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New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
With soft power and moral clarity, ‘Agent Melania' flexes for the defenseless
When President Donald Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte this week to discuss an urgent arms package for Ukraine, the world learned to its surprise that the usual players — military brass, intelligence chiefs, foreign policy experts — had not been the ones to shape the outcome. Instead, the tipping point came in a private talk in the White House residence. 'I go home, I tell the first lady, 'You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation,'' the president recalled. Melania Trump's reply cut through the diplomatic haze: 'Oh really? Another city was just hit.' It wasn't a rebuke. It wasn't theater. It was a simple, quiet act of moral clarity. And it seems to have shifted the course of US policy. From her earliest days as first lady, Melania Trump charted her own course — eschewing the performative for the personal and trading sound bites for substance. In her husband's first term, her 'Be Best' initiative was never about optics but about defending the defenseless: children caught in digital warfare, opioid-ravaged families and victims of exploitation and abuse. The program expanded over time to include support for foster youth and initiatives like the Take It Down Act, aimed at removing non-consensual online content involving minors. She never begged for the spotlight. She earned influence by listening first, then acting with deliberation to protect and foster healthier environments for women and children. She visited neonatal units to cradle babies impacted by the opioid crisis and keep faith with their mothers; she carried Easter baskets to teenage girls in domestic violence shelters. She brought dignity where others brought drama, even while the media tried to manufacture it around her. For those paying attention, the first lady has always been a beacon for women and children in need. I have walked through the wreckage in Ukraine that Melania so instinctively responded to. For more than three years, I've worked alongside Ukrainian partners bearing witness to atrocities many refuse to believe: the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war, the state-sponsored abduction of more than 19,000 children, and the silent trauma of loved ones who are vanished from villages overnight. These are not abstract data points. They are names, faces and futures stolen in the dark — a dark that so desperately needed a light. In towns like Bucha and Izium, once liberated from Russian control, mass graves revealed the bodies of hundreds of men, women and children — some mutilated, others with their hands bound behind their backs. In Kherson, Ukrainians uncovered Russian torture chambers, and even today, Russian drones hunt civilians there like animals in a safari. These are not allegations. They are crimes documented by the United Nations, international lawyers and others. And they don't even begin to touch upon the atrocities on the battlefield, like the execution and rape of prisoners of war or the use of chemical weapons. While diplomats debated and commentators postured, Melania's simple statement caused the leader of the free world to reflect. It takes rare strength to influence Donald J. Trump. But Melania has always embodied the kind of strength this moment requires: composed, deliberate and morally grounded. Her quiet reminder did what countless meetings and briefings struggled to do — it reminded the president that Vladimir Putin is not a man to be trusted, and while he speaks, he bombs the innocent. That moment of private honesty reverberated all the way to Kyiv. Patriot systems, paid for by Europe but coordinated by the United States, are being rushed to Ukraine. Soon, missiles will be intercepted and lives will be saved. And in the bomb shelters, where mothers huddle with their children, a new kind of American power is felt — compassionate, clear-eyed and distinctly Melania's. Ukrainians have already taken notice. Some have even jokingly dubbed her 'Agent Melania,' a tribute not to espionage, but to empathy. To be clear, the first lady doesn't need flattery. But she deserves acknowledgement. In a cynical age where sincerity is scarce and every act seems orchestrated for applause, she reminds us that the most powerful voice is often the one least interested in being heard. She didn't convene a task force. She didn't demand airtime. She simply looked at the facts — the targeted children, the shattered lives, the rising death toll — and asked her husband, in effect, 'What are we waiting for?' That was enough to bring American strength to the side of those who needed it most. History will record the diplomats and the deals. But those of us who have seen the human toll firsthand will remember something else: the moment when a single statement in a private room broke through the fog of politics and brought light to a dark place. Meaghan Mobbs, PhD, is the director of the Center for American Safety and Security at the Independent Women's Forum.
Spectator
16-07-2025
- Business
- Spectator
‘Let Keir be Keir': inside the cabinet's away day
Labour ministers face a range of terrible political choices, but when the cabinet met for an away day at Chequers last Friday, the first dilemma was what to wear. 'There was panic beforehand about what 'smart-casual' meant,' one ministerial aide says. Both Hilary Benn and John Healey turned up in dark suits and red ties. 'To be fair to the Defence Secretary, he hadn't seen that bit of the invite,' a No. 10 official explains. 'Whereas in Hilary's case, that is what his smart-casual looks like.' By contrast, Peter Kyle, the Science Secretary, turned up in what one observer describes as a 'tech bro AI T-shirt'. Finding an economic policy and an eye-catching narrative about where Keir Starmer wants to take the country has proved no easier than interpreting the dress code. A Portland Communications poll this week found that by two to one (47 per cent to 24 per cent) the public has no idea what Starmer's vision for Britain is. But getting an answer has become more pressing following successive months in which the economy contracted and inflation rose to 3.6 per cent, redoubling the focus on who Rachel Reeves will have to tax to plug the black hole in the public finances (which, it is estimated, will stand at between £20 billion and £30 billion by the time of the autumn Budget). The plan for the government's approach for the months ahead was clearer when Starmer spoke at Chequers. The PM noted that the grace-and-favour mansion was given to the nation by Arthur Lee 'because he thought that there would come a time when a prime minister would not necessarily have a country house of his own to relax in'. Speaking near the outdoor kitchen Rishi Sunak installed at the property (which, when he was prime minister, was just one of his five homes), Starmer reflected that, when he was growing up: 'I never thought I'd be prime minister or even become an MP because those jobs weren't for people like me.' He talked about how 'most children's fate is still determined by the income of their parents, not their talents'. To reinforce the point, Starmer said the event he had most enjoyed since becoming PM was when 'working people' he met on the campaign trail were invited to No. 10 a couple of weeks ago. The mood at Chequers was good. Aides and ministers say Starmer's emphasis on the aspirational working class has both a specific policy meaning and a broader strategic significance. Specifically, this means 'you're going to hear a lot more about the opportunity mission', a No. 10 official says. 'Life chances are what really animates Keir.' It was a similar formula which led Reeves to tweak the rules on mortgage lending to help those with smaller deposits to get on the housing ladder. She told the Yorkshire Post: 'My mum and dad were primary school teachers. They owned their own home in their twenties… That is just not possible for many people today.' In the same vein, Reeves announced a £500 million Better Futures Fund to tackle child poverty, following the creation of 'Best Start' family hubs, a rebranded version of Sure Start. All of which signals that, when it comes to tax rises, higher-rate taxpayers can expect to be squeezed with a threshold freeze and raids on pensions and assets. MPs are attracted to a wealth tax, proposed by Neil Kinnock, an option conspicuously not ruled out last weekend by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. She talked only of protecting those on 'modest incomes'. When Treasury minister James Murray held a drop-in session on tax for MPs on Wednesday, some pressed for a wealth tax. Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, had earlier described workers as 'anyone who gets a payslip'. A Labour strategist observes: 'Everyone is flying kites.' The real significance of the Chequers meeting was a vibe shift in defining Starmerism. A cabinet fan of the West Wing episode 'Let Bartlet be Bartlet', in which the titular US president embraces his core beliefs, says: 'Keir was surprisingly upbeat. It was all very 'let Keir be Keir'.' Some of those present detected a 'progressive pivot'. It is worth recalling that previous iterations of this mantra – 'let Miliband be Miliband' and 'let Sunak be Sunak' – led to, respectively, a period of over-intellectualised leftism and a focus on incongruous personal passions such as funding chess clubs and banning smoking. One of those in government who favours pragmatism over progressivism refers to this 'be yourself' strategy as 'coherent – but electoral arsenic'. But it is not necessarily a political mistake. Luke Tryl of pollsters More in Common told a Spectator event on Tuesday evening: 'What Labour has struggled with is that people don't know what it's about.' Asked what they want from Labour at its best, voters answer 'tackle poverty, support the working class and improve public services'. Tryl said: 'People elect Tory and Labour governments for very different things. That rose garden speech, where Starmer said it was going to be more of the 'tough choices' which people have heard about since the financial crash, got people thinking: 'This isn't why we got these guys in.' Winter fuel and the welfare cuts really jarred. In politics, you want to be congruent with what people think you're about.' The Chancellor's only hope of avoiding painful choices is to stimulate growth, which is why the key message in her Mansion House speech on Tuesday was to urge regulators to stop acting as 'a boot on the neck of businesses'. But to many firms, the employers' national insurance rise and new workplace rights are the biggest boot of all. The challenge for Starmer is not just to pick a vision and let it guide the substance, but to sell it in a way the public can understand and connect with. The danger is that 'let Keir be Keir' becomes an adenoidal incrementalist echo of Miliband's soggy do-goodery and Sunak's earnest spreadsheet deliverism – unlikely to inspire an electorate acquiring a taste for Faragiste flamboyance. 'We've got to show we've got the answers or what comes next will be something very different,' a No. 10 source admits. When he turned up at Chequers, the normally buttoned-up Starmer chose the safe smart-casual option – blue chinos and a dark shirt. If he needs to prove he has a flamboyant side, perhaps next time he should pair the sensible trousers with a Union Jack T-shirt.
Indianapolis Star
16-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
She was missing, found, bipolar, schizophrenic, and ended up stabbed and shot in Indianapolis
Editor's note: This article contains descriptions of mental health episodes related to Bipolar Disorder. If you are struggling or know someone who is, call 211 to be connected with a trained crisis specialist with Mental Health America of Indiana, who provides free, confidential assistance 24/7 through its Be Well Crisis Helpline. In a cramped Evansville home, Shawnnetta Small's early years unfolded in a room alongside her siblings, locked away from most of the world. Shawnnetta Small always had to stay in one room with her brother and sister, and was afraid of ever coming out, lest she be beaten brutally by their father, according to her family. In 1986, when Small was 5, her aunt visited and witnessed the situation her sister and the children were enduring. "Even when he went to work, those kids never wanted to come out of the room," Judy Perkins told IndyStar. Perkins helped her sister escape the abuse, and the family moved to a new home. But the effects of the abuse were already taking hold of her young niece. Small was diagnosed in her 20s with bipolar disorder and schizotypal personality disorder. Childhood trauma, abuse, and neglect are significant risk factors for developing a personality disorder, while being bipolar isn't a direct effect of child abuse, but can influence the disorder's severity over time, experts say. Small's life has been chronicled through public missing persons reports, arrests, and psychiatric hospital visits all over the country. It would end with her being stabbed and shot inside an Indianapolis house on July 12, 2025. Her family believes Small was likely unmedicated and had an episode before being killed. She was 44. Eventually, Perkins would move to Ohio, leaving her sister and her kids in Indiana, but a few years after that, in the early 90s, she learned the kids were placed in foster care. Their mother was accused of being neglectful, and the family became strained in communication. Perkins hasn't seen her sister in over 30 years, which would become a trend for the family. Small would often go missing with strangers trying to get her help and bring her to some kind of home. Four years ago, Small reached out to Perkins asking if she could live with her in Ohio. The next few months would be a roller coaster with Perkins noticing Small "acted real weird." She would "talk in riddles." She didn't clean up after herself and often slept in a bed with trash and food. "She'd just throw a coat over it and go to sleep," Perkins said. Knowing she needed help, Perkins took her to see a doctor who gave her an official diagnosis. But Small would skip taking medications. Small would often leave Perkins' home for weeks on end. One day, she left, and Perkins didn't think anything of it until she got a strange package in the mail, prompting her to put out a missing persons report. It was Small's ID, her social security card, and other personal items. "After I put out the report, this woman called me from Orlando, Florida, saying Shawnnetta was mentally challenged," Perkins said. "The lady was feeding her and begging her to come stay with her, but Shawnnetta said no." In 2018, Perkins said a search and rescue team spotted Small in Missouri, where she had been sleeping in a restroom. Concerned calls to local police came in about her walking along the highway. Missouri State Highway Patrol and others offered her food, water, money and rides that she declined. She was eventually taken to a St. Louis hospital before being discharged. "She called me speaking in riddles again, so I knew she wasn't on medication," Perkins said. Eventually, Small got a bus ticket to Cleveland and stayed with Perkins, but would leave again after a few months. Small was banking on coming into money from a lawsuit she'd filed in 2022 while in Missouri that tapped 28 defendants, including Megabus, Walmart, and T-Mobile Metro PCS, Perkins said. "She told me she was moving to Indianapolis, and that was the last I saw her," Perkins said. But that lawsuit was the ramblings of someone struggling with borderline schizophrenia, and a judge dismissed the case. At 8:04 p.m., on July 11, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called about a disturbance with a weapon between roommates at a home in the 1500 block of North Downey Avenue on the city's east side. The caller was Small and said her roommate had assaulted her and was possibly armed. She told police he and his girlfriend were "talking sh*t" about paying rent. She lived in a bedroom house with multiple rooms rented out. Officers began searching the house room by room. They went to a downstairs basement room, forced open a door, and found Small with at least one stab wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Items collected nearby were a spent shell casing, pepper spray and a box cutter. She had trauma to her neck and a gunshot wound to the chest. One neighbor told police the roommate knocked on her door and told them that Small smeared feces and spit on him. According to court documents, he explained that Small was defecating in a bathroom with the door open. He asked her to close the door, and tried to close the door for her when Small smeared feces on him and called him derogatory names, court records state. Later, the neighbor, Small, and the roommate were upstairs when he asked Small if they were good. "No, we ain't good. Do you want to fight?" Small told him, according to the neighbor. That's when Small threatened the man with a gun, according to court documents. The roommate was later arrested on preliminary charges of murder. IndyStar is not naming the roommate because formal charges are pending. Perkins said the local sheriff's office informed her about Small's killing. That's when Perkins learned she was listed as a next of kin, although she hadn't seen Small in years. "They were asking me all types of questions that I could not answer," Perkins said. "She had her mental issues, but she did not deserve this."
RTÉ News
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Jeremy Clarkson to host Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? spin-off series
TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson is to host a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? spin-off called Millionaire Hot Seat. The new show, which will air on ITV, will see contestants sit in a queue around the hot seat, which faces Clarkson and allows the players to answer questions to climb the money ladder. As soon as they get a question wrong, contestants are out, and the value of the top prize drops. Contestants also have the opportunity to pass and stay in the game, but they will go to the back of the queue - meaning they may not return to the hot seat, where they have to be sitting to win the top prize. Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment and Daytime Commissioning at ITV, said: " Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? has reached 18 million viewers on ITV so far this year alone. "Commissioning a new spin-off format to further capitalise on the brand's success and popularity was a no-brainer, especially with Millionaire Hot Seat already doing so well in other territories also." The show, which will be produced by Stellify Media in the UK, is already popular in Australia - with more than 2,500 episodes airing. Along with the new spin-off, ITV has also commissioned 19 further episodes of the traditional Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? including seven celebrity specials. A date for the show's release is yet to be announced. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? has seen 40 series up to 2025.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Travis Scott Reveals Sunday Release Date for ‘Jackboys 2'
Travis Scott's Cactus Jack Records compilation album JackBoys 2 is set to release this Sunday, July 13, the rapper revealed on social media Thursday night. 'The Jack is back with 17 tracks full of trunk rattling classics in the making,' the album's promo art online reads. According to the promo art, Bun B is hosting the project, which is set to release at midnight Sunday. Several different physical and digital variants are currently listed for sale on Scott's website. More from The Hollywood Reporter Benny Blanco Says He Shazams His Own Songs Sometimes: "I Can't Remember Anything" 'KPop Demon Hunters' Cannot Be Stopped on the Charts Kanye West's Ex-Assistant Adds Sexual Battery and Sex Trafficking to Claims in Lawsuit The album will drop days after Scott and JackBoys dropped the single '2000 Excursion' featuring Don Toliver and Sheck Wes. With his Sunday album drop, Scott is just the latest major hip-hop act to break from the industry standard Friday release date. Tyler, the Creator did so last year as well for his eighth album, Chromakopia, dropping it on a Monday morning in the hopes that fans would engage more directly with the music throughout the week instead of over a weekend. JackBoys 2 will mark Scott's first full album since he released Utopia back in 2023. That record was one of the best-selling albums of the year and has since gone double-platinum. JackBoys 2 comes over five years after Cactus Jack first released JackBoys back in December of 2019. The first album featured guest appearances from artists including Rosalia, Lil Baby, Quavo, Pop Smoke and Young Thug, the latter of whom was featured on the album's triple-platinum single, 'Out West.' Some of the expected features on the new album are GloRilla, Vybz Kartel, 21 Savage and Tyla, among others. Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Party in the U.S.A.' to 'Born in the U.S.A.': 20 of America's Most Patriotic (and Un-Patriotic) Musical Offerings Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025
