Latest news with #Newsweek
Newsweek
12 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Amanda Knox Sends Message to 'SNL'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Amanda Knox's tongue-in-cheek post about one day appearing on Saturday Night Live has gone viral on social media. Newsweek reached out to Knox's representative and NBC via email on Wednesday for comment. Why It Matters Knox, now 38, garnered worldwide attention in 2007 after she was accused of murdering her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, during a study abroad program in Perugia, Italy. She spent nearly four years in an Italian prison before her conviction was overturned, and she was exonerated in 2015. In the days after Kercher's murder, Knox falsely accused her boss, Patrick Lumumba, of the killing, and he spent two weeks in prison. At the time, she had signed statements to police, though she later questioned her accusation in a handwritten note. Knox was convicted of slander and received a three-year sentence. What To Know On Monday, Knox took to X to speak out about the nickname she received at the height of her fame. "When I was twenty years old, I became a symbol. I did not ask for it. I did not understand it. I certainly did not benefit from it," she told her 161,200 followers on the platform in a lengthy thread. "I became a caricature of a person: 'Foxy Knoxy.'" "An archetype: The seductress, the devil with the face of an angel, the ice queen, the remorseless murderess. My name and face had become a totem for society's anxieties about sex, youth, and femininity," she said in a subsequent post. Amanda Knox (center) is escorted by police upon her arrival at a court hearing in Perugia, Italy, on September 26, 2008. Amanda Knox (center) is escorted by police upon her arrival at a court hearing in Perugia, Italy, on September 26, 2008. Federico Zirilli/AFP via Getty Images "Foxy Knoxy" was coined by British and Italian media. In 2009, Knox was voted "Woman of the Year" in Italy by a television news poll. In response to her post, X user @LordOfMundane wrote: "And then you became a Supreme Court Justice!" The user included side-by-side photos of Knox and Justice Amy Coney Barrett. "Just saying, I'm still available, SNL," Knox responded, appearing to agree with their resemblance. At the time of publication, Knox's post had racked up 194,700 views, 3,500 likes and 115 comments. What People Are Saying In the replies underneath Knox's X post, many encouraged Saturday Night Live to take her up on her offer to play Barrett. X user @deltamagnet wrote: "Take a girl up on a dare, SNL!" @wga2557 wrote: "Double dare SNL!" @IAm_THEPaulina wrote: "OMG - @nbcsnl." @blueyedcole wrote: "@nbcsnl LET THIS WOMAN DO SOMETHING HILARIOUS." @John_Nez_Artist wrote: "Kind of uncanny... a match!" @kirkjason12 wrote: "That would be awesome!!" @1Lambinator wrote: "Wow! Spot on!" @barrydorsey wrote: "This would be epic." What Happens Next Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET and is also available to stream on Peacock.
Newsweek
12 minutes ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Planned Parenthood Pledge To Fight Against 'Defunding' Attempts From Congress
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Planned Parenthood has said that it will "never stop fighting" Congress' attempts to cut back its funding following the passage of President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, which the organization has said will harm millions of Americans. In Trump's bill, health care providers who carry out abortions and receive over $800,000 in federal reimbursements are banned from getting Medicaid funding for a year. Planned Parenthood, an organization providing reproductive services including abortion and birth control services across the country, has already sued the Trump administration because of the measure, and a district court has temporarily blocked the provision in the bill, pending investigation. Danika Severino Wynn, vice president of Care and Access at Planned Parenthood, told Newsweek: "There are no other providers who can fully meet the needs of millions of patients if the 'defunding' of Planned Parenthood is allowed to stand." "At Planned Parenthood, we will never stop fighting to make sure people can get the health care they need." Newsweek has contacted the Department of Health and Human Services via email for comment. Why It Matters Planned Parenthood has said that if the organization is "defunded," nearly 200 of its centers across 24 states would be at risk of closure, where more than 90 percent of those closures would be in states where abortion is legal. As a result, more than 1.1 million patients could lose access to services offered by Planned Parenthood. File photo: a protester stands outside of the Supreme Court, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Washington. File photo: a protester stands outside of the Supreme Court, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Washington. Mariam Zuhaib/AP What To Know Earlier this month, the nonprofit filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against the provision in Trump's bill, which it said unconstitutionally "defunds" Planned Parenthood by eliminating patients' ability to use Medicaid as their insurance at Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide." In the lawsuit, Planned Parenthood said the measure "will have severe adverse effects on the health and welfare of millions of patients", such as "depriving them of essential services such as testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and cancer screenings." As many Medicaid-enrolled patients who attend the organization's clinics do not have access to other health care providers, Planned Parenthood said, "they may be forced to forgo medical care entirely." U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, appointed by former President Barack Obama, proceeded to grant Planned Parenthood's request to temporarily pause the Medicaid cuts to the group's health centers. Planned Parenthood is already feeling the effects of the bill, and Medicaid patients have already been turned away from its clinics in Colorado and the District of Columbia, with both clinics releasing notices that they can no longer accept Medicaid-covered patients. Not only has Planned Parenthood been involved in a major legal battle with the Trump administration in recent weeks, but it has also faced federal scrutiny. Last month, U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, on behalf of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), launched an investigation into Planned Parenthood, accusing the nonprofit of using federal funds for "unpermitted purposes." "Planned Parenthood is an abortion giant that harvests organs from babies and uses nearly all of its resources to kill babies, not provide real healthcare," Greene said. The subcommittee accused Planned Parenthood of increasingly using its federal funds to provide abortion services, despite 39 percent of that money being "intended for essential health services, such as cancer screenings and wellness exams." The subcommittee pointed to Planned Parenthood's latest annual report showing that it performed more than 400,000 abortions—a marked increase of 23 percent over the last 10 years. Responding to the subcommittee's accusations, Angela Vasquez-Giroux, vice president of communications at Planned Parenthood, told Newsweek: "As Planned Parenthood has been the target of a relentless series of unsubstantiated and false accusations, PPFA welcomes the opportunity to share accurate information regarding the vital and essential health care services that Planned Parenthood health centers provide." Vasquez-Giroux added that they were reviewing the letter from Greene. What People Are Saying Danika Severino Wynn, vice president of Care and Access at Planned Parenthood, told Newsweek: "Planned Parenthood health centers are committed to doing everything they can to still see patients — and will continue to do so — while complying with all laws amid the chaos, cruelty and confusion intentionally sown by the new law the Trump administration and its backers in Congress passed that seeks to shut down Planned Parenthood and ban abortion nationwide." What Happens Next On July 11, the Trump administration filed a motion to dissolve the temporary restraining order implemented by the district judge following Planned Parenthood's lawsuit filing— meaning the legal battle continues.
Newsweek
12 minutes ago
- Science
- Newsweek
Southwest US's Alarming 'Megadrought' Could Last Until 2100
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Parts of the United States may be in a drought that will last until the end of the century, according to a concerning new study. Analysis by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin indicates that the Southwest is facing a "megadrought" worse than any in the past 1,200 years—and it could continue until the end of the 21st century if not even longer. The team suggest that ongoing warming could be disrupting the natural rhythm of a climate cycle known as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), which brings drought and rains to the Southwest U.S. every 20 or 30 years. However, under certain conditions of warming, this phase can persist for far longer. Researchers noted that in the last period of hemispheric warming, around 6,000 years ago, the PDO was forced out of rhythm, leading to a drought that lasted for millennia—and it now appears to be happening again. A dead fish lies near a lake September 6, 2000 just outside the city of Dallas, Texas, when much of Northern Texas had dried out. A dead fish lies near a lake September 6, 2000 just outside the city of Dallas, Texas, when much of Northern Texas had dried their study, PhD student Victoria Todd and professor Timothy Shanahan analyzed sediment cores from the Rocky Mountains, and found evidence of a major drought 6,000–9,000 years ago far worse than scientists had previously assumed. The drought was primarily caused by a drop in winter rain needed to feed major rivers, coinciding with a swell of plant growth across continents which caused the Earth to warm as it absorbed more of the sun's rays. This triggered a shift in ocean and atmospheric patterns over the North Pacific that resembled the drought phase of the PDO, which is causing the current drought in the Southwest—except that this drought phase dominated for thousands of years. Todd told Newsweek: "By combining new paleoclimate reconstructions and climate model simulations, we showed that moderate Northern Hemisphere warming—in the past and projected into the future—can lock North Pacific sea surface temperatures into a temperature pattern that dramatically reduces winter precipitation and drives long-term drought in the Southwest US. "The fact that this is wintertime drought is particularly important because of the impact on snowpack in the Rockies and its role in Colorado River flow and western U.S. water resources." The researchers examined whether this could happen again by teaming up with the University of Colorado to build climate model projections. When these results were averaged, they noted a similar response—including steady declines in winter precipitation. Shanahan said in a statement: "If global temperatures keep rising, our models suggest the Southwest could remain in a drought-dominated regime through at least 2100. Referencing the Colorado River, where flows have declined by 20 percent over the last century, Shanahan added: "Many people still expect the Colorado River to bounce back. But our findings suggest it may not. "Water managers need to start planning for the possibility that this drought isn't just a rough patch—it could be the new reality." Todd told Newsweek: "Our work […] also suggests that, while the simulations with warming produce a North Pacific response and lead to winter precipitation declines, they still underestimate the magnitude of this response. "This suggests that it is likely we are underestimating the magnitude of future drought as well. We need to better understand why the magnitude of the precipitation response is being underestimated by models and what it means for future precipitation in the Southwest U.S." Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about drought? Let us know via science@ Reference Todd, V. L., Shanahan, T. M., DiNezio, P. N., Klavans, J. M., Fawcett, P. J., Anderson, R. S., Jiménez-Moreno, G., LeGrande, A. N., Pausata, F. S. R., Thompson, A. J., & Zhu, J. (2025). North Pacific ocean–atmosphere responses to Holocene and future warming drive Southwest US drought. Nature Geoscience, 18(7), 646–652.
Newsweek
39 minutes ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Green Card Holders Handed Big Legal Win Amid Trump Administration Crackdown
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) cannot unilaterally revoke a green card, calling the government's approach "antithetical" to the separation of powers and a violation of Congress' authority in a case pertaining to a lawful permanent resident. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by Newsweek on Wednesday. Newsweek has contacted the petitioner's counsel for comment via email. Why It Matters The court's decision pushes back on the Trump administration's desire to be able to reconsider and potentially revoke an individual's lawful permanent residency, which could have sweeping implications for millions of permanent residents. President Donald Trump has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and immigrants residing in the country illegally and legally, with valid documentation such as green cards and visas, have been detained. Newsweek has reported dozens of cases involving green-card holders and applicants who were swept up in the immigration raids and various arrests. A Customs and Border Protection warning published on July 9 said, "Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right." It added that legal residents arriving at a port of entry with prior criminal convictions may be detained in advance of removal proceeding. A new U.S. citizen waiting to take the Oath of Allegiance before receiving their naturalization certificates during a formal ceremony at Midway International Airport in Chicago on June 25. A new U.S. citizen waiting to take the Oath of Allegiance before receiving their naturalization certificates during a formal ceremony at Midway International Airport in Chicago on June 25. KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images What To Know In a Tuesday ruling, a court said the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), which is part of the DOJ's Executive Office for Immigration Review, lacked the authority to unilaterally revoke the legal permanent status of Mohammad Qatanani, a longtime New Jersey imam. Qatanani, who is Palestinian, has spent more than two decades seeking permanent residency in the United States. In 1996, he was admitted to the U.S. on a work visa, and three years later he applied to adjust his status to a lawful permanent resident. However, federal officials cited alleged ties to Hamas, allegations that Qatanani has denied. "An Immigration Judge twice made fact findings and credibility determinations in Qatanani's favor and granted his application to adjust to LPR status. The IJ issued those orders in 2008 and 2020, respectively," the case said. However, the 2008 order never became final because the Department of Homeland Security appealed, and the BIA vacated it. Although DHS did not appeal the second ruling within the required 30 days, the BIA later ordered Qatanani's removal, a decision he appealed. Tuesday's opinion, written by Circuit Judge Arianna Freeman, a Biden appointee, said, "The BIA exceeded its authority when it attempted to undo Qatanani's adjustment to LPR status by using an agency regulation in a manner inconsistent with the procedures set out by Congress in the [Immigration and Nationality Act]," adding that it came long after the 30-day period. Freeman continued, "Accordingly, we granted Qatanani's petition for review and vacated the BIA's order," thereby asserting that the immigration judge's 2020 order granting Qatanani permanent residency was upheld. Later in the opinion, she wrote: "The implications of this [the Justice Department's] argument are extraordinary. Under this reading of agency authority, the government has carte blanche to evade the limits Congress imposed on the Executive's discretionary authority over adjustments to LPR status and to circumvent the procedures Congress mandated for recission of such adjustments." Freeman continued: "The government's position is antithetical to 'the basic concept of separation of powers.' … We therefore reject it." Judge Paul Matey, whom Trump appointed to the court, wrote in his dissent, "For more than a quarter century, five Presidents and 10 Attorneys General have objected to Mohammad Qatanani's presence in our Nation." He concluded, "Seeing no constitutional claim or legal question that warrants granting the petition, and mindful we lack jurisdiction to review the Executive's discretionary decision not to grant Qatanani a status adjustment, I would deny the petition and so respectfully dissent." What People Are Saying Amelia Wilson, an assistant professor of law and the director of the Immigration Justice Clinic at Pace University, told Newsweek: "Under Trump, the Department of Justice has repeatedly sought to usurp Congressional lawmaking authority, rewrite the Constitution, and upset the balance of power. The judiciary's duty is to safeguard the people against such abusive government conduct and Executive overreach. The Third Circuit did just that yesterday by guaranteeing that, at least for now, the Department must observe the basic mandates of due process." Bradford Bernstein, a managing partner at Spar Bernstein, previously told Newsweek: "In this case, the government is arguing that it can revoke a green card years or even decades after it was granted, based solely on a claim that an immigration judge did not complete all the administrative steps required to finalize the grant of permanent residency. The immigrant involved was granted a green card by a judge, and the government failed to appeal within the standard 30-day window. Under well-established legal principles, that decision should be considered final. Yet the government now claims that because of a procedural oversight by the judge or the immigration service, it can still rescind the green card long after the fact." Customs and Border Protection wrote on X on July 8: "Having a criminal history does not make you an upstanding lawful permanent resident. Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right. Under our nation's laws, our government has the authority to revoke your green card if our laws are broken and abused. In addition to immigration removal proceedings, lawful permanent residents presenting at a U.S. port of entry with previous criminal convictions may be subject to mandatory detention." U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services wrote on X on May 5: "Green cards and visas will be revoked if an alien breaks the law, supports terrorism, overstays their permitted visit time, performs illegal work, or anything else that violates the terms on which we granted them this privilege or compromises the safety of our fellow Americans." What Happens Next The BIA's order has been vacated against Qatanani and maintains that he is a lawful permanent resident.
Newsweek
42 minutes ago
- Newsweek
FBI Warns Parents Across America of Sinister Group Targeting Minors
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is warning parents about an online group under investigation that appears to be targeting minors and manipulating them to carry out sinister acts. The bureau said that members of the group—referred to as "764" for the Texas ZIP code where it reportedly originated—befriend minors online via video games, social media and online forums, then coerce them into self-harm and creating explicit material. The FBI told Newsweek: "The FBI is determined to identify and stop those who target the most vulnerable members of our society, our children." Stock image of a young person on their phone. Stock image of a young person on their phone. Press Association via AP Images Why It Matters According to the FBI, 764 is creating a growing problem both online and in the real world. The group is also said to be targeting children in Canada, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who put out a statement warning that "Violent online groups are targeting and manipulating vulnerable children and youth across widely accessible online platforms." What To Know The FBI has launched investigations into more than 250 subjects alleged to be involved in 764, and engaged all 55 FBI field officers across the U.S. in these investigations. According to the Justice Department, members of the group and people affiliated with it have coerced young girls into carving symbols into their bodies; used threats and intimidation to force young people into online and in-person sexual acts; and manipulated victims into harming animals. They are also accused of encouraging their victims to engage in suicidal and homicidal threats. Two people believed to be leaders of the group—Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, also known as "War," and Prasan Nepal, 20, also known as "Trippy"—were arrested and charged with operating a global child exploitation enterprise in April. But, several months later, 764 still appears to pose a threat to children. "The FBI leverages our counterterrorism and crimes against children expertise to counter this growing problem. We are providing training on countering 764 to personnel in all of our field offices," the bureau said in a statement to Newsweek. "The FBI has to be agile in recognizing threats that are increasing and applying the appropriate resources. We are working closely with our law enforcement partners both in the United States and overseas on what these criminal actors are doing and how we can identify and hold them legally accountable." The bureau said that when it first became aware of 764, its members "adhered closely to an ideology that espoused a strong racial or ethnic bias—that influenced their desire to bring about the downfall of society." An alleged guide used by 764 leaders for giving prospective members explicit instruction on how to create content for the group, used by the Justice Department as evidence in their case against two alleged 764... An alleged guide used by 764 leaders for giving prospective members explicit instruction on how to create content for the group, used by the Justice Department as evidence in their case against two alleged 764 leaders. More Justice Department But it said the group's goals had now shifted and members "just want to sow chaos and facilitate the destruction of society with no further intent." The FBI said it will investigate cases as terrorism where individuals are engaging in criminal activity to "further their sociopolitical goals." It added: "Not all members participate in 764 or similar networks for ideological reasons. Motivations vary from person to person, from group to group, and some 764 members may be engaging in criminal activity for sexual gratification, social status or a sense of belonging, or for a mix of other reasons that may not be ideologically motivated. "In those cases, we will investigate the crimes as a criminal matter, not as terrorism. For that reason, each case is evaluated individually, on a case-by-case basis." What People Are Saying The FBI said in a statement to Newsweek: "The FBI is growing increasingly concerned about a loose network of violent predators who befriend minors and other vulnerable individuals through popular online platforms and then coerce them into escalating sexual and violent behavior—pushing victims to create graphic content, child sexual abuse material, harm family pets, cut themselves with sharp objects, or attempt suicide. Some of these predators even watch live-streamed self-harm and other violent content." Christopher Raia, assistant director in charge of the FBI New York, said in a statement: "Manipulating the most vulnerable members of society—our children—to produce sexually harmful material to further their depraved goals is unconscionable. The FBI is determined to do whatever necessary to stop the heinous actions of 764 members and hold them accountable in the justice system." Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a press release: "We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation." What Happens Next The two men arrested in conjunction with 764 activities are awaiting trial and could face life in prison if found guilty. The FBI issued the following advice to parents: "Be aware of your child's online activities, especially to whom he or she may be communicating with and make use of online platforms' parental controls." If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual violence, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673, or contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) helpline via their website If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to to find a helpline near you. If you or someone you know has been a victim of 764, we would like to hear your story. You can get in touch by emailing
