News

Engine 11 was first on the scene, and when a member of the crew came out of the home carrying a 5-foot-9, 68-pound person covered in soot, Stoeckert assumed he was a young teenager.

“Over my 37-year career, we’ve had plenty of arson fires, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard that someone lit a fire to be rescued from their confinement,” Stoeckert says.

“To start a fire in a room that small (8'x9'), just hoping that we were going to get there in time to get him out – that …” he takes a long pause, “It’s a different feeling.”

The White House, through an outside event production company called Harbinger, is soliciting corporate sponsors for this year’s Easter Egg Roll, which is prompting major concerns from ethics experts and shock from former White House officials from both parties.

The sponsorship offers range from $75,000 to $200,000, with the promise of logo and branding opportunities, according to a nine-page document sent to potential sponsors and obtained by CNN.

But the solicitation for sponsorships marks an unprecedented offering of corporate branding opportunities on White House grounds running counter to long-established regulations prohibiting the use of public office for private gain.

Why are so many popular YouTubers so boring?

“Even if this motion is successful, it doesn’t mean that Luigi Mangione walks out of prison,” said Ron Kuby, a criminal defense attorney whose practice focuses on civil rights. “All it means is that the items that were seized from him, or seized that belong to him, can’t be used as evidence against him.”

Kuby thinks that Mangione’s team has made enough claims in their papers to merit a hearing on the issues, in which the police officer involved would have to testify, confirming or denying the facts. “It does appear that they stopped and frisked Mangione without a legal basis to do it. If that’s true, everything that follows from there is likely to be found to be unconstitutional,” he said.

A man drove his car into protesters outside a Tesla dealership in Palm Beach County, Florida, but did not injure any of those who had gathered to demonstrate against billionaire Elon Musk and President Donald Trump over the weekend, according to law enforcement.

The Texas outbreak could take a year to get under control, one health official said – during which time it may spread to more states. Yet the parents of the six-year-old girl who died of measles in Texas have spoken against measles vaccination as misinformation continues to proliferate, including from figures such as the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.

“I never thought in 2025, we would be looking at this resurgence of measles,” said Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health. “And I didn’t know it’d be in my backyard, either.”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/27602194

from The Intercept [may have paywall]
Jonah Valdez, Jessica Washington
March 21 2025, 5:34 p.m.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/27601820

Jonah Valdez, Akela Lacy
March 20 2025, 1:46 p.m.

Summary

A West Virginia couple, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz, received prison sentences of 215 and 160 years, respectively, for forcing their five adopted Black children into slave labor.

Authorities discovered the abuse after a welfare check revealed children locked in a shed without water or sanitation.

The couple, charged with human trafficking, child neglect, and forced labor, targeted the children because of their race.

The court ordered them to pay $280,000 in restitution each.

AI Summary:

1. Renaming and Restructuring: The Trump administration plans to rename the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as the US International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA) and place it under the Secretary of State.

2. Use of Blockchain: A memo suggests leveraging blockchain technology in USAID's procurement process, aiming to enhance security, transparency, and traceability in aid distribution.

3. Criticisms of Blockchain Use:

   • Experts argue blockchain often doesn't offer significant advantages over existing tools for humanitarian work.
   • Concerns exist about added burdens and costs for small NGOs using new systems.

4. Examples of Blockchain in Humanitarian Efforts:

   • Past projects, such as UNHCR's pilot for cash assistance in stablecoins, showed some success.
   • Critics note limited large-scale use in the sector and question its necessity.

5. Budget and Operational Changes: The proposal emphasizes tying funding to outcomes and results, prompting debates about its feasibility and fairness in dynamic environments like disaster zones.

6. Broader Context: The plan follows prior workforce cuts and criticisms of inefficiency within USAID, drawing mixed reactions from staff and experts.

A quarter-century ago, the university was looking to expand. It considered, and rejected, property owned by Donald Trump. He did not forget it.

WEST PALM BEACH — Protesters lined up outside the Tesla showroom in President Donald Trump's home county on Saturday were met by honks, mainly in support.

#Then, a black SUV drove into the crowd of more than 100 protesters. No one was injured but the near-miss incident underscores the rising tension over the automaker's CEO, Elon Musk, and his high-profile, and highly controversial, role in the Trump administration.

"He drove into a crowd of senior citizens," said Mark Offerman of the Democratic Progressive Caucus Palm Beach County about the driver. "Everybody was able to move out, but two older women were really almost clipped. We immediately called the cops."

Upon arriving, police spoke with the driver and interviewed about five protesters, who also provided photo and video evidence of what had happened. The man was arrested at the scene and will be charged with assault, according to a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Summary

Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drew 34,000 people to a rally in Denver and 11,000 in Greeley as part of their "Fighting Oligarchy Tour."

They advocated progressive policies and condemned billionaire influence in politics, with Sanders urging resistance to "Trumpism" and oligarchy.

Attendees expressed frustration over economic inequality and corporate influence.

Critics, including Republican Reps. Gabe Evans and Lauren Boebert, dismissed their message as extreme and anti-energy.

Sanders and AOC pledged continued efforts to advance progressive change nationwide.

Summary

The Trump administration is overhauling FEMA's hiring process, requiring over two-thirds of employees to submit contract renewals to DHS for approval.

This affects Cadre of On-Call Response (CORE) employees and reservists who handle disaster response and comprise most of FEMA's workforce.

The agency has already fired 200+ probationary (new) workers, frozen external hiring, and directed contract renewals to DHS "for decision."

Critics fear this will effectively dismantle FEMA ahead of hurricane season, aligning with Trump's statements that "you don't need FEMA, you need a good state government" and Project 2025's goal to shift disaster costs to states.

Summary

Amid Trump's aggressive anti-immigrant policies, grassroots responses are strengthening across US immigrant communities.

In New York, faith leaders like Pastor Juan Carlos Ruiz and organizations including South Brooklyn Sanctuary and New York Immigrant Coalition are providing crucial support through legal assistance, "know your rights" workshops, and sanctuary spaces.

These efforts have become more urgent as ICE arrests have exceeded 32,000 in Trump's first 50 days, with policies allowing enforcement at previously protected locations like churches and schools.

Immigrants express fear but continue to resist, finding refuge and community support. Community leaders stress the importance of solidarity and challenging systemic injustices.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/41143254

If Trump’s policies continue raising the geopolitical risk of holding dollars, other countries may turn to the Russian playbook, opting not just for the yuan but also for the euro.

To preserve America’s financial primacy, Trump must offer the world compelling reasons to remain within the dollar-based system. That means reinforcing U.S. capital markets as the safest and most attractive destination for investment. It means strengthening trade and financial ties with allies while selectively diversifying away from adversaries like China. It also means ensuring that the United States is at the forefront of financial technology so that, as global payments systems evolve, the key networks still run through America.

Most importantly, it requires maintaining America’s reputation as a responsible steward of the international financial system.

the greatest threat to the dollar’s supremacy emanates not from China or Europe but from America’s own political system.