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Newsweek
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump Ally Stuck in Israel, Fears Being 'Bargaining Chip'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A conservative activist who appeared alongside Donald Trump at campaign events in 2024 said she wanted to "lay low" in Israel for fear of being caught up in its escalating conflict with Iran. Michaelah Montgomery told Newsmax, a conservative channel, that she was in Israel but didn't want to risk trying to leave the country and become a target because of her Republican Party connections. She said she did not want to be used as a "bargaining chip to force the United States to get involved" in the hostilities in the Middle East. Donald Trump greets Michaelah Montgomery during a campaign rally at the Georgia State University Convocation Center in Atlanta on August 3, 2024. Donald Trump greets Michaelah Montgomery during a campaign rally at the Georgia State University Convocation Center in Atlanta on August 3, It Matters Montgomery's comments come amid concerns over whether the U.S. could become directly involved in the escalating violence between Israel and Iran. What To Know Montgomery attended Clark Atlanta University and during a meeting with Trump last year, praised the then-GOP presidential candidate for funding historically Black colleges and universities, according to Fox 5. Images of the pair at a Chick-fil-A on Trump's way to a fundraiser in Atlanta last August went viral at a time when Republicans were trying to make inroads with Black voters. Trump introduced her on to the stage at his rally in Atlanta, where he praised her as "incredible" with a "tremendous future" and told her he would do "whatever I can to help you," before giving her the podium. Montgomery told the crowd she was the founder of Conserve the Culture, which she said helps "mobilize the HBCU students." 🚨 Michaela Montgomery is currently in Israel. I've been in contact she's safe, but cannot disclose her location for security reasons. Keep her in your prayers. I can tell you firsthand: she's not in the safest of places right now. 🙏 — The Patriots Prayer Network (@ThePatriotsPray) June 14, 2025 During her interview with Newsmax on Monday, she praised Trump's leadership but suggested that as Iran continues with its retaliation against Israel's strikes on the Islamic Republic's nuclear capabilities, her ties to the U.S. president could put her at risk. She said because of her "notoriety back in the states and my proximity to our president, it's not safe for me to move with large groups." She said there was a "ring of fire" around Israel and the borders were not safe for somebody like her. What People Are Saying Michaelah Montgomery, conservative activist, on Newsmax: "At the end of the day, the last thing I need is to be used as a bargaining chip to force the United States to get involved in this conflict." Patriots Prayer Network, on X, formerly Twitter: "Michaela[h] Montgomery is currently in Israel. I've been in contact she's safe, but cannot disclose her location for security reasons. Keep her in your prayers. I can tell you firsthand: she's not in the safest of places right now." What Happens Next Montgomery told Newsmax that "the State Department and other agencies were working to get me out" of Israel. As speculation mounts over whether he will directly involve the U.S. in the hostilities, Trump has said he wanted a "real end" to the conflict.
Washington Post
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Police violence is growing in rural America. A safer path exists.
Thaddeus L. Johnson, a former police officer, is a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice and teaches criminology at Georgia State University. Natasha N. Johnson is a faculty member at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State. A Colorado man experiencing a mental health crisis called 911 when his car stalled on a lonely rural road in 2022. He wasn't breaking any laws. He wasn't threatening others. But when he refused to step out of his car, deputies fatally shot him. Encounters such as this — once almost exclusive to urban city blocks — have reached America's back roads. In 2024, law enforcement killed 1,365 people — the most on record. That milestone is striking on its own, but these deaths are increasingly happening in rural areas. By 2023, some estimates show rural Zip codes overtook urban ones in police-caused fatalities. The danger to officers also moved farther from downtown. Between 2021 and 2023, more officers were killed than in any three-year period in the past 20 years. Assaults on officers rose, too, with the steepest spikes in places with fewer than 50,000 residents. What's driving this? The pandemic, remote work and rising housing costs pushed millions of people from city blocks to suburban cul-de-sacs and country roads. But they didn't leave big-city problems behind. Federal data shows violent victimizations in nonurban areas increased during the pandemic even as urban violence declined. This rapid population growth has outpaced local institutions. Officers in many small, booming towns now have to handle crises they're not equipped for. More than half of the 500 fastest-growing U.S. counties between 2020 and 2023 had fewer than 50,000 residents. Nationwide, only about 4 in 10 counties have a mobile-crisis team and most small to midsize police departments don't have enough personnel or funding for dedicated behavioral-health response units. Meanwhile, rural homelessness rose, drawing police into more noncriminal emergencies. When places turn over quickly, trust breaks down. Newcomers don't know police deputies or each other. With fewer alternatives, every barking dog or shouting match becomes a 911 call. More than half of police responses nationwide involve noncriminal emergencies such as someone in mental distress locked in a bathroom, couples arguing loudly, or drug overdoses. Bureau of Justice Statistics reports for 2020 and 2022 show that these types of service calls outnumbered burglary, assault and other crime-related calls by nearly 2.2 million. In rural areas, where gun ownership is most common, these calls are already turning deadlier. The numbers tell the story. From 2020 to 2024, police killings during 'person with a weapon' calls nearly quadrupled in rural areas. These increases weren't driven by violent crime, but by everyday problems spiraling beyond local capacity. Officers didn't become more trigger-happy. They're dealing with more threats. Officers were assaulted 79,000 times in 2023 — about once every six minutes. Nationally, assaults rose 32 percent from 60,000 three years earlier. But the biggest shifts occurred far from city centers. Police assaults jumped 68 percent in places with 25,000 to 49,000 people, and gun assaults on rural officers surged 63 percent. Disturbance calls were often the trigger. Officers were attacked during 59 of them each day — up from 49 in 2020. In major cities, these assaults rose 24 percent. In midsize towns, they climbed 38 percent. In rural areas, assaults during mental health calls nearly doubled. Traffic stops were no safer. In towns of 10,000 to 24,000 residents, assaults during stops spiked 77 percent, while increasing 20 percent in cities with more than 100,000. And officers responding to suspicious person calls experienced 51 percent more assaults in rural areas versus 9 percent in the biggest cities. Police departments — especially in small towns — are struggling to stay staffed. Since 2020, resignations shot up 82 percent as retirements nearly tripled in forces with fewer than 50 officers. To stay afloat, departments lowered hiring standards, rushed training and leaned heavily on overtime. One legacy of such changes is a fatigued, underprepared force handling high-stakes calls with little backup. A safer path exists for civilians and officers alike. But it starts with rethinking who responds, how they're trained, and what communities truly need. This means sending the right responder — mental health teams instead of police — to nonviolent crisis calls, as cities such as Denver and Eugene, Oregon, as well as rural areas instates such as Kansas and Arizona do. Smaller cities such as Olympia, Washington, dispatch trained social-service teams to handle substance abuse crises and neighbor disputes. It also means better training for police when they do end up on these calls. According to the Council on Criminal Justice Task Force on Policing, many departments still emphasize firearms over communication. West Virginia and Tennessee now mandate de-escalation training for police. In Louisville, officers participating in the Police Executive Research Forum's de-escalation course use less force and report fewer injuries. In Mississippi and Virginia, all local law enforcement must now learn how to handle people in emotional or behavioral distress. Studies show officers with such training use force less often — and when they do, they're more likely to use the least amount necessary. Provider shortages leave many nowhere to turn but 911. States such as Michigan and South Dakota are expanding mobile and tele-mental health services to keep emergencies from becoming armed standoffs. Texas launched a grant program to establish or expand regional behavioral health centers in rural areas. None of this is easy. But if we want safer communities, we must stop sending armed police to every emergency. Dispatch civilian responders to non-crime calls for homelessness, addiction and wellness checks. Invest in behavioral care. Train officers to de-escalate — not dominate. Until then, these violent clashes will keep spilling into new corners of America.
Miami Herald
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
From the Obamas to Delray Beach, Coco Gauff being celebrated for French Open title
Coco Gauff has become an international tennis sensation in recent years, counting Barack and Michelle Obama and LeBron James among her well-wishers after she rallied to claim her second Grand Slam title and first French Open on Saturday, 6-7 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4 over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Monday morning, she was on the Today show, showing off her replica trophy and discussing her historic win, as she became the first American woman to win the French Open singles title since her idol, Serena Williams, did it a decade ago. But no matter how famous she gets, or how much money she earns (she is up to $27 million in career earnings), the 21-year-old from Delray Beach keeps her hometown close to her heart -- and her feet. Her first signature shoe by New Balance was called 'CG1' and had the coordinates of Pompey Park, the Delray Beach public tennis courts where she grew up, inscribed on the soles. The coordinates are 26° 28' 0.75' N, 80° 5' 1.4' W. Her second signature sneaker, released earlier this year, is called the 'Coco Delray' and the ad campaign features the voice of her maternal grandmother Yvonne Lee Odom, a civil rights trailblazer who integrated Delray Beach public schools 60 years ago. Odom and Gauff's aunt, Joi, hosted a French Open watch party Saturday for friends and family at Warren restaurant in Delray Beach and local T.V. crews were on hand to capture the jubilation as Gauff fell to the red clay court in disbelief following her victory. The Gauff family has been known to Delray area sports fans for many years. Her father, Corey Gauff, was a star basketball player at Spanish River High School and played at Georgia State University. Her mother, Candi Odom Gauff, was a five-time state champion heptathlete at Delray Beach Atlantic High, ran track at FSU, and was also a competitive gymnast. Gauff began raising eyebrows on the tennis courts as a young girl at Pompey Park and at the Junior Orange Bowl and Orange Bowl tournaments. She said the ad campaign for her new sneaker pays tribute to the Delray Beach community, which continues to support her, win or lose. She contributed to the refurbishment of the Pompey Park courts in March 2024, as part of a legacy initiative after her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open. Nobody could have imagined that the little girl on those courts would one day be mentioned among the best players in the sport's history. With Saturday's win, she became just the fifth American woman in the Open era to win multiple Slam titles at 21 or younger, joining Serena Williams, Chris Evert, Venus Williams and Tracy Austin. She has ascended to No. 2 world ranking but still has a way to go to reach No. 1, as WTA rankings are based on a rolling 52-week, cumulative system. Gauff is 3,470 points behind Sabalenka and aims to narrow that gap this summer, first on grass and then on hard courts. She has never advanced past the fourth round at Wimbledon, so she hopes for a better showing this time around. After that, it's back to the United States for the hard court summer series and the U.S. Open. For now, she is taking some days off to rest and enjoy her latest achievement. 'I'm signed up for Berlin [June 14-22] right now, we'll see if I play or not,' she said in her post-French Open press conference. 'This part of the season is new just because of the fact that it's so short, and I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I'll have that conversation with my team and take their opinions and see what they think is best. 'For sure I'm going to rest and enjoy it and not go into training too quickly just because I feel like this stuff doesn't happen too often, so just got to enjoy it.' This title was extra special because her parents were there to share the journey. 'It's meant a lot to me [to have them there]; they're definitely the ones who listen to my opinion the most, and I think sometimes we hear crazy stories about tennis parents and all that, and I can say I don't relate to that,' she said. She recently asked her mother to spend more time with her on tour. 'I asked my dad to take a step back, and he did, and it ended up being a great thing for both of us,' Gauff said. 'My mom, I needed her to be on the road more just to have…well, I have my physio, but being on a team full of men, I was, like, I need some estrogen and some female energy here, so I asked my mom to go [smiling]. 'Women just notice more things. So, yeah, hugging them at the end. My mom was pretty emotional. My dad was just happy. My dad cried at U.S. Open. He didn't cry here. It's just been so great to have them and be able for them to experience. They put so much sacrifice into this, so I'm glad I get to experience with them.'
Mint
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Coco Gauff: The teen who beat Venus Williams; won French Open 2025 — all about the 21-year-old who got the world talking
In a dazzling showcase of grit and grace, Coco Gauff pulled off a stunning comeback to topple world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final on Saturday, capturing her second Grand Slam crown. And, this is just another feather in the 21-year-old's hat. In 2019, Coco Gauff even defeated her childhood idol Venus Williams, after bagging a wildcard entry to the Wimbledon. She was just 15-years-old back then. Who is this tennis star that has got the world talking? Here's all you need to know Born Cori Dionne Gauff on March 13, 2004, in Delray Beach, Florida, Coco Gauff comes from a lineage of athletic excellence. Her father, Corey Gauff, played basketball at Georgia State University, while her mother, Candi Odom Gauff, was a standout track and field athlete at Florida State University. Gauff's prodigious tennis talent emerged early, and by the age of 10, she had already crossed the Atlantic to train in France under the guidance of Patrick Mouratoglou — the renowned coach of Serena Williams — setting the stage for a remarkable rise in the world of tennis.
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Want to keep children away from diseases? Try THIS type of parenting
Keeping their children healthy and protected from diseases is a top priority for every parent. But what steps need to be taken to ensure it? A new study has found that parenting style influences a child's health, not just in childhood but well into adulthood. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Yes, the circumstances and approach during childhood can shape a person's health for years to come. Experts suggest that adopting a certain parenting method can help children build a stronger immune system, develop healthy habits, and lead a more resilient, disease-free life. Parenting and the health of children A new study from the University of Georgia suggests that protective parenting may help kids avoid health problems as adults. The findings are published in the journal . The researchers said that children who grew up in stressful environments may have problems in adulthood; however, parents can counter those effects by being protective. The researchers found out that children who are raised in places where gunshots are common and heat and electricity are unreliable can lead to pain and other physical health limitations in adulthood. However, trying to know what's happening in the child's life, such as knowing their friends or where they're hanging out after school, can help counteract those effects. 'Early life experiences really affect physical and mental well-being throughout our lifespan. Even if we don't have a lot of tangible memories from very early on in life, we know how we felt, we know how loved we were and how supported we were, and these things get embedded in us,' Kelsey Corallo, lead author of the study, said in a statement. The experts further observed that setting limits and letting the kids know that you are keeping an eye on them reduces the risks of physical and mental health issues in adulthood. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'This isn't just the direct 'know where your kids are' type of , and it's not helicopter parenting that makes a difference. Communicating love and the desire to be part of your child's life, I think, is probably part of the magic ingredient of vigilant parenting that benefits the child,' Katherine Ehrlich, the co-author of the study, added. Stress in childhood and health The study analyzed data from more than 4,825 participants in the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 97, tracking individuals from their teen years into their mid-30s. The researchers found a link between growing up in a less safe environment and physical health limitations in adulthood. 'There is a lot of research to show that stressful experiences—for example, feeling unsafe, not getting the basic resources that you need in life, or being exposed to neglect or abuse—those things literally change how your body functions,' Corallo, a research associate at Georgia State University, said. The findings pointed out that stress from childhood experiences makes it difficult for the body to regulate itself. If that sustained level of stress is experienced during childhood or infancy, it can cause lifelong issues with immune function or hormone regulation. 'Young people and children tend to be healthy, so the fact that we're seeing a statistical association between physical limitations and childhood environmental risk is pretty incredible. It shows that these things really do matter, and they have an overt effect on health even in early adulthood when chronic illnesses often haven't even set in yet,' Corallo said. How to keep children healthy and sound Gentle parents don't fear tantrums or meltdowns. They understand that emotions need space, not suppression. A child who cries loudly in a supermarket is not shamed but gently guided through the isn't easy. Especially when others are watching. But true gentle parenting shows up in those moments when frustration is high, and yet, a calm presence is still offered. It's about holding space for a child's feelings without fixing or shutting them down too quickly. It is important that parents show they care about what their kids are up to. This can positively impact their health. The researchers observed that even though some participants grew up in less safe environments, had present parents, and didn't experience the same health ailments as their peers without vigilant parents. Vigilant parenting was also associated with fewer mental health problems in adulthood. They noted that this could be because the children whose parents put curfews in place and monitored their friend groups were better shielded from harmful behaviours that could have lifelong effects, like smoking or binge drinking. Bengali Kids Poem: Nursery Song in Bengali 'Akash Ghire Megh Koreche' 'In more dangerous settings, it may be more difficult for parents to be that involved, for example, if they're working multiple jobs. But even if they're not physically home, keeping track of and making sure their children know that their parents are aware of and care about what they're up to makes a big difference,' Corallo said. Similarly, it is important that children know their parents are monitoring them and setting limits because they care about them, not because they want to control every aspect of their lives. 'It's all about how kids are experiencing that vigilant parenting and how they're interpreting it. They don't feel like it's helicopter parenting. They just feel like their mom or dad really cares about them,' Ehrlich added.
