Desmond Milligan

RUF delivers its first production Rodeo at The Quail, while handing over a CTR3 Evo and confirming 2026 Tribute production.RUF Automobile delivered its first customer-ordered Rodeo off-road sports car Friday at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, marking the production debut of what the company calls the only all-terrain model built on a carbon-fiber monocoque. The handover headlined a three-car slate that also included a customer delivery of the latest CTR3 Evo and an update on the air-cooled Tribute, now slated to enter production for the 2026 model year. The inaugural production Rodeo arrived finished in Jordan Black with white center-lock forged wheels, white roof rails and quad-stack exhaust outlets integrated into the rear bumper. Wider fender treatments increase track by about 41 millimeters at the front and 142 millimeters at the rear versus the SCR, while integrated bash bars, RUF Bi-LED headlamps and full-LED taillights underscore the model’s off-pavement brief. Underneath, the Rodeo pairs a carbon tub with a raised double-wishbone suspension featuring pushrod-actuated horizontal dampers. Ride height increases roughly 242 millimeters compared with the SCR. An in-house, fully adjustable all-wheel-drive system manages torque split front to rear. Braking is by ceramic rotors measuring about 350 millimeters at each corner with six-piston monobloc calipers. Power comes from a 3.6-liter turbocharged flat-six rated at 610 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard. RUF says the specification preserves the brand’s analog character while adding genuine all-terrain capability. To mark the first delivery, Aloisa Ruf created a limited, numbered capsule of hand-painted Rodeo denim to be released later. Alongside the Rodeo, RUF presented a CTR3 Evo delivered in Howe White. The company’s quickest model retains the low, wide nose and clamshell rear deck with six engine-bay vents, complemented by a large carbon rear wing, front splitter and substantial rear diffuser. The 3.8-liter turbocharged flat-six produces 800 horsepower and 730 pound-feet of torque, driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Carbon-ceramic brakes of roughly 380 millimeters with six-piston calipers handle stopping duties. RUF lists top speed at 236 mph. The car’s carbon bodywork is suspended by a MacPherson-strut front end and a multi-link rear with horizontally mounted coilovers on display in the engine bay. An integrated roll cage is standard. RUF also returned with its Tribute, the air-cooled, twin-turbo 3.6-liter model revealed as a prototype in 2023 to honor 60 years of the 911. The company said the production version has cleared emissions certification and is targeted for the 2026 model year. The engine features billet aluminum cylinder heads, four-cam three-valve technology with variable timing and lift, and dry-sump lubrication. Output is quoted at 550 horsepower, sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed manual transmission. The powertrain sits in RUF’s modular carbon platform with double-wishbone pushrod coilovers front and rear and the brand’s integrated roll cage. “These three cars show the range of what we do: the Rodeo for adventure, the CTR3 Evo for outright pace and the Tribute as a modern salute to the air-cooled era,” company president Alois Ruf said, adding that each is built in very small numbers in Pfaffenhausen, Germany, with an emphasis on a tactile driving experience amid increasing industry automation. The deliveries at The Quail extend RUF’s tradition of using Monterey Car Week to showcase coachbuilt cars spanning road, track and now off-road missions. Pricing and build counts were not disclosed for the Rodeo and CTR3 Evo, though the company reiterated that all vehicles are assembled to order with extensive customer specification. With the first Rodeo now in customer hands, RUF’s off-road program moves from concept to production, joining a portfolio that also includes its highest-performance coupe and a rare return to air-cooled propulsion. For a brand defined by engineering depth and analog control, Monterey’s trio set the tone: three distinct paths to the same destination for enthusiasts who still want to shift for themselves. ⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. View the full article

The IRS broke its own rules when it fired thousands of employees earlier this year on the orders of the Trump administration, the Treasury Department’s internal watchdog agency found last week. The terminated employees were not given proper notice, nor was their performance taken into account when getting rid of them, the office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) concluded in a report released on Thursday. “Internal procedures were not followed when sending the termination notices. Policies and procedures require the IRS to give probationary employees a 30-day notice and consider their performance prior to terminating them,” TIGTA found. In February, the IRS fired 6,700 employees designated as probationary, meaning they were working for the agency on a trial basis prior to becoming full staff members. The hires were part of a large-scale overhaul of the agency initiated by Democrats in 2022 as part of their Inflation Reduction Act. That legislation awarded the agency an initial $80 billion funding boost to be spent over the subsequent decade. More than half of the initial money — $45 billion — was earmarked for extra tax enforcement, specifically increased audits for wealthy Americans. The IRS even set up a new division to go after complex partnerships, or nested legal entities that can shelter funds that are owed to the government. Auditing sophisticated companies requires skilled staff, and the IRS had just started hiring a first tranche of personnel to make that happen, many of whom were in their trial period at the agency when they got canned by the Trump administration. When they got fired, they were told it was for performance reasons, but TIGTA found on Thursday that the agency didn’t take performance into account when issuing pink slips. “Termination letters cited performance as a reason for termination; however, the IRS did not consider individual performance when deciding which employees to terminate,” TIGTA concluded. The Trump administration has declared an all-out bureaucratic war on public sector unions, firing employees at many different government agencies through a special cost-cutting panel. Last week, courts gave the go-ahead to the administration’s plan to do away with collective bargaining rights at a number of agencies. It’s not clear whether TIGTA’s report presents a legal vulnerability for the Trump administration, but public sector unions are showing the resolve to fight for their jobs. “Our friends with the VA have had their union contract terminated. They’ve had their rights to collective bargaining stripped. This is, we think, an illegal action,” Daniel Scharpenburg, vice president of the National Treasury Employee Union Chapter 66, said in a social media video posted last week, encouraging fellow union members to rally. Republicans worked throughout the back half of the Biden administration to kill the IRS funding boost, clawing back an initial $20 billion before eventually freezing the rest of the audit funding through what was likely a stealth negotiating maneuver. Biden administration officials told The Hill last year they had known about that loophole in the appropriations process and worked to prevent rescissions with requests to Congress. House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) told The Hill last year that the freeze was likely due to a mistake. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is urging Home Depot to limit the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at its stores amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. LULAC, in a Tuesday press release, said its national president, Roman Palomares, asked Home Depot CEO Ted Decker “to establish a nationwide corporate policy denying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal enforcement agencies access to Home Depot properties unless presented with a valid court-issued warrant and proper advance notice.” “Day laborers and families must not be subjected to the fear of being hunted down in parking lots while pursuing honest work,” Palomares said in the release. He also noted that the Fortune 500 company benefits from labor from the communities that have been targeted by an uptick in deportation orders. “With its size, reach, and influence, the company cannot claim neutrality — it has both the authority and the obligation to act decisively,” Palomares continued. “To allow ICE to operate unchecked on its properties is not passive; it is complicity.” Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Times reported that an immigration raid in Los Angeles involved a Penske truck driver at a Home Depot saying he was seeking workers, according to a day laborer. Multiple Border Patrol agents leaped from the back of the truck while workers surrounded it and more than a dozen were arrested, according to the L.A. Times. “This week, Border Patrol conducted a targeted raid, dubbed Trojan Horse, in Los Angeles at a Home Depot that resulted in the arrest of 16 illegal aliens from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua,” a DHS spokesperson told The Hill in an emailed statement earlier this month. “Federal law enforcement will continue utilizing all resources to arrest criminal illegal aliens and keep Americans safe.” The Hill has reached out to ICE for comment. Home Depot spokesperson Sarah McDonald said in a statement the company is not notified ahead of time when ICE activities “are going to happen.” In many cases, she added, “we don’t know that arrests have taken place until after they’re over.” “We’re required to follow all federal and local rules and regulations in every market where we operate,” she added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

Several Texas state House Democrats plan to rip up the written agreements that allowed them to leave the chamber with a police escort on Monday and return to the House floor Tuesday night, the caucus announced. The lawmakers plan to spend the night on the House floor with state Rep. Nicole Collier, who has stayed in the House chamber for over 24 hours after declining to sign the “permission slip” to leave. “Without permission to leave, they will join Representative Nicole Collier on the House floor overnight ahead of tomorrow’s vote on Trump and Abbott’s racist redistricting maps that threaten to divide Texas communities and strip representation from historically-united Texas neighborhoods,” the announcement read. House Republicans announced the requirement on Monday when Democrats, who faced civil arrest warrants for leaving the state during a special session, returned from their 15-day quorum break. The Democrats fled the state earlier this month to prevent a vote on a controversial redistricting plan pushed for President Donald Trump that could potentially eliminate five Democratic US House seats. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said the Democrats could only leave the House floor if they received written permission and agreed to be under a Department of Public Safety officer’s escort until the chamber reconvenes on Wednesday morning. All Democrats who were present agreed at the time – except for Collier. “Rep. Collier’s choice to stay and not sign the permission slip is well within her rights under the House Rules,” Burrows said in a statement earlier Tuesday. The Texas House Speaker said he is “choosing to spend my time focused on” important legislation. CNN has reached out to the speaker’s office for comment. While the protest move draws more attention to their redistricting fight, Texas House Democrats have little to no legislative options available to prevent the new congressional maps from being passed. The Texas House is aiming to vote on the measure after it reconvenes at 10 a.m. CT on Wednesday, but the timing for final passage remains unclear. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com View the full article

大ヒット映画「国宝」のロケ地となりファンが訪れているびわ湖大津館＝大津市柳が崎で2025年8月13日午前10時56分、岸桂子撮影 写真一覧 　公開中の映画「国宝」で、ロケ地の一つとなった大津市柳が崎のびわ湖大津館に映画鑑賞者や出演俳優のファンらが多数訪れている。ロケの様子などを紹介した同館での特別パネル展示は当初、8月末までだったが、9月下旬まで延長されることに。ロケ地マップも追加印刷を重ねている。映画は6月6日の公開後話題が広がり、配給元の東宝は8月18日、興行収入が100億円を突破したと発表した。【岸桂子】 　映画「国宝」（李相日監督）は吉田修一さんの同名小説が原作で、歌舞伎界に外から飛び込んだ男性、喜久雄の数奇な生き様を描く。人気俳優の吉沢亮さんが主演を務め、横浜流星さんが喜久雄の合わせ鏡となる重要な役を演じる。 Advertisement 　びわ湖大津館は1934年、県内初の国際観光ホテル「琵琶湖ホテル」の本館として建てられ、ヘレン・ケラーら国内外の著名人が訪れた。設計したのは、東京・歌舞伎座の第3期（1924年完成）を手がけた岡田信一郎。桃山風破風（はふ）造の優美で堂々とした外観が特徴だ。1998年に同ホテルが市内の浜大津に移転し、大津市が建物を譲り受け文化施設に。外観の雰囲気が歌舞伎座とうり二つとロケ地に採用されたという。 大ヒット映画「国宝」の概要やびわ湖大津館での撮影の様子などを紹介するパネル展示＝大津市柳が崎で2025年8月13日午前10時45分、岸桂子撮影 写真一覧 　映画では、歌舞伎が上演される「日乃本座」の外観として、またロビーでのシーンが撮影された。現在も、入り口や階段を彩る赤じゅうたんや桜柄のカーペットの一部がそのまま残されている。また、受付近くの丸い柱には「喜久雄が触れたあの柱」という小さな表記があり、映画を見た人が思い返して楽しめる仕掛けも。 　若代光弘副館長（51）によると、公開直後から映画ファンらしき人は訪れていたが、夏休みに入って増え、多い日で40～50人ほど、老若男女と幅広いという。「これまでもレトロな調度品やカウンターなどを生かした映像作品のロケはありましたが、建物自体がクローズアップされたのは初めて」と話す。 　県内での映像制作を誘致・支援する滋賀ロケーションオフィスは、同館の見取り図や撮影風景などを紹介した「ロケ地マップ」を2万5000部作成した。担当者によると、公共施設や映画館からの要請が引きも切らず、その後、3回追加印刷したという。 　愛知県一宮市から墓参で大津入りし、大学生の娘2人と共に同館を訪れた女性（51）は「映画は2回見ました。以前から気になっていながら来たことがない建物だった。雰囲気あって感動しています」と笑顔を見せた。 　「この建物を大事に残していかねばならないと改めて使命を感じています。この機に県内外から多くの方にきていただければ」。若代さんは力を込めた。 View the full article

The video attached to this story originally aired on August 11, 2025. AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a Monday press release that his office (OAG) has begun an investigation into two tech companies for “potentially engaging in deceptive trade practices and misleadingly marketing themselves as mental health tools.” The companies, Meta AI Studio and Character.AI, both allow users to access AI-generated chat bots. Some of those chat characters “present themselves as professional therapeutic tools,” the OAG’s release said. As AI chatbots become more popular for therapy, experts urge users to keep humans in the loop “In today’s digital age, we must continue to fight to protect Texas kids from deceptive and exploitative technology,” said Paxton in the release. “By posing as sources of emotional support, AI platforms can mislead vulnerable users, especially children, into believing they’re receiving legitimate mental health care. In reality, they’re often being fed recycled, generic responses engineered to align with harvested personal data and disguised as therapeutic advice.” On Monday, KXAN also asked Character.AI for a response to the OAG’s press release. It did not respond. A Meta spokesperson responded to KXAN’s request promptly on Monday. “We clearly label AIs, and to help people better understand their limitations, we include a disclaimer that responses are generated by AI—not people. These AIs aren’t licensed professionals and our models are designed to direct users to seek qualified medical or safety professionals when appropriate.” Teens say they are turning to AI for advice, friendship and ‘to get out of thinking’ AI chatbots, which are not human, cannot meet the state and federal standards required of mental health professionals. Typically, records of interactions and chats with AI are saved by AI companies, which could violate laws around patient privacy. Paxton’s office also said that it was already investigating Character.AI for “potential violations of the SCOPE Act.” Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. View the full article

California regulators on Tuesday vowed to strengthen their commitment to slashing harmful vehicular emissions as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to overturn the state’s pollution policies. “Clean air efforts are under siege, putting the health of every American at risk,” said Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), on a Tuesday press call. “California is continuing to fight back and will not give up on cleaner air and better public health — we have a legal and moral obligation,” she added. Randolph spoke alongside the publication of a new CARB report that outlined ways the state could fight back: by accelerating zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) adoption via increased private investment, government incentives and changes in ZEV fuel pricing. The report, submitted to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), identified these specific priority action areas and others relating to state regulations and ZEV procurement, as requested by the governor in a June executive order. Chief among the CARB report’s priorities was ensuring that private investment continues to support the ZEV market. To do so, the agency recommended sustaining California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a program designed to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels, decrease petroleum dependency and achieve air quality gains. As far as government incentives are concerned, CARB suggested that the governor and the Legislature consider backfilling federal clean vehicle tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of September. Those credits could take the form of point-of-sale rebates or vouchers and could be scaled to match state policy goals, per the report. The agency also proposed creating an education pipeline for high-paying jobs in the clean transportation industry, as well as investigating opportunities to reinstate high-occupancy vehicle lane access for ZEVs. Regarding infrastructure, CARB identified a need for collaborative buildouts of charging and refueling infrastructure. As for the price of fuels, the agency suggested implementing an electric bill crediting system for EV charging, while support Western grid regionalization and leveraging private investments to bring down the cost of hydrogen. In the regulations area, the agency recommended advancing ZEV consumer assurance measures and working with local air districts on reducing “indirect sources” of pollution, such as warehouses or railyards. The final priority, procurement, would benefit from the purchase of ZEVs for state fleets and support for doing so in local governments, according to the report. The recommendations, Randolph said, serve to steer near-term actions and “ensure the state stays on track to meet its air quality and climate goals.” Newsom’s June executive order — which mandated the CARB report — occurred after President Trump signed three congressional resolutions revoking California’s previously approved emissions rules. That approval had come from the Biden administration, which granted California a waiver to set stricter-than-federal rules via the 1970 Clean Air Act. One such rule was the Advanced Clean Cars II standard, which sought to require that all cars sold in California would be zero-emissions by 2035. A second was the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, requiring 7.5 percent of heavy-duty vehicles to be emissions-free by 2035. A third, the Omnibus Regulation, focused on slashing nitrogen oxide releases. Just last week — in an about-face on compliance with the Golden State’s standards — four major truck manufacturers sued California regulators over the latter two rules. Soon after, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that a voluntary “Clean Truck Partnership” between the companies and the state was “unenforceable.” Then, Friday, the Department of Justice declared its intent to sue California about the same partnership, in a bid to “advance President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to end the electric vehicle (EV) mandate.” Later that day, CARB only said that it would not comment on pending litigation. On Tuesday, however, Randolph said that regardless of the federal government’s waiver revocation, California is continuing “to fight hard for the emissions reductions that can easily be achieved in the heavy-duty sector and are already being achieved.” Referring specifically to the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, she noted that “the actual adoption is way ahead of the compliance obligation in that regulation.” “The market is there, and the market is moving,” she said. Randolph also told reporters that CARB is already working on updating Advanced Clean Cars, with the idea that rulemaking processes can take two to four years. By starting now, she explained, the rule might “be ready, ideally, for a more receptive U.S. EPA.” Slamming the current federal administration for “choosing to quit the race,” she stressed that “California is still in.” “The world is accelerating forward toward cleaner vehicle technologies and is going to watch the U.S. fade into the rearview mirror,” Randolph added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

Numerous migrant suspects have been arrested on charges involving abuse of children in recent years in eastern Massachusetts. The cases have returned to the fore as Boston Mayor Michelle Wu fired back Tuesday at Attorney General Pam Bondi over her letter threatening potential withholding of federal funds or civil action if the city doesn’t cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. A child under 16 was allegedly raped at a migrant shelter by Haitian national Cory Bernard Alvarez, who was arrested in August 2024, according to ICE’s Boston field office. "We cannot allow any significant noncitizen threat to the children of our communities to potentially reoffend. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from New England," said then-Boston ICE official Todd Lyons – now the agency's national director. Ice Agents In Boston Arrest Migrant Murderer, Child Rapists As Fox News Rides Along Michelle Wu, mayor of Boston, speaks at center.A 10-year-old was allegedly molested by his neighbor, a Haitian migrant, in a Boston suburb. Read On The Fox News App Akim Marc Desire, 18, was arrested in September on the charge, and was further detained by ICE. Desire reportedly entered the country via plane in Miami and then traveled to Boston. Another minor of unconfirmed age in the Boston area was also allegedly "horrifically victimized" by Guatemalan national Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz. "[De Paz-Munoz] represents a significant threat to our neighborhoods," Boston ICE field office director Patricia Hyde said in a statement at the time of the November 2024 arrest. "We owe it to the children of our New England communities to prioritize public safety above everything else. ERO Boston stands committed to arresting and removing egregious noncitizen threats from the community." In February, Jose Fernando-Perez was charged with three counts of forcible rape of a child and three counts of aggravated rape of a child. Fernando-Perez, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was arrested in Framingham, a residential city just west of Boston that is also the birthplace of Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. "He is exactly the type of alien we are targeting with our ‘worst first’ policy. He posed a significant danger to the children of Massachusetts, and we will not tolerate such a threat to our community," Hyde said of that case. "ICE Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by arresting and removing egregious alien offenders from our New England communities." ICE originally lodged an immigration detainer against Fernando-Perez in 2022 with nearby Essex County. Three other illegal immigrants accused of raping minors were arrested on Nantucket in September of last year. ‘Worst Of The Worst’ Snared: Ice Nabs Illegal Immigrants Convicted Of Horrific Crimes Elmer Sola of El Salvador faced 11 sexual assault-related counts, according to Newsweek. Current ICE Director Todd Lyons – then a Boston field office official – said Sola illegally entered the U.S. and made his way to Massachusetts where he "allegedly commit[ed] some horrific and despicable crimes against a child." Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo of El Salvador was charged in the same sting with one count of aggravated rape of a child with a 10-year age difference. In Lawrence, just north of Boston, Ecuadorian national Gilberto Avila-Jara was charged by ICE in 2024 with more than 20 child sexual assault-related offenses. Avila-Jara was originally deported in 1996 but returned to the U.S. at an unknown date, according to WWLP. Not far from Fenway Park, ICE arrested Guatemalan national Sostenes Perez-Lopez in February for what Hyde called "some horrific crimes against a child in Massachusetts." ICE originally filed a detainer against Perez-Lopez with Suffolk County – which includes Boston – in 2024, while he was reportedly in the "Nashua Street Jail." Also in 2024, a Colombian national was arraigned in the Charlestown section of Boston on charges of enticing a child under 16, distribution of obscene matter and lascivious posing and exhibiting of a child in the nude. Mateo Hincapie-Cardona was then listed for removal proceedings, and ICE said in a statement Suffolk County failed to honor a detainer for the illegal immigrant and released him that October – before ICE ultimately detained him. "Detainers are critical public safety tools because they focus enforcement resources on removable noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity," ICE said in a statement. "Detainers increase the safety of all parties involved — ERO (Enforcement & Removal Operations) personnel, law enforcement officials, removable noncitizens and the public — by allowing an arrest to be made in a secure and controlled custodial setting as opposed to at-large within the community." "Because detainers result in the direct transfer of a noncitizen from state or local custody to ERO custody, they also minimize the potential that an individual will reoffend." Fox News' CB Cotton reported Tuesday on further recent arrests, including a Haitian migrant who went on an expletive-laden tirade against President Donald Trump while he was being put into a cruiser after being corralled on 17 different charges. "F--- Trump, you feel me? Yo – Biden forever, bro – Thank Obama for everything he did for me, bro," the Haitian man yelled to assembled cameras. It was not immediately clear on what charges the man was arrested. Cotton also reported recent detentions of an illegal immigrant from Turkey – on rape charges – and one from the Dominican Republic – on assault to rape charges. Fox News' CB Cotton contributed to this report. Original article source: Migrant crimes against children pile up in Boston area as mayor slams Bondi over ‘sanctuary’ warning View the full article

Florida is taking legal action against two school-book publishers, contending they have not reduced prices as required. Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office, in a news release Tuesday, accused McGraw Hill LLC and Savvas Learning Company LLC of “systematically overcharging” school districts for instructional materials. The attorney general’s office, which said it had filed a lawsuit in Leon County circuit court, argued that under state law when publishers apply to be placed on Florida’s list of textbook providers, they must match the best prices offered anywhere else in the nation. “Through a whistleblower complaint filed with the Attorney General’s Office, the state of Florida has learned that some of our school districts were being overcharged by millions of dollars for these instructional materials,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said during an appearance at Voyager K-8 School in St. Cloud. In a statement, Savvas said it has followed state law on the prices of its materials. “We have always been, and continue to be, committed to complying with all laws and regulations pertaining to the sale of our instructional materials,” the company said in a statement. “We never charged Florida school districts more than the state contract price.” Times staff writer Jeffrey S. Solochek contributed to this report. View the full article

Puck News Chief Political Columnist John Heilemann, host of the "Fast Politics" Podcast and Vanity Fair Special Correspondent Molly Jong-Fast, and host of "The Bulwark Podcast" Tim Miller join Nicolle Wallace to discuss Donald Trump's falling approval ratings on all of the issues he campaigned on - and the pushback Republicans continue to get in townhalls and across the country. View the full article

Ligue 1+, le nouveau diffuseur du championnat de France de football a lancé sa campagne d'abonnement le 11 août 2025. La première journée de Ligue 1 a eu lieu ce week-end et Nicolas de Tavernost, directeur général de LFP Media, était l'invité de L'After Foot de RMC ce lundi 18 août pour revenir sur le week-end de lancement de la plateforme. "On est content. On est content parce que le public a suivi, ils sont venus. Et ils sont venus nombreux d'abord pour le match de dimanche soir, ils étaient près d'un million devant l'écran (proposé exceptionnellement en clair, ndlr). Donc ça, c'est satisfaisant. Ils sont venus nombreux déjà le premier soir, le vendredi, ils étaient près de 700.000. Et puis ils sont venus nombreux à s'abonner surtout, parce que c'est quand même un objectif qu'on a. Et donc aujourd'hui, on a quand même plus de 600 000 abonnés", a-t-il assuré. "En un week-end, on aura fait probablement ce qui a été fait sur la totalité de la saison dernière. Donc c'est extrêmement satisfaisant. Je veux d'ailleurs remercier le public, parce que l'une des raisons pour lesquelles on a eu ce succès, je crois, c'est que le public, les fans, ils ont bien compris que ce n'était pas une chaîne qui appartenait à tel ou tel, c'était leur chaîne. Ils se sont appropriés cette chaîne. On avait signé : 'notre football, votre chaîne'. Et 'notre football', c'est quelque chose qui leur parle, c'est un esprit qu'on essaie d'inculquer en disant : 'voilà, c'est la chaîne... Lire la suite À lire aussi "Nous couperions l'abonnement" : La menace de Nicolas de Tavernost concernant les partages de mot de passe sur Ligue 1+ "Cela répond à une nouvelle logique de programmation autour de la Ligue 1" : Giovanni Castaldi lance une déclinaison week-end de "L'Équipe du soir" dès ce samedi Maxime Saada ouvre la porte à un retour de la Ligue 1 sur Canal+ après l'annonce de la nomination de Nicolas de Tavernost à LFP Media View the full article

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Republican Gov. Jim Pillen announced plans Tuesday for an immigration detention center in a farming area in the state’s southwest corner as President Donald Trump's administration races to expand the infrastructure necessary for increasing deportations. Pillen said he and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had agreed to use an existing minimum security prison work camp in rural McCook to house people awaiting deportation and being held for other immigration proceedings. “This is about keeping Nebraskans – and Americans across our country – safe,” Pillen said in a statement. Pillen also announced he would order the Nebraska National Guard to provide administrative and logistical support to Nebraska-based immigration agents. About 20 Guard soldiers will be involved. He also said the Nebraska State Patrol would sign an agreement that enables troopers to help federal immigration agents make arrests. The Trump administration is adding new detention facilities across the country to hold the growing number of immigrants it has arrested and accused of being in the country illegally. Older and newer U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement centers were holding more than 56,000 immigrants in June, the most since 2019. The new and planned facilities include the remote detention center in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” which opened last month. It's designed to hold up to 3,000 detainees in temporary tent structures. When Trump toured it, he suggested it could be a model for future lockups nationwide. The Florida facility also been the subject of legal challenges by attorneys who allege violations of due process there, including the rights of detainees to meet with their attorneys, limited access to immigration courts and poor living conditions. Critics have been trying to stop further construction and operations until it comes into compliance with federal environmental laws. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last week that his administration is preparing to open a second facility, dubbed “Deportation Depot,” at a state prison in north Florida. It’s expected to have 1,300 immigration beds, though that capacity could be expanded to 2,000, state officials said. Also last week, officials in the rural Tennessee town of Mason voted to approve agreements to turn a former prison into an immigration detention facility operated by a private company, despite loud objections from residents and activists during a contentious public meeting. And the Trump administration announced plans earlier this month for a 1,000-bed detention center in Indiana that would be dubbed “Speedway Slammer,” prompting a backlash in the Midwestern state that hosts the Indianapolis 500 auto race. The Nebraska plan has already raised concerns. In a video posted to social media, state Sen. Megan Hunt, an independent, blasted a lack of transparency about plans for a detention center, citing her unfulfilled request to the governor and executive branch for emails and other records about the plan. She urged people to support local immigrant rights groups, and said any response by the Legislature would not come until next year -- and only with enough support from lawmakers. “The No. 1 thing we need to do is protect our neighbors, protect the people in our communities who are being targeted by these horrible people, these horrible organizations that are making choices to lock up, detain, disappear our neighbors and families and friends,” Hunt said. Six protesters sat in the hallway outside the governor’s office Tuesday afternoon making signs that said, “No Nazi Nebraska” and “ICE = Gestapo.” Protester Maghie Miller-Jenkins of Lincoln said she doesn’t think an ICE detention center in the state is a good idea. “Nebraska having a concentration camp here is inherently more dangerous for everyone in Nebraska,” she said, adding the state should focus on other problems like child hunger and homelessness. “This state has numerous things they could focus on that would benefit the constituents,” Miller-Jenkins said. View the full article

There are no current vacancies on the Supreme Court. But the Donald Trump White House has said that it wants judges in the mold of the high court’s two oldest justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. A new dissent that name-checks both justices is a reminder that one front-runner for any vacancy that emerges could be Judge James Ho, whom Trump previously appointed to a federal appeals court. In his dissent, Ho invoked conservative talking points, like transgender sports participation, and railed against “cultural elites.” The case decided Monday concerned Spectrum WT, an LGBT+ student organization at West Texas A&M University. A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit split 2-1 in ruling for the group that had raised a free speech claim. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, the Trump appointee of mifepristone case fame, denied the group a preliminary injunction, reasoning that the First Amendment didn’t apply to the drag show. The appellate panel majority reversed the district judge, with George W. Bush appointee Leslie Southwick writing the opinion, joined by Clinton appointee James Dennis. Southwick wrote that Kacsmaryk “erred in concluding that the plaintiffs were not substantially likely to succeed on the merits of their First Amendment claim.” The panel majority said the plaintiffs’ drag show is protected constitutional expression. In his dissent, Ho argued that a 2010 Supreme Court precedent called Christian Legal Society (CLS) v. Martinez, which went against a student group that wanted to exclude gay people while receiving school funding, should’ve led the appellate panel to rule against the plaintiffs in this case. Writing that he disagrees with the CLS decision even as he’s bound by it, Ho said he “will not apply a different legal standard in this case, just because drag shows enjoy greater favor among cultural elites than the religious activities at issue in CLS.” Obviously, the majority did not explain its ruling that way. One of the ways it sought to distinguish this case from the CLS case was by writing, “Instead of the significant interference with the right of expressive association that the Supreme Court permitted there, the university here was interfering with the expressive activity itself, the speech.” At any rate, one implication of Ho’s dissent is that the majority did the untoward thing he valiantly refused to do: apply a double standard in service of some undefined “cultural elites.” Lawyers and judges generally bolster their points by citing authorities, but Ho didn’t do so there, nor did he explain which “elites” he was talking about. Perhaps we are supposed to understand implicitly — and perhaps we do. Though one wonders how “elite” is the group if it needs to wage a legal battle to put on a show? Ho’s “cultural elites” remark was just the beginning, however. He added to his dissent’s culture-war complaints by positing that “if university officials allow men to act as women in campus events like drag shows, they may feel compelled to allow men to act as women in other campus events as well — like women’s sports.” The judge conceded that drag shows and women’s sports “might seem, on first blush, to have little to do with one another.” But he proceeded to make the case, citing sources that included a book that worried, “If we accept that people can change genders — or even if we don’t but agree to be ‘polite’ and call a man ‘she’ — then why shouldn’t ‘she’ be allowed to play women’s sports or bathe naked in an all-women’s space? Why shouldn’t ‘she’ be allowed to enter women’s abuse houses or be transferred to a women’s prison? Why accept one lie and not the whole thing?” (To be clear, Ho included that full quote in his dissent.) He also leaned on Alito’s dissent in the CLS case, which was joined by Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts and the late Antonin Scalia. Ho separately cited Thomas’ concurrence in the recent Skrmetti case approving a gender-affirming care ban for minors, specifically where Thomas noted “several problems with appealing and deferring to the authority of the expert class.” Ho used the justice’s observation to bolster his point that “judges should not blindly trust experts in education, anymore than we should in any other field.” It was the appeals court judge’s latest display of his willingness — and apparent eagerness — to step into any vacancy that Thomas or Alito might one day leave. If such a vacancy emerges, then so does the prospect of encountering Ho’s writings in Supreme Court opinions for decades to come. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration’s legal cases. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com View the full article

Democrats have scored yet another major recruiting victory in their fight to flip control of the Senate. On Monday, former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio officially announced he would run to fill the Senate seat left vacant by Vice President JD Vance. Michael Steele, former Republican National Committee chair and co-host of “The Weeknight,” said Brown’s comeback bid shows how Democrats could sail to victory in next year’s elections. According to Steele, there are three types of candidates in each election cycle: the vulnerable, the secure and “the unknown.” He called Brown an unknown — an “individual who gets in a race that no one thought they would.” Steele said those candidates have a higher chance at an upset. “That’s the part that I think all of this works to the advantage of Democrats, because they have much more of those unknowns sort of falling into their favor,” he continued, pointing to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s decision to enter the Senate race in his state. Steele also said there was another factor working in Democrats’ favor ahead of the midterms: Many high-profile Republicans are sitting on the sidelines. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu both declined to run for Senate, despite pleas from their party. Steele said their absences open up a “battlefield” for Democrats and it’s up to them to “seize the moment, the momentum and the messaging.” When Steele’s co-host, Alicia Menendez, asked why he believed prominent Republicans like Kemp and Sununu were sitting out of the midterms, the former RNC chair said, “It’s not complicated.” “They don’t want Donald Trump anywhere near anything they’re touching, because their ambitions go beyond 2026,” he said. “So they don’t want to have to run in a campaign in which Donald Trump could throw some smack their way, or they may have to smack him.” You can watch Steele’s full analysis in the clip at the top of the page. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com View the full article

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democratic Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier refused to come to the state Capitol for two weeks. Now she won’t leave. Collier was among dozens of Democrats whose walkout to Illinois, Massachusetts and New York delayed the passage of redrawn congressional maps sought by President Donald Trump. When they returned Monday, Republicans insisted the Democrats have around-the-clock police escorts to ensure they wouldn't leave again. But Collier declined to sign what Democrats called a “permission slip” agreeing to have Department of Public Safety troopers follow them so that they could leave the Texas House chamber. So she spent Monday night and into Tuesday on the House floor, where she set up a livestream from the chamber while her Democratic colleagues outside had plainclothes officers following them to their offices and homes. Collier said having officers shadow her was an attack on her dignity and an attempt to control her movements. “We need to shake things up and make some good trouble to have good change,” Collier said in a video Tuesday morning. The trooper assignments, ordered by Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows, was another escalation of a redistricting battle that has widened across the country. Trump is pushing GOP state officials to tilt the map for the 2026 midterms more in his favor to preserve the GOP's slim House majority, and Democrats nationally have rallied around efforts to retaliate. “They're following us everywhere,” said Houston-area Democratic Rep. Suleman Lalani. “That's a very uncertain feeling that you have — that whatever you do, wherever you go, somebody's following you, somebody's behind the car.” The House was scheduled to vote Wednesday on the GOP plan, which is designed to send five additional Republicans from Texas to the U.S. House. Texas Democrats returned to Austin after Democrats in California launched an effort to redraw their state's districts to take five seats back from Republicans. Under the House's rules, the permission slips are needed to leave the House floor, though it wasn't clear how strictly that was being enforced. Wu, from Houston, and state Rep. Vincel Perez, of El Paso, stayed overnight with Collier, who represents a minority-majority district in Fort Worth. Throughout the day, Democrats visited Collier on the floor, which has a lounge and restrooms for members. Suburban Dallas Rep. Mihaela Plesa suggested that Burrows was trying to appease GOP colleagues who want Democrats punished. Republicans issued civil arrest warrants to bring the Democrats back, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the state Supreme Court to oust Wu and several other Democrats from office. The lawmakers also face a fine of $500 for every day they were absent. “This is more of an intimidation factor for the public — ‘if we can do this to them, we can do it to you,’" Plesa said Tuesday from the House floor. Burrows dismissed Collier's protest, saying he was focused on important issues, such as providing property tax relief and responding to last month's deadly floods. His statement did not mention redistricting. “Rep. Collier’s choice to stay and not sign the permission slip is well within her rights under the House Rules,” Burrows said. Under those rules, until Wednesday's scheduled vote, the chamber's doors are locked, and no member can leave “without the written permission of the speaker.” Burrows’ office declined to discuss the details of how officers were shadowing Democrats and the Department of Public Safety did not respond to an email message. Republicans want to ensure that the House has the 100 of 150 members present it needs to do business Wednesday. But Democrats said officers followed them in hallways and some even stayed in their offices. Plesa said she was tailed back to her apartment in Austin, and she saw an officer in an unmarked car watching her as she left Tuesday morning for the Capitol. Republicans argued that Democrats abandoned their duties for two weeks, preventing action on range of multiple issues, including flood relief and redistricting. Democrats’ absence forced Republicans to adjourn a special session, though Gov. Greg Abbott called a second one before the first one had ended Friday. Democrats derided the shadowing as a waste of taxpayer dollars that took officers away from investigations of serious crimes. “It's ludicrous,” Houston Democratic Rep. Armando Walle said. “Do they really think we want to break quorum again, after being gone for two weeks — away from our family and our businesses?” ___ Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas, and Cline reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. View the full article

Starting August 18, Texas drivers began receiving new licenses featuring upgraded security measures. The Department of Public Safety announced that the change will affect all driver’s licenses and identification cards to be issued. The redesign comes as states nationwide work to combat identity theft and counterfeit documents. Previously issued cards remain valid until their expiration dates. “The way driver licenses are made can make a big difference in terms of public safety,” said DPS Driver License Division Chief Sheri Gipson. “This new card design will make it even more difficult for criminals to produce counterfeit cards, and it enhances ways we can protect Texans’ identities from being stolen.” The updated licenses feature tamper-resistant polycarbonate material that meets American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators standards. A black laser-engraved star replaces the previous gold star to indicate REAL ID compliance. Personal information has been reorganized for easier verification by law enforcement and businesses. The new layout aims to make identification details more straightforward at a glance. View the full article

Not every government building is considered a work of art. Some are considered downright hideous or confusing. New Jersey Real Estate Network recently surveyed over 3,000 respondents to determine the 100 "ugliest" public buildings in the country, with two Florida buildings making the top 25. "While our survey focused on visual appeal, it is worth noting that sentiment often overlaps with how residents feel about the function and upkeep of the space," the survey writes. "A drab building that still delivers great service might be tolerated. But if it's crumbling and confusing to navigate? That's when complaints really stack up What are the 'ugliest' public buildings in Florida?The Florida Department of Transportation headquarters, the Burns Building, has been dubbed one of "The Ugliest Public Buildings In America" by RE/MAXOut of 100 ugly buildings across the country, two Florida buildings made the list: The Tallahassee Department of Transportation HQ ranked 21st The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners Central Office Complex in Pensacola was ranked 23rd. What is the 'ugliest' public building in America?Michigan's City of Flint Municipal Center was unfortunately crowned the "ugliest" public building in the entire country. "This municipal hub is all about business, with a straightforward layout and an exterior that leans heavily into concrete and brick. It gets high marks for durability, but stylistically, it’s stuck in an era where civic buildings weren’t expected to be welcoming — just solid," the survey wrote. The center is a complex of seven government office buildings located at 1101 Saginaw Street in Flint. According to the National Register of Historic Places, the parts of the complex were built in the 1950s and designed by H. E. Beyster & Associates and A. Charles Jones and Associates. See the top 25 'ugliest' public buildings in AmericaJudge Jon Oldham conducts a tour of the new Akron Municipal Court in the former Oliver Ocasek building in Akron.City of Flint Municipal Center - Michigan Fresno County Superior Court - California Buffalo City Court - New York Jackson County Courts Building - Mississippi Philadelphia Municipal Services Building - Pennsylvania Akron Municipal Court - Ohio Atlantic City Municipal Court - New Jersey Bentonville Public Works Maintenance Facility - Arkansas Tuscaloosa County Public Works Building - Alabama El Paso County Court Administration Building - Texas Boston Government Center Complex - Massachusetts Bridgeport Police Headquarters - Connecticut Montgomery County Administration Building - Ohio Modesto City Hall - California North Las Vegas Municipal Court - Nevada Roswell Municipal Court - New Mexico Saginaw County Courthouse - Michigan Monroe County Hall of Justice - New York Florence‑Lauderdale Government Building - Alabama New Castle County Department of Public Works Building - Delaware Tallahassee Department of Transportation HQ - Florida Scottsbluff County Administrative Office - Nebraska Escambia County Board of County Commissioners Central Office Complex - Florida Pottawattamie County Courthouse - Iowa Passaic County Administration Building - New Jersey This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida buildings among the ugliest in entire country, survey shows View the full article

NEED TO KNOWThe Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking the public to report rainbow snake sightings in the state The species is secretive, aquatic, and often mistaken for dangerous reptiles, but it is harmless. Declines in the snake's population are tied to the loss of its preferred dietary needs (American eels), habitat loss, and fungal disease threats A rare reptile is catching the attention of Florida wildlife officials. On Monday, Aug. 19, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) urged the public to report any sightings of the rainbow snake — an elusive, nonvenomous species whose numbers have dwindled in recent decades. The semi-aquatic reptile, also known as Farancia erytrogramma, is striking in appearance, having iridescent black or violet-blue scales with three vivid red stripes down its back. The species' chin and lip scales are yellow and marked with violet spots. Adult rainbow snakes can usually grow between three and four feet long. According to USA Today, the last documented sighting of the elusive snake was in February 2020 Pierson Hill and Kevin Enge/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Rainbow snakeAccording to the FWC, rainbow snakes depend heavily on American eels for food, and declines in that prey species — paired with habitat loss — have contributed to population reductions. Officials also note that rainbow snakes in some other states are being impacted by snake fungal disease, raising concerns about the species’ long-term survival. “We need help from Floridians and visitors to better understand where rainbow snakes still occur in the state,” explained Kevin Enge, a research scientist with FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. “Every sighting report gives us valuable data about their current distribution and helps us assess the health of the species in Florida.” Rainbow snakes are considered secretive and highly aquatic, according to the University of Florida’s Florida Museum. They’re rarely seen, but can sometimes be spotted crossing roads between waterways on rainy nights, or moving slowly along the bottom of spring-fed rivers by swimmers and divers. Though their appearance may look intimidating, the snakes are harmless to humans. Some people mistakenly believe the snake has a stinger at the tip of its tail, but the Florida Museum said that the pointed scale is not dangerous. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The reptiles like to dwell near rivers, springs, and brackish marshes. The South Florida subspecies has historically been documented in Fisheating Creek in Glades County — more than 150 miles south of the nearest known population in Lake County — but the snakes haven't been seen in the area since 1952. FWC is now hoping fresh reports can help determine the species' current range in the state. Officials ask that sightings be submitted online, ideally with photographs to help confirm identifications. Read the original article on People View the full article

Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay Township) announces legislation to expand Michigan's whistleblowers' protection act. Aug. 19, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance Michigan Republicans on Tuesday announced a bill to expand protections for whistleblowers, telling reporters several state employees had declined to testify before the House Oversight Committee citing a fear of retribution. “We have developed a common theme in our interaction with department employees, and it’s simply this: Tell us about what’s going on, share us information. And what we get consistently from those employees is, ‘I will be happy to share information with you, but I will not come and testify, and I would prefer you don’t use my name, because the retribution that may come back at me in our department could be swift and severe because of what we may be telling you,’” Committee Chair Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay Township) said. After reviewing the state’s current whistleblower protection law, DeBoyer found it “woefully inept” saying it provided “exactly zero penalties, maybe a $500 fine if it is determined that an employer, a department head, a supervisor, has intimidated or harassed you because you have come forward and spoke the truth.” In response, DeBoyer’s bill, which has yet to be introduced and given a bill number, would up the fine to $2,000, with the fine placed in the general fund. While the current law allows for the reinstatement of any employee who was terminated for speaking out against misconduct, DeBoyer’s bill would allow them to receive up to three times the amount of back wages as well as full reinstatement of fringe benefits and seniority rights. “If all you’re going to get for coming forward and then being treated poorly is your job back, what’s the motivation, right? You’ve been treated poorly, probably, possibly run through the ringer. Your reputation may have been damaged.…Obviously, getting their job back and the $2,000 fine puts a little more teeth into the bill,” DeBoyer said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX View the full article

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO, agosto 19 (EL UNIVERSAL).- Érika Buenfil está más radiante que nunca y se siente muy satisfecha y feliz por ello; la actriz de 61 años luce una figura renovada previo a su actuación en la telenovela "Papás por conveniencia", donde aparecerá con varios kilos menos. Buenfil habló abiertamente del cambio que ha tenido gracias a una dieta balanceada, dijo que ha bajado al menos unos ocho kilos, aunque parece que han sido más. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ricardo Escobar (@ricardojescobar) La actriz compartió unas fotografías de su rostro que fueron muy elogiadas en redes, sus fans halagaron lo bien que se ve, y la misma actriz reveló que es el fruto de la pérdida de peso que ha tenido en las últimas semanas, un cambio que le ha caído bastante bien. PUBLICIDADExplicó que por un tema de tiroides, resistencia a la insulina, la hormona que toma por lo de la tiroides, los médicos encontraron un equilibrio y el asignaron una dieta. "No me muero de hambre, pero estoy muy bien, he bajado como siete, se notan más de los que he bajado, yo creo que más; visualmente se ven más de lo que he bajado, estoy muy contenta", reveló a Televisa Espectáculos. Adelantó que pronto se dará a conocer una sesión fotográfica importante en la que se atrevió a posar como nunca antes; adelantó que nunca había hecho eso en su carrera. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Erika buenfil (@erikabuenfil50) Sobre si tiene o no pretendientes, Buenfil aseguró que no, pero que es algo que no le preocupa, pues está muy feliz sola. "Soy muy feliz sola, es muy difícil, uno como artista no tienes tiempo", se sinceró. PUBLICIDADAsí como muchos cibernautas halagaron lo bien que se ve Érika Buenfil, otros la criticaron de manera fuerte luego de sus comentarios en contra de Mariana Botas, habitante de "La casa de los famosos México". Buenfil estuvo como invitada a la post gala de ViX, donde lanzó un comentario contra Botas, integrante del Cuarto Día, y quien por cierto ha estado muy sensible en las últimas horas tras la salida de Ninel Conde. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Erika buenfil (@erikabuenfil50) "Habla mucho, ya cállate mana", dijo sobre la actriz de 35 años, quien agregó, pudo haber salido del reality si no hubiera sido salvada por Elaine Haro. "Érika, se te quiere mucho, pero estuviste mal en hablar mal de Mariana". "Eras una de mis actrices favoritas, pero hoy demostraste lo fea persona que eres al burlarte de la voz de otra mujer para fomentar más hate; otra mujer que desde pequeña ha sido burlada por su voz, pero decidió seguir sus sueños". a pesar de tantas críticas. ¡No promuevas el bullying!". "Como actriz la respetaba, pero lo que hizo hoy de fomentarle el hate a Mariana estuvo de más, usted no es quien para criticarle algo con que ella nació, su voz, la vida da tantas vueltas y uno nunca sabe que pueda pasar", se lee entre los muchos comentarios en las redes sociales de la actriz. TAMBIÉN TE PUEDE INTERESAR | EN VIDEO Michelle Renaud habla de su nueva serie View the full article

Why Wealthy Young Buyers Are Driving the EV Boom originally appeared on Autoblog. Automakers love to put out ads featuring the Smiling Nuclear Family. Usually, the family is pretty young- you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone over 50 in most of these ads. The truth is, a lot of new car buyers are older than that. Subaru, for example, has an average buyer age north of that. But that's mostly for the brand's gas-powered cars. EVs are a very different story, according to a recent Forbes study. KiaYoung, Wealthy Buyers Are Snapping Up EVsPer Forbes Research 2025 Mass Affluent Survey, conducted between May and June this year, the relative youth are using their cash to buy EVs. These are pretty wealthy citizens, broadly, with Forbes' criteria narrowing the field to those with "$200,000 to $2 million in investable assets." Around 20 percent of people in this category, under 50, own an EV, while a further 27% own hybrids. It's a monstrous generational gap in EV ownership: those over 50 with $200,000 to $2 million in investable assets almost always have a gas car, with just 4% owning an EV and 12% owning a hybrid. Buyers Under 50 Will Fuel Electrified Car DemandHonda Civic Hybrid Source: HondaWhat's more, the data shows that EV ownership rates among these people will remain strong. In the next year, 26% those surveyed, regardless of age, said they are going to purchase an EV if they didn't have one already, and another 31% said they were planning to do the same for a hybrid. Just like the current ownership divide, it's the under-50 crowd that is driving demand among those polled. A staggering 41% of respondents under 50 said they are likely to purchase an EV, and another 39% said they'd do the same for a hybrid. Inversely, only 15% of polled shoppers over 50 would be in for an EV, and 26% said they'd be likely to buy a hybrid. While the data set is rather narrow, only covering wealthy buyers for a span of a few months this year, the age gap between new EV buyers and gasoline-powered car owners is something we'll likely see continue. That gap is important to automakers, and the next generation of buyers' preference for tech and alternative powertrains has and will continue to shape the next generation of cars. Automakers Are Right To Push High-Tech EVsRivianA few items are driving these buyers to purchase the cars they have. 74% of respondents said reliability was important, but so was safety (66%) and affordability (62%). Meanwhile, specific features can also put buyers into electrified vehicles. The study found that 44% of buyers valued "best-in-class" tech, like in-car Wi-Fi, smartphone integration, and advanced navigation. A similar percentage said they wanted advanced safety tech like adaptive cruise control. Automakers are already leaning into this, and in today's cars, technology is often a byword for luxury. Automakers are always chasing younger buyers, and this is the latest evolution of that strategy. Unsurprisingly, sustainability also came up. 44% of those polled said that "sustainable and eco-friendly transportation solutions" were important to them. While truly affordable EVs are still out of reach for many buyers, the wealthiest buyers still prioritize the affordability of their vehicles. It may be a part of the reason we're seeing a push for more affordable EVs, like the upcoming Slate truck and Ford's recent announcement for its smaller electric truck. Smaller, more affordable vehicles that are still heavy on tech and new electrified powertrains are automakers' way of welcoming new, younger, and likely less wealthy buyers into the fold. EV sales may not be sky-high, but for a certain kind of buyer, it appears automakers are making exactly what they're looking for. Why Wealthy Young Buyers Are Driving the EV Boom first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared. View the full article

Three-Quarters of EV Drivers Report Less Stress, But 39% of Brits Still Find Driving Stressful originally appeared on Autoblog. A new study commissioned by DS Automobiles has revealed that three-quarters of electric vehicle drivers find their cars less stressful to operate than gasoline or diesel equivalents. Yet despite the calming benefits of EV ownership, nearly 39% of British motorists still cite driving as one of the biggest sources of daily anxiety. It’s an odd paradox: the technology makes the experience smoother, but the reality of congested, chaotic roads ensures the stress remains. Bloomberg/Getty ImagesEVs as Stress-Busters on WheelsElectric cars may be marketed on zero-emissions bragging rights, but owners increasingly value them for something more personal: peace of mind. Silent cabins, smooth torque delivery, and fewer mechanical vibrations all help create a calmer environment. In fact, it’s this very driving experience that has helped EVs rival—and in some cases surpass—traditional gasoline cars, a factor that contributed to the record-breaking 9.1 million global EV sales in the first half of 2025. For drivers making the switch, that sense of serenity can be as persuasive as fuel savings or tax incentives. Yet the DS survey shows that serenity has limits. Even with a quieter car, drivers are still surrounded by the unpredictability of everyone else on the road—and that’s where stress creeps back in. The Road Is the Problem, Not the PowertrainWhile 75% of EV drivers said they felt calmer, the survey highlighted the factors that make journeys stressful regardless of what’s under the bonnet. Tailgating (58%), poor lane discipline (53%), and traffic congestion (44%) topped the list of complaints. In other words, the car may be stress-free, but the people around it are not. This isn’t unique to Britain. Across the Atlantic, cities such as Baltimore and Detroit are considered among the most dangerous places to drive in America, where on average motorists will experience a crash once every three years. EVs may reduce cabin stress, but they can’t reprogram human behavior—or clear a clogged motorway. KiaSafety, Comfort, and the EV AdvantageWhen asked what would help reduce stress further, UK drivers overwhelmingly pointed to better in-car comfort and smarter features: supportive seats, high-quality suspension setups, accurate navigation, and reliable in-car entertainment. These expectations align with the strengths of many EVs, which are often equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems, regenerative braking that reduces fatigue, and quieter ride quality. Countries with stricter safety standards provide another clue to the equation. Canada, for instance, has seen steady declines in road fatalities thanks to stronger traffic laws and enforcement, while U.S. traffic deaths continue to rise despite higher overall EV adoption. That suggests EV adoption alone isn’t enough—roads and rules matter just as much as the cars themselves. picture alliance/Getty ImagesDriving Stress as a Catalyst for ChangeFor automakers, the findings point to an opportunity. Stress reduction may not be the headline of a glossy marketing campaign, but it resonates with everyday drivers. And in a country where nearly 40% of people admit driving is a major stress trigger, EVs provide an antidote. They’re not only cheaper to run in many cases, but they also make commutes calmer and less exhausting. That edge could help sway undecided buyers, particularly as traditional motivators like tax incentives and rebates shrink. As DS Automobiles and other brands highlight, the future of EVs isn’t just about climate goals or cost—it’s about whether the car you sit in every day makes your life better. And in 2025, with EVs proving they can deliver a calmer drive even in stressful conditions, the shift toward electric may start to feel less like a sacrifice and more like a lifestyle upgrade. Three-Quarters of EV Drivers Report Less Stress, But 39% of Brits Still Find Driving Stressful first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared. View the full article

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (D) struck back Tuesday at the Trump administration’s legal threats over her city’s immigration policies with a blistering letter asserting Boston won’t “bow down to unconstitutional threats or unlawful coercion” from the federal government. “The U.S. Attorney General asked for a response by today, so here it is: stop attacking our cities to hide your administration’s failures,” Wu wrote in a social media post linking to her formal letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bondi sent letters last week to 32 state and local governments that have been deemed “sanctuary jurisdictions,” including Boston, warning that they could lose federal funds or face legal action if they do not assist with President Trump’s sweeping immigration enforcement efforts. “For too long, so-called sanctuary jurisdiction policies have undermined this necessary cooperation and obstructed federal immigration enforcement, giving aliens cover to perpetrate crimes in our communities and evade the immigration consequences that federal law requires,” Bondi wrote to Wu and other local letters. In her formal reply to Bondi, Wu lauded safety measures Boston has taken to tackle crime, often in partnership with federal authorities. “Our City’s longstanding and productive partnership with state and federal law enforcement to protect the people of Boston far predates your tenure,” Wu wrote to Bondi. “The Boston Police Department, the first municipal police department in the United States, works closely with state and federal agencies to address counterterrorism threats, protect our airport and our harbor, combat drug and human trafficking and hold perpetrators accountable for crimes.” She blasted the Trump administration for lobbing “false and continuous attacks on American cities.” “On behalf of the people of Boston, and in solidarity with the cities and communities targeted by this federal administration for our refusal to bow down to unconstitutional threats and unlawful coercion, we affirm our support for each other and for our democracy,” Wu wrote. “Boston will never back down from being a beacon of freedom, and a home for everyone.” The Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment. The Trump administration has taken aim at cities and states — mostly ones led by Democrats — that have high crime rates or have not aided the mass immigration arrests and deportations that Trump has pushed. The president last week declared a public safety emergency in the District of Columbia and seized control of the Metropolitan Police Force and sent members of the National Guard and federal law enforcement agencies in a sweeping crime crackdown in the nation’s capital. Trump deployed Marines and National Guard troops in Los Angeles in June amid protests over Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

Donald Trump’s first salvo against the Smithsonian Institution came in March, when the president signed an odd executive order directing officials to eliminate “improper, divisive, or anti-American” ideology from its museums. A few months later, he fired the director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, despite questions about whether he had the legal authority to do so. Last week, the White House let the Smithsonian know that it has plans to conduct a far-reaching review of its museums to ensure the content it presents to the public aligns with Trump’s views on American history. It’s against this backdrop that NBC News reported: Trump voiced outrage this afternoon in a post on Truth Social about the types of exhibits shown in the Smithsonian and other museums across the country. ‘The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE.’ The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,’ he said. I wrote a book last year about Republican efforts to rewrite recent history, and Trump's tirade suggests the broader campaign is poised to become even more aggressive. The Republican’s online rant went on to say that he’s “instructed” attorneys “to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities.” Trump concluded, “This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums.” The harangue comes just days after Stephen Miller, the deputy White House chief of staff, falsely claimed that Smithsonian exhibits have “clearly been taken over by leftwing activists” who have “obscenely defaced this beloved institution.” To the extent that reality has any bearing on the public conversation, any visit to any of the Smithsonian museums should make clear that it includes a great many exhibits celebrating American triumphs. Trump’s insistence otherwise suggests he hasn’t stepped foot in any of the museums anytime recently. What’s more, the idea that exhibits talks about “how bad Slavery was” necessarily leads to questions about which parts of slavery the president believes weren’t “bad.” As for the larger context, The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg had a striking column late last week on what happened when a far-right political party in Poland gained power and quickly targeted the Museum of the Second World War, then being built in Gdansk. “The museum was supposed to explore the war’s global context and to emphasize the toll it took on civilians,” Goldberg explained. “Among its collection were keys to the homes of Jews murdered in Jedwabne. Before it ever opened, [Poland’s illiberal Law and Justice party] wanted to shut it down for being insufficiently patriotic.” If this sounds familiar, that’s not your imagination. Pawel Machcewicz, the founding director of the Museum of the Second World War, told Goldberg it’s been unsettling to see American museums subjected to the sort of political intimidation he experienced in Poland. “I believed that American democracy had somehow stronger rules,” he said. “It’s older than Polish democracy. I thought the autonomy of research, the autonomy of museums, would be something sacred in the U.S. It turns out that it can also be subverted. So this is a very pessimistic lesson for us.” Over the course of seven months, Trump has taken steps to exert unusual influence and control over everything from the economy to higher education, the judiciary to the media, private businesses to nonprofit organizations, the military to cultural institutions, labor unions to law enforcement, health care to sports teams, independent federal agencies to banks, the legal profession to the entertainment industry. The president is now making it painfully clear that he has museums in his sights, too. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com View the full article

President Donald Trump escalated his campaign to purge cultural institutions of materials that conflict with his political directives on Tuesday, alleging museums were too focused on highlighting negative aspects of American history, including “how bad slavery was.” In a Truth Social post, Trump directed his attorneys to conduct a review of museums, comparing the effort to his crackdown on universities across the country. “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” Trump wrote. Trump’s comments come days after the White House announced an unprecedented, sweeping review of the Smithsonian Institution, which runs the nation’s major public museums. The initiative, a trio of top Trump aides wrote in a letter to Smithsonian Institution secretary Lonnie Bunch III last week, “aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.” The letter said the review would focus on public-facing content, the curatorial process to understand how work is selected for exhibits, current and future exhibition planning, the use of existing materials and collections and guidelines for narrative standards. Exhibits at the Smithsonian take years of planning and are heavily evaluated by teams of scholars and curatorial experts before they make their debut. Janet Marstine, a museum ethics expert, said that the demands laid out by the Trump administration “set the Smithsonian up for failure.” “Nobody could provide those kinds of materials in such a comprehensive way, in that short amount of time, and so it’s just an impossible task,” she said. The White House has asked the Smithsonian to provide an array of materials, from internal emails and memos to digital copies of all placards and gallery labels currently on display. The Smithsonian declined to comment on Trump’s latest remarks. A White House official, asked about the attorney review process Trump described, said the president “will explore all options and avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable.” Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order that put Vice President JD Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents, in charge of stopping government spending on exhibits that don’t align with the administration’s agenda. He also tasked a former member of his legal team, attorney Lindsey Halligan, with helping to root out “improper ideology” at the Smithsonian. “Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to divisive narratives,” the executive order said. The Smithsonian began a review of its own in June, and has repeatedly stressed its commitment to being nonpartisan. The institution told CNN in July that it was committed to an “unbiased presentation of facts and history” and that it would “make any necessary changes to ensure our content meets our standards.” Betsy Klein contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional context. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com View the full article