House Oversight Chairman James Comer has subpoenaed the founder of a South Florida company called "Have My Baby in Miami", a business that openly marketed U.S. citizenship to pregnant foreign nationals. Comer, a Kentucky Republican, sent the subpoena to Dr. Wladimir Lorentz on Tuesday after Lorentz's attorney refused to make him available for voluntary testimony. […] The post House Oversight subpoenas Miami doctor who ran birth tourism business appeared first on American Almanac .
House Oversight Chairman James Comer has subpoenaed the founder of a South Florida company called "Have My Baby in Miami", a business that openly marketed U.S. citizenship to pregnant foreign nationals. Comer, a Kentucky Republican, sent the subpoena to Dr. Wladimir Lorentz on Tuesday after Lorentz's attorney refused to make him available for voluntary testimony. The attorney cited a pending criminal probe by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida as the reason Lorentz could not cooperate with the committee. Comer was unmoved. The subpoena orders Lorentz to appear at a September 1 congressional hearing on birth tourism, and the chairman's letter made clear that a federal investigation does not excuse a witness from…Open
Warmer ocean temperatures driven by El Niño may push one of the world's most venomous sea snakes into Southern California beach waters, and the region's punishing heat wave suggests conditions are ripe. Scientists warn that the yellow-bellied sea snake, a highly toxic predator normally found in tropical stretches of the Pacific and Indian oceans, could […] The post Venomous yellow-bellied sea snake could slither into Southern California waters as El Niño heats the Pacific appeared first on American Almanac .
Warmer ocean temperatures driven by El Niño may push one of the world's most venomous sea snakes into Southern California beach waters, and the region's punishing heat wave suggests conditions are ripe. Scientists warn that the yellow-bellied sea snake, a highly toxic predator normally found in tropical stretches of the Pacific and Indian oceans, could drift northward into waters off the Southern California coast as El Niño drives ocean surface temperatures well above average. Douglas McCauley, director of the Benioff Ocean Initiative at UC Santa Barbara, told USA Today that unusual species are already showing up as the ocean warms. The snake's venom packs a combination of powerful neurotoxins and myotoxins that the Australian Museum…Open
Shaun Mackelprang, Missouri's deputy attorney general, was rescued Wednesday morning after spending six days stranded in Wyoming's Wind River Range, dehydrated, disoriented, but alive after summiting the state's tallest peak. Mackelprang, 55, had set out alone from the Green River Lakes Trailhead on August 20, 2025, aiming to reach the top of Gannett Peak, a […] The post Missouri deputy AG found alive after six days lost in Wyoming mountains appeared first on American Almanac .
Shaun Mackelprang, Missouri's deputy attorney general, was rescued Wednesday morning after spending six days stranded in Wyoming's Wind River Range, dehydrated, disoriented, but alive after summiting the state's tallest peak. Mackelprang, 55, had set out alone from the Green River Lakes Trailhead on August 20, 2025, aiming to reach the top of Gannett Peak, a 13,804-foot summit and the highest point in Wyoming. He made it. A summit register confirmed he reached the top on August 22. But something went wrong on the way down. Thunderstorms and strong winds hit during his descent, the New York Post reported , leaving Mackelprang disoriented and unable to find his way back to the trailhead. His vehicle sat untouched at the parking area. When he…Open
President Trump told Axios in a phone interview on Thursday that he isn't concerned that Russia will attack NATO countries. Why it matters: European leaders have grown extremely concerned and warned publicly that Moscow could test NATO's resolve — and Trump's commitment to Article 5, the alliance's collective-defense clause — through a limited attack or other military provocations. - CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a covert trip to Moscow on Tuesday and met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Naryshkin. - Several media outlets reported that the visit was an effort to warn Moscow not to attack a NATO country. - But Trump disputed those reports, telling Axios Ratcliffe delivered no such warning. What he's saying: "I am not…
The Trump administration is in talks with Venezuela's interim government about taking an ownership stake in the South American country's enormous oil resources, two U.S. officials tell Axios. Why it matters: The historic deal would more than double U.S. oil reserves by drawing from a country that has the world's largest proven reserves. - "Calling this deal huge would be an understatement," one of the officials said. "It is massive." - Adding pressure to get the deal signed: the wars in Iran and Ukraine, which have disrupted global oil supplies and raised prices. - The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is now at a 40-year low . Zoom in: Details are still being hammered out, but the discussions involve more than a dozen productive oil…
OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and more than 100 other companies warned Thursday that the organizations now only have months to prepare for AI-enabled cyberattacks. Why it matters: Hospitals, water treatment plants and other critical infrastructure will face a swarm of hacking threats as AI makes sophisticated cyber capabilities cheaper and more accessible to attackers, the group write in an open letter . Driving the news: "We have a limited window to strengthen cyber defenses," the letter says. - The group is calling for "collective action" and urges organizations to use their shrinking window to secure critical infrastructure and make it more expensive and difficult for hackers using AI tools to break in. -…
Meta removed a network of Facebook and Instagram accounts tied to an Iran-based operation that used AI to target U.S. audiences with posts about American politics, the company first shared with Axios. Why it matters: The operation attracted thousands of followers and included accounts posing as everyday Americans to appear more authentic. Driving the news: As part of a broader threat report released today, Meta said it disrupted four Facebook accounts and 31 Instagram accounts linked to actors based in Iran. - Across the accounts, operators shared memes expressing anti-Republican views and messaging on the Israel-Palestine conflict and immigration, according to Meta. - Meta also said the operators used AI to create some of the content…
