News chronological

AMERICANALMANAC (Alex Tanzer) - Gov. Abbott orders funding review of Texas airports over Islamic washing facilities Sat Aug 15 16:42:41 2026

Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed a statewide review of airport funding and asked federal officials to investigate two major airports for possible religious discrimination over Islamic ablution stations, a move that could cost the airports millions in state grants. Abbott on August 12 ordered a review of state funding for airports across Texas after reports […] The post Gov. Abbott orders funding review of Texas airports over Islamic washing facilities appeared first on American Almanac .

Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed a statewide review of airport funding and asked federal officials to investigate two major airports for possible religious discrimination over Islamic ablution stations, a move that could cost the airports millions in state grants. Abbott on August 12 ordered a review of state funding for airports across Texas after reports surfaced that Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport planned to install separate foot-washing stations for men and women to accommodate wudu, the Islamic ritual washing performed before prayer. George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston already operates a similar facility connected to a prayer room. Both airports are government-owned and receive federal funds. The governor…Open

AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Wisconsin Democrat admits her party abandoned rural, working-class voters Sat Aug 15 16:42:41 2026

A Blue Dog Democrat running for Congress in Wisconsin says her party has "left behind" rural and working-class communities, and she is campaigning on the kind of moderate, bipartisan message most national Democrats have spent years running from. Rebecca Cooke, a congressional candidate in Wisconsin's 3rd district, laid out her case on the "Politics War […] The post Wisconsin Democrat admits her party abandoned rural, working-class voters appeared first on American Almanac .

A Blue Dog Democrat running for Congress in Wisconsin says her party has "left behind" rural and working-class communities, and she is campaigning on the kind of moderate, bipartisan message most national Democrats have spent years running from. Rebecca Cooke, a congressional candidate in Wisconsin's 3rd district, laid out her case on the "Politics War Room" podcast Thursday, telling co-hosts James Carville and Al Hunt that Democrats have lost touch with the voters who once formed the backbone of the party. Cooke, who identifies as both a Blue Dog Democrat and a New Democrat, described a party that no longer speaks for the people it claims to represent, farmers, hourly workers, small-business owners, and families in communities far from…Open

AMERICANALMANAC (Alex Tanzer) - Peggy Flanagan deflects Minnesota fraud blame to Walz despite serving as his No. 2 since 2019 Sat Aug 15 16:42:40 2026

Minnesota's Democratic Senate nominee pointed the finger at Gov. Tim Walz when pressed on a fraud scandal that federal investigators say could exceed $9 billion, and critics from both parties say she cannot credibly separate herself from an administration she helped lead for seven years. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on […] The post Peggy Flanagan deflects Minnesota fraud blame to Walz despite serving as his No. 2 since 2019 appeared first on American Almanac .

Minnesota's Democratic Senate nominee pointed the finger at Gov. Tim Walz when pressed on a fraud scandal that federal investigators say could exceed $9 billion, and critics from both parties say she cannot credibly separate herself from an administration she helped lead for seven years. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Thursday, days after winning her Senate primary on Tuesday night. Asked directly whether she bears any personal responsibility for the massive fraud that unfolded on her watch, Flanagan declined to claim any. Instead, she cited Walz's own words. Flanagan told the hosts that "the governor says the buck stops with him, more should have been done sooner, and I agree." She added that "100 people have…Open

AMERICANALMANAC (Ken Jacobs) - Lawrence mayor arrested on federal charges he used $1.5 million Covid loan to fund campaign, pay personal debts Sat Aug 15 16:42:36 2026

FBI agents with a bullhorn and battering ram arrested Lawrence, Massachusetts, Mayor Brian DePena at his home on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges, alleging he turned a pandemic relief loan into a personal and political slush fund. DePena, 61, appeared in federal court in Boston on Friday afternoon after agents forced their way […] The post Lawrence mayor arrested on federal charges he used $1.5 million Covid loan to fund campaign, pay personal debts appeared first on American Almanac .

FBI agents with a bullhorn and battering ram arrested Lawrence, Massachusetts, Mayor Brian DePena at his home on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges, alleging he turned a pandemic relief loan into a personal and political slush fund. DePena, 61, appeared in federal court in Boston on Friday afternoon after agents forced their way into his residence earlier that day. Prosecutors say the two-term mayor obtained a Small Business Administration disaster loan for his tire shop, Tenares Tire Services Inc., then requested several increases that ballooned the total to roughly $1.5 million, and spent the vast majority of it on expenses that had nothing to do with the business. Only about $150,000 of the loan went toward the tire shop,…Open

AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Tropical Storm Lala hammers Hawaii's Big Island with rain, wind, and a rare hurricane warning Sat Aug 15 16:42:36 2026

Tropical Storm Lala is lashing Hawaii's Big Island with heavy rain and dangerous winds, forcing a state of emergency and raising the specter of the first hurricane landfall there in more than 150 years. By early Saturday morning, Lala sat roughly 110 miles southeast of South Point, the southernmost tip of the Big Island, packing […] The post Tropical Storm Lala hammers Hawaii's Big Island with rain, wind, and a rare hurricane warning appeared first on American Almanac .

Tropical Storm Lala is lashing Hawaii's Big Island with heavy rain and dangerous winds, forcing a state of emergency and raising the specter of the first hurricane landfall there in more than 150 years. By early Saturday morning, Lala sat roughly 110 miles southeast of South Point, the southernmost tip of the Big Island, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and moving west-northwest at 13 mph. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the Big Island, a step forecasters called rare for an island chain that has largely been spared direct landfalls in modern memory. Tropical storm warnings covered Maui County, Oahu, and Kauai County, stretching the threat across the entire state. Gov. Josh Green declared a state of…Open

AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Democrats turn Pete Hegseth into their midterm target, shifting fire away from Trump Sat Aug 15 16:42:35 2026

Democratic candidates are making Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "the new boogeyman on the campaign trail," with party leaders calling for his firing or impeachment over conditions aboard the USS Lincoln, a strategic pivot that tells voters more about Democratic priorities than about Pentagon readiness. MSNBC host Alicia Menendez laid out the emerging playbook on her […] The post Democrats turn Pete Hegseth into their midterm target, shifting fire away from Trump appeared first on American Almanac .

Democratic candidates are making Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "the new boogeyman on the campaign trail," with party leaders calling for his firing or impeachment over conditions aboard the USS Lincoln, a strategic pivot that tells voters more about Democratic priorities than about Pentagon readiness. MSNBC host Alicia Menendez laid out the emerging playbook on her Friday broadcast of "On the Line." She reported that a growing number of Democrats have either demanded Hegseth's removal or floated impeachment proceedings, and that the party's campaign apparatus plans to redirect attacks away from President Trump and toward his defense secretary. The shift coincides with sustained Democratic criticism of the Navy aircraft carrier USS…Open

AMERICANALMANAC (Charles McAdams) - New York Magazine drops columnist Ross Barkan after review flags plagiarism in 67 columns Sat Aug 15 16:42:35 2026

New York Magazine terminated its relationship with political columnist Ross Barkan after an independent editorial review found that 67 of his columns failed to properly attribute language and sourcing from other outlets. The magazine announced the decision Friday, releasing a statement that acknowledged the scope of the problem and apologized to the writers whose work […] The post New York Magazine drops columnist Ross Barkan after review flags plagiarism in 67 columns appeared first on American Almanac .

New York Magazine terminated its relationship with political columnist Ross Barkan after an independent editorial review found that 67 of his columns failed to properly attribute language and sourcing from other outlets. The magazine announced the decision Friday, releasing a statement that acknowledged the scope of the problem and apologized to the writers whose work Barkan had used without credit. Sixty-seven columns, more than a quarter of Barkan's roughly 250-piece tenure at the publication, were flagged and updated in the magazine's archives with proper attribution notes. The review's conclusion was blunt. New York Magazine, owned by Vox Media, said Barkan "did not adhere to our editorial standards" and that the publication would no…Open

AMERICANALMANAC (Alan Benson) - Democratic nominee in Michigan tossup House race caught courting far-left streamer Hasan Piker on video Sat Aug 15 16:42:34 2026

William Lawrence, the Democratic nominee in Michigan's competitive Seventh Congressional District, was filmed flattering far-left streamer Hasan Piker and lobbying for a spot on his show, a connection that could haunt him in a district that twice voted for President Donald Trump. Video circulating online shows Lawrence approaching Piker at a Michigan campaign event for […] The post Democratic nominee in Michigan tossup House race caught courting far-left streamer Hasan Piker on video appeared first on American Almanac .

William Lawrence, the Democratic nominee in Michigan's competitive Seventh Congressional District, was filmed flattering far-left streamer Hasan Piker and lobbying for a spot on his show, a connection that could haunt him in a district that twice voted for President Donald Trump. Video circulating online shows Lawrence approaching Piker at a Michigan campaign event for Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, telling the controversial influencer "You're the man" and handing him a piece of paper while pitching his progressive credentials. El-Sayed, who serves as a connector between the two, introduced Lawrence to Piker at what the Washington Free Beacon reported was an event believed to have taken place in early April. Lawrence, a climate activist,…Open

AMERICANALMANAC (Ken Jacobs) - Congo's Ebola surveillance system buckles as outbreak kills faster than any on record Sat Aug 15 16:42:34 2026

More than 2,200 people have died in Congo's fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history, and health officials say the virus is outrunning the contact-tracing teams meant to contain it. Between 60 and 70 percent of new Ebola cases in eastern Congo are turning up among people no one was watching, individuals never identified as contacts of […] The post Congo's Ebola surveillance system buckles as outbreak kills faster than any on record appeared first on American Almanac .

More than 2,200 people have died in Congo's fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history, and health officials say the virus is outrunning the contact-tracing teams meant to contain it. Between 60 and 70 percent of new Ebola cases in eastern Congo are turning up among people no one was watching, individuals never identified as contacts of known patients, never monitored, never flagged. That figure, reported by the Associated Press from the ground in Nizi, one of the hardest-hit health zones in Ituri province, amounts to a confession: the surveillance architecture that is supposed to be the backbone of any Ebola response has collapsed under the weight of insecurity, unpaid workers, impassable roads, and a virus that moves faster than the…Open

NEWSCATS (Diana Zapata) - Massive Explosion Rocks Italian Ammunition Plant Supplying Artillery to Ukraine Near Rome Sat Aug 15 16:22:10 2026

Screengrab Social Media/X by Diana Zapata • News Writer /Editorial Specialist Published August 15, 2026 A massive explosion ripped through an ammunition manufacturing facility near Rome, Italy, sending a towering blast into the sky and [...]