Author: Emma Booth

In the US, gun violence and shared trauma is normalized for young people – which could be why many are open to firearm ownership When MaryAnn Alvarado asks her students if they know how to get a gun, their response always takes her aback. “Everyone raises their hand,” she said. Alvarado, 36, runs Teens on Target, a program operated by YouthAlive! in Oakland, California, that trains middle- and high-schoolers to become violence prevention advocates in their own communities. For many of the teens she sees, especially those coming from underserved neighborhoods, gun violence is normalized, she explained, or they believe…

The newly created Oxus Acquisition Corp is a next step for Kenes Rakishev to acquire companies specialized in the red-hot area of energy transition, batteries and EV’s. Kenes Rakishev, who is heavily involved in the modern tech investment scene rolls out his strategy to acquire more assets. Oxus Acquisition Corp, created by Kazakh businessman Kenes Rakishev, wants to raise $ 150 million to acquire a company specializing in technologies in the field of «energy transfer». The prospectus of the IPO of Oxus Acquisition, which plans to get a listing on NASDAQ, was published on the website of the US Securities and Exchange…

The state may have moved right in recent years, but new polls suggest support for abortion rights remains strong. Republicans worked for decades to get Roe v. Wade overturned, saying all the while that the issue of abortion should be “returned to the states.” But what if voters in a Republican-leaning state reject the GOP’s position? Then they’ve got a different problem: democracy. Now Ohio Republicans are trying to duck the will of the voters with some clever maneuvering. The state’s voters will decide on two ballot initiatives in two separate elections in a matter of months. One is explicitly about abortion,…

In the latest data from the Ministry of Defence (MOD), fresh insights into the state of the AURORA project have been disclosed. The AURORA project is aimed at enhancing the manufacturing capability for the plutonium component of the UK’s nuclear warheads. According to the MOD’s March 2023 Government Major Projects Portfolio data, the AURORA project’s Senior Responsible Owner’s Delivery Confidence Assessment rating is categorised as “Amber” for the fourth quarter of 2023. This status indicates challenges in areas such as resource management but also suggests steady progress towards the set goals. The data release provides a quote on the project’s…

As sales for the state’s recreational cannabis industry take off, New Jersey’s decade-old medical marijuana program is shrinking every month. Medical marijuana sales are nearly half of what they were six months ago, and more than 20,000 patients dropped out of the medical program since its peak in May 2022, according to state data. Experts say that’s expected for a state now offering recreational cannabis, but they want the Legislature and state agencies to continue emphasizing the importance of the medical marijuana program. “It’s not an uncommon occurrence for medical programs to dip down when there are other more economical sources,” said Ken…

Hundreds of divers and snorkelers listened to an underwater concert that advocated coral reef protection Saturday in the Florida Keys. The Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival, which also spotlighted eco-conscious diving, took place at Looe Key Reef, an area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary located about 6 miles (10 kilometers) south of Big Pine Key. Established in 1990, the sanctuary protects 3,800 square miles (9,800 square kilometers) of waters including the barrier reef that parallels the 125-mile-long (201-kilometer-long) island chain. Participants swam among Looe Key’s colorful marine life and coral formations while listening to water-themed music broadcast by…

The Maine House and Senate will reconvene Thursday to try to wrap up a legislative session that’s dragged on well past scheduled adjournment. The Legislature was scheduled to adjourn June 21, but the slow pace of votes, lengthy debates and protracted negotiations on a $900 million spending proposal have pushed lawmakers past the July 4 holiday. The additional time comes at a cost to taxpayers — about $44,000 per day. Legislator absences have already affected high-profile bills like abortion expansion and that could continue to be an issue Thursday when lawmakers try to pass the spending bill and wrap up…

A new report from the District Attorney’s Office has concluded that the vestiges of slavery, redlining, and the War on Drugs are still present in Philadelphia’s legal system and disproportionately impact Black communities. Titled “Racial Injustice Report: Disparities in Philadelphia’s Courts from 2015 to 2022,” the report mined over 290,000 criminal cases from the last eight years to reveal that Black people are overrepresented at every stage of the legal system, from car stops and pedestrian stops to incarceration. District Attorney Larry Krasner released the report Monday at a news conference outside Eastern State Penitentiary, where he was joined by…

Turkey’s newly reelected president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has – on a visit to northern Cyprus – demanded the recognition of the breakaway state as a condition for negotiations on the future of the island. In this case, he is barking up the wrong tree. Since 1964, when UN peacekeeping forces (UNFICYP) were deployed on the island to prevent fighting between the two population groups – the Greek and Turkish Cypriots – this has developed into one of the world’s longest standing conflicts. In 1974 the conflict escalated when Turkish troops occupied the northern third of the island in accordance with the 1960 Treaty…

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried is laying the groundwork for a defense that argues he relied upon the advice of a prominent Silicon Valley law firm in taking many of the actions for which he is now facing fraud charges. Bankman-Fried’s defense lawyers on Tuesday asked the judge overseeing his criminal case to force prosecutors to hand over documents given to the government by former FTX law firm Fenwick & West. If the government doesn’t agree, Bankman-Fried wants permission to subpoena the Mountain View, California-based firm. That advice included the use of encrypted messaging apps, the provision of multimillion-dollar loans to…