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Massachusetts mayor charged with wire fraud in $1.5M COVID relief scheme
Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña, who leads the Massachusetts city north of Boston, has been charged federally with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme involving COVID-era relief funding. The case matters because it alleges that an elected local official exploited programmes intended to support people and businesses during the pandemic. Prosecutors…
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Fry throws support behind Darline Graham’s Senate bid after primary loss
Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) endorsed Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) on Friday as she advances to a runoff election against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) for the Republican nomination in South Carolina’s Senate race. He urged his supporters to support Graham in her bid to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), after Fry did not…
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Farage puts seat on the line over ‘establishment hit job’ — voters send him right back
Nigel Farage retained his Clacton parliamentary seat after calling an unusual by-election, framing the vote as a test of public confidence amid allegations and a renewed finance investigation. The result gives Reform UK’s leader a political boost and allows him to argue that voters rejected what he described as an establishment-backed campaign against him. Farage…
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‘Raw material for election fraud’: Expert flags voter-roll problems far beyond one state
The article reports that allegations involving noncitizen voter registrations in several US states are intensifying debate over election safeguards ahead of the midterm elections. It frames the issue as a dispute over whether voter-registration systems prioritise access or citizenship verification, and over the federal government’s authority to require states to provide voter-roll information. A quoted…
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‘Camp Rock 3’ Breakout Lumi Pollack on Learning to Play the Cello and the Advice She Got From Demi Lovato
Lumi Pollack, the 17-year-old actor playing cello prodigy Rosie in Disney’s newly released Camp Rock 3, discussed preparing for her first major role in the long-running musical franchise. She said joining a series associated with Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers was initially daunting, but the cast and crew quickly created a supportive, summer-camp-like atmosphere;…
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Investigation into Farage’s £5m ‘gift’ reopened as he wins Clacton by-election
Nigel Farage has been re-elected as MP for Clacton in a by-election, prompting the resumption of a parliamentary standards investigation into an alleged failure to register a £5m gift from a crypto-billionaire. The inquiry had been paused when Farage resigned, but could now lead to another by-election if he is suspended from Parliament for more…
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Puma Launches Fresh Summer Shoes
This season is proving to be one for fashion and footwear collaborations. A key player in this market is, of course, Puma. The footwear giant is renowned for many styles; in particular, though, are their iconic suede shoes. Part of the label’s ongoing ‘Never Not Suede’ campaign, the Suede Bloom… The post Puma Launches Fresh…
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Ken Burns Says Election Rigging Fears Unearthed in ‘American Revolution’ Doc Sounded So Trump-Esque He Had to Cut Them
Ken Burns told the Edinburgh International Film Festival that he removed passages from his forthcoming series The American Revolution because their references to disputed elections and political chaos felt too close to contemporary US politics. He said he feared viewers would assume the material had been inserted as a direct comment on Donald Trump’s return…
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New York City’s lone Republican in Congress accuses Mamdani, Schumer of ‘hypocrisy’ in voter ID fight
Republican Representative Nicole Malliotakis accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Senator Chuck Schumer of hypocrisy over voter identification rules, arguing that they oppose measures she says would protect elections. The dispute matters because it reflects a wider national divide over whether stricter ID requirements improve election security or risk limiting access to voting.…
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Iran’s chilling midterm gamble against Trump revealed as insiders warn regime is ‘playing with fire’
The article reports that Iranian officials and insiders are considering a more confrontational approach towards Donald Trump ahead of the US midterm elections, including pressure around the Strait of Hormuz. It argues that such a strategy could raise the political and economic costs for the US administration, but warns it risks provoking a severe American…