Pope Leo’s Words About The Strike On Iran Are Going Mega Viral
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Trump’s intel pick was placed on government watch list for overseas travel and foreign connections
Tulsi Gabbard was briefly placed on a Transportation Security Administration list that prompts additional security screening before flights. She was quickly removed from the list, a little-known program called “Quiet Skies,” after going public with claims she had been added to a “secret terror watchlist.” A federal official familiar with the program told CNN there are specified criteria for removing or adding individuals and that no one is removed from list because of public statements they make. The episode has raised eyebrows among security officials, who point to Gabbar’s history of unusual relationships overseas. But for a nominee for a top position — much less the director of national intelligence — to have been placed on government watchlist of any kind is highly unusual, if not unprecedented, several US officials said. The program is known inside the government for having far laxer standards for inclusion, security officials from multiple agencies told CNN. It is not associated with the FBI’S terrorist watch list.
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Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the intelligence community, was briefly placed on a Transportation Security Administration list that prompts additional security screening before flights after her overseas travel patterns and foreign connections triggered a government algorithm earlier this year, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
Gabbard was quickly removed from the list, a little-known program called “Quiet Skies,” after going public with claims she had been added to a “secret terror watchlist.” A federal official familiar with the program told CNN there are specified criteria for removing or adding individuals and that no one is removed from the list because of public statements they make.
Gabbard has claimed she was put on the list because she had criticized then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris in an interview with Fox News — something two of the sources flatly denied had anything to do with it.
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“The TSA placed me on the Quiet Skies domestic terror watchlist in what I can only describe as the ultimate betrayal,” she said in a post on X in September. “The Harris-Biden regime has now labeled me a domestic terror threat. Why? They see me as a threat to their power.”
The episode has raised eyebrows among security officials, who point to Gabbard’s history of unusual relationships overseas. As a member of Congress in 2017, she worked outside of official channels to travel to Syria to meet with President Bashar al-Assad.
CNN has reached out to Gabbard for comment.
The circumstances that led to Gabbard’s inclusion on Quiet Skies may be entirely benign, these sources said. But for a nominee for a top position — much less the director of national intelligence — to have been placed on a government watchlist of any kind is highly unusual, if not unprecedented, several US officials said.
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Under normal circumstances, one official said, Gabbard would be forced to explain the underlying foreign travel or contacts in question during her background check.
But Trump has indicated that he may eschew the normal background check process for his top nominees, raising questions about what, if anything, Gabbard will be required to disclose — or whether national security officials will even be given an opportunity to assess if Gabbard’s conduct posed any risk.
The Quiet Skies algorithm looks at travel patterns, foreign connections and other data in a variety of government holdings, and if triggered, leads to additional security screening at the airport by Air Marshals. But it is not associated with the FBI’s terrorist watch list. Security officials from multiple agencies told CNN that the program is known inside the government for having far laxer standards for inclusion.
TSA would not confirm Gabbard was on the list when asked by CNN but noted the program “is not a terrorist watchlist.”
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“TSA uses multi-layered security processes to protect the nation’s transportation systems and ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce,” the agency said in a statement. “TSA’s Quiet Skies program is a risk-based, automated approach to transportation security, to include identifying potential risks and applying enhanced security measures.”
The statement continued: “TSA’s Quiet Skies program is not a terrorist watchlist. It leverages USG intelligence information and databases to apply screening measures.”
“It’s a screening mechanism,” CNN national security analyst Carrie Cordero said of the program, which is “based on different indicators that are assembled and flags an individual for further security screening before they get on a domestic flight.”
That screening, Cordero said, is to make sure “that they are a safe person to get on an airplane.”
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The episode adds another specter of uncertainty to a nominee whose history of unorthodox foreign policy positions — in particular public statements that critics say echo Russian talking points — has already left some GOP senators profoundly uncomfortable.
This story has been updated with additional details.
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Pope Leo’s Tweet About The Iran Strike Has Gone Super Viral
Pope Leo has been very active on social media lately, which really should be no surprise given his personal Twitter account history. With the US striking Iran this past weekend, the Pope doubled down on his anti-war sentiment with this super viral tweet. “I would not have predicted when I was 18 that the Pope would be one of the sanest voices in international politics, so help us God,” one person commented. “Yea the Pope definitely didn’t vote for Trump in 2024 lmao,” another person joked. “The Pope subtweeting the President of the United States!” another person wrote. “Yep.”
ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP via Getty Images
Remember this?
So, if you’re not caught up on the program, last month, the Pope joined Twitter, and he took that opportunity to fire off a bunch of tweets about war.
SOPA Images / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
“There is so much violence and so many wars in our world! Amid this horror that should provoke outrage—as people die in the name of military conquest—stands the call of Christ, who repeats: ‘Peace be with you!”
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He also wrote: “War is never inevitable. Weapons can and must fall silent, for they never solve problems but only intensify them. Those who sow peace will endure throughout history, not those who reap victims. Others are not enemies to hate but human beings with whom to speak.”
Well, with the US striking Iran this past weekend, the Pope doubled down on his anti-war sentiment with this super viral tweet condemning the conflict.
SOPA Images / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
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“War does not solve problems; on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal. No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, or stolen futures. May diplomacy silence the weapons! May nations chart their futures with works of peace, not with violence and bloodstained conflicts!”
People in replies are, like, “Yep.”
“I would not have predicted when I was 18 that the Pope would be one of the sanest voices in international politics. So help us God,” one person commented.
A bunch of people said something like, “Quickly becoming a fan of this man.”
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“Not the Pope subtweeting the President of the United States!” another person wrote.
And this person *joked,* “Yea the Pope definitely didn’t vote for Trump in 2024 lmao.”
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Fireworks in Iowa City? New law loosens restrictions around Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve
Changes to Iowa law in 2025 mean that fireworks can now be used across Johnson County on July 3 and 4. Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin and other communities previously restricted the use of fireworks, even around Independence Day. If cities don’t set restrictions, fireworks are legal throughout the summer, between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., June 1 through July 8. It’s not legal to shoot off fireworks for the entire 48 hours from July 3 through July 4.Violators are subject to a $250 fine, plus court fees and other surcharges. The punishment for using fireworks remains unchanged. The city does mention the non-emergency line, (319) 256-6800, if residents feel they need to make a report.
Changes to Iowa law in 2025 mean that fireworks can now be used across Johnson County on July 3 and 4. Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin and other communities previously restricted the use of fireworks, even around Independence Day.
Senate File 303 stops county supervisors and city councils from enforcing restrictions on July 3, the Fourth of July, and on New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31. Counties and cities are free to restrict firework use on the remaining 362 days of the year.
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More: Iowans could shoot off fireworks on 4th of July, New Year’s Eve under bill sent to Reynolds
If cities don’t set restrictions, fireworks are legal throughout the summer, between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., June 1 through July 8.
Here’s what to know before you start shooting off fireworks:
Fireworks explode in the air during Iowa City Jazz Fest, Saturday, July 2, 2022, on the Pentacrest in Iowa City, Iowa.
When can fireworks be used under Iowa’s new law?
Despite the broader changes to Iowa law, it’s not legal to shoot off fireworks for the entire 48 hours from July 3 through July 4.
Fireworks are permitted between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on July 3 and 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. everywhere on the Fourth of July, regardless of local restrictions.
More: Johnson County residents unite to combat rent hikes, issues at local mobile home parks
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In unincorporated Johnson County, fireworks are permitted between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. between July 3 and July 5. Fireworks can be used at other times, but use requires a permit issued by the county.
What if I use fireworks outside of the permitted dates and times?
The punishment for using fireworks remains unchanged.
Violators are subject to a $250 fine, plus court fees and other surcharges.
More: State Historical Society of Iowa to shutter Iowa City’s Centennial Building. Find out why
Novelty fireworks, including sparklers, are legal.
Fireworks explode in the air during Iowa City Jazz Festival, Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Iowa City, Iowa.
What if my neighbor uses fireworks outside of the permitted dates and times?
Coralville asks that residents “be mindful” of their neighbors, including those with pets, young children or military veterans, and requests that they find ways “to celebrate without the bang.”
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Iowa City encourages residents to speak directly to their neighbors about illegal fireworks use. The city does mention the non-emergency line, (319) 256-6800, if residents feel they need to make a report.
When will fireworks shows be held in Johnson County?
Iowa City’s Jazz Festival will be capped off by a fireworks show on Saturday, July 5, beginning around 9:30 p.m.
Coralville will also hold a fireworks show at its 4thFest, with festivities beginning at 9:45 p.m. on Friday, July 4.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Can Johnson Co. residents use fireworks on July 4? New law says ‘yes’
Rats, pigeons and water buffaloes massacred in world’s largest animal sacrifice
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Dubbed the ‘world’s bloodiest festival’, it is estimated that well over 200,000 animals were sacrificed on Sunday and Monday as devotees marked the Gadhimai festival. At its peak, devotees estimate that some 2.5 million animals were slaughtered as people travelled from across India and Nepal to take part. But there is a growing stand off between the devotees who consider the ritual an untouchable cornerstone of their religion, and the animal welfare activists at home and internationally who decry the event as cruel and unnecessary – including the French actress Brigitte Bardot and Britain’s Joanna Lumley. In 2014, the Supreme Court of India directed the government to halt the illegal movement of animals across the porous border with Nepal for use in the festival. HSI said it had helped rescue more than 700 buffaloes, goats, pigeons and chickens in the last week.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
Blood oozed across the dry, dusty earth as the high priest of Gadhimai raised his traditional khukuri knife and beheaded the five animals before him, triggering a frenzy of killing in the early hours of a foggy Sunday morning.
Hundreds of butchers with their blunt metal swords were soon cutting the necks of the agitated, crying animals – from rats and pigeons to goats and water buffaloes – in a religious ritual watched by both adults and children. Before long, rivers of red ran through the Hindu temple’s grounds, while people carried away the creatures’ heads, ten to a sack.
Dubbed the “world’s bloodiest festival”, it is estimated that well over 200,000 animals were sacrificed on Sunday and Monday as devotees marked the Gadhimai festival in Bariyarpur, a small town 10 miles north of Nepal’s border with India.
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Held every five years, the sacrifice is the culmination of a month-long celebration to honour the Hindu goddess Gadhimai in return for prosperity.
“This temple is recognised as the largest animal sacrifice site in the world… [and] I am the eleventh generation continuing the tradition,” Shiva Chaudhari, the high priest, told the Telegraph. “This is a matter of our tradition and culture, and everyone should respect it. There is no question of stopping it.”
Devotees consider the ritual an untouchable cornerstone of their religion – Arkaprava Bhar
But there is a growing stand off between the devotees who consider the ritual an untouchable cornerstone of their religion, and the animal welfare activists at home and internationally who decry the event as cruel and unnecessary – including the French actress Brigitte Bardot and Britain’s Joanna Lumley.
“As animal rights activists, we understand there are several other industries, like the meat industry, where animals get slaughtered and killed every day,” said Arkaprava Bhar, senior manager of campaigns for Humane Society International’s (HSI) India office.
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“The point is, the magnitude of the cruelty is completely different…. There is no other thing I can imagine which can match with the cruelty level of this particular festival.”
The festival dates back more than 250 years, when the founder of the temple dreamt that the goddess Gadhimai wanted blood in return for freeing him from prison, protecting him from evil, and ensuring prosperity. After successfully persuading the deity to accept an animal instead of a human, he kick started a ritual that has since been repeated every five years.
Animal activists rescue animals bound for sacrifice – PRABIN RANABHAT
At its peak, devotees estimate that some 2.5 million animals were slaughtered as people travelled from across India and Nepal to take part. But the last decade has seen a surge in criticism, and a series of court orders have tempered proceedings.
In 2014, the Supreme Court of India directed the government to halt the illegal movement of animals across the porous border with Nepal for use in the festival. Five years later, Nepal’s highest court ordered an end to sacrifices, and urged authorities to phase out the practice worldwide.
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Activists have also launched door-to-door awareness campaigns from activists in the region urging people to abstain, while joint effort from border police and NGOs has sought to confiscate animals being transported from India to Nepal for the event – HSI said it had helped rescue more than 700 buffaloes, goats, pigeons and chickens in the last week.
“If people are killing in the meat industry, there is a reason: to consume it,” says Mr Bhar. “And it’s completely different because there are standards and you have to follow certain rules. Here there is none of that. And there is zero sanitation, so from the health aspect it is also very, very bad.
“But thankfully, most of the younger generation have a better education… and understand these things. Those I’ve met are in favour of stopping this practice.”
Confiscated animals are rescued and re-homed in safe shelters – PRABIN RANABHAT
Others, though, lament that the government is obfuscating and trying to limit photography, rather than end the sacrifice.
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“But the government is blatantly disregarding the Supreme Court’s order,” said Sneha Shrestha, president of the Federation of Animal Welfare Nepal. “Not only is there a lack of support, but the government has actually been uncooperative… [and] high-ranking government officials in Nepal are still sending animals for sacrifices.”
Activists also claim that the temple wants to continue the ritual because it’s a money-maker.
In a statement Alokparna Sengupta, HSI’s India director, said it costs a fee of 500 Nepali rupees (£3) to slaughter a buffalo, while the temple makes money from auctioning off the animal meat and skins.
“It is disgraceful that the Gadhimai temple committee is exploiting the hopes, fears and frustrations of impoverished people for its own profit,” he said.
Animal activists assist law enforcement inspecting vehicles at the border for animals being illegally transported for sacrifice – Arkaprava Bhar
Yet, with fervent devotees arguing that the sacrifice is an important element of their beliefs, the sacrifice seems unlikely to end soon.
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“People from India have been arriving a month in advance and are staying in villages, they come with tents and settle in the villages nearby,” said Lalbabu Thakur, who lives in the nearby village Majhadiya. He added that across the region, animals were being prepared ahead of Sunday’s sacrifice – including 15,000 in his village alone.
“There is a belief that by offering sacrifices, our desires or wishes are fulfilled,” Mr Thakur told the Telegraph. “After visiting Gadhimai, people feel that their vows have been fulfilled, and their wishes granted. This is the reason why the tradition has continued for such a long time. The scene there cannot be described in ordinary terms. It is something that is felt.”
Shyam Prasad Yadav, Gadimai’s mayor, added: The issue of animal sacrifice is a matter of people’s faith and belief… Although animal rights activists have raised questions and suggested reducing the practice, it seems unlikely to happen in the near future.”
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Doctors say RFK Jr.’s anti-Ozempic stance perpetuates stigma and misrepresents evidence
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to tackle high rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. Many in the public health world find themselves agreeing with his goals, despite fearing what else the infamous anti-vaccine activist may do in the post. Kennedy claimed that Ozempic, a wildly popular medicine approved to treat type 2 diabetes and used off-label for weight loss, is not going to “Make America Healthy Again.” He also claimed that the European Union is investigating the drug for suicidal ideation, although the European regulator concluded in April that available evidence doesn’t suggest it causes suicidal thoughts or actions. Kennedy has falsely said that vaccines cause autism, may cause more deaths than they prevent and could have sparked some of the world’s deadliest pandemics, a Hawaii governor said. He has been linked to a connection that Kennedy denies to misinformation spread by a doctor who helped with a measles outbreak in Samoa.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to tackle high rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. They’re goals that many in the public health world find themselves agreeing with — despite fearing what else the infamous anti-vaccine activist may do in the post.
Just don’t suggest that he tackle those goals with medications like Ozempic.
“They’re counting on selling it to Americans because we’re so stupid and so addicted to drugs,” Kennedy said in an appearance with Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld that he posted to Instagram last month, concluding that Ozempic, a wildly popular medicine approved to treat type 2 diabetes and used off-label for weight loss, is not going to “Make America Healthy Again.”
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Kennedy claimed that Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic, doesn’t market the medicine in its home country of Denmark, where “they do not recommend it for diabetes or obesity; they recommend dietary and behavioral changes.”
In fact, Denmark does use Ozempic, so much so that the Danish Medicines Agency said in May that it would restrict its use until after people had tried less expensive medications to treat diabetes. Instead of a shift to eschew medication in favor of lifestyle changes, as Kennedy suggested, it was a cost-cutting move, since more than 100,000 people had received the drug or others in its class, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Denmark also uses Ozempic’s sister drug approved for weight loss, Wegovy, and has similarly grappled with the cost, questioning whether its benefits justify them. It’s a debate also taking place in the US, where the drugs are priced far higher.
Kennedy said in the same appearance that the European Union “is right now investigating Ozempic for suicidal ideation,” although the European regulator concluded in April that available evidence doesn’t suggest Ozempic and other GLP-1 medicines cause suicidal thoughts or actions.
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The US Food and Drug Administration, which Kennedy would oversee as HHS secretary, also reached that conclusion, although it’s continuing to monitor for potential risk.
Those kind of confident but false or misleading assertions are Kennedy’s signatures, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. And they can be especially dangerous, he said, when applied to public health bedrocks like vaccines.
“He acts like he knows what he’s talking about when he doesn’t, and he says things with a definition that makes people convinced he has the data to support his statement,” Osterholm told CNN. “Trying to follow him and understand what he’s talking about is often like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall.”
Kennedy’s anti-vaccine stance put public health experts on edge even before Trump announced Thursday that Kennedy was his choice to run a department encompassing the FDA, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and more.
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Kennedy claims he’s not anti-vaccine, but he has falsely said they cause autism, may cause more deaths than they prevent and could have sparked some of the world’s deadliest pandemics.
“It will hurt children all across America” if Kennedy’s put in charge of HHS, said Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a physician who helped with a vaccination effort in Samoa after a deadly measles outbreak there in 2019 that’s been linked to misinformation spread by Kennedy — a connection that Kennedy denies. “Let’s rethink this. Let’s pull back this nomination and let him go be some part of the Environmental Protection Agency.”
Many in the public health world see Kennedy’s focus on pesticide regulation or rethinking agricultural subsidies as potentially positive moves and a safer place for him to work than the department that oversees vaccine regulation.
Even as they agree that it’s important to address growing rates of diabetes and obesity, doctors in that field say Kennedy’s plans miss the mark.
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“It is wrong to assume that people with high body weight and BMI just sit around and eat low-quality food,” said Dr. Jody Dushay, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an attending physician in endocrinology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “Taking medication to treat obesity should not be demonized.”
Kennedy claimed in the same Fox segment that if the US spent a fraction of what it would cost to treat every overweight person in the US with Ozempic — not something anyone’s suggesting, as GLP-1 drugs aren’t approved for everyone who’s overweight — on “giving good food, three meals a day to every man, woman and child in our country, we could solve the obesity and diabetes epidemic overnight.”
Dr. Angela Fitch, co-founder and chief medical officer of Knownwell, a provider specializing in health care for people with obesity, said Kennedy’s suggestion that diet and exercise alone can solve obesity “overnight” would set back hard-won efforts to better address the condition.
“We’ve been trying to bust that stigma a lot of years,” Fitch told CNN. “What we’ve heard a lot of in his rhetoric is, ‘I want people to just eat less and exercise more.’ And what we know is, that doesn’t work.”
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Dr. Daniel Drucker, a pioneer of research into GLP-1, the hormone Ozempic and similar drugs mimic, agreed.
“I don’t think anyone who is in the health care business or area would ever argue against lifestyle modification, diet and exercise and healthy foods as the cornerstone of improving people’s health and weight management,” Drucker told CNN. “The challenge we have is that there have been multiple trials that have tried to see: Can we markedly improve people’s health and get substantial weight loss with diet and exercise? And the answer’s been no; people lose a little bit of weight.”
The GLP-1 class has revolutionized the way doctors approach weight-loss treatment because it offers therapy that works – clinical trials showed 15 to 20% loss of body weight, on average – after decades of meager options with often severe safety issues. Doctors don’t argue the medicines alone are the solution to growing rates of obesity, but nor do they think they should be abandoned, and they’re recommended on top of lifestyle changes including healthy diets and exercise.
Not everyone with obesity will want the drugs, and for some, they may have strong side effects such as nausea. Additionally, many people don’t have insurance that will cover them, or obesity care generally — a problem that Fitch argues would go a lot further to tackling obesity in the US, if addressed.
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In a social media post in September, Kennedy acknowledged “that weight-shaming is cruel and that obesity is not a failure of character” and suggested instead that “our sickening food system” is partly to blame.
Doctors who treat people with obesity suggest that fixing the food system shouldn’t be mutually exclusive with using weight-loss medications, when appropriate.
Kennedy’s views on Ozempic don’t appear to be shared universally throughout Trump’s orbit. In a post on Friday, Elon Musk, the billionaire who’s been tapped to cut government spending in the Trump administration, suggested making GLP-1 drugs “available at low cost to Americans who wish to use them would greatly improve health and reduce health-care costs.”
Musk said in October of 2022 he had been using Wegovy.
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Kennedy told NPR that Trump expects him to show “measurable impacts on a diminishment of chronic disease within two years.” He has suggested getting there through measures including prohibiting beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to use those benefits to buy soda or processed foods, and revisiting “pesticide and other chemical-use standards.”
It’s a goal Osterholm expressed skepticism he’d meet.
“We all agree it’s a very important issue,” Osterholm said. “But a lot of his thinking is like ‘A plus B plus C plus miracle, and you’ve got an answer.’”
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