Author: Olive Metuge
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. On Monday, the Department of Defense announced that it had awarded a massive new contract to build the nation’s largest migrant detention camp on the Fort Bliss military base, a facility that will play a key role in the Trump administration’s deportation plans. Unmentioned was that one of the subcontractors slated to work on the project, Disaster Management Group, is owned by Nathan Albers, who previously co-owned a company that pleaded guilty in 2019 to a scheme to…
The treason trial of the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, has begun in a military court in the capital, Kinshasa. He also faces other charges, such as murder, linked to his alleged support for M23 rebels – who control a large part of the mineral-rich east of the country. He denies the charges and has snubbed the hearing. Kabila’s successor, President Félix Tshisekedi, has accused him of being the brains behind the rebels.The former president has rejected the case as “arbitrary” and said the courts were being used as an “instrument of oppression”.A ceasefire deal…
The Supreme Court on Thursday put on hold, at least for now, a ruling by a federal appeals court that could limit the power of the Voting Rights Act. In a brief unsigned order, the justices agreed to pause a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit holding that private plaintiffs cannot rely on federal civil rights laws to bring claims under Section 2 of the VRA, which bars racial discrimination in voting. The 8th Circuit’s decision will remain blocked to give the plaintiffs in the case – two Native American tribes and several individual voters…
Home Daily News Education funding freeze violates ‘multiple… Constitutional Law Education funding freeze violates ‘multiple statutory and regulatory commands,’ says suit by Democratic states By Debra Cassens Weiss July 15, 2025, 12:34 pm CDT Education Secretary Linda McMahon during a June 2025 Senate Appropriations hearing. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File) A lawsuit filed Monday by Democratic officials in 24 states and the District of Columbia seeks the release of billions of dollars in federal education funding that has been frozen by the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget. The decision to withhold $6.8 billion for…
Raise a glass to weekend in Abu Dhabi at these amazing barsIf you’re looking for the best bars to check out in Abu Dhabi this weekend, we have just the list for you, something for everyone, from romantic nights out to sultry speakeasies and time travelling to the past. Take your pick.For a bit of romance: Marta LoungeFew locations boast an address as fabulous as Marta: the rooftop lounge is set above Fouquet’s Abu Dhabi at the Louvre. This speakeasy-style bar and restaurant oozes Parisienne sophistication, with plush cushioned chairs, art deco lights and gold accents. It’s open throughout the…
The Trump administration sent more than 230 Venezuelan immigrants to CECOT, a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, and accused them of being members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. For the past four months, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune have been reporting on these men, their backgrounds and how they ended up in custody. We’ve written about how the administration knew before removing them that the vast majority had not been convicted of any crimes in the U.S., contradicting its claims that the men were “the worst of the worst,” and how, by and large, they were abiding by…
France will officially recognise a Palestinian state in September, President Emmanuel Macron has said, which will make it the first G7 nation to do so.In a post on X, Macron said the formal announcement would be made at a session of the UN General Assembly in New York.”The urgent need today is for the war in Gaza to end and for the civilian population to be rescued. Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” he wrote.Palestinian officials welcomed Macron’s decision, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin…
The Trump administration came once again to the Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon and asked the justices to pause an order by a federal court in Massachusetts that would require the National Institutes of Health to pay grants that NIH had terminated because they conflicted with the Trump administration’s “policy positions on diversity, equity, and inclusion.” U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the justices that the case “presents a particularly clear case for this Court to intervene and stop errant district courts from continuing to disregard this Court’s rulings.” The government relies on an April 4, 2025, order in…
Home Daily News Justice Department unit defending Trump policies… Attorney General Justice Department unit defending Trump policies is losing nearly two-thirds of its lawyers, report says By Debra Cassens Weiss July 15, 2025, 12:57 pm CDT President Donald Trump speaks at the Justice Department in Washington. (Pool via AP) Sixty-nine out of about 110 lawyers who defend Trump administration policies at the Justice Department have voluntarily left or are planning to leave, according to a list reviewed by Reuters. Reuters was able to confirm the departure of all but four of the lawyers on the list through court records and…
The rollout of free Wi-Fi on Dubai buses has been completedCommuters will be more connected on public transport now as Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in collaboration with e&, has completed the rollout of free Wi-Fi on all 259 Dubai intercity buses and marine transport services across the city.The initiative is designed to enhance the daily commute for passengers travelling between Dubai and the other emirates of Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, and Fujairah. And we all know what the traffic is like in the city, especially Dubai to Sharjah, as research shows.Passengers can now enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi access throughout…