Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health looks at an ‘inflammatory’ diet during pregnancy and type 1 diabetes risk in children.
Prof Claire Meek, Professor of Chemical Pathology and Diabetes in Pregnancy, Leicester Diabetes Centre, University of Leicester, said:
“While we have known for some time that the mother’s health in pregnancy influences the child’s risk of type 1 diabetes, the role of maternal diet upon children’s diabetes risk is less clear. This interesting new study suggests that mothers who eat a healthy, “anti-inflammatory” diet have a lower risk of type 1 diabetes in their babies – however, it is not clear if these effects are truly due to reduced inflammation, which wasn’t directly measured in the babies. The study findings could also be explained by pregnant women eating higher levels of vitamins and fibre, or choosing foods more likely to keep blood glucose levels and weight under good control. It is also important to remember that people from lower-income families may have less access to healthy food and higher risks of chronic disease, so it may not be a fair assessment of diet.
“However, this study does support broader guidance about the importance of eating a healthy balanced diet in pregnancy, helping keep mums and babies healthy both during pregnancy and in the future.”
Dr John MacSharry, Funded Investigator at APC Microbiome Ireland and Senior Lecturer in Virology and Immunology, University College Cork, said:
“The study by Noorzae et al. is a robust prospective analysis linking a pro-inflammatory maternal diet (Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (EDII)) during pregnancy to an increased risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in offspring.
“Their use of a large national cohort and validated registry data strengthens the epidemiological association, and the inclusion of breastfeeding duration as a covariate is a notable strength.
Interestingly, longer breastfeeding was more common among mothers with lower EDII scores, consistent with breastfeeding’s well-documented role in promoting immune tolerance and healthy microbial colonization. Apart from providing early passive immunity wave maternal antibodies, breast milk provides bioactive molecules such as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which selectively feed beneficial microbes (e.g. Bifidobacterium spp.) and promote the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate by the gut microbiota —key modulators of regulatory T cell development and mucosal immunity.
“However, the study lacks direct biological validation of the immune or microbiota-mediated mechanisms it hypothesises. The Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (EDII) was based on correlations with C-reactive protein (CRP), a non-specific acute-phase protein that offers limited insight into adaptive immune function or cytokine signalling pathways central to autoimmunity.
No maternal or fetal immune phenotyping, cytokine profiling, or microbiota/metabolome data were included, missing the opportunity to explore key mediators such as SCFAs, bile acids, tryptophan metabolites, and gut microbiota population types. In addition, maternal or early-life infections—known risk factors for pancreatic islet autoimmunity—were not assessed, despite their relevance in immune priming.
“Future studies should integrate immunophenotyping, longitudinal microbiome and metabolomics analyses, and infection exposure history to map the interplay between maternal diet, immune maturation, and T1D risk. Such multi-omic approaches, including the postnatal environment shaped by breastfeeding and early feeding practices, are essential to fully understand the developmental origins of immune-mediated diseases.”
‘Association between a pro-inflammatory dietary pattern during pregnancy and type 1 diabetes risk in offspring: prospective cohort study’ by Rohina Noorzae et al. was published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health at 23:30 UK time on Tuesday 1 July 2025.
DOI: 10.1136/jech-2024-223320
Declared interests
Dr John MacSharry: “I can declare I have no financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence my opinion of this work.”
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
INDIANAPOLIS— The following seven individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a firearms theft and trafficking conspiracy:
Defendant
Charge(s)
Sentence
Zackary Doss, 27
Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
2.5 years imprisonment
3 years of supervised release
Dominique Ellison, 37
Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
1.5 years imprisonment
3 years of supervised release
Antonio Grant, 33
Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
3 years of probation
Ryan Hurt, 30
Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
Possession of Stolen Firearms
4.5 years imprisonment
3 years of supervised release
Kevin Jones, Jr, 23
Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
Possession or Sale of Stolen Firearms
3.5 years imprisonment
3 years of supervised release
Malyk Mendez, 32
Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
1.5 years imprisonment
1 year of supervised release
Bruce Williams, 33
Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
9 years imprisonment
3 years of supervised release
According to court documents, Bruce Williams and Ryan Hurt—then employees at an Indianapolis shipping facility—masterminded a scheme to steal firearms and sell them for profit, utilizing accomplices Malyk Mendez and convicted felon Antonio Grant, among others. Firearms were ultimately sold to individuals including Kevin Jones, Jr., and convicted felons Dominique Ellison and Zackary Doss. Jones and Doss, in turn, then sold the firearms to numerous other individuals.
Between January and March 2022, the group made off with 240 firearms from four separate shipments headed for different states. The conspiracy began to unravel when ATF agents noticed a disturbing pattern: firearms sent through the Indianapolis terminal were missing key inventory.
A breakdown of stolen firearms, varying in make and models, is as follows:
9 mm semi-automatic handguns (174)
.38 caliber revolvers (13)
.22 caliber revolvers (2)
.45 caliber semi-automatic handguns (38)
semi-automatic rifles (5)
10mm semi-automatic handguns (8)
Williams and Hurt kept some firearms from the thefts for themselves but recruited others, including codefendants, to assist in locating buyers for the stolen guns. Williams also personally sold a substantial number of the stolen firearms.
Of the 240 firearms that were stolen, only 61 firearms have been recovered as of May 5, 2025; over three years since the thefts occurred. Five of those firearms were recovered from Williams and Hurt upon their arrests.
The other firearms recovered have been found in a wide array of criminal activity and locations; Indianapolis, Lafayette, Gary, Chicago, Florida, and Oklahoma, to name a few. The criminal activity has included felons possessing firearms, drug trafficking, domestic violence incidents, vehicle pursuits, shootings, carjackings, and homicides.
“Stolen firearms are a major source of crime guns for violent offenders and pose a serious threat to public safety,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we’re committed to stopping gun traffickers, recovering stolen weapons, and keeping them out of the hands of dangerous individuals.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pamela S. Domash and Bradley P. Shepard, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
HOUSTON, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — APA Corporation (Nasdaq: APA) today released its sustainability publications highlighting progress in environmental stewardship, social responsibility and corporate governance throughout 2024. This year, APA simplified its reporting into two complementary documents. Our Approach to Sustainability details the ongoing sustainability programs and initiatives. The 2025 Sustainability Progress Report contains progress on 2024 goals, yearly highlights, key performance data and new goals for 2025. To explore the publications, visit https://apacorp.com/sustainability.
“Our sustainability progress is tangible,” said APA CEO John J. Christmann IV. “APA has taken meaningful steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize freshwater usage, and protect sensitive ecosystems. We remain committed to a strong safety culture and responsible operations. We are proud to share our 2024 highlights in the pages of our progress report.”
Highlights from the 2025 Sustainability Progress Report include:
Air – As industry partners, APA focuses on reducing emissions by setting goals, sharing knowledge, and delivering commitments. The company exceeded its goal to eliminate at least 1 million tonnes of annualized carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions between 2021 and 2024, completing over 50 global projects that eliminated 1.24 million tonnes of annualized CO2e emissions.
Water – APA aims to minimize freshwater use by recycling produced water, sourcing alternatives, and reducing overall water requirements for its operations. Ninety-seven percent of the global water use was produced water and brackish, nonfresh water.
People – As an organization, APA is committed to the health and safety of its employees, contractors and people in the communities where it operates. APA achieved or exceeded all corporate safety targets in 2024, including its lowest global Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) in company history at 0.16.
Community – In efforts to continue building a sustainable future, APA continues its work across three focus areas of community well-being, energy poverty and conservation. In 2024, APA spent 44% of its operating area’s budgets with local suppliers and contractors.
About APA
APA Corporation owns consolidated subsidiaries that explore for and produce oil and natural gas in the United States, Egypt and the United Kingdom and that explore for oil and natural gas offshore Suriname and elsewhere. APA posts announcements, operational updates, investor information and press releases on its website, www.apacorp.com.
JAMining, one of the industry’s most trusted names in cloud-based cryptocurrency mining, has officially launched its XRP cloud mining contracts—marking a new phase in decentralized participation for digital asset investors across the globe. With over 16 years of operational history, JAMining continues to push the boundaries of inclusive, intelligent mining.
As the market demand for alternative mining methods accelerates, XRP has emerged as a strong contender, thanks to its high throughput, institutional appeal, and low transaction fees. JAMining’s latest integration allows anyone—from institutional investors to first-time users—to mine XRP securely without owning any physical hardware.
Cloud Mining Reimagined: XRP Mining Without Borders
JAMining’s XRP contracts remove the complexity and capital-intensive nature of traditional mining. Instead of purchasing ASIC machines or worrying about electricity rates, users can simply register, select a mining plan, and begin earning XRP within minutes.
The platform offers short- and medium-term mining contracts, such as:
All contracts are capital-protected and designed for liquidity—ensuring your initial investment is returned at the end of the term, with daily income automatically credited.
“The idea is simple,” said a JAMining spokesperson. “You don’t need to be a blockchain expert to benefit from blockchain infrastructure. JAMining’s AI-backed mining engine does the heavy lifting while you collect stable daily rewards.”
Intelligent Systems, Zero Hardware Hassles
Key Features:
AI-Powered Allocation: Mining tasks are dynamically distributed to maximize profitability across XRP pools.
No Setup Required: All systems run in high-availability data centers powered by renewable energy.
Mobile Dashboard Access: Track earnings, contract performance, and manage settings with full transparency.
Real-Time Payouts: 24/7 mining with daily income and instant withdrawals.
The platform’s backend is hosted across strategically located, environmentally responsible data centers powered by solar and wind energy. By prioritizing sustainability, JAMining positions itself as a rare fusion of financial innovation and ecological responsibility.
Why XRP and Why Now?
XRP’s increasing role in cross-border payments, remittances, and institutional banking has made it one of the most discussed digital assets of 2025. With regulatory clarity on the horizon and major financial entities eyeing XRP’s utility, cloud mining it now offers a rare asymmetric opportunity.
Unlike speculation-based investing, cloud mining provides fixed, predictable income—something that risk-averse investors and institutions increasingly prefer.
“The shift we’re seeing in the market is clear: users want passive, predictable returns, not emotional trading swings,” said JAMining’s lead analyst. “Our XRP cloud contracts are designed exactly for this new wave of investor demand.”
Global Impact, Local Accessibility
With over 11.2 million users across 190+ countries, JAMining’s mission is to make wealth-building tools available to everyone. The XRP launch fits that mission precisely—offering equal access to a growing asset with real-world utility.
The JAMining platform is currently available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, German, Russian, Italian, Japanese, French, Korean, with more languages coming soon.
Ready to Join?
New users receive $100 in mining credits instantly upon registration. No prior experience is needed. Start mining XRP, BTC, ETH, and more today at https://jamining.com/ For partnership or media inquiries, please email: info@jamining.com
Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or trading recommendations. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and the possibility of losing funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.
New York City, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Expert Consumers has published a new report identifying the leading credit-building app of 2025, with Kikoff receiving top recognition for its consistent performance, beginner-friendly structure, and accessibility for consumers with limited or no credit history.
The annual evaluation focused on platforms that provide effective credit-building pathways without requiring interest payments, hard credit checks, or complex account structures. Kikoff stood out for its low-cost plans, ease of use, and ability to report to all three major credit bureaus – positioning it as a strong option for individuals starting or rebuilding their credit journey.
Designed for Credit-Invisible and First-Time Users
Kikoff’s platform is built to address the needs of the estimated 45 million U.S. adults who are credit-invisible or unscored. Its service model includes:
No hard credit checks
Monthly plans starting at $5
Reports to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion
No interest or hidden fees
Built-in financial education tools
This structure allows users to establish positive credit history in a predictable, low-risk environment – without taking on traditional debt or facing fees for missed requirements.
How Kikoff’s Model Works
Kikoff offers users a virtual tradeline – typically starting at $750 – which can be used to make purchases in its online store or access its financial wellness services. Users repay on a monthly schedule, with consistent reporting to credit bureaus to help build payment history and credit utilization metrics.
Key features include:
No prior credit history required
Fixed monthly payments
Support for credit-building fundamentals
Plans Available in 2025
To meet a range of credit goals, Kikoff provides three plan tiers:
Basic – $5/month: $750 tradeline, monthly bureau reporting, and access to credit tips
Premium – $20/month: Tradeline up to $2,500, includes rent reporting and credit monitoring
Ultimate – $35/month: Up to $3,500 tradeline, identity protection, and expanded benefits
All plans remain interest-free and are designed to build credit gradually over time.
Performance in Real-World Credit Scenarios
In testing environments, Kikoff demonstrated a reliable pattern of credit score improvement over a three- to six-month period, especially for users starting from limited credit backgrounds. Its transparency, simple onboarding process, and structured payment model contributed to its top placement in this year’s report.
Unlike traditional credit cards or installment loans, Kikoff does not rely on user credit scores for approval and avoids common fees and interest charges. This makes it a practical choice for consumers seeking a straightforward entry point into the credit system.
Evaluated on Key Credit-Building Metrics
Expert Consumers’ 2025 review assessed leading platforms based on:
Ease of access and onboarding
Cost structure
Credit score impact
User experience
Bureau coverage
Kikoff performed strongly in each category, with standout marks in affordability and accessibility.
Reflecting Broader Trends in Consumer Credit
The growing popularity of tools like Kikoff reflects broader shifts in consumer finance, including:
Increased demand for alternative credit solutions
Rising interest in fintech among Gen Z and Millennials
A focus on transparency and predictability
Expanded use of credit data in housing, employment, and insurance
Kikoff’s approach – centered on ease, trust, and education – continues to align with these trends, offering consumers a practical path forward in today’s financial landscape.
Looking Forward
With continued development in areas like rent reporting and digital identity protection, Kikoff is positioned to evolve alongside the needs of modern consumers. Analysts expect further growth in this sector as more users seek accessible, digital-first tools to navigate the credit system.
About Expert Consumers Expert Consumers provides independent reviews and rankings of consumer products and services. As an affiliate publisher, it may earn commissions from purchases made via links in its content.
About Kikoff Kikoff is a credit-building platform helping users establish and grow credit through interest-free, no-fee plans with monthly reporting to all major credit bureaus. Designed especially for beginners, Kikoff supports long-term financial health through simple tools and educational resources.
Carshalton, UK, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the XRP price surpassed $2.00 and returned to the spotlight of the top cryptocurrencies, a new wave of investors’ attention turned to a fast-rising but little-known project on the XRP Ledger: PBK Miner (PBKMiner XRP Mining).
Given XRP’s resilience and strong fundamentals, many XRP holders are now looking to PBK Miner, a next-generation XRP mining program driven by artificial intelligence. By launching a 2-day XRP cloud mining contract, the platform provides investors with a flexible and efficient opportunity to accumulate XRP. The program aims to unlock the market’s strong demand for low-threshold, high-liquidity XRP investment products.
Why PBK Miner is the XRP mining project everyone is paying attention to
While XRP continues to dominate headlines in the wider crypto market, PBK Miner is quietly becoming one of the most promising XRP mining projects for 2025.
PBK Miner fills a much-needed gap in the XRP ecosystem, integrating a powerful computing power leasing service, flexible and efficient contract options, and an AI-driven yield optimization system, and integrating all functions into a user-centric platform. With ultra-low entry barriers, flexible terms, and stable returns, this XRP mining-focused solution quickly won the favor of XRP holders and short-term investors. In just one week, the number of XRP short-term investors on the platform surged by 300%.
PBK Miner now offers flexible XRP mining plans:
2-day strategy: return rate +6.7%
5-day strategy: return rate +6.19%
15-day strategy: return rate +20.9%
30-day strategy: return rate +55.7%
These performance figures are not speculation, but are based on real usage data from millions of users. This is due to PBKMiner’s AI-driven profit optimization engine and result-oriented XRP mining model.
One of the most attractive aspects of the XRP mining plan is the ultra-low investment threshold and flexible contract period. For example, the 2-day XRP mining strategy starts at only $100.
Why it’s easy for everyone to start mining XRP with PBKMiner
No hardware required: Users can leverage the platform’s massive hashing power to mine XRP — without having to purchase expensive equipment.
Zero maintenance costs: PBKMiner covers all electricity, maintenance, and operational needs. After purchasing a package, users can enjoy the benefits with peace of mind – even a novice can start mining in minutes.
Stable daily income: Daily income can be withdrawn, and the principal will be fully returned at the end of the contract to ensure the safety of funds.
Since its founding in 2019, PBKMiner has expanded its cloud mining business for BTC, ETH, LTC, DOGE, and SOL in 183+ countries and regions, serving more than 8.5 million active users worldwide. With the launch of 2-day XRP contracts, PBKMiner has now opened access to its high-performance XRP cloud mining infrastructure and has quickly become the first choice for XRP holders and short-term investors.
Choose a contract: Select a mining plan that fits your budget and financial goals. All available plans support XRP mining.
Start earning: Once your contract is activated, PBKMiner’s intelligent platform will take care of the rest – ensuring seamless and efficient mining operations to maximize your profits.
About PBKMiner
Founded in 2019, PBKMiner represents a new generation of AI-driven cloud mining technology, based on data, performance, and trust. The platform supports cloud mining of XRP, BTC, ETH, LTC, DOGE, and SOL. With a rapidly growing global user base, PBKMiner will stand out as one of the most promising cryptocurrency investment opportunities in 2025, especially for investors who seek sustainable long-term returns rather than speculative gains.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or a trading recommendation. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and may result in the loss of funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology
The beginning of the financial year means for the first time in Australia the public will see previously unreleased tax reports produced by multinational taxpayers.
These documents, known as country-by-country reports, or CbCR for short, contain information about the tax practices of large Australian businesses and foreign businesses operating in Australia. This information, previously only available to the taxpayer and the Australian Tax Office, will be made public.
Country-by-country reports, announced in the October 2022-2023 budget, were introduced with other measures designed to improve corporate tax behaviour. The reports will be released from this week as part of corporate reporting practices. Multinationals have 12 months to comply.
A fairer tax system
Country-by-country reporting forms part of the government’s multinational tax integrity election commitment package. The aim is to ensure a fairer and more sustainable tax system. Large firms will be required to publish a statement on their global activities plus tax information for each jurisdiction in which they operate.
Until now, large multinationals only had to prepare annual consolidated financial statements under international financial reporting standards. The traditional reports aggregate results and provide limited geographic reporting information.
Traditional high-level reporting allows multinationals to conceal their country-level activities. This hides questionable tax practices.
Country-by-country reporting allows us to better see where a multinational operates. More importantly, the amount of activity in each jurisdiction is reported. The information provides clues as to whether artificial profit shifting has occurred.
Anyone interested can uncover details about how multinationals structure their global operations. Information may reveal a misalignment between the company’s real economic presence in a country, the profits they book and taxes they pay in that country.
Bringing Australia into line with the EU
Country-by-country reporting is not new. It is the requirement that the information be made public that has changed.
Australian firms have been required to provide such reports to the Australian Tax Office since 2016. However, the information has been confidential.
The new public disclosure law brings Australia in line with large firms operating in the European Union which brought in the change last year.
How country-by-country reporting works
A taxpayer with annual global income above A$1 billion and at least A$10 million of its turnover Australian-sourced will need to produce a report. The obligation to disclose rests with the parent entity no matter where they are located.
Australia’s largest companies, including mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP, biotech firm CSL, and investment bank Macquarie Group, will be among those expected to report, as will foreign tech behemoths such as Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta.
These tech giants are the same US firms likely to be excluded from the global minimum tax rules under a G7 agreement reached last week. Under the agreement, US multinationals were exempted from paying more corporate tax overseas. Other G7 members gave in to protect their own companies from the US’s threat of retaliation.
Under the law change in Australia, a parent entity will provide its name, the names of all members of the group, a description of their approach to tax, and information about operations in certain countries. Included on the list are countries that attract multinationals due to reduced tax obligations, such as Singapore, Switzerland, and the Bahamas.
Everyone will be able to see where a multinational is operating. They will also see the types of business activities conducted, number of employees, assets, revenue, and taxes paid. Large profits in a country but little business activity and very few employees may raise questions, especially if a country has a low tax rate.
Benefits of better transparency
Access to the extra information will help investors assess the tax and reputational risk of a firm. A multinational that shifts profits to low tax countries may be audited and pay extra tax and penalties.
Increased transparency allows greater scrutiny. In turn, it is hoped multinationals will reduce aggressive tax planning due to potential risk to their reputation.
If multinationals shift less taxable profits out of Australia to low-tax or no-tax jurisdictions, this will lead to Australia receiving a greater share of much needed corporate tax revenue.
Increased tax transparency helps investors and tax authorities to better understand a multinational’s economic and tax geographic footprint. It is also important when it seems that US giants will be excluded from the 15% global minimum tax rules. Transparency by itself, however, does not lead to multinationals paying more corporate taxes.
By its very nature, tax avoidance is legal but pushes the boundaries by going against the spirit of the law. Indeed, many large multinationals argue tax is a legal obligation and is not voluntary. They maintain they pay the tax required of them according to the law.
Undoubtedly, Australia’s new public country-by-country regime is a positive step for tax transparency. As a country initiative, it has been applauded as groundbreaking and world leading. However, it is not a panacea to corporate tax avoidance.
To limit corporate tax avoidance and have multinationals pay more corporate taxes, we must get to the heart of the problem. We must change the law that dictates the way multinationals are taxed.
Kerrie Sadiq currently receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She has previously received research grants from CPA Australia and CAANZ.
Rodney Brown has previously received research grants from CPA Australia and CAANZ.
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the lawsuit Equality State Policy Center v. Chuck Gray, defending Wyoming’s legitimate interest securing its voting process from fraud by requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Longstanding Supreme Court precedent recognizes that states have a significant interest in preventing fraud and safeguarding voter confidence in the election process. Wyoming’s documentary proof of citizenship law is a mechanism to enforce laws that prohibit non-citizen voting and ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots.
“It is a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and it is important that the American people have confidence in the integrity of our elections.” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Gates of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Requiring documentary proof of citizenship is common sense and ensures that only citizens vote.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) secured the largest expansion ever to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) as well as new funding for Medicaid as part of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” that passed the Senate today. Senator Hawley supported the legislation after negotiating the inclusion of these key Missouri priorities.
Senator Hawley’s RECA provision will deliver long-overdue compensation and health care for survivors of radiation-linked cancers in the St. Louis and St. Charles areas. The Senate-passed reconciliation bill will also deliver major relief for working people, such as no taxes on overtime, no taxes on tips, and a larger child tax credit for families. Following negotiations between Senate GOP Leadership and Senator Hawley, the legislation included a new $50 billion fund for rural hospitals. This means that Missouri is set to receive approximately $1 billion in new funding to support providers and Medicaid recipients over the next five years. Senator Hawley also secured the delay of any Medicaid reductions.
“RECA is generational legislation for Missouri and will finally deliver justice for survivors in the St. Louis region. And when this reconciliation bill is signed into law, Missouri will also see new health care funding and big tax cuts for working families. I call on the House to quickly pass this legislation and send it to President Trump’s desk,” said Senator Hawley. “But let me be clear, I will continue to do everything in my power to reverse future cuts to Medicaid. If Republicans want to be the party of the working class, we cannot cut health insurance for working people.”
For two years, Senator Hawley has fought to secure funding for survivors of nuclear contamination in Missouri and across the country, having twice passed a RECA reauthorization bill through the Senate in July 2023 and March 2024.
Senate Republicans Rammed Through Their Extreme Tax Spending Bill, Cutting Medicaid And SNAP For Millions To Pay For More Billionaire Tax Cuts
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement after Senate Republicans passed their extreme tax spending bill that will take away health care coverage and food assistance from millions of Americans, all to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy.
“What Senate Republicans just did is truly appalling: they passed an extreme tax spending bill that’ll slash health care coverage and food assistance for Nevadans who need it most in order to pay for more tax cuts for billionaires,” said Senator Rosen. “This extreme bill will also eliminate thousands of good-paying, clean energy jobs in our state while raising costs for hardworking families. It’s a disgrace. Hardworking Nevada families won’t ever forget how Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans betrayed them to give more money to the ultra-wealthy.”
Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
July 1, 2025
WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) released the following statement on President Donald Trump’s nominees to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA):
“President Trump’s nominees must be confirmed quickly so they can get to work correcting the many errors and failed policies the Biden-era TVA board put into place. With this new board, we will work to make sure the United States enters the Golden Age of American energy – one that includes nuclear — that puts us back on a path towards energy independence. I look forward to confirming these qualified nominees in short order.”
Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
Ahead of Final Passage, Peters Delivered Speech on Senate Floor to Voice His Opposition to the Bill
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement after Senate Republicans passed a bill that would add more than $3 trillion to the deficit, increase our skyrocketing national debt, and take away health care and food assistance from millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Michiganders, in order to cut taxes for billionaires:
“The bill that Republicans just passed will rip health care away from hundreds of thousands of Michiganders, make it harder for families across the country to afford food and pay their energy bills, and balloon our deficit by trillions of dollars. Democrats did everything in our power to stop this legislation, but President Trump and Republicans in Congress are dead set on selling out hardworking Michiganders so they can pay for a massive tax cut for billionaires. This bill is reckless, irresponsible, and an unconscionable betrayal of American families. I voted no.”
nvitamos al público a una serie de seminarios web gratuitos que incluyen conversaciones con defensores de los derechos de personas con discapacidades, expertos, e influencers que compartirán la información más reciente sobre el acceso a la educación y el empleo, desafiando las percepciones sobre las personas con discapacidades y explicando cómo eliminar las barreras.
Según la fecha, los temas son:
8 de julio: Luchando por el acceso a la educación y la equidad para los estudiantes con discapacidades
15 de julio: Trabajando por la igualdad de acceso al empleo para las personas con discapacidades
22 de julio: Hannah y Shane Burcaw, los anfitriones del canal de YouTube Squirmy y Grubs (enlace en inglés) presentarán acerca de cambiar las percepciones sobre las discapacidades
29 de julio: El camino de Oregon hacia la accesibilidad: eliminando barreras
La serie de seminarios web gratuitos será presentada por la Comisión de Discapacidades de Oregon (Oregon Disabilities Commission, ODC por sus siglas en inglés), el Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Oregon (Oregon Department of Human Services), el Centro Noroeste de ADA (Northwest ADA Center-enlace en inglés) y Disability Rights Oregon para conmemorar y celebrar el aniversario 35 de la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA por sus siglas en inglés-enlace en inglés).
“La Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades fue una gran victoria en la lucha por los derechos civiles. Creó la base para más igualdad e independencia. El aniversario de la ley es una oportunidad para reflexionar sobre el progreso que hemos logrado y para renovar nuestro compromiso de lograr un Oregon más inclusivo y accesible para las personas con discapacidades,” dijo Mark King, director de ODC. “Agradecemos a nuestros coanfitriones por su colaboración en las presentaciones de la próxima serie de seminarios web. Trabajar juntos nos ayuda a seguir educando, involucrando y abogando en formas que honran el espíritu y el impacto de la ADA.”
Los seminarios web serán todos los martes de julio de las 11:30 a.m. a la 1:00 p.m. hora del Pacífico, e iniciarán el 8 de julio. Las sesiones están abiertas al público y la inscripción está abierta en la página web del evento en Zoom (enlace en inglés).
La serie será accesible para las personas con discapacidades y se traducirá al español. También se brindarán subtítulos y Lengua de Señas Americana. Para preguntas sobre la accesibilidad de la serie de seminarios web o para pedir una adaptación, comuníquese con OregonDisabilities.Commission@odhsoha.oregon.gov.
Se compartirá más información sobre la serie, incluyendo las biografías de los presentadores y folletos para compartir en la página web del evento de la ADA del Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Oregon.
LOS ANGELES, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RBB Bancorp (NASDAQ: RBB) and its subsidiaries, Royal Business Bank (the “Bank”) and RBB Asset Management Company (“RAM”), collectively referred to herein as the “Company”, today announced that it will release financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2025 after the markets close on Monday, July 21, 2025.
Management will hold a conference call at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time/2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 to discuss the Company’s financial results.
To listen to the conference call, please dial 1-888-506-0062 or 1-973-528-0011, passcode 710803, Conference ID RBBQ225. A replay of the call will be made available at 1-877-481-4010 or 1-919-882-2331, passcode 52690, approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call and will remain available through August 05, 2025.
Additionally, interested parties can listen to a live webcast of the call in the “Investor Relations” section of the Company’s website at www.royalbusinessbankusa.com. This webcast will be recorded and available for replay on the Company’s website approximately two hours after the conclusion of the conference call.
Corporate Overview
RBB Bancorp is a community-based financial holding company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. As of March 31, 2025, the Company had total assets of $4.0 billion. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Royal Business Bank, is a full service commercial bank, which provides consumer and business banking services predominantly to the Asian-centric communities in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Ventura County in California, in Las Vegas, Nevada, in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan in New York, in Edison, New Jersey, in the Chicago neighborhoods of Chinatown and Bridgeport, Illinois, and on Oahu, Hawaii. Bank services include remote deposit, E-banking, mobile banking, commercial and investor real estate loans, business loans and lines of credit, commercial and industrial loans, SBA 7A and 504 loans, 1-4 single family residential loans, trade finance, a full range of depository account products and wealth management services. The Bank has nine branches in Los Angeles County, two branches in Ventura County, one branch in Orange County, California, one branch in Las Vegas, Nevada, three branches and one loan operation center in Brooklyn, three branches in Queens, one branch in Manhattan in New York, one branch in Edison, New Jersey, two branches in Chicago, Illinois, and one branch in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Company’s administrative and lending center is located at 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90017, and its finance and operations center is located at 7025 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, California 90621. The Company’s website address is www.royalbusinessbankusa.com.
Contacts Lynn Hopkins, EVP and Chief Financial Officer, (657) 255-3282
01 JULY 2025 – Equinor and its partners are investing NOK 13 billion in the third phase of Johan Sverdrup, one of the world’s most carbon-efficient oil fields. New subsea infrastructure will increase recovery by 40–50 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe).
“By building on the technologies, solutions, and infrastructure from phases 1 and 2 of Johan Sverdrup, we can carry out an efficient development with a rapid start-up of production. The project increases the recovery rate and value creation from Johan Sverdrup, one of the world’s most carbon-efficient oil and gas fields. At the same time, it contributes to stable energy supplies to Europe,” says Trond Bokn, senior vice president for project development in Equinor.
Increased value creation and innovation
The development includes two new subsea templates which will be tied into existing infrastructure via new pipelines. The investment will increase recoverable volumes from the field by 40–50 million boe, with production expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2027.
To ensure optimal resource utilisation, the project leveraged artificial intelligence to analyse field layouts and well paths. This technology has enabled faster decision-making and resulted in cost savings of NOK 130 million for the phase 3 project.
The project also facilitates future value creation at Johan Sverdrup by adding extra well slots, and opportunities for connecting additional subsea templates.
Contract awards
The Johan Sverdrup field contributes significantly to value creation and ripple effects in society and has driven important industrial development in Norway.
For the phase 3 project, TechnipFMC has been awarded the contract for engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) for the subsea development, with a contract value of approximately NOK 5.3 billion. Additional contracts, including platform modifications and the drilling of eight wells, are planned to be awarded later in 2025.
Increased recovery and production
Safe and efficient operations at Johan Sverdrup are delivering results, with systematic efforts to maximise recovery. Phase 3 of the development will create additional value.
The expected recovery rate from Johan Sverdrup is already world-class at 66 percent. The phase 3 project is an important step towards achieving our ambition of 75 percent. The average for the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) is 47 percent.
“In 2024, Johan Sverdrup set a production record with 260 million barrels of oil, the highest annual oil production ever from a Norwegian field. Every third barrel of oil from the Norwegian continental shelf now comes from the field. Phase 3 is an important contribution to maintaining high production from Johan Sverdrup in the years to come,” says Marianne Bjelland, vice president for Johan Sverdrup.
Equinor aims to maintain a high level of oil and gas production on the NCS towards 2035. Johan Sverdrup phase 3 is one of several projects receiving an investment decision this year that supports this ambition.
The partnership has submitted a notification to the authorities in accordance with the existing plan for development and operation (PDO). The notification is subject to governmental approval.
Johan Sverdrup phase 3
Location: Johan Sverdrup is located in the Utsira High area of the North Sea, 160 kilometres west of Stavanger, in water depths of 110–120 metres, covering an area of 200 square kilometres.
Production capacity: 755,000 barrels per day, approximately one-third of Norway’s total oil production at current levels.
Economic impact: In 2024, the operation of the Johan Sverdrup field alone contributed over 4,400 full-time equivalents and Norwegian deliveries worth NOK 7 billion.
Electrification: Johan Sverdrup is powered by electricity from shore, with CO₂ emissions of 0.67 kilograms per barrel of oil produced – approximately 5% of the global average.
Phase 3 development: Comprises two new subsea templates in the Kvitsøy and Avaldsnes areas with six well slots each, totalling eight wells (seven oil production wells and one water injection well), tied back to existing templates and pipelines to the P2 platform for processing and export.
Future-proofing: The project enables future value creation by including extra well slots, spare capacity in the control cable, and opportunities for connecting additional subsea templates.
Ownership interests: Equinor Energy AS 42.6267% (operator), Aker BP ASA 31.5733%, Petoro AS 17.36%, and TotalEnergies EP Norge AS 8.44%.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jonathan Jackson – Illinois (1st District)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, IL — Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-1) today issued the following statement in strong opposition to the Senate’s passage of the so-called “One Big Ugly Bill,” and pledged to vote against the legislation and do everything in his power to prevent it from becoming law:
“Today, the U.S. Senate narrowly passed the ‘One Big Ugly Bill,’ a sweeping measure that threatens the economic security, health, and dignity of working families in Chicago and across the nation. I want to make it absolutely clear: I will vote NO on this bill, and I will fight with every tool at my disposal to stop this reckless attack on our communities.
This legislation would slash $290 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), putting over 205,000 Illinoisans—including tens of thousands of my constituents in Chicago—at risk of losing the food assistance they rely on to feed their families. It would impose new work requirements on adults ages 55–64, a change that could force thousands of older Chicagoans—many of whom are already struggling to find work—off SNAP and into food insecurity. Local food pantries like Irving Park Community Food Pantry and Meals on Wheels Chicago are already stretched thin; these cuts would mean more of our neighbors going hungry, and more pressure on nonprofits that are already struggling to keep up with rising demand.
The bill also slashes nearly $700 billion from Medicaid, jeopardizing health coverage for more than 300,000 Illinois residents, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 10.9 million Americans would lose health insurance coverage under this bill, with low-income and working-class families bearing the brunt of these cuts.
Meanwhile, this bill delivers massive new tax breaks to the wealthiest households and corporations, while adding $2.8 trillion to the national debt. The increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap overwhelmingly benefits the top 5% of earners, while ordinary Chicagoans see their benefits slashed and their cost of living rise.
In Chicago, where nearly one in five households relies on SNAP and more than 40% of children are covered by Medicaid, the impact of this bill would be devastating. Families will face impossible choices between paying for food, medicine, and rent. Our city’s most vulnerable—children, seniors, people with disabilities—will be left to fend for themselves.
I urge my colleagues in the House to reject this cruel and shortsighted legislation. Chicagoans deserve better than a bill that takes from those with the least to give to those with the most. I will stand with our families, our seniors, and our children—and I will do everything in my power to ensure this bill never becomes law.”
Congressman Jackson is also seeking cosponsors for the following amendments to the “One Big Ugly Bill” to protect families from its most damaging provisions:
Amendment to strike Section 10102, which expands SNAP work requirements to seniors ages 55 to 65.
Amendment to strike Section 10107, which would eliminate funding for all SNAP-Ed (SNAP Education) programs.
“These amendments are essential to safeguard our seniors from punitive work requirements and to preserve vital nutrition education programs that help families make healthy choices,” said Jackson. “I call on my colleagues to join me in defending the basic dignity and well-being of our constituents.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jonathan Jackson – Illinois (1st District)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, IL — Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-1) today issued the following statement in strong opposition to the Senate’s passage of the so-called “One Big Ugly Bill,” and pledged to vote against the legislation and do everything in his power to prevent it from becoming law:
“Today, the U.S. Senate narrowly passed the ‘One Big Ugly Bill,’ a sweeping measure that threatens the economic security, health, and dignity of working families in Chicago and across the nation. I want to make it absolutely clear: I will vote NO on this bill, and I will fight with every tool at my disposal to stop this reckless attack on our communities.
This legislation would slash $290 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), putting over 205,000 Illinoisans—including tens of thousands of my constituents in Chicago—at risk of losing the food assistance they rely on to feed their families. It would impose new work requirements on adults ages 55–64, a change that could force thousands of older Chicagoans—many of whom are already struggling to find work—off SNAP and into food insecurity. Local food pantries like Irving Park Community Food Pantry and Meals on Wheels Chicago are already stretched thin; these cuts would mean more of our neighbors going hungry, and more pressure on nonprofits that are already struggling to keep up with rising demand.
The bill also slashes nearly $700 billion from Medicaid, jeopardizing health coverage for more than 300,000 Illinois residents, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 10.9 million Americans would lose health insurance coverage under this bill, with low-income and working-class families bearing the brunt of these cuts.
Meanwhile, this bill delivers massive new tax breaks to the wealthiest households and corporations, while adding $2.8 trillion to the national debt. The increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap overwhelmingly benefits the top 5% of earners, while ordinary Chicagoans see their benefits slashed and their cost of living rise.
In Chicago, where nearly one in five households relies on SNAP and more than 40% of children are covered by Medicaid, the impact of this bill would be devastating. Families will face impossible choices between paying for food, medicine, and rent. Our city’s most vulnerable—children, seniors, people with disabilities—will be left to fend for themselves.
I urge my colleagues in the House to reject this cruel and shortsighted legislation. Chicagoans deserve better than a bill that takes from those with the least to give to those with the most. I will stand with our families, our seniors, and our children—and I will do everything in my power to ensure this bill never becomes law.”
Congressman Jackson is also seeking cosponsors for the following amendments to the “One Big Ugly Bill” to protect families from its most damaging provisions:
Amendment to strike Section 10102, which expands SNAP work requirements to seniors ages 55 to 65.
Amendment to strike Section 10107, which would eliminate funding for all SNAP-Ed (SNAP Education) programs.
“These amendments are essential to safeguard our seniors from punitive work requirements and to preserve vital nutrition education programs that help families make healthy choices,” said Jackson. “I call on my colleagues to join me in defending the basic dignity and well-being of our constituents.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
An unpublished conference abstract presented at the ESHRE 41st Annual Meeting in Paris looks at microplastics in human reproductive fluids.
Prof Oliver Jones, Professor of Chemistry, RMIT University, said:
“It is hard to say much at all about this study without knowing the full details of the methods used and the precautions taken against background contamination. All we have to go on is a very brief abstract, not a peer-reviewed paper. Many previous scary-sounding headlines on microplastics in blood and food have turned out to be measurement errors by people unfamiliar with the problems of microplastic measurements1,2 and/or background contamination3. I don’t think lab contamination can be ruled out in this case. The most common plastic found, PTFE, is very widely used in laboratories, including IVF labs, and background contamination makes all forms of microplastic analysis extremely technically challenging.
“Even if we assume no measurement errors, the results are from a total of 51 individuals, so they are far from conclusive (a limitation acknowledged by the authors), and this study does not claim to demonstrate any harm. We would need these findings to be replicated, ideally in other laboratories around the world, before we could tell if this was a one-off event or not. So, while the data are certainly interesting, they are at best preliminary. I don’t think people who may be trying to conceive, either naturally or via IVF, need to be concerned.”
2 Mühlschlegel, P. et al. Lack of evidence for microplastic contamination in honey. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A 2017, 34 (11), 1982-1989, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28665769/
Dr Channa Jayasena, Associate Professor in Reproductive Endocrinology, Imperial College London, said:
“Microplastics are able to interfere with how cells in different bits of the body speak to each other, and can cause cell damage. Unfortunately, it is no longer a surprise that microplastics find their way into the fluids which are essential for men and women to reproduce. This study was very small, and did not report fertility outcomes in the study participants. But it was well-designed study using state-of-the-art technology to show just how commonly microplastics enter reproductive fluids. They showed that most of the studied samples in men and women contained microplastics. Some previous studies have reported that microplastic exposure is associated with lower-than-normal fertility in men. The results contribute to a growing concern for public health – we don’t know what the impact of all types of microplastics are on reproductive function in men and women. Understanding this will help us understand how big a problem microplastics post for fertility in society.”
Dr Stephanie Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Toxicology, Imperial College London, said:
“Without information on the sizes of the microplastic particles observed, it is challenging to interpret how meaningful this data is. There is a high potential for samples to become contaminated with microplastic throughout the sampling, laboratory processing, and analysis procedures. If stringent steps to minimise this are taken, other clues such as the size of the particles observed can be used to rule out such contamination, with there being a greater likelihood for smaller particles ( 0.01 mm) being absorbed and redistributed around the body. It is not a surprise that microplastics have been found – they are everywhere, even in the lab – but the data provided do not support that they are there as a result of human exposure as opposed to methodological artefact and must be interpreted with caution at this early stage.”
Prof Fay Couceiro, Professor of Environmental Pollution, and Head of the Microplastics Research Group, University of Portsmouth, said:
“As this is not peer reviewed and there is no detailed methodology it is difficult to give specific information on quality etc. Here are some general comments:
“The study is very interesting and considering the global reduction in fertility rates, looking at possible causes is very topical and timely. As the authors state, finding microplastics is not that surprising as we have found them in lots of other areas of our bodies. Presence is also not the same as impact and the authors are clear that while they have found microplastics in the reproductive fluids of both men and women, we still don’t know how they are affecting us. As a preliminary study the work is interesting, but more information is required on numbers of microplastics found, sizes, method blanks and any plastics used during the medical procedures before any real conclusions can be made. I look forward to reading the full article once it is ready. (A method blank is when you run the experimental steps, but with clean water, and then analyse that to see if you have any microplastics in it. This would let you know if there is any external contamination, and if the microplastics in the samples are from the reproductive fluid, or introduced from the digestion and analysis steps. It would be very unusual not to see any microplastics in the blanks if they are looking below 10 micrometres in size range. At that size, microplastics are in the air and very hard to get away from. If they only analysed larger particles then you tend to find less in your method blanks, but it is common practice to give these in a full paper so that people can see if the number you are finding in your samples is higher than in the blanks.)
Does the press release accurately reflect the science?
“To the extent of which data is available it does, it is clear this is only looking at the presence of microplastics and not impacts.
Is this good quality research? Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?
“Very hard to judge without more in depth information on methods, numbers found in blanks, size ranges of microplastics etc.
Is there enough data available to be able to judge the quality of this work?
“At this stage I would say no – as above the methods really need to be more detailed. Microplastics are everywhere and even with the best methods you find some in the blanks at the smaller sizes (less than 10 um). They say they looked in the containers but the method blank data is missing as are the actual numbers found, e.g. is it 10 microplastics per ml of SF? Is 10 significantly greater than what was found in the method blank? Size range is also very important and not mentioned anywhere I can see.
Is this a peer-reviewed journal publication or more preliminary?
“Preliminary.
How does this work fit with the existing evidence?
“It is expected as microplastics have been found in all bodily fluids/organs tested.
Have the authors accounted for confounders? Are there important limitations to be aware of?
“It is unclear if there is any plastic used in the collection of the samples as I am unfamiliar with the procedures – the storage vessel is glass but is plastic used in the follicular aspiration? Many medical instruments are made from plastic, is that the case here?
What are the implications in the real world? Is there any overspeculation?
“No – they are clear this is just a presence/absence experiment and that further work needs to take place to determine any impacts.”
Abstract title: ‘Unveiling the Hidden Danger: Detection and characterisation of microplastics in human follicular and seminal fluids’ by E. Gomez-Sanchez et al.It will be presented at the ESHRE 41st Annual Meeting in Paris, and the embargo lifted at 23:01 UK time on Tuesday 1 July 2025.
There is no paper.
Declared interests
Prof Oliver Jones: “I am a Professor of Chemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. I conduct research into environmental pollution, including microplastics. I have no conflicts of interest to declare.”
Dr Channa Jayasena: “None.”
Dr Stephanie Wright: “Own research: MRC, NERC, NIHR, Common Seas, Minderoo Foundation, LECO;
To attend scientific meetings: American Chemistry Council – to attend a workshop on microplastic reference materials (2022); Minderoo Foundation – to attend workshops on microplastic measurement in human tissue (2024, 2025);
Current or previous advisory roles or committee membership: ILSI Europe, PlasticsEurope (BRIGID project), Cefic LRI projects advisory roles, have been a temporary member of UK Air Quality Expert Group;
Previous employment in companies: none.”
Prof Fay Couceiro: “I work in the field of microplastics but I was not involved in the study and I am not working with the authors. I am unaware of any conflict of interest.”
Eight new Industry Skills Boards (ISBs) will give industry a strong voice in work-based learning, ensuring the system delivers the right skills, in the right places, for a growing economy, Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds says.
“The Government promised to disestablish Te Pūkenga and return decision-making to local providers and industry. The Industry Skills Boards are a key part of delivering on that promise,” Ms Simmonds says.
“This is all part of our plan to make sure that the training people receive is aligned to what industry needs, and skills are matched to ensure they are fit-for-purpose, paving the way for economic growth. We want to ensure our workforce across key growth sectors are ready to hit the ground running.
“The ISBs will be led by industry experts who know their trades and sectors best. They will set training standards, oversee quality, and make sure apprenticeships and traineeships match what employers and students need.”
The eight Industry Skills Boards will begin operating from 1 January 2026 once the legislation is passed later this year. They will also temporarily manage work-based training currently overseen by Te Pūkenga. Backed by industry consultation, they will cover:
Automotive, transport, and logistics
Construction and specialist trades
Food and fibre (including aquaculture)
Infrastructure
Manufacturing and engineering
Services
Health and community
Electrotechnology and information technology
Industry Skills Boards will have three main funding sources. They will receive some core public funding, they can choose to charge fees to fund their quality assurance functions, and industries can also choose to support ISBs through a levy.
Around 250,000 learners enter the vocational education system each year — half learning on campus or online, and half through work-based training.
“Whether you’re learning on the job or in a classroom, these changes will make your training more relevant and valuable,” Ms Simmonds says.
“We want every apprentice and trainee to be confident their qualifications will be recognised by employers. Employers can trust the system to deliver skilled workers ready to step into roles.
“This is a win for apprentices, trainees, employers, and the economy. We’re building a modern, connected work-based learning system that supports quality jobs and drives the economic growth powering New Zealand’s future.”
The appointment of Scott O’Donnell to the KiwiRail board will bolster its freight expertise Minister for Rail Winston Peters says.
“Railways have no shortage of potential for New Zealand, and we expect to see sustained growth in earnings, revenue, volumes, reliability, and safety to turn this business into something great.”
Mr O’Donnell is a current director of HW Richardson Group and was its managing director from 2006 to 2015. The Group owns 46 companies, employing 2000 people across six sectors including road freight.
“Mr O’Donnell, new Chair Sue Tindal and the Treasury have established a conflict-of-interest management plan which will be reviewed and monitored.
“The company’s road freight operation is primarily south of Oamaru, and as such Mr O’Donnell will recuse himself from KiwiRail activities in this part of New Zealand.
“Mr O’Donnell has resigned as chair of HW Richardson-owned Dynes Transport but remains on its board, noting this company is receiving Government co-investment for a rail siding into a new Mosgiel road and rail freight hub,” Mr Peters says.
Term: 1 September 2025 – 31 August 2028
Biography: Scott O’Donnell is a Director of the HW Richardson (HWR) Group and was previously Managing Director of the Group from 2006 to 2015. In addition to his directorship, Mr O’Donnell spearheads the HWR Group Property portfolio that is responsible for various projects across New Zealand. Mr O’Donnell has led HWR Group through a decade of considerable growth, in both company size, business growth and diversification. His deep expertise both operational and governance in property management, transport, freight, and logistics as well as his commercial nous will add important strategic insights to KiwiRail’s business.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports. SEL2
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 482 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 405 PM MDT Tue Jul 1 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Western Nebraska Western South Dakota Northeast Wyoming
* Effective this Tuesday afternoon and evening from 405 PM until 1100 PM MDT.
* Primary threats include… Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible Isolated damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
SUMMARY…Isolated to widely scattered severe storm development, potentially including a couple of high-based supercells, is expected regionally through early evening, with the possibility that a loosely organized cluster could evolve later this evening.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 70 statute miles east and west of a line from 65 miles north of Rapid City SD to 50 miles east of Sidney NE. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce tornadoes.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 481…
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean storm motion vector 29025.
…Guyer
SEL2
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 482 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 405 PM MDT Tue Jul 1 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Western Nebraska Western South Dakota Northeast Wyoming
* Effective this Tuesday afternoon and evening from 405 PM until 1100 PM MDT.
* Primary threats include… Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible Isolated damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
SUMMARY…Isolated to widely scattered severe storm development, potentially including a couple of high-based supercells, is expected regionally through early evening, with the possibility that a loosely organized cluster could evolve later this evening.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 70 statute miles east and west of a line from 65 miles north of Rapid City SD to 50 miles east of Sidney NE. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce tornadoes.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 481…
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean storm motion vector 29025.
…Guyer
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas. SAW2 WW 482 SEVERE TSTM NE SD WY 012205Z – 020500Z AXIS..70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE.. 65N RAP/RAPID CITY SD/ – 50E SNY/SIDNEY NE/ ..AVIATION COORDS.. 60NM E/W /57W DPR – 43E SNY/ HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS. MAX TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 29025.
LAT…LON 44980162 41090068 41090336 44980448
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS FOR WOU2.
Watch 482 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
Low (10%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Low ( 65 knots
Low (10%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (50%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Mod (30%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (70%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
Source: Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
Most people will never see Antarctic sea ice up close, but its presence or absence affects our day-to-day lives. Now scientists are questioning whether a ‘regime shift’ to a new state of diminished Antarctic sea-ice coverage is underway, due to recent record lows. If so, it will have impacts across climate, ecological and societal systems, according to new research published in PNAS Nexus.
These impacts include ocean warming, increased iceberg calving, habitat loss and sea-level rise, and effects on fisheries, Antarctic tourism, and even the mental health of the global human population. Led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership oceanographer Dr Edward Doddridge, the international team assessed the impacts of extreme summer sea-ice lows, and the challenges to predicting and mitigating change. “Antarctic sea ice provides climate and ecosystem services of regional and global significance,” Dr Doddridge said. “There are far reaching negative impacts caused by sea-ice loss. “However, we do not sufficiently understand the baseline system to be able to predict how it will respond to the dramatic changes we are already observing. “To predict future changes, and to potentially mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on Antarctica, we urgently need to improve our knowledge through new observations and modelling studies.” What’s at stake? While sea-ice loss affects many things, the research team identified three key impacts:
Reduced summer sea-ice cover exposes more of the ocean to sunlight. This leads to surface water warming that promotes further sea-ice loss. Ocean warming increases melting under glacial ice shelves, which could lead to increased iceberg calving. Warmer water also affects the flow of deep-water currents that help move ocean heat around the globe, influencing the planet’s climate. Sea-ice loss exposes the ice shelves that fringe the Antarctic continent to damaging ocean swells and storms. These can weaken the ice shelves, leading to iceberg calving. As ice shelves slow the flow of ice from the interior of the Antarctic continent to the coast, iceberg calving allows this interior ice flow to speed up, contributing to sea-level rise. Sea ice provides breeding habitat for penguin and seal species, and a refuge for many marine species from predators. It is also an important nursery habitat and source of food (sea-ice algae) for Antarctic krill – an important prey species for many Southern Ocean inhabitants. Adverse sea-ice conditions that persist over several seasons could see population declines in these sea-ice dependent species.
The research team also identified socio-economic and wellbeing impacts, affecting fisheries, tourism, scientific research, ice-navigation, coastal operations, and the mental health (climate anxiety) of the global population. For example, shorter sea-ice seasons will reduce the window for over-ice resupplies of Antarctic stations. There could also be increased shipping pressures on the continent, including from alien species incursions, fuel spills and an increase in the number and movement of tourist vessels to and from new locations. Research co-author and sea-ice system expert, Dr Petra Heil, from the Australian Antarctic Division, said the paper highlighted the need for ongoing, year-round, field-based and satellite measurements of circumpolar sea-ice variables (especially thickness), and sub-surface ocean variables. This would allow integrated analyses of the Southern Ocean processes contributing to the recent sea-ice deficits. “As shown in climate simulations, continued greenhouse gas emissions, even at reduced rate, will further accelerate persistent deficits of sea ice, and with it a lack of the critical climate and ecosystem functions it provides,” Dr Heil said. “To conserve and preserve the physical environment and ecosystems of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean we must prioritise an immediate and sustained transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. “Ultimately our decison for immediate and deep action will provide the maximum future proofing we can have in terms of lifestyle and economic values.” Learn more about Antarctic sea ice in our feature ‘Sea ice in crisis’. This content was last updated 8 minutes ago on 2 July 2025.
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the lawsuit Equality State Policy Center v. Chuck Gray, defending Wyoming’s legitimate interest securing its voting process from fraud by requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Longstanding Supreme Court precedent recognizes that states have a significant interest in preventing fraud and safeguarding voter confidence in the election process. Wyoming’s documentary proof of citizenship law is a mechanism to enforce laws that prohibit non-citizen voting and ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots.
“It is a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and it is important that the American people have confidence in the integrity of our elections.” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Gates of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Requiring documentary proof of citizenship is common sense and ensures that only citizens vote.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the lawsuit Equality State Policy Center v. Chuck Gray, defending Wyoming’s legitimate interest securing its voting process from fraud by requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Longstanding Supreme Court precedent recognizes that states have a significant interest in preventing fraud and safeguarding voter confidence in the election process. Wyoming’s documentary proof of citizenship law is a mechanism to enforce laws that prohibit non-citizen voting and ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots.
“It is a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and it is important that the American people have confidence in the integrity of our elections.” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Gates of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Requiring documentary proof of citizenship is common sense and ensures that only citizens vote.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
With burgers sizzling and classic rock thumping, many Americans revel in summer cookouts – at least until that wayward cousin asks for a “pop” in soda country, or even worse, a “coke” when they actually want a Sprite.
Few American linguistic debates have bubbled quite as long and effervescently as the one over whether a generic soft drink should be called a soda, pop or coke.
The word you use generally boils down to where you’re from: Midwesterners enjoy a good pop, while soda is tops in the North and far West. Southerners, long the cultural mavericks, don’t bat an eyelash asking for coke – lowercase – before homing in on exactly the type they want: Perhaps a root beer or a Coke, uppercase.
As a linguist who studies American dialects, I’m less interested in this regional divide and far more fascinated by the unexpected history behind how a fizzy “health” drink from the early 1800s spawned the modern soft drink’s many names and iterations.
The process of carbonating water was first discovered in the late 1700s. By the early 1800s, this carbonated water had become popular as a health drink and was often referred to as “soda water.” The word “soda” likely came from “sodium,” since these drinks often contained salts, which were then believed to have healing properties.
Given its alleged curative effects for health issues such as indigestion, pharmacists sold soda water at soda fountains, innovative devices that created carbonated water to be sold by the glass. A chemistry professor, Benjamin Stillman, set up the first such device in a drugstore in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1806. Its eventual success inspired a boom of soda fountains in drugstores and health spas.
These flavored, sweetened versions gave rise to the linking of the word “soda” with a sweetened carbonated beverage, as opposed to simple, carbonated water.
Seltzer – today’s popular term for such sparkling water – was around, too. But it was used only for the naturally carbonated mineral water from the German town Nieder-Selters. Unlike Perrier, sourced similarly from a specific spring in France, seltzer made the leap to becoming a generic term for fizzy water.
So how did “soda” come to be called so many different things in different places?
It all stems from a mix of economic enterprise and linguistic ingenuity.
The popularity of “soda” in the Northeast likely reflects the soda fountain’s longer history in the region. Since a lot of Americans living in the Northeast migrated to California in the mid-to-late 1800s, the name likely traveled west with them.
As for the Midwestern preference for “pop” – well, the earliest American use of the term to refer to a sparkling beverage appeared in the 1840s in the name of a flavored version called “ginger pop.” Such ginger-flavored pop, though, was around in Britain by 1816, since a Newcastle songbook is where you can first see it used in text. The “pop” seems to be onomatopoeic for the noise made when the cork was released from the bottle before drinking.
A jingle for Faygo touts the company’s ‘red pop.’
Linguists don’t fully know why “pop” became so popular in the Midwest. But one theory links it to a Michigan bottling company, Feigenson Brothers Bottling Works – today known as Faygo Beverages – that used “pop” in the name of the sodas they marketed and sold. Another theory suggests that because bottles were more common in the region, soda drinkers were more likely to hear the “pop” sound than in the Northeast, where soda fountains reigned.
As for using coke generically, the first Coca-Cola was served in 1886 by Dr. John Pemberton, a pharmacist at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in Atlanta and the founder of the company. In the 1900s, the Coca-Cola company tried to stamp out the use of “Coke” for “Coca-Cola.” But that ship had already sailed. Since Coca-Cola originated and was overwhelmingly popular in the South, its generic use grew out of the fact that people almost always asked for “Coke.”
Due to the growing popularity of soda water concoctions, eventually “soft drink” came to mean only such sweetened carbonated beverages, a linguistic testament to America’s enduring love affair with sugar and bubbles.
With the average American guzzling almost 40 gallons per year, you can call it whatever you what. Just don’t call it healthy.
Valerie M. Fridland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The 1925 Scopes trial, in which a Dayton, Tennessee, teacher was charged with violating state law by teaching biological evolution, was one of the earliest and most iconic conflicts in America’s ongoing culture war.
Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species,” published in 1859, and subsequent scientific research made the case that humans and other animals evolved from earlier species over millions of years. Many late-19th-century American Protestants had little problem accommodating Darwin’s ideas – which became mainstream biology – with their religious commitments.
But that was not the case with all Christians, especially conservative evangelicals, who held that the Bible is inerrant – without error – and factually accurate in all that it has to say, including when it speaks on history and science.
One hundred years after the trial, and as we have documented in our scholarly work, the culture war over evolution and creationism remains strong – and yet, when it comes to creationism, much has also changed.
Holding to biblical inerrancy, these “fundamentalists” believed in the creation account detailed in chapter 1 of Genesis, in which God brought all life into being in six days. But most of these fundamentalists also accepted mainstream geology, which held that the Earth was millions of years old. Squaring a literal understanding of Genesis with an old Earth, they embraced either the “day-age theory” – that each Genesis day was actually a long period of time – or the “gap theory,” in which there was a huge gap of time before the six 24-hour days of creation.
This nascent fundamentalist movement initiated a campaign to pressure state legislatures to prohibit public schools from teaching evolution. One of these states was Tennessee, which in 1925 passed the Butler Act. This law made it illegal for public schoolteachers “to teach any theory that denies the story of divine creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.”
The American Civil Liberties Union persuaded John Thomas Scopes, a young science teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, to challenge the law in court. The WCFA sprang into action, successfully persuading William Jennings Bryan – populist politician and outspoken fundamentalist – to assist the prosecution. In response, the ACLU hired famous attorney Clarence Darrow to serve on the defense team.
Inside the courtroom, the trial became a verbal duel between Bryan and Darrow regarding science and religion. But as the judge narrowed the proceedings to whether or not Scopes violated the law – a point that the defense readily admitted – it seemed clear that Scopes would be found guilty. Many of the reporters thus went home.
But the trial’s most memorable episode was yet to come. On July 20, Darrow successfully provoked Bryan to take the witness stand as a Bible expert. Due to the huge crowd and suffocating heat, the judge moved the trial outdoors.
The 3,000 or so spectators witnessed Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan, which was primarily intended to make Bryan and fundamentalism appear foolish and ignorant. Most significant, Darrow’s questions revealed that, despite Bryan’s’ assertion that he read the Bible literally, Bryan actually understood the six days of Genesis not as 24-hour days, but as six long and indeterminate periods of time.
American lawyer and politician William Jennings Bryan during the Scopes trial in Dayton, Tenn. Hulton Archive/Getty Image
The very next day, the jury found Scopes guilty and fined him US$100. Riley and the fundamentalists cheered the verdict as a triumph for the Bible and morality.
The fundamentalists and ‘The Genesis Flood’
But very soon that sense of triumph faded, partly because of news stories that portrayed fundamentalists as ignorant rural bigots. In one such example, a prominent journalist, H. L. Mencken, wrote in a Baltimore Sun column that the Scopes trial “serves notice on the country that Neanderthal man is organizing in these forlorn backwaters of the land.”
The media ridicule encouraged many scholars and journalists to conclude that creationism and fundamentalism would soon disappear from American culture. But that prediction did not come to pass.
Instead, fundamentalists, including WCFA leader Riley, seemed all the more determined to redouble their efforts at the grassroots level.
But as Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan made obvious, it was not easy to square a literal reading of the Bible – including the six-day creation outlined in Genesis – with a scientific belief in an old Earth. What fundamentalists needed was a science that supported the idea of a young Earth.
“The Genesis Flood” and its version of flood geology remains ubiquitous among fundamentalists and other conservative Protestants.
Young Earth creationism
Today, opinion polls reveal that roughly one-quarter of all Americans are adherents of this newer strand of creationism, which rejects both mainstream geology as well as mainstream biology.
AiG’s tourist sites – the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky – have attracted millions of visitors since their opening in 2007 and 2016. Additional AiG sites are planned for Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Presented as a replica of Noah’s Ark, the Ark Encounter is a gigantic structure – 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, 51 feet high. It includes representations of animal cages as well as plush living quarters for the eight human beings who, according to Genesis chapters 6-8, survived the global flood. Hundreds of placards in the Ark make the case for a young Earth and a global flood that created the geological strata and formations we see today.
Besides AiG tourist sites, there is also an ever-expanding network of fundamentalist schools and homeschools that present young Earth creationism as true science. These schools use textbooks from publishers such as Abeka Books, Accelerated Christian Education and Bob Jones University Press.
The Scopes trial involved what could and could not be taught in public schools regarding creation and evolution. Today, this discussion also involves private schools, given that there are now at least 15 states that have universal private school choice programs, in which families can use taxpayer-funded education money to pay for private schooling and homeschooling.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Charles J. Russo, Joseph Panzer Chair in Education and Research Professor of Law, University of Dayton
The parents who brought the case had requested that their children be excused when books with LGBTQ+ characters were used in class.SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images
The Supreme Court tends to save its blockbuster orders for the last day of the term – and 2025 was no exception.
Among the important decisions handed down June 27, 2025, was Mahmoud v. Taylor – a case of particular interest to me, because I teach education law. Mahmoud, I believe, may become one of the court’s most consequential rulings on parental rights.
An interfaith coalition of Muslim, Orthodox Christian and Catholic parents in Montgomery County, Maryland – including Tamer Mahmoud, for whom the case is named – questioned the school board’s refusal to allow them to opt their young children out of lessons using picture books with LGBTQ+ characters. Ruling in favor of the parents, the court found that the board violated their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion by requiring their children to sit through lessons with materials inconsistent with their faiths.
Case history
The parents in Mahmoud challenged the use of certain storybooks that the board had approved for use in preschool and elementary school. “Pride Puppy!” for example – a book the schools later removed – portrays a family whose pet gets lost at a LGBTQ+ Pride parade, with each page devoted to a letter of the alphabet. The book’s “search and find” list of words directs readers to look for terms in the pictures, including “(drag) queen” and “king,” “leather” and “lip ring.” Other materials included stories about same-sex marriage, a transgender child, and nonbinary bathroom signs.
Initially, school administrators agreed to allow opt-outs for students whose parents objected to the materials. A day later, however, educators changed their minds. School officials cited concerns about absenteeism, the feasibility of accommodating opt-out requests, and a desire to avoid stigmatizing LGBTQ+ students or families.
In August 2023, a federal trial court rejected the parents’ claim that officials had violated their fundamental due process right to direct the care, custody and education of their children. The following year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit affirmed in favor of the board, finding that officials did not violate the parents’ rights to the free exercise of their religious beliefs, as protected by the First Amendment.
On appeal, a 6-3 Supreme Court reversed in favor of the parents. Justice Samuel Alito, who authored the court’s opinion, was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, plus Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
Supreme Court
In brief, the court held that by denying the parental requests to opt their children out of instruction inconsistent with their beliefs, school officials violated their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion.
Alito largely grounded the court’s rationale in a dispute from 1925, Pierce v. Society of Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary, and even more heavily on 1972’s Wisconsin v. Yoder. Both cases recognize the primacy of parental rights to direct the education of their children. According to Pierce’s famous dictum, “the child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.”
In Yoder, Amish parents – an Anabaptist Christian community that avoids using many modern technologies – objected to sending their children to school after eighth grade because this would have violated their religious beliefs. The justices unanimously agreed with the parents that their children received all of the education they needed in their communities. The justices added that requiring the children to attend high school would have violated the parents’ rights to direct their children’s religious upbringing.
Accordingly, the court acknowledged that the parental right “to guide the religious future and education of their children” was “established beyond debate.”
Similarly, in Mahmoud the court declared that “the Board’s introduction of the ‘LGBTQ+-inclusive’ storybooks, along with its decision to withhold opt-outs, places an unconstitutional burden on the parents’ rights to the free exercise of their religion.”
Thomas agreed fully with the court, yet wrote a separate concurrence, which emphasized “an important implication of this decision for schools across the country.” Citing Yoder, Thomas contended that rather than support inclusion, the board’s policy “imposes conformity with a view that undermines parents’ religious beliefs, and thus interferes with the parents’ right to ‘direct the religious upbringing of their children.’”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, feared “the result will be chaos for this Nation’s public schools. Requiring schools to provide advance notice and the chance to opt out of every lesson plan or story time that might implicate a parent’s religious beliefs will impose impossible administrative burdens on schools.”
Supporters of LGBTQ+ rights demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor on April 22, 2025. Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images
She maintained that “simply being exposed to beliefs contrary to your own” does not violate a person’s free exercise rights. Insulating children from different ideas, she wrote, denies them of an experience that is crucial for democracy: “practice living in our multicultural society.”
Implications
After the decision was handed down, Montgomery County’s Board of Education issued a statement promising to “analyze the Supreme Court decision and develop next steps in alignment with today’s decision, and as importantly, our values.”
Mahmoud raises challenging questions about the scope or reach of how far parents can question curricular content.
On the one hand, parents should not be able to micromanage curricular content via the “heckler’s veto,” because this can lead to larger issues. Moreover, while Mahmoud concerns religious rights, what happens if parents question teachings based on another type of sincerely held belief – discussing war if they are pacifist, for example, or capitalism if they are socialists? While Mahmoud dealt with free-exercise rights, it may open the door to other types of First Amendment challenges from parents wishing to exempt their children from lessons.
On the other hand, Mahmoud highlights the need to take legitimate parental concerns into consideration. While educators typically control instruction, how can they be respectful of parents’ rights as primary caregivers of their children when conflicts arise?
Mahmoud may go a long way in defining parents’ free-exercise rights in public schools. Still, such disputes are likely far from over in America’s increasingly diverse religious culture.
Charles J. Russo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
“Bill Moyers? He’s spectacular!” George Clooney said – and no wonder.
I mentioned this legendary television journalist to the actor and filmmaker after Clooney emerged from the Broadway theater where he just had been portraying another news icon: Edward R. Murrow. Or as the Museum of Broadcast Communications put it in a tribute to Moyers, he was “one of the few broadcast journalists who might be said to approach the stature of Edward R. Murrow. If Murrow founded broadcast journalism, Moyers significantly extended its traditions.”
Moyers, who died at 91 on June 26, 2025, was among the most acclaimed broadcast journalists of the 20th century. He’s known for TV news shows that exposed the role of big money in politics and episodes that drew attention to unsung defenders of democracy, such as community organizer Ernesto Cortés Jr..
Despite his prominence, Moyers was the same down-to-earth guy in person as he seemed to be on the screen. In 1986, he was commanding a television audience of millions, and I was a historian at home with a preschooler, teaching the occasional college course in a dismal job market. Seeing that Moyers would be speaking at the conference on President Lyndon B. Johnson where I would be giving a paper, I wrote to him.
To my utter amazement, he replied and then showed up to hear my paper, on Johnson’s experiences as a young principal of the “Mexican” school in Cotulla, Texas, where he championed his students but also forged links to segregationists. Cotulla was “seminal” to LBJ’s development, Moyers said. In 1993, he recommended me for a grant that helped me finish a book: “LBJ and Mexican Americans: The Paradox of Power.
A few years later, he asked me to head up a project researching the documents related to his time in Johnson’s administration. His memoir of the Johnson years never materialized. Instead, I edited the bestselling ”Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times.“
Part of what always impressed me about Moyers was his belief that what matters is not how close you are to power, but how close you are to reality.
‘Amazing Grace’
Moyers didn’t just dwell on politics and policy as a journalist. He also delved into the meaning of creativity and the life of the mind. Many of his most moving interviews spotlighted scientists, novelists and other exceptional people.
He was also arguably among the best reporters on the religion beat. Even if it wasn’t always the main focus of his work or what comes to mind for those familiar with his legacy, still, he was a lifelong spiritual seeker.
He once told me that his favorite of the many programs that he produced was the PBS documentary ”Amazing Grace.“ It featured inspiring renditions of this popular Christian hymn as performed by country legend Johnny Cash, folk icon Judy Collins, opera diva Jessye Norman and other musical geniuses. As they share with Moyers their personal connections to this song of redemption, he draws viewers into the stirring saga of its creator, John Newton: a slave trader who became an abolitionist through “amazing grace.”
Bill Moyers interviews Judy Collins about singing ‘Amazing Grace,’ following the production of his PBS special about the hymn.
Life’s ultimate questions
This appreciation of the ineffable clearly informed Moyers’ blockbuster TV series exploring life’s ultimate questions, “Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth.”
To my surprise, Moyers knew about this Trappist monk, telling me, “I always wished that I could have interviewed Merton,” who died in 1968.
It turned out that Moyers had been introduced to Merton by Sargent Shriver, founding director of the Peace Corps, where Moyers was a founding organizer and the deputy director.
Mentored by LBJ
Moyers characterized his Peace Corps years as the most rewarding of his life. When Johnson, his mentor, became president, he asked Moyers to join the White House staff. Moyers turned down the offer, so Johnson made it a presidential command.
The wunderkind – Moyers was 29 years old in 1963, when Johnson was sworn in after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination – coordinated the White House task forces that created the largest number of legislative proposals in American history. Among the programs and landmark reforms established and passed during the Johnson administration were Medicare andMedicaid, a landmark immigration law, the Freedom of Information Act, the Public Broadcasting Act and two historic civil rights laws.
Johnson’s war on poverty, in addition, introduced several path-breaking programs, such as Head Start.
Moyers served as one of Johnson’s speechwriters and was a top official in Johnson’s 1964 presidential campaign. The following year, the Johnson administration began escalating U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and Johnson named a new press secretary: Bill Moyers. Again, the young man tried to decline, but the president prevailed.
As Moyers had feared, he could not serve two masters – journalists and his boss – especially as the administration’s Vietnam War policies became increasingly unpopular.
Moyers left the Johnson administration in 1967, turning to journalism. He became the publisher of Newsday, a Long Island, New York, newspaper, before becoming a producer and commentator at CBS News. His commentaries reached tens of millions of viewers, but the network refused to provide a regular time slot for his documentaries. He had previously worked at PBS. In 1987, he decamped there for good.
Moyers’ programs won many journalism awards, including over 30 Emmys, along with the Lifetime Emmy for news and documentary productions.
He helped millions of Americans appreciate the world around them. As he reflected in 2023, in one of the last interviews he gave, to PBS journalist Judy Woodruff at the Library of Congress: “Everything is linked, and if you can find that nerve that connects us to other things and other places and other ideas – and television should be doing it all the time – we’d be a better democracy.”
Judy Woodruff interviews Bill Moyers about his life’s work in government and the media, including his contributions to the launch of PBS, at the Library of Congress.
“It takes time, commitment” to dig below the surface and discover the deeper meaning of people’s lives, Moyers noted. He sought to understand, for example, why so many folks in his own hometown of Marshall, Texas, have become much more suspicious – resentful, even – of outsiders than when he gave these folks voice in his poignant, prize-winning 1984 program Marshall, Texas; Marshall, Texas.
In this era of growing threats to democracy, what can a young person do who aspires to follow in Bill Moyers’ footsteps – whether in journalism or public life?
Woodruff asked Moyers that question, to which he responded: “You can’t quit. You can’t get out of the boat! Find a place that gives you a sense of being, gives you a sense of mission, gives you a sense of participation.”
Today, with the future of journalism – and of democracy itself – at stake, I think it would help everyone to take to heart the insights of this late, great American journalist.
Julie Leininger Pycior edited the book “Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times.” She also was hired by Moyers to direct the 18-month “LBJ Years” research project.
In addtion, she served as an unpaid, informal historical adviser for some of his public television programs.
Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old woman from Georgia who had been declared brain-dead in February 2025, spent 16 weeks on life support while doctors worked to keep her body functioning well enough to support her developing fetus. On June 13, 2025, her premature baby, named Chance, was born via cesarean section at 25 weeks.
Smith was nine weeks pregnant when she suffered multiple blood clots in her brain. Her story gained public attention when her mother criticized doctors’ decision to keep her on a ventilator without the family’s consent. Smith’s mother has said that doctors told the family the decision was made to align with Georgia’s LIFE Act, which bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and bolsters the legal standing of fetal personhood. A statement released by the hospital also cites Georgia’s abortion law.
“I’m not saying we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy,” Smith’s mother told a local television station. “But I’m saying we should have had a choice.”
The LIFE Act is one of several state laws that have passed across the U.S. since the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision invalidated constitutional protections for abortion. Although Georgia’s attorney general denied that the LIFE Act applied to Smith, there’s little doubt that it invites ethical and legal uncertainty when a woman dies while pregnant.
Smith’s case has swiftly become the focus of a reproductive rights political firestorm characterized by two opposing viewpoints. For some, it reflects demeaning governmental overreach that quashes women’s bodily autonomy. For others it illustrates the righteous sacrifice of motherhood.
In my work as a gender and technology studies scholar, I have cataloged and studied postmortem pregnancies like Smith’s since 2016. In my view, Smith’s story doesn’t fit straightforwardly into abortion politics. Instead, it points to the need for a more nuanced ethical approach that does not frame a mother and child as adversaries in a medical, legal or political context.
Birth after death
For centuries, Catholic dogma and Western legal precedent have mandated immediate cesarean section when a pregnant woman died after quickening, the point when fetal movement becomes discernible. But technological advances now make it possible sometimes for a fetus to continue gestating in place when the mother is brain-dead, or “dead by neurological criteria”– a widely accepted definition of death that first emerged in the 1950s.
The first brain death during pregnancy in which the fetus was delivered after time on life support, more accurately called organ support, occurred in 1981. The process is extraordinarily intensive and invasive, because the loss of brain function impedes many physiological processes. Health teams, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, must stabilize the bodies of “functionally decapitated” pregnant women to buy more time for fetal development. This requires vital organ support, ventilation, nutritional supplements, antibiotics and constant monitoring. Outcomes are highly uncertain.
Adriana Smith’s baby was delivered by cesarian section on June 13, 2025.
Smith’s 112-day stint on organ support ranks third in length for a postmortem pregnancy, with the longest being 123 days. Hers is also the earliest ever gestational age from which the procedure has been attempted. Because time on organ support can vary widely, and because there is no established minimum fetal age considered too early to intervene, a fetus could theoretically be deemed viable at any point in pregnancy.
Postmortem pregnancy as gender-based violence
Over the past 50 years, critics of postmortem pregnancy have argued that it constitutes gender-based violence and violates bodily integrity in ways that organ donation does not. Some have compared it with Nazi pronatalist policies. Others have attributed the practice to systemic sexism and racism in medicine. Postmortem pregnancy can also compound intimate partner violence by giving brain-dead women’s murderers decision-making authority when they are the fetus’s next of kin.
From the perspective of reproductive rights advocates, postmortem pregnancy is the bottom of a slippery slope down which anti-abortion sentiment has led America. It obliterates women’s autonomy, pitting living and dead women against doctors, legislators and sometimes their own families, and weaponizing their own fetuses against them.
A medical perspective on rights
Viewed through a medical lens, however, postmortem pregnancy is not violent or violating, but an act of repair. Although care teams have responsibilities to both mother and fetus, a pregnant woman’s brain death means she cannot be physically harmed and her rights cannot be violated to the same degree as a fetus with the potential for life.
This response does not necessarily stem from conscious sexism or anti-abortion sentiment, but from reverence for vulnerable patients. If physicians declare a pregnant woman brain-dead, patienthood often automatically transfers to the fetus needing rescue. No matter its age and despite its survival being dependent on machines, just like its mother, the fetus is entirely animate. Who or what counts as a legal person with privileges and protections might be a political or philosophical determination, but life is a matter of biological fact and within the doctors’ purview.
Even the Supreme Court recognized this entangled duality in their 1973 ruling on Roe v. Wade, which established both constitutional protections for abortion and a governmental obligation to protect fetal life. Whether a fetus is considered a legal person or not, they wrote, pregnant women and fetuses “cannot be isolated in their privacy” – meaning that reproductive rights issues must strike a balance, however tenuous, between maternal and fetal interests. To declare postmortem pregnancy unequivocally violent or a loss of the “right to choose” fails to recognize the complexity of choice in a highly politicized medical landscape.
Second, maternal-fetal competition muddles the right course of action. In the U.S., competent patients are not compelled to engage in medical care they would rather avoid, even if it kills them, or to stay on life support to preserve organs for donation. But when a fetus is treated as an independent patient, exceptions could be made to those medical standards if the fetus’s interests override the mother’s.
For example, pregnancy disrupts standard determination of death. To protect the fetus, care teams increasingly skip a necessary diagnostic for brain death called apnea testing, which involves momentarily removing the ventilator to test the respiratory centers of the brain stem. In these cases, maternal brain death cannot be confirmed until after delivery. Multiple instances of vaginal deliveries after brain death also remain unexplained, given that the brain coordinates mechanisms of vaginal labor. All in all, it’s not always clear women in these cases are entirely dead.
Ultimately, women like Adriana Smith and their fetuses are inseparable and persist in a technologically defined state of in-betweenness. I’d argue that postmortem pregnancies, therefore, need new bioethical standards that center women’s beliefs about their bodies and a dignified death. This might involve recognizing pregnancy’s unique ambiguities in advance directives, questioning default treatment pathways that may require harm be done to one in order to save another, or considering multiple definitions of clinical and legal death.
In my view, it is possible to adapt our ethical standards in a way that honors all beings in these exceptional circumstances, without privileging either “choice” or “life,” mother or fetus.
This research was supported by a grant from The Institute for Citizens and Scholars.
Yelp’s Black-owned tag was designed to help business owners like Don Studvent attract more customers. His restaurant closed in 2018 after nine years in business.AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
When the online review platform Yelp added a “Black-owned” tag in 2020, it boosted the visibility of Black-owned restaurants in Detroit. It also caused their ratings to drop, according to our recent study.
Both local and nonlocal reviewers who showed awareness of a restaurant’s Black ownership rated restaurants 3.03 stars on average. Those who did not acknowledge Black ownership gave a rating of 3.78 stars on average. The tag seems to have caused the average rating to drop by attracting more reviewers who were aware of Black ownership.
Why it matters
Technology companies often introduce new features and tools to influence user behavior and make their platforms more usable.
Although Yelp intended to support Black communities with the Black-owned tag, the design intervention was harmful to Black restaurant owners in Detroit because Yelp failed to consider platform and community-based factors that significantly shape user interactions.
Yelp’s user base is predominantly white, educated and affluent. Making Detroit’s Black-owned restaurants more visible to Yelp users may have amplified cross-cultural interactions and frictions. For example, non-Black users sometimes mentioned “slower” and “rude” service as justifications for lower ratings. Close readings of these reviews hinted at intercultural and communicative clashes.
Even if Black-owned restaurants businesses didn’t select the tag, they appeared in searches for “Black-owned restaurants,” in 2022 when we conducted the study and as recently as 2025. Businesses can remove the “Black-owned” tag, but Yelp doesn’t provide a way for them to opt out of search results.
How we did our work
To examine the local impacts of Yelp’s Black-owned tag, we collected over 250,000 Yelp reviews of Black- and non-Black-owned restaurants in Detroit and Los Angeles.
We identified Black-owned restaurants through community-sourced lists for Detroit and Los Angeles and then generated a random sample for the non-Black-owned restaurants.
We then identified reviews that explicitly noted “Black ownership” for closer analysis.
Detroit’s Black-owned businesses saw a greater loss in business compared with “ownership-unreported” restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. This means they also potentially had more to gain from the new tag.
We found the awareness of Black ownership on Yelp significantly increased following Yelp’s addition of the Black-owned tag in June 2020. A year after the tag was added, reviews in Detroit mentioned Black ownership 4.3% more often than a year before it was rolled out.
Detroit Black-owned restaurants also saw a small temporary spike in their number of reviews, largely around the time Yelp added the Black-owned tag. At the same time, the restaurants’ average star ratings dropped from 3.91 to 3.88. In contrast, non-Black-owned restaurants’ ratings stayed relatively steady at 3.90.
This metric is an aggregate of all Detroit restaurants’ Yelp reviews over their entire existence, so a .03-star rating change is small but significant.
Adding obstacles in digital platforms serves to reproduce and amplify inequalities these businesses already face, rather than alleviate them. For example, Black-owned businesses have a harder time getting loans and are relatively underrepresented in Michigan as a whole.
These findings may seem surprising given that Detroit is a majority Black city. However, Black users on Yelp are a minority. Keeping in mind the skewed user base of Yelp, we hypothesize the lower reviews for businesses featuring a Black-owned tag reflect existing racial and digital divides in the city.
Generally, our study provides additional evidence that digital interventions are not “one-size-fits-all,” nor is digital visibility inherently positive for all businesses.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
_This article was updated to clarify how labels are added to profiles.
This research was supported by a research grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Matthew Bui does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Cameron Moy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
