“The federal government is trying to force Kilmar Abrego Garcia to accept a guilty plea or face deportation to Uganda, his attorneys claimed in a filing on Saturday. The Salvadoran man, who was wrongly deported in March before being brought back to the United States to face human smuggling charges, was released from criminal custody in Tennessee and sent back to Maryland on Friday. After Abrego Garcia declined an offer to be deported to Costa Rica in exchange for remaining in jail and pleading guilty to the human smuggling charges, his attorneys say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed them that he could be deported to Uganda and ordered him to report to their office in Baltimore on Monday.” (08/23/25)
“The Syrian government on Saturday announced that elections will not be held in the provinces of Sweida, Hasaka and Raqqa when the rest of the country votes for a new parliament in September. The southern province of Sweida is majority-Druze, while most of Hasaka and parts of Raqqa are controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections said the ballot would be delayed in all three until a ‘safe environment’ was in place according to SANA state news agency. Sweida in southern Syria is the scene of long-simmering tensions between militias representing the Druze minority and Sunni Bedouin tribes over land and resources. … Beyond Sweida, the partially SDF-held provinces of Hasaka and Raqqa were also deemed too unsafe for elections.” (08/23/25)
“President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. government had reached a deal to take a 10 percent equity stake in the chipmaker Intel, worth approximately $10 billion. ‘I said, I think it would be good having the United States as your partner,’ Trump said Friday at the White House. ‘[CEO Lip-Bu Tan] agreed, and they’ve agreed to do it.’ Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed the deal in a post on X on Friday: ‘BIG NEWS: The United States of America now owns 10% of Intel, one of our great American technology companies.’ Intel posted details of the plan soon afterward, saying the administration would make an $8.9 billion investment in Intel common stock, paid for with the CHIPS grant money. The company said the stake would be funded with $5.7 billion in grants previously awarded but not yet paid, and $3.2 billion from a separate Defense Department program.” (08/22/25)
“The largest Christian college in the United States has been cleared of federal allegations after university officials said the school was unjustly targeted by the Biden administration. Grand Canyon University announced last week that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted unanimously to drop its lawsuit against the school. In 2023, the FTC under the Biden administration filed suit in federal court against GCU, its marketer Grand Canyon Education, Inc., and its president and CEO, Brian Mueller, claiming the defendants used deceptive advertising and engaged in illegal telemarketing. In addition to providing marketing services, Grand Canyon Education, Inc., provides recruiting and support services to the university.years ago and has suffered losses in two motions to dismiss,’ FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said.” (08/23/25)
“Postal services in Europe and around the world plan to halt shipping merchandise to the U.S. as the Trump administration’s end of the de minimus tariff exemption goes into effect. The ‘de minimus’ exemption allowed internation carriers to ship goods valued under $800 to the U.S. without paying any duties. The White House announced the end of the exemption weeks ago, linking it to fentanyl and other illicit drugs coming into the U.S. DHL, Europe’s largest shipping provider, said in a statement on its website Friday that ‘Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany will no longer be able to accept and transport parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the U.S.’ effective immediately. The end of the exemption goes into effect Aug. 29.” (08/23/25)
“Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage will push for the mass deportation of asylum seekers in a new Illegal Migration Bill expected on Aug. 26. In an interview with The Times published on Saturday, the far-right politician, whose party currently leads consistently in the polls, said migrants coming to Britain by small boats should be arrested on arrival, detained in Royal Air Force bases, denied the right to asylum, and deported within 30 days.” ()8/23/25)
“On a warm evening in Johannesburg, the news spread like wildfire among sex workers: Within 24 hours, several nonprofit clinics providing free HIV services would be closing as President Donald Trump announced the United States was slashing foreign aid. Some South Africans living with, or at risk of, HIV secured supplies of life-saving drugs just in time. Others did not. Half a year later, the country with more people living with HIV than any other is struggling to treat its most vulnerable. Over 63,000 people were being treated in the 12 clinics across the nation that shut down. Up to 220,000 people have faced disruption to their daily HIV medication. South Africa’s government has vowed it won’t let the U.S. withdrawal of about $427 million in support collapse its HIV program, the largest in the world.” (08/23/25)
“Lawmakers in the Netherlands on Saturday rejected a motion that would recognize an independent Palestinian state and measures that would sanction Israel. The punitive measure would have banned the importation of products made in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and banned the Dutch government from buying Israeli-made weapons, Politico reported. A majority of ministers voted to ask the Israeli government to allow journalists into Gaza and to apply ‘maximum pressure’ on nations that condone the actions of Hamas leaders.” (08/23/25)
“At least we know he won’t be a strongman leader. Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani struggled to execute a single unassisted bench press rep while trying to impress a crowd at the annual Men’s Day open streets event in Brooklyn Saturday — and wound up getting called ‘Mamscrawny’ by a rival on social media. Photos showed the 33-year-old Socialist, and Democratic Party nominee, was unable to lift a bar loaded with what was said to be 135-pounds off the rack without help — and his two reps required full assistance from a smiling, large-biceped Men’s Day celebrant, photos showed. Mamdani was unable to pick the bar up off the rack and required full assistance on two attempted reps on the bench.” (08/23/25)
“Opposition lawmakers easily survived recall votes in Taiwan on Saturday, but an opposition-backed referendum to bring back nuclear power failed. The recall votes, the second in a month, were an attempt to restore ruling party control of the legislature after the Democratic Progressive Party lost its majority in a 2024 election. The recall results were a second straight setback for the ruling DPP. The seven lawmakers from the opposition Nationalist Party all held onto their seats, as did 24 members of other parties in a first round of recall votes on July 26.” (08/23/25)
