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
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…Open
AI:William Lawrence, the Democratic nominee for Michigan's Seventh Congressional District and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was captured on video aggressively courting far-left streamer Hasan Piker at a campaign event for Senator Abdul El-Sayed. In the footage, Lawrence—a climate activist and cofounder of the Sunrise Movement—is seen flattering Piker and lobbying for airtime on his platform by pitching himself as "pro-Palestine" and "anti-war." This blatant pandering to an influencer known for praising Mao Zedong and expressing support for Hezbollah comes at a critical moment, as Lawrence seeks to win a competitive swing district that has twice voted for Donald Trump. The video highlights the growing influence of…Open
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
AI:The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing a catastrophic collapse of its public health infrastructure as an unprecedented Ebola outbreak reaches over 2,200 deaths in record time. The virus is outstripping containment efforts, with 60 to 70 percent of new cases occurring among individuals entirely missed by contact-tracing teams due to a broken surveillance system. Frontline workers are struggling without pay for months and are forced to purchase their own disinfectant, while the government cites payroll verification issues as the reason for delayed salaries. The crisis is being exacerbated by intense insecurity in eastern Congo, where rebel groups with ties to the Islamic State operate amidst displaced populations, making it nearly…Open
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 [...]
AI:A massive explosion has struck an ammunition manufacturing facility located near Rome, Italy, directly impacting a critical node within the logistics network used to supply artillery shells to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This kinetic disruption at a key production site underscores the growing vulnerability of European military supply chains and highlights the escalating risks faced by domestic industrial targets as they remain integral to foreign warfare efforts.Open
Listen to the audio version of The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell from the Aug. 14th broadcast.
AI:Lawrence O'Donnell hosted an episode of The Last Word on MSNBC that served as another vehicle for the network's scripted, partisan narrative. The broadcast utilized typical liberal talking points to push a specific political agenda rather than addressing substantive national realities. This latest installment follows a pattern of opinion-driven commentary aimed at distracting the public through recycled rhetoric and establishment viewpoints.Open
AI:MSNOW released a highlight reel for August 14 featuring various interviews and segments from its programming lineup, continuing its pattern of partisan punditry and sensationalized coverage of the current political landscape.Open
“Never have we seen such a horrible candidate running for U.S. Senate out of Texas… He represents everything people are frustrated with, including Republicans,” says Republican strategist Susan Del Percio. The DNC focuses on flipping the Senate as midterms near and fundraising efforts peak. Basil Smikle, MS NOW Political Analyst, Professor of Practice at the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University, and former Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Party, and Susan Del Percio, MS NOW Political Analyst and Republican strategist join The Weekend to discuss.
AI:Republican strategist Susan Del Percio has slammed Ken Paxton’s Texas Senate campaign, labeling him a fundamentally flawed candidate who represents the very frustrations currently plaguing the GOP base. As the DNC ramps up its fundraising blitz to flip the Senate ahead of the midterms, the Texas race is devolving into a circus characterized by internal Republican fractures and leadership failures. While the leftist media remains preoccupied with Democratic momentum, Paxton's inability to unify his own party highlights a growing volatility that could jeopardize Republican efforts in one of the most critical battlegrounds.Open
Earlier this week, Jacob Soboroff asked "Connect" viewers what they wanted us to cover on the show this weekend. We received hundreds of responses, with many people asking us to report on the crisis happening aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. We could not agree more. Here's a quick report on what's happening aboard the ship, the alarming conditions over 5,000 service members have been struggling with, and an update on potential relief coming to the sailors, courtesy of MS NOW's Priya Sridhar.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is calling on current Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from the 25th anniversary ceremonies honoring the victims of the September 11 attacks, a demand that puts the city's first Muslim mayor at the center of a growing fight over who speaks for Ground Zero. Giuliani made the […] The post Giuliani says Mayor Mamdani has no place at Ground Zero on the 9/11 anniversary appeared first on American Almanac .
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is calling on current Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from the 25th anniversary ceremonies honoring the victims of the September 11 attacks, a demand that puts the city's first Muslim mayor at the center of a growing fight over who speaks for Ground Zero. Giuliani made the remarks during a Friday appearance on the Newsmax program "Finnerty," where he argued that Mamdani's presence at the ceremonies would be an affront to the families who lost husbands, wives, and children in the 2001 attacks. The former mayor, who led New York through the worst terrorist strike on American soil, did not mince words about why he believes Mamdani should not attend. The broadside lands as Mamdani faces mounting…Open
AI:Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has issued a blistering demand for current Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from the 25th anniversary ceremonies at Ground Zero, arguing that the city's first Muslim mayor has no place representing the memory of the September 11 victims. During an appearance on Newsmax, Giuliani characterized Mamdani’s presence as an affront to grieving families and framed the political struggle as a broader battle against the infiltration of Sharia law into American society. The conflict intensifies as Mamdani faces mounting criticism for his previous decision to skip the 1993 World Trade Center bombing memorial, his rhetoric regarding Israel, and controversial associations that have led many to question his…Open
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
