April 17, 2026

x01c Blurbs

Sen. Bernie Sanders says he'll work hard to elect Harris — but he ...

Sen. Bernie Sanders says he'll work hard to elect Harris — but he ...

Sanders the first senator to say Israel committing genocide in Gaza– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) became the first senator to declare Israel’s conduct in its war in Gaza a genocide on Wednesday.

He began his essay saying Israel had a right to defend itself after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, but took the conflict to “an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people.”

“Many legal experts have now concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The International Association of Genocide Scholars concluded that ‘Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide,’” Sanders wrote.

“The Israeli human rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel have reached the same conclusion, as have international groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch,” he added.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 65,000 Palestinians have died so far in the Israel-Hamas war.

“Just yesterday, an independent commission of experts appointed by the United Nations echoed this finding. These experts concluded that: ‘It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention,’” Sanders continued.

UAPs: Nasa reveals long-awaited report into UFOs - BBC Newsround

UAPs: Nasa reveals long-awaited report into UFOs - BBC Newsround

U.S. Lawmaker Says Congress Exploring UFO Talks With Russian Parliament– www.themoscowtimes.com
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A U.S. lawmaker has said Congress is seeking to organize a meeting with members of Russia’s parliament to discuss UFOs.

“We’re looking forward to doing a bipartisan meeting with the Russian parliament here pretty soon,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, told news anchor Chris Cuomo during an interview on NewsNation last week.

Luna said she had “recently” spoken with Russian government officials and asked whether they had information to share on the issue.

She did not provide details on the possible format, date or location of the talks. Neither the U.S. Congress nor Russia’s lower-house State Duma has publicly confirmed such discussions.

Pet Mice: Guide to Caring for a Fancy Mouse - PetHelpful

Pet Mice: Guide to Caring for a Fancy Mouse - PetHelpful

Scientists grow synthetic kidneys inside mice– cosmosmagazine.com
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While stem cell-derived kidney organoids promise to provide patient-specific models for disease research, and may even one day produce functional tissue for regenerative medicine, researchers have not yet been able to recreate the immense complexity of the organ’s patterning and functions.

Models tend to focus on either the kidney’s nephrons – functional units which filter blood and produce urine – or its collecting ducts, which concentrate urine and transport it to the bladder.

Now, researchers have brought these together in ‘assembloids’ which are the most mature and complex kidney structures grown in the lab to date.

Lab grown human kidney assembloid showing the formation of radial nephrons connected to a central collecting system. Credit: Pedro Medina, Li Lab

“This is a revolutionary tool for creating more accurate models for studying kidney disease, which affects one in 7 adults,” says corresponding author Zhongwei Li, associate professor of medicine, and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at the University of Southern California, US.

“It’s also a milestone towards our long-term goal of building a functional synthetic kidney for the more than 100,000 patients in the US awaiting transplant – the only cure for end-stage kidney disease.”

Li and collaborators grew mouse and human assembloids from kidney progenitor cells in the lab and then transplanted them into the abdomens of living mice. There, the assembloids matured further – growing larger and developing connective tissue and blood vessels.

 

Leftism (album) - Wikipedia

Stop Asking Me To ‘Unify’ With The Violent Left– thefederalist.com
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We’ve entered a very dangerous time in our country. That should be clear to everyone — political violence is a sign of a deep and corrosive sickness in any society.

In America today, the problem is not political violence in the abstract. It is a specific kind of political violence which is overwhelmingly driven by a specific set of actors and groups. None of this emerged out of thin air.

Over the past week, leaders from across the political spectrum have come out and forcefully condemned Charlie Kirk’s murder and political violence more broadly. For that, we’re all very grateful. We should be grateful. There have been calls to unite and come together in the wake of Charlie’s murder, and I want to do that. I do.

Someday, I pray that we can be united as a country again and go forward together as one people, under one flag. But we are not united.

Upstream from the dehumanization and demonizing, political violence and rhetoric tearing apart our country, there is a divide on how we view America and Americans. Is America good? Is America evil? Is there something inherently special about Western civilization, or is this 2,000-year project rotten to the core?

New Yorkers have been betrayed': can Zohran Mamdani become the ...

New Yorkers have been betrayed': can Zohran Mamdani become the ...

Mayor to Mayor: A Conversation Between Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani– www.thenation.com
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US Senator Bernie Sanders started his career in electoral office in 1981, as the democratic socialist mayor of Burlington, Vermont. His surprise election victory attracted national attention and considerable skepticism among political insiders during what was the first year of Republican Ronald Reagan’s presidency. But Sanders proved to be a highly successful municipal leader, winning three reelection bids before his eventual election to the US House.

Now, 44 years after Sanders won his first mayoral term, Zohran Mamdani seeks to become the democratic socialist mayor of New York City. As the Democratic nominee in an overwhelmingly Democratic town, Mamdani leads in the polls and was just endorsed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Sanders endorsed Mamdani before New York City’s June Democratic primary and has been an enthusiastic supporter ever since. When the senator from Vermont came to New York in early September to campaign with Mamdani, they had a few spare minutes to talk. A conversation about municipal politics and governance ensued, as the 33-year-old mayoral candidate quizzed the 84-year-old former mayor about campaigning in very different cities in very different times—and about the challenges, and the possibilities, that go with leading an American city in an era when the White House is anything but friendly. Mamdani and Sanders shared their conversation with The Nation, and we present it here.

How the experts use salt in their cooking – and why | Food | The ...

How the experts use salt in their cooking – and why | Food | The ...

Harvard’s salt trick could turn billions of tons of hair into eco-friendly materials– www.sciencedaily.com
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  • SEAS researchers have discovered the chemical mechanism by which certain salt compounds break down protein waste, like wool and feathers.
  • The discovery enables a gentler and more sustainable protein recycling process.

The textile and meat-processing industries produce billions of tons of waste annually in the form of feathers, wool and hair, all of which are rich in keratin – the strong, fibrous protein found in hair, skin and nails.

Turning all that animal waste into useful products – from wound dressings to eco-friendly textiles to health extracts – would be a boon for the environment and for new, sustainable industries. But upcycling proteins is challenging: Breaking down, or de-naturing, proteins into their component parts typically requires corrosive chemicals in large, polluting facilities, keeping any cost-effective protocol out of reach.

Researchers in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have uncovered key fundamental chemistry of how proteins like keratin de-nature in the presence of certain salt compounds – an insight that could take protein recycling to the next level.

A team led by Kit Parker, the Tarr Family Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics at SEAS, combined experiments and molecular simulations to better illuminate the chemical mechanisms by which salts cause proteins to unfold. They’ve shown that a solution of concentrated lithium bromide, a salt compound known to break apart keratin, interacts with the protein molecules in a completely unexpected way – not by binding to the proteins directly, as was conventional wisdom, but by changing the structure of the surrounding water molecules to create a setting more favorable for spontaneous protein unfolding.

This insight allowed the researchers to design a gentler, more sustainable keratin extraction process, separating the protein out of solution easily and without the need for harsh chemicals. The process can also be reversed with the same salt mixture, enabling recovery and reuse of lithium bromide denaturants.

Cillian Murphy, Billie Eilish Among The Stars In Cringey Pro-Palestine Video– dailycaller.com
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Cillian Murphy and Billie Eilish were among the big names that banded together to create an awkward pro-Palestine video promoting the “Together For Palestine” benefit concert.

Nothing says “solidarity” like a painfully staged celebrity PSA – and Joaquin Phoenix, Javier Bardem, Annie Mac, Peter Gabriel, and a few of their famous friends just proved it. The stars released a video ahead of the September 17 “Together For Palestine” concert, but the clip that was meant to inspire support left viewers squirming in secondhand embarrassment. With overly dramatic stares, slow pauses, and scripted lines delivered like high school theater, the video tried hard to be powerful but landed squarely in cringe territory.

Celebrities attempting activism struck serious tones, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza while urging fans to “stand in solidarity,” but the delivery came off more like a forced PSA than a heartfelt call to action. Critics have accused the group of using a humanitarian crisis as a stage for self-importance, pointing out that they came to the party far too late.

Social media users called out the stars for lending their voices to the pro-Palestine organization a full two years into Gaza’s crisis.

Instead of heartfelt, the campaign felt forced and oddly scripted, ultimately reminding viewers that not every global issue needs celebrity voices attached to it.

Democrats unveil funding alternative to counter GOP in shutdown brawl– www.politico.com
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Congressional Democrats released bill text Wednesday night for their own stopgap spending proposal as they dig in against a House Republican-backed measure that would fund the government until late November.

The new Democratic proposal links funding the government through Oct. 31 to two of the party’s other priorities: health care assistance and placing limits on President Donald Trump’s ability to unilaterally roll back funds previously approved by Congress.

The Democratic stopgap bill has virtually no chance of passing the Senate — much less getting to Trump’s desk before the end-of-the-month deadline to avert a shutdown. But it allows Democrats to rally behind a plan that will win a broad swath of support among their members in the House and Senate.

“We invite Republican leadership to finally join Democratic leadership at the negotiating table, which they have refused for weeks to do, to prevent a shutdown and begin bipartisan negotiations to keep the government funded,” Congress’ top Democratic appropriators, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Washington Sen. Patty Murray, said in a joint statement.

The Democrats’ bill would extend boosted Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies that will otherwise expire on Dec. 31. It also would reverse cuts to Medicaid and other health programs that Republicans enacted as part of their party-line megabill this summer.

ABC Disgracefully Caves To Trump And Suspends Jimmy Kimmel– www.politicususa.com
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First, Stephen Colbert, and now Jimmy Kimmel. There is a clear pattern at work here.

ABC has announced that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has been suspended, and his show has been taken off the air indefinitely, all because Kimmel made a remark during his program on Monday.

Kimmel said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

FCC Chair Brendon Carr went on a right-wing podcast and threatened ABC by saying:

This appears to be an action by Jimmy Kimmel to play into the narrative that this was somehow a MAGA or Republican-motivated person. What people don’t understand is that the broadcasters … have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest. When we see stuff like this, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.

ABC affiliates announced that they would be replacing Kimmel’s show after the Carr threat, and the network responded by announcing that Kimmel was indefinitely suspended.”

Iran executes man for alleged spying for Israel, activists say he was tortured into false confession– abcnews.go.com
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Iran says it executed a man accused of spying for Israel, but activists dispute the claim, saying he was tortured into a false confession

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran said Wednesday it executed a man it alleges spied for Israel, something disputed by activists who say he was tortured into a false confession.

The judiciary’s Mizan news agency identified the executed man as Babak Shahbazi, who it claimed had gathered and sold sensitive information about Iranian data centers and security installations to Israeli handlers.

Activists however said Shahbazi was detained over writing a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offering his help.

Iran has supplied Russia with drones that Moscow has used to attack Ukraine.

The group Iran Human Rights had warned Shahbazi could be executed.

“Babak’s message to President Zelenskyy offering to help in the war against Russia was used as an example of espionage for Israel who they claim taught Babak to use Microsoft Word,” the group said. Iran did not acknowledge that claim.

Gerrymandering saps faith in democracy– www.futurity.org
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When politicians redraw congressional district maps to favor their party, they may secure short-term victories. But those wins can come at a steep price—a loss of public faith in elections and, ultimately, in democracy itself.

That’s the conclusion of a peer-reviewed study led by University of California, Riverside political scientist Shaun Bowler in Political Research Quarterly.

The research finds that partisan gerrymandering—the manipulation of district boundaries to lock in political advantage—does more than distort representation in Congress. It undermines the belief that elections are fair, a cornerstone of democratic legitimacy.

Bowler, a professor of political science, says survey data from tens of thousands of voters in the 2020 and 2022 elections show that Americans view gerrymandering with the same disdain they reserve for bribery and other blatant forms of political corruption. The difference, he says, is that gerrymandering is carried out in full public view, cloaked in arguable legality.

Consider the current push in Texas, where Republican legislators and Governor Greg Abbott, encouraged by President Donald Trump, are working to redraw congressional districts to add five GOP seats as part a Republican effort to retain control of Congress after next year’s midterm election.

“It’s out in the open,” Bowler says. “They’re saying, ‘We’re rigging the midterm election to produce an outcome.’”

 

House Advances Resolution to Honor Charlie Kirk– www.lifenews.com
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The House of Representatives cleared the way Wednesday for a vote on a resolution honoring slain pro-life conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA.

Kirk was assassinated last week during a college campus speaking event in Utah.

The procedural vote, known as a rule vote, advanced the measure alongside a bill to avert a government shutdown, setting the stage for floor debate on the resolution later this week. A final vote could come as early as Thursday or Friday, according to congressional leaders.

The resolution, spearheaded by Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, praises Kirk as “one of the most prominent voices in America, engaging in respectful, civil discourse across college campuses, media platforms and national forums, always seeking to elevate truth, foster understanding and strengthen the Republic.”

 

The Media Is Fueling a Spate of Wild Conspiracies – RedState– redstate.com
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We have to suppose that it is a natural offshoot of a severe act taking place, that some people would tread into the landscape of conspiracies. It is not unexpected, but we seem to be experiencing an elevated level of this activity today. In the wake of the grievous murder of Charlie Kirk, there has been a flurry of these instances, but the sourcing of this may have much to do with the added aspect of political tribalism.

While conspiracy theories are not a new phenomenon, what is notable now is how many who claim to have elevated thinking are instead descending into the fever swamps. An application of pragmatism is not only absent, it is resisted, and that is the tell. And the denials of the motives behind the shooting seen in the press are only feeding this hysteria.

Currently on social media, two such prevailing theories are floated: That the presented text messages between Kirk’s assassin and his lover are fabricated, and that at least one lynching has boldly taken place on a college campus. These are cases that beg for clarity and evidence, and the absence of such is held up as proof.

Regarding the texts presented by the authorities, the prevailing theory is that nobody of the shooter’s age fashions their texts in the manner seen in these exchanges. The concept is that these were crafted by out-of-touch law enforcement figures. When I asked one such true-denier on social media where the evidence exists that these were fake messages, I was told that it is found on social media posts. (Naturally, the next step was not showing these examples but the instruction that it was incumbent upon me to seek out their proof.)

🔴 Watch! Jimmy Kimmel & The Left Desperately Want to Gaslight America – Don’t Let Them (Sources)– www.louderwithcrowder.com
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We now have the text messages between Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin and his boyfriend regarding his actions on September 10th. You’re never going to guess the media’s reaction. Additionally, the media is tripping over themselves to try to ‘both sides’ the argument and ‘um, actually’ their way into blaming the right for violence. Is that really how it works, though? Sam Hyde, a comedian, took some time to address the Charlie Kirk assassination. We’ll cover what he said and why it’s so spot on.

THE WORST NEWS TAKE EVER

The Future Role of Clans in Gaza– warontherocks.com
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In 2024, Yaniv Voller wrote “The Inevitable Role of Clans in Post-Conflict Stabilization in Gaza,” where he argued that clans will continue to be a popular and likely method of stabilizing Gaza after fighting ceases. In the wake of the Israel Defense Forces’ official launch of a ground offensive into Gaza City, we invited Yaniv back to reflect on his arguments.Image: RafahKid Kid via Wikimedia CommonsIn your 2024 article, “The Inevitable Role of Clans in Post-Conflict Stabilization in Gaza,” you wrote about the Israeli government’s consideration of using clans as proxies once the war concludes.

‘I will not pull back from CELEBRATING’: Law professor’s Charlie Kirk comments lead to calls for her termination– www.thecollegefix.com
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Key Takeaways

  • Arkansas state officials are calling for the termination of law professor Felicia Branch after she made controversial comments celebrating the death of political commentator Charlie Kirk.
  • Branch, who recently joined the University of Arkansas Little Rock, was suspended after posting on Facebook that she would not pull back from ‘CELEBRATING’ Kirk’s death, calling him ‘an evil man.
  • Attorney General Tim Griffin and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders condemned Branch’s remarks as unacceptable, with Griffin stating that her comments justify political violence and do not align with the standards expected of educators.
  • The Chancellor of U. Arkansas Little Rock emphasized the need for educators to maintain higher conduct standards and condemned Branch’s remarks as contrary to fostering a civil and rigorous academic environment.

Trump UK Visit: Anti-Trump Protesters Flood London Streets– crooksandliars.com
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Thousands of protesters flooded the London streets today protesting Donald Trump’s visit to the UK.

The protests followed after the Brits welcomed Trump with Epstein photos projected onto Windsor Castle.

CBC reported:

“Protesters filled London streets, calling Trump a fascist and a racist.”

UK Anti-Trump Protests

The new photos and video of the British protesting Trump are something else, considering the UK is America’s strongest ally.

Trump Designating Antifa as Major Terrorist Group– townhall.com
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Pres. Donald Trump is designating Antifa as a major terrorist organization, he said on Truth Social on Wednesday night.

“I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

 

The White House confirmed the post.

After Kirk’s assassination, Trump said that he would find the groups that fund political violence, Townhall’s Katie Pavlich posted.

“My administration will find each and everyone of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence including the organizations that fund it and support it.”

NYC Mayoral Candidate Cuomo Shifts on Gaza, Breaks From Pro-Israel Stance: ‘I Never Stood With Bibi’– gellerreport.com
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The spinelessness is breathtaking. What a schmuck. Way to motivate New York City’s pro-Israel voters to vote for you, Andrew Cuomo. The gutless and spineless Andrew Cuomo is running one of the worst political campaigns in recent memory. Cuomo is very likely going to get trounced by the Jew-hating Communist Zohran Mamdani.

NYC mayoral candidate Cuomo shifts on Gaza, breaks from pro-Israel stance: ‘I never stood with Bibi’

By TOI, Sept 16th, 2025

Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a longtime supporter of Israel who is running for New York City mayor, calls for an end to the “horrific” war in Gaza.

“There is no doubt that the people of New York and the nation see the continued carnage that is happening and are deeply, deeply disturbed and want it over, and believe it has gone on way too long,” Cuomo tells The New York Times.

Debunking the 6 Most Common Charlie Kirk Fake Quotes and Lies from Leftists– www.westernjournal.com
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Due to its importance, The Western Journal has made this premium article free to all readers. However, if you would like to read more articles like this and support Christian, conservative content, we encourage you to become a member

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination at an event at Utah Valley College last week, there was an outpouring of grief — as well as misinformation.

There was misinformation about who the killer was. About conservatives “canceling” people. And, more than anything, there was misinformation about what Charlie Kirk said and believed.

These quotes have been passed around so much that they’re basically gospel at this point. They’re also mostly bunk. As proof, let’s do a deep dive and look at six of the most commonly twisted Kirk quotes that we’ve seen peddled by the left in the wake of his death.

1. The racial slur quote.

The internet’s version: “I live like a capitalist every single day, chink.”

Reality: If you heard one quote that was manipulated to look as if that Charlie Kirk was a real figure of hate — David Duke, but slicker and with more avenues to power — it was probably this one.

The quote was posted multiple times in X threads related to Kirk’s death, along with the context-less clip of the alleged quote.

ABC’s Gutman Goes on X to Regret Calling Kirk Suspect’s Texts ‘Very Touching’– www.newsbusters.org
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Early Wednesday morning, ABC chief national correspondent Matt Gutman took to X and not on-air to offer his attempt at apologizing for fawning Tuesday afternoon over text messages between the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination and his trans lover as “lovingly” stated, “very intimate,” and “very touching.”

Gutman stated at 6:32 a.m. Eastern ahead of his Good Morning America liveshot about the case (albeit back in Los Angeles) the following:

1. Yesterday I tried to underscore the jarring contrast between this cold blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk – a man who dedicated his life to public dialogue – and the personal, disturbing texts read aloud by the Utah County Attorney at the press conference.

He then added that “I deeply regret that my words did not make that clear. But let there be zero doubt here: I unequivocally condemn this horrific crime and the pain it caused Charlie Kirk’s family, those who were forced to witness it at UVU, and the millions of people he inspired.”

Reminder: Gutman has already been suspended twice by ABC (once for false information, another for insubordination).

As a reminder, below is the first of two insane glorifications of the alleged assassin and his trans lover (or click here to read our full write-up and analysis):

He also doubled down on ABC News Live, not even ten minutes later (emphasis mine):

It’s heartbreaking on so many levels, Kyra. Obviously, Charlie Kirk was murdered brutally in front of a crowd of thousands…[O]n the other hand, there is this duality of a very a portrait of a very human person, a very human experience from this entire family…the kid who had got a 34 out of 36 on the ACT, who had a 4.0, who got a full ride to college here…I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a press conference in which we’ve read text messages that are A, so fulsome, so robust, so apparently, allegedly self-incriminating and yet, on the other hand, so touching — right — with the suspect reaching out to his roommate, who was allegedly his boyfriend, who we understand, you know, identified as male at birth, now identifies as female. And the terminology he used, he was trying to protect him. He kept calling him ‘my love.’ ‘My reason for doing this is to protect you,’ you know, but also asking him to delete the messages and not speak to law enforcement. So there’s this, this heartbreaking duality that we’re seeing very tragically playing out here.

When a Generation Stays Inside: Civic Consequences of Our Digital World | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org
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A new survey reveals that Gen Z spends, on average, less than an hour outdoors on weekdays and many can go days without leaving their homes. By contrast, members of Gen X average more than an hour outside, with time outdoors still part of daily life. Nearly 70 percent of young adults say they regularly spend multiple days entirely indoors, citing bad weather, lack of time, and discomfort with being alone.

At first glance, this might seem like a lifestyle quirk. In reality, it signals how profoundly our patterns of movement, socialization, and engagement with the world have changed with serious implications for civic life.

Time outdoors has always been about more than exercise or fresh air. Parks, sidewalks, and playgrounds have historically been places where neighbors meet, children play, and civic bonds form. Athletic fields and the front porch were once shared spaces where democratic habits were practiced. When younger generations spend less time in these settings, we lose more than recreation. We lose arenas where trust, norms, and community are built.

The new report highlights that this disconnect is felt culturally as well as physically. Nearly half of respondents say there is a “nature deficit” in the media and entertainment they consume. People may stream endless content about the natural world, yet rarely experience it firsthand. Gen Z, in particular, reports a desire to disconnect from screens, but their actual time in nature is lower than previous generations. This gap between aspiration and behavior shows that younger adults are not rejecting nature outright, but face barriers—social, physical, and cultural—that make engagement harder.

After the royal pomp, Trump’s state visit turns to politics and a meeting with Starmer– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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LONDON: After the pomp, it’s time for the politics. President Donald Trump will meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, the final day of the U.S. leader’s state visit to Britain, with tech investment, steel tariffs and potentially tricky topics on the agenda. The president and first lady Melania Trump were feted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Wednesday at Windsor Castle with all the pageantry the monarchy can muster: gold-trimmed carriages, scarlet-clad soldiers, artillery salutes and a glittering banquet in a grand ceremonial hall.
British officials have festooned the trip with the kind of superlatives Trump revels in: It’s an “unprecedented” second state visit for the U.S. leader, featuring the biggest military honor guard ever assembled for such an occasion. On Thursday, it is Starmer’s turn to welcome the president to Chequers, a 16th-century manor house northwest of London that serves as a rural retreat for British leaders. Trump’s British hosts want to celebrate the strength of the U.S-U.K. relationship, almost 250 years after its rocky start in 1776.
Trump will be welcomed by a ceremonial honor guard complete with bagpipers – a nod to the president’s Scottish heritage – and shown items from the archive of wartime leader Winston Churchill, who coined the term “special relationship” for the bond between the United States and Britain. There’s also a lunch of Dover sole followed by key lime pie, and a display by the Red Devils army parachute team.
Trans-Atlantic tech partnership to coincide with the visit, Britain said U.S. companies had pledged 150 billion pounds ($204 billion) in investment in the United Kingdom, including 90 billion pounds ($122 billion) from investment firm Blackstone in the next decade. Investment will also flow the other way, including almost $30 billion by pharmaceutical firm GSK in the U.S.

South Korean prosecutors seek arrest of ‘Moonies’ leader in bribery probe | Courts News– www.aljazeera.com
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The request on Thursday came a day after Han was questioned over her alleged role in bribing former first lady Kim Keon-hee and conservative lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong.

The charges came amid a drive to investigate Kim and her husband, former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was forced from office last year after imposing martial law.

“We have requested an arrest warrant for Han earlier today,” prosecutor Park Sang-jin said. “The charges against her include violation of political funds act, anti-graft law, incitement to destroy evidence and embezzlement.”

“We considered the risk of Han tampering with evidence to be very high, which led us to seek the warrant.”

Russia-backed network behind detonating parcels in Europe, Lithuania says– www.euronews.com
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Fifteen people have been charged over an alleged Russia-backed operation that planned arson attacks across Europe through courier services, Lithuanian prosecutors have said.

In a statement on Wednesday, Lithuania’s prosecutor general’s office in Vilnius said investigations had revealed that suspects with ties to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service, had led the operations.

The suspects included citizens from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine.

The network is believed to have hidden home-made explosive devices, containing the highly flammable substance thermite, inside massage pillows and tubes of cosmetics.

Some of these incendiary devices exploded last year in the UK, Germany and Poland while being transported by the courier services DHL and DPD.

Four packages were posted on 19 July 2024 by a member of the network, prosecutors say.

Ukraine expects €2.9bn fund for US weapons to fight Russia, Zelenskyy says– www.euronews.com
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Ukraine expects to have around $3.5 billion (€2.9 billion) in a fund by next month to buy weapons from the United States and help sustain its war effort against Russia’s full-scale invasion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.

The financial arrangement known as the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) pools contributions from NATO members, with the exception of the United States, to purchase American weapons, munitions and equipment.

“We received more than $2 billion from our partners specifically for the PURL program,” Zelenskyy said at a joint news conference in Kyiv with visiting European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

“We will receive additional money in October. I think we will have somewhere around $3.5-3.6 billion.”

Zelenskyy declined to provide details of what weapons the first shipments would include, but said that they would definitely contain missiles for Patriot air defence missile systems and munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

Pennsylvania shooting: At least 2 seriously injured; police involved– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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At least two people were seriously injured in a shooting connected to a “police incident” in York County, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, authorities said. Governor Josh Shapiro confirmed he had been briefed and was heading to the area. “We ask those in the area to please follow the directions of local law enforcement and Pennsylvania State Police,” he posted on X.The shooting occurred in North Codorus Township, about 115 miles west of Philadelphia. The incident unfolded along a rural road lined with farms and a red barn, news agency AP reported.Social media visuals showed helicopters landing in fields to airlift the injured. A local school district issued a shelter-in-place order, clarifying that neither students nor schools were directly involved. “Authorities advised us to hold students and staff in our buildings as a precaution while several area roads are closed,” the district said in a statement.Meanwhile, the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia said it was monitoring the situation closely and urged Mexican residents in the area to follow official guidance. The region is a major apple-growing hub that employs many seasonal migrant farm workers from Mexico.Police have not provided any details about who was involved in the shooting.

The Russian Camp Where Abducted Ukrainian Children Reportedly Made Drones– www.rferl.org
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Evidence has been found for the first time that abducted Ukrainian children were used by Russia to assemble military equipment, according to the head of a Yale University team investigating the fate of nearly 20,000 minors reported to have been kidnapped or forcibly displaced.

“It’s the first time we’ve seen any such description of children involved in making devices for military operations,” Nathaniel Raymond, head of Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab, told RFE/RL.

Raymond said his team had seen Russian government documents which detailed how children aged 13-17 were given a class on assembling drones and other military equipment in April last year.

The incident, mentioned in a new report by Raymond’s team, took place at a beachside camp on the Black Sea called Change.

Nvidia CEO Huang caught between US, China’s ‘larger agendas’– www.channelnewsasia.com
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“Jensen Huang’s diplomatic comment about ‘larger agendas’ is CEO-speak for ‘We’re pawns in a digital Cold War,’” said Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors.

Nvidia has responded to the political tumult by sharply increasing its lobbying spending in Washington. Senate disclosures show it spent nearly US$1.9 million in the first half of 2025, compared with US$640,000 for all of last year. It also hired three new firms with 21 lobbyists last month.

China’s Cyberspace Administration directed ByteDance and Alibaba to terminate RTX Pro 6000D testing and orders, the Financial Times reported, citing three sources. The new restrictions go beyond earlier guidance that focused on the H20 chip, designed specifically for the Chinese market.

“We’ll continue to be supportive of the Chinese government and Chinese companies as they wish,” Huang said in London.

Nvidia CEO disappointed after reports China has banned its AI chips– www.cnbc.com
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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has weighed in on the U.S. tech giant’s struggles in China after a report claimed the country has banned its artificial intelligence chips.

Huang said he was “disappointed” after the Financial Times on Wednesday reported that the Cyberspace Administration of China had ordered companies including TikTok parent company ByteDance and Alibaba not to buy Nvidia’s RTX Pro 6000D, a chip that was made for the country.

In response to a question on the FT report, Huang said Wednesday that “we can only be in service of a market if the country wants us to be.”

“We probably contributed more to the China market than most countries have. And I’m disappointed with what I see,” Huang said. “But they have larger agendas to work out between China and the United States, and I’m understanding of that.”

It comes after a tumultuous few years for Nvidia’s business in China, which Huang described as “a bit of a roller coaster.”

“We’ve guided all financial analysts not to include China” in financial forecasts, Huang told reporters Wednesday at a press briefing in London. “The reason for that is because that’s largely going to be within the discussions of the United States government and Chinese government.”