Former President Trump was briefed Tuesday about "real and specific threats" from Iran to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate, according to his campaign. Iran’s aim to assassinate Trump is part of the Islamic Republic’s efforts to "destabilize and sow chaos in the United States," Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a press release. IRAN SPOUTS ‘PROPAGANDA’ FROM UN PODIUM, CALLS ON MIDDLE EAST TO UNITE BEHIND TEHRAN "Intelligence officials have identified...

The federal judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case approved a request by special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday allowing him to file an “oversized” brief responding to the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling. Smith sought permission for District Judge Tanya Chutkan to file a “comprehensive” opening brief explaining how the government intends to prosecute Trump in light of the Supreme Court’s July 1 ruling which granted...

A US federal judge in the Southern District of New York has sentenced Caroline Ellison, a member of the ring of executives who presided over the fraud that led to the collapse of crypto exchange FTX, to two years in prison. In addition, she has been ordered to forfeit $11 billion. In December 2022, Ellison pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud and conspiracy in connection with the fall of FTX. Last March, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried—with whom Ellison shared a tumultuous romantic...

US states that legalized sports gambling should ban it again, an expert argued. In 2012, several states overturned a two-decade ban on sports betting, and by 2023 Americans were betting more than $1 billion a month, Charles Fain Lehman wrote in The Atlantic. He cited research showing that lifting the ban increased bankruptcies, reduced household savings, and exacerbated domestic violence, especially among deprived communities, and that — contrary to expectations — it didn’t raise much in tax...

The son of Ryan Routh has been arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography, according to charging documents. Charging documents said that police were searching the man's home in Guilford County, North Carolina, on Saturday when they discovered child pornography. 'I hate this game every four years, and think that we all do.' "A review of the SD card located in Device-1 revealed that it contained hundreds of child pornography files," said prosecutors. "These files include videos from a...

The thick-necked union boss, who’s short on manners and long on tough talk and machismo, is in many ways an endangered American archetype. Amid rampant political correctness and professionalisation, they seem like anachronisms from a lost age; Sean O’Brien, president of the Teamsters, could be one of the last living specimens: his earthy ways evoke the Jimmy Hoffas and George Meanys of yore. In his speech at the Republican National Convention in the summer, O’Brien praised Donald...

The Isle of Man government is exploring facial recognition technology (“FRT”) and mandatory ID registration for all residents.  The reason given for implementing these measures is to fight crime. The government plans […]

by Brian Shilhavy, Health Impact News: In an article earlier this month I defined what “free speech” really means legally in the United States, as the American public has increasingly defined “free speech” in political terms, and in relation to social media. See: Do Big Tech Billionaires Promote “Free Speech” or Child Sex Trafficking? What […]

Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at info@reasonstobecheerful.world. A high point Back in 1859, surveyor Arnold Guyot bestowed the name of a Confederate general on a peak in the Great Smoky Mountains. That name — Clingmans Dome — is how the peak, the highest in what is not Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has been labeled on maps and known to visitors ever since. But now the peak, which is sacred to the Cherokee people, has been restored to its original Cherokee name. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names recently approved the move, according to a Cherokee One Feather story shared by RTBC Editorial Director Rebecca Worby. Becca says:   Kuwohi, the peak’s Cherokee name, translates as “mulberry place.” This is a super popular spot in the national park (partly because of its iconic observation tower) so the name change is a big deal. Soaking it up This week’s Street Wars, a weekly New York Times series on the battle for space on New York’s streets and sidewalks, reports that the secret weapon to fight flooding is hidden in plain sight. Rohit T. Aggarwala demonstrated the absorbing power of permeable pavement in Borough Park in July. Credit: Department of Environmental Protection That secret weapon is porous pavement, an innovation that will already be familiar to devoted RTBC readers, as Executive Editor Will Doig notes. Will says:   Permeable pavement is trending! We wrote about New York creating streets that soak up water a few weeks back, part of the movement to make cities spongier. What else we’re reading Norway: electric cars outnumber petrol for first time in ‘historic milestone’ — shared by RTBC founder David Byrne from The Guardian California governor signs law banning all plastic shopping bags at grocery stores — shared by Contributing Editor Michaela Haas from AP News Biochar farm robots win $500K Wilkes Climate Launch Prize — shared by Rebecca Worby from the University of Utah In other news… Last week, RTBC took a trip down to Atlanta to attend the 2024 Nonprofit News Awards. Kea Krause’s excellent story about the revival of the Penobscot River was a finalist for the Breaking Barriers Award, which honors “reporting that brought new understanding to an issue or topic affecting people or communities that are historically underrepresented, disadvantaged or marginalized, resulting in impactful change.” Congratulations to Kea and to all the winners and finalists! The post What We’re Reading: Restoring the Cherokee Name to a Beloved Peak appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.