Trump administration seeks emergency stay of court’s order to fund SNAP

U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell Jr. ordered the Trump administration to pay full SNAP benefits by Friday. The Trump administration raced to an appeals court to block a federal judge’s order directing the Agriculture Department to use emergency funding to pay full food stamp benefits for November. The move comes after U.S. District Judge … Read more

Kremlin denies growing rumors of Sergey Lavrov’s ouster

“Completely untrue,” insists Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, as chatter builds about the veteran foreign minister. A top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that media reports about Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov falling out of favor “are completely untrue.” Veteran diplomat Lavrov remains in his role, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted during a briefing to … Read more

Trump pardons former Tennessee House speaker convicted of fraud charges

The president has spared several high-profile Republicans from prison time since returning to the White House in January. President Donald Trump has pardoned former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada, who was handed a 36-month sentence in September for fraud, money laundering and conspiracy charges tied to a scheme involving constituent mailer services. Trump also pardoned … Read more

Cornell to pay $30M to Trump administration to settle probes

The deal would restore federal grants frozen by the administration in April over antisemitic incidents on the Ivy League school’s campus. Cornell University agreed to pay $30 million to the Trump administration to immediately restore millions in federal funding and settle ongoing federal investigations into the Ivy League school’s response to antisemitic incidents on campus. … Read more

‘There is no money’: As carbon markets collapse, what happens to the forests they promised to protect?

After it was found most offsets did not represent real carbon reductions, the money dried up. But successful schemes such as Kasigau in Kenya now face a stark future Solomon Morris Makau checks the fallen tree for snakes before he wraps a tape measure around the trunk. The early morning sun is overwhelming in the … Read more

Ed Sheeran takes partial credit for move to overhaul music teaching in England

Singer-songwriter says curriculum changes reflect points raised in open letter to PM organised by his foundation Ed Sheeran has taken partial credit for the government’s move to overhaul the teaching of music in England’s state schools shortly after being mentioned by the education secretary in parliament. The Department for Education (DfE) said it wanted to … Read more

Just Stop Oil protesters convicted after being denied right to state climate facts

Lawyers call for clarity over law as six are found guilty while being stopped from using defence used by fellow activists Six environmental protesters were convicted after they were denied the ability to put a “reasonable excuse” defence or climate facts before the jury, despite these being afforded to other activists acquitted for taking part … Read more