NYTIMES (Matina Stevis-Gridneff) - Canadian Petition to Expel U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra Takes Off
Mr. Hoekstra has been President Trump’s faithful messenger in Canada amid a historic low in relations. More than 170,000 Canadians want him gone.
AMERICANALMANAC (Lynn Jenkins) - Army scraps new SAT minimum for ROTC cadets one week after announcing it, drawing Hegseth's ire
The Army withdrew a new policy requiring ROTC cadets to meet a minimum SAT score just seven days after issuing it, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not pleased with the reversal. An internal Army memo dated August 5 established, for the first time, minimum standardized test scores for students entering the ROTC program: a […] The post Army scraps new SAT minimum for ROTC cadets one week after announcing it, drawing Hegseth's ire appeared first on American Almanac .
The Army withdrew a new policy requiring ROTC cadets to meet a minimum SAT score just seven days after issuing it, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not pleased with the reversal. An internal Army memo dated August 5 established, for the first time, minimum standardized test scores for students entering the ROTC program: a 1000 on the SAT, a 20 on the ACT, or a score above the 50th percentile on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the military's own entrance exam. The standards were set to take effect in January. Jules Hurst, then the assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, signed the memo and framed the change as essential to building a fighting force led by capable officers. One week later, on…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Alex Tanzer) - Collins highlights resurfaced assault report as Maine Democrats' vetting problems deepen
Sen. Susan Collins told reporters that her new Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, "struggles to control his temper", a pointed reference to a 1988 police report accusing him of kicking in a door and punching a man in the face. Collins made the remarks Friday while launching a statewide bus tour in Kittery, Maine. Asked about […] The post Collins highlights resurfaced assault report as Maine Democrats' vetting problems deepen appeared first on American Almanac .
Sen. Susan Collins told reporters that her new Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, "struggles to control his temper", a pointed reference to a 1988 police report accusing him of kicking in a door and punching a man in the face. Collins made the remarks Friday while launching a statewide bus tour in Kittery, Maine. Asked about the resurfaced police report, the Republican incumbent declined to comment on the specifics but left little doubt about her read of the situation. Fox News Digital reported that Collins told reporters Jackson is "the one that needs to respond to the reports," adding that "based on widespread reporting, it appears that he struggles to control his temper." The police report, first covered this week by the Bangor…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Jack Newsome) - Magnitude 7.7 earthquake kills at least 47 in eastern Indonesia as second major quake follows hours later
Two powerful earthquakes struck eastern Indonesia within hours of each other on Saturday, killing at least 47 people, flattening buildings, and forcing thousands to flee coastal areas under tsunami warnings. The first and stronger quake, a magnitude 7.7, hit shortly before 6 a.m. local time off the coast of Indonesia's Flores region, rattling the province […] The post Magnitude 7.7 earthquake kills at least 47 in eastern Indonesia as second major quake follows hours later appeared first on American Almanac .
Two powerful earthquakes struck eastern Indonesia within hours of each other on Saturday, killing at least 47 people, flattening buildings, and forcing thousands to flee coastal areas under tsunami warnings. The first and stronger quake, a magnitude 7.7, hit shortly before 6 a.m. local time off the coast of Indonesia's Flores region, rattling the province of East Nusa Tenggara and sending residents running from their homes in the dark. Hours later, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the same area, compounding the damage and the fear. Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency, known as BNPB, confirmed the death toll, and officials warned the number could climb as communication lines remained down in remote villages. The U.S.…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Alex Tanzer) - Luigi Mangione's second-degree murder charge stems from a quirk in New York law, retired judge explains
Luigi Mangione faces second-degree murder charges for a killing that would qualify as first-degree in every other state, a legal distinction rooted in New York's abolished death penalty that could shape the outcome of a case already complicated by a federal guilty plea and a looming double jeopardy fight. Retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge […] The post Luigi Mangione's second-degree murder charge stems from a quirk in New York law, retired judge explains appeared first on American Almanac .
Luigi Mangione faces second-degree murder charges for a killing that would qualify as first-degree in every other state, a legal distinction rooted in New York's abolished death penalty that could shape the outcome of a case already complicated by a federal guilty plea and a looming double jeopardy fight. Retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge Andrew Napolitano laid out the issue on Newsmax's "National Report" on Friday, explaining why the December 2024 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel, an alleged ambush Napolitano called "the most planned and premeditated murder", carries only a second-degree label under New York's criminal code. The reason is straightforward. New York reserves…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Ken Jacobs) - FDA inspectors finally reach Taylor Farms plant in Mexico — nearly a month after cyclospora outbreak traced to its lettuce
Federal food-safety inspectors arrived at a Taylor Farms processing facility in central Mexico almost four weeks after the agency identified the company's iceberg lettuce as the source of the largest cyclospora outbreak in American history, a delay that raises hard questions about how Washington protects the food supply. The FDA announced Wednesday that it had […] The post FDA inspectors finally reach Taylor Farms plant in Mexico — nearly a month after cyclospora outbreak traced to its lettuce appeared first on American Almanac .
Federal food-safety inspectors arrived at a Taylor Farms processing facility in central Mexico almost four weeks after the agency identified the company's iceberg lettuce as the source of the largest cyclospora outbreak in American history, a delay that raises hard questions about how Washington protects the food supply. The FDA announced Wednesday that it had opened an on-site inspection and sampling operation at Taylor Farms de Mexico's plant in Guanajuato, coordinating with Mexican regulators on the ground. It was the agency's first visit to the facility since 2019, a seven-year gap during which the plant kept shipping lettuce to some of the biggest restaurant chains and grocery stores in the country. By the time inspectors walked…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Alex Tanzer) - Jewish-owned Fort Lauderdale venue pulls plug on Rashida Tlaib rally days before Florida primary
A Jewish-owned event space in Fort Lauderdale canceled a progressive rally headlined by Rep. Rashida Tlaib just hours before it was set to begin, citing security concerns after learning the full scope of the event, forcing organizers to scramble for an outdoor backup. The Venue Fort Lauderdale posted a cancellation notice Thursday night after reviewing […] The post Jewish-owned Fort Lauderdale venue pulls plug on Rashida Tlaib rally days before Florida primary appeared first on American Almanac .
A Jewish-owned event space in Fort Lauderdale canceled a progressive rally headlined by Rep. Rashida Tlaib just hours before it was set to begin, citing security concerns after learning the full scope of the event, forcing organizers to scramble for an outdoor backup. The Venue Fort Lauderdale posted a cancellation notice Thursday night after reviewing promotional materials for the "Chomp the Oligarchy" rally, which was scheduled for Friday evening, four days before Florida's Democratic primary. The venue said it had become aware of the "full scope" of the gathering and could not proceed. Organizers moved the event to an alternate outdoor location, where roughly 300 supporters showed up and Tlaib appeared as planned. The cancellation…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Married at First Sight star Ryan De Nino dead at 40 after sudden passing in New Jersey
Ryan De Nino, the Staten Island businessman who appeared on Season 2 of Lifetime's Married at First Sight, has died at 40, a loss his family called "sudden" and his sister marked with a raw, grief-stricken tribute. A family member told TMZ that De Nino died earlier this week in New Jersey. No cause of […] The post Married at First Sight star Ryan De Nino dead at 40 after sudden passing in New Jersey appeared first on American Almanac .
Ryan De Nino, the Staten Island businessman who appeared on Season 2 of Lifetime's Married at First Sight, has died at 40, a loss his family called "sudden" and his sister marked with a raw, grief-stricken tribute. A family member told TMZ that De Nino died earlier this week in New Jersey. No cause of death was disclosed. The family offered no details about the circumstances, describing the loss only as sudden. De Nino was 29 when he stepped in front of Lifetime's cameras in 2015 for the show's second season, a social experiment that pairs strangers at the altar and gives them six weeks to decide whether to stay married. Producers matched him with Jessica Castro, a receptionist from Manhattan, and the two wed on camera without having…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Frankie Valli retires at 92 after farewell tour collapses over health concerns
Frankie Valli's brother has announced the 92-year-old Four Seasons legend is retiring from music, ending a six-decade career after his farewell tour was scrapped over undisclosed health problems. Bobby Valli broke the news on Facebook, calling his brother "an icon, a living legend" and confirming what months of canceled shows had already suggested. Frankie Valli, […] The post Frankie Valli retires at 92 after farewell tour collapses over health concerns appeared first on American Almanac .
Frankie Valli's brother has announced the 92-year-old Four Seasons legend is retiring from music, ending a six-decade career after his farewell tour was scrapped over undisclosed health problems. Bobby Valli broke the news on Facebook, calling his brother "an icon, a living legend" and confirming what months of canceled shows had already suggested. Frankie Valli, the only original Four Seasons member still performing, will not return to the stage. The retirement caps a troubled stretch for the singer. His farewell tour, "The Last Encores," launched in October 2023 and was originally scheduled to run through April 2026. But Valli pulled the plug on all remaining dates earlier this year, citing health concerns. AP News reported that eight…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Neil Patrick Harris says gossip bloggers forced his hand on coming out in 2006
Actor Neil Patrick Harris is opening up about the pressure campaign that pushed him to publicly come out as gay nearly two decades ago, and the role celebrity gossip bloggers played in making the decision for him. Harris, now 53 and a father of two, told the "Great Company with Jamie Laing" podcast that his […] The post Neil Patrick Harris says gossip bloggers forced his hand on coming out in 2006 appeared first on American Almanac .
Actor Neil Patrick Harris is opening up about the pressure campaign that pushed him to publicly come out as gay nearly two decades ago, and the role celebrity gossip bloggers played in making the decision for him. Harris, now 53 and a father of two, told the "Great Company with Jamie Laing" podcast that his 2006 statement to People magazine was less a personal milestone than an act of damage control. Bloggers at the time were running blind-item guessing games about closeted actors, and Harris said he feared becoming the next name dragged into the open against his will. The interview, first reported by USA Today , offers a blunt look at how the celebrity media ecosystem of the mid-2000s treated private lives as public property, and how…Open