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Ex-NBA star Shawn Kemp pleads guilty to assault charge in Washington parking lot shooting Ex-NBA star Shawn Kemp pleads guilty to assault charge in Washington parking lot shooting TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Former NBA star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to an assault charge on Tuesday for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot. Kemp, 55, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma as part of a plea agreement, according to the county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The Toyota 4Runner the men were inside and another vehicle were damaged in the March 2023 shooting, but the men were not hurt. Kemp was initially charged with one count of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, but prosecutors last week added another count of assault as well as a drive-by shooting charge, The Seattle Times reported. Convictions on those charges could have resulted in a lengthy prison term. He will be sentenced in August. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Howe recommended that Kemp be sentenced to nine months in jail, one year of Department of Corrections supervision and support after he is released, and to pay restitution. Kemp, a six-time NBA all-star who played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997, declined to comment to the newspaper on Tuesday. “Shawn is committed to moving forward in a positive direction,” Kemp’s attorney, Tim Leary, told the Times. “He was presented with an offer from the state that allows him to take responsibility, but I think also recognizes the self-defense nature of how this transpired.” According to court documents filed by Kemp’s attorneys, Kemp and several employees who worked at his cannabis dispensary were at a Seattle concert venue when Kemp’s truck was broken into on March 8, 2023. An employee’s purse was stolen along with keys to Kemp’s business, a cellphone, paperwork and sports memorabilia, including game-worn Gary Payton and Kemp jerseys that were to be auctioned off for charity, the defense’s trial brief says. Using a phone tracking app, Kemp located and briefly tried to talk to the driver of the 4Runner that was circling a casino parking lot, according to the trial brief. The men in the vehicle afterward dumped some of Kemp’s belongings but hung on to the phone, the brief says. Kemp later saw his phone was near the Tacoma Mall. He drove there, spotted the same 4Runner and “expressed his understandable frustration” with the driver, according to the brief. The brief says a man in the back seat “fired off a round from a handgun at Mr. Kemp. Mr. Kemp returned fire and attempted to disable the Toyota. It did not work.” The 4Runner fled and when the vehicle was found abandoned days later, an empty holster was found inside but there was no gun, documents said. A police call log included in court records indicates that at least one witness who called 911 reported that two men were firing at each other. Howe, in a statement explaining the plea agreement, wrote that because of the two witnesses’ past crimes of dishonesty and the “fact that those people were illegally in possession” of Kemp’s belongings, the case should be resolved short of trial. As part of his plea, Kemp cannot have a firearm and will be required to provide a sample for a law enforcement DNA database. Kemp debuted in the NBA during the 1989-90 season as a 20-year-old who had never played college basketball. He also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando and was known for his high-flying dunks. Source link #ExNBA #star #Shawn #Kemp #pleads #guilty #assault #charge #Washington #parking #lot #shooting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kevin Costner Sued by Stunt Performer Over Unscripted ‘Horizon 2’ ***** Scene – Variety Kevin Costner Sued by Stunt Performer Over Unscripted ‘Horizon 2’ ***** Scene – Variety Kevin Costner Sued by Stunt Performer Over Unscripted ‘Horizon 2’ ***** Scene VarietyKevin Costner Sued by Stunt Performer Over Allegedly Unscripted ‘Horizon 2’ ***** Scene Rolling StoneStuntwoman Sues Kevin Costner & ‘Horizon’ Over Unscripted ***** Scene DeadlineHollywood acting icon sued over unscripted ***** scene by stunt performer AL.comKevin Costner sued over alleged unscripted ***** scene in ‘Horizon 2’ The Express Tribune Source link #Kevin #Costner #Sued #Stunt #Performer #Unscripted #Horizon #***** #Scene #Variety Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Man dead in house fire amid search for younger relative Man dead in house fire amid search for younger relative Intense flames and a roof collapse have forced firefighters to retreat during a battle to extinguish a blaze at a home where a man was later found dead. Source link #Man #dead #house #fire #search #younger #relative Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elon Musk says he’s “disappointed” by Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and what it means for DOGE Elon Musk says he’s “disappointed” by Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and what it means for DOGE Elon Musk says he is “disappointed” by the price tag on the domestic policy bill passed by Republicans in the House last week and heavily backed by President Trump, the billionaire who recently stepped back from running the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, told “CBS Sunday Morning” in an exclusive broadcast interview. “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said. Musk’s comments appear to put him at odds with Mr. Trump, who has championed the massive spending package. The legislation — which still needs to pass the Senate — would extend Mr. Trump’s signature 2017 tax cuts, boost border security spending, impose work requirements on Medicaid and roll back clean energy tax credits. The tax provisions of the package, titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” after Mr. Trump’s name for the bill, would increase the deficit by $3.8 trillion by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office. “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful,” Musk told CBS News, “but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.” Musk was a near-constant presence in the early months of the Trump administration, with his DOGE staffers sweeping through virtually every government agency to make widespread cuts — drawing concern from Democrats and even some Trump allies, as well as numerous legal challenges. Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has said he will dial back his involvement in government. See more of the interview with Elon Musk on “CBS Sunday Morning” on June 1. David Pogue David Pogue is a six-time Emmy winner for his stories on “CBS Sunday Morning,” where he’s been a correspondent since 2002. Pogue hosts the CBS News podcast “Unsung Science.” He’s also a New York Times bestselling author, a five-time TED speaker, and host of 20 NOVA science specials on PBS. For 13 years, he wrote a New York Times tech column every week – and for 10 years, a Scientific American column every month. Source link #Elon #Musk #hes #disappointed #Trumps #big #beautiful #bill #means #DOGE Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

In latest test flight, SpaceX loses contact with its Starship In latest test flight, SpaceX loses contact with its Starship After spectacular back-to-back upper stage failures in January and March, SpaceX launched another Super Heavy-Starship rocket Tuesday on the program’s 9th test flight, but ran into fresh problems with both stages that prevented controlled descents to splashdown. Sometime more than 40 minutes into the flight, SpaceX indicated that it had lost contact with the Starship and that the capsule may have been destroyed while attempting reentry. “As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly,” SpaceX posted to X. “Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test.” The Super Heavy first stage, following a deliberately steeper, more stressful descent trajectory toward splashdown near the Texas Gulf Coast, suffered a catastrophic failure at the moment its engines re-ignited for what would have been a relatively gentle splashdown. SpaceX’s mega rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase, Texas, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. / Credit: Eric Gay / AP SpaceX confirmed the stage had been lost, but given the extreme nature of the testing the loss was not an out-of-the-blue surprise. The Starship upper stage, meanwhile, managed to make it into its planned sub-orbital trajectory after an apparently flawless performance from its six engines. But a few minutes later, a door on the side of the rocket failed to open, preventing the planned deployment of simulated Starlink satellites. With that test deferred to a future flight, SpaceX engineers hoped to re-ignite a single Raptor engine to test its start-up capability in space. But an apparent propellant leak put the spacecraft into a slow spin that ruled out a controlled re-entry and splashdown. Given the lack of control, an intact splashdown appeared unlikely. SpaceX’s next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its Super Heavy booster is launched on its ninth test at the company’s launch pad in Starbase, Texas, U.S., May 27, 2025. / Credit: Joe Skipper / REUTERS The huge rocket’s launching, known as “Integrated Flight Test 9,” got underway with a ground-shaking liftoff at 7:37 p.m. EDT from SpaceX’s sprawling Boca Chica, Texas, manufacturing-and-flight facility — Starbase — on the Texas coast. The mission featured the first use of a previously flown Super Heavy first stage, which flew itself back to capture by giant mechanical arms on the launch tower during the program’s seventh test flight in January. For the program’s latest launch, the Super Heavy, powered by 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines generating up to 16 million pounds of thrust, followed the same flight plan as previous missions, propelling the Starship upper stage out of the thick lower atmosphere on an easterly trajectory toward the Straits of Florida. Equipped with six Raptors of its own, the 160-foot-long Starship separated from its booster about two-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, heading for a sub-orbital trajectory carrying it toward a planned vertical splashdown in the southern Indian Ocean. The Super Heavy, meanwhile, used a different method for flipping around for the trip back to the launch site in a bid to save propellants. It also was programmed to fly a much steeper descent than usual to learn more about the stresses it can safely endure. “The booster will attempt to fly at a higher angle of attack during its descent,” SpaceX said on its web site. “By increasing the amount of atmospheric drag on the vehicle, a higher angle of attack can result in a lower descent speed which in turn requires less propellant for the initial landing burn. “Getting real-world data on how the booster is able to control its flight at this higher angle of attack will contribute to improved performance on future vehicles, including the next generation of Super Heavy.” As a result of the high-stress tests, SpaceX targeted splashdown in the Gulf instead of attempting a launch pad capture where critical infrastructure could be damaged in a landing mishap. As it turned out, that was a good decision. The Starship was expected to follow the same flight plan as the previous two missions, both of which failed before they could reach their planned trajectories. This time around, the Starship got past the previous hurdles but the propellant leak prevented a controlled re-entry. Launch attempt follows two Starship breakups Tuesday’s launch came on the heels of back-to-back Starship upper stage breakups during the two previous test flights that generated spectacular showers of flaming debris along the flight paths. Since then, SpaceX engineers carried out extensive testing and implemented multiple upgrades and improvements to minimize the chances for similar failures. The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversaw both failure investigations, gave SpaceX permission to proceed with IFT-9 last week after wrapping up the IFT-8 review. “The FAA conducted a comprehensive safety review of the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 mishap and determined that the company has satisfactorily addressed the causes of the mishap, and therefore, the Starship vehicle can return to flight,” the agency said in a statement. “The FAA will verify SpaceX implements all corrective actions.” In both of the previous failures, commercial airline traffic in and around the Straits of Florida was held up pending confirmation falling debris was no longer a threat. For the ninth flight, the length of the Aircraft Hazard Area was expanded from about 1,000 statute miles to around 1,840 miles and SpaceX was required to launch the rocket during non-peak air travel periods. Plans for the moon and Mars The Super Heavy-Starship rocket is critical to NASA’s plans to land astronauts on the moon in the next few years and to Musk’s plans to eventually send humans to Mars. NASA plans to use a variant of the Starship upper stage as a lunar lander in the agency’s Artemis program. NASA wants to use its own rocket and crew capsule to ferry astronauts to lunar orbit where the SpaceX lander will be waiting to carry them down to the surface. An artist’s impression of a Starship variant on the surface of the moon. / Credit: NASA/SpaceX The Trump administration wants to cancel NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule, leaving the future of the Artemis program, as it’s currently envisioned, in doubt. For his part, Musk has argued the United States should pass up moon missions, which he called a “distraction,” and instead head directly to Mars. In any case, the Super Heavy-Starship rocket is expected to play a major role in future deep space exploration, regardless of the target. But multiple successful test flights will be needed to demonstrate the safety and reliability needed for astronauts and passengers heading to the moon, Mars or beyond. SpaceX made changes after two catastrophic explosions The last two Starships, launched Jan. 16 and March 6, both ended with unrelated catastrophic explosions as they neared their planned sub-orbital trajectories. During the January flight, a propellant leak in an unpressurized “attic” above the Raptor engines led to sustained fires that eventually triggered shutdown of all but one of the spacecraft’s engines. Telemetry was lost eight minutes and 20 seconds after launch and moments later, the vehicle broke apart. “The most probable root cause for the loss of ship was identified as a harmonic response several times stronger in flight than had been seen during testing, which led to increased stress on hardware in the propulsion system,” SpaceX said on its website. “The subsequent propellant leaks exceeded the venting capability of the ship’s attic area and resulted in sustained fires.” After extensive ground tests, SpaceX made changes to propellant feedlines, and thrust levels and installed additional vents and a new nitrogen purge system in the attic to reduce the potential for fire. Those fixes appeared to work as expected during the Starship’s eighth test flight in March, but the upper stage again suffered a catastrophic failure. This time around, the Starship suffered a “hardware failure in one of the upper stage Raptor engines that resulted in inadvertent propellant mixing and ignition,” SpaceX said on its website. To fix the problem, upper stage Raptors now feature a new nitrogen purge system, improvements to the propellant drain system and tighter joints in key areas. SpaceX is also developing an improved Raptor engine that will eliminate several failure modes. Trump delivers Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery Elon Musk says Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” undermines work of DOGE team SpaceX loses contact with its Starship, spins out of control Source link #latest #test #flight #SpaceX #loses #contact #Starship Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Elon Musk proves in-office work has its benefits Elon Musk proves in-office work has its benefits Elon Musk interviews on CNBC from the Tesla Headquarters in Texas. CNBC Studies regarding the benefits of return-to-office mandates have been mixed. Some find that hybrid workers are as productive as on-site ones, while others conclude that in-person work cultivates mentorship and training. In some cases, however, the results of being physically in the office are unequivocal. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on X that he would be “spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms.” Investors appeared glad that Musk would be pivoting away from his involvement in politics to refocus on his companies, pushing up shares of the electric vehicle company nearly 7% Tuesday. Other tech stocks, such as AMD, Apple and Microsoft, also climbed, juiced by positive developments on the trade front. Apart from U.S. President Donald Trump’s Sunday pause on tariffs of 50% on the European Union, U.S. National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Tuesday that “we’ll probably see a few more deals even this week.” For the U.S. stock market to sustain its blazing start to the week, investors will be banking on Musk — and U.S. authorities — to continue their in-person work leading companies and negotiating trade deals with countries. What you need to know today S&P jumps to snap losing streakU.S. stocks popped Tuesday. The S&P 500 soared 2.05% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.78%, with both indexes snapping a four-day losing streak. The Nasdaq Composite surged 2.47%. Europe’s Stoxx 600 index added 0.33% as U.S. President Donald Trump described the European Union “quickly” scheduling meeting dates with America as a “positive event.” Germany’s DAX index climbed 0.83% to close at a record. All eyes on Nvidia’s first-quarter earningsNvidia continues to see massive growth from sales of graphics processors. But with the Trump administration’s new restrictions on the chipmaker’s exports to China — which Nvidia says will cause it to take a $5.5 billion write-down on inventory — the mood heading into the chipmaker’s earnings report, out Wednesday, is different than it’s been in recent quarters. Musk will be ‘super focused’ on workTesla shares jumped nearly 7% after CEO Elon Musk wrote in a post to his social media platform X that he will return to “spending 24/7 at work” and needs to be “super focused” on his companies. Musk’s involvement in politics, such as endorsing Germany’s far-right AfD Party, has affected Tesla’s reputation in Europe, causing April sales on the continent to plunge 49% year on year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. U.S. Steel to be acquired at $55 per shareJapan’s Nippon Steel is expected to close its acquisition of U.S. Steel for $55 per share, sources familiar with the matter told CNBC’s David Faber. U.S. Steel gained about 2% Tuesday to close at $53.04 per share, and rose more than 20% Friday on the back of Trump’s clearance of the deal. The $55 per share bid for U.S. Steel is the offer that Nippon originally made for the company before the deal was blocked in January. U.S. consumer confidence in May soaredConsumer optimism in the U.S. was much better than expected in May, data from the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index showed. May’s reading came in at 98.0, far higher than the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 86.0. Much of the positive sentiment, according to board officials, came from developments in the U.S.-China trade impasse. May’s rebound followed five straight months of declines. [PRO] Stocks to be ‘rangebound’: JPMorganDespite the surge in stocks Tuesday, JPMorgan thinks the S&P 500 could “remain rangebound,” with those gains being short-lived because of two reasons. The bank recommends clients to buy call options on this index to hedge against potential downside. And finally… Diamond rings and bracelets on display in a show window in Antwerp, Belgium. (Photo by Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images) Yuriko Nakao | Getty Images News | Getty Images Diamonds are forever? Not with tariffs in the way They might be made of the hardest material on earth, but diamonds, with their complex supply chains and expensive price tag, are particularly fragile to U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff agenda. The precious mineral is facing a baseline 10% import duty to the U.S. — a market accounting for over half of the global demand for polished diamonds. The sector is also bracing for additional duties should Trump’s 90-day pause come to an end with no new agreements. “It’s very clear that the diamond industry, on a global level, has been facing a perfect storm of challenges,” Karen Rentmeesters, chief executive of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre told CNBC, adding that tariffs are just “the latest blow.” Source link #Elon #Musk #proves #inoffice #work #benefits Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Stunt Performer Sues Kevin Costner and ‘Horizon 2’ Over Unscripted ***** Scene – The Hollywood Reporter Stunt Performer Sues Kevin Costner and ‘Horizon 2’ Over Unscripted ***** Scene – The Hollywood Reporter Stunt Performer Sues Kevin Costner and ‘Horizon 2’ Over Unscripted ***** Scene The Hollywood ReporterStuntwoman Sues Kevin Costner & ‘Horizon’ Over Unscripted ***** Scene DeadlineKevin Costner Sued by Stunt Performer Over Unscripted ‘Horizon 2’ ***** Scene VarietyHollywood acting icon sued over unscripted ***** scene by stunt performer AL.comKevin Costner sued over alleged unscripted ***** scene in ‘Horizon 2’ The Express Tribune Source link #Stunt #Performer #Sues #Kevin #Costner #Horizon #Unscripted #***** #Scene #Hollywood #Reporter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Is India finally winning the decades-long war against Maoist insurgency? Is India finally winning the decades-long war against Maoist insurgency? AFP via Getty Images A woman In Chhattisgarh holds up photos of her husband – killed by police in 2024 on suspicion of being a rebel Could India’s decades-long jungle insurgency finally be approaching its end? Last week, the country’s most-wanted Maoist, Nambala Keshava Rao – popularly known as Basavaraju – was killed along with 26 others in a major security operation in the central state of Chhattisgarh. Home Minister Amit Shah called it “the most decisive strike” against the insurgency in three decades. One police officer also died in the encounter. Basavaraju’s death marks more than a tactical victory – it signals a breach in the Maoists’ last line of defence in Bastar, the forested heartland where the group carved out its fiercest stronghold since the 1980s. Maoists, also known as “Naxalites” after the 1967 uprising in Naxalbari village in West Bengal, have regrouped over the decades to carve out a “red corridor” across central and eastern India – stretching from Jharkhand in the east to Maharashtra in the west and spanning more than a third of the country’s districts. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh had described the insurgency as India’s “greatest internal security threat”. The armed struggle for ********** rule has claimed nearly 12,000 lives since 2000, according to the South Asian Terrorism Portal. The rebels say they fight for the rights of indigenous tribes and the rural poor, citing decades of state neglect and land dispossession. The Maoist movement – officially known as Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) – took formal shape in 2004 with the merger of key Marxist-Leninist groups into the CPI (Maoist). This party traces its ideological roots to a 1946 peasant uprising in the southern state of Telangana. AFP via Getty Images In 2023, Chhattisgarh saw the majority of Maoist violence, making it the worst-hit state Now, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government pledging to end Maoism by March 2026, the battle-hardened rebellion stands at a crossroads: could this truly be the end – or just another pause in its long, bloody arc? “There will be a lull. But Marxist-Leninist movements have transcended such challenges when the top leadership of the Naxalites were killed in the 70s and yet we are talking about Naxalism,” said N Venugopal, a journalist, social scientist and long-time observer of the movement, who is both a critic and sympathiser of the Maoists. One of the senior-most officials in India’s home ministry who oversaw anti-Maoist operations, MA Ganapathy, holds a different view. “At its core, the Maoist movement was an ideological struggle – but that ideology has lost traction, especially among the younger generation. Educated youth aren’t interested anymore,” says Mr Ganapathy. “With Basavaraju neutralised, morale is low. They’re on their last leg.” The federal home ministry’s latest report notes a 48% drop in violent incidents in Maoist-related violence – from 1,136 in 2013 to 594 in 2023 – and a 65% decline in related deaths, from 397 to 138. However, it acknowledges a slight rise in security force casualties in 2023 compared to 2022, attributed to intensified operations in core Maoist areas. The report says Chhattisgarh remained the worst-affected state in 2023, accounting for 63% of all Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) incidents and 66% of the related deaths. Jharkhand followed, with 27% of the violence and 23% of the deaths. The remaining incidents were reported from Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. AFP via Getty Images Onlookers at the site of a 2023 Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh, where a blast killed 10 policemen The collapse of Maoism in Chhattisgarh, a stronghold of the insurgency, offers key clues to the movement’s broader decline. A decade ago, the state’s police were seen as weak, according to Mr Ganapathy. “Today, precise state-led strikes, backed by central paramilitary forces, have changed the game. While paramilitary held the ground, state forces gathered intelligence and launched targeted operations. It was clear role delineation and coordination,” he said. Mr Ganapathy adds that access to mobile phones, social media, roads and connectivity have made people more aware and less inclined to support an armed underground movement. “People have become aspirational, mobile phones and social media have become widespread and people are exposed to the outside world. Maoists also cannot operate in hiding in remote jungles while being out of sync with new social realities. “Without mass support, no insurgency can survive,” he says. A former Maoist sympathiser, who did not want to be named, pointed to a deeper flaw behind the movement’s collapse: a political disconnect. “They delivered real change – social justice in Telangana, uniting tribespeople in Chhattisgarh – but failed to forge it into a cohesive political force,” he said. At the heart of the failure, he argued, was a dated revolutionary vision: building isolated “liberated zones” beyond the state’s reach and “a theory to strike the state through a protracted people’s war”. “These pockets work only until the state pushes back. Then the zones collapse, and thousands die. It’s time to ask – can a revolution really be led from cut-off forestlands in today’s India?” The CPI (Maoist)’s 2007 political document clings to a Mao-era strategy: of creating a “liberated zone” and “encircling the cities from the countryside.” But the sympathiser was blunt: “That doesn’t work anymore.” AFP via Getty Images Ongoing operations by security forces have significantly weakened the Maoists The party still retains some popular support in a few isolated pockets, primarily in the tribal regions of eastern Maharashtra, southern Chhattisgarh and parts of Odisha and Jharkhand – but without a strong military base. Ongoing operations by state forces have significantly weakened the Maoist military infrastructure in their strongholds in southern Chhattisgarh. Cadres and leaders are now being killed regularly, reflecting the rebels’ growing inability to defend themselves. Mr Venugopal believes the strategy needs rethinking – not abandonment. The underground struggle has its place, he said, but “the real challenge is blending it with electoral politics”. In contrast, Mr Ganapathy sees little hope for the Maoists to mount a meaningful fightback in the near future and argues that the time has come for a different approach – dialogue. “It would be wise for them to go for talks now and perhaps unconditionally or even lay down the conditions and let the government consider them. This is the time to approach the government instead of unnecessarily sacrificing their own cadres, without a purpose,” he said. Maoists enjoy support in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from mainstream political parties. In Telangana, both the ruling Congress and the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have backed calls for a ceasefire, along with 10 smaller Left parties – an effort widely seen as aimed at protecting the group’s remaining leaders and cadres. The Maoist movement, rooted in past struggles against caste oppression, still carries social legitimacy in parts of these states. Civil society activists have also joined the push for a truce. “We, along with other civil rights groups, demanded a two-step process – an immediate ceasefire followed by peace talks,” said Ranjit Sur, general secretary of the Kolkata-based group Association for Protection of Democratic Rights. Maoist-affected states remain resilient strongholds in part because they are rich in minerals – making them sites of intense resource battles. Mr Venugopal believes this is key to the CPI (Maoist’s) enduring presence. Chhattisgarh, for instance, is India’s sole producer of tin concentrates and moulding sand, and a leading source of coal, dolomite, bauxite and high-grade iron ore, according to the ministry of mines. It accounts for 36% of the country’s tin, 20% iron ore, 18% coal, 11% dolomite and 4% of diamond and marble reserves. Yet, despite strong interest, mining companies – both global and national – have long struggled to access these resources. “Multinational companies couldn’t enter because the Maoist movement, built on the slogan ‘Jal, Jangal, Jameen (Water, Forest, Land),’ asserted that forests belong to tribespeople – not corporations,” Mr Venugopal said. But with the Maoists now weakened, at least four Chhattisgarh mines are set to go to “preferred bidders” after successful auctions in May, according to an official notification. Mr Venugopal believes that the resistance won’t die with the death of Maoist leaders. “Leaders may fall, but the anger remains. Wherever injustice exists, there will be movements. We may not call them Maoism anymore – but they’ll be there.” Source link #India #finally #winning #decadeslong #war #Maoist #insurgency Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Namibia to mark ******* colonial genocide for first time with memorial day Namibia to mark ******* colonial genocide for first time with memorial day Ullstein Bild / Getty Images The genocide in what is now Namibia lasted from 1904 to 1908 Dubbed “Germany’s forgotten genocide”, and described by historians as the first genocide of the 20th Century, the systematic ******* of more than 70,000 Africans is being marked with a national day of remembrance for the first time in Namibia. Almost 40 years before their use in the Holocaust, concentration camps and pseudoscientific experiments were used by ******* officials to torture and kill people in what was then called South West Africa. The victims, primarily from Ovaherero and Nama communities, were targeted because they refused to let the colonisers take their land and cattle. Genocide Remembrance Day in Namibia on Wednesday follows years of pressure on Germany to pay reparations. The new, national holiday will be marked each year as part of Namibia’s “journey of healing” including a minute’s silence and candlelight vigil outside parliament in Windhoek, according to the government. It said it chose the date of 28 May, because it was on that day in 1907 that ******* officials announced the closure of the concentration camps following international criticism. Control over South West Africa – along with what is now Cameroon, Togo and other colonial territories – was stripped from Germany by competing powers after World War One. For many years Germany did not publicly acknowledge the mass slaughter that took place between 1904 and 1908. But four years ago it formally recognised that ******* colonisers had committed the genocide, and offered €1.1bn (£940m; $1.34bn) in development aid to be paid out over 30 years – with no mention of “reparations” or “compensation” in the legal wording. Namibia declined that offer, calling it “a first step in the right direction” that nonetheless had failed to include the formal apology and “reparations” it was seeking. Many Namibians were not impressed by what they saw. “That was the joke of the century,” Uahimisa Kaapehi told the BBC at the time. “We want our land. Money is nothing.” He is an ethnic Ovaherero descendent and town councillor in Swakopmund, where many of the atrocities took place, and said “our wealth was taken, the farms, the cattle”. A group representing genocide victims’ families was also scathing about the deal offered in 2021, calling it evidence of a “racist mindset on the part of Germany and neo-colonial subservience on the part of Namibia” in a joint statement. Since then a draft deal has been reached between the two nations that would include a formal apology given by Germany, and which would reportedly increase the overall sum by an extra €50m. But many Ovaherero and Nama campaigners say the deal is an insult to their ancestors’ memory and that they were unfairly excluded from the negotiating table. News of a national day of remembrance been met with cynicism from some, with community activists saying restorative justice is still a long way off. Many campaigners would like to see the ******* government buy back ancestral lands now in the hands of the *******-speaking community, and return them to the Ovaherero and Nama descendants. Historians point out the irony of Germany hitherto refusing to pay reparations, because prior to the genocide, Germany itself extracted its own so-called reparations from Ovaherero and Nama people who had fought back against the colonisers. This was paid in the form of livestock and amounted to 12,000 cows – which is estimated by *******-American historian Thomas Craemer to be somewhere between $1.2m and $8.8m in today’s money, and which he argues should be added to the reparations bill. Those colonial lootings and battles were followed by the genocide, which began in 1904 with an extermination order from a ******* official named Lothar von Trotha. “This extermination order indicated that they were no longer going to take on any prisoners – women, men, anyone with or without cattle – they were going to be executed,” Namibian historian Martha Akawa-Shikufa told the national broadcaster NBC. This was followed by the introduction of concentration camps, she added. “People got worked to death, a lot of people died in the concentration camps because of exhaustion. In fact there were pre-printed death certificates [saying] ‘death by exhaustion’, waiting for those people to die, because they knew they would die.” The remains of some of those who were killed were then shipped to Germany for now-discredited research to prove the racial superiority of white Europeans. Many of the bones have now been repatriated. Last year, Namibia criticised Germany after it offered to come to Israel’s defence to stop it answering a case for crimes of genocide in Gaza at the UN’s top court. “The ******* government is yet to fully atone for the genocide it committed on Namibian soil,” said then-President Hage Geingob. Additional reporting by Samantha Granville You may also be interested in:Getty Images/BBC Source link #Namibia #mark #******* #colonial #genocide #time #memorial #day Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

‘Drug drive arrest’ and ‘Worried about Trump?’ ‘Drug drive arrest’ and ‘Worried about Trump?’ The car incident at Liverpool’s Premier League Victory parade is still front page news on Wednesday. “Parade suspect in drug drive arrest,” is the headline in Metro. The “parade horror driver” was “on drugs”, says The Sun in its headline. The tabloid names several of the celebrities who have shown their support for the fans, including “Liverpool legends” Sir Kenny Dalglish and Jürgen Klopp, who offered their “thoughts and prayers” for those affected. The Daily Star’s front page is in line with the other tabloids, featuring an image of an ambulance at the scene in Liverpool. Another image shows the faces of the three children chosen as “Harry’s wiz kids” for the new Harry Potter television programme. Fire engines and ambulances lining the streets of Liverpool also feature on the front page of the Daily Mirror under the headline “Driver on drugs”. The Daily Express reports that the man arrested is “suspected of tailgating [an] ambulance to get through roadblock”. Paramedics were rushing to “treat a supporter who was feared to be having a heart attack” as the man drove through the crowd, it says. Elsewhere on the front page is the royal tour of Canada as King Charles III warns the country is facing a “critical moment”. Coverage of the King’s visit to Canada also makes the front page of the Daily Mail. “Worried about Trump? Don’t make me laugh!” reads a headline over regal purple next to an image of the King chuckling. As his diplomatic visit continued, his sister Princess Anne “visited medics who treated the injured at the Royal Liverpool Hospital”, the Mail notes. The King sent a message celebrating the “strength of community spirit”. The King “insists” Canada is “strong and free” as he smiles at the country’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, in The Daily Telegraph’s front page splash. A Matt cartoon further down the page jokes that the royal visit will prompt a “tariff of 1000% on Duchy biscuits”. Closer to home, “cannabis should not be criminal, says Khan” as the London mayor makes a call for regulation reform while “the Home Office said it had no intention of decriminalising” the drug. The government is planning a “tax raid on pensions”, the Telegraph also writes, suggesting that possible new reforms could cost the average earner more than £500 a year. The King also “defends sovereignty of Canada” on the front page of The Times while in its top story, the paper writes of “police safety fears over jail plan” as Sir Keir Starmer plans to release prisoners early. The heads of Metropolitan Police, MI5 and the National Crime Agency warn the plan could be of “net detriment to public safety”, it writes. The new policies of Reform *** leader Nigel Farage top the i Paper, which says it would cause “Truss mini-Budget style market chaos”. Farage announced in a speech in central London that he would lift the two-child benefit cap and reinstate the winter fuel payment to pensioners. “Ministers in standoff with Reeves” following the IMF’s warnings to the chancellor, The Guardian reports. The paper says some senior police figures have raised concerns about the forthcoming spending review that they “cannot take further budget cuts”. A young girl holds her hands in a heart shape in paper’s only front page photo as the paper tells of how she died in an Israeli air strike. Yaqeen Hammad, 11, was an influencer in the war-torn region who “spread hope”, it writes. Source link #Drug #drive #arrest #Worried #Trump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fire breaks out at Wesley College but classes go on as normal Fire breaks out at Wesley College but classes go on as normal A fire broke out at Wesley College on Wednesday morning. Principal Ross Barron said the school would continue as normal after the blaze broke in the South Perth campus just after 5am. Firefighters responded to an activated alarm before they discovered smoke on the third level of a building. The blaze, which started in a light fitting, was contained just before 6.10am. It is not being treated as suspicious, with the cause believed to be an electrical fault. Source link #Fire #breaks #Wesley #College #classes #normal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dealer gets 19 years in prison for providing drugs that killed prominent NYC transgender activist Dealer gets 19 years in prison for providing drugs that killed prominent NYC transgender activist NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City drug dealer who admitted providing the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed a prominent transgender activist was sentenced Tuesday to 19 years in federal prison, prosecutors said. Michael Kuilan, 45, of Brooklyn, was also ordered to pay $24,482 in restitution and forfeit $30,000 and a seized firearm. “Cecilia Gentili was tragically poisoned from fentanyl-laced heroin,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella said in a statement. “Today, the perpetrators who sold the deadly drugs to Gentili are being held accountable.” Kuilan had three prior state felony convictions related to selling heroin before he pleaded guilty to the federal charges last year, according to prosecutors. He faced up to 20 years in prison for the drug distribution charge and up to 35 years for unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon at his sentencing in Brooklyn federal court. Kuilan’s lawyer didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. His co-defendant, Antonio Venti, 53, of Long Island, was sentenced in February to five years in federal prison after also pleading guilty to the same drug offense last year. Prosecutors said text messages, cell site data, and other evidence showed that Kuilan had supplied Venti with drugs that he then sold to Gentili. The 52-year-old Brooklyn resident was found dead in her bedroom from the combined effect of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine and ******** on Feb. 6, 2024 — the day after purchasing the drugs, according to prosecutors. The former sex worker had been a leading advocate for other transgender people, as well as sex workers and people with ****. She also acted in the FX television series “Pose,” about the underground ballroom dance scene in the 1980s and 1990s. Gentili’s well-attended ******** at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan drew outrage from some in the Catholic community, including from the venerable church’s own pastor. Source link #Dealer #years #prison #providing #drugs #killed #prominent #NYC #transgender #activist Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Second suspect arrested in alleged NYC Bitcoin torture scheme – BBC Second suspect arrested in alleged NYC Bitcoin torture scheme – BBC Second suspect arrested in alleged NYC Bitcoin torture scheme BBC2nd suspect surrenders in NYC ‘crypto king’ townhouse torture case NBC New YorkAnother Suspect Is Arrested in Bitcoin Kidnapping and Torture Case The New York TimesCrypto investor tortured man for weeks for bitcoin password, prosecutors say The Washington Post2nd crypto suspect surrenders to NYPD in torture of Italian business partner in SoHo apartment ABC7 New York Source link #suspect #arrested #alleged #NYC #Bitcoin #torture #scheme #BBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US judge allows states’ lawsuit against DOGE to proceed US judge allows states’ lawsuit against DOGE to proceed A US judge has allowed a group of 14 states to move ahead with a lawsuit challenging Elon Musk’s efforts to slash federal spending as the head of President Donald Trump’s new government efficiency agency. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, however, dismissed the states’ claims against Trump himself, saying her court would not try to interfere with “the performance of his official duties” as US president. The states’ lawsuit could proceed against Musk and DOGE because it made a plausible claim that Musk’s cost-cutting activities were “unauthorised by any law,” according to Chutkan’s ruling in Washington, D.C., federal court. The attorneys general of New Mexico, Oregon and 12 other states filed their lawsuit in February, alleging that Trump has given Musk “unchecked legal authority” without authorisation from the US Congress. The lawsuit seeks to halt DOGE’s efforts to slash federal spending and shut down US agencies disfavoured by Trump. “The court is right: the Constitution says Musk can’t run the federal government unless the Senate confirms him,” Oregon’s attorney general, Dan Rayfield, said. The White House and attorneys general for several other states that filed the lawsuit did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Musk did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment. The states argued that Musk wields the kind of power that can be exercised only by an officer of the government who has been nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and that DOGE itself has not been authorised by Congress. DOGE has swept through federal agencies, slashing thousands of jobs and dismantling various programs, since Trump returned to office in January and put Musk in charge of rooting out what they say is wasteful spending as part of the president’s dramatic overhaul of government. Around 20 lawsuits have been filed in various federal courts challenging Musk’s authority, which have led to mixed results. Source link #judge #states #lawsuit #DOGE #proceed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Reporter’s Notebook: Trump’s military message clashes with reality in Ukraine Reporter’s Notebook: Trump’s military message clashes with reality in Ukraine Reporter’s Notebook: Trump’s military message clashes with reality in Ukraine – CBS News Watch CBS News President Trump’s stripped-down message on American military power to graduates at West Point clashes with the messy realities of modern war. “CBS Evening News” co-anchor John Dickerson gives his take. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Reporters #Notebook #Trumps #military #message #clashes #reality #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

SpaceX Starship rocket launches 9th test flight after last 2 attempts ended in explosions SpaceX Starship rocket launches 9th test flight after last 2 attempts ended in explosions SpaceX’s latest unmanned Starship rocket launch went off without a ***** on Tuesday, May 27, after two test fights ended in dramatic explosions earlier this year. Liftoff of SpaceX’s ninth flight test of its Starship spacecraft happened just after 7:30 p.m. ET from SpaceX’s Starbase headquarters in Boca Chica, Texas. The massive launch vehicle marked the ninth Starship launch and the third this year. “An incredible flight test so far today,” Jessie Anderson, senior production engineering manager at SpaceX, said on a livestream. “Ship is in its orbital trajectory.” SpaceX communications specialist Dan Hewitt replied: “What a moment. I need to collect myself.” The last Starship flight test in March was not as successful, with the gargantuan rocket breaking up and sending fiery debris across the sky. Still, SpaceX said progress was made during the launch when the ship’s rocket booster was caught by giant mechanical arms known as chopsticks. It was the second time in a row the booster catch went as planned, and third time overall. This time around the booster catch was not attempted as SpaceX said it prioritizes the acceleration and development of CEO Elon Musk’s plans for Starship to reach Mars. The team lost connection with its the booster, which had been expected to land in the Gulf of America. The Jan. 16 Starship test flight also ended in an explosion that SpaceX later said was caused by propellant leaks and fires in the aft section of the vehicle, commonly referred to as the attic. Federal Aviation Administration greenlit another Starship flight test on May 22 after SpaceX completed its investigation into the March 6 launch. The FAA said SpaceX completed “all of the rigorous safety, environmental and other licensing requirements” for another go-ahead. SpaceX’s Starship lifts off from Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas during its 8th test flight on March 6, 2025. What is Starship? Starship is SpaceX’s gargantuan rocket and vehicle designed to one day be fully reusable transportation system that can return to the ground for additional missions. In the years ahead, Starship is intended to carry both cargo and humans into Earth’s orbit and deeper into the cosmos. NASA’s lunar exploration plans, which appear to be in jeopardy under President Donald Trump’s proposed budget, call for Artemis III astronauts aboard the Orion capsule to board the Starship while in orbit for a ride to the moon’s surface. But Musk is more preoccupied with Starship reaching Mars – potentially, he has claimed, by the end of 2026. Under his vision, human expeditions aboard the Starship could then follow in the years after the first uncrewed spacecraft reaches the Red Planet. What happened on last Starship flight? During the eighth launch test on March 6, flight operators lost contact with the upper portion of Starship, which exploded less than 10 minutes into the flight, creating debris visible from Florida to the Caribbean. Despite the failure of the Starship vehicle, the spacecraft’s rocket booster managed to navigate back to the launch pad for the second time in a row, and third time overall. The maneuver, first completed in October 2024, involves SpaceX catching the booster with giant mechanical arms known as chopsticks. How big is Starship? Starship is regarded as the world’s largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever developed. At more than 400 feet tall, Starship towers over SpaceX’s famous Falcon 9 rocket – one of the world’s most active – which stands at nearly 230 feet. The launch vehicle is composed of both a 232-foot Super Heavy rocket and the 171-foot upper stage spacecraft. Super Heavy alone is powered by 33 of SpaceX’s Raptor engines. The upper section, also called Starship or Ship for short, is the upper stage powered by six Raptor engines that will ultimately travel in orbit. Anthony Robledo covers national trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him *****@*****.tld Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at *****@*****.tld This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SpaceX Starship rocket launches after last 2 flight tests exploded Source link #SpaceX #Starship #rocket #launches #9th #test #flight #attempts #ended #explosions Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump administration halts scheduling of new student visa appointments – Reuters Trump administration halts scheduling of new student visa appointments – Reuters Trump administration halts scheduling of new student visa appointments ReutersTrump administration orders US embassies to stop student visa interviews The GuardianUS orders pause on new visa interviews for foreign students The Boston GlobeState Department to ramp up screening, social media vetting for student visa applicants as interviews paused Fox NewsUS vows to use ‘every tool’ in crackdown on international students Financial Times Source link #Trump #administration #halts #scheduling #student #visa #appointments #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Harvard professor weighs in on what’s at stake as Trump targets university Harvard professor weighs in on what’s at stake as Trump targets university Harvard professor weighs in on what’s at stake as Trump targets university – CBS News Watch CBS News The Trump administration is directing all government agencies to cancel any of its remaining contracts with Harvard University. The move could result in millions of additional dollars in government funding being stripped away. Fernando Reimers, professor of international education at Harvard University, joins to discuss. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Harvard #professor #weighs #whats #stake #Trump #targets #university Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Coalition back, just in time for shadow ministry prizes Coalition back, just in time for shadow ministry prizes The Liberals and Nationals have reconciled their differences ahead of coalition leader Sussan Ley announcing her new shadow ministry line-up. Source link #Coalition #time #shadow #ministry #prizes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What Trump’s new criticism of Putin could mean for Ukraine What Trump’s new criticism of Putin could mean for Ukraine What Trump’s new criticism of Putin could mean for Ukraine – CBS News Watch CBS News In the last few days, President Trump has criticized Vladimir Putin, saying he is playing games amid peace talks with Ukraine. Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins to discuss. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Trumps #criticism #Putin #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US judge allows states’ lawsuit against DOGE to proceed US judge allows states’ lawsuit against DOGE to proceed By Dietrich Knauth (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Tuesday allowed a group of 14 states to move ahead with a lawsuit challenging Elon Musk’s efforts to slash federal spending as the head of President Donald Trump’s new government efficiency agency, rejecting the Trump administration’s effort to dismiss the case. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, however, dismissed the states’ claims against Trump himself, saying her court would not try to interfere with “the performance of his official duties” as president. The states’ lawsuit could proceed against Musk and DOGE because it made a plausible claim that Musk’s cost-cutting activities were “unauthorized by any law,” according to Chutkan’s ruling in Washington, D.C., federal court. The attorneys general of New Mexico, Oregon and 12 other states filed their lawsuit in February, alleging that Trump has given Musk “unchecked legal authority” without authorization from the U.S. Congress. The lawsuit seeks to halt DOGE’s efforts to slash federal spending and shut down U.S. agencies disfavored by Trump. “The court is right: the Constitution says Musk can’t run the federal government unless the Senate confirms him,” Oregon’s attorney general, Dan Rayfield, said on Tuesday. The White House and attorneys general for several other states that filed the lawsuit did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Musk did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment. The states argued that Musk wields the kind of power that can be exercised only by an officer of the government who has been nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and that DOGE itself has not been authorized by Congress. DOGE has swept through federal agencies, slashing thousands of jobs and dismantling various programs, since Trump returned to office in January and put Musk in charge of rooting out what they say is wasteful spending as part of the president’s dramatic overhaul of government. Around 20 lawsuits have been filed in various federal courts challenging Musk’s authority, which have led to mixed results. (Reporting by Dietrich Knauth; Editing by Leigh Jones and Leslie Adler) Source link #judge #states #lawsuit #DOGE #proceed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

SpaceX Starship launched on ninth test flight after last two blew up – Reuters SpaceX Starship launched on ninth test flight after last two blew up – Reuters SpaceX Starship launched on ninth test flight after last two blew up ReutersHow to watch SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9 launch and Elon Musk’s Mars update today SpaceSpaceX Starship rocket launches 9th test flight after last 2 attempts ended in explosions USA TodayWatch: SpaceX launches Starship on test flight as Musk renews his focus The Washington PostSpaceX to launch 9th flight test of Starship spacecraft after last 2 sent debris falling back to Earth ABC News Source link #SpaceX #Starship #launched #ninth #test #flight #blew #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How nitrous oxide became a deadly – but legal How nitrous oxide became a deadly – but legal Nitrous oxide – known colloquially as “laughing gas” – has many uses, from a painkiller during dental procedures to a whipping agent for canned whipped cream. While its euphoric side effects have long been known, the rise of vaping has helped create a perfect delivery vehicle for the gas – and a perfect recipe for an addiction, experts warn. Meg Caldwell’s death wasn’t inevitable. The horseback rider from Florida had started using nitrous oxide recreationally in university eight years ago. But like many young people, she started to use more heavily during the pandemic. The youngest of four sisters, she was was “the light of our lives,” her sister Kathleen Dial told the BBC. But Ms Caldwell’s use continued to escalate, to the point that her addiction “started running her life”. She temporarily lost use of her legs after an overdose, which also rendered her incontinent. Still, she continued to use, buying it in local smoke shops, inhaling it in the car park and then heading straight back into the shop to buy more. She sometimes spent hundreds of dollars a day. She died last November, in one of those car parks just outside a vape shop. “She didn’t think that it would hurt her because she was buying it in the smoke shop, so she thought she was using this substance legally,” Ms Dial said. The progression of Ms Caldwell’s addiction – from youthful misuse to life-threatening compulsion – has become increasingly common. The Annual Report of America’s Poison Centers found there was a 58 % increase in reports of intentional exposure to nitrous oxide in the US between 2023-2024. In a worst-case scenario, inhalation of nitrous oxide can lead to hypoxia, where the brain does not get enough oxygen. This can result in death. Regular inhalation can also lead to a Vitamin B12 deficiency which can cause nerve damage, degradation of the spinal column and even paralysis. The number of deaths attributed to nitrous oxide poisonings rose by more than 110% between 2019 and 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Possession of nitrous oxide was criminalised in the *** in 2023 after misuse among young people increased during the pandemic. But while many states have also outlawed the recreational use of the product in the US, it is still legal to sell as a culinary product. Only Louisiana has totally banned the retail ***** of the gas. Galaxy Gas, a major manufacturer, even offers recipes for dishes, including Chicken Satay with Peanut Chili Foam and Watermelon Gazpacho on their website. With flavours like Blue Raspberry or Strawberries and Cream, experts warn this loophole – as well as major changes in packaging and retail – has contributed to the rise in misuse. Until recently users would take single-use plain metal canisters weighing around 8g and inhale the gas using a balloon. But when usage spiked during the pandemic, nitrous oxide manufacturers began selling much larger canisters online – as large as 2kg – and, eventually, in shops selling electronic vapes and other smoking paraphernalia. Companies also began to package the gas in bright colourful canisters with designs featuring characters from computer games and television series. Pat Aussem, of the Partnership to End Addiction, believes these developments are behind increased misuse: “Even being called Galaxy Gas or Miami Magic is marketing,” she said. “If you have large canisters, then it means that more people can try it and use it and that can lead to a lot of peer pressure.” The BBC reached out for comment to both Galaxy Gas and Miami Magic but did not receive a response. Amazon, where the gas is sold online, has said they are aware of customers misusing nitrous oxide and that they are working to implement further safety measures. In a response to reporting from CBS News, the BBC’s news partner in the US, Galaxy Gas maintained that the gas was intended for culinary use and that they include a message on their sites warning against misuse. Concern about nitrous oxide misuse increased last year, after several videos of people using the product went viral online. On social media, videos of young people getting high on gas became a trend. A video uploaded in July 2024 by an Atlanta-based fast-food restaurant featured a young man inhaling Strawberries and Cream flavoured nitrous oxide saying “My name’s Lil T, man”, his voice made deeper by the gas. To date the clip has been viewed about 40 million times and spawned thousands of copies. Misuse also featured heavily in rap music videos and Twitch streaming. Guests tried it on the Joe Rogan Show and rappers including Ye (formerly Kanye West) spoke about abusing the substance publicly. Ye has since sued his dentist for “recklessly” supplying Ye with “dangerous amounts of nitrous oxide”. In response to the trend, TikTok blocked searches for “galaxy gas,” and redirected users to a message offering resources about substance use and addiction. Rapper SZA also alerted her social media followers about its harms and slammed it for “being MASS marketed to ****** children”. In March, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an official alert warning against inhaling the gas after it “observed an increase in reports of adverse events after inhalation of nitrous oxide products”. The FDA told the BBC that it “continues to actively track adverse events related to nitrous oxide misuse and will take appropriate actions to protect the public health”. But for some, these warnings came too late. In 2023, the family of a 25-year-old woman, Marissa Politte successfully sued Nitrous Distributor United Brands for $745m in damages after the radiology technician was killed by a driver high on nitrous oxide. The jury found the company responsible for selling the product in the knowledge that it would be misused. “Marissa Politte’s death shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but my God, it should be the last,” Johnny Simon, the Politte family’s lawyer, said at the time. In the years since there have been several fatal traffic accidents involving the gas both in the US and the ***. Meanwhile, Ms Caldwell’s family have launched a class action lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of nitrous oxide, hoping to remove the product from retail sales across the US for good. “The people who administer nitrous oxide in a dentist office now have to go through hours and hours of training, she said. “It just is crazy to me that the drug can be purchased in a smoke shop to anyone who goes in.” “Unfortunately, it’s become very obvious that the manufacturers and the owners of the smoke shops are not going to do the moral thing and take this off the shelves themselves,” Ms Dial said. Source link #nitrous #oxide #deadly #legal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nationals and Liberals cement Coalition agreement after shock post-election split Nationals and Liberals cement Coalition agreement after shock post-election split The Nationals and Liberal Party have reached an agreement and will reunite after briefly splitting earlier this month following the Coalition’s dire election performance. The agreement was confirmed following a virtual Nationals party room meeting on Wednesday morning. While the break up lasted merely days, the threat would have undone the Coalition since the 1987 federal election. Both Liberal Leader Sussan Ley and Nationals Leader David Littleproud are expected to address the media later on Wednesday to announce the new shadow cabinet. Fissures between the parties settled after the Liberal Pparty room agreed “in principle” to the four policy demands set by the Nationals. Camera IconAfter a brief split the Liberal and Nationals have reunited. NewsWire Credit: Supplied The policy requests centred on lifting the moratorium on nuclear power, a $20bn regional development fund, supermarket divestiture powers and calling on providers to increase coverage for mobile and internet providers. Ms Ley is expected to announce the shadow cabinet by the end of the week, with the Nationals set to claim six shadow roles and two positions in the outer shadow ministry. Prominent National MPs Matt Canavan and former party leader Barnaby Joyce have both said it is unlikely they will get a shadow portfolio. Speaking to Sky while news of the party agreement broke, Nationals MP Colin Boyce remained scathing of Mr Littleproud, claiming the Coalition split shouldn’t have happened and was “based on bad information that was delivered to us by the leadership team”. Mr Boyce said he did not attend Wednesday’s party room meeting because he was “on an airplane in transit”. “David Littleproud is the leader, and if he’s not prepared to engage the whole room in respect to all of the conversations that we need to have on the way forward, he’d better start having another look at himself,” he said. “I think it’s very important that that agreement be reached.” More to come Source link #Nationals #Liberals #cement #Coalition #agreement #shock #postelection #split Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UnitedHealth’s collapse reveals the flaw at the heart of Medicare Advantage UnitedHealth’s collapse reveals the flaw at the heart of Medicare Advantage In early April, market analysts touted UnitedHealth Group as a “tariff safe haven.” And why not? The Trump administration had just announced an increase in payments to Medicare Advantage plans in 2026. Surely profits would likewise increase for UnitedHealth — not only the nation’s largest insurer, but specifically the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans. But, less than two months later, the company is in a state of free fall. Its collapse reflects not simply the troubles of the broader health care market, but also the troubles with Medicare Advantage, the program set up with the idea that the private sector could provide better health care than traditional Medicare at lower prices. Instead, Medicare Advantage has only succeeded at juicing corporate profits, charging more — and denying more care — than traditional Medicare. And as for UnitedHealth Group, it’s looking quite possible the company’s bottom line was padded by billing fraud and patient abuse. The company faces three federal investigations, looking at allegations of civil and criminal fraud and antitrust violations. The Wall Street Journal reported in February, for instance, that the DOJ is investigating whether UnitedHealth made its clinician employees record questionable diagnoses that make Medicare Advantage patients appear sicker than they are. This practice, known as “upcoding,” triggered extra federal payments. (UnitedHealth told the Journal it stands “by the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program.”) And last week The Guardian alleged the company secretly paid nursing homes to prevent or delay transfers of Medicare Advantage patients to hospitals, something that saved the insurance giant money — but cost patients desperately needed care. “At least one lived with permanent brain damage following his delayed transfer,” The Guardian reported, “according to a confidential nursing home incident log, recordings and photo evidence.” Five current and former UnitedHealth employees told The Guardian that the company “pressed nurse practitioners to persuade Medicare Advantage members to change their ‘code status’ to DNR” – or “do not resuscitate” — rendering them ineligible for “certain life-saving treatments that might lead to costly hospital stays.” (UnitedHealth denied the allegations.) Somehow, that’s not the end of UnitedHealth’s troubles. A group of investors recently sued the company, claiming it had misled them about its financial outlook following the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, UnitedHealth Group’s insurance arm. (UnitedHealth denied the lawsuit’s allegations.) In mid-May, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty suddenly resigned for “personal reasons,” and the company withdrew its earnings guidance to Wall Street for 2025 after a disastrous first quarter, claiming it had underestimated its Medicare Advantage costs. Because UnitedHealth is vertically integrated, it simultaneously pays for care through UnitedHealthcare and provides care through its health care services arm Optum, which includes both physician practices and pharmacies. This setup gives the conglomerate enormous leverage to dictate which claims are covered, which physicians patients can see and which medications are prescribed to them. Moreover, UnitedHealth also reimburses its own physician practices and pharmacies much more than competitors. A recent Federal Trade Commission report found the average markup could be more than 7,700%. This systematic under-reimbursement leaves independent physician practices struggling to keep their doors open, and some then sell to Optum, reinforcing UnitedHealth Group’s monopoly power. Disparate payments likewise squeeze independent pharmacies out of business, stranding patients in care deserts. Ethics aside, UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage strategy has proven very lucrative — until now. Since 2003, its annual revenue has increased nearly 15 times over — to $372 billion last year — and its Fortune ranking has climbed 59 spots, to fourth. This strategy also inspired competitors — including CVS Health’s Aetna, Elevance Health’s Anthem, and Humana — to pursue a similarly vertically-integrated business model and Medicare Advantage billing practices. Early this month, the Justice Department sued all three for allegedly paying brokers hundreds of millions of dollars to steer older Americans to their Medicare Advantage plans — and to steer clear of potential enrollees with disabilities. (The companies have said they will fight the allegations.) Older Americans are drawn to Medicare Advantage because most plans offer supplemental benefits, such as vision and dental coverage, and lower cost-sharing requirements than traditional Medicare. It’s not until they require lifesaving medical care that the program’s disadvantages — including rampant denials — reveal themselves. For more than two decades, patients and taxpayers have paid a steep price for the Medicare Advantage grift. Only in the last few weeks, though, have shareholders felt any sort of pinch from Medicare Advantage. Finally, it seems UnitedHealth Group’s size and business model may be liabilities rather than assets. Although the Trump administration plans to hike Medicare Advantage payments next year, plans are still reeling from a Biden administration rule that limited upcoding. UnitedHealth Group also floundered because, as mentioned earlier, Medicare Advantage costs exceeded expectations. More specifically, patients sought more care than expected during the first three months of the year, perhaps in part because of pent-up post-pandemic demand. Regardless of the reason, UnitedHealth had to provide more service, as The Wall Street Journal explained, both as an insurer paying for claims and as a provider “absorbing the higher cost of delivering that care.” This is the fundamental flaw at the heart of Medicare Advantage. Plans are beholden to shareholders, who seek short-term profits. Profits are only achievable through the widespread denial of care. Meanwhile, plans use these profits to buy up entities along the health care supply chain, whose clinicians and other employees can do the insurance company’s bidding. A growing number of members of Congress from both parties are sounding the alarm. Reps. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, and Greg Murphy, R-N.C., recently requested an investigation into private Medicare Advantage plans. Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging her to hold UnitedHealth Group accountable. At a recent meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee, several senators called for breaking up big insurers like UnitedHealth. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., decried “a level of corporate violence that is costing American lives, a level of colossal greed at the expense of patient wellbeing.” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., echoed this sentiment. “Why shouldn’t we be breaking you guys up?” he asked. “[T]his looks like classic monopolist behavior. The patients are getting screwed. … You’re getting rich.” Meanwhile, traditional Medicare chugs along, costing Americans 20% less than its for-profit rivals while besting them on a majority of care metrics. It turns out the federal government is a much better steward of taxpayer dollars than rapacious executives and shareholders. Yet, traditional Medicare now only covers a ********* of Medicare patients. It’s time to face the truth. Medicare Advantage — like all private health insurance — is structurally unsound. Nothing short of a complete overhaul can cure the U.S. health care system of this disease. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Source link #UnitedHealths #collapse #reveals #flaw #heart #Medicare #Advantage Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]