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Lawsuit: Trump’s Sale of Early Truth Social Posts Illegal

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President Donald Trump addresses an audience at the General Motors Proving Ground on Monday, July 27, 2026, in Milford, Michigan. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya).

A storm of controversy swirls around former President Donald Trump for charging an eye-popping fee of $100,000 per month for premium access to his posts on Truth Social. Legal experts argue this move contravenes the U.S. Constitution, a claim central to a newly filed lawsuit by a media organization and a press advocacy group.

The detailed 30-page complaint, lodged on Wednesday by The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, targets Trump as well as the White House and various senior staff members, alleging a breach of First Amendment rights.

Plaintiffs argue that the venture deals with information that is officially governmental in nature and thus should not proceed under its current operation.

“By charging $100,000 monthly for early access to President Trump’s official government communications on Truth Social, which he owns, this practice is blatantly corrupt, unprecedented, and unconstitutional,” the lawsuit asserts. “We are filing this case to put an end to it.”

The lawsuit briefly recounts the history of Trump’s homegrown social media platform — which was created in 2021 amid a since-reversed ban from Twitter (now X) — and notes that he remains the largest shareholder in Truth Social’s parent company.

“With the help of the other defendants in this case, President Trump frequently—and exclusively—posts official government announcements on Truth Social, declaring military attacks and subsequent ceasefires, hiring (and firing) agency heads, and announcing major domestic policies,” the lawsuit goes on.

In July, parent company Trump Media & Technology Group announced what the lawsuit terms “an astounding scheme.”

The CEO of Trump Media announced that starting Aug. 1, Truth Social would roll out Truth API, allowing well-heeled users to get early access to “market-moving” messages from the president and other officials on the platform. At the same time, the CEO announced the company would try to stop users from “systematically gathering” or “scraping” posts from the platform, according to the lawsuit.

“The scheme is now live, and paying customers are already gaining advance access to official government announcements,” the lawsuit notes.

To hear the plaintiffs tell it, Truth API cannot be allowed to go on.

“This scheme is profoundly corrupt,” the lawsuit continues. “The President stands to gain financially by giving ‘market-moving’ government information to those who are willing and able to pay his personal company.”

Allegations of corruption, however, at least in such vague terms, are not necessarily actionable. The causes of action in the lawsuit, therefore, hinge on alleged constitutional violations.

“This scheme is also unconstitutional,” the complaint goes on. “The First Amendment guarantees equal access to the President’s public announcements…There is no legitimate interest, let alone a significant one, in permitting President Trump to profit from selling government information.”

The First Amendment argument dovetails with another argument in the complaint — sourced from an obscure 1888 Supreme Court case.

“The Constitution guarantees that public officials ‘can themselves have no pecuniary interest or proprietorship, as against the public at large, in the fruits of their [official] labors,” the lawsuit continues. “The President is profiting by selling government information. That is illegal.”

“There is no legitimate, let alone significant, governmental interest in giving preferential access to government information to those who pay the President’s private company. This is particularly true because President Trump retains a direct financial interest in Truth Social,” the complaint continues.

A separate First Amendment argument advanced by the plaintiffs relies on Trump’s comments as president remaining objects of public interest that must be preserved and made accessible.

“A public official’s social media posts—which users can like, share, reply to, and comment on—constitute designated public fora where there is state action, and the official has made their posts generally available,” the lawsuit continues.

The plaintiffs then expand this argument by putting forward a series of what might be called negative rights — or rights not to engage. This is effectively, an iteration of the compelled speech doctrine.

Generally, under First Amendment jurisprudence, the government cannot force a person to speak or engage in a certain kind of expression.

From the lawsuit:

The First Amendment protects Americans’ rights not to subsidize Truth Social’s message and to choose not to associate with Truth Social by making an account. As the Supreme Court has explained, “[The state] violates . . . free speech rights” when it compels individuals to “subsidize private speech on matters of substantial public concern.”

Plaintiffs have First Amendment rights not to associate with Truth Social or subsidize its expressive activity.

The lawsuit also alleges a violation of the Fifth Amendment, arguing that Trump’s plan creates tiers of access to government information based on the amount of money one is willing or able to spend.

“Because Defendants’ actions subject Plaintiffs to differential treatment from others similarly situated without a rational connection to any legitimate government interest, they violate the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment,” the lawsuit continues.

The plaintiffs, who are represented by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), are asking a court to issue an injunction to put a stop to Truth API.

The post ‘That is illegal’: Trump selling early access to ‘market-moving’ Truth Social posts is unconstitutional and ‘profoundly corrupt,’ lawsuit says first appeared on Law & Crime.

NBC Expert Explodes Over Missing Data on USB Drives

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NBC News Chief Data Analyst Steve Kornacki provided a genuine on-air reaction as significant absentee vote counts from Milwaukee were unexpectedly delayed. The postponement, reported late last night, was attributed to human error by local election officials.

“They’re giving an update now—I’m trying to understand what’s happening,” shared NBC News National Politics Reporter Ben Kamisar with Kornacki, approximately six hours into the livestream around 1 a.m. ET.

This led to a 20-second pause as Kamisar scrolled anxiously to gather more information.

Kamisar later clarified that instead of election results, audit logs had been downloaded onto five of the nine flash drives transported from the city’s central count facility to Milwaukee County Courthouse.

This mishap resulted in delaying the results of the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary.

The Associated Press ended up calling the race at 2:34am Wednesday, confirming that Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley upset democratic-socialist State Representative Francesca Hong.

After another ten, silent seconds, a confused Kornacki asked, ‘Are they still giving the update?’

Kamisar, still perusing his laptop, stammered that he was still reading the closed captioning and didn’t ‘have the fullest grasp of’ what was going on. Kornacki struck a bent-over recovery stance before eventually offering viewers a prolonged facepalm.

NBC's Steve Kornacki offered viewers an unscripted reaction to news that five of nine flash drives brought from Milwaukee's central count facility to Milwaukee County Courthouse had audit logs downloaded rather than results for the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary

NBC’s Steve Kornacki offered viewers an unscripted reaction to news that five of nine flash drives brought from Milwaukee’s central count facility to Milwaukee County Courthouse had audit logs downloaded rather than results for the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary

David Crowley accepts the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin Governor during a press conference

David Crowley accepts the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin Governor during a press conference

His sidekick tried to explain as he stood hunched over in disbelief.

‘It appears that there were some irregularities in the reporting process, so I think they have to go back to the city location, do some work there, and then potentially kind of restart that process,’ Kamisar said.

‘That’s what I’m gathering from the city right now. Or from the county update.’ 

Kornacki asked: ‘Really? That’s, um- so we’re back to square one on this?’

‘Potentially, I’m just going through the, uh- just trying to read the closed captioning as it’s coming,’ Kamisar replied, his eyes glued to the computer screen.

Kornacki, 46, apologized. ‘I didn’t mean to uh… it just seems like a very-‘ He cleared his throat before noting, with a slight smile, the development was a ‘significant thing.’

Another 20-second period of dead-air followed, during which Kornacki took out his cellphone. As he did, Kamisar confirmed: ‘Yeah. They have to restart that process.   

‘So, they have to go back to the city location, I think re-grab the memory sticks, or go through that vote process again, and then bring it back to the county.’ 

Kornacki couldn't help but show his distress and amusement as the situation evolved. NBC News National Politics Reporter Ben Kamisar offered the updates

Kornacki couldn’t help but show his distress and amusement as the situation evolved. NBC News National Politics Reporter Ben Kamisar offered the updates

'Really? That's, um- so we're back to square one on this?' the analyst said at a point

‘Really? That’s, um- so we’re back to square one on this?’ the analyst said at a point

‘Are we talking hours?’ asked Kornacki, after another period of awkward silence. 

Kamisar explained that with the time needed for officials to drive back to the Central Count location in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood, that seemed to be the case.

‘And it’s now 1am,’ he noted, streaming live for fans on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.  

‘Uhh…’ said Kornacki, before a frustrated sniff and more silence.

‘Well, there’s no traffic at this hour – I guess that’s good,’ he joked.

The analyst let out a playful stomp before the absurdity fully got to him.

‘Are you serious? They have to… come-… Okay. Um, what are we thinking here?’ he said, before burying his face in his hand while laughing.

Kamisar responded with more silence and scrolling.

'I guess the exact thing is, five of the USB sticks were missing results from the election, so then, they had to go and re-grab them,' an also puzzled Kamisar confirmed

‘I guess the exact thing is, five of the USB sticks were missing results from the election, so then, they had to go and re-grab them,’ an also puzzled Kamisar confirmed

'How do I ask this artfully: Do we still have an audience?' Kornacki asked, before ending the livestream

‘How do I ask this artfully: Do we still have an audience?’ Kornacki asked, before ending the livestream 

‘I guess the exact thing is, five of the USB sticks were missing results from the election, so then, they had to go an re-grab them,’ he clarified.

Kornacki couldn’t help but look down and shake his head. 

‘How do I ask this artfully: Do we still have an audience?’ he quipped, with some tongue-in-cheek distress. The ‘Kornacki Cam’ stream ended roughly 10 minutes later, before a victor was announced.

Crowley finished with 65,131 votes, or 43 percent. Hong – whom prediction market Kalshi pegged as having a 95 percent chance – finished just shy, with 62,739.

Kentucky Landlord Charged with Rape: ICE Seeks Detention of Previously Deported Suspect

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Federal immigration authorities have requested that a Kentucky jail detain an undocumented immigrant accused of serious charges, including rape, human trafficking, and sexual abuse, committed in his role as a landlord. This measure is to ensure that he is transferred into federal custody for deportation processes.

Identified as Rolando Cenobio Vasquez, the individual in question, a Mexican national, was taken into custody by Louisville police on July 29, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Vasquez reportedly started abusing a teenage girl in December 2025. She was living with her mother as tenants in Vasquez’s Kentucky residence when the alleged crimes began, law enforcement officials reported.

Rolando Cenobio Vasquez, a Mexican citizen, and ICE

Charged with rape and sexual abuse, Vasquez allegedly victimized the adolescent girl who, alongside her mother, rented accommodations in his home, as stated by authorities. (Department of Homeland Security)

“ICE has lodged a detainer, requesting that Louisville officials ensure this offender remains in custody and is transferred to ICE, facilitating his removal from the United States,” stated a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.

Vasquez allegedly threatened the mother and child but occasionally offered the teenager money to keep quiet about the sexual abuse, authorities said.

He was charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sodomy, human trafficking, promoting human trafficking with a victim under 18 and sexual abuse.

Vasquez’s criminal history includes a prior conviction for driving under the influence of liquor. ICE lodged a detainer with the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections the same day he was arrested.

Vasquez initially entered the United States illegally in August 2013 through Texas, DHS said. He was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol and deported.

It was not clear when he illegally reentered the U.S., according to DHS.

Louisville is not a sanctuary jurisdiction. In July 2025, the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections agreed to follow a federal law requiring inmates in custody be held for up to 48 hours on what are called immigration detainers.

Adult Daycare Fraud: Owner Rakes in $32M from Medicaid While Backing Hochul & Democrats

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Kathy Hochul has garnered attention for her campaign finances, with records revealing $55,000 in contributions from social adult daycare centers in Flushing, Queens—an area beset by fraud investigations.

The source of nearly half of these funds can be traced to two influential local figures: Baoli Zhang and Jiemin Shang. Both men own major daycare operations in Flushing that appeared devoid of patients during a recent visit by The Post.

Baoli Zhang, aged 69, has contributed a total of $15,000. This includes a personal donation of $10,000 and an additional $5,000 through his business, Bao Kang Adult Day Care, according to financial disclosures. Since 2018, Zhang’s network of enterprises has reportedly secured a minimum of $32 million from Medicaid to support a vast number of patients.

Jiemin Shang, who oversees Livingwell Day Care, donated $5,000 to Hochul’s campaign in 2022, coinciding with a year when the daycare billed Medicaid $5.8 million. Another $5,000 came from Finest Adult Day Care, also managed by Shang.

In the backdrop of these donations, a source from within the industry spoke to The Post about the economic revival of social adult daycare centers, saying, “In 2021, [these centers] were on the brink of collapse due to COVID. Someone threw them a lifeline with a likely quid pro quo: ‘Support me, and I’ll support you.’ Now, they’re flourishing financially.”

Federal figures back this up. Business has exploded at Livingwell, which billed $114,000 in 2018, a number that increased to $8.05 million in 2024. Boa Kang went from claiming $1.5M in 2018 to 7.22M by 2024. Monthly revenue for daycares across Flushing overall has nearly doubled compared to pre-pandemic numbers.

Only nine of the city’s nearly 400 SADCs made contributions over $5,000 to Hochul’s first gubernatorial campaign in 2022. Those same nine businesses accounted for billing Medicaid for an eyepopping $49 million in 2022, The Post’s investigation found.

Zhang is also founder of the Asian American Adult Daycare Association (AAADA), a nonprofit formed in 2023 as an industry advocacy group, while Shang is secretary-general.

Zhang, who grew up in Beijing, is a big name in the community as he is also a world-renowned musician, described as a “master” of the erhu—a two-stringed Chinese musical instrument played with a bow—performing at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and The Julliard School, according to Chinese media.

Zhang was a child prodigy, entering a prestigious Beijing music conservatory at age nine. Before long, he was selling CDs and cassettes of his solo erhu performances to audiences across Asia and the US.

However, in recent years, he has concentrated on growing his SADC businesses.

His involvement is opaque. While he listed himself as the owner and manager of Bao Kang on campaign finance disclosure records, both local and federal Medicaid data list other individuals as the owners.

Zhang also owns Confucius Social Daycare Center in Manhattan’s Chinatown, which billed Medicaid $15.7 million between 2018 and 2024; Silver Arch Management and AA Plus Management Inc. The latter is a “point of service” Medicaid provider that has billed taxpayers $2.65 million, according to federal data.

The SADCs in this story have not been accused of wrongdoing, nor have Zhang or Shang — who did not respond to The Post’s numerous attempts at outreach for comment.

According to a 2022 Chinese language news report on the topic of recent fraud busts in Flushing, Zhang warned at an event against greed and “excessive consumption” within the community.

He said, in statements translated from Chinese: “The New York State government is very generous to its residents. Whether it’s home care, daycare, or medical assistance, it is one of the states with the best welfare in the United States.

“The elderly should cherish their current benefits and living environment; excessive consumption will only deprive their descendants of resources.”

The same Baxter Street building in Manhattan’sChinatown which Zhang lists as his business address is home to another SADC which donated to Hochul’s campaign, Cathay Adult Daycare, which sent the governor $5,000 in 2022 — the same year it billed Medicaid for $8.4 million.

Zhang is not listed as the owner of Cathay Adult Daycare and it’s unclear if he is connected to it.

The Post’s previous reporting and federal raids have shown SADCs have become epicenters for Medicaid fraud, claiming money for seniors they are not treating and in some cases giving them kickbacks of the federal money they receive.

This has happened in a number of communities, including among Coney Island’s Pakistani diaspora as well as Chinatown in Manhattan and Flushing, where 77 centers are packed into the district.

The New York State Department of Health told CBS News it has referred 387 SADCs for investigation since 2021, a third of which were then sent to the of the Attorney General for legal action.

The 2022 event where Zhang spoke was also attended by US congresswoman Grace Meng (D) of Flushing and state senator John Liu (D), Chairperson of New York City Education Committee.

Liu told The Post in a statement: “Mr. Zhang is a longtime respected leader in the community, and I am proud to have had his support for decades.

“I have made visits to several adult daycare centers in past years, each time seeing large numbers of senior citizens engaged in services and activities. If fraud and impropriety are suspected at any facilities, full investigations and prosecutions should be undertaken.”

Zhang has donated $7,800 to Meng and $4,950 to Liu, according to campaign disclosures.

The source said local politicians find the centers handy to pick up votes.  

“A lot of the local politicians are using these guys,” a source who has spent decades around the daycare industry in Flushing told The Post.

“If you get 100 people in there and you make them vote, it’s very powerful for a primary. Every politician goes to these daycares for help.”

The Empire SADC which hosted the event where the politicians spoke is another which Zhang claimed to own on campaign finance forms, and was credited as his operation in local reports, however city and federal data lists two other owners.

The other daycares to contribute to Hochul’s campaign in 2022 were: American Adult Daycare Center, Big Apple Adult Daycare, Blue Sky Adult Daycare, Greater New York Social and Health Adult Daycare — all in Flushing — and Brooklyn’s Jy Adult Social Daycare, which each cut $5,000 checks.

A spokesperson for Gov. Hochul said: “Governor Hochul has taken significant action to root out waste, fraud and abuse, resulting in billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers, reforms to New York’s Medicaid program, and the criminal prosecution of fraudsters.Any facility caught breaking the law will be held accountable.” 

The spokesperson also noted: “Political contributions have no influence on government decisions.”

Texas Surrogacy Scandal: Baby at the Center is Born

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A legal saga surrounding a controversial surrogacy case that has riveted national attention recently reached a pivotal moment. A baby boy central to the story was born at a Texas hospital, as confirmed by a recent report.

On Wednesday morning, McKenna West delivered the newborn, affectionately called ‘Baby Gabriel,’ in the Dallas metropolitan area. Her attorney, Lincoln Wilson, shared this news with The Dallas Morning News.

Baby Gabriel faces a significant medical hurdle, as he is set to undergo a critical surgery to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition diagnosed while he was still in the womb.

This diagnosis has ignited legal disputes and controversy involving West, 28, and the child’s biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, intensifying the already complex case.

It was during a crucial 20-week ultrasound that the severity of the baby’s heart condition was uncovered, as a doctor informed West, an Alaskan nurse, and Baby Gabriel’s biological parents that there was a serious anomaly—no blood flow to the heart’s left side.

West was then referred to a maternal-fetal medicine doctor, who diagnosed the baby with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition that can often be remedied with surgery immediately after birth. 

But that’s when the child’s biological parents first brought up aborting the child – something West was not on board with. 

When she first met with the parents, a couple from California, the contract she signed included a clause that would require her to abort the baby in the event of an ‘anomaly.’ 

McKenna West gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday morning in Dallas, Texas, her attorney said

McKenna West gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday morning in Dallas, Texas, her attorney said

West, a mother-of-two, expressed her concern to the Connecticut-based Worldwide Surrogacy Specialist, LLC about the clause, but the agency told her that a situation like that is rare. 

She went on to ask the agency if she could help financially assist the couple regarding care for their child so they wouldn’t abort him, and told his parents that she’s heard of people surviving with the condition. 

Despite her best efforts, Ahmed told West that he and his wife had already removed the baby’s 12-week ultrasound from their fridge at home, and told her she could mail the 20-week images – but to address the envelope only to him.

Upon researching more about the heart condition, West found out that a hospital in Dallas has had a 100 percent success rate in recent years with the first of three surgeries an affected baby would need right after birth.

She then told the surrogacy agency that she would live with a friend in Texas to mitigate the costs for the couple, but a liaison for the agency said the biological parents were still concerned about the baby’s future quality of life.

West was told to officially undergo an abortion the Monday after the diagnosis. 

As she would be 24 weeks pregnant at the time of the abortion, West said in court documents that she was appalled at the idea that doctors would inject the baby with ‘a solution that will stop his heart and then he’ll be literally ripped apart and dismembered as he’s taken from [her] uterus,’ Live Action reported. 

A nurse then told West that she reached out to her friend, podcaster Ellen Fisher, who previously welcomed Live Action founder and president Lila Rose as a guest on her podcast.

Within hours, West received a text message from Fisher saying Rose would help her and her children get to Texas to meet with the doctors who could save the baby’s life.

‘I couldn’t believe that within 12 hours of talking to my brother, I was getting these screenshots of Ellen’s and Lila’s text exchanges and I finally felt hopeful,’ West said.

‘From there, it just blew up and I think the next day, I was already meeting with some of the lawyers.’

On Tuesday, just a day before the birth of ‘Baby Gabriel,’ West secured a legal victory in her case after she petitioned a family district court in Dallas to allow the child to remain in the Lone Star State and receive potentially life-saving care.

West was supported in her efforts by Texas Attorney General and Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who submitted a brief on Monday arguing that state law requires that physicians provide medically necessary treatment.

Less than 24 hours later, an associate judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing anyone from withholding or obstructing the infant’s necessary treatment when he is born early next month.

The judge also appointed a legal guardian to ensure the child receives all of the necessary treatments for his condition. 

The legal win did come with one major drawback for West, who is now forbidden from having any contact with the baby after his birth, according to Rose.  

New Zealand PM Chris Luxon Triumphs Over Leadership Battle, Faces Looming Challenges

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Defying both critics and skeptics, Chris Luxon has secured his position as New Zealand’s prime minister, surviving a critical caucus confidence vote sparked by a series of blunders that had placed his leadership in jeopardy.

In a decisive move, the leader of the National Party convened a high-stakes meeting with party members on Wednesday morning, aiming to quell mounting rumors and uncertainty surrounding his role.

Speculation about a potential leadership shift intensified following reports from the NZ Herald, which highlighted a growing sense of dissatisfaction with Luxon’s leadership just three months ahead of the pivotal November 7 election.

Emerging triumphantly from the extended meeting, Luxon announced that he had successfully consolidated party unity and reiterated his commitment to securing a second term for his conservative coalition.

“This morning’s caucus meeting included a confidence vote on my leadership, and I am pleased to have the full backing of our caucus,” Luxon stated in a brief 75-second media appearance, opting not to entertain questions.

“Now we’re going back to work, and we’re moving on.”

Luxon’s office later revealed low-profile defence minister Chris Penk challenged for the leadership in the meeting.

The prime minister then sacked him for doing so, leaving Penk to announce his intention to leave politics at the November election.

Wednesday’s vote followed a similar caucus showdown in April, when Luxon brought on and won a confidence vote to silence his critics.

The margin of each vote is a tightly held secret, though media outlets have reported the April result was 27-22 in Luxon’s favour.

Rather than Penk, Wellington newspaper The Post reported Erica Stanford, the education minister, was the most likely challenger.

The 48-year-old never confirmed this, and was served a brutal backhander by colleague Nicola Grigg, the minister for women, on the way to the meeting.

“She’s a good friend of mine, but she’s not a prime minister,” Grigg said.

Most observers tipped a successful spill.

One political editor described Luxon’s leadership as “hanging by a thread” on Tuesday night, and another rated his survival as “incredibly unlikely”, making his victory a defiant and triumphant moment for Luxon.

How did Luxon find himself in this position?

Mentored by party messiah John Key, the 56-year-old former Air New Zealand chief executive enjoyed a meteoric rise in politics.

He entered parliament in 2020, became opposition leader in 2021 and won the 2023 election.

However, he has endured a tough run in the top job, failing to deliver on key campaign pledges to improve New Zealand’s misfiring economy and tackle government waste.

His corporate communication style is routinely mocked, and his poor personal popularity is widely seen as a key reason behind National’s plunging poll fortunes, from 38 per cent at the election, to a poll average of 29 per cent.

A run of recent gaffes brought about the second leadership vote.

Luxon told battling small business owners in Rotorua they were “negative” and should instead be “retooling and radically disrupting your business”.

He also defended his use of a defence force plane to fly home after a party fundraiser — a shocking look for a leader who was forced to return a housing entitlement to stay at his own mortgage-free property.

Luxon has also been pushed around by NZ First leader and foreign minister Winston Peters, who in July caused outrage by telling a China-born Greens MP to “go back to your own country” in parliament.

While Luxon said the 81-year-old maverick’s comment was racist, he did not sanction or sack him.

Despite the drama, the National-led coalition remains on course to win re-election on 7 November.

While the contest is tight, the right bloc has consistently kept an edge over the left bloc of Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, also known as the Māori Party.

The race has been challenged in recent months by the emergence of newcomer party Opportunity, which hit eight per cent support in a TVNZ poll released on Wednesday.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the leadership shenanigans showed National was in disarray.

“New Zealanders have had a gutful of politicians fighting amongst themselves … at a time when New Zealanders need them to be fighting for them,” he said.


5 Wall Exercises to Boost Posture After 60 Without a Brace

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Are you over 60 and find yourself depending on a back brace? Discover these five wall exercises designed to train your body to maintain its own support.

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Many individuals believe that back pain necessitates additional support, which is why back braces are so popular. They certainly have their benefits, particularly after a recent back strain, surgery, or sudden injury. In such cases, a brace can provide temporary relief by easing the pressure on sensitive tissues, facilitating the initial stages of healing. However, complications arise when what was meant to be a temporary aid becomes a long-term crutch.

Our spines are naturally intended to be supported by a complex system of muscles, connective tissues, proper breathing, and neural functions—not by artificial aids. Prolonged reliance on a brace diminishes the body’s natural ability to support itself, similar to how a cast can weaken an arm after prolonged use—a condition known as atrophy. The same weakening effect can occur in your core, leading to decreased inherent stability if you continuously depend on external supports.

To avoid this dependence, try incorporating these five wall-based exercises, along with an added self-massage method. They aim to enhance true, enduring stability in your body, eliminating the need for a back brace.

The T8/T9 ELDOA

Your spine doesn’t need to be held up. It needs to be trained. ELDOA exercises don’t simply strengthen the muscles. They teach the body how to actively create tension through the entire fascial system while gently decompressing specific spinal segments. Instead of depending on something outside your body to hold you upright, you’re teaching your body how to organize itself from the inside out. Over time, that creates something a brace never can: better stability, better body awareness, and better control of spinal positions during everyday activities.

How to Do It:

  • Stand with your back against a wall, including the back of your head, walking your feet out slightly if you need more room to flatten your spine.
  • Line up your second toe, knee, and shoulder roughly in line, letting your knees open slightly if needed.
  • Look down one to two feet in front of you.
  • Reach both arms out in front of you, spread your fingers, bend your wrists back, and spiral your arms open.
  • Reach up toward the ceiling without letting your back pop off the wall. Only go as high as you can while keeping full contact with the wall.
  • Work toward touching your thumbs to the wall as you reach for the ceiling.
  • Hold for 60 seconds, keeping your fingers spread, wrists bent back, elbows straight, and breathing from your belly.
  • Release slowly, bringing one arm down first, then the other.

Avoid These Mistakes:

  • Don’t let your back come off the wall as you reach up. Bring your arms down slightly until your entire back and head stay flat against it.
  • Don’t rush the setup. Get your back and head fully against the wall before you start reaching overhead.

Sets and Reps: Hold for 60 seconds.

Form Tip: Keep your eyes down one to two feet in front of you and breathe with a relaxed belly the entire time you hold the stretch.

4 Home Exercises That Strengthen Your Core Faster Than Crunches After 60

The Segmental Wall Sit

Your legs are a part of your back. Your lower body plays a major role in stabilizing your back through its attachments to and around your pelvis, which is why we often find weak legs contribute to back pain. Every time you stand up, walk, climb stairs, or pick something up, your legs should absorb much of the workload. When they don’t, your back has to compensate. Wall-supported exercises let you safely build that strength while maintaining good alignment, so your hips and legs start sharing the load your back was never meant to carry alone.

How to Do It:

  • Walk your feet out about one to one and a half feet in front of you, then bring your feet and knees together.
  • Choose your depth: a quarter squat, a half squat, or a full squat to parallel.
  • Hold with feet together, knees together, head and back against the wall.
  • Keep your feet together and push your knees apart, holding the same depth.
  • Bring your knees back together and walk your feet apart.
  • Finish with knees apart and feet apart.

Avoid These Mistakes:

  • Don’t come off the wall abruptly. Push your way up gently and relax once you’re standing.
  • Don’t jump straight to a full squat if it’s more than your knees can handle right now. Pick the depth that lets you hold good form for the full hold.

Sets and Reps: Beginners hold each of the four positions for 30 seconds, two minutes total. As you advance, hold each position for 1 minute 15 seconds, five minutes total.

The Wall TVA Activation

The transverse abdominis, or TVA, is often described as your body’s natural weight belt, but I think it’s more helpful to understand what it’s actually doing. When the TVA contracts correctly, it creates pressure throughout the abdominal and thoracic cavity, which works like an internal support system around the spine. At the same time, your abdominal contents are gently compressed inward, helping your body create stability from the front while your back muscles support it from behind. Think of it like inflating the inside of a car tire. The air doesn’t make the rubber stronger, it lets the whole structure support more load. Your trunk works the same way. Without that internal pressure, your spine has far less support during movement.

How to Do It:

  • Stand with your feet out in front of you far enough that your head, upper back, and low back can rest against the wall.
  • If that’s easy, walk your heels closer to the wall.
  • Pull your belly button in toward your spine.
  • Hold that contraction while you breathe for 30 to 90 seconds.
  • If it starts burning, relax completely, then pull your belly button back in and resume breathing.
  • Repeat for three total repetitions.

Avoid These Mistakes:

  • Don’t force through the burn. Relax completely for a moment, then reset and pull your belly button in again.
  • Don’t hold your breath. Keep breathing while you hold the contraction, even though the coordination takes some practice at first.

Sets and Reps: 30 to 90 seconds per repetition, three repetitions.

Form Tip: It’s normal for the breathing and bracing to feel like a coordination challenge at first. With practice, you’ll be able to hold the TVA in and breathe at the same time.

4 Daily Exercises That Rebuild Hip Strength Faster Than Gym Machines After 65

The Wall Lat Stretch

One of the most overlooked muscles in posture is the latissimus dorsi, or lat. Most people think of it as a shoulder muscle, but it’s connected to much more. It has fascial connections from your arm into the thoracolumbar fascia, the spine, and the pelvis, and it influences how much force gets transferred throughout your body. Every time you reach, pull, lift, or stabilize your upper body, your lats have to help distribute that force across your trunk and spine. If your lats are weak, stiff, or poorly coordinated, your spine often ends up carrying loads it wasn’t designed to manage alone, sometimes getting pulled into flexion or rotation simply from tightness in the lat.

How to Do It:

  • Stand with your feet out in front of you, back and head flush against the wall.
  • Bring your arms out to your sides as though you’re holding a tray in each hand.
  • Push your palms toward the wall without letting your back come off it.
  • Check that your elbows aren’t kicking out and your back is still flat against the wall.
  • If your back stays flush, slowly bring your arms up the wall.
  • Hold, then release.

Avoid These Mistakes:

  • Don’t let your elbows kick out to the sides as you push your palms toward the wall.
  • Don’t let your back pop off the wall just to get your palms flat. Reset your back and lower your arms until you find a position you can hold with your back still flush.

Sets and Reps: Hold for 30 to 90 seconds, one to three repetitions.

Form Tip: Work toward pressing your palms flat against the wall without your back lifting off. Once you can do that, slide your arms further up the wall while keeping your back flush.

Lindsay Clancy’s Emotional Breakdown: Disturbing Details of Children’s Injuries Emerge in Court

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Tearful teacher reveals Lindsay Clancy’s daughter’s concerning behavior just one day before killings

Susan Bertolo, a dedicated staff member at Learning Sprouts preschool, played a significant role in the early education of both Cora and Dawson.

She was responsible for nurturing young minds in the ‘Sunflower’ room, where Cora spent her mornings three days each week.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Bertolo shared heartfelt remarks about Cora, praising her as an ‘amazing’ and ‘wonderful’ student who was more than ready to take on kindergarten.

Reflecting on her last encounter with Cora, the preschool teacher was visibly moved, recounting her fond memories.

The morning of January 23, 2023, marked the last time Cora was dropped off at preschool, a day etched in memory for Bertolo.

That day, she needed to use the bathroom more than normal, Bertolo said. She noted that she was concerned because this was out of the ordinary for the child, and told another teacher.

When she told Clancy at pickup, she said she had a doctor’s appointment for Cora the next day.

The five-year-old was complaining that her tummy hurt and didn’t want to get up from her nap, her second teacher of the day, Stephanie Williams, told the court.

Williams told Clancy this when she picked her daughter up that afternoon.

Instead of Cora getting up and meeting her mom at the door to the classroom – as the children normally do – Clancy had to walk into the room and gently coax the girl to leave.

Clancy scooped up the little girl from her cot, saying to her: ‘Oh baby, come on let’s go get Dawson and we’ll go home.’

When asked if she noticed anything different about Clancy that day – or any day – she said: She was just a very loving mother who cared very much for her children.’