A woman has accused California Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez of sexual assault and harassment through the House Ethics Committee, directly contradicting his claim that his conduct was consensual, as Congress confronts a mounting wave of misconduct scandals in both parties. Attorneys Lisa J. Banks and Sarah E. Nesbitt, representing the unnamed woman, issued a statement […] The post Rep. Jimmy Gomez faces sexual assault accusation as Capitol Hill misconduct crisis deepens appeared first on American Almanac .
A woman has accused California Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez of sexual assault and harassment through the House Ethics Committee, directly contradicting his claim that his conduct was consensual, as Congress confronts a mounting wave of misconduct scandals in both parties. Attorneys Lisa J. Banks and Sarah E. Nesbitt, representing the unnamed woman, issued a statement days after the Ethics Committee announced its investigation on Aug. 17. Their client, they said, had been interviewed by the panel and gave an account that flatly rejected Gomez's version of events. The committee said it was investigating whether the 51-year-old Gomez "may have engaged in sexual misconduct in violation" of congressional conduct rules, "including engaging in…Open
More than 100 miners are dead after underground tunnels collapsed at an unregulated gold mine near the Central African Republic's border with Cameroon, and rescuers say the body count keeps climbing. Several tunnels at an artisanal mining site in Zamboye gave way roughly two days before recovery teams pulled more than ten additional bodies from […] The post Gold mine collapse in Central African Republic kills more than 100 as rescue efforts falter appeared first on American Almanac .
More than 100 miners are dead after underground tunnels collapsed at an unregulated gold mine near the Central African Republic's border with Cameroon, and rescuers say the body count keeps climbing. Several tunnels at an artisanal mining site in Zamboye gave way roughly two days before recovery teams pulled more than ten additional bodies from the debris on Thursday morning alone. Local Red Cross volunteer Gervais Ganagoro told the Associated Press that hopes of finding anyone alive were fading fast. A court in the Baboua subprefecture, the local administrative jurisdiction, confirmed that the tunnels caved in and triggered a landslide. It opened an investigation to determine why the tunnels failed, identify the dead, track down…Open
A California family's $18 million COVID-relief fraud scheme, complete with ankle-bracelet escapes and a fugitive chase to Montenegro, has inspired new Senate legislation aimed at blocking convicted fraudsters' household members from federal money. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced the No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act, a bill that would bar anyone living with […] The post Sen. Joni Ernst targets 'fraudster families' with bill to cut off relatives of convicted scammers from federal aid appeared first on American Almanac .
A California family's $18 million COVID-relief fraud scheme, complete with ankle-bracelet escapes and a fugitive chase to Montenegro, has inspired new Senate legislation aimed at blocking convicted fraudsters' household members from federal money. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced the No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act, a bill that would bar anyone living with a convicted criminal or fraudster from receiving federal grants, loans, subawards, or reimbursements. Ernst rolled out the legislation alongside her August Squeal Award, a monthly spotlight on government waste that this time named 15 families she says collectively swindled taxpayers out of roughly $50 million. The bill and the award share a common thread: fraud that runs…Open
Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins says he is unhappy with both political parties but reserved his sharpest criticism for Democrats, telling them they need "better ideas" and must "get their stuff together" if they want voters to take them seriously. Robbins, 67, laid out his frustrations during an appearance on the "SmartLess" podcast, hosted by Jason […] The post Tim Robbins tells Democrats to stop doomscrolling and start offering voters a reason to show up appeared first on American Almanac .
Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins says he is unhappy with both political parties but reserved his sharpest criticism for Democrats, telling them they need "better ideas" and must "get their stuff together" if they want voters to take them seriously. Robbins, 67, laid out his frustrations during an appearance on the "SmartLess" podcast, hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. The actor and director, best known for "The Shawshank Redemption" and his Academy Award for 2003's "Mystic River", did not mince words about the state of the Democratic Party or the broader culture of political rage that he says is poisoning daily life for millions of Americans. Page Six reported that Robbins told the podcast hosts he sees a party…Open
Actor Matthew McConaughey is once again hinting at a future in politics, this time after a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV in Italy that he says sharpened his thinking on faith, governance, and the moral stakes of artificial intelligence. McConaughey, who considered a run for Texas governor in 2021 but ultimately passed, told USA […] The post Matthew McConaughey floats political ambitions after sit-down with Pope Leo XIV appeared first on American Almanac .
Actor Matthew McConaughey is once again hinting at a future in politics, this time after a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV in Italy that he says sharpened his thinking on faith, governance, and the moral stakes of artificial intelligence. McConaughey, who considered a run for Texas governor in 2021 but ultimately passed, told USA Today in an interview published August 15 that the papal visit earlier this month left him more interested than ever in building what he called a values-based framework for public life. He stopped short of announcing a candidacy for any office, but his language carried the unmistakable cadence of a man keeping the door wide open. The actor, who describes himself as politically centrist, told the outlet he…Open
Colossal Biosciences, the biotech firm working to resurrect the woolly mammoth, has partnered with Paramount and toymaker Spin Master to use the PAW Patrol children's franchise as a vehicle for its conservation messaging, raising fair questions about where science education ends and corporate branding begins. The campaign, reported by the Hollywood Reporter, pairs the cartoon […] The post Woolly mammoth cloning company recruits PAW Patrol to sell kids on conservation appeared first on American Almanac .
Colossal Biosciences, the biotech firm working to resurrect the woolly mammoth, has partnered with Paramount and toymaker Spin Master to use the PAW Patrol children's franchise as a vehicle for its conservation messaging, raising fair questions about where science education ends and corporate branding begins. The campaign, reported by the Hollywood Reporter , pairs the cartoon rescue-dog brand with Colossal's real-world de-extinction work. A call-to-action video produced for the effort features Michael Dougherty, the writer and director of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, alongside Carter Young, the voice actor behind PAW Patrol's firedog character Marshall. The video's message lands squarely on young viewers. One line from the campaign…Open
Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a sandstone lintel more than 3,000 years old bearing the titles of Ramesses II at a fortified site that may be the long-lost city of Mesen, a discovery the government says could reshape understanding of the biblical Exodus route. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on August 15 that […] The post Archaeologists in Egypt uncover ancient lintel bearing Ramesses II titles at site with possible Exodus ties appeared first on American Almanac .
Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a sandstone lintel more than 3,000 years old bearing the titles of Ramesses II at a fortified site that may be the long-lost city of Mesen, a discovery the government says could reshape understanding of the biblical Exodus route. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on August 15 that a team excavating Tell Abu Seifi, an ancient fortified site in northeastern Egypt near the Sinai Peninsula, recovered the massive inscribed lintel along with remains of a fortified temple complex, storage rooms, two ancient stone roads, fragments of falcon statues, other sculptures, and carved stone fragments. The inscription on the lintel references the restoration of a statue of Horus, described…Open
Britain's record-breaking summer drought has left Royal St George's, one of golf's most storied championship venues, virtually unrecognizable, its once-green fairways burned to a barren grey-brown. New photos published by The Sun show the iconic links course in Sandwich, Kent, stripped of color after weeks of punishing heat and no rain. The damage extends well […] The post Royal St George's fairways scorched grey as Britain's record drought bakes historic Open venue appeared first on American Almanac .
Britain's record-breaking summer drought has left Royal St George's, one of golf's most storied championship venues, virtually unrecognizable, its once-green fairways burned to a barren grey-brown. New photos published by The Sun show the iconic links course in Sandwich, Kent, stripped of color after weeks of punishing heat and no rain. The damage extends well beyond a single club. Courses across the south of England, from Aldwickbury Park in Harpenden to Richmond golf club in London, look more like parched farmland than manicured sporting grounds. The south of England just recorded its driest July since 1836, nearly two centuries of rainfall data. Temperatures in Sandwich climbed as high as 35 degrees Celsius in recent weeks, and the…Open
CBS anchor Gayle King publicly called out Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother for using her first interview after the actress's death to assign blame, drawing a sharp contrast with the father who simply honored his daughter's memory. King addressed Lesley Vogel's comments during the Aug. 19 broadcast of "CBS Mornings," three days after Panettiere was found […] The post Gayle King rebukes Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother over post-death remarks appeared first on American Almanac .
CBS anchor Gayle King publicly called out Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother for using her first interview after the actress's death to assign blame, drawing a sharp contrast with the father who simply honored his daughter's memory. King addressed Lesley Vogel's comments during the Aug. 19 broadcast of "CBS Mornings," three days after Panettiere was found unresponsive at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex. The 36-year-old actress, known for her roles in "Nashville," "Heroes," and "Remember The Titans," died on Aug. 16 . Her cause of death has not been released. Vogel, who managed Panettiere's career from infancy until the actress severed their professional relationship at age 19, gave a phone interview to NBC News on Aug.…Open
A 49-year-old London café owner who spent years stuck in bad relationships and dead-end app dates hired a flirting coach and hypnotherapist, and married the man she met just weeks into the program. Elizabeth Laing ran a café in Greenwich, south-east London, where she watched couples come and go, some getting married, divorced, and remarried, […] The post She ditched the dating apps, hired a flirting coach, and found her husband in three months appeared first on American Almanac .
A 49-year-old London café owner who spent years stuck in bad relationships and dead-end app dates hired a flirting coach and hypnotherapist, and married the man she met just weeks into the program. Elizabeth Laing ran a café in Greenwich, south-east London, where she watched couples come and go, some getting married, divorced, and remarried, while she stayed single. She cycled through what she described as failed romances, bad boyfriends, and the kind of half-relationships that never go anywhere. Then she tried something most people would find terrifying: she put down her phone, walked into public spaces, and started talking to strangers. Laing hired a flirting coach and a hypnotherapist, gave herself a three-month deadline to find a…Open