Japanese bear-fightin’ robo-wolves are pure unleaded nightmare fuel but they’re working

PR Tech News US
-
0
Japanese bear-fightin’ robo-wolves are pure unleaded nightmare fuel but they’re working

There are so many things happening around the world, it’s really tough to stay up to speed on everything. However, one thing that I can’t believe isn’t talked about more is the problem Japan is having with bear attacks.

In fact, it has gotten so bad that they’ve turned to robotic wolves to deal with it.

Killer Bears vs. Robo-Wolves? Hands off, everybody. I’m writing the screenplay for what is sure to be a Syfy channel movie channel movie if it isn’t already.

bear warning sign

A signing warning people that there are bears in the area. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

Bear encounters are on the rise in Japan, with 200 injuries and 13 fatalities reported just since the start of 2025. It’s gotten so bad that, according to Popular Science, they even had to deploy the military to deal with the problem.

JAPAN DEPLOYS MILITARY AFTER RECORD BEAR ATTACKS ACROSS COUNTRY

Perhaps someone was watching “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla” and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and thought, “Hey, let’s throw some robots at this problem.”

They did, and it has proven to be the secret weapon. Monster Wolf, a $4,000 robot with sensors and sound effects designed to scare away bears, deer and, really, by the looks of it, anything else it wants to.

Because it might be the scariest thing I’ve ever seen.

Did… did they have to go that hard?

I think you can scare most animals by hitting a tree trunk with a stick; you don’t need a robotic version of one of the heads of Cerberus.

I mean, yeah, no one seems to know what to do when a bear attacks. Some people say you roll up in a ball, others say you make yourself big. Some say you stay quiet, while others say you blast an air horn in its face.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Monster Wolf

Monster Wolf has been around since 2016, but has recently turned into a tool to ward off bears, and can you blame the bears for not wanting to be anywhere near that thing? (Photo by Richard Atrero de Guzman/NUR Photo)

So, after centuries — maybe millennia — of not knowing what to do when a bear goes all Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Revenant” on youThe Revenant on you, it turns out the answer was simple: robot wolves.

Terrifying robot wolves that we’ll all see in our sleep tonight.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

I mean, imagine going on a hike and running into that. You’d wish you were getting mauled by a bear.

But there’s one problem. They seem to be working, and because each Monster Wolf is custom-made, they’re having trouble keeping up with demand.

Matthew Reigle is a writer for OutKick.



Source link

UK ministers accused of weakening legal protections for torture victims seeking asylum | Immigration and asylum

PR Tech News
-
0

Keir Starmer’s government has been accused of trying to water down legal protections for torture victims as ministers from 46 countries including the UK prepare to make it easier to deport refused asylum seekers and foreign criminals.

Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, is expected to agree a “political declaration” on Friday with other members of the Council of Europe, which oversees the European convention on human rights (ECHR).

The declaration is supposed to curb the way the convention is interpreted by European and domestic courts to halt the removal and deportation of asylum claimants.

It follows claims from Cooper and the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, that articles 3 and 8 of the convention – the right to live free from torture and the right to family life – have been misused by criminals.

Reacting to the planned declaration, legal experts and human rights organisations said the move was a “grubbily political deal” that risked playing into the hands of repressive governments.

Prof Eirik Bjorge KC, the author of Courts as Faithful Trustees: Domestic Application of the ECHR, said the declaration sought to interfere with the independence of the judiciary but would be rejected by judges.

“There is nothing principled about the Chisinau manifesto; it is a grubbily political initiative. Seeking to water down by political means the most fundamental guarantee in the ECHR, the absolute prohibition in article 3, is ignoble and unlikely to have any effect on the jurisprudence of the Strasbourg court.

“The initiative seeks to interfere with the independence of the judiciary and will be rejected as such,” he said.

Kolbassia Haoussou, a director at the NGO Freedom from Torture and a torture survivor, said: “The UK has long prided itself on fairness, compassion and upholding the rule of law. Chipping away at article 3 would not just undermine that reputation but send a dangerous message to repressive regimes around the world that even the most fundamental protections can be bargained away. Every safeguard dismantled today will be a gift to those who seek to abuse power tomorrow.”

The UN Committee Against Torture last week expressed concerns that efforts to overhaul the convention were undermining the absolute nature of the prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment.

Reacting to the criticism, UK government sources denied that torture victims would be affected by the change, saying that “absolute protections” would remain.

Cooper will sign the declaration in Chișinău, the Moldovan capital, accompanied by the attorney general, Richard Hermer.

It is expected to set out a list of clarifications in the way that the convention should be interpreted by the European court of human rights in Strasbourg, the ultimate arbiter of the convention, and by national courts.

The political agreement has been negotiated by member states over the last year in response to growing concerns over the way in which the ECHR is being interpreted by the courts.

The government has claimed that serious criminals have exploited the system to frustrate their deportation and extradition, and abused family rights under article 8 of the convention.

International law experts, including Prof Veronika Fikfak of University College London and Prof Mikael Rask Madsen of the University of Copenhagen, said the council’s declaration appeared to be a “signalling exercise” to warn courts to “back off”.

“States could have, for example, asked the [European] court for an advisory opinion on protections in the field of migration, but they chose not to do so. Perhaps this is then mostly a signalling exercise to the court to back off.

“Without legislative action, what was agreed at international level is then unlikely to have any bite at home.

“The declaration might better be understood as a stepping stone to hardening domestic stances on migration and creating a common political position,” they said in a joint statement to the Guardian.

European ministers will also discuss plans to send thousands of refused asylum seekers to third-country hubs.

Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, told the Guardian that discussions about the removal of people who arrived in Europe by irregular routes would take place “at a multilateral level”.

Starmer’s government has attempted to set up “return hubs” after the rise of Reform UK in the polls. Mahmood told MPs in November that the Home Office was in “active negotiations” with several countries, but no deals have been confirmed.

The king’s speech on Wednesday promised a new immigration bill including the tightening of the application of article 8 of the convention.

In a statement, Cooper said: “We have been working with neighbours across Europe to ensure that countries can take strong action against illegal migration, control borders, uphold the rule of law and respect international standards.

“The ECHR has protected democracy, human rights and the rule of law across Europe for 75 years. To ensure this continues, we need a commonsense approach that reflects the realities of today.”



Source link

Supreme Court leaves telehealth abortion pill access intact for now

PR Tech News US
-
0
Supreme Court leaves telehealth abortion pill access intact for now

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The Supreme Court on Thursday extended its administrative stay blocking enforcement of a lower court ruling that would have restricted access to the abortion pill mifepristone, allowing telehealth prescribing and mail distribution of the drug to continue while the legal battle wages on.

The decision keeps in place current FDA rules allowing patients to obtain mifepristone without an in-person doctor visit.

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented from the court’s order. Justice Samuel Alito also filed a separate dissent.

The case stems from challenges to FDA changes that expanded access to mifepristone in 2023, allowing telehealth prescribing and distribution by mail.

FIRST ON FOX: TOP REPUBLICANS TAKE ABORTION PILL FIGHT TO SUPREME COURT, CITING COERCION AND SAFETY RISKS

Supreme Court building

The US Supreme Court during a rain storm in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (Annabelle Gordon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A Fifth Circuit ruling previously sought to reinstate previous in-person dispensing requirements. The Supreme Court’s action temporarily blocks the Louisiana court’s restrictions while the case continues through the courts.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.



Source link

Ontario auditors find doctors’ AI note takers routinely blow basic facts

Raj Bhat
-
0
Ontario auditors find doctors’ AI note takers routinely blow basic facts


AI + ML

60% of evaluated AI Scribe systems mixed up prescribed drugs in patient notes, auditors say

The AI systems approved for Ontario healthcare providers routinely missed critical details, inserted incorrect information, and hallucinated content that neither patients nor clinicians mentioned, according to a provincial audit of 20 approved vendors’ systems.

The findings come from the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, Canada, and are included in a larger report about the state of AI usage by public services in the province. They specifically address the AI Scribe program, the Ontario Ministry of Health initiated for physicians, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare professionals across the broader health sector.

As part of the procurement process, officials conducted evaluations using simulated doctor-patient recordings. Medical professionals then reviewed the original recordings alongside the AI-generated notes to evaluate their accuracy.

What they found was, frankly, shocking for anyone concerned about the accuracy of AI in critical situations. 

Nine out of 20 AI systems reportedly “fabricated information and made suggestions to patients’ treatment plans” that weren’t discussed in the recordings. According to the report, evaluators spotted potentially devastating incorrect information in the sample reports, such as no masses being found, or patients being anxious, even though these things were never discussed in the recordings.

Twelve of the 20 systems evaluated inserted incorrect drug information into patient notes, while 17 of the systems “missed key details about the patients’ mental health issues” that were discussed in the recordings. Six of the systems “missed the patients’ mental health issues fully or partially or were missing key details,” per the report. 

OntarioMD, a group that offers support for physicians in adopting new technologies and was involved in the AI Scribe procurement process, has recommended that doctors manually review their AI notes for accuracy, but the report notes there’s no mandatory attestation feature in any of the AI Scribe-approved systems. 

Bad evaluations don’t help, either

AI systems making mistakes isn’t exactly shocking. As we’ve reported previously, consumer-focused AI has a tendency to provide bad medical information to users, and some studies have found large language models failed to produce appropriate differential diagnoses in roughly 80 percent of tested cases. But the tools evaluated here are for doctors, not consumers, and such poor performance necessitates explanation. A good portion of the report blames how the systems were evaluated.

According to the report, the weight given to various categories of AI Scribe performances was wonky. While 30 percent of a platform’s evaluation score depended solely on whether they had a domestic presence in Ontario, the accuracy of medical notes contributed only 4 percent to the total score.

Bias controls accounted for only 2 percent of the total evaluation score; threat, risk, and privacy assessments counted for another 2 percent; and SOC 2 Type 2 compliance contributed an additional 4 percentage points.

In other words, criteria tied to accuracy, bias controls, and key security and privacy safeguards made up only a small portion of the total evaluation score for the AI Scribe systems.

“Inaccurate weightings could result in the selection of vendors whose AI tools may produce inaccurate or biased medical records or lack adequate protection to safeguard sensitive personal health information,” the report said of the scoring regime.

The Register reached out to the Ontario Health Ministry for its take on the report, and whether it was going to conform to its recommendations for the AI Scribe program, but we didn’t immediately hear back. A spokesperson for the Ministry told the CBC on Wednesday that more than 5,000 physicians in Ontario are participating in the AI Scribe program and there have been no known reports of patient harms associated with the technology. ®



Source link

Supreme court allows abortion pill mifepristone to continue to be available by mail | US supreme court

PR Tech News
-
0

The US supreme court upheld nationwide access to mail-order mifepristone, an abortion medication, in a shadow-docket decision on Thursday.

Louisiana sued the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October in a bid to curtail the regulatory agency’s rules on prescribing mifepristone remotely, arguing that it interfered with the state’s ban on abortion.

The fifth circuit ruled in Louisiana’s favor on 1 May, effectively banning mail-order mifepristone for the entire country. Two mifepristone manufacturers, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, filed an emergency request with the supreme court, which granted a temporary stay until at least Thursday.

In a 7-2 decision with dissents from justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, the court sided against the fifth circuit, ending the ban – for now.

The decision came nearly a half hour after the court missed its own 5pm EST deadline.

Louisiana has no standing to challenge mail-order abortion, the court found, sending the case back to the fifth circuit. The suit is expected to return to the court on an official appeal, instead of emergency requests from drug manufacturers, in another term.

In his dissent, Thomas called the mailing of mifepristone to patients “criminal enterprise”. He also noted that the 1873 Comstock Act, which broadly banned people from using the mail to send anything “obscene, lewd or lascivious”, including “any article or thing designed or intended for the prevention of conception or procuring an abortion”, should apply to mifepristone.

Medication accounts for approximately two-thirds of abortions in the US. In large part because of mailed medication, abortion rates have stayed steady in the US despite bans in several states.

Years of research have shown that abortion medications are safe and effective. The recent legal challenges, following the Dobbs decision that upended nationwide access to abortion, have been based on politics rather than evidence, experts say.

In 2023, the FDA ended a requirement to prescribe mifepristone in person, opening up remote dispensation via telehealth.

The supreme court ruled on a similar case in 2024, FDA v the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, that challenged the FDA’s rules on how the drug is dispensed. The court found the coalition of anti-abortion groups did not have standing because they were unable to demonstrate how they were harmed.

The same law firm that represented the 2024 case, Alliance Defending Freedom, is now representing Louisiana in their suit.

This case, Louisiana v FDA, argues that because mifepristone may be mailed to anyone in the state, the practice circumvents its abortion ban. The state claimed the 2023 decision by FDA was not based on science, which would violate the Administrative Procedure Act. Louisiana also argues that the FDA rules violate the Comstock Act, an obscure anti-obscenity law from 1873.

The FDA asked for more time to conduct a safety review of the medication; a judge ruled in April that the case would be on hold until that review is complete, but Louisiana appealed against the decision. Conservative lawmakers expressed frustration with Marty Makary, the FDA commissioner who was pushed out of the agency earlier this week.

Former FDA leaders, researchers and lobbyists submitted amicus briefs in the case, but the US government did not respond to the lawsuit against its own agency – an unusual move.

The case has potential repercussions for the entire drug industry by allowing a single state to surpass the FDA to regulate medications for the rest of the country. Each state may regulate access to abortion, but the FDA has the power to regulate medications nationwide.

With other legal challenges on the horizon, abortion providers have plans in place to offer an alternative medication regimen to patients. Misoprostol alone can end pregnancies, though it takes longer and thus some patients experience more discomfort.

Earlier on Thursday, the entire Senate Democratic caucus reintroduced a resolution “affirming that the abortion medication mifepristone is safe and effective”, and underscoring that law and policy related to the medication must be equitable, transparent, and based on the best available peer-reviewed evidence-based science. While not binding, the formal expression of all 45 Democratic senators’ opinion is notable”.

“Healthcare providers have safely prescribed mifepristone for decades – limiting access to this medication would be another blow to our hard-earned reproductive freedoms. Extremists should never dictate a woman’s right to reproductive care,” wrote Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire senator, on X about the resolution.



Source link

Lainey Wilson marries Duck Hodges in ‘dream’ Tennessee cave waterfall wedding

PR Tech News US
-
0
Lainey Wilson marries Duck Hodges in ‘dream’ Tennessee cave waterfall wedding

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Country star Lainey Wilson and her fiancé Devlin “Duck” Hodges have tied the knot after five years together.

On Thursday, the 33-year-old singer shared a joint Instagram post with Vogue magazine announcing that she and the 30-year-old former professional football player had wed, providing an inside look at their nuptials.

Wilson and Hodges were married on May 10 in Dickson, Tennessee at The Ruskin Cave with a waterfall backdrop and a country-inspired celebration.

COUNTRY STAR LAINEY WILSON ENGAGED AFTER JOKING SHE ‘MIGHT HAVE TO PROPOSE’ AFTER THREE YEARS

While speaking with Vogue, Wilson recalled how she and Hodges discovered The Ruskin Cave, a historic natural limestone cave that has become a popular venue for rustic weddings, and knew that it was the perfect location for their big day.”

“Duck and I were driving backroads in Tennessee and saw a billboard for The Ruskin Cave,” she remembered. “Duck said, ‘You wanna get married there?’ I said, ‘Done deal.’ We dropped by, saw the venue, and fell in love with the natural beauty of the cave and the simplicity of the property.”

Lainey Wilson and Devlin Hodges posing together at the Academy of Country Music Awards

Lainey Wilson and Devlin “Duck” Hodges have married after five years together. (Christopher Polk/Penske Media/Getty Images)

The Grammy Award winner and Hodges’ ceremony was held on a cobblestone ledge at the foot of a waterfall.

“My absolute dream ceremony,” Wilson told Vogue via People magazine. “There’s a small waterfall flowing down the hill behind the altar and windows. The waterfall is what convinced us to do the ceremony in this spot.”

‘YELLOWSTONE’ STAR LAINEY WILSON ‘COMPLETELY SHOCKED’ BY FIANCÉ’S PROPOSAL

“You could hear the water trickling down and birds singing, and we had a nice spring breeze,” Wilson recalled to Vogue. “I arrived in a white horse-drawn carriage and walked down the aisle with my Deddy to join Duck at the altar.”

The couple exchanged vows in a ceremony officiated by Lainey’s friend and mentor, Wes Williams, and shared communion together before their family and friends.

“I have never seen Duck smile as big as he did then,” Wilson remembered. “It made me feel giddy about turning the page into this next chapter of marriage. We were both anxious to say ‘I do!’”

Duck Hodges and Lainey Wilson posing together at the 2024 CMT Music Awards in Austin, Texas

The country star and the former NFL player wed during a romantic ceremony in front of a waterfall in a Tennessee cave. (Christopher Polk/Billboard/Getty Images)

LAINEY WILSON SAYS CITY PEOPLE HAVE WRONG VIEW OF COUNTRY TOWNS AS SHE DEFENDS HER ‘BLUE COLLAR’ ROOTS

Describing the vision that she and Hodge had for their wedding, Wilson told Vogue that they wanted the celebration to reflect their easy connection as a couple.

“We wanted it to be special and beautiful, but really welcoming and comfortable for our guests,” she said. “We tried not to take ourselves too seriously.”

Advertisement

“Being from Louisiana, I wanted to bring in a little bit of Cajun flair, so naturally we hired a 12-piece jazz band called Rebirth and had a Cajun meal from the chefs at my bar, Bell Bottoms Up,” Wilson added.

COUNTRY STARS LAINEY WILSON, LEANN RIMES AND KELSEA BALLERINI DAZZLE ON CMA AWARDS RED CARPET IN NASHVILLE

Devlin Hodges and Lainey Wilson standing together at Regal Green Hills theater

The bride wore a custom Oscar de la Renta gown decorated with Japanese cherry blossoms. (Jason Davis/Getty Images)

For her trip down the aisle, Wilson wore a custom Oscar de La Renta gown, which was adorned with tiny Japanese cherry blossom appliques around the halter-style neckline and scattered throughout the dress.

“The cherry blossom represents living in the moment, and that’s exactly what we did,” Wilson said of the design.

Meanwhile, Hodges donned a dark green bespoke suit by D. Lacquaniti along with a custom gold bolo decorated with green stones, cufflinks, and a hat pin by Mud Lowery, custom boots by Wilson’s brand Golden West Boots and a Charlie 1 Horse cowboy hat.

‘YELLOWSTONE’ STAR LAINEY WILSON EMBRACES COWBOY CULTURE TAKEOVER, SAYS PEOPLE ARE ‘OVER THE BULLS—‘

After exchanging vows, Wilson and Hodges strolled hand in hand down the aisle to Raye’s song “Where Is My Husband,” according to Vogue. The New Orleans musical institution Rebirth Brass Band led the wedding party and guests in a second line march — a Big Easy wedding tradition — to the cocktail hour.

“It was so lovely to have that touch of my home in Louisiana up here in Tennessee,” Wilson said.

COUNTRY STAR LAINEY WILSON ‘MIGHT HAVE TO PROPOSE’ TO BOYFRIEND OF 3 YEARS

Lainey Wilson and Devlin Hodges standing together at Bell Bottoms Up in Nashville

The couple met while on a blind date in 2021. (Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)

The group later participated in a second line march to the couple’s wedding reception inside the cave.

“My mama led the dinner prayer for all of our guests, and we settled in for a night of good food, good company, and good music,” Wilson said. “Our family and friends know how to have a good time, and the dance floor was packed all night.

“To close out a perfect evening, Duck and I followed the band through a send-off line of sparklers and cheering loved ones, climbed into an old white Ford truck, and drove off!”

LAINEY WILSON REVEALS KEITH URBAN’S BRUTAL 5-WORD REALITY CHECK WHEN SHE COMPLAINED ABOUT GRUELING SCHEDULE

Wilson and Hodges met in 2021 after being set up on a blind date by mutual friends in Nashville.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

“We went to a spot on the water in Nashville called Moby Dicky’s, and then we went to Silverado’s,” Wilson told Vogue of their first date. “We’ve been pretty inseparable since.”

Lainey Wilson and Devlin Duck Hodges smiling together

Wilson and Hodges announced their engagement in February 2021. (Getty Images)

The duo kept their relationship private before making their debut as a couple at the 2023 ACM Awards. Hodges proposed to Wilson in February 2025. The country music star later revealed she was surprised by the former NFL quarterback’s proposal.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

“So, I had talked myself into thinking he was going to do it that day,” Wilson said, captured on video by News Channel 5 Nashville. “And then I called my sister. I said, ‘He’s going to propose to me today.’ And she was like, ‘I gotta go.’

“And then I talked myself out of it because I thought, ‘Man, I sure would be upset if I talked myself into this and that don’t happen.'”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Hodges and Wilson had been planning to visit the George Jones estate, which had been listed by one of Hodges’ friends, a real estate agent. The two made a plan to stop by during the week after the 2025 Super Bowl.

“And then, as we [pulled] up, I realized that there were different plans,” Wilson explained. “So, he had it all set up. He had the candles and the picture frames, and it could not have been more perfect.”

Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to ashley.hume@fox.com and on Twitter: @ashleyhume



Source link

Eurovision 2026: Delta Goodrem sends Australia to the grand final with note-perfect performance | Eurovision 2026

PR Tech News
-
0

Standing before a glistening crescent moon and adorned in more than 7,000 Swarovski crystals, Australia’s 2026 Eurovision hopeful Delta Goodrem delivered a powerful performance on the 70th anniversary of the global song contest – and become the first Australian act to qualify for the grand final since 2023.

Heading into the competition as an early favourite behind Eurovision heavy-hitters Denmark and Finland, Goodrem delivered a note-perfect rendition of her power-ballad entry, Eclipse. The track is impressive if a little formulaic – and of the 35 countries competing, 15 are represented by solo female performers, so Goodrem needed to find a way to stand out in a crowded field.

Despite playing it safe, Goodrem’s performance was precise and undeniable. After making a dramatic trek downstage and towards her piano – bedazzled in sparkling gold, of course – Goodrem performed a short piano solo (although the camera was unexpectedly obstructed in this moment, making it difficult to see Goodrem actually play the instrument).

The performance climaxed with a key change, and the 41-year-old singer was propelled into the air on a platform that rose from within the piano itself. There was wind, there was fire, there was Goodrem’s remarkable upper range – it was a refreshingly self-assured offering from Australia after a disappointing couple of years for the country in the competition.

Australia’s first appearance at Eurovision was in 2014, when Jessica Mauboy performed as an interval act during the competition’s semi-finals. Last year’s Australian entry, Go-Jo, failed to wow judges and did not progress to the grand final with his campy ode to self-confidence, Milkshake Man. In 2025, duo Electric Fields made history as the first Australian Eurovision entrants to perform in Yankunytjatjara – an Aboriginal language of the Aṉangu peoples – yet their song One Milkali (One Blood) also failed to progress beyond the semi-final.

Only 35 countries are competing at Eurovision this year, the lowest number of entries since 2003. Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Slovenia, and the Netherlands all boycotted the 2026 competition, citing Israel’s participation in Eurovision and the Israeli government’s attacks on Gaza.

Ahead of her debut performance at the semi-finals, Goodrem said: “Performing on the Eurovision stage is something I feel so deeply in my heart, carrying Australia with me in every note and every moment.” This week, Goodrem announced her seventh studio album, Pure, will be released on 6 November.

The Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final will air on SBS On Demand from 5AM AEDT on Sunday 17 May.



Source link

DOJ threatens legal action against states blocking DHS undercover plates

PR Tech News US
-
0
DOJ threatens legal action against states blocking DHS undercover plates

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The Justice Department is ordering sanctuary states to halt a new policy trend they say is putting Department of Homeland Security agents at risk of personal harm and can cause key operations to implode.

The federal government currently works with states to disseminate “undercover” license plates for agents and officers whose identities need to be protected and who would have their cover otherwise blown if they were to use federally-issued “U.S. Government” plates.

On Thursday, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate issued a warning to several states, including Washington, where the department says DMVs are declining or inhibiting issuance of undercover license plates for Homeland Security operations.

In a letter to Washington Attorney General Nicholas Brown, Shumate wrote that the Washington Department of Licensing is refusing to issue such plates to DHS but continues the practice for local and state police.

BONDI PUTS SANCTUARY CITIES NATIONWIDE ON NOTICE AFTER DC POLICE FEDERAL TAKEOVER

Federal agents walking during immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis

Federal agents conduct immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis on Feb. 5, 2026. (Ryan Murphy/AP)

Shumate said the policy discrepancy violates the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, in that “this discriminatory policy is not only deeply dangerous as a matter of public safety but also blatantly unlawful as a matter of constitutional law.”

“It should be immediately withdrawn; otherwise, the United States intends to seek judicial relief.”

Shumate said Washington’s policy undermines investigations and puts law enforcement officers “at risk of harm” as they pursue dangerous terrorists, drug traffickers and fraudsters.

ICE AGENTS REPORT ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ 3,200% SURGE IN CAR ATTACKS LAST YEAR

Federal agents clashing with anti-I.C.E. protesters outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland

Federal agents clashed with anti-I.C.E. protesters outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 12, 2025. The protests followed former President Trump’s threat to deploy the National Guard. (Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty)

“Suspects could be alerted to officer presence and flee, destroy evidence or take countermeasures to avoid arrest, making arrests more dangerous for all involved,” he said, adding that includes the general public.

Shumate gave Brown a May 22 ultimatum to prove compliance or risk further litigation.

Earlier this year, Maine announced it would also pause granting DHS officers undercover plates, with Secretary of State Shenna Bellows telling The Hill that the state Bureau of Motor Vehicles has not revoked existing undercover plates but would pause future issuance following reports of targeted enforcement operations in the Pine Tree State.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Oregon and Massachusetts are also reportedly in DOJ’s sights on the issue.

Fox News Digital reached out to Brown and the DOJ for comment.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. 

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.



Source link

James Carville warns anti-Israel activists could damage Democrats

PR Tech News US
-
0
James Carville warns anti-Israel activists could damage Democrats

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Democratic strategist James Carville warned Wednesday that anti-Israel activists aligned with Democrats could damage the party politically, while insisting that “most” antisemites “are not Democrats.” 

Carville said during an appearance on Jim Acosta’s podcast that he fears the increasingly bitter divide over Israel and antisemitism could hurt Democrats electorally and morally if the party is seen as tolerating hatred.

“This antisemitic stuff, it’s sickening man! It’s a real problem,” Carville said. “It’s not a made-up problem. It’s a real, real, real definitely problem, and it’s getting worse.” 

He argued that while some anti-Israel activists are aligned with Democrats, many are not members of the party, despite public perceptions tying them to Democrats during campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

DEMOCRATIC REP FEARS PARTY TURNING ANTISEMITIC PROTESTERS INTO ‘MARTYRS’ IN BATTLE AGAINST TRUMP DEPORTATIONS

James Carville

Democratic strategist James Carville warned that anti-Israel activists linked to Democrats are becoming the loudest voices in the party’s internal debate over antisemitism and Israel. (Politicon)

“And the fact that there are some Democratic-aligned people, most of them are not Democrats, all right?” Carville said.

“That’s when it would drive me crazy, when they were protesting Joe Biden at Columbia, and we thought they were saying, ‘Hey, hey, ho ho, genocide Joe must go.’ And the Democrats were getting blamed for that. A lot of these people are not Democrats. Understand that.”

The longtime Democratic strategist also warned that the loudest anti-Israel voices were overshadowing the broader party.

“I don’t want to be part of a political party that tolerates hatred, or sometimes encourages it,” Carville said.

“I don’t think that’s where the majority of Democrats are, to be fair, but certainly not where the majority Democratic officeholders are,” he continued. “But these loudmouths are getting heard above everybody else. And this is not a good idea. This is a terrible idea.”

BLUE STATE DEMOCRAT ZEROES IN ON ISSUE WHERE PARTY FAILED IN 2024, EXPLAINS THE PATH FORWARD

James Carville speaking onstage at Amazon Studios in Culver City, California.

Jim Acosta and James Carville argued that most antisemites “are not Democrats” despite perceptions fueled by campus protests and online activism. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Amazon Studios)

The comments came as Democrats continue to grapple with internal divisions over Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack and Israel’s military response in Gaza. The issue has fueled protests on college campuses and sharp disputes inside the Democratic coalition over U.S. support for Israel.

Carville, who has long identified as a staunch supporter of Israel, said criticism of the Israeli government should not be conflated with hostility toward the country or Jewish people.

“Attack the government of Israel all you want to. I don’t like it. I can’t stand it,” Carville said. “But I like the state of Israel. You can’t conflate the regime with the people.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

President Donald Trump talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu praised Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend” in Knesset speech. (Evan Vucci/Pool via Reuters)

Carville also lamented the collapse of past peace efforts in the Middle East and said he believes reconciliation remains possible.

“I love Israel. I don’t get it,” Carville said. “And I don’t have anything against them. I like Palestinian people. That’s some of the nicest people I know.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“If people spent as much time, and it could have been reconciled, Bill Clinton and Ehud Barak and this thing totally under control,” Carville said. “The neocons killed it, we ought to go back to it.”

CJ Womack is an associate editor at Fox News.

CJ joined Fox News Digital’s team in 2026, which highlights the vital role journalism plays in shaping politics and culture. He has years of experience analyzing and reporting on the news media.

CJ graduated from Long Beach State University in 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Journalism. 

Story tips can be sent to cj.womack@fox.com, and you can follow on Twitter.



Source link

Congress targets pro-CCP nonprofits tied to Shanghai-based mogul Singham

PR Tech News US
-
0
Congress targets pro-CCP nonprofits tied to Shanghai-based mogul Singham

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Members of Congress are raising concerns about a surge in pro-Chinese Communist Party propaganda and rhetoric in the U.S., citing organizations tied to Shanghai-based Marxist mogul Neville Roy Singham.  

During interviews with Fox News Digital, a number of House and Senate members warned that nonprofits funded by Singham may be sowing discord in the U.S. by promoting communist propaganda and anti-American rhetoric. 

“When you talk about the non-profits, you have to look at how China adversely uses or how China uses our non-profit 501(c)(3) status organizations to work as. CCP influencers,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital. 

Jodie Evans and Neville Roy Singham standing together at an event

Jodie Evans, co-founder of CodePink, and Neville Roy Singham, founder of Thoughtworks, attend V20: The Red Party, a 20th anniversary celebration of V-Day and The Vagina Monologues, featuring a performance by playwright Eve Ensler and an after-party at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Feb. 14, 2018. (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)

“Singham’s group is one of these, as they try to spread and influence other organizations and participate with other organizations in protests, in demonstrations that are going to create chaos in the streets of U.S. cities,” she said.

REVOLUTIONARY TOURISM:: INSIDE THE $600M MARRIAGE OF DARK MONEY AND FAR-LEFT AGITPROP

“When it comes to China specifically, they have used soft propaganda as a main point of entry with the United States,” she added.

According to a Fox News Digital investigation, Singham has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017. Officials from the Justice, State and Treasury departments are investigating financial activity tied to the network, including $22.5 million in funding directed to a group called The People’s Forum.

Singham’s wife, Jodie Evans, is the co-founder of CodePink, a nonprofit that received $1.33 million from Singham, according to the Fox News Digital investigation. Over the years, CodePink has supported communist regimes, including the Chinese Communist Party and Cuba’s government.

TOP GOP SENATOR CALLS OUT CODE PINK, THE PEOPLE’S FORUM ALLEGEDLY PUSHING CCP PROPAGANDA IN US

While CodePink’s funding comes directly from Singham, not the government of China, critics allege that the difference is without a distinction.

“CodePink are AstroTurf weirdos bought and paid for by Communist China. They get their money from the most oppressive regime on the planet,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. “They’re a joke.”

CodePink filed an ethics complaint against Hawley for what he said was simply “exposing that they take blood money from China.” 

Members of Congress raised concerns about how CodePink and the Singham network are able to operate without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which requires individuals doing public relations, engaging in political work or lobbying for any foreign government to disclose activities and finances to the Department of Justice.

TAX COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS PRESS FOR TREASURY CRACKDOWN ON NONPROFITS PROMOTING FRAUD, ‘ANTI-AMERICAN’ HATE

Members of People's Forum, CodePink, Party for Socialism and Liberation and ANSWER Coalition rallying at a protest

Members of People’s Forum, CodePink, Party for Socialism and Liberation and ANSWER Coalition rally to join the #NoKings protests. (Fox News)

“How they’re not registered under FARA is hard to understand because they’re very consistent. I mean, let’s at least give them credit for that,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital.

Even former members of Congress and Capitol Hill staffers are required to register under FARA if they lobby for a country or organization backed by a foreign country.

“It should be no surprise that, whether it’s folks associated with the Communist Party of China or, frankly, other anti-American groups, would be funding these groups in the United States. [These groups’] sole role is pretty evident, to protect, defend and support anti-Americans,” he added. “Whether it is terrorist groups [or] terrorist regimes like the one in Iran or the one in Cuba.”

SINGHAM-BACKED, PRO-CHINA GROUP DROPS HUGE SUM ON MANHATTAN HQ AS FEDS PROBE SHADOWY NETWORK

Singham sold his technology consulting company, Thoughtworks, in 2017 for an estimated $785 million and moved to Shanghai. In 2023, The New York Times published an exposé that connected him to the CCP and chronicled his determination to spread his radical, anti-West ideology in the U.S. and across the globe. 

In its investigation, Fox News Digital followed the money trail and network that Singham uses to promote communist and Marxist ideologies among Americans, finding that he established an organizing hub in the U.S. with actions against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and protests against Israel, the U.S. and the nation’s domestic and foreign policies.

“The real crux of the matter is the genesis of that money — is [Singham] really that rich,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., asked Fox News Digital. “Or is it a false rich that, yeah, he’s got a billion dollars, but the billion dollars came from China communist China that they are actually funneling him, and then making believe, ‘Oh, no, he made that on his own.’ We’ve got to find out exactly where that money came from.”

Neville Roy Singham smiling at his wedding to Jodie Evans in Ocho Rios Jamaica

Neville Roy Singham smiles at his wedding to CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in February 2017. (Osbourne Chin / Chinphotographic)

Gimenez also noted what other lawmakers are pointing out: Individual agitators and demonstrators, in addition to Singham himself, are not registered with the Justice Department’s  FARA office.

While Singham’s dealings have been investigated by a number of Congressional committees in the past, his residence in Shanghai shields him from being subpoenaed to appear before Congress

House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., has described Singham as “an individual who lives in Shanghai, maintains business ties with companies and individuals linked to the CCP, works with and physically alongside a foreign propaganda company, and attends CCP forums on how to promote the party abroad.”

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news.



Source link
1...451452453...4,948Page 452 of 4,948