Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today joined “America’s Newsroom” on Fox News to discuss his successful efforts to secure the declassification and release of the formerly Classified Appendix (“Durham annex”) to John Durham’s 2023 Special Counsel report.
The Durham annex exposes a reported Hillary Clinton campaign plan to falsely tie President Donald Trump to Russia, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) failure to investigate intelligence suggesting the Clinton campaign fabricated the Russia collusion hoax.
Video and excerpts of Grassley’s remarks follow:
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VIDEO
On the reported Clinton Campaign Plan to generate the Russia collusion hoax:
“[The Durham annex] gives us information that the FBI had eight to 10 years ago that they never followed up on. It actually brings attention to the fact that there was either a Clinton conspiracy to make this happen, or Russia disinformation. Either way, it was an attempt to stop Trump, and it proves that the FBI had a hand in it.
“And now, after these eight years, three years of mine trying to get the document, we know that the Steele dossier [was] paid for by the Democrats and the Clinton campaign. That it was all an effort of total distraction and to make it look like Russia was playing a very major role in helping Trump be elected. Now we know none of that was true, and now with this Durham report annex out, it finally proved that the FBI was covering up.”
On the classified Durham annex being discovered inside burn bags at the FBI:
“I think it’s evidence of the great depth that the deep state will go to cover up weaponization that was going on in the FBI and the executive branch of government, generally, under the Obama administration.
“I want to thank Kash Patel of the FBI and Pam Bondi, our Attorney General, for releasing these documents. Because, after eight years – and it took us three years to get this information – but after eight years, I think we need maximum transparency on all the schemes that were going on 10 years ago to either stop Trump from being elected or, after he’s elected, to ruin his presidency. And that’s what this Durham report is all about.”
On former Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan’s and former Director of National Intelligence Director James Clapper’sattempts tocover uptheir involvementin the Russia collusion hoax:
“I think that they have been in the news so often recently, along with [former FBI Director James] Comey, [for being] in the center of this conspiracy. They’re trying to cover their hind end.”
Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, called on Arielle Roth, the recently confirmed Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to fulfill her responsibility to fully implement programs authorized and funded by Congress – specifically, the Digital Equity Act and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Senator Luján urged Roth to make her first act as Administrator the immediate restoration of suspended digital equity grants and the release of approved federal funding to connect all New Mexicans to broadband.
“Now that you have been confirmed as Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), I urge you to fulfill your commitments to Congress that you will ‘follow the law,’ ‘act impartially,’ and ‘deliver the best broadband service possible for all Americans,’” said Senator Luján. “Your first act as Administrator should be to immediately restore the suspended digital equity grants and swiftly approve and release BEAD funding to states like New Mexico.”
“Congressionally appropriated funds for the Digital Equity Act and the BEAD program are not optional – they are essential. They represent not only a historic investment in our infrastructure, but a statutory obligation to the people of New Mexico and every unserved and underserved community across this country,” concluded Senator Luján.
As Ranking Member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, Senator Luján is a strong champion for 100% broadband connectivity. Senator Luján has pressed Commerce Secretary Lutnick multiple times and called on President Trump directly to release funding for the BEAD program.
In the 118th Congress, Senator Luján introduced the bipartisan Tribal Connect Act to make it easier for Tribes to secure high-speed internet access at Tribal Essential Community-Serving Institutions through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF) Schools and Libraries Program, or E-Rate program.
In the 117th Congress, Senator Luján introduced legislation to help close the homework gap by equipping school buses with Wi-Fi technology and improving financing options for broadband deployment.
The full letter can be found here or below:
Dear Ms. Roth:
Now that you have been confirmed as Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), I urge you to fulfill your commitments to Congress that you will “follow the law,” “act impartially,” and “deliver the best broadband service possible for all Americans.”
This responsibility includes fully implementing programs authorized and funded by Congress under the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), specifically the Digital Equity Act and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Your first act as Administrator should be to immediately restore the suspended digital equity grants and swiftly approve and release BEAD funding to states like New Mexico.
The Digital Equity Act represents a Congressionally mandated $2.75 billion investment to advance digital inclusion for historically underserved populations across this county. New Mexico, a state with deep rural divides, Tribal lands, and persistent poverty, was awarded more than $8 million to launch programs such as digital navigators, workforce development, and cybersecurity training. These funds were designed to reach nearly two million residents who still face significant barriers that prevent them from fully participating in the digital world.
As you noted, “[m]aking sure Americans have the resources and skills they need to participate in the digital economy was part of the IIJA and I will follow the law.” 2 You also stated that once confirmed you would “commit to implementing NTIA’s statutory requirements, including with respect to the Digital Equity Act.” 3 Distribution of these digital equity funds is not a discretionary choice, it is a statutory obligation. You must uphold your commitment to follow the law by immediately reinstating and resuming the disbursement of funds awarded under the Digital Equity Act.
Congress also created the $42.45 billion BEAD Program to finish the job of connecting nearly 25 million Americans that continue to wait for affordable, high-speed, reliable internet service. The BEAD program is our once-in-a-century opportunity to finish closing the digital divide and states have already invested years in developing implementation plans tailored to local needs, technical realities, and the bipartisan intent of Congress.
As NTIA Administrator you must uphold the statutory flexibility given to the states. This includes:
No new delays. The BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice should not be used to further delay approvals or revisit established allocations—such as the over $675 million allocated to New Mexico.
A meaningful low-cost service option. Internet service providers that win BEAD funding must offer a low-cost service option that is affordable and high-speed, not just a box checking exercise.
Deference for local expertise. States are best suited to determine what technology is appropriate for their terrain and therefore must be afforded deference on priority project determinations, so long as they meet the speed, latency and scalability requirements of IIJA.
Failing to adhere to these statutory requirements and current approval timeline risks setting broadband deployment back by years.
Moreover, Congress also explicitly authorized states to use BEAD funding for a variety of uses beyond deployment. These uses include data collection, broadband mapping, planning, installation of Internet connections within multifamily residential buildings where low-income residents live, broadband adoption efforts, including programs to provide affordable internet-capable devices, and other uses as determined by the Assistant Secretary. It is important to follow the law and release non-deployment guidance as soon as possible.
I request that you respond to these questions by August 15, 2025.
The IIJA included $2.75 billion to support three grant programs under the Digital Equity Act to equip individuals and communities with the skills and tools needed for full participation in all aspects of society. Earlier this year, the states’ Capacity Grants were wrongfully terminated as were the Competitive Grant grantees and the others recommended for an award. In accordance with the law, when will you reinstate the grant programs under the Digital Equity Act? Please provide a specific date.
States would already have shovels in the ground if not for the delays this administration introduced with the initial 90 day extension and subsequent June 6th Public Notice. Will you commit to no further delays and approve States’ BEAD Plans within 90 days of submission?
Congress authorized BEAD funds for non-deployment uses, including affordability and adoption. Further guidance from NTIA should not hinder states’ ability to exercise discretion granted by statute to use funds for non-deployment. When will you release the updated guidance for these uses? Please provide a specific date.
We share the goals of connecting every American to broadband and ensuring that broadband is affordable to low-income Americans. Congressionally appropriated funds for the Digital Equity Act and the BEAD program are not optional – they are essential. They represent not only a historic investment in our infrastructure, but a statutory obligation to the people of New Mexico and every unserved and underserved community across this country.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced legislation today to restore the President’s right to appoint acting United States Attorneys, a power usurped by Democrats and handed to judges under arbitrary time limits, creating conflicts of interest and power imbalances within courts. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) cosponsored the legislation.
“President Trump deserves to pick the people working for him,”said Senator Mike Lee.“Judges shouldn’t get to choose the US Attorney who will be arguing cases before them, just as they would never let a President name their law clerks. Congress took this provision out once before, and Democrats revived it to hamper the Bush administration almost 20 years ago. It’s time we restored this prerogative to the leader of the Executive Branch.”
Background
U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the President and subject to approval by the Senate. While awaiting Senate approval, the Attorney General selects an interim U.S. Attorney to serve for 120 days. If the presidential appointee is not confirmed within those 120 days, current law allows district courts to then select yet another interim U.S. Attorney – an opportunity sometimes exploited for political retaliation.
This shift of appointment authority away from the executive branch to the courts creates a conflict of interest, weakening the separation of powers by allowing courts to select their own interim U.S. attorneys.
Senator Lee’s legislation will correct this miscarriage of justice by restoring the authority to make U.S. attorney appointments to the executive branch.
The Department of the Air Force Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management announced new strategic anchors July 30, designed to deliver resilient decision advantage to joint and coalition forces facing evolving challenges.
Nanaimo, BC – Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is committed to the enforcement of the Fisheries Act and is working with partners to strengthen surveillance, monitoring, and prosecution of serious fisheries violations.
The Honourable Justice Crerar of the British Columbia Supreme Court has sentenced Scott Steer, a repeat offender with a history of serious violations under the Fisheries Act, for illegal sea cucumber harvesting and sale. The sentencing follows Mr. Steer’s conviction on January 8, 2025, on multiple counts related to the unlawful harvest and sale of sea cucumbers between July 2019 and June 2020.
Penalties include:
a six-year jail sentence for Scott Steer to be served consecutively;
a global fine of $1,105,718 dollars ($1,005,718 and an additional $100,000 fine for the corporate offenders) for which Mr. and Mrs. Steer are jointly liable which is to be paid by monthly installment over 20 years; and
forfeiture of all items seized during the investigation, other than Mrs. Steer’s two phones, including two vessels, two vehicles, a trailer and many items related to fishing.
Mr. Steer has an extensive history of fisheries violations that have resulted in numerous convictions, prohibitions, fines, and jail sentences. He had previously been prohibited by the Courts in 2016 from possessing or acquiring fishing gear, being onboard any fishing vessel, or applying for a fishing license until 2038. Despite these prohibitions, he actively orchestrated an illegal fishing operation, acquiring and outfitting vessels, recruiting crew, forging DFO records, and selling unlawfully harvested sea cucumbers.
The court found that Mr. Steer’s illegal activities resulted in the sale of over 87,000 pounds of sea cucumbers, generating more than $1 million in revenue through fraudulent transactions with a Vancouver-based processing company. Justice Crerar determined that 1215419 B.C. Ltd. was a sham corporation used to circumvent Mr. Steer’s prohibitions and court orders, and that Mrs. Steer was fully involved in the scheme.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada reminds the public that illegal fishing threatens the sustainability of Canada’s fisheries and urges anyone with information on potential violations to report them to DFO’s toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336 or by email atDFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Toledo, OH — Today, the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a decision finding that the Department of Energy violated the Impoundment Control Act. After investigating delayed awards for the Department of Energy’s Renew America’s Schools Program, GAO confirmed what we already knew: President Trump and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought’s theft of appropriated funds violates the Impoundment Control Act.
This decision respects Congress’s constitutional primacy over appropriations and the Congress’s role in passing annual appropriations Acts, including appropriations to provide funding for schools to help schools decrease energy costs, improve indoor air quality, and foster healthier learning environments.
“GAO’s legal determination confirms the illegality of DOE’s wider pattern of freezing appropriated funds for energy programs. DOE’s delays of critical energy funding for policy reasons lay bare an appalling betrayal of working families,” said Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “These program freezes cede our global clean energy leadership to Communist China and force Americans to pay higher energy bills. DOE’s partisan overreach must end now. They must release the funds immediately so communities and families can drive down costs, improve our infrastructure, and secure America’s energy independence in perpetuity.”
“President Trump, Russ Vought, and Secretary Wright continue to steal from Americans to concentrate absolute power in the executive branch. This time, they are stealing from our nation’s schoolchildren, who deserve a healthy environment to learn in – and from school districts looking to lower their energy costs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), our government’s preeminent nonpartisan watchdog, has yet again plainly demonstrated that the Department of Energy is engaged in a broad pattern of unlawfully freezing critical energy investments, forcing Americans to pay higher energy bills,” said House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03). “Their unlawful impoundments are not limited to Renew America’s Schools; they are threatening vital clean energy and efficiency initiatives that help drive down costs and modernize our infrastructure. I will continue to say it: Russ Vought is behind the lawless destruction and upheaval of our government and must be removed from his position. Russ Vought is an unelected bureaucrat, much like those he professes to detest, and he has decided that his views, and his priorities, are superior to the priorities, directives, and decisions of the Democratic and Republican representatives in the United States Congress. He has shown time and again that he is willing to break the law and hurt Americans in order to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. He must be stopped.”
The US Department of Energy (DOE) launched the $500 Million Renew America’s Schools Program to promote the implementation of energy improvements at K-12 public schools across the country. This first-of-its-kind investment aims to help school communities make energy upgrades that will decrease energy use and costs, improve indoor air quality, and foster healthier learning environments. To date, the Renew America’s Schools Program has invested hundreds of millions in public school districts across America, supporting capacity-building initiatives for energy management at over two dozen Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), and funding improvement projects at more than 400 facilities across 36 states – directly benefitting over 197,000 students and 14,000 teachers.
In April, Ranking Member DeLauro and Vice Chair Murrayfirst released a joint trackeron the funds President Trump and Russ Vought are stealing from American communities. This tracker — the first of its kind — puts a spotlight on the frozen funds across our government, including the $77 Billion for Department of Energy programs. See the updated trackerhere.
Ranking Member DeLauro has been sounding the alarm on impoundment since President Trump was reelected. In December 2024, she released thisfact sheetlaying the groundwork on President Trump’s uninformed and unconstitutional impoundment plan.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Toledo, OH – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), and Congressman Mike QuigleyCo-Chairs of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, together with Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01), led 33 members of Congress in calling on the Trump administration to rapidly address applications for legal status and work authorization by Ukrainians currently in the United States.
“Murderous Dictator Putin continues his unprovoked war of aggression, unleashing daily barrages of rockets and terror on innocent Ukrainian civilians. The United States and the Free World have a moral obligation to protect those who may yet fall under his murderous rampage. Since the full scale escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine in February, 2022, more than 270,000 Ukrainians have sought refuge in America. For more than 3 years, Ukrainian refugees have contributed greatly to communities nationwide, including in the greater Toledo and Cleveland areas in my home state of Ohio.” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. “The success of the U4U program is unquestioned, with more than 175,000 Ukrainian nationals currently in the United States through this program. I was pleased to hear and echo President Trump’s sentiment earlier this week that we must continue to grant them the safety and shelter that prevents them from being forced back into the setting of war. America has long been a refuge for those whose lives are threatened by immediate danger, and we must continue serving as a shining light for Liberty for those fleeing tyranny and terror.”
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, tens of thousands of Ukrainians have sought refuge in the United States through the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program. Now, many are seeing their statuses lapse as a massive backlog has developed within US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Following President Trump’s recent encouraging comments about the U4U program, the bipartisan group of members is urging the administration to adjudicate outstanding requests for legal status and work authorization and to extend parole for Ukrainians with expiring statuses.
The members wrote, in part in their letter, “After years of being employed, paying taxes, and contributing to our neighborhoods, Ukrainians in our districts now live in uncertainty–a state of limbo that hurts communities and employers alike who’ve sought to help this population.”
Other signers of the letter include Representatives: Ukraine Caucus Co-Chair Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Danny Davis (IL-07), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Adam Smith (WA-09), Dina Titus (NV-01), Joe Morelle (NY-25), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Bill Keating (MA-09), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Greg Casar (TX-35), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Jason Crow (CO-06), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), and Jim Costa (CA-21).
A copy of the signed letter is availableHERE. The full text of the letter is available below:
Dear Secretary Noem and Director Edlow,
We write to express our continued support for Ukrainians who have been granted temporary status in the United States through the Uniting for Ukraine program. We ask your administration to take swift, decisive actions to preserve legal status and work authorization for Ukrainians who have found safety in the United States amid the devastating conflict brought upon their homeland.
Five months ago, we marked three years since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale, unprovoked, and illegal invasion of Ukraine. This brutal assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty and democracy has forced millions to flee their homeland in search of safety. Since February 24, 2022, tens of thousands of Ukrainians have sought refuge in the United States. For many of them, the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program has provided a vital humanitarian lifeline, offering a pathway to safety, dignity, and hope.
Many individuals and families from Ukraine received travel authorization to the United States, a lawful status and temporary basis for work authorization through the Uniting for Ukraine program for up to two years. However, Ukrainians in our districts are increasingly seeing their statuses and work authorization lapse under expiring grants of parole offered under the program. After years of being employed, paying taxes, and contributing to our neighborhoods, Ukrainians in our districts now live in uncertainty–a state of limbo that hurts communities and employers alike who’ve sought to help this population. We believe a series of limited, concrete actions within your authority could protect this population as hostilities continue in Ukraine, such as:
1) Adjudicate outstanding requests for lawful status, work authorization: Many Ukrainians have applied for re-parole, Temporary Protected Status, and work authorization but have not had their applications adjudicated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under an administrative hold. We urge USCIS to swiftly adjudicate outstanding employment authorization and other benefits requests from U4U beneficiaries under the June 9 “Adjudication of Requests filed by Parolees Under Specified Parole Programs” memo. Backlog reduction efforts would make a substantial difference in providing certainty and clarity to thousands of Ukrainian individuals and families who sought relief in a timely manner.
2) Re-parole and/or parole extensions for Ukrainians with expiring parole: Under the operational lifting of the USCIS administrative pause, DHS should accept, consider, and adjudicate new applications for re-parole from U4U beneficiaries, or deploy a limited parole extension process on a case-by-case basis. These processes would provide an orderly framework for Ukrainians to preserve an expiring status and/or work authorization outside of the backlogged asylum system.
We are grateful for your administration’s support for peace in Ukraine. Until that is achieved, we ask you to preserve protections for those affected by this terrible war.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) led Congressional Cut Flower Caucus co-chairs Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), and Jeff Hurd (R-CO-03) in introducing the Don Young American Grown Act.
The bipartisan bill requires any cut flowers or cut green plants officially on display in public areas of the Executive Office of the President, Department of Defense, or Department of State be grown in the United States, District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.
In addition, the lawmakers introduced a bipartisan resolution to officially recognize the month of July 2025 as “American Grown Flower and Foliage Month’’.
“California produces nearly three quarters of all American-grown cut flowers, and I’ve seen firsthand the vital role these farms play in supporting local jobs, small businesses, and the long-term strength of our agricultural sector,”said Rep. Carbajal, co-chair of the Congressional Cut Flower Caucus.“The Don Young American Grown Act will uplift domestic cut flower growers, bolster our specialty crop sector, and honor the legacy of the late Congressman Young.”
“Maine’s flower farmers and the cut flower industry nationwide create jobs, support local economies, and bring natural beauty to our communities,”said Rep. Pingree,co-chair of the Congressional Cut Flower Caucus.“As Co-Chair of the Cut Flower Caucus, I’m proud to reintroduce the Don Young American Grown Act, alongside the resolution designating July as American Grown Flower and Foliage Month. This bipartisan legislation honors Don’s legacy, while ensuring federal agencies lead by example in purchasing American-grown flowers. It’s a commonsense way to support our domestic growers year-round.”
Representative Don Young of Alaska, who passed away in 2022, was the lead sponsor of the Don Young American Grown Act in both the116thand117thCongresses. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) leads companion, bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate.
The text of the Don Young American Grown Act can be foundHERE.
The text of the American Grown Flower and Foliage Month resolution can be foundHERE. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) leads a companion resolution in the U.S. Senate.
Founded in 2014, the Congressional Cut Flower Caucus was created to help address, support, and represent the economic interests and opportunities facing America’s flower farmers.
The Congressional Cut Flower Caucus is a bipartisan coalition established to set the agenda and educate Congress on the cultural and economic value of flower and green farms.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A Walker County man has been sentenced for illegally possessing cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Shannon Wayne Herron, 50, of Jasper, Alabama, to 108 months in prison. In February, Herron pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to the plea agreement, on November 1, 2023, detectives with the Jasper Police Department Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant on a residence in Jasper. During the search, officers recovered 366 grams of pure methamphetamine, marijuana, a digital scale, a ledger containing names with dollar amounts next to the names, four cell phones, and approximately $1,800 in cash.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case along with the Jasper Police Department Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.
Defendant previously convicted of sodomy and assault with intent to rape a minor under 12
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to failure to register as a sex offender. Defendant served in United States Navy in April 1998 when he was convicted of sodomy, assault and intent to rape a minor under the age of 12.
Adrian Martinez, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to register as a sex offender before U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin who scheduled sentencing for Oct. 28, 2025. In April 2025, Martinez was arrested and charged.
Martinez is a Level 3 sex offender who was previously convicted while serving in the United States Navy of: committing sodomy with a person under the age of 12; taking indecent liberties upon the body of a female under 12 years of age (4 counts); and assault with intent to rapea person under the age of 12, in violation of Uniformed Code of Military Justice.
Following his conviction, Martinez was sentenced to a 40-year period of incarceration. Martinez served approximately 11 years of his 40 year sentence and was released from custody in February of 2009. Martinez was required to register as a sex offender and update his registration any time he moved or changed employment. At some point after Sept. 30, 2022, Martinez moved out of his Boston residence and did not notify law enforcement of his change in registered address. Boston Police attempted to contact Martinez but were unsuccessful in their attempts.
Martinez faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to lifetime supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kevin Neal, Acting United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Samsung Electronics America is collaborating with Google to offer a curated museum experience powered by Galaxy S25 Edge and Gemini Live. The program kicks off at Space Center Houston, the space exploration and science learning museum that serves as the official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. With AI-inspired interactive activations, visitors will get a sneak peek at the exciting ways Gemini Live can transform learning, whether you’re diving into history, exploring with curiosity, or Quick Sharing your favorite photo moments as immersive digital content.
This program will continue with unique activations at museums in Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York, to be announced throughout the summer.
At Space Center Houston, the Samsung Google Gemini Live Museum experience will feature striking digital installations positioned in the main plaza and throughout exhibit areas with multiple opportunities to engage with Gemini Live using Galaxy S25 Edge. Guests will start their journey at the plaza kiosk, where they will register and be assigned randomly generated space themed usernames, like APOLLO and MOON. After signing up, guests will continue their journey with a guided Gemini Live tutorial using Galaxy S25 Edge.
Gemini Live enhances each guest’s journey as they follow prompts at various stops throughout the museum. With Gemini Live, guests will receive personalized insights and deeper educational opportunities at each stop, with the opportunity for demos that create a seamless, curated museum visit.
Throughout this gamified experience, users will be able to see a map overview of the different activities alongside a progress bar so they are enticed to complete the whole experience fully. This creates a playful, fun, and engaging environment to learn while experiencing all that Galaxy S25 Edge and Gemini Live have to offer. Leaderboard displays will also show entertaining museum facts and fun Gemini Live features. Throughout their tour and upon completing activities, guests will be eligible to earn prizes, ranging from retail offers to digital and physical prizes at the kiosk.1 They’ll also receive emails throughout their visit to keep their username, prizes, and other helpful information streamlined.
WHO: Fans and museumgoers are invited to join Samsung for curated, hands-on experiences using Galaxy S25 Edge and Gemini Live.
WHAT: Samsung is collaborating with Google to host the Gemini Live Museum program. The showcase will feature museum activation where guests can use Gemini Live on Galaxy S25 Edge to experience the power of AI on Galaxy’s slimmest S Series phone yet.
WHEN: Thursday, July 31, 2025, through Thursday, September 25, 2025
Museum hours apply. Experience will take place daily.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jake Auchincloss (Massachusetts, 4)
July 30, 2025
Washington, D.C. – As the Trump Administration continues to attack federal research and development (R&D) investments, new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms that these investments spur economic growth and reduce the long-term cost of innovation.
This analysis, requested by Congressman Jake Auchincloss (MA-04) and House Budget Committee Ranking Member Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), demonstrates that increasing federal investment in nondefense R&D over the next 10 years would boost the nation’s real economic output over the next three decades due to increased innovation and higher productivity. The increased federal investment would also reduce the cumulative federal deficit over the next 30 years. CBO’s analysis also indicates that cutting federal R&D investments would have the opposite effect, reducing economic growth.
“Funding science is a good investment. Every dollar spent returns multiples from which all Americans benefit, through higher standard of living, healthier families, and national defense,” saidCongressman Auchincloss. “I am encouraged that the CBO is quantifying the bounty of science, as it will support Congress in investing in our future.”
“Federal R&D investments drive innovation, create jobs, and help keep America competitive,” said Ranking Member Boyle. “In Philadelphia, we see the impact every day through cutting-edge medical research and a growing R&D sector that supports good-paying, stable jobs. This report makes clear that these investments strengthen our economy and reduce the cost of innovation. It also shows that Trump’s cuts to R&D programs are short-sighted and harmful. They stall progress, threaten jobs, and put our future at risk.”
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the entire Senate Democratic caucus in reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Advancement Act, legislation that would update and restore critical safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act of 1965 that have been eroded in recent years by federal court rulings. The legislation would strengthen our democracy by reestablishing preclearance for jurisdictions with a pattern of voting rights violations, protecting minority communities subject to discriminatory voting practices, and defending election workers from threats and intimidation. It is named in honor of voting rights champion and former U.S. Congressman John Lewis of Georgia.
This legislation is especially relevant in Texas, where, following historic disapproval of Congressional Republicans’ tax bill, Texas state lawmakers are looking to add five additional Republican seats in the House of Representatives. The move comes in direct response to President Trump’s fears that voters may flip the House in the 2026 midterms.
“Voting is a sacred freedom, and depriving people of their right to participate in our democratic process is a threat to democracy. Right now, states across the country are violating this fundamental right by enacting discriminatory laws deliberately designed to keep people from the ballot box. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act works to restore crucial protections of the Voting Rights Act to ensure that everyone has a voice in our democratic system,” said Senator Welch.
“As I often say, a vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and our children,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Our prayers are stronger when we pray together. Democracy is the political enactment of a spiritual idea that each of us has within ourselves the spark of the divine. We all have value, and if we all have value, we ought to have a voice in the direction of our country; we ought to have a vote.”
“There is no freedom more fundamental than the right to vote. But between the Trump Administration’s executive order on voter registration and state legislatures’ gerrymandering districts, there has been a clear, concerted effort to chip away at the protections guaranteed to every American under the Voting Rights Act,” said Senator Durbin. “In the face of these injustices that target communities of color and their right to vote, we must continue the work of civil rights leaders like John Lewis and strengthen the framework of the Voting Rights Act by passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.”
“The ‘good trouble’ John Lewis spoke of is not just an inspirational phrase – it’s a challenge to all of us to rise to the occasion and to fight for the ideals that make our country great. I’ve been clear that when it comes to protecting democracy, we must fight fire with fire. We will not stand idly by while Republicans’ revert to Jim Crow era voting restrictions— suppressing votes and people that do not match their ideals. We will fight to protect democracy – the bedrock of our society and the foundation of what makes the American dream possible,” said Democratic Leader Schumer.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s damaging Shelby County decision in 2013—which crippled the federal government’s ability under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prevent discriminatory changes to voting laws and procedures—states across the country have unleashed a torrent of voter suppression efforts, including SB 202 in Georgia. The Supreme Court’s decision in Brnovich v Democratic National Committee delivered yet another blow to the Voting Rights Act by making it significantly harder for plaintiffs to win lawsuits under the landmark law against discriminatory voting laws or procedures.
In addition to Senator Warnock, Ranking Member Durbin, Leader Schumer, and Senator Welch, the legislation is cosponsored by the entire Democratic caucus. The VRAA is endorsed by 178 organizations. These organizations understand that voting rights are preservative of all other rights and progress on a range of critical issues cannot take place if citizens cannot make their voices heard. The list of endorsing Georgia and national organizations of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act can be found here.
Learn more about the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Read and download the full text of the bill.
The ECA office for North Africa concluded in Tunisia a four-day capacity building workshop on Modernizing Libya’s Tax System focusing on E-Taxation Services. The training aimed to enhance the Libyan tax authority’s practical knowledge of international best practices in e-taxation and strengthen their ability to set an efficient e-taxation system.
“This training has been an opportunity for our team to share with Libya its extensive experience in building and sustaining sound tax systems to support economic development and improve public revenue,” said Adam Elhiraika, Director of the ECA Office for North Africa. “It also allowed us to contribute to the promotion of South-South cooperation between our member countries thanks to the valuable contributions of trainers provided by the Egyptian Taxation Administration,” he added.
The training brought together senior managers, supervisors, and IT personnel involved in the development and implementation of e-taxation systems in Libya. Participants enhanced their skills in areas such as taxpayer registration, electronic filing, return processing, and data analytics, with special attention to the needs of large taxpayers. The training also deepened their understanding of international best practices in e-taxation and the legal, organizational, and technical requirements for a successful digital transformation of tax operations.
Libya’s economy currently remains highly dependent on oil production, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in production levels and global oil prices. These disruptions can have significant impacts on government revenues when they happen.
To address this issue, the Libyan government has been working to diversify public revenues and reduce the national economy’s reliance on hydrocarbons by increasing tax collections and promoting non-oil exports. However, tax revenue mobilization has remained weak so far due to issues such as widespread tax evasion, a narrow tax base, and low levels of taxpayer compliance.
This initiative comes in support to the Libyan Tax Authority 2021 strategy which aims to modernize income tax administration and advance the digital transformation of tax processes alongside reforms in legislation, institutional structure, infrastructure, and human resources.
– on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
The Nubian community in Uganda has petitioned Parliament, seeking intervention over decades of alleged discrimination and neglect by successive governments.
Despite being recognized as an indigenous tribe in the 1995 Constitution, the community claims it has been marginalized politically, economically, and socially.
In a petition presented by to Parliament by Hon. Hassan Kirumira (NUP, Katikamu South) on Wednesday, 30 July 2025, the Nubians highlight historical injustices and ongoing challenges faced, particularly in Bombo town, their traditional home. “Even though we are citizens of Uganda, the Nubian community is still left out politically, economically, and socially,” the petition reads.
Nubians trace their roots in Uganda back to 1844 and have since integrated into Ugandan society through intermarriage and national development contributions. “Nubians are rarely considered for public service appointments, including ministries, government boards, and foreign missions,” Kirumira said adding that they are barely represented in local government structures.
The petitioners appealed to President Museveni to fulfill his promise of upgrading Bombo to a municipality, which would bring dignity, jobs, and development to the area. The community also seeks redress for past injustices, including compensation for losses suffered during the 1979 war following the fall of Idi Amin’s regime. Additionally, they highlight current challenges such as inadequate healthcare facilities, youth unemployment, school dropouts and teenage pregnancies.
In the petition, the Nubians call on the government to address their concerns and ensure their inclusion and participation in national development.
– on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
I bring you compliments from the board and management of African Peace Magazine UK (https://AfricanPeace.org).
On behalf of the Chairman Justice Suleiman Galadima, JSC, OFR, CFR (Rtd.) African Peace Magazine UK, humbly wish to specially invite you to attend the Hybrid and in person Award.
The African Peace Magazine UK, in conjunction with her strategic partners: Rethink Africa Foundation, African Fact Checkers, Centre for peace and Conflict management in Africa, African Right Watch Television Ltd and several others is set to host the 15th Edition of the prestigious African Peace Awards, it is scheduled to hold in London England with the theme “The Magic of Peace”.
African Peace Magazine UK, has been publishing for well over 15 years, and we are committed to promoting Peace, business networking, good governance and improved condition of living for Africans.
Established in 2009, African Peace Award is an international award presented annually to honor individuals and organizations in various fields that have made outstanding contributions toward the realization of a peaceful and harmonious world as envisioned in the Declaration for All Life on Earth. They are selected not only in recognition of their past achievements, but for their ongoing contribution to building a better future. www.AfricanPeaceAwards.com
African Peace Award is usually presented at a ceremony during the annual dinner and lecture, where the laureate takes center stage to deliver a commemorative address and receive a medal and a diploma together with a monetary prize.
In addition to this annual award, the Culture of Peace Special Award is presented occasionally to honor individuals and organizations in various fields that have notably contributed to spreading and fostering a Culture of Peace around the world.
The event is designed to host business, political, and diplomatic leaders. It is set to have in attendance, policy makers and think-tanks on Africa and Africa related issues.
The African Peace Awards 2025 seeks to honor persons, institutions, organization, governments and others whose actions, and efforts have in one way improved or contributed to peace keeping and conflict management in Africa as well as improving the lives of Africans.
The African Peace brand has noted that Peace promotion and conflict management in any society alleviates uncertainty and risk which in turn promotes economic growth in any given community. It contributes to the economic growth of the community by increasing the productivity in capital and labour as well as good governance.
The African Peace brand introduces its awards in the hopes of promoting peace globally and specifically in Africa with the hope of effecting change in Africa first and then globally.
Several African Presidents, heads of Government, first ladies, past president and Vice presidents, top business CEOs, diplomats and others have received the Award in the past.
– on behalf of African Peace Magazine.
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About African Peace Magazine: The African Peace Magazine is published by African Peace Magazine (U.K.) Limited, a company registered in the United Kingdom. We are also registered in Nigeria, Angola and South Africa. The magazine focuses on bringing the best of Africa to a global audience, telling the African story from an African perspective, while evolving solutions to peculiar challenges being faced by the continent today.
Eswatini needs to digitalize, strengthen public finances and address structural economic constraints to sustain growth, according to the latest edition of the Eswatini Economic Update (EEU) launched by the World Bank Group (WBG) today, titled: Harnessing the Potential of Digital Technologies for Eswatini’s Growth and Job Creation. The report also provides analysis of the country’s recent economic performance and prospects for the medium term.
Eswatini’s economy is projected to grow by about 5% in 2025 through a combination of policies and supportive conditions amid global economic uncertainty. An increase in public and private investment is projected to contribute to economic activity. The challenge will be to maintain this economic momentum and ensure growth is more inclusive over the medium term. The nation faces pressing needs to digitalize and address structural constraints, diversify its economy and strengthen public finances.
The second edition of the EEU identifies digitalization as a key transformative strategy for the country, particularly as it addresses significant challenges such as a 35.4% unemployment rate and structural inefficiencies in vital sectors including agriculture, trade, and services. By accelerating digital transformation, Eswatini can boost productivity, create sustainable new jobs, and increase domestic revenue helping to reduce reliance on volatile revenues.
“This report aligns with the Kingdom of Eswatini’s 2024-2028 digital strategy. We welcome the World Bank’s insights on how digital transformation can contribute to accelerating our ongoing efforts to boost inclusive economic growth and domestic revenues and in so doing reduce reliance on SACU transfers,” said Honorable Thambo Gina, Minister for Economic Planning and Development for the Kingdom of Eswatini at the report’s launch in Mbabane.
Eswatini is making progress in expanding digital access, with nearly 95% of the population now covered by 4G networks. However, only about 58% of people are using the internet. One of the main reasons is the high cost of data, which takes up 3.47% of GNI per capita – above what is considered affordable in the region. To boost digital adoption and attract greater investment, the report recommends reforming the telecom market, including restructuring the telecom State-Owned Enterprise, adopting open access policies to ensure that all service providers can use the same network infrastructure on fair and equal terms, and update regulatory frameworks to promote competition and lower costs. In addition, with almost half of the country’s Small and Medium Enterprises facing digital adoption barriers, targeted efforts in skills development and entrepreneurship support, including linkages to public procurement, are essential to drive job creation and innovation.
“Eswatini’s digital transformation presents an opportunity to drive inclusive growth. Realizing this will require bold reforms to unlock the full potential of digital technologies, including the restructuring of Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC),” said Satu Kahkonen, World Bank Division Director for Eswatini. “In addition, strengthening coordination across government initiatives, accelerating digital skills development, and fostering innovation will be key to unlocking this potential. Addressing these challenges will enable the country to capture the full benefits of a digital economy.”
To unlock Eswatini’s digital potential for higher economic growth and job creation, the EEU recommends three core policy pillars:
(i) Enhance resilience through effective macroeconomic management;
(ii) Stimulate job creation through private sector development by improving the enabling environment;
(iii) Provide better and more affordable services through efficient public spending.
The policy options include strengthening digital governance through clearer institutional roles and a national change management program; accelerating Eswatini Post and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) reforms to enhance operational efficiency and introduce open access; investing in digital public infrastructure, including a modern digital ID system; developing a National Digital Skills Action Plan aligned with labor market needs; and fostering a competitive innovation ecosystem through regulatory reforms, financing access, and support for startups via public procurement opportunities.
Addressing these priorities will position Eswatini to harness digital transformation for broader economic inclusion and growth.
Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer.
The Spokesman for the Presidency,Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the call touched on the distinguished ties between Egypt and the United Kingdom. Both sides agreed to further enhance cooperation between the two countries in all fields, particularly economic, trade, tourism, and education, in addition to supporting joint investment projects.
The call reviewed regional developments. The President reiterated that Egypt welcomes the British prime minister’s statements regarding the United Kingdom’s intention to recognize the State of Palestine. It was also emphasized that this step would represent a positive impetus toward restoring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, mainly the establishment of an independent state along the June 4, 1967, borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Both sides emphasized that a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue through the establishment of an independent state is the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
During the call, President El-Sisi reviewed Egypt’s vision for achieving calm and ending the war in the Gaza Strip, highlighting Egypt’s efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement, expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid, and ensure the release of hostages and captives, as well as the importance of beginning the reconstruction process in the Strip as soon as possible.
President El-Sisi affirmed Egypt’s firm position of rejecting the displacement of Palestinians from their lands.
– on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Thirty-five research labs at the University of Calgary and University of Alberta will receive more than $8.4 million in grants through the Research Capacity Program to help researchers get the essential equipment they need to expand their work.
With a strong focus on health innovation and life sciences, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and quantum science, this round of funding will support high-impact economic projects, including AI-powered health diagnostics, energy, quantum computing and wildfire management, furthering Alberta’s global competitiveness in AI, advanced manufacturing and health innovation.
“Our province has a strong history of being on the leading edge of science. Programs like the Small Equipment Grant help ensure Alberta’s world-class institutions and their researchers can continue to make groundbreaking discoveries, commercialize their work for the benefit of all Albertans and Canadians, and compete for talent on the world stage.”
Providing Alberta researchers with the equipment they need strengthens the province’s globally competitive position, and helps post-secondary institutions attract and retain top-tier talent from around the world, supporting economic diversification and technological growth in Alberta.
“Alberta’s universities are at the leading edge of research and innovation, developing solutions to many of the most pressing issues we face today. Research and commercialization are essential to fostering economic growth and addressing productivity challenges, and this investment will help Alberta remain globally competitive in a rapidly changing innovation landscape.”
“This investment is a catalyst for innovation at the University of Calgary. It enables our researchers to access the specialized tools they need to accelerate discovery and tackle real-world challenges. From health innovation to quantum science, this funding strengthens our ability to deliver research that drives meaningful impact for Albertans.”
The Research Capacity Program is a competitive, multi-stream funding program designed to help Alberta post-secondary institutions expand their research capacity. Its Small Equipment Grant stream covers up to 40 per cent of the costs and enables researchers to buy specialized lab equipment.
Successful applicants are selected through a rigorous, multi-disciplinary review process that assesses each proposal for its innovation, feasibility and potential for real-world impact to ensure that only the best solutions are chosen for funding.
Quick facts
Alberta’s government has invested more than $570 million into post-secondary research through the Research Capacity Program since it was established in 2000.
More than 70 per cent (7,250 of 10,000) of the skilled professionals recruited or trained by a lab funded through the Research Capacity Program stay in Alberta.
Funding decisions for the Research Capacity Program grants are recommended by an external Multidisciplinary Review Panel, which independently assesses proposals based on academic excellence, alignment with Alberta’s priorities and potential impact.
This process ensures impartiality, as the panel’s expert peer review is independent and adheres to best practices used by leading research bodies like the Canada Foundation for Innovation and National Institutes of Health.
The Research Capacity Program has multiple competition streams, including the College-Industry Innovation Grant, Research Infrastructure Grant and Small Equipment Grant.
The Province is broadening access to the free, publicly funded human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and simplifying the immunization schedule, ensuring more people in B.C. have the protection they need against HPV-related cancers.
“The HPV vaccine is a powerful tool to protect health and prevent cancer,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “By expanding free access and making it easier for people to get immunized, we’re taking another meaningful step forward in our 10-year Cancer Action Plan – reducing cancer rates and improving health outcomes for people across British Columbia.”
Following guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization and provincial immunization experts, the government is streamlining the immunization process for HPV.
Starting Thursday, July 31, 2025, the HPV vaccine schedule will shift from two doses to one dose for people age nine to 20. People 21 and older will be eligible for a two-dose series, with six-months between doses. Individuals who are immunocompromised will continue to need a three-dose series.
With this change, the Province is expanding eligibility for B.C.’s publicly funded HPV immunization program to include all people 19 to 26, plus people 27 to 45 who are living with HIV or who self-identify as belonging to the gay, bisexual, questioning, Two-Spirit, transgender and non-binary communities.
Those who have undergone post-colposcopy treatments on or after July 31, 2025, are eligible to get the vaccine at any age. A colposcopy is a procedure to check for abnormal areas on the cervix and vagina.
The HPV vaccine will continue to be offered through voluntary, school-based immunization clinics starting with students in Grade 6 and through multi-grade catch-up clinics, as well as in some community pharmacies for those who may have missed their dose. Other eligible people can get the vaccine from some pharmacies, sexually transmitted infection clinics, public-health units, primary-care providers or a community-health nurse. People living in First Nation communities can contact their community health centre or nursing station to book an appointment.
“B.C.’s community pharmacists are proud to be an accessible provider of vaccines for British Columbians living in communities, large and small,” said pharmacist Colleen Hogg, chair of the BC Pharmacy Association. “Pharmacists are one of the top immunizers and are there for patients when they need us.”
This initiative is a part of B.C.’s 10-year Cancer Action Plan to better prevent, detect and treat cancers, and to deliver improved care for people facing cancer now, while preparing for growing needs of the future.
Learn More:
For general information and how to book an appointment, visit: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-library/health-features/get-hpv-vaccine
For locating services, including public-health units offering immunizations, visit: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/find-care/find-health-services
To access your health information online, visit: https://www.healthgateway.gov.bc.ca/
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)
Larsen: Trade War with Canada Harms Washington Families
Everett, WA, July 31, 2025
Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement:
“President Trump’s unnecessary trade war with Canada is hurting families and businesses in Northwest Washington state.
As of last month, Canadian travelers from B.C. to Washington state via Whatcom County have decreased by 43% compared to 2024.
Online purchases from U.S. retailers are down 14% and travel purchases in the U.S. are down 27%.
Northwest Yarns, a small business in Bellingham, lost 20% of their sales because of Canadian shoppers choosing to spend their money at home.
Point to Point Parcel, a local Point Roberts shipping company that survived 24 years, closed in May because of the President’s reckless tariffs.
An international company shifted manufacturing work from Washington state to Canada and a maritime employer moved a project from Bellingham to Canada because of tariff uncertainty.
“Instead of a pointless trade war, the President should work with Canada to address the challenges facing both Americans and Canadians. A positive, effective agenda would include rebuilding manufacturing jobs, bringing down the cost of living, building stronger cross-border energy and critical minerals sectors, and confronting unfair competition from non-market economies.
“With Trump’s arbitrary deadline of August 1st approaching, any deal that locks in U.S. tariffs will cause further harm for families in Northwest Washington state. The Administration should be working with Canada to reduce barriers between our two economies, create jobs and lower prices.”
Rep. Larsen is a member of the New Democrat Coalition Trade and Tariffs Task Force and has been a leader in opposing the Trump administration’s tariffs.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John James (Michigan 10th District)
MICHIGAN — Congressman John James today authored a letter calling on Canadian leaders to take urgent and decisive action to contain the growing wildfire crisis that is poisoning the air and threatening the health of millions across Michigan and the Midwest.
The 2023 wildfire season in Canada was catastrophic, releasing an unprecedented 647 teragrams of carbon — the equivalent of running over 500 million cars for a full year. This toxic smoke has blanketed cities from Detroit to Minneapolis, contributing to increased hospitalizations, respiratory illnesses, and premature deaths, especially among vulnerable populations such as children with asthma, dialysis patients, and seniors.
For three years running, nearly 70 million acres have burned across Canada, the largest cumulative loss on record, turning major U.S. cities into some of the most polluted urban areas in the world.
Despite the clear public health crisis, Canadian officials have shown alarming disregard. Manitoba’s Premier Wab Kinew recently dismissed the health risks to Americans as “trivial” adding that Americans “enjoying their summers” is not a priority for Manitoba. This lack of urgency undermines decades of cross-border cooperation and damages the U.S.—Canada relationship.
“Michigan families deserve clean air and respect. Canada’s failure to control these wildfires is not just an environmental issue, it’s a public health emergency that threatens our communities,” said Congressman James. “Our friendship with Canada is strong, but friendship requires respect. And respect means protecting each other’s health, not dismissing it.”
With over 69 million residents across the Midwest under air quality alerts, and American firefighting teams deployed to help contain Canadian fires, the status quo is no longer acceptable. Congressmen James is urging Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Forest Service to reform outdated forest management policies and invest in modern technologies to prevent future disasters.
Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to the Boeing Company’s President and CEO Robert Ortberg urging him to take further action following reports of a chemical leak at a Boeing facility in north St. Louis.
“I write concerning new reports that a Boeing facility in north St. Louis leaked up to a thousand gallons of toxic nitric acid into Coldwater Creek. As you know, nitric acid is a caustic industrial agent that can cause burns and respiratory problems, and in high enough concentrations, death. You must continue to work to remedy this latest spill and ensure it never happens again,” Senator Hawley said.
And this is not the first time Boeing has polluted Coldwater Creek with toxic waste. In June 2023, a Boeing industrial wastewater treatment plant released high levels of hexavalent chromium—a carcinogen—into the creek.
Residents in this region have also suffered from nuclear contamination in the creek bed due to Manhattan Project-related activities. Senator Hawley fought for years to secure financial compensation for the victims of this radiation exposure provided through the passage of his RECA Act.
Senator Hawley continues to fight to protect the residents of this region and is calling on Boeing to answer the following questions by August 15, 2025:
Have Missourians been harmed by the July 25, 2025 toxic spill into Coldwater Creek?
If so, what actions have you taken or will you take to remedy such harms?
What actions have you taken or will you take to ensure that similar leakages of toxic chemicals do not occur in the future?
Read the full letter here or below.
July 31, 2025
Robert K. Ortberg President & CEO The Boeing Company
Jeff Shockey EVP of Government Operations, Global Public Policy, & Corporate Strategy The Boeing Company
Mr. Ortberg:
I write concerning new reports that a Boeing facility in north St. Louis leaked up to a thousand gallons of toxic nitric acid into Coldwater Creek. As you know, nitric acid is a caustic industrial agent that can cause burns and respiratory problems, and in high enough concentrations, death. You must continue to work to remedy this latest spill and ensure it never happens again.
The spill threatens the lives and health of residents in my state. And this is not the first time. In June 2023, a Boeing industrial wastewater treatment plant released high levels of hexavalent chromium—a carcinogen—into Coldwater Creek. As you may know, residents of this region have also suffered for years from the presence of nuclear contamination in the creek bed due to Manhattan Project-related activities. That remediation is still ongoing. It is disappointing that corporate neglect is following government neglect when it comes to the safety of my constituents who live near Coldwater Creek.
Your company has stated that, “the situation was safely resolved.” Missourians deserve to know more. Since this is the second time your company has possibly endangered residents, you must take remedial actions. Please answer the following questions by August 15, 2025:
Have Missourians been harmed by the July 25, 2025 toxic spill into Coldwater Creek?
If so, what actions have you taken or will you take to remedy such harms?
What actions have you taken or will you take to ensure that similar leakages of toxic chemicals do not occur in the future?Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)
July 31, 2025
Bicameral lawmakers warn Safe Reach Solutions (SRS) and UG Solutions (UG) that they have put American veterans at risk of criminal and civil liability for de facto “military operations” in Gaza
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Joaquin Castro(TX-20) and Sara Jacobs (CA-51) joined U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in leading an effort to demand answers from U.S.-based security companies, Safe Reach Solutions, LLC (SRS) and UG Solutions, LLC (UG) about their activities in Gaza, which according to press reports, include using lethal force against unarmed and starving Palestinian civilians at aid distribution sites.
The lawmakers warned SRS and UG that the companies and personnel—many of them American military veterans hired as private security contractors—may be subject to future criminal and civil liability under U.S. laws prohibiting torture, war crimes, and forced deportation. The lawmakers also requested the preservation of all documents and communication related to the security companies’ contracts and work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
“We were horrified by reporting this week on your companies’ deadly security operations in Gaza. Your operations have exposed hundreds of brave American veterans to future criminal and civil liability under U.S. laws criminalizing war crimes, torture, and forced deportation,” wrote the lawmakers. “Reports and firsthand witnesses have indicated to us that your personnel—American veterans hired as private security contractors—were brought into Israel on tourist visas inappropriate for the intended purpose of their travel, sent to Gaza armed for combat, and ordered by Israeli officials to use lethal force against unarmed and starving Palestinian civilians. We have also learned that under Israeli orders, your personnel are conducting crowd control at food distribution sites by firing live rounds over the heads of civilians and using stun grenades and pepper spray—all in an active military zone under direct supervision by Israeli military officers.”
The lawmakers continued: “As a result, we are deeply concerned that you may have failed to alert your personnel—or investors—of the immense legal risks they face for conducting what amounts to military operations on behalf of the Israeli government on land outside of the State of Israel.”
Read and download the letterhereand below:
Mr. Govoni, Mr. Reilly,
We were horrified by reporting this week on your companies’ deadly security operations in Gaza. Your operations have exposed hundreds of brave American veterans to future criminal and civil liability under U.S. laws criminalizing war crimes, torture, and forced deportation.
Reports and firsthand witnesses have indicated to us that your personnel —American veterans hired as private security contractors—were brought into Israel on tourist visas inappropriate for the intended purpose of their travel, sent to Gaza armed for combat, and ordered by Israeli officials to use lethal force against unarmed and starving Palestinian civilians. We have also learned that under Israeli orders, your personnel are conducting crowd control at food distribution sites by firing live rounds over the heads of civilians and using stun grenades and pepper spray—all in an active military zone under direct supervision by Israeli military officers.
As a result, we are deeply concerned that you may have failed to alert your personnel —or investors—of the immense legal risks they face for conducting what amounts to military operations on behalf of the Israeli government on land outside of the State of Israel.
Even before the latest revelations, press had reported on Israeli military actions that include the wanton destruction of civilian homes, the use of human shields, rules of engagement resulting in disproportionate civilian casualties, and blockage of medicine and food. More than 50,000 children have already been killed or injured in Gaza, and as we write, infant boys and girls are starving to death. Prime Minister Netanyahu, in response to a question concerning remaining legitimate targets to strike, is reported to have said “I don’t care about the targets” and ordered military officials to “destroy the homes, bomb everything in Gaza. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is reported to have said, “Gaza will be totally destroyed… They will be totally despairing… and will be looking for relocation to begin a new life in other places.” As a result of these actions, U.S. allies have already cut off the supply of offensive weapons to Israel.
We, therefore, ask that you urgently respond to the following questions:
What are the Rules of Engagement currently in effect for your staff in Gaza and what is the nature of their command-and-control relationship with Israeli military officers and government officials?
Did you inform your investors and staff prior to their departure from the United States that they are subject to U.S. criminal law prohibiting torture, war crimes, and forced deportation, including under the War Crimes Act? And further, that they could be held legally responsible for crimes by Israeli forces when those actions were enabled or facilitated by your operations?
Did you inform prospective staff and investors that they could face civil suits upon return to the United States under the Torture Prevention Act by Americans and the families of Americans harmed in Gaza?
Did you inform your staff that the International Criminal Court and third states may exercise jurisdiction over war crimes in Gaza and that they could consider your American staff as combatants for purposes of liability, potentially limiting future freedom of travel to other countries?
How is your organization documenting activities in Gaza and what happens to that data? We request that you preserve all documents and communications related to your contracts and work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
We respectfully request a response withing two weeks.
Sincerely,
CC:
Charles J. Africano (“Chuck”/“Joe”), Safe Reach Solutions (SRS)
Kevin Sullivan, UG Solutions
Jennifer C, UG Solutions
Lou Rassey, Chief Executive Officer, McNally Capital, Chicago IL
Ward McNally, Founder, Co-CEO, and Managing Partner, McNally Capital, Chicago IL
Brian Grogan, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Compliance Officer, McNally Capital, Chicago IL
Ravi Shah, Partner, McNally Capital, Chicago IL
Joel Revill, Chief Executive Officer, Two Ocean Trust, Jackson Hole WY
Albert Forkner, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Two Ocean Trust, Jackson Hole WY
Dustin Sventy, Chief Investment Officer, Two Ocean Trust, Jackson Hole WY
H.R 1663 would establish a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill also would reduce the amount of VA pensions the department pays to certain veterans and survivors who reside in nursing homes. Implementing the bill would increase spending subject to appropriation by $12 million and reduce direct spending by $8 million over the 2025-2035 period, CBO estimates. The budgetary effects of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 550 (health) and 700 (veterans benefits and services).
Spending Subject to Appropriation
Under the bill, the Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer would be responsible for coordinating efforts to protect veterans from frauds and scams. The officer would promote resources for preventing frauds and scams, provide training to department employees, and coordinate with similar efforts of other federal agencies. Using information from VA, CBO estimates the department would require four full-time equivalent employees (the new officer and three support staff) to satisfy the bill’s requirements. Compensation, benefits, and operating expenses would total $1 million in 2026, CBO estimates. Including adjustments for inflation, CBO estimates those costs would total $12 million over the 2025-2035 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
Table 1.
Estimated Budgetary Effects of H.R. 1663
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2025-2030
2025-2035
Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation
Estimated Authorization
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
5
12
Estimated Outlays
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
5
12
Decreases (-) in Direct Spending
Estimated Budget Authority
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-8
0
0
0
0
-8
Estimated Outlays
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-8
0
0
0
0
-8
Direct Spending
Under current law, VA reduces pension payments to veterans and survivors who reside in Medicaid nursing homes to $90 per month. That required reduction expires November 30, 2031. Section 3 of H.R. 1663 would extend that reduction for 61 days, through January 30, 2032. CBO estimates that extending that requirement would reduce VA benefits by $10 million per month. (Those benefits are paid from mandatory appropriations and are therefore considered direct spending.) As a result of that reduction in beneficiaries’ income, Medicaid would pay more of the cost of their care, increasing spending for that program by $6 million per month. Thus, enacting section 3 would reduce net direct spending by $8 million over the 2025-2035 period.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Logan Smith. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services
FY 2026 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) Final Rule — CMS-1833-F
On July 31, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that updates Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient and long-term care hospitals under the Medicare hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) final rule for fiscal year (FY) 2026. CMS is publishing this final rule in accordance with existing statutory and regulatory requirements.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services
FY 2026 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System Final Rule (CMS-1827-F)
On July 31, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule for updates to Medicare payment policies and rates for skilled nursing facilities under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2026. CMS is publishing this final rule in accordance with the statutory requirements to update Medicare payment policies and rates for SNFs on an annual basis. This fact sheet outlines the major provisions of the final rule.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Duncan Caillard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology
Jason Momoa’s historical epic Chief of War, launching August 1 on Apple TV+, is a triumph of Hawaiians telling their own stories – despite the fact their film and TV production industry now struggles to be viable.
The series stars Momoa (Aquaman, Game of Thrones) as Kaʻaina, an ali’i (chief) who fights for – and later rises against – King Kamehameha I during the bloody reunification of Hawaii.
Already receiving advance praise, the nine-episode first season co-stars New Zealand actors Temeura Morrison, Cliff Curtis and Luciane Buchanan, alongside Hawaiian actors Kaina Makua, Brandon Finn and Moses Goods.
A passion project for Momoa, the Hawaiian star co-created the series with writer Thomas Pa’a Sibbett after years in development. With a reported budget of US$340 million, it is one of the most expensive television series ever produced.
It is also a milestone in Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) representation onscreen. Controversially, however, the production only spent a month in Hawaiʻi, and was mostly shot in New Zealand with non-Hawaiian crews.
Momoa has even expressed an interest in New Zealand citizenship, but the choice of location is more a reflection of the troubled state of the film industry in Hawaiʻi. On the other hand, it is a measure of the success of the New Zealand screen industry, with potential lessons for other countries in the Pacific.
Ea o Moʻolelo – story sovereignty
Set at the turn of the 19th century, Chief of War tells the moʻolelo (story, history) of King Kamehameha I’s conquest of the archipelago.
Hawaiʻi was historically governed by aliʻi nui (high chiefs), and each island was ruled independently. Motivated by the threat of European colonisation and empowered by Western weaponry, Kamehameha established the Hawaiian Kingdom, culminating in full unification in 1810.
The series is an important example of what authors Dean Hamer and Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu have called “Ea o Moʻolelo”, or story sovereignty, which emphasises Indigenous peoples’ right to control their own narrative by respecting the “the inalienable right of a story to its own unique contents, style and purpose”.
Chief of War is also the biggest Hawaiian television series ever produced. Although Hawaiʻi remains a popular setting onscreen, these productions have rarely involved Hawaiians in key decision-making roles.
Sea of troubles
The series hits screens at a time of major disruption in Hollywood, with streaming services upending established business models.
“Linear” network television faces declining viewership and advertising revenue. Movie studios struggle to draw audiences to theatres. The consequences for workers in the the industry have been severe, as the 2023 writers strike showed.
Those changes have had a catastrophic impact on the Hawaiʻi film industry, too.
Long a popular location – Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980, 2010-2020), Magnum P.I. (1980-1988, 2018-2024) and Lost (2004-2010) were all shot on location in Hawaiʻi – it is an expensive place to film.
Actors, crew and production equipment often have to be flown in from the continental United States, and producers compete with tourism for costly accommodation.
Kaina Makua as King Kamehameha and New Zealand actor Luciane Buchanan as Ka’ahumanu in Chief of War. Apple TV+
An industry in transition
These are not uncommon problems in distant locations, and many governments try to attract screen productions through tax incentives and rebates on portions of the production costs.
New Zealand, for example, offers a 20-25% rebate for international productions and 40% for local productions. Hawaiʻi offers a 22-27% rebate.
But this is less than other US states offer, such as Georgia (30%), Louisiana (40%) and New Mexico (40%). Hawaiʻi also has an annual cap of US$50 million on rebates.
To make things even harder, Hawaiʻi offers only limited support for Indigenous filmmakers. Governments in Australia and New Zealand provide targeted funding and support for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori filmmakers.
By contrast, the Hawaiʻi Film Commission doesn’t provide direct grants to local filmmakers or producers (Indigenous or otherwise). Small amounts of government funding have been administered through the Public Broadcasting Service, but this is now in jeopardy after US President Donald Trump recently cut federal funding.
The Hawaiʻi screen industry faces a perfect storm. For the first time since 2004, film and TV production has ground to a halt. Many workers now doubt the long-term sustainability of their careers.
Lessons from Aotearoa NZ
While there are lessons Hawaiʻi legislators and industry leaders could learn from New Zealand’s example, there should also be a measure of caution.
The Hawaiʻi tax credit system is out of date. But despite industry lobbying, legislation to update it failed to reach the floor of the legislature earlier this year. New tax settings would help make local production viable again.
Secondly, decades of investment in Māori cinema have seen it become diverse, engaging and creatively accomplished. Hawaiʻi could benefit from greater direct investment in Hawaiian storytelling, respecting its cultural value even if it doesn’t turn a commercial profit.
On the other hand, New Zealand has a favourable currency exchange rate with the US which can’t be replicated in Hawaiʻi. And New Zealand film production workers have seen their rights to unionise watered down compared to their American peers.
But if Hawaiʻi can get its settings right, a possible second season of Chief of War may yet be filmed there, which could mark a genuine rejuvenation of its own film industry.
Duncan Caillard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
As the cool nights continue, it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a new batch of captivating films and series.
This month’s streaming highlights bring a little bit of everything, from gripping true crime, to thought-provoking political drama, and a nostalgic music documentary on the life and times of piano man Billy Joel.
So grab a blanket (and maybe a snack or two). Your next binge-watch awaits.
One Night in Idaho: The College Murders
Prime Video
I remember seeing the gruesome 2022 murder of four college students in Moscow, Idaho, splashed all over the news in Australia. The world seemed momentarily gripped by the brutality of the killings, which happened in off-campus housing, while two other roommates slept downstairs.
The ensuing investigation was given significantly less attention, though. So when Prime Video dropped this four-episode limited series, well, that was my weekend sorted.
The docuseries features exclusive interviews with the friends and families of the victims, so it doesn’t feel gratuitous. It respectfully recounts the tragedy and explores its continued impact, while honouring the victims. It also builds the kind of tension and disquiet that is so beloved in the true crime genre, but not in a way that makes you feel gross watching it.
Notably, legal proceedings for the case were still underway when One Night in Idaho was released. And the series made it clear there was more to the story which couldn’t be shared with, or by, the producers.
However, the trial has since concluded, with more information now available for anyone wanting to dive deeper into the case. This makes the series an absorbing watch.
– Alexa Scarlata
The Night of the Hunter
Various platforms
In 1955, director Charles Laughton crafted The Night of the Hunter: one of the darkest, strangest fairy tales ever to come out of Hollywood.
Shortly before Ben Harper is hanged for robbing a bank and killing two men, he hides the $10,000 loot in the toy doll of his young daughter Pearl. Only Pearl and her brother John know the secret – until the deranged serial killer-priest Harry Powell hears about the money and sets out to recover it.
Harry marries Willa, Harper’s widow, and then, after killing her, pursues John and Pearl relentlessly across West Virginia.
Robert Mitchum’s depiction of pure evil is one of cinema’s most vivid creations, with LOVE and HATE tattooed on the fingers of each hand.
The film did not align with the mainstream tastes of the era. Audiences and reviewers didn’t know what to make of this abnormal mix of fairy tale logic, nightmarish imagery and biblical allegory.
Successive generations of critics and filmmakers have caught on to its brilliance. Critic Roger Ebert said it was “one of the greatest of all American films”. In 2008, French film magazine Cahiers du cinémavoted it as the second-best film of all time, behind only Citizen Kane (1941).
The Night of the Hunter remains unsettlingly modern, 70 years on.
The highest point in Denmark, Mollehoj, is 171 metres above sea level, so it is plausible to imagine the whole country being overrun by water due to rising sea levels, leading to mass evacuation. This is the basic premise of the Danish series Families Like Ours.
The cleverness of this premise is that it turns comfortable middle-class Danes into refugees, facing hostility, poverty and violence as they seek to resettle. Given Denmark’s hard line on refugees, this makes the series politically powerful, equally so for us in Australia.
The central figure is a young woman, Laura (Amaryllis August), who creates disaster for her family through what she believes is an act of huge empathy. The same is true of Henrik (Magnus Millang), who shoots an innocent man in what he believes is an act of self-defence.
Families Like Ours is not a comfortable series to watch, but it manages to raise central issues of our time, without ever seeming didactic or preachy. It succeeds in combining the personal and the political in a six-part show that is powerful – and leaves enough loose ends for a potential second season.
– Dennis Altman
The Man from Hong Kong
Various platforms
A cinematic firecracker of a film exploded onto international screens 50 years ago, blending martial arts mayhem, Bond-esque set pieces, casual racism – and a distinctly Australian swagger.
From its audacious visual style; to its complex, life-threatening stunts; to its pioneering status as an international co-production, Brian Trenchard-Smith’s The Man from Hong Kong has solidified its place as a cult classic.
A Sydney-based crime lord’s activities come under the scrutiny of a determined Hong Kong detective, Inspector Fang Sing Leng. A fiery East-meets-West martial arts showdown explodes across the Australian landscape, pushing both sides to their limits.
The movie is a playful pastiche that confidently combines martial arts action, police procedurals, spy thrillers, and Westerns, all filtered through a distinctly Australian “crash-zoom” lens.
The film was an influence to Quentin Tarantino and paved the way for films such as Mad Max (1979), particularly in what Trenchard-Smith and his partner in film, stunt legend Grant Page, might call its “cunning stunts”.
The elaborate car chases and explosive stunt setups in The Man from Hong Kong served as prototypes for iconic sequences that would inspire the Mad Max films, among others, a testament to a bygone era of practical effects and thrill seeking audacity.
The Man from Hong Kong remains an exhilarating piece of pure cinema, despite its relatively small budget. It’s an exemplar (and occasional cautionary tale) for filmmakers in terms of international co-production, its cunning stunts, and genre blending.
Based on the book series by Jussi Adler-Olsen, Dept Q is a gripping television adaptation for fans of Nordic noir and British crime drama.
In Edinburgh, Scotland, Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) has returned to work after a shooting which left him physically and psychologically wounded, his colleague partially paralysed, and another colleague dead.
With the dregs of a budget assigned to cold cases, and a team of misfit officers, Morck sets out to solve the four-year-old case of missing Crown prosecutor, Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie).
We follow Merritt’s story across various stages of her life. We see her as a teenager in the lead-up to a devastating crime that left her brother with a traumatic brain injury, as well as later in life, when she loses a major case involving a wealthy man on trial for his wife’s death.
Shortly after the devastating verdict, Merritt went missing on a ferry ride to her childhood home, on the fictionalised island of Mhòr. Returning to the present, we see she has been held captive inside a hyperbaric chamber for the past four years.
The pressure under which Merritt is kept makes Morck’s investigation high stakes from the start, while the movement between past and present highlights the impacts of past traumatic events on both characters.
Dept Q is a fast-paced, breathless thriller which will leave viewers craving its rumoured second season.
– Jessica Gildersleeve
Billy Joel: And So It Goes
HBO Max
Produced by Tom Hanks, this two-part documentary about singer/songwriter Billy Joel covers more than five decades of music. Created very much from Joel’s perspective, who is also the main narrator, the archival content is fascinating, and the music difficult to deny.
Discussion of Joel’s early suicide attempts are a shocking and terrible reminder of how different things might have been. From here, the role of the women in his life – his wives, daughters, and mother (“his champion”) – becomes vital. Beyond the headlines (particularly with his second wife Christie Brinkley), are partners who were muses, business supporters and emotional support pillars – some of whom gave Joel ultimatums when the time came to battle his alcohol addiction.
Brinkley, as well as Joel’s first wife, Elizabeth Weber, are particularly moving interviewees. They would wait at home, or stand nervously backstage as Joel “went to work” to earn, repair and rebuild against the odds. No spoilers, but let’s just say Joel ended up in trouble more than once.
On the other hand, the men in Joel’s life are often distant: Jewish grandparents who escaped Nazi Germany; a father who left when Joel was small; a half-brother discovered later in life. These losses are never really healed.
Billy Joel: And So It Goes is a five-hour epic, a story of survival and ultimately, of peace. It is, of course, also a reminder of an incredible catalogue of music – joyful, ordinary and wonderful – and the extraordinary life behind it.
– Liz Giuffre
If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14
Gardening Australia, season 36
ABC iView
Since it first aired in 1990, Gardening Australia has offered tips and inspiration from every state and territory on a weekly basis. A perennial favourite, the show seems to possess perpetual appeal for world-weary viewers open to slowing down by growing plants.
The no-nonsense host Peter Cundall helmed the series until 2008 (Cundall died in 2021 at the age of 94). The honour of “King of Compost” now rests with the gregarious Costa Georgiadis, and a wider cast of presenters that has expanded to be more diverse and engaging. One stalwart from the start, Jane Edmanson, is still flourishing in season 36: her episode 4 segment titled “Fronds with Benefits” certainly caught my eye.
Topics covered this season range from small-space innovation and passion projects, to Indigenous knowledge and bush foods, through to permaculture and climate change. Episodes 6 and 20 – specials on native plants and NAIDOC Week, respectively – are both worth a watch.
While the series can distance renters, and might not be edgy enough for younger audiences, it has managed to stake out ground in the digital realm – with a blooming online presence for budding green thumbs.
One of the longest-running Australian shows still on air, it doesn’t look as though Gardening Australia will be pulling up roots anytime soon.
– Phoebe Hart
The Buccaneers, season two
Apple TV
Loosen your corsets, The Buccaneers is back for a second season of feminist sisterhood and fabulous gowns.
Adapted from Edith Wharton’s unfinished final novel, the series follows a group of outspoken young American women navigating the marriage market in 1870s Victorian England. Gleefully anachronistic with feisty girl power speeches and a contemporary pop music soundtrack, The Buccaneers is equal parts Bridgerton and Gossip Girl (complete with a character played by Leighton Meester).
Season two picks up where the first left off, with Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) and Guy (Matthew Broome) fleeing the country to escape Jinny’s violent husband Lord James Seadown (Barney Fishwick).
Meanwhile, sister Nan (Kristine Froseth) is busy back home leveraging her position as Duchess of Tintagel to help facilitate Jinny’s return – a campaign that includes wearing a showstopping red gown to a black and white ball. In keeping with the series’ M.O., this might be narrative nonsense, but it looks exquisite.
While trysts and love triangles continue to provide escapist entertainment, Jinny’s abusive marriage dominates later episodes. If season one sought to expose the isolation and entrapment Jinny endured in her marriage, season two foregrounds her resistance in the face of it, intent on highlighting how perpetrators of violence manipulate legal and medical systems to tighten the noose around victims’ necks.
Season two’s veering between frothy excess and melodrama arguably results in some tonal patchiness. Nonetheless, it should be commended for its careful treatment of the corrosive impacts and dangers of coercive control. This – more than the downloadable soundtrack and dazzling costumes – makes it good viewing.
– Rachel Williamson
Dangerous Animals
Prime Video
Dangerous Animals is perhaps the most original and entertaining shark horror film we have seen since Jaws – incorporating traditional elements of the shark thriller genre, while challenging them at the same time.
The film starts with the primal fear of being eaten alive by monstrous sharks, with gruesome shock-thrill scenes of tourists being torn apart in a blood red ocean.
But later, the narrative reminds us it is the boat captain, not the great white, who is the real sadistic killer. Predictably, we see a young bikini-clad woman who gets horribly dismembered (just like the first unforgettable victim in Jaws).
However, it is also a fearless bikini-clad woman, Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) who turns the tables on the boat captain, outwits him, rescues her boyfriend and even makes friends with the shark.
Dangerous Animals includes some interesting subtext and commentary, such as when it compares women to fish – creatures hunted for sport – and when it highlights the inherent cruelty of fishing, and the hook that impales the prey.
The film delivers sophisticated special effects and gruesome eco-horror entertainment. It is a fun, self-aware and postmodern watch that will leave you thinking.
The Australian influence is delightfully evident in the irreverent humour. And for anyone who has been to the Gold Coast, there is much pleasure in seeing the film play out across its iconic locations.
This film will trigger your childhood fear of Jaws – but with a twist.
– Susan Hopkins
Shark Whisperer
Netflix
In Shark Whisperer, the great white shark gets an image makeover – from Jaws villain to misunderstood friend and admirer.
However the star of the documentary is not so much the shark, but the model and marine conservationist Ocean Ramsey (yes, that’s her real name).
The film centres on Ramsey’s self-growth journey, with the shark co-starring as a quasi-spiritual medium for finding meaning and purpose (not to mention celebrity status).
Whisperer and the Ocean Ramsey website tap into the collective fascination with dangerous sharks fuelled by popular culture. Many online images show Ramsey in a bikini or touching sharks – she’s small, and vulnerable in the face of great whites. As with forms of celebrity humanitarianism, what I have dubbed “sexy conservationism” leaves itself open to criticism about its methods – even if its intentions are good.
Globally at least 80 million sharks are killed every year. Thanks in part to the hashtag activism of Ocean Ramsey and her millions of fans and followers, Hawaii was the first state in the United States to outlaw shark fishing.
So, Ramsey may be right to argue her ends justify the means.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Late in the evening, the Antarctic sky flushes pink. The male leopard seal wakes and slips from the ice into the water. There, he’ll spend the night singing underwater amongst the floating ice floes.
For the next two months he sings every night. He will sing so loudly, the ice around him vibrates. Each song is a sequence of trills and hoots, performed in a particular pattern.
In a world first, we analysed leopard seal songs and found the predictability of their patterns was remarkably similar to the nursery rhymes humans sing.
We think this is a deliberate strategy. While leopard seals are solitary animals, the males need their call to carry clearly across vast stretches of icy ocean, to woo a mate.
Solitary leopard seals want their call to carry. Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Leopard seals are especially vocal during breeding season, which lasts from late October to early January. A female leopard seal sings for a few hours on the days she is in heat. But the males are the real showstoppers.
Each night, the males perform underwater solos for up to 13 hours. They dive into the sea, singing underwater for about two minutes before returning to the water’s surface to breathe and rest. This demanding routine continues for weeks.
Within a leopard seal population, the sounds themselves don’t vary much in pitch or duration. But the order and pattern in which the sounds are produced varies considerably between individuals.
Our research examined these individual songs. We compared them to that of other vocal animals, and to human music.
Listening to songs from the sea
The data used in the study was collected by one author of this article, Tracey Rogers, in the 1990s.
Rogers rode her quad bike across the Antarctic ice to the edge of the sea and marked 26 individual male seals with dye as they slept. Then she returned to record their songs at night.
The new research involved analysing these recordings, to better understand their structure and patterns. We did this by measuring the “entropy” of their sequences. Entropy measures how predictable or random a sequence is.
What stood out was the similarity between the predictability of human nursery rhymes and leopard seal calls. Nursery rhymes are simple, repetitive and easy to remember — and that’s what we heard in the leopard seal songs.
The range of “entropy” was similar to the 39 nursery rhymes from the Golden Song Book, a collection of words and sheet music for classic children’s songs, which was first published in 1945. It includes classics such:
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Frère Jacques
Ring Around a Rosy
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
Humpty Dumpty
Three Blind Mice
Rockabye Baby.
For humans, the predictable structure of a nursery rhyme melody helps make it simple enough for a child to learn. For a leopard seal, this predictability may enable the individual to learn its song and keep singing it over multiple days. This consistency is important, because changes in pitch or frequency can create miscommunication.
Like sperm whales, leopard seals may also use song to set themselves apart from others and signal their fitness to reproduce. The greater structure in the songs helps ensure listeners accurately receive the message and identify who is singing.
Male leopard seals produce high-pitched cricket-like trills.
An evolving song?
Leopard seals sound very different to humans. But our research shows the complexity and structure of their songs is remarkably similar to our own nursery rhymes.
Communication through song is a very common animal behaviour. However, structure and predictability in mammal song has only been studied in a handful of species. We know very little about what drives it.
Understanding animal communication is important. It can improve conservation efforts and animal welfare, and provide important information about animal cognition and evolution.
Technology has advanced rapidly since our recordings were made in the 1990s. In future, we hope to revisit Antarctica to record and study further, to better understand if new call types have emerged, and if patterns of leopard seal song evolve from generation to generation.
Tracey Rogers receives funding from ARC.
Lucinda Chambers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
