel’s political security cabinet approved a plan to control Gaza city early on Friday.

“The IDF prepares to control Gaza city while providing humanitarian assistance to civilians outside of the combat zone,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that it referred to the Israeli Defence Forces.

Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel intended to take military control over the entire Gaza Strip, but the plan was approved on Friday, focusing on Gaza, the largest city in the enclave to the north.

Citing Israeli officials, Axios reporter Barak Ravid has stated about X, which includes plans to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Gaza city and launch an offensive ground there.

Asked if Israel would take over the entire coastal territory, Netanyahu told Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer in an interview Thursday that “we intend.”

However, he said that Israel wanted to hand over the territory to the Arab forces that govern it. He did not elaborate on governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved.

“We don’t want to maintain it. We want to have a security line. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as governing bodies,” he said.

Israeli officials described earlier meetings with the military head as tense this week, saying military chief Eir Zamir has pushed back against expanding Israeli campaigns.

Among the scenarios considered ahead of the security meeting was a gradual acquisition of the Gaza region, according to one government source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The evacuation warning could be issued to Palestinians in certain areas of Gaza and could give them weeks before the military moves.

In a statement Friday, Netanyahu’s office said the majority of members of the political security cabinet believes “the alternative plan presented in the Cabinet will not achieve Hamas’ defeat or the revival of hostages.”

Two government sources said the resolution by the Security Cabinet must be approved by a full cabinet that may not be satisfied until Sunday.

“A blatant coup”

Full control of the territory reverses Israel’s 2005 decision, thereby retracting Israeli citizens and soldiers from Gaza, suppressing its boundaries, airspace and utilities.

Right-wing parties have condemned Hamas’ decision to withdraw from the militant Palestinian group that has gained power there in the 2006 election.

It was unclear whether Netanyahu had foreseen a long-term acquisition and short-term manipulation. Israel has repeatedly stated that it aims to dismantle Hamas and free Israeli hostages.

Hamas said in a statement called Netanyahu’s comment, “a blatant coup.”

“Netanyahu’s plan to expand aggression will confirm without question that he is trying to remove prisoners and sacrifice them,” the statement said.

Arab countries “will only support and decide that the Palestinians agree and decide,” a Jordanian source told Reuters, adding that Gaza security should be handled through “legal Palestinian institutions.”

Hamas’ Osama Hamdan’s formula told Al Jazeera that the group will treat any forces formed to govern Gaza as Israel-related “occupying” forces.

Earlier this year, Israel and the United States had envisaged the creation of an independent, professional Palestinian technocrat administrative committee, which rejected Egypt’s proposals backed by Arab leaders and was entrusted with governance in postwar Gaza.

Opinion polls show that most Israelis want to end the war with a deal to see the release of the remaining hostages.

The White House did not immediately have any comments. President Donald Trump refused to say whether he supported or opposed the possibility of Israel’s full military takeover of Gaza.

Netanyahu’s government claimed a complete victory over Hamas. Hamas ignited the war when he launched a fatal attack on Israel from Gaza.

The UN has called for reports that if true, we are “deeply vigilant” about the possibility of Israeli military operations in Gaza.

The idea, especially promoted by the far-right minister of Netanyahu’s coalition, is being created in Israel by the Israeli army, moving into Israeli military areas.

The remaining hostages

There are still 50 hostages held in Gaza, of which 20 Israeli officials believe they are alive. Most of the people who have been liberated so far have emerged as a result of diplomatic negotiations. We were able to see a ceasefire where July could have seen more hostages collapse.

A Palestinian official told Arab intermediaries that Hamas told Arab intermediaries that increased humanitarian aid entering Gaza would lead to the resumption of ceasefire negotiations.

Israeli officials accused the accusations denied by extremist groups, and Israeli officials accused Hamas of handing over to fighter jets and seizing aid to sell them to fund their activities.

A video released last week by two living hostages showed that they were weak and frail, and sparked international condemnation.

Recent images of the hungry children of Gaza also shocked the world, promoting international criticism of Israel over the rapidly deteriorating circumstances of the enclave.

Hamas has ruled Gaza for nearly 20 years, but now controls only fragmented parts, claiming that any deal must lead to a permanent end to the war. Israel says the group is not going to experience the promise of giving up on power afterwards.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell of Jerusalem and Nidal Al Mugravi of Cairo. Stephen Shea of Jerusalem, Suleiman Al Kalidi of Amman, Doina Chias and Kanishka Singh of Washington, Editors of Cairo coaTes and editors of Cairo coaTes and cairo coaTes and cairo.

The American Heart Association, who punched Maha, releases guidelines for ultra-highly processed foods

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Maha, stepping aside. The country’s largest cardiology organization has released its long-awaited guidelines for the consumption of ultra-highly processed foods or UPFS.

The American Heart Association’s new scientific advisory statement was led by the US Director of Health and Human Services a few days before the arrival of the second “Make America Healthy” or the Maha Commission Report. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The first Maha report released in May explained how ultra-highly processed foods contribute to chronic diseases in children. The second round, scheduled for by Tuesday, will lay out the proposed policy changes.

The important message of the American Heart Association is not surprising. Most ultra-highly processed foods are terrible for health, including heart health, and it’s now that the food industry has stopped producing them and regulators have stopped allowing them.

But surprisingly, the AHA also turns its nose at the hotly discussed question first.

Perhaps not, according to new guidelines released in the journal Circulation on Friday. But in reality, it’s just a few categories, such as certain whole grain breads, low-sugar yogurt, tomato sauce, nut or bean-based spreads,” the report says. The report adds that even these “sound” options need to be monitored.

Christopher Gardner, vice-chairman of the AHA Report’s writing group, says that’s not the reason to celebrate. “Don’t give the industry a write-off just because there are some things that are a little healthier than most of the ultra-highly processed foods full of sugar, salt and fat,” he said.

“There’s a lot of evidence that there’s too much salt, sugar and fat. We’ve known that since the days of junk food,” said Gardner, professor Laneborg Farker at Stanford. He is the director of the Nutrition Research Research Group at the Stanford Prevention Research Center.

“But today’s junk food is ultra-processed with cosmetic additives that lead to overeating and many health issues,” he added. “That’s the question. Could you double them?”

What was once known as junk food is considered ultra processing for the addition of additives and additional processing, experts say.

The guidance from the AHA has been highly praised by health professionals and policymakers, and experts say it couldn’t have come any better time to tackle the issue of ultra-highly processed foods. New data released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Americans aged 1 and older earn 55% of their daily calories from ultra-highly processed foods. That number jumped to 62% for children aged 1 to 18.

It said that it is a concern as research found a dose-response relationship between ultra-highly processed foods and heart attacks and stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity and all-causal deaths.

A review of a meta-analysis of 45 people in February 2024 showed that one day of ultra-processing foods per day was about 50% higher risk of cardiovascular disease-related death. According to reviews, eating more ultra-highly processed foods can increase your risk of obesity by 55%, and your risk of sleep disorders, developing type 2 diabetes, and depression by 20%.

To combat these potential health damages, Aha says Americans should stop eating more of the most harmful UPF, especially with unhealthy fats, sugar and salt, and say, “A small number of choices, better diet quality high quality UPF can be eaten as part of a healthy diet.

Marion Nestle, Professor Paulette Goddard of Nutrition, Food Research and Public Health at New York University, was disappointed with the guidance.

“Focusing on ‘healthy’ UPFs is useless for two reasons,” Nestlé said in an email. “A small number of foods in that category (of healthy UPF) category and recent research have demonstrated that even “healthy” UPFs induce people to eat more calories than they would if they were eating minimally processed foods. ”

Nestlé, who was not involved in the report, refers to an August 4 study in which British people lost twice as much weight as they normally drink meals that eat home-made meals than when they eat ultra-highly processed foods considered healthy.

This is one of the largest and longest randomized controlled clinical trials of UPF to date, a study attempted to create a healthy, ultra-highly processed diet. In this study, ultra-highly processed foods contained not only low levels of salt, sugar and saturated fat, but also a recommended number of fruits, vegetables and fiber. However, in this study, Whole Foods, cooked at home, still won the day leading up to weight loss.

While Science is only trying to find out about UPF additives and treatments that contribute to such discoveries, AHA offers some basic advice by assigning ultra-high processing foods to one of three categories that are ultra-highly healthy and healthy.

Healthier choices include fresh fruits and frozen fruits and vegetables without adding sugar or salt. Whole grains such as oats and brown rice. Unsalted seeds and nuts. Dried beans and legumes; vegetable oils; low-fat plain milk or yogurt. Lean, unprocessed meat; dairy products, unsweetened drinks and water. Plant-based meats and dairy products with less sugar, salt and fat added were also considered healthy.

Moderately healthy foods included white rice and pasta. Fully fat dairy; refined grain bread. Salt nuts; light syrup canned fruit. Canned salt beans; hard cheese; egg exchange; low sodium, low fat soup. Store-bought meals made with the choices from the healthy group above were also in the category.

The unhealthy group included regular perpetrators, including high-fat red meat, pork, processed meats (chicken nuggets, hot dogs, sausages), tropical oils such as butter, lard and coconut. Sour cream and 100% fruit juice made a list as well as sugar, honey, maple syrup, crackers, sweetened dried and canned fruit, tortilla or potato-based chips, and fries.

Sophisticated grain breads, rolls and tortillas were found as unhealthy, as well as sugary drinks (including energy drinks), liquid cheese products, cookies, crackers, candies, gummy fruit snacks, ice cream, boxed macaroni, instant noodles, pizza, canned food, canned food, canned fruit, and more.

Sign up for CNN’s Eat. But better: Mediterranean style. This eight-part guide introduces you to a delicious, expert-supported dietary lifestyle that will boost your health for life.

Driver was slapped with a $1,000 fine for driving at a 199 mph “record” in the German Autobahn

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Berlin
AP
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German police say the driver was driving at over 320 kph (199 mph) in the west of Oatbaan, west of Berlin.

The unspecified speedster was caught on July 28th while racing along the A2 Highway near Burg.

The driver was fined 900 euros ($1,043), stripped of two points from his driver’s license and was banned from driving for three months, Magdeburg Police Station said Tuesday.

A roadside radar stand known as the “executive trailer” caught the driver on regular checks. Readings from the exhibit showed a “highest recording speed” of 321 kph, police said.

Germany’s famous Autobahn Expressway has attracted appeal and interest around the world for its lack of speeding restrictions. German authorities and driving clubs have been debating over the years whether policies should be continued.

However, some highways are subject to speed limits, so infinite speeds are not universal for cars. The limit for the highway section where record-breaking drivers were captured is 120 kph (74.5 mph).

Has Trump been making schools six months longer? No, these ticoku videos are fake

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  • Social media videos falsely claim that President Trump is shortening his grade to six months.
  • The claim is not true. Trump has not made such an announcement.
  • Trump took education-related actions, including signing an executive order aimed at shutting down the Department of Education and an executive order aimed at restoring the president’s fitness test.

Videos circulating on social media claim that President Donald Trump has reduced his grade to six months, but that’s not true.

Some videos on Tiktok have tens of thousands of likes! and has accumulated forwards, claiming that Trump proposed cuts for post-educational disruptive education.

“Breaking the news in a shocking and highly controversial statement,” the news anchor style voice said of one of the videos featuring news headlines and news clips of Trump and children. “President Donald Trump has proposed dramatic cuts up to the US school year, allowing children to attend school for just six months starting in August.”

This is not the first time a fake news article has spread through a Tiktok video. Earlier this year, other fake stories have been spreading that Trump is only alive for a few days (he is still alive), and he approved a $1,200 payment for his stay-at-home mother (he didn’t).

Here’s what you need to know:

Has Trump been making schools six months longer?

No, Trump hasn’t made an announcement that he intends to shorten his grade.

What has Trump done in his education so far?

In March, Trump signed an executive order aimed at shutting down the U.S. Department of Education, but disbanding the department entirely would take Congress’ action. However, the US Supreme Court in July allowed the administration to fire hundreds of workers in an effort to reduce the division. The K-12 curriculum is primarily within the scope of local governments, but the Ministry of Education plays a role in supporting K-12 schools through funding. The agency also oversees the university to ensure legal compliance and federal student aid.

The Trump administration is also aiming for higher education and has threatened to withhold funds from several U.S. universities. He argued that the system was not sufficient to fight anti-Semitism during its protests against the war in Gaza, which led to both anti-Semitism and Islamhophobia allegations. Some universities, like Brown and Columbia, have reached unprecedented deals with the Trump administration to end the freeze.

Trump has also restored presidential fitness tests for public school students.

Contributions: Zachary Schermele, Maureen Groppe, USA Today

Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA Today Network. Contact her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and Tiktok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.

See the “Freakier Friday” cast of the 2003 film starring in the 2025 reboot

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When “Freaky Friday” was released in 2003, Lindsay Lohan hadn’t appeared in “Mean Girls” yet. Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t have an Oscar award, and Chad Michael Murray was at the forefront of the teenage heartbeat.

Now, more than 20 years later, the cast will return to the big screen together for the film’s sequel, “Freakier Friday,” and will be released in theaters on Friday, August 8th, following the Los Angeles premiere on July 22nd.

The 2003 film is based on the 1972 novel “The Novel of the Same Name” and has been adopted in films, television and theaters.

Many of the cast of the original film have changed their roles. Check out the cast from 2003 and 2025.

Lindsay Lohan

After playing teen Anna Coleman in “Freaky Friday,” Lohan appeared in several popular films, including “Mean Girls,” “The Queen of Teen Drama Confessions,” and “Herbie: Fully Loaded.”

She took a break from acting for several years and has appeared in several Netflix films in recent years.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Curtis has continued his successful acting career over the years since first playing Tess Coleman on “Freaky Friday.”

She appeared in “Scream Queens,” “New Girl,” and “The Bear.” The latter won an Emmy Award in 2024. She also appeared on the big screen and won an Academy Award in 2023 for “Everything All at All at All at All.”

Chad Michael Murray

Murray, who changed his role as Jake in the sequel to “Freakier Friday,” became a television fixture in the early to mid-2000s, played roles in “One Tree Hill,” “Gilmore Girls,” and “Another Cinderella Story.”

In recent years, Murray has appeared in “The Cross of Sullivan” on CW and “The Mother of the Bride” on Netflix.

Mark Harmon

Since playing Ryan, the fiancé of Curtis character Tess Coleman, Harmon has become the common name for playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the lead role in the military police series “NCIS.”

Ryan Margarini

In the 2003 film, Margarini played Harry Coleman, the younger brother of Rohan’s character.

He played Benji in the 2006 film How To Fried Worms in several other roles after the release, including Bradley Kingsford in the 2005 film Go Figure.

In recent years, Margarini has been working as an acting coach.

Haley Hudson and Christina Vidal

Hudson and Vidal, who played Anna Coleman’s friends Peg and Maddie, are also returning to the sequel to “Freaky Friday.”

After “Freaky Friday,” released in 2003, Hudson continued to appear in several films and TV shows, including “Marley and Me,” “Weeds,” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.”

Vidal also continues his acting career in roles in “Code Black,” “Training Day,” and “Primo.”

More names are taking part in the “Freakier Friday” sequel

Several new faces who were not involved in the 2003 film will also be taking part in the sequel.

Julia Batters plays Harper Coleman, daughter of Anna Coleman. Sofia Hammonds will appear as Anna Coleman’s soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Lily Davis.

Best known for her role in “The Good Place,” Manny Jacinto also plays Anna Coleman’s fiancee Eric Davis.

Melina Kahn is a national trending reporter for USA Today. She can be contacted at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

Erin Patterson: Australian Mushroom Murderer is also said to have provided poisonous pasta to her husband.

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Sydney
Reuters
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An Australian woman who murdered three step-by-laws with a toxic mushroom diet is also allegedly attempting to kill her husband using poisonous pasta, chicken curry and sandwich wrap.

Last month, the ju judge discovered that Erin Patterson invited his mother-in-law, father-in-law Don Patterson and Gale’s sister Heather Wilkinson to lunch at home and poisoned him in a serving of Wellington beef, which includes death cap mushrooms.

They also committed the 50-year-old crime of attempted murder of Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, and survived the 2023 diet at the Erin Patterson home in Leongata, a town of about 6,000 people, about 135 km (84 miles) southeast of Melbourne.

Patterson was initially accused of three murders and five attempted murders in 2023, with four additional counts in connection with her estranged husband, Simon Patterson.

Judge Christopher Beale held that the charges should be split into two separate trials before the prosecutors dropped the attempted murder charges related to Simon Patterson on the eve of their first trial.

This meant that details of the alleged attempts about her husband’s life in 2021 and 2022 were not heard by the ju apprentice.

“After my first illness, there was the idea that Erin’s food got me sick,” Simon Patterson told an October 2024 pre-game hearing in Melbourne.

He eventually began to maintain a spreadsheet of his illness, which the court heard, after eating his estranged wife’s dishes, including Penne Bolognese, Chicken Curry, and sandwich wrap.

Simon Patterson (L) arrives at the courthouse of the Latrobe Valley Magistrate, where Erin Patterson was on trial in Morwell in May 2025.

The suspected addiction on two camping trips and walks led to his death.

In either case, the doctors were unable to finalize the cause of his illness.

Simon Patterson raised suspicions with his doctor and his family, including his father Don, who died at lunchtime.

Don Patterson was convinced he had been poisoned at lunchtime in July 2023, so he arrived at the hospital with his own vomit for medical professionals to test.

Evidence from computers seized from Patterson’s home, indicating searches for other types of poison, was also removed from trial.

After Patterson was convicted last month, Judge Beale ordered the restraint of pre-trial materials to protect Patterson’s right to appeal.

However, on Friday he ordered restrictions to be lifted and refused discussion by her defense team. She said the release of material combined with intense media interest puts the potential for appeal at risk.

“Open justice is a fundamental concern in our criminal justice,” Beale said Friday.

Patterson has not indicated whether she will, but has spent 28 days starting from the unknown day of her sentence to appeal.

Patterson’s appeal is unlikely to be successful, but could not be ruled out, Beale said Friday.

Patterson maintained her innocence through an incident that held Australian hold, and her defense called death a “terrifying accident.” She pleaded not guilty to the number of attempted murders against her husband.

The court will then hear the case on August 25th, the first of a two-day judicial hearing in which the victim’s impact statement is read.

Thai giants and Chinese companies have requested a fatal collapse of Bangkok buildings

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Bangkok
Reuters
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Thai prosecutors on Thursday charged 23 suspects, including construction troops and Chinese state-owned companies, for violations that led to the collapse of the building during a powerful earthquake, killing nearly 100 workers.

The 30-storey state audit office tower, partially built in Bangkok, was the only building to collapse from the tremor emanating from the powerful 7.7 magnitude tremors of neighbouring Myanmar on March 28th. At least 95 people were killed in the incident.

The construction of the provincial audit office building was a joint venture between the developments of Italy and Thailand, one of Thailand’s largest construction companies, and China Railway 10 shares (Thailand), a local unit of the China Railway Group, owned by China Railway Group.

Italian Thai president and executive of China Railway No. 10 (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Premchai Karnasta has been formally charged with 21 other suspects who violated construction regulations and caused deaths through negligence, said Sakkasem Nisaiyok, a spokesman for the Attorney General.

Other suspects have also been charged with forging engineering documents, the statement said.

The Italian and Thai developments did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Attorneys for other parties involved in the case, including China Railway No. 10 (Thailand) Co., Ltd., could not be reached for comment.

Premchai denied all charges against 14 other people when police were arrested in May over the collapse of the building.

Endangered species Axolotls find a new home in San Diego

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Wild axolotls are brown-gray colours, but they can also be albino.

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Two highly endangered amphibians have found a new home.

SeaWorld San Diego recently acquired two 10-month Axolotls, which will be open to the theme park’s new Bayside Aquarium starting August 8th. Eric Otjen, vice president of zoology operations, told USA Today. Their names are Poppy and Debra.

Axolotls are part of the illegal animal trade and were confiscated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Wildlife Forbidden Network is a program under the Zoo and Aquarium Association, and contacted SeaWorld San Diego to inquire about potential homes, Otjen added.

Axolotls was classified as critically at risk by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List in 2006. As it was last evaluated in 2019, there were only 50-1,000 Axolotls in the wild.

According to the IUCN, major threats to Axolotls, native to southern Mexico’s cities, include residential and commercial development, invasive species, hunting and trapping, and pollution.

Despite being at risk, Axolotls have been widely represented across pop culture in recent years, becoming animated series, video games such as Minecraft, and countless gorgeousness. The Pokemon character Wooper is thought to be inspired by amphibians.

What is axolotls?

Unlike other amphibians, axolotls are pedomorphic salamanders that do not cause metamorphosis. For example, frogs are born as tadpoles before transforming into adult frogs, but axolotls do not experience this change. Instead, according to the London Museum of Natural History, Axolotls retain the external gills and other juvenile characteristics among all adults.

Special salamanders live in the wild for 10-15 years and can grow to about 3 inches long. Wild axolotls are brown-gray colours, but they can also be albino. Albino is frequently portrayed in the media. According to the museum, they eat mollusks, insects, insects, crustaceans and small fish.

Specifically, axolotls comes from lakes in southern Mexico, such as Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco. However, according to the museum, both are being discharged significantly to reduce flooding. Today, most axolotls are located in the canals of these lakes.

Gretacross is a national trend reporter for USA Today. Story ideas? Please email her gcross@usatoday.com.

New leadership appointed in Haiti when gangs threatened to overthrow the government

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The wealthy businessman on Thursday became head of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, tasked with restoring order in the troubled country, as top gang leaders vowed to overthrow the government and highlighted the challenges the country faced.

The appointment at Port-au-Prince, a strict security guard for the council in the capital of Laurent Saint-Cyr, shows that criminal gangs control 90% of the neighbourhood, and that members of Haitian private sector served for the first time in both the revolving presidency and the post of prime minister.

San Sai started out as a local insurance company, and the current Haiti Prime Minister once ran an internet company.

“Our country is experiencing one of the biggest crises in all history,” Sun Sis said as he swore. “It’s not a time for a beautiful speech, it’s a time to act.”

A few hours ago, a powerful gang federation of Haitian oligarchs threatened to overthrow the government, overthrowing the government, and the shooting exploded in parts of the capital.

In a video posted to social media, Jimmy Chérizier (known as “Barbecue”), the leader of the Viv Ansanm gang, warns residents to pass through the neighborhood and arrive at the council’s office.

“The Haitians, they take care of themselves and help us… in the fight to free the country,” says Cherizier. He wore a bulletproof vest and placed an automatic rifle over his shoulder.

The non-supporting mission led by Kenya Police said in a statement that officers had hampered the potential attacks by increasing the number of troops around certain areas and critical infrastructure.

“Armed gangs were planning to disrupt the stability of the nation and render the country indiscriminate.”

Saint-Sil thanked all the national and international stakeholders who helped Haiti, and the private sector, which he called the engine of the country’s economy. He pointed out that while he comes from the private sector he will serve all people equally.

San Sai previously served as president of the American Chamber of Commerce and the country’s Chamber of Commerce in Haiti. He will work with Prime Minister Alix Didier Philz Aimé, former president of Haitian internet company and former president of the country’s chamber of commerce.

Sun Size said security is a priority. He helped to strengthen their operations, send more soldiers to international partners, provide more training, and boost missions that lacked resources and personnel.

“We must restore the powers of the state,” he said. “The challenges we face are certainly related to anxiety, but they are also the result of lack of courage, lack of vision and irresponsibility.”

He questioned what was preventing the government from providing appropriate services to Haitians, including health and education. “Mr. Prime Minister, assume your responsibility!” he said.

Meanwhile, in a letter to Sun Size, 58 organizations, including the United States, accused the council of violating legal obligations towards Haitian women and girls.

“Gang rape is endemic,” they said. He pointed out that sexual violence surged as gangs stuck to their rampage. The organization also accused the Haitian government of being “completely absent” in shelters where rape survivors need basic services.

More and more people are complaining about Haiti’s private sector, which leads the country. For a long time, some wealthy elites and powerful politicians in Haiti have been accused of funding and arming dozens of gangs.

“The elites have always wanted power, they have always wanted to control Haiti, and now they have control,” said Merlin Jean Pierre, a 44-year-old teacher who encouraged the shooting to visit friends at a downtown Port-au-Prince hospital.

She said she lost hope that things would change and accused the former council president of making promises they didn’t keep.

“Nothing happened,” she said. “The young woman has been raped and the family has been dismantled.”

However, dozens of Haitians supported him, wearing white T-shirts and clenched signs decorated with pictures of San Siya gathered outside the council office to support him.

The skirmish broke out hours later between supporters and those who opposed Sansil.

“He’s Haitian despite being a mulato with good hair,” one supporter said of Saint-Sil, part of the country’s small, powerful skinned elite.

Supporters will celebrate the establishment of Laurent Saint-Siah, replacing Fritz Alphonse Jean, on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at the rotating presidency of the Transitional Presidential Council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

“I’m on alert!”

As the country prepares for the San Sai oath ceremony, Haitians posted a surge in warnings about violence, hoping that people could remain safe.

“You in the capital will hear gunshots in both front and behind you. Stay vigilant!” One message is stated.

Local news site Triptay Raquei reported that one person was killed and another injured while driving to Port-au-Prince on Thursday, but it was unclear how that happened. Videos posted on social media show the woman’s body fell into the car.

Heavy gunshots around downtown Port-au-Prince continued Tuesday afternoon, with local media reporting several people injured. We also heard a small explosion from the policemanned drone.

The violence was also reported in Kenskoff, a once peaceful agricultural area on the Hill of Port-au-Prince.

The unsupported mission said they lost two armored vehicles after being trapped in a trench that was dug by the gang. A Kenyan police officer was attacked with a Molotov cocktail but said he “had the courage to hold the ground and caused great damage to the perpetrators.” Three officers suffered minor injuries.

A video posted on social media shows suspicions that gang members were laughing and cheering around one of the armored vehicles that later flare up.

“Back if possible!” I heard a gunman joking.

In a report released Thursday, UNBacked Mission said it has 991 staff members with less than 2,500 expected and approximately $112 million in the trust fund. That’s about 14% of the estimated $800 million needed per year.

The mission said there was no air support for operations and insufficient equipment including vehicles, so only 200 officers could be deployed at a time.

The mission also said the government remains fragile. “Parent inscribers within the interim government have the effect of paralyzing the government and encouraging gangs,” he said.

The Kenskoff gang recently invited eight people from an orphanage, including an Irish missionary and a three-year-old child. They remain missing.

After President Giovenel Moise was killed in July 2021, violence has surged, and ongoing violence has ousted more than 1.3 million people in recent years.

At least 1,520 people were killed, and more than 600 were injured in Haiti from April to the end of June. More than 60% of the killings and injuries occurred during security forces’ operations against the gang, with an additional 12% being criticized by self-defense groups, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti.

See Pacific Pastracker

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Forecasters expect Pacific storm warts to “start to leave the Mexican coast the next day or so.”

As the Atlantic hurricane season enters its most important month, predictors are looking at the shapes of two tropical storms in the Pacific Ocean.

The tropical storm wart, located about 385 miles southeast of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico, had moved northwest to the northwest with the largest sustained winds to 60 mph and higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center recommended Thursday, August 7.

The center said it expects IVO to “start to leave the Mexican coast the next day or so.” By the weekend, predictors hope that the storm will change westward, leaving Mexico.

IVO is likely to bring 2-4 inches of rainfall in a total of 6 inches of quarantined in parts of Mexico, Michoa Candeo Campo and Colima by Friday, NHC forecasters said. The system could also cause life-threatening surfing over the next few days, causing swelling that is likely to tear through the current state.

The tropical storm Henriette, located about 1,195 miles east of Hiro, Hawaii, was moving westward with higher gusts and close to 45 mph with the largest sustained winds, the center reported.

NHC forecasters are hoping the storm will head west from Thursday, August 7th before turning northwest on Friday and weekend. The storm is expected to remain north of Hawaiian islands.

Coastal clocks and warnings regarding Henriette will be in effect on Thursday, August 7th, with little change expected for the coming days.

Pacific Storm Tracker

Dexter expected to strengthen in the Atlantic

According to the NHC, post-tropical cyclone dexters produced tropical storms in the North Atlantic, located about 390 miles southeast of Cape Place, Newfoundland, Canada. The storm was at maximum sustained winds at nearly 60 mph as of Thursday afternoon, August 7th.

The storm is expected to bolster from Thursday to Friday to the second half of Friday, August 8, before weakening on Friday nights on Saturday, August 9th.

There is no threat to the land due to the storm.

Atlantic Storm Tracker

Contributions: Gabe Hauari, USA Today

Former FDA Chief Challenge Agency bans certain ultra-highly implanted food ingredients

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The former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is testing the Trump administration’s commitment to “make America healthy again” with the challenge of cracking down on some key ingredients in ultra-highly processed foods.

In a petition filed Wednesday, former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler argued that he has the authority to declare certain sweeteners, refined flour and other additives “are not generally recognized as safe.” Removing that designation known as GRAS forces the manufacturer of ultra-highly processed foods to remove the product from the market and reformulate the recipe. Or try to prove that those ingredients are not harmful.

It would be a drastic change into the food industry and a major change in the Trump administration’s Maha strategy. So far, US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has relied on popular food brands to volunteer to remove artificial dyes and other additives from their products.

“Kessler gave the FDA a way to define most of the ultra-highly processed foods, so he gave RFK Jr a great gift on the path to regulating these products. That’s just what Maha asked for.”

Kessler suggested that companies have 12 months to file petitions to maintain those food additives in their products And we continue to prove that they are safe.

“It’s a very appropriate and valuable step to change the burden on the industry to where it belongs, or to meet that burden or stop using a substance,” Michael Taylor, a former FDA food regulator and current co-chair of the nonprofit, said he has stopped foodborne diseases. “We’re using the GRAS tool to actually drive serious safety conversations.”

HHS did not respond to requests for comment.

Last month, federal health officials announced they were looking for opinions on how to define ultra-high process foods. Kessler’s petition could ultimately put pressure on the long timeline. The agent must respond to the request within 180 days.

Kessler served as an FDA committee member under Presidents Bill Clinton and George HW Bush, advising President Joe Biden during the Covid-19 pandemic and overseeing agency when he needed food nutrition labels.

He also sees the FDA led the efforts to regulate cigarettes in the 1990s, similar to that fight.

“The key to smoking was to find the regulation hook,” Kessler told CNN. “It was asking the right legal questions to frame the problem.”

That was a difficult part of setting regulatory standards for sweet and starchy foods, he said.

The term Ultra Processed Foods resonated with the public, but he said, “it would be difficult to define what is legally.”

But he argues there is an urgent need to do that. The FDA allowed these ingredients under GRAS regulations 40 years ago, and the proportion of obesity, diabetes and heart disease has risen for years, he wrote in the petition. This argument reflects Kennedy’s own lawsuit of Maha reforms against food policy.

Former FDA chairman Dr. David Kessler argued in the petition that the FDA has the authority to declare certain food ingredients

The petition focuses on refined flour and starch (the body breaks down into sugar). It undergoes food extrusion techniques such as wheat, corn, tapioca, oats and potato flour. It also refers to refined sugars such as corn syrup, corn solids, dextrose, xylose, maltose, and high fructose corn syrup. Finally, the petition covers produced sugar, flour and starch containing additives It is commonly used in today’s ultra-processed foods.

Tackling the issue of too much sugar is key to health, CNN agreed, but they say that the real genius of Kessler’s petition focuses on additives.

“The food industry uses emulsifiers, stabilizers, gels and more to produce cheap, large quantities of industrially processed foods,” says Christopher Gardner, director of nutritional research at the Stanford Center for Prevention and Research.

“If you take these tools out of the industry, it’s not that food is bad and munching,” Gardner said. “They are non-addictive, flavorful, and not as tasty as they are. The industry is making these foods as manipulatively flavorful and manipulatively tasty. That’s the problem.”

Several food and nutrition experts have announced Kessler’s petition as a bold move. This restructured the food industry if it was enacted by the FDA.

“This is an important proposal based on the true meaning of GRAS to eliminate the majority of food on the grocery shelf,” said Dr. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

Created in 1958, the GRAS standard was originally intended to narrowly apply to ingredients commonly used in food supplies across the country, such as oils, vinegar and baking soda. Manufacturers using these products can rely on existing research to demonstrate safety, but are expected to submit GRAS petitions to new ingredients such as refined sugars.

The FDA updated the system in the late 1990s. This allowed the agency to voluntarily notify its organization that it had determined that the ingredients were generally safe in the backlog of new additive petitions.

A 2022 analysis conducted by the Environmental Working Group found that almost 99% of new chemicals used in food or food packaging since 2000 are lit in green for use by the food chemical industry rather than by the FDA.

During that time, food manufacturers sought permission to introduce only 10 new FDA substances, according to the analysis.

Barry Popkin, WR Kennan Jr. of the Faculty of Global Public Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, called Kessler’s petition a “great move.”

“I know the FDA knows like he does — he’s really tied the industry,” Popkin said. “They need to show without a reasonable doubt that carbohydrates, along with additives, are healthy and not harming their health, which is impossible.

“This is the strongest play that citizens can do to influence food supplies I’ve ever seen.”

However, Kessler’s proposed changes could meet a major pushback from major food brands.

Michael Taylor was the FDA’s Deputy Food Commissioner in 2015 when an agency revoked GRAS status in partially hydrogenated oil or trans fats, citing extensive research into its association with risk of heart disease and stroke. The agent gave those oils to the companies for three years to comply and remove them from the products.

But at the time, “handwriting was on the wall” for the industry, many companies had already stopped using those trans fats, Taylor said. “Obviously, the substances (Kessler) describe are many… highly processed fine carbohydrates and many products.”

The petition lands as officials from the Trump administration, led by Kennedy, prepare to release a second Maha report. The first dispatch of the MAHA committee in June picked out potential drivers of chronic disease in children, including ultra-highly processed food ingredients, but that second installment is expected to lay out the proposed policy changes. The report is scheduled for Tuesday.

Russian drones hunt civilians like Putin Zero embraces the Kherson of Ukraine

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Carson, Ukraine
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Russia has launched a new bid to control the city of Carson, a southern Ukraine city, by threatening major access roads with drones and attempting to split it into two by crossing important bridges.

On Sunday, waves of airstrikes damaged key bridges between Carson’s island, Kolabel and major cities, sparking extensive efforts to evacuate an estimated 1,800 Ukrainian civilians still living there. Local people and rescuers say the Russian troops have not targeted evacuation efforts over the past three days. Videos posted online later Wednesday show that a major Russian strike has resumed near the bridge and the island, and are thought to be based on some Ukrainian troops as well.

Russian military bloggers have also warned Kherson residents that major access roads from the north to the city will be targeted by long-range drones. It was unclear how much the threat had on Wednesday when CNN witnessed CNN travelling along the road, including many cyclists, which may be protected by nets hanging on asphalt to block drones.

Capture of Herson City and Regions – seized on the first day of the war and released by a rapid Ukraine counterattack in November 2022 – one of the main goals of Russian President Putin’s main goals, and the renewed pressure to separate Kolabel from other cities may raise concerns for Russian troops, seeking bombs.

Evacuation from Corabel continued Wednesday, when rescuers told CNN that they were calm when they gathered some of the 925 people who had been removed from the island by the end of the day. Locals reported that artillery fire continued on the peninsula, but the drones appeared to leave only the evacuation fleet. The exhausted locals cried both relief and anxiety for their future when they reached aid point.

Nadya sat behind the armored van that had her foamed up and said, “We’ve been hitting her so hard since the morning. When did this all end? We’ve already gotten hooked from all of this? She said the drone was ‘crying cry’ that day, but didn’t reach her area. “We’re already tired of this. When Trump comes, or someone… we don’t deserve an old age like we’re here.” She said she heard the deadline set by US President Donald Trump for a peace deal with Russia, but that hadn’t changed anything for her.

Most of the elderly evacuees had been promised accommodation elsewhere in the city, but few other options were available. Nina, 85, was exhausted from the 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), grabbed a crutch and had already been separated from her bag by the rescuer. “There’s no plan. I’ll live where they left me,” she said. “I’m on one leg. I’m so tired of this shooting that my nerves can’t take it anymore.”

Local Ukrainian officials stressed that Russia’s suspension in the drone attack on the refuge was insignificant after months of repeated strikes against civilian targets.

“They absolutely don’t care what their target is,” said Yaroslav Shanko, director of the Kherson City military department. “It’s absolutely pointless to talk about humanity from the Russians. Strikes to the community and cities are constant.”

Civilians are regularly hunted by Russian drones, whose operators flaunt their ruthless strikes in online posts. Kherson’s main hospital included 25 patients from artillery or drone injuries.

I, 62, was attacked at 4am on Wednesday as a drone strike went outside and escaped after setting a fire to my neighbor’s house. Another “double tap” drone then attacked. He fell behind on the fence, but his feet hanging over it, protecting his torso, not his legs. Ankle bandages hid the sh shotgun damage to his legs.

“It’s dangerous there. You need to listen carefully,” I said of drone detection. “Double tap. That’s how they operate. They destroy the house and burn. A minute later, another comes and checks if the house is on fire, or if someone is trying to erase it. And they kill and destroy it more.”

I am one of many patients who live alone and cannot be released from the hospital immediately because they cannot walk with inflated ward occupation. Three drones hovered over the facility during a CNN visit, local officials said. The crackling of gunfire and engine fuss went through the web of the hospital window.

The map shows locations that have closed 30 locations at home this fall

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More than two dozen home-based stores are expected to close by by the end of September as the company continues to deal with its debt.

According to court documents previously obtained by USA Today, the Coppel, Texas-based furniture and home decoration retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 16, citing “broader economic and retail-specific market pressures.”

In June, the home initially said it would only close 26 stores before revising that number to 24. Retailer Hilco Consumer – On August 1, the retailer said the closing of additional stores in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey and Utah, eventually swelled to 30 people.

The problems with homes are as other brick and mortar retailers continue to face problems. This year we’ve seen retailers like Big Lots, Joann Fabrics, Kohl, Jcpenney, Macy’s and Party City cut down or put their physical footprints completely down. And this week, mall chain Claire filed for bankruptcy and said he tapped 18 Claire and icing stores to close.

This is what you need to know when closure of your home.

Where will you close the store?

The closure at home on September 30th at 30 is shown in the map below. For more information, hover over the dot.

Map visualization

Home Store Close List

According to Hilco Consumer-Retail, which was held to manage the chain’s store closures, the closures at home stores are listed below.

  • 6135 Junction Boulevard, Lego Park, New York
  • 300 Baychester Avenue in the Bronx, New York
  • 750 Newhall Drive, San Jose, California
  • 2505 Royal Camino in Tustin, California
  • 14585 Biscayne Boulevard, North Miami, Florida
  • 2200 Harbour Boulevard in Costa Mesa, California
  • 3795 E. Foothills Boulevard, Pasadena, California
  • 1982, E. 20th St. in Chico, California.
  • 2820 Highway 63 South in Rochester, Minnesota
  • 26532 Town Center Drive, Sweets AB, Foothill Ranch, California
  • 1001 E. Sunset Drive, Bellingham, Washington
  • 8320 Delta Shores Circle South, Sacramento, California
  • 1361 NJ-35 Middletown Township, New Jersey
  • 2900 N. Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, California
  • 720 Claireton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • 2530 Rudkin Road, Yakima, Washington
  • 571 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
  • 5203 W. War Memorial Drive in Peoria, Illinois
  • 8300 Sudley Road, Manassas, Virginia
  • 461 Route 10 East in Ledgewood, New Jersey
  • 300 Providence Highway in Dedham, Massachusetts
  • 905 S 24th St. West, Billings, Montana
  • Compass Creek Parkway, Leesburg, Virginia
  • 13180 S. Cicero Ave. Crestwood, Illinois

The following six stores will join the list in August and host clearing sales:

  • 3271 Marketplace Drive, Council Bluffs, Iowa
  • 101 Randall Road, Lake, Hills, Illinois
  • 3175 W 3rd Street, Bloomington, Indiana
  • 3100 Wash Tenau Avenue, Ypsilanti, Michigan
  • 2341 Route-66 Ocean Township, New Jersey
  • 190 South 500 West West, Bountiful, Utah

Greta Cross, Sara Chernikoff and Kathryn Palmer of USA Today contributed to this report.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA Today. Contact him at fernando.cervantes @gannett.com and follow him at x @fern_cerv_.

Brandon Blackstock fought cancer for three years before he died at age 48.

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Talent manager Brandon Blackstock “had been bravely fighting cancer for over three years” when he passed away at the age of 48.

His health status was shared in a statement from the Blackstock family, obtained by USA Today on August 7th.

“It’s a great sadness to share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away. Brandon has bravely fought cancer for over three years. He died peacefully and surrounded by his family,” the statement read.

Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson were married for seven years until their divorce in June 2020 and share two children. River Rose Black Stock, 11, Remington “Remy” Alexander Black Stock, 9.

On the evening of August 6th, a day before Blackstock’s family shared news of his death, Clarkson announced that upcoming dates for her Las Vegas residency would be postponed.

Clarkson previously left work earlier this year when he was away from the “Kelly Clarkson Show” in March, when he was away for nearly two weeks. Neither she nor Shaw commented on the nature of her break at the time. The nature of her break was filled out by guest hosts such as Roy Wood Jr., Wanda Sykes, Brooke Shields and Josh Groban for her roles.

Brandon Blackstock’s Cancer

In a statement on August 7th, the Blackstock family did not identify the nature of his illness and indicated that they would not publish any further comments in the near future.

“We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the privacy of our families during this extremely difficult time,” the statement read.

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s marriage, children and divorce

The couple married at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee in 2013, and after about eight months they welcomed their firstborn daughter, River Rose. Remy arrived in April 2016 in under two years.

In June 2020, Clarkson filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. The legal battle over custody of children continued, illegal fees paid to Blackstock and ownership of the Montana property, Warren Peak Ranch.

Their divorce was finalized in March 2022.

“I was very angry. I know a lot of people have experienced big tragedy like sadness and divorce. Unfortunately, that’s common. But when you’re going through it, I’m not in general.”

“It’s very foreign and scary. Often, it’s said stupid, stupid (things) and you can’t believe it.”

Cambodian Prime Minister says he has nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize

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Reuters
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The Cambodian Prime Minister said Thursday that he nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and praised the “extraordinary politicians” who halted the Cambodia-Thai border conflict.

Hun Mane made an announcement late Thursday in a Facebook post, accompanied by a letter saying he was sent to Norwegian Nobel Committee, intervened as an example of “an exceptional outcome in eliminating escalating tensions in some of the world’s most volatile regions.”

“This timely intervention that avoided a potentially catastrophic conflict is essential to preventing the major loss of life and paved the way for peace,” the Cambodian leader wrote in a letter.

Reuters reported that both Thai and Cambodia leaders called out to both Thai and Cambodia leaders, breaking the deadlock in an effort to end some of the heaviest fights between their neighbours these days.

That led to a ceasefire negotiated in Malaysia on July 28th. The two countries agreed on Thursday to ensure a rekindled hostilities and allow observers in Southeast Asia.

In total, 43 people were killed, and five days of conflict began with fires of small arms, which quickly escalated to heavy artillery and rocket fires, and then quickly escalated the deployment of Thailand several hours after the F-16 fighter jets for airstrikes.

The nomination was expected after the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister announced the plan last week, but we would like to thank Trump for the 19% tariff on Cambodia’s imports.

Pakistan said in June that it would recommend Trump to the Nobel Peace Prize for work to help resolve the conflict with India, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month that he nominated Trump for the award.

Nunaturals reminds me of two sweeteners due to label mistakes

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Two different recalls of Nunaturals’ sugar-free products have recently been given the second highest risk warning by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Nunaturals, Inc. began a voluntary recall of certain lots of organic pure stevia and pure monk fruit sweeteners on July 14th due to the labeling accident.

Products labeled organic pure stevia actually contained monk fruit powder, while products labeled as pure monk fruit sweetener contained stevia powder. Both recalls were given Class II risk warnings on August 1st.

Nunaturals recalled a total of 156 bottles consisting of 78 organic pure stevia bottles and 78 pure monk fruit sweeteners. Both products were sold and distributed to retailers across the country.

It is not immediately clear why it led to labeling errors or whether the recall had an impact on consumers. USA Today contacted the Eugene, Oregon-based company for comment.

Here’s what you need to know about Nunaturals recalls, including what to do with the affected products:

What is a Class II recall?

According to the FDA, Class II recalls indicate “where the probability of serious health adverse effects is far away when the use or exposure of a breached product can cause temporary or medically reversible adverse effects.”

Nunaturals Recall: Affected Products, Treatments

Two different nunatural sugar-free sweetener products, including organic pure stevia and pure monk fruit sweeteners, were affected by a recall that began on July 14th.

Related information for each product, including dates by best and universal product codes, is listed below.

Organic Pure Stevia-1 oz:

  • UPC: 7 39223 00204 0
  • Lot number: 25104s
  • Best: 4/2028
  • The product is packed in a plastic bottle with a white hat
  • Reason for the recall: The product is monk fruit powder, but the bottle was incorrectly labeled as organic pure stevia

Pure Monk K Fruit Sweetener – 0.71 oz:

  • UPC: 7 39223 00187 6
  • Lot number: 25104s
  • Best: 4/2028
  • The product is packed in a plastic bottle with a white hat
  • Reason for recall: The product is stevia powder, but the bottle was incorrectly labeled as a pure monk fruit sweetener

FDA and Nunaturals, Inc. has yet to provide guidance on what to do with the affected products or products, but USA Today is reaching out to request clarification.

Over 40? no problem. Ice removes age requirements after budget increases

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If you pass the physical fitness test, you will be 40 years old and younger, over 18 years old, to get a $50,000 signature bonus to join the US immigration and customs enforcement agency.

The ice budget has increased by $75 billion in the four years since President Donald Trump signed one big beautiful bill law on July 4th. These funds came from the $170 billion allocated to the Department of Homeland Security for immigration and border enforcement.

Ice has used some of the money to hire 10,000 recruits and raises staff levels to about 30,000 as the Trump administration seeks to achieve its goal of deporting 1 million immigrants each year.

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Federal spending plans will help create ICEs in a single national law enforcement agency, larger than the FBI, Drug Enforcement, Alcohol, Tobacco Bureau, Firearms, Explosives and other agencies.

For comparison, the FBI has around 13,700 special agents, according to the Department of Justice.

How Biden’s ice budget compares to Trump’s

President Donald Trump’s large and beautiful bill will allocate $75 billion to ice over the next four years. The ice budget under President Joe Biden for the 2029 fiscal year is compared to Trump’s planned budget through 2029.

Trump’s one big beautiful bill law allocates around $18.75 billion a year. This is how budgets are compared to past fiscal years.

What are the requirements for the ice physical fitness test?

Even if the age limit is removed, the application must pass the fitness test, consisting of four timing events. Recruiters, including seniors, must complete the following events:

◾ Abdominal exercise: 32 Within 1 minute.

◾ push ups: 22 in under 1 minute.

◾Sprint: 220 yards in under 47.73 seconds.

◾run: 1.5 miles in 14 minutes, under 25 seconds.

Some local sheriffs are not satisfied with ICE’s latest recruitment efforts, USA Today reported. They are worried that the already understaffed office representatives will be invited to big bonuses and higher wages. Hundreds of local law enforcement agencies across the country have partnered with ICE.

“This is deaf and reflects a complete lack of judgment and character,” said Jonathan Thompson, executive director and CEO of the National Sheriff’s Association, of recruitment offers emailed to local deputies across the country.

read more:

Over 600 local police agencies have partnered with ICE. Check if yours is one of Themsuperman actors.

Lauren Villagran, contributions from Trevor Hughes, Sean J. Sullivan

Source USA Today Network Report and Research. Reuters; Ice.gov; AmericanimmigrationCouncil.org

How Trump’s new census plan will affect the 2026 election

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Census helps determine the number of council seats each state will acquire. Here’s why new things are important:

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President Donald Trump announced his intention to “start new census work soon,” raising questions about whether the plan is a constitutional law and how it will affect Congress’ partisan composition.

His announcement comes amid efforts by the Texas Republicans to redraw the unusual midterm of Congress maps. This is usually drawn after the census and then drawn after it is drawn.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the GOP-led state legislature hope that the change in districts will add up to five new seats for the party.

Trump’s August 7 Social Media Post said the new survey “based on modern facts and numbers, and importantly, using results and information from the 2024 presidential election, “people in our country can’t count illegally.”

USA Today reached the White House for comment. Neither the US Census Bureau nor the Commerce Department responded to requests for comment.

“Do you think you have to see things start to move at some point?” said Sean Donahue, a professor of political science at the University of Buffalo. “Is it just a press release or is there anything the Commerce Department is trying to do?”

How often is the census taken?

The US Constitution requires that census be conducted every ten years, most recently in the year that ends in 2020 with zero. US Census Bureau., Some of the Commerce Department will conduct these resource-intensive surveys, hire temporary staff and conduct outreach to count as many people as possible.

The findings are used to determine how U.S. House seats are distributed to each state based on their population. This is a process known as allocation. These processes usually take place in the first two years of the decade.

The findings are also used to determine how well federal funds are distributed to states, and researchers have cited demographic studies widely to understand the country.

Who will support the implementation of the mid-term census?

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced a bill in July that would require a new census that would count only US citizens and direct the state to redraw Congressional districts based on new numbers. “Americans don’t feel represented in Washington,” she said.

Hans von Spakowsky, a senior legal fellow at the Conservative Heritage Foundation, said that while he believes the state should redraw Congressional districts every five years, as long as data is available, it is not usually the case. He said there is mobile in the US and the population is growing when surveys are held every 10 years.

He also pointed to a 2022 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, which found 14 states had statistically significant differences between the number of stations and their actual population. Six states – Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas – had a shortage. He said the better data quality could have increased seats in Congress in Texas and Florida.

Who opposes the mid-term census?

John Visograno, chairman of the National Democratic Constituency Committee, criticized Trump’s proposal as “a comprehensive campaign to flutify the US Constitution to predetermine the outcome of the election, so he can integrate his powers and avoid accountability to Americans.”

Sophia Linlekin, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, told National Public Radio that she “denies constitutional, federal law, and settled precedents,” her organization “will not hesitate to return to court to protect all community representatives.”

Why does Trump want to run a new census?

“The University of Florida has made it a great opportunity to learn about the world,” said Michael P. McDonald, professor of political science at the University of Florida.

Democrats are widely expected to win a seat in the House of Representatives in next year’s Congressional election, as the party occupying the White House is usually inadequate. Trump also has a low approval rate. That blue wave could turn over control of the home, where Republicans make up a majority of 219-212 Republicans.

McDonald said that if Republicans paint a new Congressional district, they might be able to ease the number of seats they lose.

For example, the Republican base in Texas saw such a rapid population growth when the 2020 survey announced it had won two additional seats in Congress. Republican-oriented states in Florida and Montana, Democratic-oriented states, and North Carolina, close-oriented states in North Carolina each won one seat.

Democratic population centers in California, Illinois and New York each lost one seat. So were the swing states of Ohio and West Virginia, as well as Michigan and Pennsylvania, which are leaning towards Republicans.

Are immigrants counted in the census?

yes. The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution states that representatives will be allocated in accordance with “everyone in each state.” This concludes the long-standing practice of counting three-fifths of those enslaved for the purposes of expression. There is no language in the 14th Amendment that limits these counts to citizens or those with legal entities.

During his first term, Trump tried to add questions to the 2020 census, asking if the person who completed the survey was a citizen. The Supreme Court defeated it in 2019. The following year, Trump issued a memorandum that undocumented immigrants should not be included in the count determining representatives of Congress.

Will Republicans win more seats if a new census is conducted?

Van Spakovsky said the mid-term census could increase seats in Congress in Texas and Florida. Both are red states with rapidly increasing population populations, both were covered by the 2020 census. For example, Texas hid nearly 550,000 people in 2020, adding another 2 million by 2024. By comparison, each council district has an average of 760,000 people living there.

Within hours of Trump’s statement, Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Republican, said he was establishing a new district committee.

MacDonald said the council’s map is the most fair in nearly 40 years as it rezones reform efforts across the country to prevent unfairly drawn districts. He said the Congress maps are already drawn in the way that despite the practice of including undocumented immigrants in the Count, some districts are more relatable than democratic districts.

McDonald points to South Florida, where he said the current line has right-leaning Cuban-Americans with high voter turnout in the same district as democratic Hespanic voters. As Trump suggested, he said if the map was redrawn to include undocumented immigrants, he would only have two Congressional seats in the area. “Who’s in the music chair game?” he asked.

How will the new census affect 2026 or 2028?

Redistribution of seating seats affects two things. The number of seats in each state and the number of votes in each state are because the votes equal the total number of seats in each state of Senate and House seats. The House conditions are in the past two years, elections will take place for years, with the next presidential election being held in 2026 in 2028. However, this does not mean that a new census will be conducted or that the map will be relocated by then.

“It doesn’t seem like you’ll think you can do this in 2026. The government is also not allowed to speed up the process by being based on statistical sampling, he said. “It’s not something you can snap your fingers and that’s what will happen.”

Von Spakovsky proposed updating the form already submitted by the US Census Bureau and using it to conduct a medium-term census survey. “We couldn’t do that this year, but I don’t know why we couldn’t do that next year,” he said.

Will Trump’s order to carry out a mid-term census go to court?

“Absolutely,” Donahue said. “The Constitution calls for a 10-year census. That’s not to say you can’t (have more), but I mean you’re only going to do one every ten years.”

Donohue predicted that democratic conditions are most likely to challenge the mid-term census in court. However, the administration can argue that the requirement for doing it every decade is not a prohibiting it from doing it more frequently.

“There is no legal bar that says you can’t redeem more than once every 10 years,” Von Spakovsky said.

Contributed by Francesca Chambers