An Iranian court handed 56-year-old Kolthoum Akbari ten separate death sentences for systematically marrying and killing elderly men across multiple towns, a killing spree she herself says may have claimed as many as 15 lives. Akbari, whom Iranian media have dubbed the "Black Widow," drugged her victims with sedatives, rubbing alcohol, and diabetes medications before […] The post Iranian woman sentenced to death ten times after killing at least 10 husbands over two decades appeared first on American Almanac .
An Iranian court handed 56-year-old Kolthoum Akbari ten separate death sentences for systematically marrying and killing elderly men across multiple towns, a killing spree she herself says may have claimed as many as 15 lives. Akbari, whom Iranian media have dubbed the "Black Widow," drugged her victims with sedatives, rubbing alcohol, and diabetes medications before suffocating them, authorities in Mazandaran Province said. She targeted elderly men through Iran's "sigheh" system, a form of temporary marriage under Islamic law, then collected gold, cash, and dowry wealth before moving on to the next husband in a different town. The geographic spread kept anyone from connecting the deaths for roughly twenty years. Her run ended in 2023,…Open
AI:An Iranian court has handed down ten separate death sentences to 56-year-old Kolthoum Akbari, a serial killer known as the "Black Widow" who terrorized elderly men for two decades. Exploiting the sigheh system of temporary marriage to gain access to victims' homes and finances, Akbari used a lethal combination of sedatives, rubbing alcohol, and diabetes medication to drug her husbands before suffocating them with towels. While prosecutors secured convictions for ten deaths, Akbari herself confessed to potentially killing as many as 15 people to steal gold, cash, and dowries across multiple towns in Mazandaran Province. The investigation finally unraveled following the death of her final husband in 2023, leading families to demand…Open
Dr. Anthony Fauci has rejected a request to appear before a second Senate panel investigating his pandemic record, dismissing the inquiry as political harassment just days after Republicans voted to hold him in contempt. Fauci's lawyer sent a letter to Sen. Ron Johnson on Friday declining the Wisconsin Republican's invitation to testify voluntarily before the […] The post Fauci refuses second Senate appearance after contempt vote, calls inquiry political harassment appeared first on American Almanac .
Dr. Anthony Fauci has rejected a request to appear before a second Senate panel investigating his pandemic record, dismissing the inquiry as political harassment just days after Republicans voted to hold him in contempt. Fauci's lawyer sent a letter to Sen. Ron Johnson on Friday declining the Wisconsin Republican's invitation to testify voluntarily before the Senate subcommittee on investigations. The letter accused Johnson of trying to "impermissibly harass or degrade Dr. Fauci for political purposes," the Associated Press reported . The refusal came less than a week after the Senate Homeland Security Committee voted along partisan lines on August 6 to hold the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director in…Open
AI:Dr. Anthony Fauci is doubling down on his refusal to cooperate with congressional oversight, rejecting a second Senate appearance regarding his pandemic record and labeling the inquiry "political harassment." This defiant move comes immediately after the Senate Homeland Security Committee voted to hold him in contempt following a previous hearing where he invoked the Fifth Amendment 100 times. Senator Rand Paul has argued that Fauci’s reliance on self-incrimination is legally invalid because a preemptive pardon issued by former President Biden stripped away his immunity from prosecution, thereby eliminating the constitutional basis for his silence. While Fauci's legal team continues to dismiss these investigations as attempts to degrade…Open
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Saturday morning, killing at least 47 people and flattening buildings across multiple provinces, with authorities warning the death toll will likely climb as rescuers push toward remote villages still cut off by landslides and communication failures. The quake hit at 5:58 a.m. local time, centered roughly 68 […] The post Magnitude 7.7 earthquake kills dozens in Indonesia as rescue teams struggle to reach hardest-hit areas appeared first on American Almanac .
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Saturday morning, killing at least 47 people and flattening buildings across multiple provinces, with authorities warning the death toll will likely climb as rescuers push toward remote villages still cut off by landslides and communication failures. The quake hit at 5:58 a.m. local time, centered roughly 68 kilometers north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. It struck at a shallow depth, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre initially measured it at magnitude 6.9 before upgrading it to 7.7. Fifteen minutes later, at 6:13 a.m., a second earthquake measuring 6.3 rattled the same region, followed by dozens of aftershocks that rippled…Open
AI:A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Saturday morning, centered near the city of Ende and devastating provinces including East Nusa Tenggara, Sikka, and Manggarai. The shallow tremor triggered a massive landslide in the village of Reok that killed 16 people alone, contributing to a rising death toll that has already reached at least 47 fatalities with dozens more injured. The disaster flattened hundreds of homes, destroyed critical infrastructure, and paralyzed communication networks across remote regions like Nagekeo, leaving survivors isolated and making it difficult for rescue teams to reach those trapped under rubble or cut off by landslides. This catastrophe follows a recent string of major seismic events…Open
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport scrapped a proposal to install Islamic ablution washing stations after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed a review of state grants to the airport and referred it to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation. Abbott announced the move Friday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, calling the planned […] The post DFW Airport abandons Islamic washing station plan after Gov. Abbott orders grant review appeared first on American Almanac .
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport scrapped a proposal to install Islamic ablution washing stations after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed a review of state grants to the airport and referred it to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation. Abbott announced the move Friday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, calling the planned facilities at the government-owned airport unconstitutional. He ordered a review of all state grants to entities operating both DFW and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, warning that funding could be revoked and future grants denied. He also referred both airports to the USDOT for a federal probe. Hours later, DFW reversed course. The airport said it had "accelerated its…Open
AI:Dallas Fort Worth International Airport has officially abandoned its proposal to install Islamic ablution foot-washing stations in Terminal D following decisive intervention by Governor Greg Abbott. After a regulatory filing revealed the $300,000 project was intended for use at the government-owned facility, Abbott declared the move unconstitutional religious favoritism and ordered a review of all state grants provided to the airport, while also referring the matter to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation. The airport, which attempted to claim the project would be privately funded before later admitting it would use airport revenue, reversed course just hours after Abbott threatened to revoke funding, claiming the…Open
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat, is scheduled to headline an Islamic convention in Detroit that also features a Pakistani cleric who admitted arranging the marriage of his teenage niece, and whose anti-Jewish rhetoric prompted Canadian activists to seek a visa ban. El-Sayed is listed on the convention itinerary for the […] The post Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed set to share stage with Pakistani cleric who admitted marrying off his 13-year-old niece appeared first on American Almanac .
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat, is scheduled to headline an Islamic convention in Detroit that also features a Pakistani cleric who admitted arranging the marriage of his teenage niece, and whose anti-Jewish rhetoric prompted Canadian activists to seek a visa ban. El-Sayed is listed on the convention itinerary for the Islamic Society of North America's 63rd annual gathering, set for September 4, 7 in Detroit. His panel, titled "Cultivating God Awareness in a Turmoiled America," is scheduled for September 5. Also on the convention roster: Tariq Masood, a Pakistani mufti, a cleric qualified to issue religious rulings, who in a 2021 sermon admitted to the marriage of his 13-year-old niece, according to…Open
AI:Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is scheduled to headline an Islamic Society of North America convention in Detroit alongside Tariq Masood, a Pakistani cleric who has faced international condemnation for admitting to arranging the marriage of his 13-year-old niece and for delivering antisemitic sermons. The event features several other controversial figures, including imams linked to past terrorism investigations or Holocaust denial, as well as media personality Cenk Uygur. El-Sayed, whose campaign is supported by a father-in-law with deep ties to the organization, faces significant scrutiny for his willingness to share a platform with individuals promoting Sharia law and child marriage, despite his own political messaging…Open
A Massachusetts jury heard testimony that Lindsay Clancy's cellphone contained searches for lethal self-harm methods and psychiatric terms in the days before she strangled her three young children, evidence both sides are now fighting to frame. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington confronted Massachusetts State Trooper Timothy Chiappini on the witness stand Thursday during day 13 of […] The post Lindsay Clancy searched 'how to slit throat to die' before killing her three children, trial testimony reveals appeared first on American Almanac .
A Massachusetts jury heard testimony that Lindsay Clancy's cellphone contained searches for lethal self-harm methods and psychiatric terms in the days before she strangled her three young children, evidence both sides are now fighting to frame. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington confronted Massachusetts State Trooper Timothy Chiappini on the witness stand Thursday during day 13 of Clancy's murder trial in a Plymouth County courtroom, pressing the forensic analyst on a series of Google searches recovered from Clancy's phone. Among them: "How to slit throat to die" and "Where is the carotid artery?" Reddington held up posters displaying each search for the courtroom to see, the New York Post reported . Clancy, a former nurse, is accused of…Open
AI:In a Massachusetts courtroom, day 13 of the Lindsay Clancy murder trial revealed disturbing digital evidence that has become the central battleground for the jury. Testimony showed that in the days leading up to the January 2023 strangulation of her three children—Cora, Dawson, and Callan—Clancy performed Google searches regarding lethal self-harm methods, such as "how to slit throat to die" and "where is the carotid artery," as well as psychiatric terms like "hallucinations," "schizophrenia," and "can you treat a sociopath." While the prosecution argues these searches prove a calculated and meticulous murder-suicide plan, the defense is using them to build an insanity plea, contending that Clancy was suffering from severe postpartum…Open
Terry Moran, a veteran ABC News correspondent who left the network in 2025, alleges his 2021 report on COVID's possible lab origins was rendered "incomprehensible" after the script was routed through Dr. Anthony Fauci. Moran laid out the accusation in an interview with "The Fifth Column" podcast, describing a day-of-air review that stripped his roughly […] The post Former ABC News correspondent says network sent his COVID lab-leak script to Fauci, then gutted it appeared first on American Almanac .
Terry Moran, a veteran ABC News correspondent who left the network in 2025, alleges his 2021 report on COVID's possible lab origins was rendered "incomprehensible" after the script was routed through Dr. Anthony Fauci. Moran laid out the accusation in an interview with "The Fifth Column" podcast, describing a day-of-air review that stripped his roughly 15-minute "Nightline" segment of its editorial spine and buried it under legal hedging. The two-part piece, which aired in June 2021, had examined whether COVID might have leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a question that multiple U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI, and Department of Energy, have since assessed as the most likely explanation for the pandemic's…Open
AI:Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran has exposed blatant censorship by the mainstream media, alleging that his 2021 investigative report into the COVID-19 lab-leak theory was gutted after being routed through Dr. Anthony Fauci. During an interview on "The Fifth Column" podcast, Moran described how his segment for Nightline was rendered incomprehensible and stripped of its editorial substance due to heavy legal hedging and direct interference from Fauci himself on the day it was scheduled to air. This revelation highlights a coordinated effort by legacy media gatekeepers to suppress the truth regarding the pandemic's origins—a reality supported by intelligence agencies like the CIA and FBI—and reinforces growing concerns over the…Open
Federal scientists now say there is a greater than 90 percent chance this El Niño becomes "very strong" by winter, and a 69 percent chance it surpasses every El Niño event on record, a prospect one economist warns could make it the costliest ever. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center released an updated forecast on Aug. 13 […] The post NOAA forecast puts odds of record-shattering El Niño above 90 percent appeared first on American Almanac .
Federal scientists now say there is a greater than 90 percent chance this El Niño becomes "very strong" by winter, and a 69 percent chance it surpasses every El Niño event on record, a prospect one economist warns could make it the costliest ever. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center released an updated forecast on Aug. 13 reporting that sea-surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean have climbed more than 3.6 degrees above average, a reading that multiple climate models from North America and abroad agree points toward a historic event. The agency's report projects the warming will continue to strengthen through the end of 2026, with impacts rippling across weather patterns from the American heartland to Southeast Asia.…Open
AI:NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has issued a massive updated forecast revealing a greater than 90 percent chance that this winter will feature a "very strong" El Niño, with a staggering 69 percent probability of it becoming the most powerful event ever recorded since 1950. Sea-surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific have already surged more than 3.6 degrees above average, signaling a historic phenomenon that economists warn could be the costliest in history, potentially mirroring or exceeding the multi-trillion dollar losses seen in the 1982 and 1997 cycles. This massive shift is expected to disrupt global weather patterns through late 2026, bringing warmer temperatures to the Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes, while…Open
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is reportedly shopping a tell-all book after weeks of backlash, including physical confrontations on the court, over her public stance against biological men competing in women's basketball. Cunningham, 29, drew national attention after sitting down with ESPN and saying plainly what millions of parents and fans already believe: women's sports […] The post Sophie Cunningham reportedly shopping tell-all book after standing firm on transgender athletes in women's sports appeared first on American Almanac .
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is reportedly shopping a tell-all book after weeks of backlash, including physical confrontations on the court, over her public stance against biological men competing in women's basketball. Cunningham, 29, drew national attention after sitting down with ESPN and saying plainly what millions of parents and fans already believe: women's sports should be for women. The interview set off a firestorm inside the WNBA, where Cunningham has faced boos from hostile crowds, elbows to the face from opponents, and accusations of "white privilege" on social media. Now, Page Six Hollywood reports she is taking her story to publishers. The report, published August 10, 2026, offered no details about a specific…Open
AI:Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is reportedly shopping a tell-all book following intense backlash for her public defense of women's sports and her insistence that biological men should not compete in female athletic categories. After an ESPN interview where she stated her desire to protect young girls in locker rooms, Cunningham has faced physical confrontations on the court—including being bloodied by opponents—as well as social media vitriol and accusations of white privilege from players like DiJonai Carrington. Despite facing boos from hostile crowds and systemic hostility within the WNBA, Cunningham has remained steadfast in her position, turning her experience of standing up to the woke mob into a potential narrative for…Open
There are good reasons to abandon books we’re not enjoying, but our attenuated attention might lead us to tap out too early.
AI:The New York Times is pushing a narrative regarding "quit lit," suggesting that readers are abandoning books prematurely due to declining attention spans rather than exercising personal choice. This cultural critique attempts to frame the act of stopping an unenjoyable book as a failure of perseverance or a symptom of modern distraction, essentially acting as another attempt by the intellectual elite to dictate how individuals should consume culture and manage their time.Open