Desmond Milligan

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: The new Dodge Charger Sixpack brings an internal combustion engine back to a Dodge muscle car. Engineers added selectable all-wheel drive, making the new Dodge Charger one of the only muscle cars that can switch from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive at the push of a button. The Sixpack engine is set to deliver 550 horsepower. Popular Mechanics has never been to Motortrend’s Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge, but what better time to attend than the event’s 10-year anniversary. The event is a no-limits horsepower festival that Dodge hosts every year—showing off its latest and greatest products and hosting sanctioned drag racing on the streets of Metro Detroit. Like many years before, they also deployed their motorsports toy box, which means we saw everything from the all-new Dodge Charger Sixpack to 10,000-horsepower top-fuel dragsters all playing around on Woodward Avenue. Now that my ears have stopped ringing, let’s debrief on what we experienced. Dodge Charger SixpackMatt CrisaraThe Dodge Charger is about to feature all-wheel drive and an inline-six engine. All-wheel drive might sound sacrilegious for a muscle car, but the Charger’s eight-speed automatic transmission (there’s no manual option) can send 100 percent power to the rear wheels at the push of a button thanks to a multi-disc wet clutch system. We went for a passenger ride in a Charger Sixpack around a drifting course at the event, and this thing isn’t afraid to kick its tail out. We also had the opportunity to see what the Sixpack could do on the dragstrip. As this was Roadkill Nights, it involved a quick blast about 600 feet up Woodward Avenue, which had been closed down and prepped for the event. Nobody was jotting down times, but it’s clear that the new Charger is considerably faster and easier to drive that the previous model (the older cars would just spin the tires off the line). If we take Dodge’s figures at face value, the new Charger Scat Pack is four-tenths of a second quicker to 60 mph than the previous-generation. On the street, the Charger can also use rear-wheel-drive mode to save gas. Dodge hasn’t released an MPG figure for its latest muscle car, but we’d wager that it’s a considerable improvement over the outgoing Hemi V8 platform. For context, we’ve driven both powertrains in the much heavier Ram TRX and Ram RHO platforms, where we achieved the advertised 12 and 15 MPG figures. Obviously, fuel economy isn’t top of mind when you’re buying a muscle car, but a twin-turbo engine that’s cranking out over 500 horsepower isn’t going to be a steady sipper. Orders for the 2026 Sixpack-powered Dodge Charger Scat Pack have already begun, and vehicles are set to hit showrooms in the second half on 2025. The Scat Pack will start at an available MSRP of $54,995, with the baseline R/T spec (available soon) for $49,995. 10,000 Horsepower Funny Car DemoMatt CrisaraYou might call it a stretch to draw similarities from a dragster to a road car, but you don’t actually have to look too far to find them. In fact, the engines used in the fire-breathing top-fuel and funny car dragsters are all based on Chrysler’s 426 Hemi V8 engine architecture—a design that was developed in the 1960s by Tom Hoover. While the underpinnings of the engine used by many Dodge vehicles remain the same, nearly everything else has been changed to achieve five-digit horsepower figures. As you can see above, we had the pleasure of witnessing Matt Hagan’s funny car doing a burnout on Woodward Avenue. For context, Hagan and his race car normally find themselves at a quarter-mile drag strip, where they’ll cover that distance in under four seconds, reaching top speeds of over 300 miles per hour. The short demonstration at Roadkill Nights was over in an instant, but it rattled my chest. Those who have been to a proper NHRA weekend know that you really just have to be there to fully understand the experience. For context, the 10,000 horsepower this thing is said to be able to produce is just a theoretical horsepower figure, as nobody has actually measured how much power these engines crank out. But dead-on accurate or not, I was curious about how that power gets to the ground without shredding the driveline to bits. And the solution: dragsters use a direct-drive system with a series of clutches. Anything else simply wouldn’t be up to the task. What’s Next?Matt CrisaraWe’re still waiting to drive the new Sixpack-powered Charger ourselves, but it seems like its going to be a new paradigm for Dodge. There were a non-zero number of enthusiasts that I overheard complaining about the lack of a Hemi under the hood, but there’s so much more to the Sixpack than just emissions and fuel economy. From a packaging standpoint, it’s significantly smaller and lighter than the outgoing V8, making plenty of room for the all-wheel drive system. Not only that, but the new-school engine produces comparable horsepower figures, thanks to turbocharging. While Dodge revived the legacy “Sixpack” nameplate for its all-new powertrain, it’s providing a whole new playground for engineers to work with. You Might Also Like The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Painter’s Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life? View the full article

⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious What treasures does this incredible collection of classic cars hold for this wandering car enthusiast?The idea of the perfect barn finds sits within the minds and hearts of automotive enthusiasts around the globe. Finding one's dream car in a chaotic state and slowly bringing it back to life to return to or surpass the car's original glory is a highly appealing thought. Some go even as far as to base their livelihoods around these automotive adventures as they travel from town to town looking for the subsequent significant discovery of a time long forgotten. This video perfectly encapsulates that passion for recovering the historical automobiles that grace the hallowed halls of this old storage warehouse. Upon entry to this place, you will find a 1972 Cadillac Eldorado and a 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme sitting together to the right of the entrance. Another cool classic that sits near these automotive legends is a W30 clone which needs a new interior but is mostly complete. In front of the W30, you'll find a 1953 Oldsmobile Convertible, which seems to hold a special place in the owner's heart as he will not be selling the beautiful vintage Oldsmobile. The final cars that we'll show you in this part of the barn are a 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 Convertible and a 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass, which boasts a 455 ci V8 under the hood. The owner intends to rescue the car is a 1961 Pontiac Catalina Convertible, which runs and drives like a dream. The exterior blue has been covered in an aged patina but seems to be a very sound automobile from looking at it. Thankfully the convertible top is brand new, which allows this straight-body GM masterpiece to remain intact and capable of taking on the weather in most conditions. While we aren't sure what the new owner intends to do with the car, it seems like the vehicle is going into good hands, and we hope to follow its progression from a junkyard bound vintage to a show-stopping classic shortly. Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. View the full article

(Reuters) -General Esedulla Abachev, deputy commander of Russia's Northern group of forces, has been seriously wounded on the front line of the war with Ukraine, a senior official said on Monday. Abachev comes from Russia's Dagestan region, whose leader Sergei Melikov said on Telegram that he was in a serious but stable condition in "one of the best military medical centres in the country". Ukrainian military intelligence said on Sunday that Abachev had an arm and a leg amputated after being wounded in a Ukrainian strike on a Russian military column on a highway in the Kursk region of western Russia, and that he was being treated in Moscow. Reuters could not confirm those details. At least a dozen Russian generals have been killed in the war that started with Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Abachev graduated from the Higher Tank Command School in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991. He received the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia for his role in combat missions during the current war. Dagestani leader Melikov said he was the pride of the region, describing him as "a combat general and a wise commander who always tries to protect his personnel, sometimes neglecting his own safety". (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan in London; Editing by Sharon Singleton) View the full article

At least 20 people have been killed when new monsoon rains caused flooding in northwestern Pakistan, local officials say, as the region is ravaged by an unusually intense and deadly monsoon season. “A cloudburst in the Gadoon area of Swabi completely destroyed several houses, killing more than 20 people,” a local official in the district told the AFP news agency on Monday. Local Pakistani media also reported on the latest deaths due to the flooding. Three to five villages were wiped out by the huge amount of rain falling in a short period of time, a second official said, confirming the death toll in the worst-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The new deluge comes as rescuers continue to search for 150 people still missing in several districts across the province. More soon. View the full article

Sweden's former national security adviser went on trial Monday for forgetting classified documents at a Stockholm hotel conference centre, which prosecutors said jeopardised the country's security. Henrik Landerholm, who resigned in January over the scandal, left the documents in an unlocked locker at the hotel in March 2023. According to the charge sheet and police investigation, the hotel cleaner who found the papers could be "linked to violent extremism circles". Landerholm has pleaded not guilty to a charge of "carelessness with classified information", which carries the risk of a fine or up to a year in prison if convicted. He has admitted, however, that he forgot the documents in his hotel room. His lawyer Johan Eriksson told the court that it was not known if anyone had seen the contents. "We are arguing that, given the circumstances, the information has not been disclosed," Eriksson told the court, arguing that the information "was not of a nature that could be considered harmful to Sweden's national security" even if it came to light. Landerholm told the court there was "no excuse" for the incident in the Gallofsta hotel, adding: "It was unfortunate and inappropriate. It is now up to the court to decide if it was a crime." Much of the proceedings in the case are set to be held behind closed doors because of the sensitive nature of the information. After the scandal erupted, Swedish media also revealed that Landerholm forgot his cell phone at the Hungarian embassy in December 2022, shortly after he was appointed as adviser. He also left a notebook behind after a media interview in January 2023. The 62-year-old has previously worked as an ambassador, director of Sweden's Psychological Defence Agency, principal of the Swedish Defence University, and chairman of parliament's defence committee. po/jxb View the full article

President Trump is reportedly considering rescheduling marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, which would significantly liberalize the rules that currently regulated it. Former U.S. Attorney and Congressman Bob Barr recently argued in The Hill that Trump should go ahead and do it. But although his proposal is framed as a pragmatic reform, it overlooks critical scientific evidence and public health risks. A more thorough examination reveals that rescheduling marijuana would be a dangerous misstep — one that prioritizes corporate interests over the well-being of society. The most authoritative federal review of cannabis research comes from the 2017 National Academies of Sciences Report, which identified only three medical conditions with substantial evidence supporting cannabis efficacy: chronic pain in adults, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and spasticity symptoms in multiple sclerosis. Notably, conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder were classified as having only “limited evidence,” meaning cannabis cannot be conclusively deemed an effective treatment. This directly contradicts claims that marijuana is a proven remedy for PTSD. In fact, the 2021 Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guidelines explicitly reject cannabis for PTSD due to insufficient evidence and potential harm. Another critical issue is the dramatic rise in THC potency in marijuana due to bioengineering, a trend well-documented by the University of Mississippi’s long-term research under DEA authorization. Historically, cannabis contained just 2 percent to 4 percent THC. Today’s strains routinely exceed 15 percent and even 30 percent, with concentrates reaching 90 percent or higher. Modern, high-THC cannabis is pharmacologically distinct from traditional forms and is linked to alarming public health consequences. Research shows that 30 percent of daily users develop Cannabis Use Disorder. Studies in Lancet Psychiatry (2019) and JAMA Pediatrics (2022) associate high-THC cannabis with increased psychosis, schizophrenia risk, and cognitive impairment in adolescents. This includes IQ decline and memory deficits. To ignore these risks would be to mislead the public into believing cannabis is safer than it truly is. Worse, rescheduling to Schedule III — placing marijuana alongside drugs like ketamine and anabolic steroids — would falsely legitimize today’s high-THC products as “medicine,” despite their well-documented dangers. Beyond public health concerns, rescheduling marijuana raises questions about hidden financial motives. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would provide a massive windfall for the industry by eliminating IRS tax code Section 280E, which currently prevents marijuana businesses from deducting ordinary expenses, which costs them billions annually. Without this restriction, corporations could save hundreds of millions in taxes, expand aggressive marketing and lobbying efforts, and flood the market with even stronger THC products. Given these incentives, any push for rescheduling should be scrutinized for its potential to prioritize profits over safety. Rather than blanket rescheduling, a more responsible approach would be to maintain high-THC cannabis in Schedule I — due to its abuse potential and mental health risks — while permitting FDA and DEA exceptions for research on low-THC (below 4 percent) cannabis, the plant’s natural form. If future studies confirm medical benefits for low-THC cannabis, it could then be reclassified to Schedule II with strict controls to prevent misuse. This targeted solution balances medical access with public safety, avoiding the uncontrolled proliferation of high-potency THC products. Importantly, maintaining the natural THC threshold as a research benchmark ensures that policy remains grounded in science rather than industry influence. Ultimately, an objective assessment of marijuana must rely on reliable science, consider all risks, and reject corporate-driven loopholes. High-THC cannabis undeniably meets all three criteria for Schedule I classification. It has a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use for smoked or vaped forms, and a lack of established safety under medical supervision. Rescheduling would serve as a gift to the marijuana industry at the expense of public health, accelerating the spread of a potent and addictive drug. Instead of rushing to relax federal safeguards, policymakers should prioritize rigorous low-THC research without compromising existing protections. The Schedule I classification must remain — not due to outdated ideology, but because drug policy should be dictated by science, not corporate lobbying. Keeping marijuana in its current category is a necessary step to protect public health and ensure that any future reforms are based on evidence rather than financial incentives. Angel Gomez is a ​researcher specializing in the societal impact of drug policy. He has a background in psychoanalytical anthropology and general sciences. 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

Texas Democrats who left the state to stymie Republicans over redistricting have returned to Austin, ending a two-week standoff over President Donald Trump's plan to carve out five new GOP congressional seats. Their return to the state means the Texas House now has the sufficient number of legislators needed to pass a new map benefiting the GOP. Democrats had used the gambit to stall legislative business and bring national attention to Republicans’ decision to pursue off-cycle redistricting ahead of the midterms. In a statement, the Texas House Democratic Caucus said that members returned on Monday morning “to launch the next phase in their fight against the racist gerrymander that provoked a weeks-long standoff with Governor [Greg] Abbott and President Trump.” The drama in Texas set off a national redistricting battle, most prominently with California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowing to retaliate against Texas Republicans by extracting an equal number of Democratic-leaning districts from California’s congressional map. Trump has also been pushing to take his redistricting plan to other Republican-led states, like Indiana and Missouri. Texas Democrats debated how long to stay away from the state, but ultimately laid out two conditions for their return: that the legislature end its first special session and that California lawmakers introduce their own map granting Democrats five more seats to counter Texas. Both of those occurred on Friday, prompting the Texas lawmakers to start returning home. By breaking quorum, the members racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. It also set off a legal fight brought by Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who sought to remove some of the Democrats from office. Aid for Central Texas flood victims was held up by the standoff. Republicans put redistricting first on the legislative calendar, ahead of disaster relief considerations — a move that Democrats called out as irresponsible. The GOP, in response, argued that Democrats were delaying that relief by remaining out of state. Abbott had promised to continue calling special sessions after the first one ended, beginning with a second one that began on Friday — a move that added to the pressure he and other GOP leaders exerted on Democrats to end their protest. View the full article

火災があったビルでは消火活動が続いた＝大阪市中央区で2025年8月18日午前10時32分、露木陽介撮影 　18日午前9時50分ごろ、大阪市中央区宗右衛門町（そうえもんちょう）の雑居ビルで「建物の1階から煙が出ている」と近隣店舗の女性から119番があった。大阪府警南署によると、消火活動中だった大阪市消防局の男性隊員2人が病院に搬送されたが、死亡が確認された。ほかに、20～30代の消防隊員4人と20代女性がけがや熱中症で搬送されたが、いずれも命に別条はないという。 　現場では7階建てと5階建ての雑居ビル2棟が燃え、計約100平方メートルを焼いて約9時間後に消し止められた。府警と市消防局が出火原因を調べている。 Advertisement 　消防隊員が死亡する事故を受けて、市消防局は原因を究明する検証委員会を設置する方針を示した。 　市消防局によると、死亡したのはいずれも浪速消防署に勤務する、消防司令の森貴志さん（55）と、消防士の長友光成さん（22）。森さんらは、同僚らと3人で火災のあった7階建てビルの1階からフロアを上がっていったという。 　自力で脱出した30代隊員から連絡を受け、別の消防隊員がビルに入り、6階で倒れていた2人を発見して救出した。2人は、消火活動中にビル内に取り残されたとみられる。 　火災を受け、大阪市の横山英幸市長はこの日、報道陣の取材に応じ、建物内で崩落が起きて2人が逃げ場を失った可能性があると説明した。 ビル火災の現場 　現場の雑居ビル2棟には飲食店や事務所などが入居している。市消防局によると、2棟のビルは2023年の立ち入り検査で年2回の避難訓練を実施していなかったり火災報知機の設置に不備が見つかったりするなど消防法令違反が計6項目確認されたことから、是正を求めていたという。 　ビル2棟のうち火元がどちらかは分かっておらず、府警と市消防局が詳しい出火場所の特定を急いでいる。 　現場は大阪・ミナミの中心部・道頓堀の近くで、普段から多くの観光客や買い物客でにぎわっている。出火当時は約60台の消防車や警察車両が駆けつけ、周囲に煙が立ちこめるなど一時騒然となった。 　近くの店舗で働く30代の女性は「午前10時前に大きな爆発音が聞こえ、外に出たら近くのビルから炎がすごい勢いで上がっていた」と話した。 　たこ焼き店の男性店員（53）は「ビルの1階部分から火花がパチパチと出ているのが見えた。そのうち黒煙がものすごくなり、周囲にいた人たちも騒然となった。10分ほどで炎がビル全体を包んだ」と振り返った。【大坪菜々美、露木陽介、川地隆史】 View the full article

Elle pensait souffrir d'une gueule de bois après une nuit de fête. Il y a quelques mois, Alysha Pyrgotis, 27 ans, se rend sur une île indonésienne isolée. Comme le raconte Mirror, cette routarde britannique commence soudainement à vomir et souffrir d'une diarrhée sévère. "J'étais clouée au lit, j'avais très mal aux muscles et aux os. J'étais un peu délirante. Je n'arrivais pas du tout à me concentrer, c'est là que j'ai commencé à paniquer. Le gars avec qui je voyageais à l'époque a commencé à se rendre compte que j'étais assez malade, que je n'avais pas la gueule de bois. Il a parlé à la personne de l'auberge et nous avons regardé sur Internet, il n'y avait aucun hôpital ni rien." En effet, cette île ne dispose pas de soins de santé et un médecin local doit se déplacer pour réaliser une analyse de sang. "J'étais sur une toute petite île, il n'y avait pas vraiment de soins de santé, j'ai vraiment eu de la malchance d'être là à ce moment-là." Les résultats de cette analyse confirment que la jeune femme souffre de la typhoïde, une infection bactérienne. Cette maladie peut tuer une personne infectée sur cinq si elle n'est pas soignée rapidement. LIRE AUSSI >> Elle pensait souffrir d'anxiété, ChatGPT identifie son cancer du sang un an avant le diagnostic des médecins PUBLICITÉElle pense avoir contracté l'infection à cause d'un aliment. "Honnêtement, j'ai cru mourir. C'était tellement horrible que je me suis dit : 'Ça y est, c'est fini'. J'étais tellement agacée, car j'étais si proche de la fin de mon voyage. J'avais déjà été malade, mais pas à ce point-là." Et d'expliquer : "C'était comme si mon corps refusait tout, il essayait de tout éliminer. Je n'ai rien mangé pendant toute la durée de ma maladie, probablement cinq ou six jours. Même l'eau, je buvais des gorgées et elle revenait aussitôt. C'était une maladie très grave". Des conseils aux autres voyageursElle fait le choix de ne pas parler à sa famille de cette épreuve : "J'étais très inquiète à l'idée d'en parler à ma famille. Je ne leur ai rien dit, en fait, car ils étaient très stressés au travail à ce moment-là Je ne leur ai rien dit avant d'être tombée malade. Je pensais que ça n'allait pas bien se terminer. J'étais paniquée, car je savais que je devais bientôt quitter le pays, j'avais très, très peur". Après six jours sous perfusion, elle reçoit enfin un test de typhoïde négatif. La jeune femme, dont le visa allait expirer, peut quitter le pays. Pour aider les autres voyageurs, elle recommande de bien se laver les mains et de surveiller son alimentation. "Je ne vais pas dire 'interdit de caresser les animaux errants', car c'est l'un de mes aspects préférés d'un voyage. Je pense que se laver souvent les mains est très important mais c'est quelque chose que je n'ai jamais fait. J'étais au milieu de nulle part à caresser des animaux errants, puis je passais mes journées à vaquer à mes occupations pendant des heures et des heures sans avoir accès à de l'eau pour me laver les mains, et je n'avais même pas emporté de gel hydroalcoolique." LIRE AUSSI >> "La maladie des loisirs", l'étrange mal qui frappe souvent... au début des vacances PUBLICITÉSelon l'Organisation mondiale de la santé, 9 millions de personnes sont touchées chaque année par la fièvre typhoïde dans le monde. Actuellement, il existe un vaccin qui concerne essentiellement les voyageurs et les personnels exposés professionnellement à la bactérie. "La vaccination contre la fièvre typhoïde est recommandée pour les voyageurs (adultes et enfants de 2 ans et plus) devant effectuer un séjour prolongé ou dans de mauvaises conditions dans des pays où l’hygiène est précaire et où la maladie est présente, en particulier en Inde et dans les pays voisins. La vaccination doit être réalisée quinze jours avant le départ en voyage", précise le site internet Vaccination Info Service. D'après les chiffres de l'Institut Pasteur, de 100 à 250 cas sont répertoriés chaque année en France chez des voyageurs ou des personnes originaires de zones d’endémie. View the full article

Los visitantes de un safari en el Parque Nacional Kruger, en Sudáfrica, disfrutaron de un encuentro inolvidable con la fauna salvaje después de que su jeep se viera obligado a detenerse durante más de una hora debido a un adorable bloqueo de carretera: una manada de 30 elefantes había decidido que era la hora de la siesta. Las cautivadoras imágenes se subieron recientemente a YouTube en julio. View the full article

美國總統特朗普（Donald Trump，又譯川普）以「印度購買俄羅斯石油」為由對印加征的關稅已成為兩國關係「一觸即炸的火藥桶」。而美國國務卿魯比奧（Marco Rubio）當地時間8月17日解釋為何放過其他直接、間接購買俄油的國家卻獨制裁印度的回答，讓一些印度網友直呼美國「虛偽」「雙標」。 當地時間8月17日，被美國霍士商業（Fox Business）新聞旗下一檔節目被問及為何不制裁從俄羅斯購買石油和天然氣的歐洲時，魯比奧回答稱：「我不確定是否會直接對歐洲實施制裁，顯然，二級制裁會產生影響」。 雖然霍士商業新聞的提問主要聚焦歐洲，但魯比奧刻意拿中國來回答，稱假設要追查俄羅斯賣給中國的石油，就會發現中國購買的大部份俄羅斯原油被煉化後又賣回全球市場。如果美國對中國實施進一步制裁，「可能會推高全球能源價格，或者在缺乏供應的情況下尋找替代來源」。 2025年8月15日，美國阿拉斯加州，圖為魯比奧出席美俄元首峰會。（Reuters）魯比奧稱，一些歐洲國家已表達過不安。他透露，在美國參議院討論的法案中，曾提出對中國和印度徵收100%關稅，但一些歐洲國家私下就此事向美國傳達了擔憂。 「我不想在這個問題上與歐洲人針鋒相對。」魯比奧說道，他還強調，認為「歐洲人能在這議題上發揮建設性的作用，幫助我們達成目標」，坦言特朗普在結束與俄羅斯總統普京（Vladimir Putin，又譯普丁或蒲亭）會晤後有致電北約秘書長呂特（Mark Rutte），「我們一直在就這一進程與他們反覆溝通」。 在相關新聞下方的留言區，一位網友嘲諷道，「這就是美國對待他們的朋友的方式」，「這種虛偽和無恥的雙重標準，才是定義美國的東西」。另一位印度網友尖銳地指出，美國是不敢制裁中國，因為如果真這麼做，「中美之間的工業供應鏈將受到重大打擊，對美國經濟的傷害遠大於中國」。 自俄烏衝突爆發以來，印度大幅增加了對俄羅斯石油的採購。如今，俄羅斯已成為印度的主要石油供應商，佔印度總供應的約35%，而此前這一比例還不到1%。據悉，印度每天從俄羅斯進口超過200萬桶原油。 2025年7月14日，俄羅斯聯邦中部韃靼斯坦共和國（Tatarstan），圖為一個採油裝置正在運行。（Reuters）印度是目前美國以「購買俄羅斯石油」這一理由制裁的唯一對象。特朗普本月早些時候，以印度通過「直接或間接方式進口俄羅斯石油」為由，對印度輸美產品額外徵收25%的關稅，直接將美國對印度總體關稅稅率拉高至50%。 印度外交部迅速發聲明回懟稱，特朗普的行政令「不公平、不公正、不合理」（unfair，unjustified，unreasonable）。「我們的進口是基於市場因素，總體目標是確保印度14億人民的能源安全。因此，美國選擇對印度徵收額外關稅，而其他幾個國家也是為了自身國家利益而採取的行動，這極其不幸。」聲明補充稱，「印度將採取一切必要行動，保護國家利益」。 印度《第一郵報》網站8月18日指出，魯比奧清楚的知道印度與俄羅斯的能源貿易已成為印美關係的「一個惱怒點」，也理解印度能源需求龐大，但他仍用「雙重標準」來批評印度，指責印度用購買俄油「支持俄羅斯的戰爭機器」。 「這使美國和印度之間的關係跌至近十年來的最低點。」美國《華盛頓郵報》本月初報道稱，在特朗普宣布額外再加征25%的關稅後，莫迪政府開始反擊。分析人士表示，莫迪不大可能切斷與俄羅斯的貿易，美國期待「印度徹底燒毀與俄羅斯的關係是愚蠢」，所以只能放棄與美國的關係。 報道指出，印度與俄羅斯的關係是建立在「信任和情感之上的」，而與美國的關係是「相互懷疑」。在皮尤研究中心發佈的一項調查中，超過一半的印度年輕受訪者表示他們對俄羅斯持好感，而對美國持相同看法的比例只有17%。 2025年8月15日，印度總理莫迪（Narendra Modi）在德里（Delhi）舉行的獨立日慶祝活動上向全國發表演說。（Reuters）近期，由於美國關稅，印度國內的反美情緒開始抬頭。路透社當地時間8月11日報道稱，從麥當勞、可口可樂到亞馬遜和蘋果，美國跨國公司在印度正面臨抵制呼聲。莫迪的支持者以及相關商業團體呼籲消費者轉向本土產品，以抗議美國關稅。部份印度企業家還藉機倡導「印度製造」，並呼籲像中國那樣打造自己的社交媒體平台。 本文獲《觀察者網》授權轉載 美國貿易談判代表訪印度行程據報取消特朗普再嚇阻印度買俄羅斯石油：關稅不止25%　24小時內大幅提高王毅訪印度磋商中印邊界問題　將晤總理莫迪及外長蘇傑生「箍頸」行業稅開始了　特朗普操弄關稅進入下一步 View the full article

近期惡劣天氣頻生，天文台更五度發出黑色暴雨警告信號。工聯職安健協會於7至8月期間就惡劣天氣及「極端情況」下上班，成功訪問621名工友，結果顯示超過六成受訪者在8號風球或更高信號、黑色暴雨警告信號或極端情況生效期間仍要上班，逾兩成被僱主要求「落波」後一小時返回工作崗位。 協會主席謝愛紅指，發現僱主沒有重視和遵守惡劣天氣和極端天氣情況的工作守則，建議規定僱主在惡劣天氣下要對工作環境進行工作評估。 工聯職安健協會今日（15日）公布「惡劣天氣及「極端情況」下上班問卷調查」結果，當中逾兩成被僱主要求「落波」後1小時返回工作崗位。（梁曉煒攝）工聯職安健協會今日（15日）公布「惡劣天氣及「極端情況」下上班問卷調查」結果，當中逾兩成被僱主要求「落波」後1小時返回工作崗位。（梁曉煒攝）工聯職安健協會今日（15日）公布「惡劣天氣及「極端情況」下上班問卷調查」結果，當中逾兩成被僱主要求「落波」後1小時返回工作崗位。（梁曉煒攝）僱主應遵守工作守則 訂明「指定人員」定義問卷調查結果顯示，超過六成受訪者在8號風球或更高信號或黑色暴雨警告信號，或於極端情況生效期間仍要上班，當中有五成不知道信號生效期間上下班四小時内受《僱員補償條例》保障，另有逾兩成被僱主要求「落波」後一小時返回工作崗位。 同時，逾五成人表示僱主沒有任何交通安排，近四成人表示沒有就惡劣天氣下的工作環境進行風險評估，亦未有提供合適的安全設備。 協會主席謝愛紅指，僱主並未重視及遵守《惡劣天氣及「極端情況」下工作守則》，漠視工友工作安全。（梁曉煒攝）協會主席謝愛紅指，僱主並未重視及遵守《惡劣天氣及「極端情況」下工作守則》，漠視工友工作安全。（梁曉煒攝）協會主席謝愛紅指，僱主並未重視及遵守《惡劣天氣及「極端情況」下工作守則》，漠視工友工作安全。同時，根據守則勞資雙方應透過協商，訂明「指定人員」是否在惡劣天氣下必須當值，但現時未有清晰的標準及定義，變相一些非社會運作必要的工種亦可能被定性為「指定人員」，需在惡劣天氣下冒險上班。 逾五成受訪者亦表示僱主沒有提供上下班方面的交通安排，工友冒險上班具風險。她建議政府加強守則的解說及宣傳工作，立法規定非「指定人員」停工，部份「指定人員」僱主需提供安全的交通工具；她批評守則的約束力不足，必要時應立法規定非「指定人員」停工，「指定人員」僱主應提供安全交通工具接送，同時考慮「在家工作」的可能性。 建議公司在惡劣天氣下作「風險評估」根據問卷調查結果，近四成受訪者稱公司未有在惡劣天氣及極端情況下作設備檢查及「風險評估」。同時，公司也未有為僱員提供適當的裝備，例如安全帽連帽帶、兩衣、防水安全靴等，工作環境令人擔憂。 工聯安健協會顧間及立法會讓員郭偉强則指，協會一直建議政府注事行業中「風險評估」的重要性。（梁曉煒攝）工聯安健協會顧間及立法會讓員郭偉强則指，協會一直建議政府注事行業中「風險評估」的重要性。建議勞工處應考慮立法強制對惡劣天氣下的工作場所風險作評估，參考密閉場地的做法，要求有「合資格人士」在現場對工作場所進行評估，再根據評估結果作出是否適合開工的決定及制訂適合的工作措施，並必須將評估結果及會採取的安全措施告知僱員，避免僱員要在未知危險的工作環境下工作，無法確保自身的工作安全。 加強宣傳推廣惡劣天氣工作守則另外，近半受訪者未知信號生效期間上下班四小時内受《僱員補償條例》保障，有逾兩成（23.8%）被僱主要求「落波」後1小時返回工作崗位。協會建議應加強宣傳推廣惡劣天氣工作守則。僱主應以僱員安全為重，因應僱員所在地區環境進行彈性上班時間安排，不應對無法上班的僱員進行扣薪扣假的安排。 2024年30宗致命工傷　建造業25人死　工聯職安健協會批培訓不足上月5宗奪命工傷　工聯職安健協會促檢討安全管理制度釐清責任勞工處展開兩周執法行動　建築地盤若違職安健　將停工及檢控免費入場 職安健創科博覽│專家雲集 互動展品全接觸職安健｜周小松斥工地巡查有漏洞　孫玉菡：工人要明白條命係自己 View the full article

政府物流服務署今晚（18日）公布，由於無法信納供應港島和部分離島政府辦公室的樽裝飲用水供應商鑫鼎鑫商貿有限公司能繼續履行合約，今日已根據合約條款即時終止其合約，以及另外三張與其負責人有關聯的化學品合約。 物流署表示，鑫鼎鑫於今年6月獲物流署批出合約，由今年6月底起為港島和部分離島的政府辦公室提供樽裝飲用水。基於物流署早前取得的供應商營運資料，以及警方今日的執法行動，物流署有理由相信鑫鼎鑫未能繼續履行合約。因此署方今日決定根據合約條款即時終止相關合約，以及另外三張與其負責人有關聯的化學品合約，會繼續全力配合警方調查。 委屈臣氏暫時供應樽裝飲用水予港島和部分離島政府辦公室物流署表示，會優化供應政府辦公室樽裝飲用水合約的招標要求，並透過公開招標揀選合適供應商為港島和部分離島政府辦公室供應樽裝飲用水。在新合約生效前，物流署已安排屈臣氏集團（香港）有限公司在本周內開始暫時為港島和部分離島政府辦公室供應樽裝飲用水。 政府飲用水｜被捕夫婦涉用假文件被索償一億　公司曾奪康文署合約政府飲用水｜被捕鑫鼎鑫董事股東兩夫婦　據悉2023年涉詐騙案被捕政府飲用水｜值5294萬合約有30日「找數期」　警方稱政府應未付款政府飲用水｜鑫鼎鑫曾向樂百氏索報告　據悉標書驗菌要求極為基本 View the full article

If you’re like us, you’re hit with a constant barrage of advice from financial influencers, some of which is just plain idiotic. But one of their social media posts caught our eye recently because of the “humble” Nissan featured prominently in it. Now that influencer is being mocked mercilessly online for the misstep. YouTube is choking out car videos. That influencer is Jeff Rose, who runs the Good Financial Cents page on Facebook. He featured a screen capture from a post done by MLFootball, which praises professional football player Danielle Hunter for his supposed frugality. If you don’t know, Hunter plays defensive end for the Houston Texans and has been in the NFL for years. According to the league, he signed a one-year contract extension with the Texans to for a cool $35.6 million – that’s on top of his previously agreed pay – so he will earn $55.1 million for the 2025 an 2026 seasons. In other words, the guy isn’t hurting for money in the least. But the original post from MLFootball praises him for being “humble” because “he drives an old Nissan which he has had for over 10 years now.” In the picture, instead of some beat up 2015 Altima or Murano is a rather nice Nissan GT-3 Nismo – hardly a humble ride by any measurement. Image via Good Financial Cents/FacebookSure, Hunter could afford far more expensive rides, so we suppose he has exercised some discipline in continuing to drive his Godzilla, but the sports car earned that nickname for a reason. The turbocharged powertrain pumps out a monstrous 600-horsepower and 481 lb.-ft. of torque, so it can really move. Even more critical is the base price back in 2015: $149,990. It wasn’t a cheap ride back then, so it’s not like Hunter is suffering while rolling around in some old beater that’s barely running. Thankfully, a lot of people understand what Rose doesn’t and so he’s being mocked. After all, how can someone give financial advice when they do zero research about what vehicle is supposedly a humble financial decision? Now excuse us while we go pick up one of these budget-friendly GT-Rs to show off to Dave Ramsey. See the post from Good Financial Cents here (unless it’s been taken down out of shame). Images via Good Financial Cents/Facebook View the full article

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said early Monday that a Russian attack hours before his high-stakes meeting with President Trump at the White House was “demonstrative and cynical.” “This was a demonstrative and cynical Russian strike. They are aware that a meeting is taking place today in Washington that will address the end of the war,” Zelensky said in a post on social platform X. “Everyone seeks dignified peace and true security,” the Ukrainian leader added. “And at this very moment, the Russians are attacking Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, the Sumy region, and Odesa, destroying residential buildings and our civilian infrastructure.” Seven people, including a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, were killed in the Russian drone strike in Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, according to Zelensky, who said dozens of other people were injured. Zelensky also said missile strikes in Zaporizhzhia killed three people and injured 20 people. He added that a Russian strike targeted an energy facility in Odesa. The strikes follow a historic summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, and they come ahead of Zelensky’s meeting with European leaders and Trump on Monday at the White House, where the Ukrainian leader said he expects to discuss “key issues.” “The Russian war machine continues to destroy lives despite everything. Putin will commit demonstrative killings to maintain pressure on Ukraine and Europe, as well as to humiliate diplomatic efforts,” Zelensky said in his Monday post. “That is precisely why we are seeking assistance to put an end to the killings. That is why reliable security guarantees are required. That is why Russia should not be rewarded for its participation in this war. The war must be ended. And it is Moscow that must hear the word: ‘Stop,’” he added. Updated at 8:03 a.m. EDT 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

President Trump will meet Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a high-stakes Oval Office meeting, three days after flying to Alaska to discuss peace with Russian President Vladimir Putin. European leaders will be at the White House to back up Zelensky, a clear effort by Ukraine’s allies to prevent the meeting from going off the rails like the infamous one involving Zelensky, Trump and Vice President Vance in February. Here’s the schedule for their meetings. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that the U.S. Trump and Putin agreed to “robust” security guarantees, including “effectively” offering Ukraine Article 5-like protection, during their historic Friday meeting. But many points of contention remain, Secretary of State Marco Rubio conceded Sunday. “We made progress in the sense that we identified potential areas of agreement, but there remain some big areas of disagreement,” Rubio told ABC’s Martha Raddatz. Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Sunday that authorities arrested 68 people overnight in Washington, D.C., amid a federal crackdown on crime that involves the National Guard patrolling the nation’s capital along with a federalized the police force. Amid the crackdown, D.C. restaurants have taken a hit. Catch up here: Trump ‘bela’ post is new ‘covfefe,’ stirs Newsom into action Republican civil war erupts over earmarks in funding bills Democrats face challenge in countering Trump on crime Follow along all day for updates. 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

Here’s a thought experiment. What would happen if we put thousands of heavily armed soldiers into the streets of major American cities to enforce laws and deal with civil unrest, even though the troops had no significant training in either regard? And what would happen if citizens held mass demonstrations against this affront to their constitutional rights of speech and assembly, despite the protesters having little or no training in nonviolent resistance? We know the answer because it happened at Kent State University in 1970. Here is another scenario. What would happen if armed provocateurs showed up in this volatile mix, intending to trigger a second civil war in America? We know the answer. We saw an example on Jan. 6, 2021, when Proud Boys and several other extremist groups provoked violence during a riot at the Capitol. Today, President Trump is engaged in his own experiment — a dangerous performative political stunt in which he’s federalized the National Guard and deployed regular U.S. troops to cities run by Democrats. How do we know it’s performative? Because he’s threatening to invade only blue states and cities. His law-and-order excuse is implausible. Few Americans have shown more contempt for law and order than the four-times indicted, twice impeached, 34-times convicted president — the first felon to occupy the White House. A law-and-order president would not have granted sweeping clemency to nearly 1,600 people charged with, convicted of, or pleading guilty to participating in the Jan. 6 riot. A president committed to law and order would not egregiously violate the nation’s statutes and the Constitution. Sadly, we have come to expect such behavior from Trump. He is the thug he accuses others of being. The real disappointment at this moment is the U.S. military’s capitulation to Trump’s latest stunt. Prior to last year’s election, Trump made no secret of his intentions. He has threatened to deploy the military against civilians — a decision generally prohibited by the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 — since at least March 2023, suggesting he would use federal troops in urban “crime dens.” “You’re supposed to not be involved in that, you just have to be asked by the governor or the mayor to come in (but) the next time, I’m not waiting,” Trump said during a rally in Iowa. Before last year’s election, Trump told Time magazine he endorsed using the military and building a migrant detention camp to remove more than 11 million people from the country. During a speech on June 1, 2020, Trump urged governors to deploy the National Guard to “dominate the streets” against people protesting the murder of George Floyd. He threatened to deploy the military if governors didn’t act. Meanwhile, protestors gathered in the park across the street from the White House to protest the Floyd murder. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to clear the park. Then, Trump and a coterie of administration officials strode into the park for a photo op of Trump holding a Bible. They were joined by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, dressed in battle fatigues. But Milley realized he was being used as a political prop and left the event. A cursory investigation concluded a year later that the police did not clear the park specifically for Trump’s photo op, but it was widely condemned as a violation of the protesters’ constitutional right to assemble. Milley apologized publicly and profusely. He said his appearance in uniform “sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society. I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.” While addressing graduates at the National Defense University, Milley urged the future military officers to remain apolitical. Today’s military leaders should take his advice if they expect the armed services to maintain the public’s respect. In 2024, Military.com conducted its own thought experiment about what would happen if Trump sent active-duty troops to “quash protests on American soil.” “In speaking with more than a dozen Pentagon officials as well as outside experts,” the article said, “what emerged was a landscape where few concrete legal protections exist to prevent an abuse of power by a president, especially if that president chooses to lean on the Insurrection Act, a vaguely worded law originally passed in 1792.” But, it continued, “uniformed commanders also have a specific obligation to reject an order that’s unlawful.” Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, soldiers are not obligated to obey unlawful orders. An international court made the same determination after World War II when it rejected the “Nuremberg defense,” the argument by Adolf Hitler’s officers that they were just following orders when committing war crimes or crimes against humanity. Why is this important? Although Trump is in office, the U.S. military might be the last line of defense for protecting our democratic republic, since Congress and the courts have largely capitulated to his autocratic rule. What happens if top military officers and next year’s voters don’t stand up to Trump? We can ask the nearly 6 million people, more than 70 percent of the world’s population, what their lives are like under authoritarian rule. America is on a slippery slope to join them. William S. Becker is co-editor of and a contributor to “Democracy Unchained: How to Rebuild Government for the People,” and a contributor to Democracy in a Hotter Time.” He previously served as a senior official in the Wisconsin Department of Justice and is currently executive director of the Presidential Climate Action Project. 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

Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) launched a comeback Senate bid against Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) on Monday, giving Democrats a boost in the Buckeye State. “I didn’t plan to run for office again, but when I see what’s going on, I know I can do something about it for Ohio,” Brown said in his launch video. “That’s why I’m running for Senate. Because even in these challenging times I still believe if you stand up for workers, treat people with respect and always fight for Ohio, you can actually make a difference,” he added. Brown was expected to announce a campaign against Husted, who was appointed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) to replace JD Vance after he became vice president. Brown most recently lost reelection in November against Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) by roughly three and a half points. Brown, who served three terms in the Senate, stands to benefit from a midterm election cycle, when President Trump’s name will not be on the ballot and Republicans are likely to face the traditional headwinds associated with the sitting president’s party in midterm elections. “No one fights harder for Ohio than Sherrod Brown. From securing Ohioans’ retirement and Social Security benefits to cracking down on fentanyl from China and Mexico, Sherrod will always do what’s right for Ohioans,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), chair of the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, in a statement. “In the Senate, Sherrod will stand up to the chaos, recklessness and rising prices hurting working families and make sure Ohioans have the champion they deserve,” they added. At the same time, Brown’s Senate comeback bid will test whether the Ohio Democrat, who’s outperformed Democrats in the Buckeye State, will be able to overcome the state’s political leanings as it’s trended toward the GOP. Senate Republicans expressed confidence that voters would reject Brown a second time ahead of 2026 and rolled out a new ad on Monday saying that the Ohio Democrat “fought for the far left, not Ohio” while in Washington, D.C. “Ohioans just rejected Sherrod Brown’s radical agenda of allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports, fueling mass illegal immigration, and failing to protect Ohio’s good-paying manufacturing jobs,” Nick Puglia, a spokesman for the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm. “If Brown wins his primary, we remain confident voters will reject him again in 2026.” — Updated at 8:19 a.m. EDT 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 NewsCalls for the United States to recognize Somaliland as an independent nation gathered steam especially after US Senator Ted Cruz on Thursday called on President Donald Trump to do so. Cruz, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, said in a letter to the White House that Somaliland had become a “critical security and diplomatic partner” to the US with its strategically located maritime corridors in the Gulf of Aden. “The Chinese Communist Party is using economic and diplomatic coercion to punish Somaliland for its support for Taiwan, as well as to undermine that support,” he wrote. Somaliland broke away from Somalia and declared independence in 1991. Cruz’s letter comes after Trump recently said his administration was “looking into” the question of recognition for Somaliland, adding, “we’re working on that right now,” remarks that some Somalilanders took as a positive step. But a person close to the US State Department, who spoke to Semafor on condition of anonymity, said there has been no change in the US policy on Somalia, though it is set for review. Know MoreSupporters of Somaliland have long hoped that the region would gain recognition from the White House under the new Trump administration and become the world’s newest country. Backing for the region has grown stronger among Republican US-Africa policy leaders on Capitol Hill, right-leaning Washington DC think tanks, and Trump Africa policy advisers. Recognizing Somaliland could enable US intelligence to set up long-term operations to monitor the movement of weapons in a volatile region, allowing it to keep an eye on both Chinese activity and Houthi movements in Yemen. China already has a permanent military base in neighboring Djibouti. Last November the territory held its sixth successful election since reclaiming independence from Somalia in 1991, bringing opposition leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi to office as president. Republicans and other supporters have been encouraged by Somaliland’s democratic strides with a one-person, one-vote system even as conflict-ridden Somalia struggles to organize any elections. The View From BeijingThe Chinese government issued a sharp rebuke to Cruz’s letter, describing his remarks as “baseless attacks.” The embassy in Mogadishu rejected Cruz’s claim that Beijing is exerting diplomatic and economic pressure on Somaliland in retaliation for its support of Taiwan. “This coercive letter constitutes serious interference in the internal affairs of Somalia and further exposes hegemonic and bullying attitude of certain US politicians to the Somali people.” NotableSomalia offered the US control of ports it doesn’t control in March, Semafor revealed, in a bid to derail any recognition by Washington of Somaliland. View the full article

美國猶他州警方8月17日接獲家庭糾紛報案後，3名警員前往現場後遭槍擊，2人死亡，1人受傷，事件中有1名男子被捕。 案發現場為猶他北部，警方17日接獲報案指特里蒙頓（Tremonton）居民區發生家庭糾紛，派出警員到場，卻發生警員遭槍擊事件，2人死亡，1名副警長及1隻警犬受傷送醫，情況穩定。 警方指「他們一到就立即開火」，「他們請求增派部隊，然後就不再接聽對講機了。」 在警員中槍後，旁觀者勸說一男子放下武器，特警隊隨後趕到現場，清理房屋並確認沒有進一步威脅。 涉事男子因涉嫌加重謀殺（aggravated murder）罪被捕。 紐約夜店槍擊案3死8傷　傳店內有人爭執引發槍擊案　疑犯身份未明瑞典清真寺附近發生槍擊案2傷　瑞媒：一人祈禱後離開不久遭槍擊哥倫比亞總統候選人烏里韋遭槍擊　留醫2個月終不治 View the full article

Donald Trump’s federal takeover of Washington, DC’s police force — which looks like something between an authoritarian power grab and an empty stunt — doesn’t look like a political winner at first glance. A poll from YouGov last week showed little support for Trump’s move; 34 percent of respondents approved of the idea, and 47 percent disapproved. Yet the pushback from Democrats — which often focused on pointing out that DC crime was trending downward, or arguing it wasn’t such a serious problem — shows why the larger crime issue remains perilous for them, and advantageous for Trump. Though Trump is unpopular, crime remains one of his strongest issues, and one of the Democratic Party’s worst. That sticks in Democrats’ craw. Trump’s recitation of DC crime statistics was filled with blatant misrepresentations. Furthermore, Trump himself was indicted four times, and he notably pardoned even the violent rioters of January 6, 2025. How could they be losing the law and order issue to this guy? Yet the polling says very clearly that they are. Polls consistently show the public prefers Republicans to Democrats on crimeIn May, separate polls from both CNN and YouGov asked respondents about which party they trusted more on over a dozen different issues, and both found that crime was the Democrats’ worst of all. (The GOP had a 13-point advantage in one poll, and a 12-point advantage in the other.) It hasn’t always been this way. Even as recently as 2021, the two parties were about evenly matched in polling from Langer Research. But in 2022, the GOP’s advantage on crime surged to its highest in decades of the firm’s polling — and it hasn’t gone away since. That’s for a pretty straightforward reason: A large majority of the public became convinced, due to very real rising crime rates, that crime in cities had become a very serious problem and that tougher policies are necessary — but Democrats often don’t seem like they feel the same way. The crime rates have since declined, but voter concerns haven’t gone away. In last week’s YouGov poll, a large majority — 67 percent — believed crime was a major problem in US cities, and only 23 percent thought it was a minor problem. And back in April 2024, the Pew Research Center asked registered voters whether they believed the US criminal justice system was generally too tough on criminals, or not tough enough. It wasn’t even close. A mere 13 percent chose “too tough,” while 61 percent said “not tough enough.” Notably, even a plurality of Biden supporters (40 percent of them) believed the system was “not tough enough,” while just 21 percent of them thought it was too tough. Among the public, the belief that the criminal justice system is overly harsh on criminals is a fringe view. But among progressive activists, it’s a core belief. Democrats have a crime problemFor the past decade, the intellectual and organizing energy among progressive criminal justice activists has been around preventing police violence and making sentencing of criminals more lenient. In these circles, distrust of police and law enforcement and disdain for mass incarceration were widespread, and concern about crime in cities became viewed as racially coded. Responding to these pressures, Democratic politicians struck an increasingly awkward balance on crime issues. They’ve tried to disavow “defund the police,” and big city mayors who have crime-concerned constituents have tried to get tough. But it hasn’t been enough to change the party’s brand. Why not? Another YouGov poll — taken in September 2024 — asked respondents about several of then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s criminal justice policy proposals and Trump’s. Harris’s specific proposals were generally more popular. But on the question of who would do a better job handling crime? Trump had an 8-point advantage. That’s because voters don’t make up their minds by tallying a policy laundry list. They look for signals about “whose side are you on?” And Trump has signaled in many ways that he’s on the “tough on crime” side. Democrats’ signals have been more mixed. So when Democrats are tempted to say anyone worried about DC’s crime level is ignorant, a scaredy-cat, or a demagogue, they should be aware they’re going out on a limb. While voters may think Trump is going too far or mishandling certain cases, the broader crime issue remains favorable to him. It will take some serious work for Democrats to change that perception. Crime remains one of the party’s most glaring political weaknesses. View the full article

President Donald Trump on Monday railed against mail-in voting and vowed to “lead a movement” to eliminate the practice ahead of the 2026 midterms. “ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING, and everybody, IN PARTICULAR THE DEMOCRATS, KNOWS THIS,” he wrote on Truth Social. “I, AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WILL FIGHT LIKE HELL TO BRING HONESTY AND INTEGRITY BACK TO OUR ELECTIONS.” Trump has for years opposed mail-in ballots, insisting that they played a role in voter fraud he baselessly claims cost him the 2020 presidential election. The president on Monday indicated he would sign an executive order to assist with the effort to roll back mail-in voting. He also said he would target voting machines, instead favoring watermark paper for ballots. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what the order would entail. “Now they need that money in order to have the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” the president said on Fox Business Network in a 2020 interview. “By the way, those are just two items, but if they don’t get those two items that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting.” Historically, Democrats have returned more mail-in votes than Republicans, who more often vote in person. But the use of mail-in voting spiked dramatically during the 2020 election amid the Covid-19 pandemic and has remained higher in the subsequent elections. In 2024, Trump’s campaign and the RNC disseminated information to help their base vote by mail despite Trump’s continued efforts to sow disdain for the practice. View the full article

For the past year, nine-year-old Brigitte has lived with her parents in a converted garage, behind a house, in Salinas, California. Her bedroom is just about big enough to bust out some K-pop dance moves, though not spacious enough for her parents to agree to get her the cat she dreams of. There’s no outdoor space, or a living room, but the family no longer has to share a kitchen, bathroom or fridge with two other families, like they did when they first moved here from Oaxaca, Mexico, three years ago. “It was difficult,” said Brigitte, of being the only kid in the three-bedroom house packed with three families. She did her homework on a small table in the bedroom she shared with her parents. Families had to compete for space in the kitchen; the bathroom was always occupied, so they often couldn’t shower until 10pm; and the residents were constantly battling over the car parking space. Nancy, Brigitte’s mom, who works in Castroville packaging cauliflower, artichokes and broccoli, said she was always cleaning up after others and she mostly hid the family’s food in their bedroom because “we shared the fridge but they didn’t respect your food and would eat it.” Their rent for the room in the shared house was $1,000, plus utilities, for the first year, but then the price was hiked to $1,300. Brigitte’s father, Cruz, who works at a car wash, said what prompted them to move was “the stress of being there constantly battling, of coming home from work exhausted and having to clean up the kitchen and the bathroom after others, with none of the others helping”. The family met with the Guardian at a playground in Salinas because they were not allowed to have guests over to their garage where they pay $1,800 a month. “It’s really expensive here to rent a house with our salaries,” said Cruz. The number of children living in a precarious housing situation in California has risen significantly in recent years. In 2021, the state started requiring schools to fill out a housing questionnaire to understand their students’ housing situation. And while the survey does not capture all unhoused children, it nonetheless paints a troubling picture. The number of students experiencing homelessness in California rose by almost 20,000 in 2024, reaching an average of 4%, the highest rate of student homelessness in a decade, according to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). Increased awareness among school leaders may account for some increases in the numbers. But the numbers are based on a single-day count in October 2024, meaning they are almost certainly an undercount. Students are considered homeless if they lack a fixed, regular and adequate night-time residence. It includes students living on the street, in shelters, in motels, in cars, doubled up with other families or living in garages, like Brigitte. Homeless students face steep educational barriers – they are more likely to miss school, switch schools frequently, face suspension, and attend schools with high rates of poverty. Compared with their peers, they are also less likely to meet academic standards, graduate high school or pursue college. Preventing such outcomes is both socially and economically beneficial for the student and for the state. Across California, the statewide average of 4% student homelessness masks sharp local disparities. In Monterey county, the rural central county where Brigitte and her family live, 16% of kids enrolled in public school have experienced homelessness at some point – the highest percentage in California by a long shot – up from 4.2% a decade ago, according to California department of education data. “It’s a pretty staggering statistic to consider,” said Brett Guinan, one of the authors of the PPIC report, adding, to underscore the magnitude of the problem, that the increase in Monterey county student homelessness was happening as overall school enrollment was at a historic low in the county – meaning that more students are reported as homeless, even though fewer students are part of the survey. Students living doubled up several families to a house or in a converted garage, like Brigitte and her parents, account for the majority of California’s homeless students. More than 90% of the homeless youth in Monterey county live doubled up, according to the latest cumulative data from the California office of education. Precarious living has become increasingly common in the region, as the state faces rent inflation, wage stagnation and a longstanding housing crisis. California renters are already stretched thin – but in Salinas, they’re skint: 57.1% spend more than a third of their income just to keep the lights on and a roof overhead. Meanwhile, some funding earmarked to help unhoused students have dried up, Guinan said, including $99m in federal pandemic relief funds dedicated to homeless students. “All of that funding has now expired, and there is a lot of uncertainty over what funding for homeless students will look like moving forward,” Guinan said. In Monterey county, the classroom is not just a place of learning, it’s a frontline in the fight against child homelessness. With housing costs surging and wages stagnant, local school districts have become de facto safety nets for the most vulnerable students, ensuring they’re not left behind simply because they lack a fixed address. “Our job in the school district isn’t to fix homelessness,” said Donna Smith, who has been coordinating the services for Homeless Children and Youth at the Monterey county office of education for the past six years, “it’s to provide services to students experiencing homelessness.” That includes everything from school supplies, hygiene kits and clothing to transportation, tutoring and help navigating the healthcare system. For families in crisis, even basic paperwork can become a barrier, she said. By law, homeless children must be enrolled in school without delay, even if they lack birth certificates, vaccination records or other documents. To make sure there are no learning gaps, the school district’s homelessness liaison team will “enroll the students right away and then work backwards” to get the necessary paperwork, said Smith. Staff offer “wraparound services” – holistic support that adapts to the severity of a student’s needs. “Some students might not need anything,” said Smith. “Or they may just need a backpack and then you’ll never see them again. And then some families need more ongoing support – maybe they need help with food.” The school staff can assist families of homeless students find housing, and have grants to help put a deposit on an apartment or pay rental arrears “so they don’t become homeless”, said Smith. School staff are trained to recognize signs of housing instability and to notify teachers who can modify assignments. “We know that kids living in shelters can’t always do their homework – it’s loud,” she said, so academic expectations can be adjusted. Smith has seen families living doubled-up two or more families sharing a home, often crammed into single rooms, converted garages or worse. “Sometimes there’s a couple of families living together, sometimes three,” she explains. “I’ve seen converted garages – or unconverted ones – where a whole family is living.” Homelessness here cuts across employment and immigration status. “These are not necessarily children of migrant families,” Smith emphasizes. “Maybe their families are sick, or they lost a job, or they do have a job, but it’s not enough to pay the rent.” In Monterey county, about 13% of homeless students are migrants compared with the average of about 3% statewide. In some agricultural pockets around Salinas, Smith said the situation was even more dire. “I know they had families staying in hothouses,” she said, referring to an incident in 2023 where a farmer was fined for having illegally converted greenhouses into makeshift housing for some 100 people, including many women and children as young as two. “There were many, many families living together in those. They got shut down because it’s illegal.” Seeing kids from migrant families doing their homework on boxes on the floor, as their families struggled to rent informal living species, like hallways, is what inspired Alexa Johnson, executive director of Monterey county’s housing resource center, to switch her focus from migrant education to housing. “The cost of rent is increasing, but the amount of money that folks get paid is remaining the same,” said Johnson, pulling up a graph on her computer screen of the rate at which people are using the section 8 rental-subsidy vouchers the government provides to help low-income Americans. “Right now, in our county it’s back up to 74% – where it was during the pandemic.” The housing crisis in Monterey county is getting worse for everyone, not just migrant families, but there are challenges unique to families working in seasonal agricultural work, many of whom are undocumented. Non-US citizens aren’t eligible for many federal and state housing subsidies, so families work selling tamales or doing childcare on the side in between harvests, said Johnson. But this kind of precarious cash-based work doesn’t come with pay stubs to show a prospective landlord. “When a season ends, where are you getting the money for your rent? A lot of them will get unemployment during that time, but it doesn’t cover what they need for all of their expenses and rent,” said Johnson. And for children studying “housing is the crucial piece of the puzzle that’s missing,” said Johnson remembering the pandemic when kids without wifi couldn’t log in to Zoom for remote learning. “So you start just seeing how important housing was to the overall wellbeing of not only that child, but the family.” All pandemic-era federal funding that helped school districts identify and support homeless children expired this school year leaving uncertainty about not only the future of resources, but school districts’ ability to accurately track how many students are in need of them. “I suspect that the numbers [of homeless students] will probably go down as we lose our ability to identify these students,” said PPIC’s Brett Guinan. “If they don’t have funding for separate staff to track them down or for additional hours for their current staff, the ability to capture the complete picture is limited, even if the schools are trying their best.” In Monterey county, the worry for homeless students who are undocumented isn’t just food, clothes or accurate headcounts – it’s whether Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids will drive them out of school entirely. “Our kids are fearful. Our families are fearful, and as these Ice raids ramp up, I can tell you, we are going to see our attendance at school in the fall decline,” said Dr Deneen Guss, superintendent of schools serving Monterey county’s 72,000 students. “We already know it’s going to happen because we’re hearing families saying they don’t wanna go to the doctor. They don’t wanna leave their house.” Brigitte’s family used to spend most of their days outside the house at parks, but with the fear of Ice raids, they have been spending more time cooped at home. Nancy loves baking desserts and decorative jellos and dreams of a real kitchen, rather than the kitchenette of her converted garage. Cruz dreams of a house with a big yard and a fireplace, but isn’t holding his breath. “I want to have a bunch of animals in my house and I want to have a brother, but sometimes I don’t want to,” said Brigitte pausing to think about how a baby brother might fit into the house, before adding: “I want to work hard to give my mom and my dad a new car, shoes, and things that are good.” View the full article

Editor’s Note: The video above is an I-Team investigation about school bus drivers. (WJW) – Summer vacation is ending for kids and families across Ohio. That means school zones will soon be activated, and yellow school buses will be crisscrossing neighborhoods and cities to get kids to class. Cleveland couple dies, 2 children injured in North Carolina crash Here are some reminders for all drivers as school is back in session. Stopping for school busesIf you are on a road with less than four lanes, you must stop your vehicle and remain stopped until the flashing lights on the bus turn off and the stop sign arm is pulled in. Stopping for a school bus applies to drivers who are behind the bus, approaching it or on the opposite side of the road. Here’s a breakdown: Two-lane road: All traffic from both directions must stop. Two-lane with a center turning lane: All traffic from both directions must stop. Four-lane road: Only traffic following the bus must stop. Four-lane roadway with a median: Only traffic following the bus must stop. Four or more lanes with a center turning lane: Only traffic following the bus must stop. Is it illegal to pass a school bus?It is illegal to pass a school bus in every single state when its stop sign arm is extended and lights are flashing. The flashing lights mean that children are getting on or off the bus. What’s the penalty?While safety is the priority, there are penalties for drivers who pass school buses, whether or not an officer sees you. Cedar Point’s Power Tower evacuated after cable fails Many school buses are equipped with cameras. Citations can also be issued based on witness information from school bus drivers. Fines start at $500; other penalties include two points added to a license or a driver’s license suspension for up to a year. The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation’s most recent survey on illegal passing of stopped school buses shows a staggering number of violators. In the survey, more than 98,000 school bus drivers reported that 66,000 vehicles passed their buses illegally on a single day during the 2023-2024 school year. School zonesIn Ohio, the speed limit in school zones is 20 miles per hour: When kids are on their way to school or headed home for the day During school recess When there are signs posted that the speed limit is 20 mph According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, the busiest times in school zones are 7 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. It is illegal to use your phone behind the wheel in Ohio if you are touching the device in any way. Drivers caught on their phone may receive additional citations. 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 Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. View the full article

NEED TO KNOWChilling footage shared by Fox 4 News showed a person appearing to set a Texas family's home ablaze as they slept inside The family, including six adults and two children, survived the fire Midlothian police are investigating the case as an arson offense, per Fox 4 News A family in Texas is having to take turns to sleep after chilling footage showed a person appearing to set their home on fire. On Tuesday, Aug. 12, at around 1 a.m. local time, the majority of the Wilson family — six adults and two children — was asleep inside their Midlothian property when a mysterious figure set their house ablaze, per CBS News. Terrifying footage shared by Fox 4 News appeared to show a hooded man pouring gasoline around the front door, windows and garage, before setting it on fire and running away. Fox 4 News reported that Darryl Wilson’s 21-year-old daughter, Malia Wilson, was home from college on summer break at the time, and happened to still be awake when the alleged attack occurred. Malia, whose bedroom is directly above the garage, spotted the motion-activated security lights turn on, per the outlet. After going downstairs, she saw the flames outside the living room window, before waking her dad and calling 911. 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. Getty A stock photo of police tapeDarryl, 52, told CBS News, "She came running in there, and she said, 'The house is on fire.' I looked at her. I said, 'Okay, I'm dreaming.' I laid back down. She grabbed me — 'No. No. The house is on fire.' " His wife, Wahsheida Wilson, told the outlet of the mystery figure who appeared to commit the crime, "I was shocked. I'm like, this can't be real. Who would do this? Like, we keep to ourselves." Darryl initially grabbed two cups of water, before getting pots in a bid to put out the flames, CBS News stated. Wahsheida then checked the home's security footage, which was when she saw the alleged perpetrator. Darryl's daughter Mylah Rivera, 25, reposted grabs and footage of the incident on a Facebook group, urging the public to share the post so they could find the person responsible. "I wouldn't wish this on anyone," Rivera told CBS News, adding, "I have a 1-year-old daughter. .., What if my sister wasn't up and witnessed this and it would have got worse, you know?" Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Thankfully, nobody was injured in the blaze. But Wahsheida told the outlet that the family now takes turn to sleep. "We're on rotation, just staying up at night. Looking out the windows, looking on the camera. We're on rotation," she said, per CBS News. "Someone sleeps, someone gets up to be on watch." Darryl told Fox 4 of the fire, "I just feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, what would’ve happened if it got in the house?’ In my mind, I’m like, ‘What made you do this?’ It was the middle of the night. Everyone had turned their lights off. Everyone was sleeping. The kids were sleeping." Insisting the family is now planning to move, he told the outlet, "My kids don’t want to stay. My wife doesn’t want to stay. You know, they’re traumatized. It’s a hurting thing for someone to come to my home and do that. And I feel helpless as a father." https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf The Midlothian Police Department is investigating the case as an arson offense, per Fox 4 News. The family has said they don't recognize the man seen in the security footage. The Midlothian Police Department didn't immediately respond after being contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. PEOPLE has also reached out to Rivera. Read the original article on People View the full article