Comment on Obama declares New York disaster area; Irene brings fresh floods

On Saturday, Fox News reported the launch of the Fair Election Fund, an apparently right-wing nonprofit that says it has a $5 million budget aimed at exposing election fraud. The project promises to pay election workers, organizers, and concerned citizens who have witnessed election fraud firsthand to share their stories. “Your voice could be what helps preserve our democracy,” its site reads.

Bruce Praet is a well-known name in law enforcement, especially across California. He co-founded a company called Lexipol that contracts with more than 95 percent of police departments in the state and offers its clients trainings and ready-made policies. In one of Praet’s training webinars, posted online, he offers a piece of advice that policing experts have called inhumane.

This story was originally published by Capital & Main. August Pfluger, an Air Force veteran and member of the House, representing a small district in West Texas, isn’t exactly a household name on the national political scene, with little press coverage in the last two months outside a recent Fox News appearance. But he is the country’s top recipient of campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry—out of all federal candidates, including President Biden, Donald Trump and Texas Sen.

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The high intelligence levels of orangutans have long been recognized, partly due to their practical skills such as using tools to crack nuts and forage for insects. But new research suggests the primate has another handy skill in its repertoire: applying medicinal herbs. Researchers say they have observed a male Sumatran orangutan treating an open facial wound with sap and chewed leaves from a plant known to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. It is not the first time wild animals have been spotted self-medicating: Among other examples, Bornean orangutans have been seen rubbing their arms and legs with chewed leaves from a plant used by humans to treat sore muscles, while chimpanzees have been recorded chewing plants known to treat worm infections and applying insects to wounds. However, the new discovery is the first time a wild animal has been observed treating open wounds with a substance known to have medicinal properties. “In the chimpanzee case they used insects and unfortunately it was never found out whether these insects really promote wound healing.

It’s been two years since the UK’s poop-engulfed beaches became a national scandal. Now it’s even worse