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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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US fossil fuel lobbyists also represent hundreds of cities fighting for climate damages
Local governments working with firms also linked to fossil fuel giants, analysis of federal lobbying disclosures shows Congressional lobbyists working for fossil fuel firms that are exacerbating the climate crisis are simultaneously representing more than 300 local governments raising funding to recover from climate damage, according to a new analysis. The research by F Minus and Make Polluters Pay reviewed congressional lobbying disclosures for the first quarter of 2026, finding that another 568 local governments hired fossil fuel lobbyists to work on non-climate related issues during that time, some of which included climate adjacent issues, like healthcare and home insurance. Continue reading...
No, AI doesn’t mean the end of mathematics – at least not yet | Bruce Schneier and Kasra Rafi
Mathematicians are raising concerns that the technology could kill their profession. But they still have abilities AI doesn’t Earlier this month, about 40 top mathematicians gathered at OpenAI’s offices to discuss the future of their profession. The meeting was off-the-record, but if recent articles by mathematicians are any guide, it was mostly pretty glum. People fear for their jobs, their careers and the work they love. We think the contrary view is more likely, at least in the short-term. AI models are nowhere near as capable as experienced academic mathematicians. Continue reading...
Artist known for sculptures of Mao Zedong jailed for slandering ‘heroes and martyrs’
Gao Zhen sentenced to three years in prison after already spending two years in detention Gao Zhen, a prominent Chinese artist known for provocative sculptures of the former leader Mao Zedong, has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of slandering China’s “heroes and martyrs”. The sentencing came two years after he was detained while visiting the country with his family, according to his wife and human rights groups. The case has attracted international condemnation , largely because the artworks at the centre of the case were created more than 10 years before China created the law under which Gao was charged. Continue reading...
China denounces US threat of sanctions over trade with Iran
Beijing says it will take ‘all necessary measures’ to protect its interests as US steps up efforts to isolate Tehran Explainer: could US sanctions threaten China-Iran ties? China has denounced the threat of US sanctions for its trade with Iran , saying any such measures would be illegal, and warned it will take “all necessary measures” to protect its national interests. Beijing’s rejection of the US threat of secondary sanctions for any country or entity continuing to trade with Tehran had been predicted. China buys an estimated 80% of Iran’s oil exports and it has defied previous US efforts to limit the flow of revenue to the Tehran regime. Continue reading...
Study finds that one in four former NFL players suffers from degenerative brain disease CTE
215 of 235 donated brains showed signs of CTE Condition can only be diagnosed after death Symptoms include problems with memory and mood At least one in four former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 was found to have had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to a study released on Tuesday. Out of the 878 former players who died during that time frame, 235 donated their brains for study, researchers said, with 215 of those donated brains found to have CTE, a degenerative disease that can only definitively be diagnosed after death. CTE is associated with repeated blows to the head, including concussions. Symptoms include difficulty with attention and memory, dementia, mood disorders and headaches. Continue reading...
Boy injured in crocodile enclosure discharged from hospital
Family of three-year-old allegedly thrown into pit at Cambridgeshire zoo says he is happily back at home A three-year-old boy who was seriously injured in a zoo’s crocodile enclosure has been discharged from hospital and is settling back in at home, his family have said. The child returned home a few weeks ago and was “happy to be home, playing with his toys, sleeping in his own bed and being a big brother”, his parents said in an update posted online. Continue reading...
As a doctor, I say this: before we even consider assisted dying, fix how we care for the most vulnerable | Zubir Ahmed
A person’s wish to die can be shaped by whether they have access to proper palliative care – and in England and Wales, too many do not Zubir Ahmed is a transplant surgeon and former Labour minister As a doctor, I have spent much of my professional life caring for people at some of the most vulnerable moments they will ever face. I have seen the anxiety that surrounds the prospect of dying, and the desperate wish of patients and families to avoid unnecessary suffering. Naturally, we all want people facing the end of life to be treated with kindness and respect. But when considering the debate on assisted dying, true compassion demands that we ask a more fundamental question. What kind of society are we building if, before we’ve fixed the systems designed to care for people, we introduce a system designed to help them die? Zubir Ahmed MP is an NHS vascular and transplant surgeon, and served as the parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department of Health and Social Care from 6 September 2025 to 12 May 2026. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...
Trump EPA aims to exempt datacenters from disclosing air pollution, advocates warn
Trump administration proposes new rule to dismantle requirement for datacenters to publicly report air pollution A new rule proposed by the Trump administration aims to kill public notification for datacenter air pollution, public health advocates warn, and allow emission permits to be issued behind closed doors. The datacenters are often sources of nitrogen oxide, which helps form ozone, carbon monoxide and heavy metals, among other pollutants. Continue reading...
Male driver dies after crash during police pursuit in Warwickshire
Man failed to stop for officers in Stratford-upon-Avon and collided with another car, leaving female driver in critical condition A man has died and a woman is critically injured after a crash following a police pursuit in Warwickshire. Officers tried to stop a black Audi on Birmingham Road, in Stratford-upon-Avon, at 5.23pm on Monday, but the male driver made off towards the A46, Warwickshire police said. Continue reading...
Canada to respond to Trump’s new tariffs – US politics live
Tariffs on an array of Canadian products took effect over the weekend with Trump threatening further measures on cars and trucks Sign up for the US Breaking News email Trump announces new 50% tariff on Canadian cars, trucks and steel Republican and Democratic politicians have called on the Trump administration to bar American citizens and businesses from supporting Chinese and Russian civilian intelligence and security agencies , Reuters reports. Congress approved a law in 2018 banning Americans from providing support to foreign military intelligence agencies but leaving the door open to such aid for similar civilian-led organisations. In 2019, Reuters revealed the United Arab Emirates had hired over a dozen former US intelligence operatives to hack dissidents, journalists, and Americans. Darline Graham and Ralph Norman face South Carolina voters yet again in a special Republican primary runoff to replace the late Lindsey Graham in the Senate, one month after his sudden death. Darline Graham is a political newcomer now serving as interim replacement for her brother. She has struggled to define herself to voters who routinely backed her brother. Norman has stressed his experience servicing in state and federal office. Tulsa businessman Mike Mazzei is hoping to win a hotly contested Republican primary runoff for Oklahoma governor against state Attorney General Gentner Drummond. Trump has endorsed Mazzei and sharply attacked Drummond. The winner will face Oklahoma House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson in a vote to be governor of the deeply conservative state. The Supreme Court is siding with the Trump administration in a case over Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting, though it remains unclear how much can be implemented before the fast-approaching midterm elections. The US Postal Service laid out its plan for implementing the order last week, but time is running short to impose major changes. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Trump had congratulated Ukraine on its independence day. The message that Zelenskyy shared on X read: “Let us seize this moment to end the conflict and build a durable, lasting peace that unleashes the tremendous potential of Ukraine for generations to come.” Zelenskyy said on Sunday that his country is receiving substantially fewer Patriot defence systems, even as Russian ballistic attacks are increasing. Continue reading...
H.R. 5185: To make improvements in the enactment of title 41, United States Code, into a positive law title and to improve the Code.
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on September 10, 2025.
H.R. 4465: To amend chapters 4, 10, and 131 of title 5, United States Code, as necessary to keep those chapters current and to correct related technical errors.
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on September 10, 2025.
H.R. 5210: To make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain provisions classified to title 2, United States Code, title 50, United States Code, and title 52, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors.
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on September 10, 2025.
H.R. 1869: Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2026
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on June 3, 2026.
H.R. 5182: To make improvements in the enactment of title 54, United States Code, into a positive law title and to correct related technical errors.
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on September 10, 2025.
H.R. 6048: NDO Fairness Act
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on November 20, 2025.
H.R. 4499: To make technical amendments to update statutory references to provisions reclassified to title 34, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors.
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on September 10, 2025.
H.R. 8481: Kayleigh’s Law Act of 2026
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on June 3, 2026.
H.R. 5174: To make revisions in title 51, United States Code, as necessary to keep the title current, and to make technical amendments to improve the United States Code.
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on September 10, 2025.
H.R. 4584: To make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain provisions which were formerly classified to chapters 14 and 19 of title 25, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors.
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on September 10, 2025.
H.R. 4523: To make technical amendments to title 49, United States Code, as necessary to improve the Code.
Legislation Coming Up: This bill has been added to the House's schedule for the coming week, according to the House Majority Leader. More information can be found at http://docs.house.gov/floor. Last Action: The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the House or Senate as a whole for consideration on September 10, 2025.
Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the US Senate since 1932. Will that change in November?
Adam Hamilton, a liberal megachurch pastor, is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall in this year’s midterm election In one of the first ads of his campaign to represent Kansas in the US Senate, the Democrat Adam Hamilton stands grilling steaks at a barbecue and attacks his opponent, Senator Roger Marshall, a Republican, for supporting “tariffs and war”. If history is any guide, it is Hamilton who is set to get cooked. Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, and more than half a century has passed since one of their nominees even came close. But he and his supporters believe circumstances have conspired to end this streak – and potentially deliver Democrats control of the Senate. Continue reading...
US building twice as much gas-fired capacity as China in AI boom, analysis finds
There has been a 76% increase in under-construction gas-fired projects amid ‘frenzy’ to build more datacenters The US has surged ahead of China in the building of new gas-fired power generation, largely to feed a boom in artificial intelligence (AI) that is adding vast amounts of planet-heating emissions, a new analysis has found. For decades, China’s rapid economic growth has seen it outpace the US in the addition of new gas power generation but a recent “frenzy” in datacenter construction for AI has reversed this, said Global Energy Monitor (Gem) in its new report. Continue reading...
Wisconsin kitten with 29 toes breaks world record for most toes on a cat
Maine Coon named Erebus Anomaly breaks previous record of 28 toes held for over two decades after overcoming illness A Maine Coon kitten from Wisconsin overcame a bout with pneumonia to break a 24-year-old world record for most toes on a cat, setting the new mark at 29. Erebus Anomaly’s unique story received US national media attention on Monday, when ABC’s World News Now program recounted what one of his owners called a “miraculous” recovery from illness in his infancy – and the subsequent Guinness World Record that he clinched. Continue reading...