Massive Attack announce alliance of musicians speaking out over Gaza pred 2 urama in 27 minutami Brian Eno, Fontaines DC and Kneecap say group will support those subject to ‘aggressive, vexatious campaigns’ by pro-Israel advocatesMassive Attack, Brian Eno, Fontaines DC and Kneecap have announced the formation of a syndicate for artists speaking out about Israel’s military assault on Gaza who they say have been subjected to “aggressive, vexatious campaigns” by pro-Israel advocates.Posting on Instagram, the musicians said their aim is to protect other artists, particularly those at earlier stages of their careers from being “threatened into silence or career cancellation” by organisations such as UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
DeSantis under fire for using disaster funds to build migrant detention jail pred 2 urama in 30 minutami Analysis of $20m spent on ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ shows some contracts went to governor’s donors or alliesOfficials in Florida diverted crucial disaster preparedness and response resources to support the hasty construction of the so-called Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention jail by the Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, a newly published report has claimed.Some of the $20m in contracts analyzed by Talking Points Memo (TPM) before they inexplicably disappeared from the Florida department of financial services website went to donors or political allies of DeSantis, the report said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
White House seeks inspection of Fed building as Trump piles pressure on Powell pred 2 urama in 31 minutami US president has suggested the central bank mismanaged funds for renovations at the Federal Reserve headquartersThe White House is pushing for an inspection of the US Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington after Donald Trump suggested the central bank had mismanaged funds for building renovations.The scrutiny comes as Trump has unsuccessfully tried to pressure Fed chair Jerome Powell to quit and demanded he and other officials lower interest rates. Powell has said that lowering rates prematurely could lead to higher inflation, and that Trump’s tariffs have exacerbated prices. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
OpenAI launches personal assistant capable of controlling files and web browsers pred 2 urama in 35 minutami AI agent can find restaurant reservations and go shopping for users, but OpenAI acknowledges there are ‘more risks’Users of ChatGPT will be able to ask an AI agent to find restaurant reservations, go shopping for them and even draw up lists of candidates for job vacancies, as the chatbot gains the powers of a personal assistant from Thursday.ChatGPT agent, launched by Open AI everywhere apart from the EU, not only “thinks” but also acts, the US company said. The agent combines the powers of AI research tools with the ability to take control of web browsers, computer files and software such as spreadsheets and slide decks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Patients in England’s most deprived areas wait longer for NHS treatment, data reveals pred 3 urami in 1 minuto Those from Asian or British Asian backgrounds are more likely to be waiting longer than 18 weeksPatients from the most deprived areas of England face longer waits for NHS treatment and make up a higher proportion of those waiting for care, according to figures.Data released by NHS England on Thursday provides a breakdown of the health service’s waiting lists by ethnicity and deprivation levels for the first time. It shows that people in the most deprived areas of England and people from ethnic minority backgrounds make up a disproportionate and growing proportion of those waiting for NHS treatment. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Coach carrying schoolchildren on trip involved in serious crash in Somerset pred 3 urami in 4 minutami People taken to hospital after collision on A396, police say, and firefighters had to free some passengers A coach carrying scores of schoolchildren returning from a day trip has been involved in a serious crash on a country road in Somerset.Dozens of emergency crews responded after the incident on Thursday afternoon and firefighters had to free some of the passengers. Some casualties were taken to hospital. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Shooting of bear that swam to tiny Canadian island frustrates First Nations pred 3 urami in 19 minutami Indigenous groups had offered to rehome grizzly nicknamed Tex who was killed without authorizationThe journey of Tex, a young grizzly bear that gripped public attention in Canada after swimming to a tiny populated island, came to a violent end this week after he was shot and killed without authorization, despite plans by Indigenous groups to relocate him.The four-year-old bear’s landfall on 25 May on Texada Island, a tiny island off the west coast, set off a controversy between differing interpretations of how to treat wild predators. Its shooting on Tuesday has advocates calling for the British Columbia government to act faster when it comes to working with First Nations on environmental stewardship. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Slender Man case: woman who stabbed classmate to be released from psychiatric hospital pred 3 urami in 27 minutami Morgan Geyser, who pleaded guilty to 2014 attack when she was 12 years old, granted conditional releaseA 22-year-old woman who stabbed a classmate a decade ago believing that the act would earn her the right to be servant of Slender Man, a fictional supernatural character, is set to be released from a Wisconsin psychiatric hospital.Waukesha county circuit Judge Scott Wagner agreed on Thursday to the conditional release of Morgan Geyser from Winnebago mental health institute, a psychiatric hospital where she has spent the last seven years. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli strike on Gaza church kills three and injures priest Pope Francis called daily pred 3 urami in 45 minutami Pope Leo renews ceasefire call after strike on territory’s only Catholic churchAn Israeli strike has hit the only Catholic church in Gaza, killing three people and injuring 10 others including the parish priest, who used to receive daily calls from the late Pope Francis.The Catholic charity Caritas Internationalis said the three victims were Saad Salameh, the 60-year-old janitor of the Holy Family church; Fumayya Ayyad, an 84-year-old woman who was receiving psychological support in a Caritas tent in the church’s compound when the blast occurred, and Najwa abu Daoud, 69, who was sitting close to Ayyad. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s effort to dismiss Epstein files as ‘hoax’ fails to quell Maga rebellion pred 5 urami in 19 minutami Mike Pence was the latest prominent figure to call for release of files on sex offender once close to presidentHow the Jeffrey Epstein row plunged Maga world into turmoil – a timelineDonald Trump’s efforts to dismiss the criticism over his administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files as a “hoax” showed no sign of working on Thursday as more prominent figures from across the political spectrum emerged to attack the US president and some of his supporters recorded videos burning their signature Make America Great Again hats.Days after the Republican speaker of the House, the Trump loyalist Mike Johnson, called for the release of all documents relating to the late financier, a convicted sex offender and longtime former friend of Trump’s, rebellion continued to simmer within the president’s normally diehard base. Continue reading...(The Guardian)