People - Rob Reiner and his son Nick Reiner got into a heated argument at a Saturday night holiday party the night before the director and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were killed on the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 14, multiple sources at the party tell PEOPLE.
TMZ first reported on Monday that Reiner, 78, and his 32-year-old son got into a "very loud argument" at a Christmas party hosted by Conan O'Brien on Saturday night.
Two sources confirm to PEOPLE that Reiner and his son got into the argument at O'Brien's party.
December 19, 2025
At least 33 January 6th insurrectionists have been pardoned by Trump
Jim Smith, Talking Turkey - At least 33 January 6th insurrectionists pardoned by President Trump have been rearrested, charged or sentenced for other crimes, and four pardoned insurrectionists have allegedly reoffended since the attack on the Capitol.
Pardoned January 6th insurrectionists have been charged with:
Pardoned January 6th insurrectionists have been charged with:
- Child sex crimes
- Sexual assault
- Possession of child pornography
- Rape
- Illegal possession of weapons (including at least two who had a previous domestic violence conviction)
- Driving while impaired or under the influence (in two of these cases, the defendant’s reckless driving resulted in a fatality)
Trump DOJ Moves To Treat Leftist Dissent As Criminal
Common Dreams - The Trump administration is about to embark on a massive crackdown on what it describes as a scourge of rampant left-wing “terrorism.”
But the US Department of Justice (DOJ) memo ordering the crackdown has critics fearing it will go far beyond punishing those who plan criminal acts and will instead be used to criminalize anyone who expresses opposition to President Donald Trump and his agenda.
Earlier this month, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi had sent out a memo ordering the FBI to “compile a list of groups or entities engaging in acts that may constitute domestic terrorism.”
As part of this effort, Bondi set Thursday as a deadline for all law enforcement agencies to “coordinate delivery” of intelligence files related to “antifa” or “antifa-related activities” to the FBI.
The memo identifies those who express “opposition to law and immigration enforcement; extreme views in favor of mass migration and open borders; adherence to radical gender ideology,” as well as “anti-Americanism,” “anti-capitalism,” and “anti-Christianity,” as potential targets for investigation.
This language references National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, or NSPM-7, a memo issued by Trump in September, which identified this slate of left-wing beliefs as potential “indicators” of terrorism following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in September.
In comments made before the alleged shooter’s identity was revealed, Trump attributed the murder to “those on the radical left [who] have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis,” adding that “this kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country and must stop right now.”
Weeks after Kirk’s shooting, Trump designated “antifa” as a “domestic terrorism organization,” a move that alarmed critics because “antifa,” short for “anti-fascist,” is a loosely defined ideology rather than an organized political group.
But the US Department of Justice (DOJ) memo ordering the crackdown has critics fearing it will go far beyond punishing those who plan criminal acts and will instead be used to criminalize anyone who expresses opposition to President Donald Trump and his agenda.
Earlier this month, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi had sent out a memo ordering the FBI to “compile a list of groups or entities engaging in acts that may constitute domestic terrorism.”
As part of this effort, Bondi set Thursday as a deadline for all law enforcement agencies to “coordinate delivery” of intelligence files related to “antifa” or “antifa-related activities” to the FBI.
The memo identifies those who express “opposition to law and immigration enforcement; extreme views in favor of mass migration and open borders; adherence to radical gender ideology,” as well as “anti-Americanism,” “anti-capitalism,” and “anti-Christianity,” as potential targets for investigation.
This language references National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, or NSPM-7, a memo issued by Trump in September, which identified this slate of left-wing beliefs as potential “indicators” of terrorism following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in September.
In comments made before the alleged shooter’s identity was revealed, Trump attributed the murder to “those on the radical left [who] have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis,” adding that “this kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country and must stop right now.”
Weeks after Kirk’s shooting, Trump designated “antifa” as a “domestic terrorism organization,” a move that alarmed critics because “antifa,” short for “anti-fascist,” is a loosely defined ideology rather than an organized political group.
Chance of full war with Venezuela not denied by Trump
NBC News - President Donald Trump says he is leaving the possibility of a war with Venezuela on the table. "I don’t rule it out, no," he told NBC News in a phone interview.
Canada
Edward Luce, Financial Times - In the last year I’ve visited Canada five times. America’s northern neighbour is among the best vantage points to measure the shock of today’s change. There is no doubt among almost every Canadian to whom I’ve spoken that the US is no longer their ally. In Mark Carney, Canada has the west’s most effective contemporary leader. Unlike most of his counterparts across the Atlantic, Carney has a theory of the case. It is very simple. His goal is to sharply reduce Canada’s dependence on the US both economically and in terms of national security.
Carney also has the advantage in that most Canadians understand his theory of the case and agree with it — the “Canadiano” has replaced the Americano in Canada’s coffee shops. Unless you know what you are aiming to do, and that destination is clear to your electorate, you stand no chance of success. To be sure, barring Greenland, Trump hasn’t coveted the sovereign territory of any other western ally. But it is notable that since Carney replaced the somewhat feckless Justin Trudeau last March, we have heard a lot less from Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state.
Carney also has the advantage in that most Canadians understand his theory of the case and agree with it — the “Canadiano” has replaced the Americano in Canada’s coffee shops. Unless you know what you are aiming to do, and that destination is clear to your electorate, you stand no chance of success. To be sure, barring Greenland, Trump hasn’t coveted the sovereign territory of any other western ally. But it is notable that since Carney replaced the somewhat feckless Justin Trudeau last March, we have heard a lot less from Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state.
20 Million Gen Z Are Jobless in Urban China
Newsweek - The unemployment total for young Chinese city-dwellers stood at roughly 20 million, or about 12 percent, according to a Newsweek analysis of the latest statistics from China's statistics bureau.
The figure is a sign that the general economic recovery and a raft of stimulus measures have not eased the economic pressure facing China’s young people.
The world’s second-largest economy has had a bumpy ride since the end of its strict COVID-era lockdowns, amid slowing growth, tepid consumer demand and a years-long real estate downturn.
Youth, defined in China as ages 15 to 24, have been particularly hard hit, as job competition intensifies amid record numbers of university graduates—a trend that analysts warn could threaten the Chinese Communist Party’s top priority: social stability.
The figure is a sign that the general economic recovery and a raft of stimulus measures have not eased the economic pressure facing China’s young people.
The world’s second-largest economy has had a bumpy ride since the end of its strict COVID-era lockdowns, amid slowing growth, tepid consumer demand and a years-long real estate downturn.
Youth, defined in China as ages 15 to 24, have been particularly hard hit, as job competition intensifies amid record numbers of university graduates—a trend that analysts warn could threaten the Chinese Communist Party’s top priority: social stability.
Health recalls
Health - A recall is underway for nearly 30,000 bags of herbal tea sold in seven
states and Puerto Rico, according to the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). The tea, from Celebration Herbals, was initially recalled on Nov.
25 for possible contamination with Salmonella, one of the leading causes of infection, hospitalization, and death from foodborne illness in the U.S.
MIT professor was former clasmate of his killer
NY Times - Federal prosecutors said Thursday that the suspect in the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor was his former classmate. Claudio Manuel Neves Valente had attended the same academic program in Portugal as Nuno F.G. Loureiro, the M.I.T. professor, from 1995 to 2000. Dr. Loureiro, 47, graduated with a degree in physics from the Instituto Superior Técnico in 2000, according to his M.I.T. profile.
Attacks on drug boats
Hayes Brown, MS Now - The Trump administration has killed almost 100 people in a string of military strikes against boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. While officials claim the attacks are to prevent the flow of deadly fentanyl into America, the overall goals of the campaign are muddled at best.
But according to The Washington Post, the “war” against suspected narcotics smugglers, the brainchild of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, began as an effort to curb immigration to the United States. “Miller’s larger vision was to reduce the flow of drugs — and migrants — into the United States,” according to one of the former U.S. officials who spoke to the Post.
Since then, the campaign has morphed into a potential war for regime change in Venezuela. And in a cruel bit of irony, what reportedly began as Miller’s scheme to reduce migration may provoke even more people to flee north toward presumed safety in the United States. War causes refugees. Period. Adding a military campaign on top of Venezuela’s ongoing problems would only force more people to leave. More
But according to The Washington Post, the “war” against suspected narcotics smugglers, the brainchild of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, began as an effort to curb immigration to the United States. “Miller’s larger vision was to reduce the flow of drugs — and migrants — into the United States,” according to one of the former U.S. officials who spoke to the Post.
Since then, the campaign has morphed into a potential war for regime change in Venezuela. And in a cruel bit of irony, what reportedly began as Miller’s scheme to reduce migration may provoke even more people to flee north toward presumed safety in the United States. War causes refugees. Period. Adding a military campaign on top of Venezuela’s ongoing problems would only force more people to leave. More
Meanwhile. . .
The Hill - Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department would not be releasing the full Epstein files to Congress Friday as required under new legislation, instead sending over a partial batch. Blanche told Fox News that the Justice Department would release “several hundred thousand” documents on Friday, “and then over the next couple weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more.”
Newsworthy News - An out-of-control MTA bus careened through a Bronx neighborhood for five blocks, smashing into multiple vehicles and hospitalizing eight people in a chaotic scene that exposed the dangerous negligence plaguing New York’s crumbling public transit system...
December 18, 2025
Trump signs order reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous
The Guardian - Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to move cannabis out of the most restrictive drug category, a change that would loosen limits on research and certain regulations but stop short of making marijuana legal nationwide.
“I’m pleased to announce that I will be signing an Executive Order to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance with legitimate medical uses,” the president said from the Oval Office.
“This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to study benefits, potential dangers and future treatments,” Trump added. “It’s going to have a tremendously positive impact.”
The action allows for a pilot program that reimburses Medicare patients for products containing CBD, a widely used cannabis-derived compound that does not produce a high.
Under the order, marijuana would be shifted from Schedule I, a category that includes heroin, to Schedule III, which also includes ketamine. The move, however, would not legalize marijuana as some states have done, and would not change how law enforcement agencies handle marijuana-related arrests, according to senior administration officials who spoke to the New York Times.
Placing marijuana in Schedule III would align it with certain prescription pain medications, while keeping recreational use illegal at the federal level. The change would still need to go through the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) formal rule-making process. The reclassification could make scientific research easier as well as ease burdens on legal cannabis businesses by reducing strict federal tax penalties and improving access to banking services.
“I’m pleased to announce that I will be signing an Executive Order to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance with legitimate medical uses,” the president said from the Oval Office.
“This reclassification order will make it far easier to conduct marijuana-related medical research, allowing us to study benefits, potential dangers and future treatments,” Trump added. “It’s going to have a tremendously positive impact.”
The action allows for a pilot program that reimburses Medicare patients for products containing CBD, a widely used cannabis-derived compound that does not produce a high.
Under the order, marijuana would be shifted from Schedule I, a category that includes heroin, to Schedule III, which also includes ketamine. The move, however, would not legalize marijuana as some states have done, and would not change how law enforcement agencies handle marijuana-related arrests, according to senior administration officials who spoke to the New York Times.
Placing marijuana in Schedule III would align it with certain prescription pain medications, while keeping recreational use illegal at the federal level. The change would still need to go through the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) formal rule-making process. The reclassification could make scientific research easier as well as ease burdens on legal cannabis businesses by reducing strict federal tax penalties and improving access to banking services.
Donald Trump
New York Times - The Kennedy Center board, composed almost entirely of President Trump’s allies, voted on Thursday to change the name of the performing arts center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, the White House press secretary said.
It was not immediately clear what effect the vote would have, but it would not officially change the name of the center, which is by law designated the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, asserted that the board’s vote was unanimous, but Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a Democrat who is one of the lawmakers granted a spot on the board, said on social media that she “was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition.”
The Allen Analysis - President Trump’s announcement that more than 1.45 million service members will receive $1,776 checks before Christmas was framed as a personal reward for troops. In reality, the payments come from existing funds Congress specifically allocated to subsidize military housing, according to a senior administration official who confirmed the details to Defense One.
President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to downgrade cannabis from the most restrictive category of drugs like heroin, which would facilitate medical research. But it did not legalize marijuana, as some states have. Mr. Trump also authorized a pilot program to reimburse Medicare patients for products made with CBD, a popular, non-psychoactive compound of cannabis. Read more ›
Almost Entire East Coast Under Weather Warnings
Newsweek - Weather alerts were in place for nearly the entire U.S. East Coast on Thursday ahead of a windy storm system set to sweep across the region on Friday.
The warnings come amid a bout of stormy weather for the U.S., as NWS meteorologists issued tornado warning and severe thunderstorm warnings in St. Louis, Missouri, and myriad severe weather alerts remain in place across the Pacific Northwest amid another atmospheric river.
In the Northeast, millions of Americans were expecting windy, stormy conditions to begin in the early morning hours on Friday. According to a report by AccuWeather, the same storm responsible for the atmospheric river in the Pacific Northwest earlier in the week is trekking across the country and will hit the Northeast by Friday.
"Along much of the I-95 zone, some of the strongest wind gusts will occur late Thursday night to Friday morning rush hour, right as the storm's cold front approaches and swings through," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said in the report.
The most widespread issued alert was a wind advisory, in place for coastal Maine south through northern Delaware. Some areas also were under the more severe high wind warnings, such as Bar Harbor, Maine, and Boston, Massachusetts. Wind gusts could reach up to 60 mph in some instances.
"A high wind warning for the Cape and Islands on Friday," NWS Boston posted on X on Thursday. "Southerly wind gusts to 55 to 65 mph are possible, peaking from mid morning into early afternoon. A Wind Advisory is in effect for the rest of southern New England for gusts to 40 to 55 mph."
The storm has already caused rare weather alerts in areas such as Montana and St. Louis. A "rarely used" Civil Emergency Message was issued for Great Falls, Montana, on Wednesday, NWS warning coordination meteorologist Maura Casey told Newsweek, and on Thursday, a "rare" December tornado warning was issued by the NWS St. Louis office, NWS meteorologist Jayson Gosselin told Newsweek.
The warnings come amid a bout of stormy weather for the U.S., as NWS meteorologists issued tornado warning and severe thunderstorm warnings in St. Louis, Missouri, and myriad severe weather alerts remain in place across the Pacific Northwest amid another atmospheric river.
In the Northeast, millions of Americans were expecting windy, stormy conditions to begin in the early morning hours on Friday. According to a report by AccuWeather, the same storm responsible for the atmospheric river in the Pacific Northwest earlier in the week is trekking across the country and will hit the Northeast by Friday.
"Along much of the I-95 zone, some of the strongest wind gusts will occur late Thursday night to Friday morning rush hour, right as the storm's cold front approaches and swings through," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said in the report.
The most widespread issued alert was a wind advisory, in place for coastal Maine south through northern Delaware. Some areas also were under the more severe high wind warnings, such as Bar Harbor, Maine, and Boston, Massachusetts. Wind gusts could reach up to 60 mph in some instances.
"A high wind warning for the Cape and Islands on Friday," NWS Boston posted on X on Thursday. "Southerly wind gusts to 55 to 65 mph are possible, peaking from mid morning into early afternoon. A Wind Advisory is in effect for the rest of southern New England for gusts to 40 to 55 mph."
The storm has already caused rare weather alerts in areas such as Montana and St. Louis. A "rarely used" Civil Emergency Message was issued for Great Falls, Montana, on Wednesday, NWS warning coordination meteorologist Maura Casey told Newsweek, and on Thursday, a "rare" December tornado warning was issued by the NWS St. Louis office, NWS meteorologist Jayson Gosselin told Newsweek.
Immigration
New Republic - A federal judge in Kentucky proposed in a judicial opinion this week that the Bill of Rights does not protect more than 50 million immigrants in the United States. Judge Amul Thapar, who serves on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, argued that originalism required him to exclude all noncitizens from the Constitution’s protections.
“Originally understood, neither the First nor Fourth Amendment clearly extends to noncitizens,” he wrote in a concurring and dissenting opinion on Monday. “And, properly read, the Supreme Court’s guidance on these amendments is far from consistent, in part due to the drift of First and Fourth Amendment caselaw from the original public meaning of the text.”
Thapar’s opinion is a train wreck, to put it mildly. Though the case only concerned the scope of the Second Amendment as it applies to undocumented immigrants, the Trump appointee goes far beyond the facts and briefs to forcefully argue that millions of people living lawfully in the United States can be silenced and seized at the government’s whims. To build his case, Thapar commits a series of profound moral and legal errors that disprove his argument altogether.
“Originally understood, neither the First nor Fourth Amendment clearly extends to noncitizens,” he wrote in a concurring and dissenting opinion on Monday. “And, properly read, the Supreme Court’s guidance on these amendments is far from consistent, in part due to the drift of First and Fourth Amendment caselaw from the original public meaning of the text.”
Thapar’s opinion is a train wreck, to put it mildly. Though the case only concerned the scope of the Second Amendment as it applies to undocumented immigrants, the Trump appointee goes far beyond the facts and briefs to forcefully argue that millions of people living lawfully in the United States can be silenced and seized at the government’s whims. To build his case, Thapar commits a series of profound moral and legal errors that disprove his argument altogether.
Health
The Hill - Hospitals and doctors that perform gender-affirming care surgery on minors will have to forgo federal Medicare and Medicaid funding under new rules proposed by the Trump administration Thursday, even in states where the procedures are legal.
The multi-pronged plan from the Department of Health and Human Services is part of the administration’s efforts to curtail gender-affirming care, and if made final, could essentially ban the practice nationwide.
“The Trump administration will not stand by while ideology, misinformation and propaganda push vulnerable young people into decisions they cannot fully understand and that they can never reverse,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during a press conference announcing the regulations. “This is not medicine. It is malpractice.”
President Trump made ending gender-affirming care a campaign priority, and the rules reflect the administration’s efforts to eliminate funding and programs that recognize gender dysphoria among children, and that there are genders other than male or female.
As measles continues to spread in the U.S., it's likely that the outbreaks that broke records in 2025 will continue into the new year.
The Guardian - Officials are urging doctors to vaccinate their patients and provide flu antivirals after deaths among children reached record highs and as a concerning mutation of the virus circulates in the US.
“Influenza activity is increasing in the US. The time to get vaccinated for this season is now,” Timothy Uyeki, the chief medical officer of the influenza division at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in a call with clinicians last week.
The message comes amid diminishing access to and flourishing rumors about vaccines under Robert F Kennedy Jr, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, who has made false claims about the ineffectiveness of flu vaccines and overseen limitations on routine vaccines.
NPR - The House of Representatives voted yesterday on a Republican-led health care plan that did not include extending enhanced health care subsidies. Over 20 million Americans rely on the subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this month. Several Republicans went against party leadership and joined Democrats to force a vote on a three-year extension of the subsidies.
The House speaker now has a decision to make on whether to move the vote sooner,
NPR’s Barbara Sprunt says. If the vote doesn’t happen by the end of
this week, it won’t take place until next year, as lawmakers are leaving
for the holidays. Sprunt says some Republicans could be shifting their
stance on these subsidies because next year is a midterm year. Lawmakers
recognize what is important to their constituents — in this case, the impact of expiring subsidies on insurance premiums.
Climate
The Guardian - The Trump administration
is breaking up a research center praised as a “crown jewel” of climate
research after accusing it of spreading “alarmism” about climate change.
Russell Vought, the director of the White House’s office and management budget, said the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, would be dismantled under the supervision of the National Science Foundation.
“This facility is one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country,” he wrote in a social media post. “A comprehensive review is underway & any vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location.”
The announcement was the latest in a series of climate-sceptic moves by the administration, which has vowed to eliminate what it calls “green new scam research activities”.
It drew fierce condemnation from climate experts, who said the Colorado centre was renowned for advances in the study of weather patterns, including tropical cyclones.
Roger Pielke Jr, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute thinktank, told USA Today, which first reported the story, that the facility was “a crown jewel of the US scientific enterprise and deserves to be improved not shuttered”.
He added: “If the US is going to be a global leader in the atmospheric sciences, then it cannot afford to make petty and vindictive decisions based on the hot politics of climate change.”
What Trump's White House plaques say about other presidents
Axios - President Trump has added partisan plaques under the portraits along his new Presidential Walk of Fame on the White House colonnade. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "As a student of history, many were written directly by the President himself." Here's what some say:
- "Sleepy Joe Biden was, by far, the worst President in American History. ... Nicknamed both 'Sleepy' and 'Crooked,' Joe Biden was dominated by his Radical Left handlers."
- "Barack Hussein Obama was the first Black President, a community organizer, one term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History."
- "George W. Bush ... created the Department of Homeland Security, but started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which should not have happened."
- "Bill Clinton served as Attorney General and Governor of Arkansas before winning the Presidency in what was called a major upset over President George H.W. Bush. ... In 2016, President Clinton's wife, Hillary, lost the Presidency to President Donald J. Trump!"
- "Ronald Reagan won the Cold War, and transformed American politics and the Conservative Movement. ... He was a fan of President Donald J. Trump long before President Trump's Historic run for the White House. Likewise, President Trump was a fan of his!"
- More
Women in prison
The Guardian - “Prison is not a good environment for women, let alone someone who is pregnant,” says Sabrina Mahtani, a British-Zambian lawyer and member of Women Beyond Walls, a global collaboration dedicated to combating the over-incarceration of women and girls. “There’s so much research that shows how harmful it is.
“Many prisons were built with men in mind, so women were an afterthought. There are lots of issues around violence, a lack of resources, a lack of sanitation, overcrowding, but also a real lack of gender-responsive care.”
It is 15 years since the UN general assembly adopted the Bangkok Rules for the treatment of female prisoners and non-custodial measures for female offenders. The first set of international guidelines to address the situation of incarcerated women, they were formulated in response to the growing female prison population worldwide. Since 2000, the number of women and girls in prison has risen by 57%, compared with a 22% increase in the male prison population over the same period.
A pram in a prison setting behind bars
A prison in Colombia, South America. UN guidelines that prison should be a last resort for pregnant women are flouted around the world. Photograph: Anadolu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The UN rules state that prison should be a last resort for pregnant women and that non-custodial sentences should always be considered first. They also say that “instruments of restraint shall never be used on women during labour, during birth and immediately after birth”.
But the guidelines are consistently flouted around the world. “This isn’t seen as a global gender-equality priority,” says Mahtani. “It’s not visible, and there’s a lot of stigma and stereotyping. Countries think it’s a small number of women so it’s not an issue, but that’s not true.”
“Many prisons were built with men in mind, so women were an afterthought. There are lots of issues around violence, a lack of resources, a lack of sanitation, overcrowding, but also a real lack of gender-responsive care.”
It is 15 years since the UN general assembly adopted the Bangkok Rules for the treatment of female prisoners and non-custodial measures for female offenders. The first set of international guidelines to address the situation of incarcerated women, they were formulated in response to the growing female prison population worldwide. Since 2000, the number of women and girls in prison has risen by 57%, compared with a 22% increase in the male prison population over the same period.
A pram in a prison setting behind bars
A prison in Colombia, South America. UN guidelines that prison should be a last resort for pregnant women are flouted around the world. Photograph: Anadolu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The UN rules state that prison should be a last resort for pregnant women and that non-custodial sentences should always be considered first. They also say that “instruments of restraint shall never be used on women during labour, during birth and immediately after birth”.
But the guidelines are consistently flouted around the world. “This isn’t seen as a global gender-equality priority,” says Mahtani. “It’s not visible, and there’s a lot of stigma and stereotyping. Countries think it’s a small number of women so it’s not an issue, but that’s not true.”
Polls
NPR - But toward the end of [Trump's] first year in office this term, just 36% of Americans approve of his handling of the economy, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. It's his worst mark in the six years that Marist has been asking the question.
 |
| PBS News |
Newsweek - Nearly three-quarters of Americans view the nation’s economic conditions as only fair or poor, and more than half disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance, according to a new Fox News poll.
The Guardian - The percentage of Americans polled who rated their mental health as “excellent” dropped below 30% for the first time this year while the number who rated their mental health as either “good” or “excellent” also dropped to a record low 72%. These numbers began trending downward after the Covid-19 pandemic–before 2020, 42% or more Americans consistently rated their mental health as “excellent”.
AI in schools
NPR - More than 40% of surveyed 6th- to 12th-grade teachers used AI detection tools during the previous academic year, according to a poll by the Center for Democracy and Technology. The teachers did so despite numerous studies highlighting that these tools lack reliability. Popular detectors like Turnitin, GPTZero and Copyleaks misidentified some things as AI that weren’t, and vice versa, according to findings by Mike Perkins, a leading researcher on academic integrity and AI at British University Vietnam. Their accuracy rates plummet even further when users manipulate the AI test to appear more human. Despite these challenges, NPR found that school districts across the U.S. spend thousands of dollars on these tools.
Tariffs
Bloomberg - Tariffs on imports from China
have squeezed margins across the US toy and games industry, and Hasbro
estimates a $60 million hit to its net profit in 2025. Finance chief
Gina Goetter says the company is diversifying its manufacturing base to counteract these headwinds.
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