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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) announced on Saturday that it has successfully redirected over 100 commercial ships as part of its ongoing naval blockade targeting Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. This strategic move is being hailed as a significant “milestone” amidst the persistent tensions in the region.
Initiated in April under the directive of President Trump, the blockade has seen more than 15,000 U.S. troops actively involved in turning around 100 ships, disabling four, and allowing passage for 26 vessels carrying humanitarian aid through this critical global shipping route, according to military reports.
In a statement, Centcom Commander Admiral Brad Cooper praised the efforts of the U.S. service members, describing their work as “extraordinary.” He noted, “They have executed the mission with precision and professionalism, effectively halting trade in and out of Iranian ports, thereby exerting economic pressure on Iran.”
The operation has been supported by over 200 aircraft and warships, ensuring enforcement against vessels from all nations attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports and coastal areas, including the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply, has become the epicenter of this military initiative following actions by Iranian officials to block the waterway and impose tolls. This ongoing tug-of-war over control of the strait has been a major factor in the recent surge in energy and gas prices.
At the same time, scrutiny has mounted over the financial and strategic implications of the Middle East conflict as the two nations navigate the fragile ceasefire.
Trump recently agreed to hold off on fresh strikes on the region at the request of Gulf allies and press pause on the Pentagon‘s “Project Freedom” initiative, which was designed to help escort ships through the strait. But, he said, the naval blockade would stay in place.
The Defense Department in early May estimated that the blockade has cost Iran about $4.8 billion in oil revenue.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also faced intense grilling in the House and Senate earlier this month about the Iran war and the department‘s spending priorities. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pressed Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine on the U.S. strategy in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz but were rebuffed.
Several efforts to block the Trump administration from continuing its military operation in Tehran under the War Powers Act have also failed. The president and administration officials have argued that the temporary truce negated the 60-day deadline when congressional approval would be needed.
U.S.-Iran talks have also largely stalled as both sides reject the others‘ demands, including bringing an end to hostilities and the administration‘s pressure on the Islamic Republic to halt its nuclear program.
Across the country, Democrats have been ardently defending their gerrymandering moves, claiming they’re merely countering Republican actions, particularly those seen in Texas. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul has been vocal about her intent to follow suit, seemingly overlooking her active involvement in several initiatives aimed at bypassing the state’s Constitution to significantly diminish GOP influence through redistricting.
This strategic maneuvering took root in early 2021, when Democrats placed three “election reform” propositions on the November ballot. A key element of these measures was to undermine the Independent Redistricting Commission, established by voters in 2014, empowering the ruling party to unilaterally redraw district maps following the 2020 Census.
However, New York’s predominantly Democratic electorate rebuffed all three proposals by substantial margins.
Undeterred, the Democratic-majority Legislature proceeded to pass legislation to effectively render the commission powerless, a move Governor Hochul endorsed without hesitation.
Following this, Democrats attempted to obstruct the commission’s operations and ultimately disregarded its recommendations. Instead, the legislative majority implemented a district map that aimed to slash the GOP’s representation in the House from six seats to a mere three.
Republicans sued and won in state court; the judge appointed a special master to draw up a truly fair map, and the GOP wound up winning eight seats that November.
Cue the Democratic campaign to stack the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, to ensure that wouldn’t happen again: This is why the state Senate rejected respected Democratic Judge Hector LaSalle in 2023, a rank assassination that prompted Hochul to nominate reliable lefty Rowan Wilson.
Lo and behold, when Democrats launched yet another gerrymander drive in 2024, Republicans again sued — only to lose in the end, thanks to Wilson’s vote.
Still, Dems were cautious, tweaking the map only slightly to their advantage, which proved enough to wipe out half the GOP’s 2022 gains.
But Democrats weren’t done: They set out this year to use the state courts to eliminate New York City’s one Republican-leaning House district, held by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis — and were foiled only when the US Supreme Court put a stop to it.
This is when President Donald Trump, who doesn’t miss much in that goes on in his native state, began pushing Republican states to fight back.
Now Hochul and her party are vowing to do it again, though only in time for the 2028 elections; this will be their fourth bid at the “mid-decade redistricting” game that Democrats started condemning (and then doing) all across the country this year.
One more time: New York voters chose nonpartisan redistricting back in 2014; ever since the reform should have kicked in after the 2020 Census, Democrats have worked nonstop to instead seize control to boost their own partisan power, leaving no dirty trick untried.
And every New York Democratic pol now bewailing Republican moves in other states, from Hochul to Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, went along with it — so spare us the moral lectures.
Giants standout Abdul Carter has joined a chorus of New Yorkers criticizing his team’s quarterback, Jaxson Dart, after Dart extended a warm welcome to Donald Trump at a New York event.
Dart’s role as the introducer for the former president during a campaign speech at Rockland Community College, located just north of the city, came as a surprise to many on Friday.
The 23-year-old, a former first-round draft pick, addressed the enthusiastic audience saying, “It’s an honor and a privilege to introduce the 45th and 47th President of the United States, President Donald J. Trump.”
As Trump took to the stage, greeted by the patriotic strains of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” he embraced Dart and later referred to him as a “future Hall of Famer.”
However, Carter, about to embark on his sophomore NFL season, expressed his disapproval of his teammate’s public endorsement of Trump.
Taking to X on Saturday morning, the linebacker posted: ‘Thought this s*** was AI, what we doing man’.
Abdul Carter blasted his quarterback Jaxson Dart for welcoming Donald Trump at an event
Dart introduced the president for a stump speech at Rockland Community College on Friday
Unrest among his players is not ideal for new Giants head coach John Harbaugh as he prepares for his first season in charge of the team. Both Dart and Carter are expected to be key players if Harbaugh hopes to inspire a turnaround in the team’s fortunes.
During his speech, Trump said a few nice words about Dart’s physical appearance: ‘I’m looking at Jaxson… I’m looking at the legs there. He’s this beautiful guy. He’s got legs like tree trunks. This is not a good thing for women.’
The Queens native went winless in both New York and New Jersey over his three White House runs, so it wasn’t a big surprise to see Giants fans from both sides of the Hudson River upset with Dart.
‘Jaxson Dart just let the world know how much of an idiot he is!’ one critic wrote. ‘So stupid!’
‘Seeing a Giants player introduce Trump in New York feels like a bad joke,’ another added. ‘New Yorkers reject this kind of politics.’
One fan declared: ‘Jaxson didn’t make any friends in our blue city… with this MAGA a**-licking.’
Several objected to Dart’s decision to introduce Trump, not because of the President’s politics, but because they wanted him to remain apolitical.
‘What. A. F***ing. Moron. God damn him,’ one angry fan wrote. ‘All my Dart rookie cards are going to go to zero in a week. Stay out of politics you jacka**.’
Dart led the audience on a chant of ‘Go Big Blue!’ before introducing Donald Trump on Friday
Others took issue directly with a President facing a 58-percent disapproval rating, according to the latest Daily Mail/J.L. Partners polling.
‘Yikes,’ one critic wrote, ‘Dart introduces racist trump.’
Additionally, a few eagle-eyed fans noticed the 6ft2 Dart stood slightly taller than Trump, who has claimed to be 6ft 3in.
Of course, Trump’s MAGA supporters were thrilled to see Dart introducing him, regardless of their NFL allegiances.
Presidential appointee Nick Adams quickly anointed the Giants as ‘early favorites to win the NFC East with pro-Trump stud Jaxson Dart under center!’
‘Athletes finally using their platform for something real instead of scripted virtue signals,’ another supporter wrote on X. ‘Blue states are cracking, people want strength, not more decline. If this fires you up, show up and vote like your future depends on it. It does.’
Dart hasn’t been very outspoken politically since being drafted by the Giants in 2025, although he did share some kind words about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his murder last September.
Dart then shared a post from Team Trump titled ‘Pray for Charlie Kirk’ and commented alongside it: ‘May God watch over him and his family!’
In Southern California, officials are working urgently to thwart a potential disaster stemming from a leaking storage tank filled with a volatile chemical used in plastic manufacturing. This situation has prompted evacuation orders for approximately 40,000 residents in the vicinity.
A large tank containing between 22,700 and 26,500 liters of methyl methacrylate overheated on Thursday, releasing vapors at an aerospace manufacturing facility in Garden Grove, located in Orange County, local fire officials reported.
The risk of the tank either cracking and spilling or exploding looms large, according to Craig Covey, Division Chief of the Orange County Fire Authority.
Water is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, California. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
“This situation is critical, and the timeline is uncertain,” Covey stated. “Our focus is on determining the best course of action to prevent a catastrophe.”
As a precautionary measure, evacuations were initially mandated for Garden Grove residents and later extended on Friday to parts of five additional cities in Orange County, including Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park, and Westminster. This decision followed unsuccessful attempts to halt the leak overnight at GKN Aerospace, a company that produces components for both commercial and military aircraft.
No injuries or deaths have been reported, authorities said.
In an update later on Friday, Covey said authorities have been able to maintain the tank’s temperature, buying time to figure out how to fix it.
Garden Grove is about 61 kilometres south of downtown Los Angeles and less than a mile from Disneyland’s two theme parks, which were not under evacuation orders on Friday. The city is known for its vibrant Vietnamese community, one of the largest of any US city.
Evacuees from an aerospace chemical plant tank leak move to another shelter after the Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center closed for the night. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Danny Pham said he was deep in a dream when his roommate banged on his door about 7am on Friday and told him he needed to leave immediately. Pham had been working late the night before at a Vietnamese restaurant and had not seen the news.
“It was shocking to me,” said Pham, who lives only a couple blocks from the plastics plant. “I didn’t know how serious it would be. I never knew that a thing like this could happen.”
He left minutes later, grabbing only his wallet and passport, and took shelter at a friend’s restaurant in a neighboring city.
By late Friday afternoon, Pham was still trying to figure out where he would stay the night and worrying that he had only the clothes on his back, possibly for days to come.
Covey said crews have created containment barriers with sandbags in case there is a chemical spill from the tank to prevent the toxic chemical from getting into storm drains or reaching creeks or the nearby ocean.
Evacuation orders were reissued on Friday for tens of thousands of residents and schools were closed in Garden Grove. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)
Dr Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the county health officer, said if the chemical heats up, it can release a vapor that is harmful to people’s health. It can cause respiratory issues, itching and burning eyes, nausea and headaches.
Crews were initially successful and were able to neutralize one of two damaged tanks, but Covey said they determined on Friday morning that the remaining tank was “in the biggest crisis”.
GKN Aerospace said specialised hazardous material teams are assessing the situation.
“There are no reports of injuries at this time and our priority remains the safety of our employees, responders, and the surrounding community,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We will provide verified updates as soon as more information becomes available.”
Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey speaks. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County)
Kim Yen, a retiree in Garden Grove, was settling in for the night on Thursday when she heard a siren-like sound coming from her phone. An alert told her she needed to leave her home, which was just two blocks from the chemical leak.
As Yen drove to her daughter’s house in Seal Beach, she worried that others in the local Vietnamese community might ignore or not understand the evacuation alert because it was in English.
“They are family,” she said. “I’m hoping they stay alert and listen to the news and the authorities. This is scary.”
Yen, who is originally from Vietnam and has lived in Orange County since 1980, quickly stopped by her house on Friday morning to grab important documents and medications. By then her neighborhood was “a ghost town,” and she was comforted to see police officers going door to door to make sure everyone had evacuated.
“We understand that this is frightening,” Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein said. “But the evacuation orders are in place for your safety.”
Local Vietnamese television stations translated updates from officials and urged residents to take the situation seriously.
Following the Revolutionary War, many soldiers received land in Ohio as compensation for their service, according to historians. It’s estimated that about 7,000 of these veterans are buried in the state and surrounding areas. In an effort to honor these early American heroes, Ohio’s State Historic Preservation Office has launched an initiative to locate their final resting places.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – As the nation gears up to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Ohio is embarking on a mission to identify and honor the Revolutionary War soldiers who settled in the state.
Historical accounts suggest that nearly 7,000 soldiers from the Revolutionary War found their final resting places across Ohio. Following the war, these soldiers were often compensated with land, much of which was located in what we now recognize as Ohio.
Thousands of veterans moved west in search of new opportunities, many choosing to settle in Ohio, a state that offered vast expanses of land at the time.
“These veterans were among the first to settle in Ohio,” explained Krista Horrocks, a project manager, historian, and cemetery preservationist with the Ohio History Connection. Horrocks is spearheading the state’s Revolutionary War Veterans Graves Project in collaboration with America250-Ohio.
BEHIND THE SCENES: MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE
Ohio’s State Preservation Office searches for Revolutionary War heroes through an app. (Chelsea Torres)
The project is seeking help from Ohio residents to locate the grave sites of Revolutionary War heroes.
“These guys, they survived, and they moved on, and they moved on and settled here in Ohio with their families,” Horrocks said.
To date, the public has documented over 4,100 soldiers throughout the state of Ohio. The deadline is Memorial Day.
Horrocks knows they will not hit the 7,000 mark “because some of them do have missing grave sites,” but the app Survey123 can help get as close to that goal as possible.
Survey123 lists the surveys related to the project and allows users to search in local cemeteries, according to Horrocks. The app can be downloaded on any mobile device.
HONORING FALLEN VETERANS: MEMORIAL DAY
America250-Ohio and Ohio’s State Preservation Office begin project to identify Revolutionary War heroes.(Chelsea Torres)
When locating veterans’ graves, people can also look up cemeteries with documented Revolutionary War heroes. Once an undocumented grave is located in the app, users can answer a slew of questions related to the cemetery. This includes name, date of birth, date of death and pictures.
Several cemeteries around the state are also doing their part.
AMERICA 250: CODE TALKERS
“We’ve had various lists submitted to us over the years of, ‘this may be a list of Revolutionary War veterans, or this may be a list’,” said Randy Rogers, Executive Director of Green Lawn Cemetery, which he added is the second-largest cemetery in the state of Ohio.
While Green Lawn was established in 1848 – well after the Revolutionary War – Rogers says many families brought their relatives over from other cemeteries. He said other cemeteries closed in the city as the city of Columbus grew.
Groups are looking for undocumented Revolutionary War heroes(Chelsea Torres)
As the Memorial Day deadline approaches, Rogers said they have documented nine Revolutionary War heroes on the app for the state project. Though he has identified thirteen, he said the hunt for these veterans can get complicated.
“You know, families take a lot of pride in their veteran and their patriot ancestors,” Rogers said. “They may have a marker on the family lot, even though they’re buried somewhere else, and they have a headstone somewhere else, but they just have a marker here.”
The group plans to compile a list of the found Revolutionary War veteran graves and post it for the public. Horrocks hopes the end result will mean restored or new historical markers, or gravestones for these heroes that were once forgotten.
“The whole point of the project is to get really good, accurate data to the public so they can do the best for the veterans in their community,” Horrocks told Fox News.
Chelsea Torres joined Fox News in 2023 as a Multimedia Reporter based in Charlotte.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce enjoyed yet another night out on the town this past Friday.
The engaged pair, both 36, were seen hand-in-hand as they made their way to the Italian eatery Sartiano’s, nestled within the Mercer Hotel in New York City’s trendy SoHo district.
Taylor dazzled in a chic black minidress by Stella McCartney, featuring a crewneck and peaked sleeves, originally priced at $1,290, now available for $645. She completed her ensemble with a pair of Dior heels adorned with a charming bow at the front.
Adding a touch of glamour to her second little black dress appearance this month, Swift accessorized with elegant hoop earrings and a sparkling bracelet.
On the other hand, the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end opted for a vibrant look, sporting a floral print shirt with pink tassels from Valentino, marked down from $1,490 to $894.
The NFL player finished his look with brown slacks, dark leather loafers, a gold watch and a chain bracelet.
The couple’s last outing comes one week after they attended a dinner party at Honey’s cocktail bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And one day before that, they enjoyed a casual date night at Or’esh restaurant.
Friday’s date night also comes hours after a report claimed one of their wedding guests balked at an “awkward” request on the event’s invitation.
“My invite did not let me bring a plus-one,” an unnamed guest claimed to the Daily Mail.
“I mean, what am I supposed to do? Go alone? That is so awkward. I don’t think I am going to attend because I don’t want to go by myself and I am not sure I will know too many people there. I mean, sorry, I am not friends with Gigi and Bella Hadid!”
The reported guest also complained that other guests appeared to have been allowed to bring a plus-one to the celebration, which is happening on July 3 in New York City.
“I know Selena Gomez is bringing her husband Benny Blanco, so she has a plus-one, but I am not allowed to have a plus-one because I am a single woman,” the guest added.
“I get it, the venue can probably allow for only so many people, but it’s not the best feeling.”
The alleged invitation request was so offensive to the guest, she said she was mulling over ditching the high-profile nuptials.
“It’s the wedding of the year, but I may sit this one out because I am shy,” the guest said of the upcoming event — which will take place at a venue only known to guests that morning.
Swift and Kelce got engaged last August after two years of dating.
Guests expected to attend the upcoming nuptials include Chiefs coach Andy Reid, Gomez and Gigi — who are part of the bridal party — Zoë Kravitz and Graham Norton.
Spencer Pratt’s mother made a decisive move in response to an alleged complaint from Jimmy Kimmel’s sister-in-law regarding a bakery’s support for the reality TV star turned political candidate.
At the center of the controversy is Carly Kimmel, 49, who reportedly objected to Pratt-themed cookies sold at Vicente Foods, a well-known grocery store in the upscale Brentwood area, nestled between Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.
Danielle Romano, the store’s baker, shared with the Daily Mail that she crafted the cookies to back Pratt’s mayoral bid, particularly resonating with his criticism of the handling of the Palisades fire.
“I lost everything in the fires, so I decided to sell the cookies as a gesture of gratitude for his efforts,” Romano explained.
The Daily Mail captured exclusive images of Pratt’s mother, Janet, among the patrons at the LA grocery store on Friday. She purchased two dozen cookies, spending a total of $150.
A limited number of 700 cookies sold out on Friday as people lined up to support Pratt, a registered Republican, in the Democratic enclave. Each cookie sold individually for $6.50.
Romano said she supported Pratt because of how he ‘stepped up for the community when we needed him.’
‘At first the store was supportive of me selling the cookies,’ she said. ‘But I was just told we had to take them down after a complaint… we were told to make them not visible anymore.’
Spencer Pratt’s mom, Janet, was among those who bought cookies supporting the reality star turned LA mayoral hopeful at the Vicente Foods grocery store in Brentwood
Each individual Pratt cookie costs $6.50. Pratt’s mother picked up a box of two dozen cookies for a price of $150
A limited number of 700 cookies sold out on Friday as locals lined up to support Pratt, a registered Republican
The source of the complaint regarding the Pratt cookies was Carly, according to an unnamed source cited by celebrity LA fashion boutique Kitson.
She is married to Jimmy Kimmel’s brother Jonathan Kimmel, who has worked on his show for years.
Pratt accused Carly of ‘trying to stop somebody from support their family’ and urged the Kimmels to ‘go support a fire victim that lost everything.’
‘Maybe make amends and buy some of these cookies,’ Pratt told the California Post. ‘I think that would be a good apology.’
‘I couldn’t be happier to help sell cookies now while also saving the city,’ Pratt added.
He added: ‘We’re doing a lot of things, but I’ll always have time to support people that are trying to build back from nothing and that are being attacked by people that obviously don’t understand that my message is common sense.’
Pratt cracked that ‘the people that are buying the cookies whose brains are functioning,’ as he railed against LA’s problems with rampant homelessness and open air drug use.
‘I hear you can just eat them all day long and you don’t even gain weight,’ he told the outlet. ‘I hear they’re actually healthy cookies, they’re delicious.’
The store baker Danielle Romano previously explained that she baked the cookies as a sign of support for Pratt, as she related to how his lost his home in last year’s LA wildfires
Carly Kimmel, the sister-in-law of Jimmy Kimmel, allegedly targeted the small grocery store’s bakery because it sold cookies supporting mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt
Janet Pratt was among the customers who lined up to pick up cookies at the LA grocer on Friday
Allegations that Carly Kimmel had berated the grocery store picked up steam on social media and caused the 49-year-old to make her Instagram account private, seemingly to avoid backlash.
As the baker’s claims about the Pratt cookies went viral, many commenters showed their support for the bakery and the mayoral hopeful.
‘I encourage everyone to go buy something from the bakery to show your support for this small business owner!’ one user posted.
Another added: ‘Vicente Foods has been my go to store for 40 years. I even bought those awesome cookies weeks ago when they first came out.’
Los Angeles will go to the polls on June 2 to vote for mayor, choosing between Pratt, Bass and Nithya Raman. If neither candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote next month, the mayoral election will be decided in a run–off on November 3.
Pratt’s run for office picked up steam as he targeted incumbent LA mayor Karen Bass for how she managed the Palisades Fire last year.
He and his wife Heidi Montag were among those who lost their home in the blazes, which decimated more than 6,800 structures across Southern California.
The Pratt–themed cookies are being sold at Vicente Foods in Brentwood, a high-end neighborhood located between Santa Monica and Beverly Hills in LA
Spencer Pratt is pictured with wife Heidi Montag. Pratt accused Carly of ‘trying to stop somebody from support their family’ and urged the Kimmels to ‘go support a fire victim that lost everything’
Romano said she had been told to take down the cookies and ‘make them not visible anymore’ after receiving a complaint, allegedly by Kimmel’s sister-in-law
Pratt’s mom smiled inside the Brentwood store as she bought a box of two dozen cookies with messages supportive of her son’s mayoral run
Pratt has recurrently highlighted the high levels of drug use and rampant homelessness in LA during his campaign, promising a three–week ‘grace period’ to warn criminals, drug users and homeless people to leave the west coast city.
The former TV star, best known for his role on The Hills, has also promoted AI–generated videos, including content depicting himself as a superhero taking on California politicians and the Hollywood elite.
In one of the AI–made videos recently shared by Pratt, he was portrayed as a seemingly Batman–inspired vigilante taking on Bass, as well as other Democratic figures like California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Pratt throws tomatoes at the politicians before an end credits screen reads, ‘LA is worth saving.’
A poll published by Emerson College last Wednesday suggested that Pratt was gaining ground on Bass, though she appeared to remain in the lead in the LA mayor’s race.
The incumbent mayor received 30 percent support in the survey, as Pratt placed second at 22 percent and Raman trailed behind at 19 percent.
This marked a 12 percentage point boost for Pratt since March, according to Emerson’s polling.
Romano said she supported Pratt because of how he ‘stepped up for the community when we needed him.’
Online commenters rushed to the defense of the baker after the alleged complaint regarding the Pratt-themed cookies
Pratt is a registered Republican but the LA mayoral election is nonpartisan, meaning that party labels do not appear on the ballot.
However, a Republican has not been elected as LA mayor since Richard Riordan in 1997.
Pratt’s aggressive campaigning has won praise in recent weeks, with actors, executives, musicians, podcasters, reality stars and political figures backing his run to unseat Bass.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Carly Kimmel for comment.
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice has recently taken down news releases from its website concerning criminal cases tied to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The department described the removed content, which detailed various prosecutions, as “partisan propaganda.”
This removal marks a new effort by the Trump administration to significantly alter the narrative surrounding the events of that day. On January 6, hundreds of supporters of former President Donald Trump breached the Capitol building in an attempt to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
Upon resuming office in January 2025, Trump swiftly pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the Capitol breach. This included those who had been found guilty of assaulting law enforcement officers using flagpoles, a hockey stick, and even a crutch as weapons.
In a move that has sparked bipartisan outrage, the Justice Department unveiled a $1.776 billion fund on Monday. This fund is intended to compensate Trump supporters who believe they were wrongfully investigated or prosecuted. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not excluded the possibility of compensating rioters convicted of violent acts, adding to the controversy.
The department’s actions came under public scrutiny after a journalist noted on the social media platform X that the Justice Department was surreptitiously deleting news releases associated with the January 6 incident. This included information about a Texas man who pleaded guilty to assault and faced unrelated state charges of soliciting a minor. The department’s “rapid response” account retorted that there was nothing covert about the process.
“We are proud to reverse the DOJ’s weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes,” the post said. “This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”
Among the releases removed from the site were those concerning seditious conspiracy cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right extremist groups. The Justice Department, in an unopposed motion last month, asked a federal appeals court to vacate those seditious conspiracy convictions, a request that was granted Thursday. The department on Friday moved to dismiss the cases against the group members.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BEIJING — A devastating gas explosion rocked a coal mine in northern Shanxi province, China, claiming at least 90 lives, as reported by state media on Saturday. This incident marks the most lethal mining disaster in the nation in recent years.
The tragedy struck the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi city on Friday evening, according to the official news agency Xinhua. At the time of the explosion, approximately 247 miners were working underground.
As of Saturday afternoon, nine miners remained missing, Xinhua revealed, while over 120 individuals were receiving medical treatment in hospitals.
The investigation into the explosion’s cause is ongoing, Xinhua noted, with rescue operations in full swing. Hundreds of rescuers and medical staff have been deployed to the site. State media outlet CCTV reported that many of the injured suffered from exposure to toxic gas.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged for maximum efforts to locate the missing workers, according to Xinhua.
Xi also called for the “proper handling of the aftermath of the accident and urged a thorough investigation into its cause, with accountability pursued in accordance with the law,” the news agency said.
Xinhua later reported that the “persons responsible for the company involved in the mine accident have been placed under control,” citing the local emergency management bureau.
The coal mine, operated by the Shanxi Tongzhou Coal & Coke Group with an annual production capacity of 1.2 million tons, was placed on a national list of disaster-prone coal mines by China’s National Mine Safety Administration in 2024 for having “high gas content.”
Shanxi province is known as China’s main coal mining province. With a size larger than Greece and a population of around 34 million, the province’s hundreds of thousands of miners dug 1.3 billion tons of coal last year, or almost a third of China’s total.
In February 2023, 53 people were killed after a collapse at an open-pit mine in northern China’s Inner Mongolia region. In November 2009, an explosion at a mine in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province killed 108, according to state media.
Australia is experiencing its worst diphtheria outbreak on record.
Some of the misinformation circulating online about the outbreak has falsely linked it to migration.
Once considered one of the most dreaded childhood diseases in Australia, diphtheria claimed the lives of countless children until vaccination programs, introduced in the 1930s, virtually eradicated the infection for many years.
The disease became so infrequent that numerous doctors never witnessed a single case throughout their careers.
However, Australia is currently grappling with its most significant diphtheria outbreak since national records began, with over 230 cases reported in 2026, predominantly in the Northern Territory.
Other states, including Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia, have also reported cases. Unfortunately, there has been one reported death in the Northern Territory suspected to be linked to the disease.
As authorities strive to manage the outbreak, health experts warn that misinformation circulating online may obscure the actual factors contributing to the spread of the disease.
Health Minister Mark Butler says there has been a global decline in vaccination rates since the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside growing vaccine hesitancy fuelled in part by misinformation online.
“There is a lingering legacy of vaccine hesitancy that flows from COVID-19 and frankly also from some of the misinformation and disinformation you see online,” he told reporters on Thursday.
But Butler also warned it was too early to blame any single cause for the outbreak.
“There are a whole range of social determinants in remote communities that sometimes drive some of these infectious disease outbreaks as well, but I think we need to examine that closely in time,” he said.
As diphtheria spreads, misinformation follows
As the outbreak has grown, false claims about the disease have also begun circulating online.
Some of the misinformation circulating online about the outbreak has falsely linked it to migration.
Associate professor Paul Griffin, director of infectious diseases at the University of Queensland, told SBS News that there is no evidence migrants are responsible for the outbreak, with many cases concentrated in remote Aboriginal communities.
Other posts have questioned the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
Some posts have suggested the vaccines are more dangerous than the disease itself.
University of Sydney professor Julie Leask, a member of the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, told SBS News outbreaks like this often create fertile ground for misinformation, driven by a fear of infectious diseases and xenophobia.
She said social media often allows people to share deeply held beliefs without accountability, particularly in anonymous online spaces.
“When these things come together, people can forensically use infectious diseases as a way of blaming people that they have prejudice against,” she said.
“And you even see politicians using this for their political purposes to further division and drive fear around something that can readily be weaponised.”
Griffin described the claims as “clearly false” and said the long-term success of the vaccine in controlling diphtheria over decades may have led some people to underestimate the importance of immunisation.
Experts also say misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines appears to have contributed to broader distrust toward routine vaccinations.
Leask warned that misinformation risks distracting attention away from the underlying causes of the outbreak and can undermine public trust in health advice during disease emergencies.
Griffin said social media platforms and AI-driven algorithms can amplify misinformation, making it easier for misleading claims about infectious diseases to spread online, which he described as “concerning”.
A disease once thought consigned to history
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection spread through respiratory droplets released while talking, coughing or sneezing, as well as direct contact with infected wounds or skin sores.
Symptoms can include fever, sore throat, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing, breathing difficulties and neck swelling.
“The sources of the outbreak include people not up to date with their boosters, lower vaccination rates for the initial vaccines that children get in their first year, more crowded living conditions in remote Aboriginal communities and less access to healthcare and immunisation services,” Leask said.
Griffin called diphtheria a “very serious disease” and noted that it was historically associated with very high mortality rates and severe illness, particularly in children.
Vaccination programs dramatically reduced the disease in Australia over the past century, although immunity can fade over time.
Adults are recommended to receive booster shots if they have not had a diphtheria vaccine within the last ten years.
Experts say diphtheria remains rare in Australia but still occurs more commonly overseas, and spreads more easily in communities where vaccination rates are lower.
What is actually driving the outbreak?
Griffin said several factors appear to be contributing to the current outbreak.
A key driver is believed to be declining vaccination coverage.
National coverage of fully vaccinated children at 24 months fell below 90 per cent in 2024 for the first time since 2016.
Health authorities say lower vaccination rates can make communities more vulnerable to outbreaks, particularly because diphtheria spreads easily in areas where immunity is low.
While Griffin said there was ‘no question’ declining vaccination rates were a contributing factor, he said this alone does not explain the spread.
Housing overcrowding and healthcare access have also been pinpointed as issues for authorities to examine, particularly in remote Aboriginal communities where many cases have been recorded.
Skin infections such as scabies can create entry points for diphtheria bacteria through broken skin.
Diphtheria spreads more easily in overcrowded housing.
According to the latest available data, 54 per cent of houses in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory were considered overcrowded.
On Thursday, when announcing a $7.2 million response package aimed at containing the outbreak and increasing vaccination rates, Butler said social determinants were likely playing a role in the outbreak and confirmed that authorities were focused on increasing vaccination rates in affected communities.
“It’s important we control it, but it’s also important that people get vaccines into their arms in affected areas as quickly as possible because at the end of the day, that is the most effective way to protect yourself and those around you,” he said.
He added that childhood vaccination programs were likely limiting the severity of infections among younger children.
Health Minister Mark Butler has announced a $7.2 million response package aimed at containing the outbreak Source: AAP / Lukas Coch
“The success of childhood vaccination for diphtheria is, I’m told, really the reason why this outbreak is not causing serious issues for very young members of those communities.”
Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the outbreak was a serious concern and said authorities were focused on ensuring communities received clear and reliable health information.
She said the government was moving quickly to respond to the outbreak, while also working to ensure communities have access to accurate information amid concerns about misinformation online.
Impact of COVID-era vaccine distrust
Leask and Griffin emphasised that the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way many Australians engage with vaccines and public health advice.
During the pandemic, vaccine misinformation spread widely online, contributing to growing distrust toward health institutions in some parts of the community.
Griffin said challenges associated with COVID vaccines made it difficult to maintain an adequate level of vaccine uptake.
“There are a lot of people wanting someone to blame, a lot of conspiracy theories about it being deliberately released … these are clearly not founded in any evidence but continue to circulate, and all of the background noise of misinformation gets in the way of us being able to communicate the information we need people to know to keep themselves safe,” he said.
Griffin said a broader decline in vaccine confidence may now be affecting routine childhood immunisations as well.
Leask urged people to take information from quality sources, including Aboriginal community-controlled services, spokespeople and those who work within the impacted communities.
“When you see things that are trying to blame other people for our problems or boil them down to simple stereotypes, use the critical thinking that you already have,” she said.
