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Paramilitary group kills 32 in a rampage in southern Sudan, activist group says

Paramilitary group kills 32 in a rampage in southern Sudan, activist group says

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan's notorious paramilitary group rampaged through a village in the southern Kordofan region, which has become a key frontline in the country's civil war, killing more than 30 people in a two-day offensive, an activist group said Thursday.
The Rapid Support Forces on Wednesday attacked Brima Rashid village, north of the key town of al-Nahud, which the paramilitaries seized earlier this year in West Kordofan province, said the Emergency Room in the area, an activist group tracking the war.
The group said it documented the killing of 32 people, including siblings, in the offensive which lasted until Thursday morning. More than 50 others were wounded, it said on its Facebook pages.
A spokesman for the RSF didn't immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
The toll is up from 27 dead and 47 wounded reported early Wednesday by the Sudan Doctors' Network, a medical group which also tracks the war.
In a statement, the network said RSF fighters 'targeted unarmed civilians in their homes - including women, children, and the elderly - in a bloody scene reminiscent of the most horrific crimes against humanity.'
Sudan was plunged into a war in April 2023, when tensions between the Sudanese army RSF exploded with street battles in the capital, Khartoum that quickly spread across the country.
Kordofan region in southern Sudan has in recent months joined the Darfur city of el-Fasher as the key frontlines in the fighting between the miliary and the RSF.
The war killed more than 24,000 people, according to the United Nations, but activists and rights groups say the toll is likely much higher.
The war also created the world's worst humanitarian crisis. It has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including over 4 million who crossed into neighboring countries. Parts of Sudan have been pushed into famine.
The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in Darfur, according to the U.N. and international rights groups.
The fighting in Kordofan reportedly killed more than 300 people, including children and pregnant women, earlier this month, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Office.
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Sorry, New York: West Virginia won't clean up your climate mess
Sorry, New York: West Virginia won't clean up your climate mess

New York Post

timean hour ago

  • New York Post

Sorry, New York: West Virginia won't clean up your climate mess

West Virginians mined the coal that forged the steel that built New York City. The Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, even the subway — none of these iconic landmarks would exist without the blood and sweat of West Virginia coal miners. West Virginia still powers the nation, supplementing its coal production with oil and natural gas. An overview of the city is seen on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, in Welch, McDowell County, West Virginia. AP But New York elites want to punish West Virginians for doing the very jobs that provide them so much comfort in their ivory towers. The Climate Change Superfund Act, which the Democrat-run state Legislature passed and Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law in December, imposes liability on energy producers for doing just that — producing energy. It declares that carbon emissions cause climate change, and are therefore to blame for any and every undesirable weather condition the state faces. New York's state government has bungled disaster response time and again. Its politicians want someone to blame, and they chose the energy industry. They chose wrong. West Virginians don't back down. And we won't allow political elites to serve as judge, jury and executioner against the industry that employs thousands of West Virginia coal miners and gas and oil technicians and operators. New York's law imposes strict liability on any company producing a certain, arbitrary amount of carbon emissions, to be determined by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Worse, the law targets past emissions, punishing producers retroactively for lawfully running their businesses. One World Trade Center rises amongst the downtown Manhattan skyline in New York City, U.S., July 22, 2025. REUTERS The DEC doesn't have to find fault. It doesn't have to file a lawsuit and convince a judge or jury that a particular energy producer caused specific harm to New York. No, the law declares energy producers to be automatically 'responsible' just because politicians say so. That's not justice, and it's not the rule of law. That's authoritarian bureaucrats picking winners and losers. And the losers will be many. The statute requires energy producers to pay $75 billion to the state of New York — money that could be spent on salaries and benefits for workers, or for new infrastructure projects to make everyone's energy more affordable. That $75 billion loss will cause three things: job loss, higher prices at the pump and higher utility bills — hurting hardworking Americans across the board, New Yorkers included. The only winners are the political elites who aim to bend America to their radical agenda, no matter the cost. Fortunately, the United States Constitution has something to say about this lawlessness. For starters, it prohibits any state from unduly regulating commerce in another state. West Virginia can't tell Idaho potato farmers how to harvest their spuds — and New York can't tell West Virginia energy companies how to mine coal or extract gas and oil. The Constitution also doesn't allow states to come up with their own regulatory schemes when the federal government has rules controlling specific conduct, especially in areas of unique federal interest. The US Environmental Protection Agency regulates greenhouse-gas emissions; New York doesn't have that power. So New York can't go back in time and penalize energy production in other states that the EPA said was lawful. In fact, a federal appellate court ruled against New York City when it tried to do much the same thing just a few years ago. On top of that, the law is simply unfair. Our country was founded on the principle of due process of law. Every citizen has the right to be heard, and every citizen has the right to conform their conduct to the law. New York's law takes away those rights. Imagine a state lowering the highway speed limit from 65 to 55 miles per hour — then ticketing you for going 65 last year. That's what this law does to energy producers, slammed with a staggering $75 billion fine by unelected backroom bureaucrats without any meaningful chance to defend themselves. It blatantly offends the Constitution and the fundamental sense of fairness that has existed in our country for 250 years. That's why I, along with 21 other state attorneys general, three energy trade associations and one energy company, have sued the New York politicians responsible for implementing the Climate Change Superfund Act. Our coalition is asking a federal court to issue an injunction stopping this unconstitutional overreach that would wreck our nation's power grid and put thousands of Americans out of work. New York's political elites may think they can seize control of America's energy industry, but we won't allow them to go unchecked. This is a fight for America's energy independence, for American jobs and for the rule of law. West Virginia won't go quietly. J.B. McCuskey is the attorney general of West Virginia.

House ethics panel tells Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to pay more for Met Gala attendance
House ethics panel tells Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to pay more for Met Gala attendance

Hamilton Spectator

timean hour ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

House ethics panel tells Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to pay more for Met Gala attendance

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee on Friday told Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to make additional payments for her attendance at the 2021 Met Fashion Gala, where she drew attention for wearing a dress adorned with the message 'tax the rich.' The ethics panel, which found the New York Democrat had underpaid for some of the services and clothing for the event, also issued reports Friday on unrelated ethics allegations against Reps. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick or Florida and Henry Cuellar of Texas. In a 31-page report on the allegations against Ocasio-Cortez, the Ethics Committee said she had tried to comply with House rules on accepting gifts but failed by 'impermissibly accepting a gift of free admission to the 2021 Met Gala for her partner and by failing to pay full fair market value for some of the items worn to the event.' As a guest of Vogue, Ocasio-Cortez and her partner received tickets to the gala valued at $35,000, as well as customized clothing, hair and makeup styling and a hotel room to prepare for the high-society event. The congresswoman worked with an attorney to comply with House ethics rules and paid for most of the goods and services with personal funds, but the ethics panel found 'the payments were significantly delayed and some payments fell short of fair market value.' In a statement, Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff, Mike Casca, said: 'The Congresswoman appreciates the Committee finding that she made efforts to ensure her compliance with House Rules and sought to act consistently with her ethical requirements as a Member of the House. She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she's done at each step in this process.' Rep. Mike Kelly The House Ethics Committee issued a formal reproval Friday of Rep. Mike Kelly , R-Pa., following a yearslong investigation into an insider-trading allegation over his wife's purchase of stock in a steel company in his Butler-area congressional district . The panel also said Kelly and his wife, Victoria Kelly, should divest of any stock in the company, Cleveland-Cliffs, before the congressman takes any further official actions related to it. While the committee said it 'did not find evidence' that Kelly 'knowingly or intentionally caused his spouse to trade based on insider information,' its report also said it 'did not receive full cooperation from Mrs. Kelly and was therefore unable to determine whether her stock purchase was improper.' However, the report said, 'Representative Kelly's failure to acknowledge the seriousness of the alleged misconduct' and of the investigation itself was a violation of the code of official conduct. The committee did 'not find a clear violation' of conflict of interest. The congressman said in a statement Friday, 'My family and I look forward to putting this distraction behind us.' Kelly noted the investigation has 'unnecessarily' lasted for nearly five years, and in the time since the Cleveland Cliffs Butler Works plant faced an uncertain future. 'Throughout this process, I have fought for the 1,400 workers at the plant, I've spoken with these workers, and they appreciate the hard work we have done to fight for those jobs and for Butler,' Kelly said. The investigation was launched after a July 2021 referral regarding allegations the congressman's wife may have purchased stock based on confidential or nonpublic information he had learned during official duties. The Ethics Committee staff reviewed more than 25,000 pages of documents, the report said, and interviewed people including the congressman. It found Kelly had advocated for so-called Section 232 tariffs for the product the plant produced even after Mrs. Kelly held stock in Cleveland-Cliffs. 'He took several actions to specifically benefit Cleveland-Cliffs during the time his wife had a direct financial interest in the company,' it said. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick The House Ethics Committee announced Friday it had unanimously voted to reauthorize an investigative subcommittee to examine allegations involving Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. In May, the Office of Congressional Ethics referred several allegations to the House Ethics committee, including claims Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat, accepted campaign contributions tied to official actions and requested community project funding for a for-profit entity. The south Florida congresswoman has previously faced scrutiny over her campaign activities and the use of her congressional office. And earlier this year , a Florida state agency sued a company owned by her family, alleging it overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million for pandemic-related work and has refused to return the funds. In a statement, Cherfilus-McCormick underscored that the ethics panel had not reached any final decision and that the further review does not mean she made any violations. 'I fully respect the process and remain committed to cooperating with the Committee as it works to bring this inquiry to a close,' she said. Rep. Henry Cuellar The House Ethics Committee also reauthorized its investigation into Rep. Henry Cuellar over whether he engaged in multiple illegal abuses of his office. The committee launched its investigation into the Texas Democrat last year after the Justice Department indicted Cuellar on numerous federal charges, including bribery, conspiracy and money laundering. The committee said in its reauthorization that lawmakers are 'aware of the risks associated with dual investigations' and cautioned that 'the mere fact of an investigation into these allegations does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.' Cuellar's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ___ Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti and Matt Brown contributed. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

Disgraced former US Rep. George Santos reports to NJ federal prison to serve 7-year fraud sentence
Disgraced former US Rep. George Santos reports to NJ federal prison to serve 7-year fraud sentence

Hamilton Spectator

timean hour ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Disgraced former US Rep. George Santos reports to NJ federal prison to serve 7-year fraud sentence

NEW YORK (AP) — Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos reported to a federal prison in New Jersey on Friday to begin serving a seven-year sentence for the fraud charges that got him ousted from Congress. The federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that the New York Republican was in custody at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, in southern New Jersey. Santos pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges for deceiving donors and stealing people's identities in order to fund his congressional campaign. Lawyers for Santos didn't respond to phone and email messages seeking comment. The ever-online Santos, who turned 37 years old on Tuesday, hosted a farewell party for himself on the social media platform X on Thursday night. 'Well, darlings … The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,' he wrote in a post afterwards. 'From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried … most days.' Santos will serve his time in a minimum security camp at the all-male facility, which also includes a larger medium security prison, according to the Bureau of Prisons. In a Thursday interview , he didn't name the prison where he was serving in sentence, but described the camp setting as a 'big upgrade' from the medium-security lockup he was initially assigned to. Among the other notable inmates serving time at Fairton is Lamor Miller-Whitehead. The Brooklyn preacher, known for his flashy lifestyle and friendship with New York City' Mayor Eric Adams, was sentenced to nine years in prison last year for fraud . In April, a federal judge declined to give Santos a lighter two-year sentence that he sought, saying she was unconvinced he was truly remorseful. In the weeks before his sentencing, Santos said he was 'profoundly sorry' for his crimes, but he also complained frequently that he was a victim of a political witch hunt and prosecutorial overreach . Santos was elected in 2022, flipping a wealthy district representing parts of Queens and Long Island for the GOP. But he served for less than a year and became just the sixth member of the House to be ousted by colleagues after it was revealed he had fabricated much of his life story. During his winning campaign, Santos painted himself as a successful business owner who worked at prestigious Wall Street firms when, in reality, he was struggling financially. He also falsely claimed to have been a volleyball star at a college he never attended and referred to himself as 'a proud American Jew' before insisting he meant that he was 'Jew-ish' because his Brazilian mother's family had a Jewish background. The cascade of lies eventually led to congressional and criminal inquiries into how Santos funded his campaign and, ultimately, his political downfall. Since his ouster from Congress, Santos has been making a living hosting a podcast called 'Pants on Fire with George Santos' and hawking personalized video messages on Cameo. He has also been holding out hope that his unwavering support for President Donald Trump might help him win a last-minute reprieve. The White House said this week that it 'will not comment on the existence or nonexistence' of any clemency request. In media appearances this month, the former lawmaker wasn't shy about sharing his morbid fears about life behind bars. 'I'm not trying to be overdramatic here. I'm just being honest with you. I look at this as practically a death sentence,' Santos told Tucker Carlson during an interview . 'I'm not built for this.' On social media, his recent musings have sometimes taken a dark turn. 'I'm heading to prison, folks and I need you to hear this loud and clear: I'm not suicidal. I'm not depressed. I have no intentions of harming myself, and I will not willingly engage in any sexual activity while I'm in there,' Santos said on X . 'If anything comes out suggesting otherwise, consider it a lie … full stop.' ___ Follow Philip Marcelo at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

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