Dickey Betts, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band whose piercing solos, beloved songs and hell-raising spirit defined the band and Southern rock in general, died Thursday morning at the age of 80. The cause was cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Betts' manager David Spero confirmed to Rolling Stone. read more
Conservation and ecosystem restoration will now get the same consideration as oil drilling, logging and grazing from America's largest land manager, according to a final rule published Thursday. The Bureau of Land Management's final Public Lands Rule, first proposed last year, confronts the agency's long legacy of prioritizing extraction on federal lands that every American shares an equal stake in.
Donald Trump's main 2024 White House campaign fundraising operation sharply increased spending at the former president's properties in recent months, funneling money into his businesses at a time when he is facing serious legal jeopardy and desperately needs cash. Trump's joint fundraising committee wrote three checks in February and one in March to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, totaling $411,287 and another in March to Trump National Doral Miami for $62,337, according to a report filed to the Federal Election Commission this week. Federal law and FEC regulations allow donor funds to be spent at a candidate's business so long as the campaign pays fair market value, experts say. Trump has been doing it for years, shifting millions in campaign cash into his sprawling business empire to pay for expenses such as using his personal aircraft for political events, rent at Trump Tower and events at his properties, which has included hotels and private clubs.
During jury selection in a criminal trial, it's important that prospective jurors be screened for any potential biases toward the defendant or prosecution. In Donald Trump's hush-money trial, this meant the former president had to sit through the second day of proceedings listening to jokes and memes publicly posted on social media at his expense.
Paul Biggar, a computer scientist, takes a deeper dive into Lavender AI, which is being used by Israel to identify Hamas targets. Biggar questions the use of Whatsapp data in Lavender's decision making process. read more
More: "As stewards of America's public lands, the Interior Department takes seriously our role in helping bolster landscape resilience in the face of worsening climate impacts," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. "Today's final rule helps restore balance to our public lands as we continue using the best-available science to restore habitats, guide strategic and responsible development, and sustain our public lands for generations to come."
The rule directs BLM - the nation's largest land manager - to "protect intact landscapes, restore degraded habitat, and make wise management decisions based on science and data." The agency will also be tasked with incorporating land health assessments into its decisions about how lands are used.