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Supreme Court lets Trump administration use revamped federal voter eligibility database for now
The Supreme Court on Friday lifted restrictions on a controversial federal voter database before November’s elections, granting President Donald Trump a temporary win in his aggressive campaign against noncitizen voting.
Taylor Swift releases 4 new songs for 'Life of a Showgirl: The Encore.' What do critics say?
Swift's songwriting has been called "captivating" and "shockingly tender," though one critic dismissed the new tracks as "derivative and flat."
What to know about Taylor Swift’s new music
Taylor Swift has released “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore.” It's an extended version of her 2025 album with four new tracks. Those include the single “Patient Zero” as
Taylor Swift releases 4 new songs, including 'Patient Zero'
Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore' (Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott)
Politely, Taylor Swift Could Have Skipped the Encore
Taylor Swift just released "The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore." Here, a lifelong fan dives into why the pop star could have skipped the curtain call.
Propane Personality: Lucy Shaffer's path back to the family propane business
Lucy Shaffer, fifth-generation marketing and communications associate at Shaffer's Bottled Gas, shares her journey back to the family propane business.
23 Sports Scientists Reviewed the Evidence on Warming Up. Here’s What Actually Works.
An international expert panel sifts through the evidence on pre-workout routines.
Fifth candidate enter race to lead WHO as nominations close
A fifth candidate has entered the race to lead the World Health Organization, the agency's website showed as the deadline for nominees closed overnight.
Create a Custom Pass in the Wallet App on iPhone
In iOS 27, Apple's Wallet app lets you create custom passes for things like event tickets, gift cards, loyalty cards, and more. Here's how it works. If you have a ticket for an event and there's not a digital version available for the Wallet app, you can create one using the physical pass you have. The same goes for other cards, like a membership card, for example.
Wall St Week Ahead Jobs report, inflation data to test US rate path, economic strength
Investors will sift through reports on employment and inflation in the coming week to assess chances of a sharper trajectory of interest rate hikes, which could undermine the US stock market's rally.
Taylor Swift releases 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore' with 4 new songs after Swifties try to decode her mysterious zeros
Our favorite pop star has dropped new music, including the single "Patient Zero."
Tales Of Syria’s Disappeared; Lebanese Wartime Adoption & Palestinian Mental Health Set For Cinemed-Aflamuna Project Incubator
France’s Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival, also known as Cinemed, and Beirut-based Arab cinema platform Aflamuna have unveiled the selection for their fifth project incubator event, which will ...
There’s a central place to donate to help Walhalla businesses destroyed in massive downtown fire
WALHALLA — Even as the rubble still smoldered in downtown Walhalla, the community shifted from shock over the businesses destroyed in a massive blaze to asking how they could help them recover. Now, t...
Taylor Swift has a message for the haters on her new song ‘Cleveland!’
Swift, who dropped a deluxe version of her latest album on Friday, included an ode to her husband, Travis Kelce.
Taylor Swift 'The Life of a Showgirl Encore' New Tracks Review
A look at the four new tracks added to the "encore" edition of Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl.'
Barcelona's Dani Olmo set for Bundesliga return at Bayern?
FC Bayern Munich are apparently taking a closer look at former RB Leipzig talisman Dani Olmo as a future transfer target.According to the British version of Sky Sports, the gifted FC Barcelona star co...
Utah Jazz Could See Major Player Swings as Expectations Rise
As the franchise pivots from development to winning, shifting stakes will test locker room veterans and rising stars alike, forcing critical adjustments in performance and nightly availability.
Can Genius Sports (GENI) Justify A Higher Valuation Following Prediction.com Launch?
Genius Sports (GENI) has moved further into the consumer arena with the launch of Prediction.com, a site that aggregates prediction markets and tracks how contract probabilities shift as events unfold. The launch of Prediction.com comes at a challenging time for Genius Sports’ shareholders, with the 30-day share price return down 27.04% and the year-to-date share price return down 46.20%, while the 1-year total shareholder return has declined 54.51%. However, the 3-year total shareholder...
Reality Check: “Fifteen” attack ad on Ford raising taxes
The Better Nevada PAC’s assertion that Ford supported 15 tax hikes totaling over $3 billion is largely inaccurate. Several alleged tax increases were actually extensions of previous legislation or involved
Trump and Xi Exchange Symbolic Gifts Ahead of State Dinner
President Trump gave a statue of a bald eagle to President Xi Jinping before a state dinner at the White House.
‘Tone deaf’: Rep. Moore backs Sen. Curtis’ call to investigate Trump Jr. gift from Russian oligarch
Utah Rep. Blake Moore said on Thursday that he “absolutely agrees” with Sen. John Curtis’ call to investigate Donald Trump Jr.’s lavish, private-island wedding after-party that was bankrolled by a Rus...
Twilio (TWLO) Keeps Climbing as Investors Rediscover its AI Business
Twilio Inc. (NYSE:TWLO) rose another 3.1% on September 24 to close at $299.66. The run has come alongside a series of analyst upgrades. TD Cowen lifted its target to $300 from $260, and Rosenblatt, Wells Fargo and UBS all raised theirs in the same stretch. The stock has roughly tripled from its low of $98.44 […]
‘Forgotten Island’ review: A mythical memory worth making
Stunning animations and a stellar cast uplift a DreamWorks film steeped in Filipino mythology that explores the importance of memories and friendship.
How AI Is Driving Both Parties Back to Their Roots
The dot-com boom shifted political alignments. AI is shifting them back.
Sanford Health Broadway Same Day Surgery Center is being renamed
A major gift to Sanford Health in Bismarck is bringing a brand-new name to its surgery center.
IATSE Lauds Introduction of Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, Urges Swift Passage
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) today applauded the introduction of the bipartisan Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act (MPTERA), which would create a […]
Fishel Foundation Donates $1.5M to OhioHealth Women’s Center
OhioHealth announces a $1.5 million gift from the Fishel Foundation to support a Women’s Health Navigation Hub at its new Women’s Center.
Arts and Entertainment Agenda, Sept 25 to Oct. 2
Wintersköl Royalty nominations, open through Sept. 25 The Aspen Chamber Resort Association is accepting community nominations for 2026 Wintersköl Royalty through Sept. 25. This tradition honors Aspen locals who embody the community spirit, joy and...
Dolly Parton’s sister addresses family feud rumors amid nephew restraining order
Dolly Parton’s sister Freida has addressed a rumored rift among the family after the late country singer’s estate was granted a temporary restraining order against her nephew Bryan Seaver. “I’ll
Judge orders White House to lift Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico — but reporters say they were still denied access
The news outlets asked the court for an immediate hearing after some of their journalists reported being turned away despite the ruling.
SBA Loan Defaults Surged at 2 Nonbank Lenders. $1.3 Billion Entered Liquidation
The Small Business Administration stopped non-bank lender exams just one week before lifting a nearly 40-year moratorium on admitting more of them into the program.
Taylor Swift Just Teased the 'Patient Zero' Music Video and I Think It Confirms *This* Theory
Taylor Swift announced that she'd be premiering a new music video, "Patient Zero," a the VMAs this weekend. Here's why I think it points to this long-standing theory.
U2 reveals new album with Dolly Parton's final vocal duet
Fifty years ago this week, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. posted a handwritten note on a school bulletin board seeking "musicians to form band.” Five decades later, that band – U2
P-Lake students take science outside
FREMONT — Fourth and fifth graders from Pleasant Lake Montessori School took a field trip to an actual field Wednesday morning to tag and track monarch butterflies migrating through Indiana.
P-Lake students take science outside
FREMONT — Fourth and fifth graders from Pleasant Lake Montessori School took a field trip to an actual field Wednesday morning to tag and track monarch butterflies migrating through Indiana.
How do you feel about Leeds' start to the season?
As we enter the season's first international break, we want to hear your thoughts on the opening five games of the Premier League. Leeds have yet to be beaten in the league as Daniel Farke's men make a good start in their bid to solidify their place in the top flight. Two wins and three draws mean Leeds sit fifth and feeling buoyant about the campaign ahead.
ESPN Names 1 Part Of Broncos' Offense As 'Early Surprise'
Despite a sluggish start to the 2026 season, Denver’s newfound commitment to a balanced rushing attack behind Jonah Coleman and JK Dobbins signals a pivotal offensive shift.
NAB Show New York 2026 Brings Media’s Biggest Business and Technology Shifts to the Stage Oct. 21-22
More than 150 speakers to explore the business and technology shaping broadcast, creators, sports, streaming and the future of media.
Federal judge orders White House to lift Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico
Hours after the ruling, reporters from CNN and Politico said they were denied access to the White House grounds.
Taylor Swift teases new music video with Dakota Johnson, Colin Farrell
Are you ready for it? Taylor Swift has revealed a first look at the music video for her song "Patient Zero," which will debut during the MTV Video Music Awards
Baptist Health Foundation Receives $1 Million Gift from Julio and Alexandra Herrera
Baptist Health Foundation announced a $1 million gift from Julio C. and Alexandra Herrera to support care for women and infants at Baptist Hospital and South Miami Hospital. The gift will be divided evenly, with $500,000 supporting the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at South Miami Hospital and $500,000 supporting the transformation of the Lake […]
Is metascience being co-opted?
In July, the White House released a report that argued academia is deeply dysfunctional and in need of radical reform.Science: A New Golden Age sets out a litany of problems many academics will recognise: interminable waits for grants; short-term funding rather than support for longer, more ambitious projects; ballooning administrative requirements; pressure to publish, and many more. “The scientific machine is getting bogged down,” it says. At least on the face of it, Science: A New Golden Age is a triumph for the metascience movement, a loose-knit, global group of academics, philanthropists and think tankers that want far more testing and experimentation in how we fund public research and innovation. The report tells US research funders to set up internal metascience units to do just this. But it has also set alarm bells ringing that metascience is being conveniently deployed to help justify the defunding of US universities, which US vice president JD Vance has openly labelled “the enemy.” “Just because you have an issue with your plumbing in your house doesn't mean you light the entire house on fire and burn it to the ground,” said Colette Delawalla, chief executive of Stand Up for Science, a group campaigning against what it says are attacks on scientists by the Trump administration. No one is arguing that academia doesn’t need reform, but there’s debate over how far and how fast the system should be shaken up. Does public R&D need slow and steady evidence-based adjustment, or radical new experiments?One of the key arguments in Science: A New Golden Age is that there’s not enough funding for what it calls “mid-level” science: engineering-heavy projects that require tens of millions of dollars, involve ten to a hundred people, and last around five years. Such a project might develop a brain-computer interface for people with Alzheimer's disease, for example. As such, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) has already announced $1.5 billion to set up so-called X-Labs, effectively new research organisations to pursue breakthroughs in areas such as quantum sensing and new scientific instruments. Funding divertedBut there’s a catch: this money has squeezed NSF budgets for more traditional, fundamental research grants, Science reported in June, likely meaning less cash for university-based scientists. Science: A New Golden Age also makes various swipes at universities, accusing them of extracting overheads from scientists to fund administrative bloat. “We have become dependent on a narrow set of legacy institutions,” it says. The report doesn’t mention it, but the US government is simultaneously seeking greater powers over federal funding, which would allow political appointees at funding agencies to screen or cancel research grants mid-project. The White House is also seeking to slash the NSF’s budget by more than half in 2027, although similar cuts proposed for 2026 were blocked by Congress. Convenient hookThis has worried some that the metascience agenda could be misused as a kind of smokescreen to further weaken universities. James Wilsdon, executive director of the Research on Research Institute at University College London, said that the report contains lots of “interesting ideas” and agrees that in places, academia is a “pretty broken system.” But the risk is that metascience is being deployed as a “convenient hook” to support cuts and a “political land grab” to transfer grant power from scientists to political appointees in US funding agencies.So far, the metascience agenda hasn’t been seized on by radical right parties in Europe. But Wilsdon worries it will cross the Atlantic, politicising research reform efforts and making them more difficult to carry out. The report is already making some in Europe sceptical of the entire idea. “The system is not without flaws, but the metascience discussion is not likely to improve the system but rather to generate munition to undermine it,” said Claes de Vreese, a professor of AI and society at the University of Amsterdam. Peter Thiel protégéOfficially, Science: A New Golden Age has just one named author: Michael Kratsios, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and a former chief of staff to Silicon Valley mogul Peter Thiel. He also served as chief financial officer of Thiel’s Clarium Capital Management. Since the 1990s, Thiel has criticised US universities for moving away from teaching what he views as the classic works of western civilisation, and drifting towards “anti-Western zealotry.” And since 2011, he has offered two-year fellowships of $250,000 to young people to skip or drop out of university, and instead start companies or pursue scientific research. “College can be good for learning about what’s been done before, but it can also discourage you from doing something new,” according to the Thiel Fellowships website. In other areas, the Trump administration has promoted academics with a longstanding interest in metascience. For example, the head of the National Institutes of Health, Jay Bhattacharya, in 2020 co-authored a study arguing the funder backs overly conservative proposals, although he achieved wider prominence as a critic of pandemic lockdowns. Careless talk costs fundingEven before the Trump administration embraced the metascience agenda, some metascientists privately wondered whether they should be careful not to overstate dysfunctions in academia, in case this gets used as ammunition against universities. But others think being cautious with criticism is pointless. After all, last year, the Trump administration sought to cut funding from US universities on an entirely different premise: supposed antisemitism on campus. “I don't think these governments need a technical metascientific excuse to attack the universities, they will want to do so anyway,” said Will Stone, a researcher at Science Works, a new think tank advocating for a “metascience revolution” in the UK. “I think researchers should report what they find, even when the findings may be used to advance policies they disagree with,” echoed Russell Funk, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, who in 2023 co-authored a highly influential paper that argued scientific papers were becoming less disruptive over time. No justificationThat said, Funk thinks that metascientific research certainly doesn’t justify a weakening of universities. Instead, scientists need “time, resources and stability to pursue unfamiliar ideas,” he said. “Taking away those conditions works against the very goal the reforms are supposed to achieve.”The Institute for Progress, a Washington DC-based innovation policy think tank that has championed X-Labs and metascience units, also says that reforms should complement, not supplant, universities. “Unpredictable, unreliable, and reduced federal funding to researchers is destabilising to the very foundations of research and development and is bad,” said Jenn Gustetic, the institute’s director of metascience and R&D policy.Evolution or revolution?This points to a much bigger divide in the metascience community: how far and how fast should public R&D be shaken up? Does it need evolution or revolution? For example, Science: A New Golden Age says the science system relies too heavily on traditional “workhorse” project grants, the type that pay out around $250,000 a year to fund “hypothesis-driven science by small teams on tractable questions.” However, in criticising project grants, the report “decisively picks one side of a debate that is far from settled,” David Hilmer Rex, a metascientist based in Denmark, has written. In June, Pierre Azoulay, a metascientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, defended project grants, saying that the alternative of X-Labs “merits scepticism.”A-B testingOne challenge in metascience is that it’s easier to generate evidence for some types of change than others. Most straightforwardly, research funders can run A-B tests on different ways of awarding money. For example, Germany’s Volkswagen Foundation recently trialled distributed peer review, where applicants rate each other’s proposals, and measured its results against traditional review panels. Distributed peer review made quicker decisions, although awarded money to largely different ideas. However, much of the focus of the metascience movement has been on founding fast-moving and free-acting new research organisations and funders, in contrast to the alleged stodginess of mainstream academia or public innovation grants. A culture of speed and freedom are the animating principles behind Germany’s Sprind or the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria).Related articlesViewpoint: it's time to experiment with how Europe funds science European researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationHowever, while it’s possible to closely study previously successful bodies, such as the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), for historical clues to their secret sauce, it’s impossible to guarantee in advance that the likes of Sprind or Aria will actually work as hoped. But advocates of new organisations say this inherent uncertainly shouldn’t stop us trying. “If we wait for definitive proof that something will work before we try it, I don't know where your proof is coming from,” said Stone. Trade-offsUp until now, experiments in metascience haven’t generally come with hard trade-offs over money. In the US, new ideas such as focused research organisations have often been funded by billionaire philanthropists. In Europe, new innovation agencies such as Sprind and Aria, or the Netherland’s new National Agency for Disruptive Innovation, haven’t needed explicit cuts elsewhere in the research system. But with the $1.5 billion establishment of X-Labs by the NSF, the trade-offs are becoming clearer. Some metascientists privately wonder whether a smaller pilot would have been more appropriate, given that the idea is untested. The Institute for Progress counters that the $1.5 billion X-Labs budget is spread out over a decade, so will account for less than 2% of the NSF’s annual budget. “It’s important to remember that [Darpa] was once an institutional experiment as well. Now it’s one of the most cited innovative funding models in the world,” said Gustetic.As for Europe?The US isn’t the only country placing metascience at the heart of its research strategy. Science: A New Golden Age looks admiringly at the UK, which in 2024 set up a Metascience Unit to scrutinise how it funds research. In Brussels, it’s more of a mixed picture. In 2018, the EU set up the European Innovation Council to funnel grants and equity to start-ups, although it’s sometimes criticised for awarding money too slowly. Recently, the council has started experimenting with challenges, where teams of inventors compete to overcome a technological challenge. The European Commission also wants to experiment with partially randomising grant winners, to cut down on bureaucracy. However, the Commission’s own advisers have said the EU’s own research schemes are too conventional. They want the Commission to establish a new dedicated unit to scrutinise and experiment with funding. But there’s no sign of a such unit emerging in Brussels’ plans for the next Horizon Europe programme, which from 2028 is set to distribute more than €160 billion over seven years. Sam Bogerd, director of breakthrough innovation at the Brussels-based Arq Foundation, an AI-focused think tank that also looks at metascience, says that Europe might have the opposite problem to the US: universities and basic research funding are still reasonably well supported, but there’s not enough experimentation. “We're not taking a close enough look at where this money can achieve the most, and I am worried that the good ideas around metascience will be tainted politically by their association with the Trump administration,” he said. He’s still lobbying for the Commission to set up an experimental unit. But in the meantime, the Arq Foundation plans to do its own research, and is currently hiring two metascience researchers to run the rule over how Brussels spends research funding.
ADHD and autism diagnoses have surged. A massive study may help explain why
A large Danish study found that children diagnosed with ADHD or autism today more closely resemble their peers in the general population than those diagnosed 10 years ago. The shift suggests that rising diagnosis rates may partly reflect broader identification and changing diagnostic patterns, rather than only an increase in the underlying conditions.
Puka Nacua Injury Update: Rams WR’s Week 3 Status Revealed
Puka Nacua missed Week 2 due to injury, and it might be a while before we see him on the field. Originally selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the BYU product quickly became one of the biggest draft steals in recent memory. Developing an immediate connection with quarterback Matthew Stafford, the …
From idealists to struggling sceptics: how Labour’s majority depends on five progressive voter types
Analysis reveals five distinct groups with sharply contrasting priorities – and who has drifted the most from Labour towards Greens and Reform
This year, with shifting political winds, Canada gets more of the spotlight on the UN's stage
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — For years, Canada was a trouper in the drama of international affairs. An adept and experienced contributor, it didn't often draw the spotlight when world leaders gathered at the U.N. each September.
Tutta Bella scales back restaurants as it shifts focus to wholesale business
Tutta Bella closes multiple Seattle-area locations to focus on wholesale pizza production through its Kroger distribution deal.
Political shifts may shape how quickly Germany adopts electric cars and solar power
A new study conducted by the Climate Action Research Lab (CARL) at the University of Freiburg finds that electric cars and photovoltaic systems are less widespread on average in municipalities with strong ...
‘I miss old Google’: readers tell us how they search the internet in the age of AI
A feature called AI Overviews has been a profound change, and the browsing habits of billions of people are shifting
Move over, Beyoncé: Taylor Swift to become the most awarded artist in VMAs history with inaugural Artist Director Honors
Taylor Swift will receive the first-ever MTV VMA Artist Director Honors, adding another milestone to her awards show legacy.
Time of Use Rate for Small and Medium Businesses Now Available
We’re excited to announce that our Time of Use (TOU) rate option for customers with services on Small and Medium Business rates is now available! Just like the residential TOU rate, this optional rate encourages shifting electricity use away from peak hours, giving your business more ways to manage costs and support a cleaner, more […]
‘Politics means caring for people’ says city council candidate Dina Ramaha
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A recent voice in city council public comment, Dina Ramaha announced her campaign during the Fourth of July parade. Ramaha, who owns Three Pines Coffee and Conscious Mind Therapy, says...
Logitech G Unveils Fifteen New Products at Logitech G PLAY 2026
There has never been a more exciting time to be a gamer. Today at Logitech G PLAY 2026, Logitech G unveiled fifteen new products, along with new software experiences and breakthrough designs created to elevate how competitive players, creators, and everyday gamers play. As blockbuster releases,...
Valkyries first playoff game marks Thrive City’s shift to permanent ‘entertainment zone,’ allowing to-go alcohol
The Valkyries are set to host their first playoff game at Chase Center Sunday and it marks the start of a permanent change at Thrive City, as full-time entertainment zone which allows customers at the bars and restaurants to take alcoholic beverages out into the 11-acre piazza outside the arena.
Taylor Swift announces 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore' will be released on Friday
The pop superstar will release an expanded version of her blockbuster 2025 album with four new songs.
Phoenix Suns Star Dillon Brooks Receiving Due Recognition
Landing at #76 on ESPN’s top 100, the polarizing wing is silencing critics through defensive grit and culture-shifting leadership as Phoenix prepares for a high-stakes playoff push.
Behind closed doors, the politics of solar geoengineering are shifting
More politicians in the U.S. and around the globe are taking a look at sunlight-reflecting technologies, two experts said Friday.
Behind closed doors, the politics of solar geoengineering are shifting
More politicians in the U.S. and around the globe are taking a look at sunlight-reflecting technologies, two experts said.
Taylor Swift announces 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore' with 4 new songs after Swifties try to decode her mysterious zeros
Swifties, it's happening: Our favorite pop star is releasing new music.
Taylor Swift reveals new 'Life of a Showgirl The Encore' album
Taylor Swift is extending the life of "The Life of a Showgirl."
Stellar Blade will let players turn off frame generation on Nintendo Switch 2
According to Shift Up, when Stellar Blade launches on Nintendo Switch 2, the full game will include a toggle for frame generation, allowing players to turn it on and off at will. News about the planned functionality was shared on social media. A few days ago, the game received a demo on Nintendo Switch 2. Shift Up has been monitoring...
Cook Political Report shifts Kansas, South Carolina Senate races toward Democrats
The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report on Wednesday shifted the Senate races in Kansas and South Carolina toward Democrats, with just over a month before the November midterm el…
Travis Kelce Reacts to Taylor Swift's Viral 'That's My Husband' Celebration
Travis Kelce has seen the memes after wife Taylor Swift‘s touchdown celebration at his latest NFL game went viral.
Nike’s Coach Bennett: ‘Sport is a gift to the business world’
Lessons and benefits of running extend beyond fitness, says one of the world’s best-known trainers in his first book
2 midterm elections that brought on new eras in US politics
Two 19th-century elections are a reminder that a sizable midterm shift, like the one expected in November, can signal long-lasting changes in American politics that set the country in a new direction.
D’Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai present major challenge for Eagles
Chicago enters Monday night averaging 212.5 rushing yards and 6.1 yards per attempt through its first two games
CNN, Politico and MS NOW to face off with Trump administration in court over White House ban
A Trump-appointed federal judge will hear arguments on whether the president’s ban on the news outlets should be lifted.
Wildlife management should be based on science not emotion (Opinion)
Wildlife research is essential because it protects biodiversity, guides conservation policies, and helps humans understand complex ecosystems. Without that research wildlife conservation/management and human/wildlife conflict mitigation would be equal to swinging a plastic pool noodle...
The design-build business model when land is no longer the moat
As land shifts off balance sheet, builders need a customer moat, clean tech stack, and payment-first design-build model.
Matthew Berry expanding beyond ‘Fantasy’ with new daily talk show on Roku Channel
Arguably the most well-known fantasy football personality, Berry is shifting from NBC Sports to hub Roku Channel's daily sports lineup.
The Fight for the Senate Is a True Toss Up; Three Races Shift Toward Democrats
With just under six weeks until Election Day, control of the Senate is on a knife’s edge as the handful of key races that will decide the majority remain within the margin of error.
The Peninsula is getting a new dining option, with a taste of Tuscany
Starting early next year, The Lobby — a fifth-floor spot that serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea — will transform each evening into Italian restaurant Comunità.
Redevelopment of Sleepy Hollow to begin as fundraising campaign nears goal
Construction is expected to begin next month on the redevelopment of Sleepy Hollow Sports Park into a year-round recreation destination with a new lodge, ski lift and snowthrowing equipment. The $18 million project received a funding boost last week when the Iowa Economic Development Authority approved a $4.5 million grant from the Destination Iowa program…
Reform and the UAE – a threat to British politics
By Alex Carlen The United Arab Emirates likes to present itself as part of the solution to the climate crisis. The oil-rich Gulf state has committed to Net Zero by 2050, hosted COP 28, and even declared “championing climate action” as one of three strategic objectives for this week’s session of the United Nations General Assembly. But behind the scenes the UAE has quietly built one of its closest political relationships in Europe with the party most hostile to climate action in Britain: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. There is no evidence that the UAE is funding Reform. But a new FairSquare report, Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat, published today, documents a growing political relationship that should concern anyone interested in the integrity of British democracy. Reform’s leaders have embraced the UAE’s political model and promoted positions that align closely with the Emirati government’s priorities, while the UAE has given Farage and his party unusually warm access and public backing. What is emerging is not simply a relationship between British politicians and a wealthy Gulf state, but a channel through which an authoritarian government can cultivate political influence here, and abroad. Democracy for Sale relies on its readers. If you already support us, thanks so much. If you don’t, sign up to support fearless independent investigative journalism. Subscribe Back in January, Nigel Farage appeared at a GB News event in Dubai. On the 50th floor of a tower overlooking the luxury resorts and upscale residences of Palm Jumeirah, the Reform leader declared: “I want Clacton to look like this.” At the event – which Farage never declared on his official register of interests – senior Emirati officials mixed with British expats. Farage was keen to flatter. “We recognise you are our friends”, he said, assuring them that “a Brexit London, a Reform London, will remember you.” Controversy surrounding Reform’s finances and its susceptibility to foreign influence have centred around high-profile donations from billionaire crypto donors, and the jailing of Nathan Gill, Reform’s former leader in Wales, for accepting bribes to give pro-Russia speeches. Far less attention has been paid to Reform’s blossoming new alliance with the UAE, an oil-rich authoritarian state with a track record of ruinous anti-democratic interventions. Farage wasn’t always so fond of the UAE. Back in 2023 he called it an “absolute monarchy with an abysmal human rights record.” Now Reform’s hierarchy calls the UAE home. Deputy leader Richard Tice splits his time between his constituency and Dubai and has called on the UK to learn from the UAE. The party’s treasurer Nick Candy runs a firm which has been in partnership with a UAE-state linked firm since 2024. Nadhim Zahawi sits on the board of an Abu Dhabi think tank alongside an array of the most senior UAE officials and is reportedly close to three brothers of the country’s despotic ruler Mohammed Bin Zayed. Reform’s leading lights have effusively praised the UAE’s governance model, defended it from criticism, and advanced its political agenda in the UK. GB News, whose two major shareholders – the Legatum Foundation and Paul Marshall – have strong links to the UAE, has been more than happy to broadcast UAE propaganda and was forced to pay damages in 2025 after airing a false claim about a UK charity by the UAE “disinfluencer” Amjad Taha. The UAE has responded in kind. When the UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs conducted an official visit to the UK in May, Farage was the only non-government figure granted an audience. UAE state media publicised the meeting, and said that they discussed “the strategic relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in a manner that serves mutual interests.” For the UAE these ‘mutual interests’ largely concern its paranoia over political Islam, and in this regard the UAE-Reform alliance is part of a broad and troubling pattern. Following a crackdown on dissent at home in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the UAE has offered material and political support to a range of violent and authoritarian actors willing to oppose the Muslim Brotherhood with no regard for the consequences. Its meddling in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and most notably Sudan, have been devastating. The UAE’s strategy of seeking out partners on the political fringes who it believes will advance its interests is not unique to Britain – it extends beyond the Middle East to Europe and the US. In France, it has offered clandestine support to Marine Le Pen through secret meetings, as well allegedly funding trips to the region after which Le Pen returned with a renewed focus on the UAE’s perceived enemies – Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood. Left-wing opposition leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has accused the UAE of smearing him and of “encouraging discrimination, hatred or violence”. In the US, the UAE actively supported the rise of Donald Trump, establishing itself as a key ally during both his first and second terms. Around these relationships sits a wider ecosystem of figures willing to amplify UAE narratives, that even extends to Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson. Subscribe In Britain, the UAE has used a combination of aggressive diplomacy and illicit, disruptive tactics to achieve its policy goal of eliminating any perceived threat from political Islam. In 2012, for instance, it threatened to block billion-pound arms deals with the UK and stop inward investment if David Cameron did not act against the Muslim Brotherhood and rein in the BBC’s coverage of the group – going so far as to suggest, with no supporting evidence, that the group had infiltrated the BBC. It has financed smear campaigns against a high-profile UK charity and funded a mercenary to secretly surveil, and possibly assassinate, a British national on British soil. In Reform UK, the UAE has finally found an ally willing to not only ban the Muslim Brotherhood, but to publicly vilify the group and repeat the UAE’s claims that dangerous Muslims are a fifth column in British society, a narrative that aligns with the Islamophobia and anti-immigration sentiments that underpin Reform’s populist politics. The Rycroft review into foreign interference concluded that “hostile states and non-state actors have a clear incentive to attempt to undermine UK democracy.” The UAE’s network and alliance with Reform must be understood within that framework. It is a powerful, disruptive and deeply authoritarian actor with the resources and networks to intervene in our politics, and a track-record of doing so in a multitude of other countries. The evidence of the threat the UAE poses is overwhelming. The question is whether parliamentarians are willing to call the UAE out and demand action using the tools that the government has to respond. Placing the UAE on the “Enhanced Tier” of the Foreign Registration scheme alongside Russia and Iran would send a powerful signal to the UAE that its meddling will no longer be tolerated, and would place Farage’s next trips to the UAE under the scrutiny they deserve. Alex Carlen is research and advocacy manager at London based human rights organisation FairSquare and author of its new report Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat. Subscribe
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