ThunderStorm.

Migrants at a Miami immigration jail were shackled with their hands tied behind their backs and made to kneel to eat food from styrofoam plates “like dogs”, according to a report published on Monday into conditions at three overcrowded south Florida facilities. The incident at the downtown federal detention center is one of a succession of alleged abuses at Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (Ice) operated jails in the state since January, chronicled by advocacy groups Human Rights Watch, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and Sanctuary of the South from interviews with detainees. Dozens of men had been packed into a holding cell for hours, the report said, and denied lunch until about 7pm. They remained shackled with the food on chairs in front of them. “We had to eat like animals,” one detainee named Pedro said. Degrading treatment by guards is commonplace in all three jails, the groups say. At the Krome North service processing center in west Miami, female detainees were made to use toilets in full view of men being held there, and were denied access to gender-appropriate care, showers, or adequate food. The jail was so far beyond capacity, some transferring detainees reported, that they were held for more than 24 hours in a bus in the parking lot. Men and women were confined together, and unshackled only when they needed to use the single toilet, which quickly became clogged. “The bus became disgusting. It was the type of toilet in which normally people only urinate but because we were on the bus for so long, and we were not permitted to leave it, others defecated in the toilet,” one man said. “Because of this, the whole bus smelled strongly of feces.” When the group was finally admitted into the facility, they said, many spent up to 12 days crammed into a frigid intake room they christened la hierela - the ice box - with no bedding or warm clothing, sleeping instead on the cold concrete floor. There was so little space at Krome, and so many detainees, the report says, that every available room was used to hold new arrivals. “By the time I left, almost all the visitation rooms were full. A few were so full men couldn’t even sit, all had to stand,” Andrea, a female detainee, said. At the third facility, the Broward transitional center in Pompano Beach, where a 44-year-old Haitian woman, Marie Ange Blaise, died in April, detainees said they were routinely denied adequate medical or psychological care. Some suffered delayed treatment for injuries and chronic conditions, and dismissive or hostile responses from staff, the report said. In one alleged incident in April at the downtown Miami jail, staff turned off a surveillance camera and a “disturbance control team” brutalized detainees who were protesting a lack of medical attention to one of their number who was coughing up blood. One detainee suffered a broken finger. All three facilities were severely overcrowded, the former detainees said, a contributory factor in Florida’s decision to quickly build the controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” jail in the Everglades intended to eventually hold up to 5,000 undocumented migrants awaiting deportation. Immigration detention numbers nationally were at an average of 56,400 per day in mid-June, with almost 72% having no criminal history, according to the report. The daily average during the whole of 2024 was 37,500, HRW said. The groups say that the documented abuses reflect inhumane conditions inside federal immigration facilities that have worsened significantly since Trump’s January inauguration and subsequent push to ramp up detentions and deportations. “The anti-immigrant escalation and enforcement tactics under the Trump administration are terrorizing communities and ripping families apart, which is especially cruel in the state of Florida, which thrives because of its immigrant communities,” said Katie Blankenship, immigration attorney and co-founder of Sanctuary of the South. “The rapid, chaotic, and cruel approach to arresting and locking people up is literally deadly and causing a human rights crisis that will plague this state and the entire country for years to come.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/21/migrants-miami-ice-jail-abuses

Andy Farrell has named his son Owen as captain of the British & Irish Lions for the squad’s final midweek fixture against a First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday. Farrell will lead a side containing eight players who were not originally selected for the tour as the management seek to keep most of their first-choice 23 fresh for Saturday’s second Test against the Wallabies. It will be Farrell’s 20th appearance in a Lions jersey and the experience he has accrued over four Lions tours has earned him the nod as skipper ahead of his fellow Englishman and recent Lions replacement Jamie George. Farrell will wear 12 in a team which also features the fit-again Blair Kinghorn at full-back and two new arrivals in Jamie Osborne and Darcy Graham at centre and wing respectively. The bench also contains a number of players bussed in as cover for a fixture that has reignited the debate over whether it dilutes the honour of Lions’ representation to call up replacements players primarily on geographical grounds. The Scottish trio of Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland and Gregor Brown have been all been named on the bench after being summoned from New Zealand where Scotland have been playing. The Leinster and Ireland prop Thomas Clarkson is another new face while there is a bench return for Garry Ringrose, ruled out of first Test contention with delayed concussion symptoms. “This fixture gives players another opportunity to put their hand up for selection for the final two Tests,” said Andy Farrell, whose side won the first Test 27-19 in Brisbane on Saturday. “The coaches’ minds are open when it comes to selection. They have to be with so many players performing and pushing for places, and we want that to continue for the remaining two Tests. This group know the level of performance that we will require against a First Nations [and] Pasifika team that is packed with talent and power.” The 36-year-old Kurtley Beale will captain a First Nations & Pasifika XV which also contains Taniela Tupou and Filipo Daugunu, both released from the Wallabies squad for the fixture by head coach Joe Schmidt. The ex-Wallaby forward Pete Samu will not feature, however, because he did not fulfil the strict criteria in the tour agreement that all players involved should have been involved in this season’s Super Rugby competition. Samu helped Bordeaux win this year’s Champions Cup and has returned home to join the Waratahs but the Lions management declined to make an exception for him. Toutai Kefu, the First Nations & Pasifika head coach, is nevertheless hopeful that his side will be competitive. “The team has a really nice feel to it, with a blend of not only youth and experience, but also cultures,” he said. “The Lions have shown how strong they are on this tour ... but we’re not here to make up the numbers. We want to win this game and make history.” https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul/21/owen-farrell-captain-british-irish-lions-first-nations-pasifika

I started learning about ageing and ageism – prejudice and discrimination on the basis of age – almost 20 years ago, as I entered my 50s. That’s when it hit me that this getting older thing was actually happening to me. I was soon barraged by advice on how to age well. Many concepts, like “active ageing”, were obvious. (Don’t be a couch potato.) Some, like “successful ageing”, were obnoxious. (In my opinion, if you wake up in the morning, you’re ageing successfully.) One, “ageing gracefully”, was intriguing. Although I’ve written a whole book about ageism, I wasn’t sure I knew how to go about ageing gracefully. For starters, it didn’t seem as though I qualified. When I was speaking at a conference a few years ago, a woman in the elevator recognized my name from my badge. “Are you the one talking about ageing gracefully?” she asked. “If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve got the wrong person,” I blurted. My clumsiness, like my bluntness, is legendary. Still, I liked the sound of it. Grace refers to more than the physical realm, of course. We can encounter it in a relationship, through worship, in nature, or while listening to music. Grace can be transformative. So I embarked on a quest to find out what it means to age gracefully. I consulted my bookshelves, friends and colleagues, and the internet. For a synthesis, I even ran the phrase past ChatGPT, which told me “ageing gracefully” means “embracing one’s age without excessive resistance or denial, nurturing overall wellbeing, and cultivating purpose, joy, and connection”. Sounds great! But that doesn’t seem to be what it means in practice. In our hypercapitalist, youth-centric western culture, ageing well tends to mean spending money and time trying to look and move like younger versions of ourselves. Unsurprisingly, many “cope” with growing older by leaning heavily on denial. It’s not much of a strategy, but it’s human. It’s also why the landscape is strewn with euphemisms, like “mature” and “seasoned”, to avoid the dread “old”. “Ageing gracefully” is one of those euphemisms. When I queried beauty culture critic and Guardian US columnist Jessica DeFino about the phrase, she called it a “particularly nefarious euphemism, because it implies that anti-ageing should appear to be effortless”. In fact, it’s anything but, she told me over email: “‘Ageing gracefully’ demands an incredible amount of effort, then demands even more effort to conceal said effort.” What’s more graceful, after all, than the ballerina whose apparent weightlessness draws on decades of grueling schooling? The contradictions are everywhere. Embrace ageing, but appear to not age. Stay positive but accept limitations. Be authentic, but conform. Some of this reflects the very real complexities of ageing: the need to adapt as bodies change and roles evolve while also staying as active and engaged as possible. To some, “ageing gracefully” means letting nature take its course: “embracing the natural signs of ageing without visiting a board-certified plastic surgeon along the way”, as plastic surgeon Stephen Bresnick writes on his website. He calls this approach “outdated” and urges potential patients to consider facelifts, tummy tucks and breast lifts. In a video titled “Stop telling women to AGE GRACEFULLY!!”, TikTok influencer Kitchen Killa Lisa likewise advises against accepting age-related changes. “I’m so tired of people telling women how they should live their lives!” she rants. “Get the Botox. Get the filler. Get the Botox. Get the facelift, the eyelift. Lift them titties, *****!” One thing’s for sure: the phrase is gendered. There’s plenty of advice for men on staying fit and looking good in midlife and beyond. But a search for “ageing gracefully” yields a sea of female faces, punctuated occasionally by George Clooney’s or Jake Gyllenhaal’s. Girls learn early on to conform to gender stereotypes that encourage compliance and “likability”. Girls also learn to be each other’s harshest critics, and the policing never stops. As in the workplace – where women are too sexy, then too fertile, then neither – the standards for ageing while female are impossible to meet. “Ageing gracefully” is also ageist, because it implies there’s something wrong with ageing past youth. But the kids aren’t alright either. Campaigns are targeting ever-younger demographics in pursuit of lifelong customers. In 2023, Carson Bradley, a teen TikTok influencer, went viral with a video of her 25-minute skincare routine “to slow the ageing process as a 14-year-old”. A search for “baby botox” – smaller injections than regular Botox and not actually for babies, phew – yields an astonishing 91m results. In the hands of the beauty and wellness industries, “ageing gracefully” is just another faux-positive phrase used to sell anti-ageing products, like luxury skincare firm Estée Lauder’s campaign to “reframe the conversation from anti-aging to visible age reversal”. At any stage of life, the message is clear: ageing is to be feared and fought. Then there’s the ableism. Over time, balance deteriorates and bodies work less well. It gets harder to stay mobile, let alone graceful. How’s a person to adapt? Reluctantly, without complaint and ideally in private. Many older people refuse to use walkers or wheelchairs because the stigma is so great, even if it means never leaving home. https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/jul/07/the-thing-about-ageing-gracefully

One person has died and two people are missing after a group of six people were swept over a waterfall in Oregon on Saturday afternoon, a local sheriff office says. The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office said it had rescued three people from the Deschutes River who were transported to the hospital, while another person was declared dead at the scene. Emergency responders used drones to look for survivors near Dillon Falls after receiving an emergency call in the afternoon and plan to resume search efforts on Sunday after pausing overnight. Dillon Falls has a 15ft (4.5m) drop that turns into "churning rapids in a quick, step ladder-like pattern", according to Visit Central Oregon. The falls over the Deschutes River are near the city of Bend in the Deschutes National Forest, a po[CENSORED]r spot for visitors. Each summer, thousands of people boat, kayak or float on inner tubes on the river, which boasts whitewater areas as well as trout and salmon fisheries. Local fire and police officers responded to 911 calls around 15:00 PDT (22:00 GMT) Officials have yet to name the victims so they can notify family members before. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c79q0pjyreno

If you came to this Derbyshire spot in winter, with all its down-at-heel problems of congested traffic, air pollution, dense housing and largely garden-free conditions, the bottom of Fairfield Road would be about the last place in Buxton you’d imagine to find breeding house martins. Yet it is about the only place in town with a good-sized colony of these exquisite if declining summer migrants, so unpicking why they have persisted here and gone almost everywhere else locally is instructive. One element may be the height of the terrace housing. The buildings are on three floors and the overhanging eaves, where martins locate their mud-cup nests, are beyond the reach of “tidy-minded” souls worried about droppings below. A more certain factor is that the back of Fairfield is only a house martin’s swoop away from what was once the town tip called Hogshaw. Yet in the last half-century it has been redeemed by nature and smothered in sallow and birch woodland. Those two are among our most insect-friendly tree species, and the resulting abundance of invertebrates which not only accounts for the birds’ presence here, but determines almost everything about house martins. They may weigh just 19g and, when perched on the nest lip, remind you of tiny pied mice, but they are global wanderers, travelling from sub-Saharan latitudes to profit from the northern hemisphere’s peak insect abundance in April-September. Come autumn, they return south to some largely unknown portion of Africa. Those journeys really put into context those projects for helping martins, or swifts, which address only their nesting places or which work by erecting artificial nests. In a sense, you can’t give martins a home, as some conservation groups advertise in their strapline: because their home is the whole world. If you’re going to help house martins, then think mainly about the insects of which the birds are made. That’s why Hogshaw, the old tip, needs to become Buxton’s newest nature reserve, a place outside human design, a zone set aside for its semi-wild character and for its wildlife, which local people can cherish. Achieving that goal would give Buxton’s house martins real hope of a genuine home. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/15/country-diary-for-these-birds-home-is-where-the-food-is

President Donald Trump’s call to make public a subset of grand jury records stemming from the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein falls far short of the total release of documents his supporters have demanded. And unlike records assembled by the Justice Department and FBI, grand jury records cannot be released without the permission of the federal court responsible for overseeing the criminal case. As a result, Trump’s demand leaves the potential disclosure of new information murky, at best, and subject to a byzantine legal analysis that could take months. That process will play out in courts in New York and Florida, where the Justice Department moved Friday to unseal grand jury records in Epstein’s criminal sex trafficking case and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case for acting as a co-conspirator. And already the Justice Department is teeing itself up to redact large swaths of information from the files. DOJ top brass told the courts it would “make appropriate redactions of victim-related information and other personal identifying information prior to releasing the transcripts.” Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who submitted the requests, did not specify what “other” information the department would seek to shield. As a result, even if Trump and Bondi succeed, it’s unclear whether the documents and transcripts will provide any new insight beyond what is already known about the case. That’s unlikely to satisfy the swell of MAGA supporters who in recent days have pressured the pair to release investigation records. Trump’s directive to Bondi to move to unseal the grand jury material — after days of stonewalling his supporters’ demands — came after a bombshell Wall Street Journal report described evidence that Trump sent a racy letter to Epstein decades ago, which the president has denied. (POLITICO has not verified the authenticity of the letter, and Trump sued The Wall Street Journal Friday afternoon.) Here’s a look at six key questions about Trump’s push to unseal the material, what the documents are likely — and unlikely — to reveal and whether a judge might go along. What’s in DOJ’s request to unseal the Epstein grand jury docs? DOJ’s unsealing requests were written broadly, arguing the typical secrecy afforded to grand jury transcripts should yield to the “extensive public interest” in the federal sex trafficking investigation into Epstein that was underway when he died by suicide in 2019. The filing references the Justice Department’s recent memo concluding that “no such evidence” exists to support criminal charges against “uncharged third parties” connected to Epstein. Referencing the explosion of rage among Trump’s supporters that followed this conclusion, Blanche noted “there has been extensive public interest in the basis for the Memorandum’s conclusions.” “Since then, the public’s interest in the Epstein matter has remained,” Blanche deadpanned. “Given this longstanding and legitimate interest, the government now moves to unseal grand jury transcripts associated with Epstein.” Whether the grand jury material held by the courts will shed significant light on the memo’s conclusions, however, is unclear. What is (likely) in the grand jury docs? Grand juries in federal criminal cases hear witness testimony and review documents provided in response to subpoenas before they determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to charge someone with a crime. All of that material is automatically considered grand jury material, and could be among the types of records released in the Epstein and Maxwell cases. But other evidence in an investigative file falls into a gray area. If someone was interviewed by law enforcement on a voluntary basis, without a subpoena, for example, that might not be considered grand jury material. But if that person were asked about documents that were produced as a result of a grand jury subpoena, their answers might be categorized by prosecutors as grand jury material, said Arlo Devlin-Brown, a former federal prosecutor who served as chief of the public corruption unit at the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office. That unit prosecuted both Epstein and Maxwell stemming from investigations that began after Devlin-Brown’s tenure. Prosecutors “often take a very expansive protective view of what’s grand jury material to keep it protected,” Devlin-Brown said. And in a large and sprawling case like Epstein’s and Maxwell’s, grand jury testimony is often limited to just that of a federal agent who has investigated the case and gives the grand jurors an overview of the evidence. The indictment of Epstein appears to be based largely on victim testimony, and prosecutors disclosed at the time of Epstein’s arrest that multiple victims had provided information against him. If the victim accounts were conveyed to a grand jury by an agent, those accounts could be included as grand jury material, but only as described secondhand. Dan Stein, a former federal prosecutor who served as criminal division chief in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, said the office virtually always took the approach of using an agent, or “summary witness,” in the grand jury. So if the Justice Department sticks to Trump’s pledge to seek the release of only grand jury testimony, Stein said, that could very well be limited to an agent’s testimony. What is (probably) not in the grand jury docs? There is likely a wealth of evidence that isn’t considered grand jury material. For example, in Epstein’s case, the high-profile searches of his palatial Manhattan home, private island, Palm Beach residence and other properties took place after he was indicted, meaning they may not have been conducted as part of the grand jury investigation, which comes before an indictment is handed down by the grand jury. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/18/jeffrey-epstein-grand-jury-documents-case-00464189

Authorities in Japan are searching for a hunter who went missing on a mountain in Hokkaido near where a brown bear was recently spotted, amid a spate of deadly attacks by the animals that has triggered the declaration of a bear emergency in one town. The hunter was reported missing by a friend on Mt Esan on Tuesday afternoon in the northern island of Hokkaido after he failed to return home. A rifle believed to belong to the missing man was found on the side of a mountain road, and bloodstains were discovered nearby. A large brown bear was seen near the road on Saturday. Also on Saturday, a newspaper delivery man was fatally mauled in the town of Fukushima, about 120km away. Kenju Sato, 52, was repeatedly bitten by a bear and dragged about 100 metres into bushes, where his body was found a few hours later. Neighbours who heard his cries attempted unsuccessfully to scare the creature off. Local authorities declared a month-long brown bear emergency for the town, the first of its kind to be issued, with police, fire fighters and hunters running patrols 24 hours a day. The bear in Fukushima was reported to be about 1.5 metres in length, smaller than the one spotted around Mt. Esan. Multiple bear attacks have also been reported in Japan’s main island of Honshu this month. An 81-year-old woman was killed on 4 July by a black bear in Iwate prefecture in northeast Japan while two elderly women were attacked in separate incidents on Tuesday morning, one in the northern Aomori prefecture and the other near the ancient capital of Nara, hundreds of kilometres to the south. Experts have attributed the rise in attacks in recent years to a scarcity of acorns and other staples of the ursine diet – a problem some experts have attributed to the climate crisis. They have also been encouraged to travel further afield by depo[CENSORED]tion in rural communities and the resulting increase in abandoned farmland. After a record 219 injuries and fatalities in the previous fiscal year, serious incidents fell sharply in the year to March 2025, possibly due to food being more plentiful than in previous years. However, a recent report by Tohoku’s regional forest office, which covers five northern prefectures, has predicted an extremely poor harvest of beechnuts, a staple bear food, this autumn, raising fears that hunger will drive more of the animals into residential areas in search of nourishment. Authorities are urging residents in the region not to dispose of food waste outside their homes to avoid attracting the creatures. Hokkaido’s Ussuri brown bears can grow up to 3 metres and exceed 500kg. The Asiatic black bears found elsewhere in Japan are rarely larger than 1.5 metres and 150kg but can still kill humans. In response to the increasing numbers of bear encounters in residential areas, the government in April relaxed its strict hunting laws to allow bears to be shot in urban areas, allowing municipalities to authorise “emergency shootings” if there is a threat to human life. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/16/hunter-missing-in-japan-as-spate-of-bear-attacks-triggers-emergency-to-be-declared-in-northern-town

Shane Lowry said he would not be called a "cheat" after accepting a two-stroke penalty during the second round of the Open Championship at Royal Portrush. The R&A judged that the Irishman, who lifted the Claret Jug at Portrush in 2019, caused his ball to move during a practice swing on the 12th hole. Lowry said he did not see the ball move and was "disappointed" that the decision was not based on footage from more camera angles. Ireland's Lowry finished his round on two-under but was told of the penalty when on the 15th hole. The penalty leaves Lowry on level-par, one shot above the cut line and he drops from a tie for 17th to tied for 34th. Lowry, 38, said he would have called a penalty on himself if he felt he had moved the ball and said he was not "arguing" his case with the rules official. "The last thing I want to do is sit there and argue and not take the penalty and then get slaughtered all over social media tonight for being a cheat," said the world number 18. "I'm disappointed that they don't have more camera angles on it. The one zoomed in slow motion - they're trying to tell me if it doesn't move from the naked eye, if you don't see it moving, it didn't move. "I told them I definitely was looking down towards the ball as I was taking that practice swing, and I didn't see it move." Knowing he had a potential penalty, Lowry then birdied the 15th and said he "played his way" into the weekend as he survived the cut by one stroke. Lowry put in 'tough situation' - Scheffler Lowry's penalty means he is now 10 shots off leader and playing partner Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler said that Lowry was put in "a pretty tough situation" but "ultimately in golf it's up to the player". "In the rough it's hard to tell. From what I looked at very briefly on the video, it looked like it was very difficult to see if the ball was moving," the world number one said. "It was a very tough spot for Shane to be put in. He handled it really well. It's obviously very frustrating." Scheffler refused to be drawn on whether he felt Lowry deserved the penalty, but reiterated "it was a very tough situation for him to be put in". "It's frustrating for me as a competitor of his and a player to watch him after kind of deal with that because the last thing you want to be known in the game of golf is somebody who cheats." https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/articles/cr5v9035vj7o

Israel has demolished thousands of buildings across Gaza since it withdrew from a ceasefire with Hamas in March, with entire towns and suburbs - once home to tens of thousands of people - levelled in the past few weeks. Satellite images show massive amounts of destruction in several areas which Israel's military command claims to have under "operational control". Large swathes of it have been caused by planned demolitions, both to already damaged buildings and ones that appeared largely intact. Verified footage shows large explosions unleashing plumes of dust and debris, as Israeli forces carry out controlled demolitions on tower blocks, schools and other infrastructure. Multiple legal experts told BBC Verify that Israel may have committed war crimes under the Geneva Convention, which largely prohibits the destruction of infrastructure by an occupying power. An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said it operated in accordance with international law; that Hamas concealed "military assets" in civilian areas, and that the "destruction of property is only performed when an imperative military necessity is demanded". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-33fccfbe-abcc-4af1-bdd2-632b2787cf59

While the economy started this year strongly, Wednesday saw another example of a surprise to the markets in the wrong direction. In May the economy slowed again, and now inflation has quickened faster than expected. It is expected to stay well above the Bank of England's target level until autumn. For consumers, still reeling from years of higher prices and a recent pickup in food prices, the new number is less a surprise, more the confirmation of their ordinary day-to-day challenges. On top of that, and just as important for some people, the bounce in inflation complicates the Bank's rate cut plan. Investors have been treating it as pretty much nailed on that rates will come down again in August, from the current 4.25%. Now there is definitely a sense of renewed caution. A former rate setter at the Bank, the economist Andrew Sentance, even said it would be "irresponsible" for interest rates to be cut next month. Expectations remain that the cut in August and another one later in the year will go ahead. But the Bank will have to explain why it is looking beyond this current rise in inflation, into next year's expected drop-back to the 2% target. It will mean the return of old questions around whether the UK is more inflation-prone than other countries, for example because of increasing wage and tax costs being passed on in the form of higher prices. A weakening jobs market is another part of the deliberations. The latest employment figures will be published on Thursday. If, as expected, they show a continued fall in vacancies, then that strengthens the argument for going ahead with a cut in rates. Bloomberg is predicting a 4.9% unemployment rate, up from the 4.6% reported last month. But as always it is important to keep all the figures in perspective. True, other major economies have not seen a similar bounce in inflation. The eurozone's latest inflation rate is just 2%. But inflation is nowhere near the highs of the energy crisis, and will come down as energy prices fall in the autumn. Growth is definitely slowing, but we are not in recession, and the very latest activity figures suggest recovery in some sectors. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70xy9nv7p7o

Superhero movie that is plainly about the invasion of Gaza, is all over the shop. Too many characters contribute too little to the plot. There are moments when it feels like it was written specifically to provide work for the silly-glasses and ironic-haircut industries. But that said, one thing is demonstrably true: the dog is cool. As shown in the trailer, Krypto the superdog is Superman’s secret weapon. A mile away from his last screen outing, where he was muscular and proud and voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Superman’s Krypto is scrappy and wild. He doesn’t obey commands. He destroys whatever equipment is put in front of him. Whenever he may or may not save the day, it seems like he does it out of accident rather than design. And now everybody wants one. Research by the dog training app Woofz has shown that Google searches for “adopt a dog near me” jumped 513% during Superman’s opening weekend. What’s more, searches for “rescue dog adoption near me” rose by 163%, while “adopt a puppy” rose by 31%. And these searches are specific, too. Krypto is apparently a schnauzer-terrier mix, and “adopt a schnauzer” searches have risen by almost 300% since Superman’s release. There are many potential reasons for this. Perhaps viewers who found themselves confused by Superman’s swampy storytelling latched on to Krypto as a guidepoint. Perhaps they have short attention spans and fail to think things through, as with the boom of dalmatian sales (and subsequent boom in dalmatian abandonments) after 101 Dalmatians was released in 1996. Or perhaps it’s because Superman is one of the rare films to get dog ownership exactly right. dogs and never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He immediately came in and destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture – he even ate my laptop. It took a long time before he would even let us touch him. I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?’ – and thus Krypto came into the script.” And maybe that’s the key here. There were no misty-eyed Marley and Me-style reminiscences about Ozu. Gunn was living through the incredibly annoying part of dog ownership where neither party fully trusts the other, and just lifted it wholesale into the script. And this realistic depiction has apparently translated to the hearts of Superman’s audience, as we will soon see when thousands of schnauzers are definitely not abandoned at shelters four months from now. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jul/17/tiresome-useless-superman-may-be-sci-fi-but-it-dog-ownership-right

Kia EV4 este primul hatchback electric al marcii, conceput special pentru Europa, pentru a naviga prin orase, a traversa continentul si a face mobilitatea electrificata disponibila mai multor clienti. Versatil si practic, modelul este, de asemenea, extrem de conectat - EV4 este primul model Kia care include Puncte de Interes (POI) Google ca parte a sistemului de navigatie. Google este metoda principala pentru cautarea de informatii despre locuri, unitati, atractii si obiective turistice. Un POI poate fi orice loc de interes cu un nume si o locatie recunoscute de Google si marcate cu un indicator (pin) pe harta, impreuna cu informatii actualizate. Adaugarea punctelor de interes Google la sistemul de navigatie al modelului EV4 permite clientilor sa acceseze detalii cuprinzatoare despre POI, inclusiv parcare, ore de functionare, preturi, perioade aglomerate si multe altele, pe langa faptul ca beneficiaza de un traseu imbunatatit pas cu pas direct catre punctele de interes. „Oferirea de detalii cuprinzatoare despre locuri prin intermediul punctelor de interes Google permite clientilor sa ia decizii avizate inainte de fiecare calatorie si sa se adapteze odata ce sunt pe drum”, a declarat Pablo Martinez Masip, Vice President of Product & Marketing al Kia Europe. „Locurile se inchid, orele de functionare se schimba, devin disponibile mai multe locuri de parcare, iar oferirea tuturor acestor informatii clientilor nostri pe ecranul masinii adauga un nou nivel interesant navigatiei si experientei de condus.” Punctele de interes (POI) Google vor fi disponibile pentru Kia EV4 de la inceputul productiei automobilului. Toate celelalte modele Kia cu sistemul de navigatie conectat „Navigation Cockpit” (ccNC) vor primi puncte de interes Google ca actualizare gratuita in aceasta vara, iar toate modelele Kia viitoare cu sistemul de navigatie ccNC vor avea puncte de interes Google preinstalate. Un avantaj important al punctelor de interes Google este faptul ca actualizarile in timp real sunt facute direct de utilizatori in cadrul ecosistemului Google, pentru a imbunatati si a spori continuu calitatea informatiilor despre locatie. Aceasta include fotografii recente, meniuri, evaluari, recenzii, accesibilitate si multe altele. https://www.4tuning.ro/green-cars/kia-duce-sistemul-de-navigatie-la-un-nou-nivel-prin-lansarea-punctelor-de-interes-google-pois-google-points-of-interest-55143.html

Selecționerul Gabonului, Thierry Mouyouma, a răspuns criticilor care i-au fost adresate după înmormântarea lui Aaron Boupendza. Fostul atacant al Rapidului a murit pe 16 aprilie, la doar 28 de ani, după ce s-a aruncat în gol de la etajul 11 al blocului în care locuia, în China. Boupendza părăsise Rapidul în ianuarie. Trupul său a fost repatriat în Gabon, iar o ceremonie de amploare a avut loc la sfârșitul lunii mai. De la eveniment a absentat antrenorul echipei naționale, Thierry Mouyouma, și membrii staff-ului său. Mouyouma a refuzat mult timp să facă orice fel de comentariu pe marginea subiectului, însă a rupt până la urmă tăcerea într-un interviu acordat portalului Union. Mouyama a fost interzis la înmormântare de familia lui Boupendza Într-un dialog pe care l-a avut online cu câțiva suporteri cu numai câteva luni înainte să moară, Aaron Boupendza l-a atacat pe Mouyama. "Cine este el? Cine îl cunoaște? Unde a jucat? Cât timp ticălosul de Mouyouma este aici, nu mă voi mai întoarce la echipa națională", a transmis Boupendza. Cuvintele sale au stârnit un scandal major, iar fotbalistul a fost, până la urmă, cel care și-a cerut iertare public. "Problema cu echipa națională este că, la un moment dat, i-am făcut pe jucători să creadă că sunt mai puternici decât instituția. Jucătorii au luat echipa națională ostatică. Când am ajuns noi, aceasta era starea de lucruri. Am preferat să păstrăm bunăstarea unei națiuni în detrimentul certurilor interne", a replicat Mouyama. "Vreau să prezint scuze antrenorului și poporului gabonez pentru această izbucnire a mea. Formatul videoclipului și comentariile pe care le-am făcut la adresa lui nu au fost cele mai bune lucruri. Vreau să-mi cer iertare. Trec prin momente dificile. Scopul meu este să fiu mereu acolo dacă antrenorul are nevoie de mine. Cel mai important lucru este să-ți recunoști greșeala și să accepți criticile", a parat Boupendza. Numai că familia fotbalistului nu a trecut peste schimbul de replici. Lui Mouyama i s-a transmis să nu vină la funeralii pentru că nu e bine primit. "În urma discuțiilor pe care le-am avut cu Federația și cu Ministerul Sportului, am înțeles că am fost declarat persona non grata la ceremonie. Prin urmare, nu m-am putut opune dorințelor familiei, în special ale mamei, care a refuzat prezența mea și a sfaff-ului meu la înmormântare. De asemenea, nu am putut strica omagiile adus de o națiune pentru unul dintre fiii săi", a dezvoltat Mouyama. Aaron Boupendza a strâns 35 de selecții în echipa națională a Gabonului între 2016 și 2023. A marcat 8 goluri. https://m.digisport.ro/fotbal/liga-1/scandal-major-dupa-inmormantarea-lui-boupendza-antrenorul-nationalei-n-a-mai-rezistat-si-a-spus-tot-la-doua-luni-distanta-3704015

We asked newlyweds, long-married couples, and the odd divorcee about the wedding gifts they truly cherished. Their answers? A lot more interesting than a toaster. “If you don’t say what you want, your parents’ friends will buy you things like papier-mache crisp bowls,” warned my friend – and celebrant – when my partner and I got engaged. We’re getting married in October. We’re not actually doing presents – we’re having a destination wedding and I need some way of assuaging that guilt – but she made a good point. What do you buy if there isn’t a list, and you don’t know the person very well, or if there is a list, but the only thing left is a bin? Cash feels crass – “donations to the honeymoon” is a euphemism for cash – and homemade is hard to pull off unless you’re particularly skilled. Yet there are ways to find the right present for the right couple, at the right price. Below is a non-exhaustive list of ideas from experts – newlyweds; divorcees who know over which wedding gifts they fought; and long-married couples – about what they cherish most, years on. Nothing is more subjective than what people choose to display in their homes. But if you’re an artist yourself or have the money to commission something, a piece of art can make a wonderful gift. You could commission an illustrator to draw the place where the couple first met or got married, or perhaps frame a poem that’s meaningful to them. One friend received a Sophia Langmead artwork of the punchline of an in-joke, which he describes as “ridiculous, completely personal and absolutely precious”. Keep it relatively small-scale – a large, loud piece of art is somewhat presumptuous. Try a painting of a beloved walk or destination by Rose Owen; a personalised insult from Mr Bingo; an illustration of a favourite restaurant by Phoebe Rutherford or a pub by Matthew JK Grogan. Or visit They Made This, which showcases a good – and mostly affordable – range of artists and illustrators. https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2025/jul/17/best-wedding-gift-ideas-couples-uk

Vedeta Mihaela Rădulescu deplânge moartea iubitului ei. Într-un mesaj scurt, ea a transmis că nu-și găsește cuvintele după tragicul accident. „Acum nu-mi ies cuvintele. Dar sunt recunoscătoare pentru ale tale... Felix, ai fost atât de iubit.... Am fost IUBIȚI”, a spus Mihaela Rădulescu, pe contul el de Instagram. Mesajul e însoțit de poze cu cei doi. Austriacul Felix Baumgartner, partenerul de viaţă al vedetei TV Mihaela Rădulescu, a murit joi după-amiază, la vârsta de 56 de ani, într-un accident de parapantă în Porto Sant'Elpidio, pe coasta Adriatică, relatează presa internaţională. Mihaela Rădulescu se afla în zonă şi a fost informată cu privire la tragedie, potrivit Sky Sport Austria. Potrivit informaţiilor furnizate agenţiei APA de către pompierii chemaţi la faţa locului, Baumgartner ar fi pierdut controlul asupra parapantei motorizate din cauza unei indispoziţii bruşte şi s-ar fi prăbuşit în piscina unui hotel. El a murit pe loc, au raportat echipajele de salvare. În timpul căderii, el a lovit o angajată a hotelului, care a fost transportată la spital cu leziuni la gât. Baumgartner decolase de pe o pistă pentru parapante motorizate. https://www.stiripesurse.ro/prima-reactie-a-mihaelei-radulescu-dupa-moartea-iubitului_3760536.html

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While colleges and universities slow down during summer break, Ahniwake Rose is busy wondering what the fall semester will hold for the nation’s 37 tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) – and if they will be able to stay open much longer. As the president and CEO of the Indigenous non-profit American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), Rose (Cherokee and Muscogee Creek) braces as the schools she represents face a potential nearly 90% reduction in funding starting in October. President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget includes a proposal to slash operations funding from $183.3m to $22.1m for Bureau of Indian Education post-secondary programs – career and technical schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities. On 15 July, a House appropriations subcommittee approved legislation that allotted $1.5bn to the Bureau of Indian Education, though it did not specify how much would go toward post-secondary programs. Congress still needs to finish approving the budget for the Bureau of Indian Education, a subdivision of the Department of Interior. If approved, such cuts will further endanger a system that’s already undernourished. Congress currently underfunds the nation’s 37 tribal colleges and universities by $250m a year, according to a 2024 ProPublica report. TCUs are heavily reliant on federal funding, which accounts for about 75% of their revenue. Those monies cannot be replaced with endowments or alumni donations as other higher education institutions do due to low wealth in Indigenous communities, said Rose. “There is really no other option, if not to close,” she said, “than to severely reduce the way that our institutions are able to provide services to our students.” Rose added that “there is not one TCU that would be able to walk away unscathed”. While they are on summer recess, faculty and students have expressed concerns about their academic future as they fear that their schools will close next year. “The impact that this is having on the morale of our community and our students has been deeply troubling,” Rose said. Some students are reconsidering whether they will begin school or continue their coursework next year. “Would the staff want to sign a contract for an institution that might not be able to pay them next year or in a few months?” In anticipation of potential budget cuts, some schools have adjusted by canceling internships, fellowships and workforce study, said Rose. AIHEC is working with institutions to guarantee that the cancellations don’t affect students’ abilities to meet degree requirements and graduate. For students who relied on fellowships to support their education, the non-profit is partnering with the American Indian College Fund so that they can complete their education on time. When Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) student Breana Brave Heart (Oglala Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne) learned that the Trump administration was seeking to eliminate her school’s funding, she saw it as a betrayal. “It felt like a direct attack on us as Native students – on our dreams, our cultures and our treaty rights,” Brave Heart said in a statement to the Guardian. “IAIA isn’t just a college; it’s a promise our ancestors secured for us through sacrifice and agreements with the US government.” Rose said that Brave Heart’s school was most vulnerable to a potential closure, since Trump’s 2026 discretionary budget request includes a plan to specifically eliminate funding for the school – without explanation. The four-year fine arts school that focuses on Alaska Native and Native American arts receives $13.5m in annual appropriations. That amount would be reduced to zero if the budget is approved by Congress. “If they were to defund us,” the IAIA president, Robert Martin, (Cherokee) said, “then what would happen to those 850 students? Where would they go at this point?” Native Americans make up 80% of the student po[CENSORED]tion, with 92 federally recognized tribes represented at the school. Founded in 1962, IAIA has had an indelible influence on Indigenous arts, Martin said. Some of the most well-known alumni include the former US poet laureate Joy Harjo (Muscogee/Creek) and author Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho of Oklahoma), a finalist for the Pulitzer prize for fiction. “With the pandemic and historical trauma to begin with, there’s always been mental health issues [for students], and this adds a little bit more stress to being a college student,” Martin said. “In terms of faculty and staff, they are stressed about their employment outlook in the future, and what that’s going to bring.” In the meantime, Martin is telling staff and students to expect to return to campus in the fall. School leadership has held town hall meetings for faculty and staff to allay their concerns, and they are preparing to increase their fundraising efforts. An obligation to educate Martin and Christopher Caldwell (Menominee), president at College of Menominee Nation in Wisconsin, hope that whenever a new budget passes, it will uphold the federal government’s promise to fund Indigenous education. The 1978 Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act and about 150 treaties guaranteed federal funding to higher education, at a base amount of $8,000 per student adjusted for inflation. Since June, school leaders and their allies have lobbied congressional members to continue supporting TCUs so they remain open in the upcoming academic year. Continued funding of the schools, which provides economic vitality to the entire community also allows tribes to govern themselves, said Rose. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/18/native-american-colleges-universities-funding-trump

Superman’s dog Krypto is not the best-mannered canine in the new James Gunn-helmed blockbuster about the Man of Steel – but he does prove himself to be a capable sidekick and he has driven a real-world surge in pet adoption interest, if online search trends are any indication. Searches by Google users for “adopt a dog near me” increased by 513% after Gunn’s Superman was released in US theaters during the weekend of 11 July, according to the Woofz dog training app, which cited its own analysis of the trends on the search engine. Searches for “rescue dog adoption near me” and “adopt a puppy”, meanwhile, respectively jumped by 163% and 31%. Furthermore, Google searches for “adopt a schnauzer” rose by 299%, Woofz said on its website. That is revealing because – as the app noted – the CGI-created, red-caped Krypto which stars alongside David Corenswet’s Superman in Gunn’s flick evidently is a schnauzer and terrier mutt mix. Pet lovers in the US, where nearly 6 million dogs and cats were placed into shelters and rescue centers nationwide in 2024 alone, generally met Woofz’s findings alongside Krypto’s scene-stealing turn with enthusiasm. More than 450 pets were adopted across the US during the first 10 days of July, when Warner Bros – the studio which released Superman – collaborated with Best Friends Animal Society to cover animal adoption fees. Nonetheless, in a statement first reported by the Wrap, Woofz’s chief executive officer, Natalia Shahmetova, made it a point to tell those seeking out their own Krypto that “adoption is a real commitment”. “The hype will fade, but your dog will stay, so make sure you’re ready to give them the time, care, and training they need and deserve,” Shahmetova’s statement said. Gunn has spoken publicly about how he based Krypto’s likeness and behavior on his own rescue dog, Ozu, whom the Superman director called “the world’s worst dog”. When rescued from an owner who had hoarded about 60 dogs, Ozu wouldn’t let Gunn and his wife “pet him because he had never known human beings”, Gunn had said. “And he was biting my feet until they bled, ate my new $10,000 laptop, chewed up all my shoes and our furniture – and I was like, ‘Thank God he doesn’t have superpowers.’” That gratitude over his dog’s lack of superpowers then gave the film-maker the idea to have Ozu “3D scanned and then digitally altered to resemble” Krypto – who is overly excitable, easily distracted and benevolently disobedient, but fearlessly goes into battle alongside Gunn’s version of Superman, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). During one particularly poignant scene, Corenswet’s Superman laments how Krypto is “not even a very good” dog at a time when the pair are apart. “But he’s out there alone, and he’s probably scared,” the Last Son of Krypton says, before leaving to try to reunite with him and grapple with various enemies. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/17/superman-movie-krypto-dog-adoption

Chiar dacă nu este primul eveniment profilat pe design susținut de BMW în România, Transformation. Neue Klasse are darul de a arunca o lumină cuprinzătoare asupra condițiilor în care marca bavareză a supraviețuit și s-a recalibrat după cel de-al Doilea Război Mondial pentru a găsi drumul spre actualul și viitorul succes. Prin această expoziție extraordinară, Cărturești Carusel aduce în premieră în fața vizitatorilor o serie de schiţe care au conturat unul din cele mai importante modele din istoria mărcii – BMW Neue Klasse. Astfel, în intervalul 18 iulie – 25 august, Cărtureşti Carusel îşi propune să devină o destinaţie incomparabilă pentru pasionaţii de automobile. Să nu cumva să credeți că, privind imaginile care însoțesc această știre, ați avut deja un contact semnificativ cu mesajul expoziției – aici vedeți doar „vârful aisbergului' și pe David Carp (din partea BMW Group Design) care a oferit turul expoziției în persoană pentru invitații media. În plus, la noul stand dedicat cărților referitoare la domeniul auto sunt așteptați toți fanii auto indiferent de marcă, cu o ofertă bogată de cărţi şi diverse produse. Revenind la tema zilei, lansarea în 1961 a gamei BMW Neue Klasse a fost un punct de cotitură în istoria mărcii, punând baza întregii oferte moderne actuale, a orientării sportive şi a multor proiecte care îşi pun amprenta asupra BMW şi astăzi, la mai bine de 60 de ani distanţă. BMW Neue Klasse a fost astfel un element puternic de transformare pentru ceea ce avea să devină cea mai puternică marcă premium de automobil din lume. Transformation. Neue Klasse' este o expoziţie care aduce în premieră la lumină o serie de schiţe de design care dezvăluie cum a fost creată prima serie de modele postbelice cu adevărat capabile să obțină un succes comercial de anvergură. Este povestea unui efort de aproape un deceniu, care a implicat atât designeri ai mărcii, cât şi colaborări cu case de design italiene într-o perioadă de căutări şi transformări continue, cu multe schimbări rapide şi surprinzătoare. Selecţia schiţelor de design a fost realizată de David Carp, BMW Group Design, cel care a curatoriat o serie de expoziţii internaţionale de design, printre care „Belle Macchine. Design auto italian la BMW” găzduită de Muzeul BMW. David face parte din echipa de design BMW Group din 1992 şi este cel care a creat Arhiva de Design BMW Group deja de la jumătatea anilor 90, acumulând o înţelegere unică a istoriei mărcii. Conceptul grafic de prezentare al expoziţiei a fost realizat de graficianul Claudiu Ionescu, în timp ce Alex Şeremet, Corporate Communication Manager (îl vedeți alături de motorul BMW cu patru cilindri), a completat povestea expoziţiei cu informaţii despre cum Neue Klasse a marcat evoluţia mărcii. Un alt element inedit este prezentarea integrală a unui articol din aceeaşi perioadă din revista americană Car and Driver, un moment de istorie autentic care a contribuit decisiv la afirmarea BMW peste ocean. Expoziţia este găzduită în perioada 18 iulie – 25 august de Cărtureşti Carusel, intrarea fiind gratuită. În această perioadă, un spațiu special amenajat în cadrul librăriei se transformă într-un centru pentru pasionații de automobile. Dincolo de marca BMW, în librărie va fi disponibilă o gamă bogată de cărți și produse dedicate universului automobilistic. Un exemplu notabil este cartea autobiografică Adrian Newey: How to Build a Car'. Posterul expoziţiei va fi de asemenea disponibil pentru a fi cumpărat, în mod exclusiv, la Cărtureşti. De asemenea, vor fi organizate constant tururi ghidate ale expoziției, cu participare gratuită, într-un efort de a dezvolta pasiunea şi cultura pentru automobil şi a stimula un dialog despre automobil şi istorie. Mai multe detalii vor fi disponibile pe canalele social media urmărind hashtagul #CaruselNeueKlasse. https://www.auto-bild.ro/stiri/apropiata-lansare-a-lui-bmw-neue-klasse-prefigurata-la-bucuresti-de-expozitia-transformation-neue-klasse-gazduita-de-carturesti-carusel-224138

Conform informațiilor apărute în presa din Italia, trupa de pe ”Stadio Olimpico” a înaintat o ofertă de 25 de milioane de euro pentru lateralul brazilian. Agentul jucătorului este încrezător că tranzacția se va realiza în zilele următoare, dar în cazul în care va apărea ceva neprevăzut iar transferul va pica, AS Roma are deja în minte varianta de rezervă. Andrei Rațiu, planul B în cazul în care transferul lui Wesley la AS Roma pică Potrivit TMW, care citează Il Messaggero, directorul sportiv al celor de la AS Roma va încerca să obțină serviciile lui Andrei Rațiu în cazul în care Wesley nu va ajunge în capitala Italiei. Astfel, rămâne de văzut cum vor decurge negocierile cu oficialii lui Flamengo în perioada următoare și dacă cei din conducere vor fi nevoiți să înceapă discuțiile cu Rayo Vallecano. 12 milioane de euro este cota de piață a lui Andrei Rațiu, care și-a trecut în cont două goluri și trei pase decisive în sezonul trecut. Chiar dacă va rămâne la Rayo, cel poreclit ”Sonic” va avea ocazia de a juca în UEFA Conference League, a treia cea mai importantă competiție intercluburi din Europa. https://m.digisport.ro/fotbal/serie-a/au-pus-banii-pe-masa-pentru-transfer-25-de-milioane-de-euro-andrei-ratiu-asteapta-vestea-din-italia-3704005

Treatments to boost the protein are all the rage, but the evidence is uncertain and any results could be short-lived. boost collagen production and reduce other signs of skin ageing such as pigmentation.” Although celebrity endorsements and dramatic before-and-after pictures can be persuasive, it is also worth remembering that these procedures are not a permanent fix for skin ageing – they require continuing treatments, which can be costly. The most effective long-term strategy to protect and preserve your collagen is to minimise UV exposure from an early age, through consistent use of sunscreen. Sherratt showed me a photo of him during Britain’s 1976 heatwave, when he was nine. Unlike the proteins inside our cells that are regularly renewed, he said, type I collagen in the dermis had a half-life of about 15 years and elastin was thought to be meant to last a lifetime. “These proteins accumulate damage over time. So, it’s highly likely that some of the extracellular matrix proteins in my face and forearm still carry damage from that 1976 holiday.” For those of us who did not faithfully apply sunscreen in our youth, it is worth being realistic about how much even the most advanced treatments can achieve. While they may temporarily firm and smooth the skin, the deeper biological damage has already taken place – and much of it may be irreversible. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2025/jul/18/do-collagen-shots-supplements-really-work-youthful-skin

Adrian Năstase, fost lider PSD și fost premier, critică iar social -democrații. După ce zilele trecute a postat pe site-ul său o analiză în care puncta că PSD este a cincea roată la căruța guvernării, formată din partide de dreapta, acum Năstase spune că miniștrii PSD vor afla de la alții ce au discutat miniștrii USR și președintele Nicușor Dan cu cancelarul Germaniei Friedrich Merz. E adevărat, pentru economie, participă acum doar ministrii USR. Ceilalti membri ai guvernului vor fi informati despre rezultatele vizitei de către purtătorul de cuvânt al guvernului. " Caruta guvernarii actuale pare ca are patru roti – PNL, USR, UDMR si Grupul minoritatilor, in timp ce PSD pare a fi a cincea roata. In plus, nici „carmaciul” carutei nu e de la PSD. Pornind de la ultimile evolutii din guvern (numiri, comunicare publica), din parlament, de la Curtea constitutionala, etc, imi este foarte clar ca s-a format o axa PNL/USR in interiorul guvernului, cu sprijin de la Cotroceni. Acest tandem din cadrul coalitiei se va intari prin numirile in zona serviciilor de informatii, a serviciului extern din MAE, din Ministerul economiei (regii de stat, etc). Pozitia PSD in aceasta configuratie va deveni tot mai slaba, inclusiv la nivelul administratiei locale. Sigur, tandemul PNL/USR are inca nevoie de PSD pentru a avea o majoritate in Parlament dar PSD a ajuns un partener-junior, care devine, treptat, prizonier al unei politici care ii afecteaza electoratul. Basescu isi dorea un PSD care sa aiba „doar” 20% din electorat, astfel incat sa nu mai fie nucleul unor posibile formule de guvernare (pe vremea cand avea 35-40%). Iata ca dorinta lui s-a indeplinit. In plus, PSD nu mai dispune nici de posibili aliati in zona de stanga. In ultimii ani, politica de supravietuire, bazata pe conducerea partidului de la nivel local, in functie de interesele „baronilor” din judete si ale catorva de la Centru a dus la epuizarea resurselor de lideri nationali, la o reprezentare slaba in parlament si la o penurie de idei sau programe credibile. Marea dilema a membrilor partidului este acum daca sa ramana in continuare la guvernare sau sa treaca in opozitie. Chiar si cei care vor sa ramana la guvernare, pe ideea de a continua – unii dintre ei – sa ramana conectati la anumite surse de finantare sau pentru a-si asigura un tip de protectie impotriva unor eventuale dosare, isi dau seama ca, in perspectiva urmatoarelor alegeri parlamentare, AUR poate „aspira” cea mai mare parte a votantilor PSD. Pe de alta parte, regandirea unui nou mesaj, a unor noi programe si a unui nou lidership sunt greu compatibile cu prezenta in actualul guvern. Sigur, un partid responsabil nu se poate desparti de responsabilitatea iesirii din aceasta situatie (la care a contribuit impreuna cu PNL dar si cu USR). Poate insa ca sprijinirea, din parlament, pe baza unui acord solid, a unui guvern minoritar PNL/USR/UDMR ar oferi ragazul necesar pentru atingerea acestor obiective. Reamintesc ca guvernul PSD din 2000-2004 a fost un guvern minoritar, sprijinit in parlamrnt de UDMR, pe baza de acorduri negociate anual. Din acest punct de vedere, Congresul din toamna al partidului poate insemna iesirea PSD din mediocritate si revenirea in prim-planul politicii romanesti.”, scrie Adrian Năstase, pe blogul personal. https://www.stiripesurse.ro/adrian-nastase-torpileaza-psd-dupa-ce-a-vazut-poza-cu-ministrii-usr-in-delegatie-spre-germania-a-cincea-roata_3760452.html

LPF a anunţat, miercuri, programul etapei a patra a Superligii, care include şi derbiul Dinamo – FCSB. Confruntarea va avea loc sâmbătă, 2 august. Programul etapei a patra: Vineri, 1 august Ora 19.00 Farul Constanţa - Metaloglobus Bucureşti Ora 21.30 Petrolul Ploieşti - UTA Arad Sâmbătă, 2 august Ora 18.30 FC Argeş - FK Csikszereda Miercurea Ciuc Ora 21.30 Dinamo - FCSB Duminică, 3 august Ora 18.30 FC Hermannstadt - Universitatea Cluj Ora 21.30 CFR Cluj - Universitatea Craiova Luni, 4 august Ora 19.00 Unirea Slobozia - Oţelul Galaţi Ora 21.30 FC Rapid – FC Botoşani Partidele vor fi transmise în direct de PRIMA Sport şi DIGI Sport. https://www.news.ro/sport/s-a-stabilit-cand-se-va-disputa-derbiul-dinamo-fcsb-programul-etapei-a-patra-a-superligii-1922404916512025071322100159