Turn off the lights. The Nesting Ospreys have defeated the Apple Valley Eagles in Minnesota high school football.
They haven’t actually played each other, but the ospreys took charge when they built a huge nest to raise their chicks, high up on a light pole at the Apple Valley High School football field. Because of it, the migratory raptors that are protected under state and federal law forced the school, known as the Eagles, to rearrange their football and soccer schedules, switching to day games instead of night.
Turning on the hot floodlights would have risked cooking the birds and starting a fire.
“When you tell someone this story of ‘Wow, we have to reschedule because there’s an osprey nest in our stadium,’ they’re like, ‘You can’t make this type of stuff up, right?’” said Cory Hanson, athletic director at the school in the Minneapolis suburbs.
Working with the state Department of Natural Resources, the school has been sending up a drone twice a week to monitor the chicks so that once the young ospreys are old enough and fly off, crews can remove the nest and switch on the traditional Friday Night Lights.
“Luckily for Apple Valley, they should be able to remove the nest within probably a week because the birds have already taken some of their first flights,” Heidi Cyr, the department’s nongame wildlife permit coordinator, said Friday.
Hanson said he’s seen as many as four chicks in the drone photos. He said the school became aware of the nest around June.
“When you see these large birds flying across your field with these humongous sticks, you start to ask questions like, ‘What is going on here?’” he said. “And you take one look at that nest, right? And you’re like, ‘OK, this is not your average bird.’”
DNR officials confirmed it was an osprey nest, and told school officials that federal law made it clear that they could not disturb it for now.
So, Hanson said, they had no choice but to revise their schedules. But he said other schools have been great about finding alternate sites and times, despite their initial disbelief.
According to the DNR, ospreys are one of the larger birds of prey that inhabit Minnesota, with wingspans of 4.5 to 6 feet (1.4 to 1.8 meters).
They’ll return to their nests every year and will build them up with new materials every season. Their nests can get as large as 10 feet deep (3 meters) and 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters) in diameter. Their diet is almost exclusively live fish. They’ll dive from high altitudes to grab fish with their sharp talons, plunging as deep as 3 feet (1 meter) underwater.
Ospreys like to build their nests in high places with clear views, including dead old trees and structures that resemble them, like utility poles, channel markers and cellphone towers. That sometimes creates fire hazards. So the DNR issues a number of nest removal permits every year. But permission to remove nests that still hold young ospreys is normally denied unless there’s a major health and human safety concern. Stadium lighting doesn’t qualify, Cyr said.
Efforts to restore their population, which have included building nest platforms, have been a success in Minnesota and elsewhere, Cyr noted. They came off the state’s special concern list in 2015. Depending on the time of year, they can now be found across most of North America.
Once the chicks at Apple Valley fly off for good, Hanson said, school officials and the DNR will relocate the nest from the light tower to a new platform on school grounds in hopes that the parents will return next year. But just to be safe, they’ll also erect deterrents on the lights so the ospreys don’t try to nest there again.
“So if anyone sees that happening, don’t worry,” Cyr said. “The birds are safe. They’ve successfully left the nest and they’re on their way to becoming adults themselves.”
___
Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski reported from Minneapolis.
Introducing the 2025 Fortune Global 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in the world. Explore this year’s list.
US Vice President JD Vance hit the road on August 21 to promote President Donald Trump’s legislative accomplishment, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax and spending bill.
The law permanently extended tax cuts from a 2017 law Trump signed, which would have expired at the end of 2025 had Congress not reauthorised them. The law also included some new tax cuts, including for tips, overtime and Americans 65 and older.
Speaking in Peachtree City near Atlanta, Vance said, “We had the biggest tax cut for families that this country has ever seen.”
The tax cuts were significant, but they weren’t the biggest in US history, which was a phrase Trump has often used to inaccurately describe his 2017 tax cut law. The 2025 tax cuts rank either third-biggest since 1980 or tied for seventh, depending on the yardstick.
At the same time, many Americans could see relatively modest changes to the taxes they owe starting in 2026, because the 2025 law mostly extended existing tax cuts.
The White House did not provide a response before publication.
Comparing historical tax cut laws
We examined the tax revenue decreases from major laws passed since 1980. (On balance, most tax laws prior to 1980 either raised taxes or cut them modestly.)
Tax bill dollar amounts tend to rise over time because of inflation, so we looked at tax cuts as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), which evens out the differences over time. And because some early laws have tax cut data available only for the first five or six years of the law’s life, we compared laws by looking at the cumulative tax savings during a law’s first five years in effect.
We found that the law with the biggest tax savings was 1981 legislation passed by the Democratic Congress and signed by President Ronald Reagan, who won office promising large tax cuts. That law cut taxes by 3.5 percent of the nation’s cumulative five-year GDP.
A 2012 bill passed by the Republican Congress and signed by President Barack Obama ranked second. That bill, which cut taxes by 1.7 percent of GDP, extended the tax cuts passed in 2003 under President George W Bush.
Based on current projections, Trump’s 2025 law ranks third, at 1.4 percent of GDP when factoring in Trump’s 2017 cuts.
Trump’s 2017 law ranks fourth at 1 percent, tied with a 2010 law Obama signed that extended Bush’s 2001 tax cuts. Bush’s 2001 and 2003 tax cuts ranked sixth and seventh, with 0.7 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.
If considering only new tax cuts and not the re-upped 2017 tax cuts, then Trump’s 2025 law would tie for seventh at 0.5 percent of GDP.
Joseph Rosenberg, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute-Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center, said that it’s legitimate to measure the scale of the cuts in the 2025 tax law either way.
What will Americans see in their taxes starting in 2026?
There could be a disconnect between the historical scale of Trump’s 2025 bill and the impact that Americans will notice when filing 2026 taxes.
Because Americans are already paying the lower rates that began in 2017 and that the 2025 law extended, they won’t necessarily notice a sizeable reduction in taxes owed.
“For most families, they are going to see a child tax credit that increases by a maximum of $200 per child, from $2,000 to $2,200,” said Margot Crandall-Hollick, principal research associate at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. “Some are going to pay a little less because of the tips and overtime provisions and a slightly higher standard deduction.”
The law preserves a more generous standard deduction that had been set to expire and increases it slightly to $15,750 for single filers and $31,500 for joint filers in 2025, to be indexed to inflation annually.
At the same time, Crandall-Hollick said, some families, especially those with lower incomes, will pay higher taxes because of the expiration of health insurance premium tax credits, which were not extended by the Big Beautiful Bill.
As predicted, Spotify has inked another key licensing agreement, this time with amra, the global digital licensing collection society.
The multi-territory, multi-year renewal deal covers digital mechanical and performing rights across amra’s global footprint.
That footprint sees amra collect licensing royalties for its clients in an array of markets outside the United States, including Southeast Asia, India, Australia, Brazil, and Japan.
The new agreement follows Spotify’s direct licensing deal with Kobalt last week, which covered only US operations.
Kobalt’s catalog is globally licensed outside the US by amra. Indeed, amra is a sister company of Kobalt, representing both Kobalt’s rights and those of third-party clients.
AlexNorström, Co-President & Chief Business Officer, Spotify, said: “This deal with amra increases our support of publishers and songwriters with new rights.
“It expands the benefits of streaming for writers, artists and rightsholders and unlocks additional value for fans as we deliver music around the world.”
“This deal with amra increases our support of publishers and songwriters with new rights.”
AlexNorström, Spotify
“It expands the benefits of streaming for writers, artists and rightsholders and unlocks additional value for fans as we deliver music around the world.”
In a media release confirming the partnership, Spotify and amra said their new deal is “designed to deliver greater flexibility and value to amra’s songwriter and publisher clients.”
“Our priority and mission at amra is and will always be to maximize the digital value for our songwriter and publisher clients and to ensure their works are protected and valued fairly in the marketplace.”
Tomas Ericsson, amra
Tomas Ericsson, CEO of amra, commented: “Our priority and mission at amra is and will always be to maximize the digital value for our songwriter and publisher clients and to ensure their works are protected and valued fairly in the marketplace.
“This partnership with Spotify, which enables new innovation, reaffirms that commitment.We look forward to continuing to work with Spotify over the coming years.”
Under a 2022 legal settlement called Phonorecords IV, music publishers and music streaming services agreed that ‘bundle’ services in the US are permitted to pay a lower mechanical royalty rate to publishers and songwriters than standalone music subscription services.
These concerns prompted the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) to sue Spotify in May 2024 for allegedly underpaying royalties to songwriters and publishers. The lawsuit was dismissed in January, and the MLC asked the court in February to reconsider the dismissal.
In June of this year, two US senators called on the US Federal Trade Commission to investigate Spotify. Senators Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, and Ben Ray Luján, a New Mexico Democrat, sent a letter to FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, saying: “We have serious concerns about Spotify’s recent move to convert all of its premium music subscribers into different—and ultimately higher-priced — bundled subscriptions without their knowledge or consent.”
Five people have died after a tourist bus returning from Niagara Falls crashed on the motorway in western New York.
Witnesses saw the vehicle lose control and turn over approximately 40 miles (64km) from Niagara Falls, a major tourist destination on the US-Canada border.
Most of the 52 people on board are from India, China and the Philippines. Some were thrown from the vehicle, and others were trapped inside the wreckage for several hours, police have said. It is believed most were not wearing seat belts.
The cause of the crash is not known and authorities have urged drivers with dashcam footage to come forward.
Ambulances and medical helicopters were sent to the crash site, near the town of Pembroke, 30 miles (48km) east of the city of Buffalo.
Translators and translation devices were brought to the scene and hospitals to assist in the investigation.
Andre Ray major, New York State Police troop commander, told a news conference: “The cause of the collision is still under investigation. However, mechanical failure as well as operator impairment have been ruled out at this time.
“The operator has been cooperative and with the investigation still underway. No charges have been filed at this point.”
The bus was heading eastbound and lost control, veering into the median and then into a ditch, according police.
The passengers were aged between one and 74. Several children were on board at the time of the crash, police say.
Twenty-four adult patients were admitted to one local hospital, and doctors say they’re expected to make a full recovery. Other area hospitals also received patients, and those under 16 who survived were taken to a children’s hospital.
One witness told The Buffalo News that he saw a bus lying on its side and items strewn on the roadway following the crash.
“There was glass all over the road and people’s stuff all over the road,” said Powell Stephens, who drove past the crash site.
“Windows were all shattered. Everyone seemed conscious and OK, but I only saw the scene for about 15 seconds.”
ConnectLife, an organisation that provides blood to hospitals in the region, has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations.
“Our community is facing a crisis,” said spokeswoman Sarah Diina.
“This is one of those moments when your action can directly save lives,” said Diina.
The Red Cross has opened a family reunification centre to connect children and parents who were transported to different hospitals.
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At the onset of the Dallas Wings-Los Angeles Sparks contest Wednesday night, we did not immediately know an all-timer was in store. Paige Bueckers was a couple hours away from setting the WNBA rookie single-game scoring record with 44 points on a maniacal 17-of-21 shooting line. She missed two midrange jumpers, a layup and a desperate lefty floater, all of which nearly rolled in. She made all of her 3-point attempts and free throws in, unquestionably, one of the greatest shooting displays of all-time.
But there were early signs. With the score still 3-0 Dallas, Bueckers pushes the ball past the screen and to her right, catching up to it and 1–2’ing into a leaning 3-pointer from the top of the key. Julie Allemand flies into, then out of her airspace. Splash.
Bueckers, a basketball pragmatist whose guiding belief is that the technically correct decision is the right one, is also one of the greatest shooters alive. She knows more than 23.2 percent of her shots should come from three. So, even though she hasn’t taken a shot yet, nor broken a sweat, Bueckers sees Dearica Hamby dropped well below the arc and cans what is decidedly not her preferred look.
More.
Next time down, she catches the ball at the left elbow, with her back turned toward Kelsey Plum, about 17 feet out from the hoop. Bueckers, like the rest of us, knows she is tall while Plum is not. She simply turns over her left shoulder, fades and swishes a jumper against a fellow No. 1 pick. Bueckers doesn’t need to sign “too little,” the words are practically flashing above Plum’s head.
A minute later, Bueckers curls off a pindown screen. Even though Hamby is vacating the lane to recover to the screener, our golden child does not drive the lane. She just pulls up and shoots it.
Now, I could clip this play and mention it in conjunction with Bueckers’ 12 percent rim frequency. How much will her shot diet have to change to unlock true mastery? is a fascinating question, but she’s 3-of-3 and the ball hasn’t touched the rim. Just smile. Exhale.
One Sparks turnover later and Bueckers is pushing it down the court in a two-on-two scenario. Rickea Jackson is waiting for her on the wing. This is why we’re here.
Kill.
Bueckers deserves the heat check. It repels her. She pulls the ball out, slows the pace and 10 seconds later, Haley Jones misses a 10-foot fallaway. I exhale, less enthused. To root for Paige Bueckers, you have to accept that she is more restrained than you. This is not always easy.
You are Paige Bueckers, you think. You don’t have to pass the ball to Aziaha James because her defender maybe, kind of, thought about helping on your drive. You might even be right, but this is why she is Paige Bueckers and you are not.
Five months ago, prior to the fourth quarter of UConn’s Elite Eight matchup with USC, head coach Geno Auriemma pleaded with ESPN’s Holly Rowe on the sideline, looking for help, begging his star player to take over the game.
UConn went on to win, 78-64. Bueckers ended with 31 points, six assists, four steals and two blocks.
lmaoooo, Geno thinks maybe Holly Rowe should talk to Paige Bueckers to get her to take over the game pic.twitter.com/luzX62Qu3d
Maybe, you think Bueckers should shoot every time down. It’s not the craziest stance, given the Wings’ bad-even-before-injuries supporting cast. But the killer instinct is there.
It may surprise you to learn that, of the 105 WNBA players to appear in at least five “clutch” games this season, the numbers say Bueckers is the most aggressive. She’s taken 34 field goal attempts and nine free throws in just 100 clutch possessions, putting Dallas’ fate in her own hands over one-third of the time.
The fire is always burning within, but Bueckers is at her most enthralling when it creeps into her eyes. And it doesn’t always take until the clutch.
Early in the second quarter, after Dallas turns a six-point lead into a seven-point deficit with Bueckers on the bench, she gets trapped on the sideline, maybe fouled as the ball careens out of bounds. Sparks ball. Dallas head coach Chris Koclanes gets a technical foul and if Bueckers wasn’t incensed by the call (she was), the free point given to Los Angeles might be even worse.
Soon after, she’s pushing the ball down the right wing. Jackson again meets her. It’s not quite a fast break, with Cameron Brink and a couple other Sparks getting set on defense; maybe this is the challenge Bueckers wants. Attack, stop, swish.
It’s getting real. She has missed two shots by halftime but is picking and choosing her spots, unwilling to admit every spot is her spot. She has 31 points by the start of the fourth quarter. Dallas is up seven and she’s still only missed two shots. It’s gotten real.
I’m missing it. I’m already writing about Paige Bueckers — but only in theory. I’m writing about one of the most versatile scoring prospects the WNBA has ever seen, excelling against any coverage in any action while seamlessly floating among them. Clip after clip, stat after stat. Drop coverage, traps, going left, going right. My brain is fried, eyes glazed over; I’m taking a walk.
Aim to capture the moment and you might just miss it. Bueckers is playing one of the great games a rookie in any sport has ever played, authoring perhaps the greatest shooting performance ever. She’s surrendering passing opportunities we know she can see, taking her own shots.
YES.
The whole court is on fire as she swaggers around it, gliding into celebrations and acknowledging that yes, this is what we all came to see. I slip through the door and float into bed. I allow myself to bask in the moment. It’s everything I thought it would be based on, well:
Bueckers is hotter than hot and there’s little the Sparks’ already-porous defense can do. But it’s not just the ball going through the net; the aforementioned scoring versatility is impossible to miss.
Midway through the fourth quarter, she seals Allemand up the floor but the entry pass never comes. No problem. Bueckers runs off a pindown, nailing a three from the right wing. Allemand is too exhausted for anything other than an annoyed sigh.
I sit upright when Bueckers strings together downhill footwork and handling combinations. There’s little east-to-west movement, only advances toward the rim. Yes, she is a coach’s dream, hyper-aware of what ball-screen coverage she’s facing and often using it to create open looks for others. But on Wednesday, Azurá Stevens is just another obstacle en route to the rim:
Paige using these handling/footwork counters to get by Azurá in ball-screens and all the way to the rim was my favorite part of last night: pic.twitter.com/UwgzODzSxS
Bueckers was not just cooking in the pick-and-roll. She was undeterred by digs or stunts from Sparks defenders in the gaps, instead eating up all the space in front of her. If it vanished, she just got creative:
There are 148 WNBA players who have logged at least 100 minutes this season. Per PBP Stats, Bueckers has the lowest shot quality of every single one, an expected effective field goal percentage of 43. That’s probably underselling it; this model does not take into account touch time or dribble count and Dallas relies on her to pound the rock. That’s how good she is. Even she knows her bad shots are good ones.
She’s on another scoring run, 13 straight points in the fourth quarter. The stakes are lower here but I can’t help but think of LeBron James’ immortal performance in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons. You know the one; he scores his team’s last 25 points. The young star, so talented their unselfishness is viewed as a defect , arriving in the manner we want. You are the right play.
But on Wednesday, Dallas loses. On the Wings’ final possession, Koclanes opts not to bring a screener up for Bueckers; it’s the right call, no double-teams allowed. She drives right and gets at least even with Rae Burrell, if not a small step ahead.
Kill
Allemand shifts toward the paint but is still outside of it as Bueckers crosses the 3-point line and — she passed?
Aziaha James, a 29 percent 3-point shooter, misses the corner three. Plum, who finds a way to take more shots than Bueckers, wins the game at the buzzer. When will you forget who won this game? Probably sooner than Bueckers will.
I won’t. It is the perfect ending.
These are the moments you might instinctively mourn before they’ve passed — the first true I remember where I wasgame in a career that promises to be full of them — and the Wings lose because Bueckers’ teammates shoot 50 percentage points worse than she does. Because she trusts them anyway.
Wanting our athletes to fail before they succeed is not a novel concept, but perhaps it’s cruel to wish it on Bueckers, who has spent much of Dallas’ 9-27 season showing the frustration you’d expect from a winner of her caliber. Oh, well.
It’s fair to ask questions about Bueckers’ ultimate ceiling, to wonder how her approach may change in the coming seasons, if it has to at all. Is that sparkling 2.5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio a little too sparkling? Does her shot diet give playoff-level defenses a plan, however futile it may become?
But I don’t care, not yet anyway. Her 44-point epic is a reminder of what we all know: She’ll be fine. Yes, we can always want more from Paige Bueckers. But remember to enjoy the show.
New Delhi, India – The Indian government tabled a new bill earlier this week in parliament under which a prime minister, state chief minister or other federal or state minister can be removed from office if they are facing criminal investigations – even before they are convicted.
The draft law proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mandates the automatic removal of elected officials if they are detained for 30 consecutive days on charges carrying a minimum sentence of five years.
Even as Amit Shah, India’s home minister who is widely seen as Modi’s deputy, presented the bill in parliament, members of the opposition ripped apart legislative papers and hurled them at Shah, before the house was suspended amid chaos.
The opposition, strengthened in the 2024 national election in which the BJP lost its majority and was forced to turn to smaller allies to stay in power, has slammed the bill as an example of “undemocratic” weaponising of laws against dissent.
Meanwhile, the Indian government says the proposed law will rein in corrupt and criminal public representatives.
So, is the proposed law authoritarian or democratic? What’s behind the opposition’s allegations against the Modi government? Or, as some experts argue, is it all a trap?
What’s the bill proposing?
The Modi government tabled the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, in parliament on Wednesday.
As per the amendment, an elected leader would automatically lose their post if they are arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days on charges carrying a minimum sentence of five years.
The bill also includes a provision for reappointment, allowing leaders to return to their posts if they secure bail or are acquitted.
The government argues that the measure is a step towards reinforcing accountability and public trust, arguing that those facing serious criminal charges should not continue in constitutional office.
The amendment has been referred to a joint parliamentary committee – a panel consisting of legislators from both the government and opposition parties – for its deliberations, following opposition protests.
Arvind Kejriwal, leader of the Aam Admi Party, left, leaves in a car after a court extended his custody for four more days, in New Delhi, India, March 28, 2024. Kejriwal was Delhi’s chief minister when he was arrested in March 2024, and did not resign for almost six months after, alleging the case was politically motivated [Dinesh Joshi/AP Photo]
What’s the opposition saying?
Opposition leaders have alleged that the proposed amendment could be misused by the Modi government against critics and political rivals.
That risk, they say, is especially high since law enforcement agencies that come under the federal government only need to arrest and press serious charges against opposition members, and keep them in custody for 30 days – without worrying about actually proving those charges in a court of law.
Manish Tewari, MP from the opposition Congress party, said that “the bill is against the principle of presumption of innocence” until proven guilty.
Asaduddin Owaisi, another opposition MP from Hyderabad city in southern India, said this law would be used to topple adversarial state governments.
Critics have also pointed to how, under India’s constitution, state governments have the primary responsibility for maintaining law and order. The proposed law, they say, upends that principle.
Applying this law to state leaders undermines India’s federal structure, he said, noting that this weakens the people’s right to choose governments.
“The bill would change the federal contract in fundamental ways, including balance of power between centre and states, giving the centre enormous leverage to sabotage elected governments – and, of course, to the space for oppositional politics,” said Asim Ali, a political observer based in New Delhi.
Are the opposition’s allegations founded?
Since 2014, when Modi came to power in New Delhi, the opposition has alleged that the government has increasingly used agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), tasked with fighting financial crimes, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the country’s premier investigative body, to target rival politicians.
In March 2023, opposition parties petitioned in India’s top court against “a clear pattern of using investigative agencies … to target, debilitate and in fact crush the entire political opposition and other vocal citizens”.
The petition noted that since 2014, 95 percent of cases taken up by the CBI and the ED have been against politicians from the opposition. That’s a 60 percentage point and 54 percentage point rise, respectively, from the days of the previous Congress-led government.
In parliament, 46 percent of current members face criminal cases, with 31 percent of them charged with serious crimes like murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and crimes against women.
In the run-up to the 2024 general election, investigative agencies had arrested multiple opposition leaders, including Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy, Manish Sisodia. The ED also arrested Hemant Soren, just hours after he resigned as the chief minister of the eastern state of Jharkhand, on accusations of corruption.
In the last 12 years of BJP rule in India, at least 12 sitting opposition ministers have been detained and jailed for more than 30 days – nine of them from Delhi and the eastern state of West Bengal.
Lawmakers from India’s opposition Congress and other parties hold a banner as they march against the Narendra Modi-led government, alleging that Indian democracy is in danger, during a protest outside India’s parliament in New Delhi, India, Friday, March 24, 2023 [Altaf Qadri/AP Photo]
Is this a distraction?
Some political observers and the Modi government’s critics say yes.
A constitutional amendment in India requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of the parliament, which the BJP and its allies lack.
Modi’s government currently survives with the support of the BJP’s alliance partners, after it fell short of a majority in the 2024 national election.
In recent weeks, the Modi government has faced mounting opposition criticism over a controversial revision of electoral rolls ahead of a crucial state election, allegations of vote theft, and heat over foreign policy challenges as India battles 50 percent tariffs from the United States under President Donald Trump.
It is against that backdrop that the bill – which Ali, the political observer, described as “authoritarian” yet “symbolic” in nature – is significant, say experts.
“Even if the bill does not become a law, it will anyway force a showdown to make opposition parties vote against the bill,” Ali said, “so that they can use that as ammunition against them in [election] campaigning.”
Since floating the bill, Modi, his government and the BJP have been accusing critics of being sympathetic to criminals in politics.
On Friday, speaking at a rally in election-bound Bihar state, Modi referred to Kejriwal’s refusal for months after his arrest on money laundering charges to quit from the Delhi chief minister’s post.
“Some time ago, we saw how files were being signed from jail and how government orders were given from jail. If leaders have such an attitude, how can we fight corruption?” Modi said.
Rasheed Kidwai, a political analyst, said that while the bill is draconian and could be misused, Modi’s party, for now, thinks it can help them consolidate urban, middle-class votes for the upcoming election in Bihar.
“The opposition is in a bind because public opinion is against corruption,” he said. “It’s a double-edged sword.”
Action camera brand Insta360 has gone and made another tiny shooter for folks who like to capture adventure and POV footage. The versatile Go Ultra packs new internals for more imaging power, storage, and runtime than the previous model – and it’s smaller than your AirPods case.
The squircle-shaped camera gets a 1/1.28-inch sensor that’s more than twice as large as the one in the old Go 3S, and and it’s paired with a 5-nm AI-capable chip for better low-light performance and real-time color calibration. It’ll shoot 4K video at 60 fps with an HDR mode, as well as 50-megapixel photos in JPG or DNG.
In true Insta360 fashion, the Go Ultra also supports a bunch of shooting modes like timeshift, timelapse, 240-fps slow motion, and ‘toddler titan,’ which is designed to capture close-up reaction footage of your little tyke as they explore and go on adventures.
Meet Insta360 GO Ultra – The Tiny 4K Cam Built for the Moment
The camera gets in-body stabilization, horizon lock for mind-bending shots, and a wide 156-degree field of view. Insta360 also claims its digital 2x Clarity Zoom gets you closer to your subject without pixelation.
There’s a bunch of neat features on board to make shooting easier: you can quickly switch between 9:16 vertical and 16:9 landscape video, control recording with your voice or gestures, and capture clear audio using an onboard mic that promises to effectively block out background noise.
The Go Ultra comes in two colorways, and is accompanied by the Action Pod in the box that adds a flip touchscreen and doubles battery life
Insta360
This thing weighs just 1.87 oz (53 g), and can shoot for up to 70 minutes on a single charge. What’s cool is that it comes with a cradle called the Action Pod it can magnetically slot into, which extends runtime to 200 minutes. The Action also includes a grip to make handheld shooting easier, a 2.5-inch flip touchscreen, and the ability to remotely adjust the camera’s shooting settings when it’s detached.
The included Action Pod makes it easy to compose shots and adjust the Go Ultra’s settings when you want more control
Insta360
As you’d expect, the camera can also magnetically snap onto metal objects so you can shoot hands-free; it also attaches to a pendant, a clip, and a quick-release safety cord that come in the box so you can capture footage in a variety of ways. You can also pick up other mounts to strap this on to your bike or boat or whatever else.
Beyond snapping on to accessories and metal objects with its magnetic back, the Go Ultra can be mounted on all kinds of things
Insta360
The Go Ultra can happily go in the water since it’s IPX8 rated and capable of operating at depths of up to 33 ft (10 m). It skips built-in storage for swappable microSD cards up to 2 TB, which is handy for when you’re on long trips away from a computer to offload footage. The camera also features Apple’s Find My to help you locate it if it’s ever out of sight, and it’ll charge up from 0 to 80% in just 12 minutes.
One of my favorite things about Insta360 gear is the companion software: the mobile app includes loads of features to add some pizzazz to your videos, and makes light work of quickly splicing it all together with its Auto Edit function.
Insta360’s Go Ultra camera is tiny and flexible enough to slap on anywhere for a unique perspective
Insta360
I’m excited to see this version add flexibility and usability to the compact point-and-shoot form factor Insta360’s been pioneering. The last one was plenty capable given its size, but without a display or viewfinder to compose shots and review footage, it felt more like a novelty, or a B-roll shooter at best.
The Go Ultra weighs less than 3 oz and shoots for 70 minutes on its own – snapping it into the Action Pod extends that to 200 minutes
Insta360
The Go Ultra’s standard bundle (with the Action Pod, pendant, clip, and safety cord) is priced at US$450, and can be had in Midnight Black or Arctic White colorways. You can shop other bundles, which include more mounting accessories for activities like running and cycling, over on Insta360’s site.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Lyle appeared virtually for the hearing, which spanned more than 10 hours
Lyle Menendez has been denied parole one day after his brother Erik was similarly blocked from being freed from prison after more than three decades.
The Menendez brothers, who were convicted in the 1989 killings of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion, were both rejected for release after separate, lengthy hearings before California’s parole board.
It marks a major setback for the pair who had seen recent court wins that brought them closer than ever to freedom.
The elder Menendez brother, 57, who has long been portrayed as the dominant sibling, can try for parole again at a hearing in three years,though the panel said that could be reduced to 18 months with good behaviour.
The parole board, which was comprised of a different panel than his brother Erik faced on Thursday, said they found “that there are still signs” Lyle poses a risk to the public.
The panel cited the brutal nature of the killings of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, his lack of self-control and the signs that he still employs poor decision making.
“We find your remorse is genuine,” parole commissioner Julie Garland told him, explaining the decision and noting all the positive changes he had made while in prison.
“But despite all those outward positives, we see … you still struggle with anti-social personality traits like deception, minimization and rule breaking that lie beneath that positive surface,” Garland said.
The grisly murders and the trial that followed were among the criminal cases that defined the last century.
During their trials, the brothers claimed the killings were done in self-defence after years of sexual and emotional abuse from their father that they said was enabled by their mother.
Prosecutors, though, argued they were greedy, entitled monsters who meticulously planned the killings then lied to authorities investigating the case while going on a $700,000 (£526,000) spending spree using money they had inherited.
It was Lyle, long considered the dominant brother, who at first told police that he believed his parents’ brutal deaths were a mob hit job. He also fashioned elaborate stories that involved people lying for him to cover up their involvement. Both were cited by the board in their reasoning against his release.
The Menendez brothers were not arrested until police got word of their admissions to a psychologist.
“I’m profoundly sorry for who I was … for the harm that everyone has endured,” Lyle told the board. “I will never be able to make up for the harm and grief I caused everyone in my family. I am so sorry to everyone, and I will be forever sorry.”
Like his brother, Lyle also appeared virtually for the hearing from the San Diego prison where he has been housed. The proceedings stretched to more than 10 hours and concluded after the sun had set in Los Angeles.
The panel reviewed whether Lyle posed a risk to society if released and examined his life before the killings and his time in prison. He asked about his time as a student at Princeton University and how he was accused of plagiarism and suspended as a result, as well as speeding violations and burglary allegations.
They also asked questions about moments of the killings, what led up to the murders and his motivation.
The panel repeatedly brought up his illicit cell phone use in prison, which they said he appeared to have near constant access to for years. Commissioner Patrick Reardon, one member of the panel, questioned if they should give so much weight to all the positive things he did in prison – like his schooling and programmes he created for inmates – when he was constantly violating the rules.
The panel noted he plead guilty to a cell phone violation as recently as March of this year.
In explaining their denial of his parole, commissioner Garland said “incarcerated people who break rules” are more likely to break rules in society.
Although he had a tablet that he was allowed to use, Lyle explained that he continued to use cell phones because it gave him more privacy.
Watch: Moments from the Menendez brothers trial in 1993
Mobile phones are prohibited in prisons and considered to be as corrosive as drugs to a prison environment over concerns that they can further criminal activity, like moving drugs, intimidating witnesses and even organising escapes. All communications while behind bars are monitored, except for attorney-client conversations.
“I would never call myself a model incarcerated person. I would say that I’m a good person, that I spent my time helping people. That I’m very open and accepting,” Lyle told the board on Friday, noting he’s done a lot to help vulnerable inmates.
“I’m the guy that officers will come to to resolve conflicts,” he said, describing himself as a “peacekeeper”.
He graduated with a degree while in prison and is currently in the process of getting his master’s. Lyle has also been lauded for mentorship of other inmates, his work helping others who survived sexual abuse and a beautification programme he helped launch.
A risk assessment done before his hearing found that Lyle would face a “moderate risk” of violence if released and noted he has anti-social traits, as well traits of entitlement, deception, manipulation and issues with accepting consequences, citing his mobile phone use in prison.
What comes next for the Menendez brothers?
The brothers’ trek to freedom is not over yet, as they each can appear in front of the board again, each after three more years.
The parole denials will shift focus to California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is separately considering a clemency request from them.
Clemency could come in the form of a reduced sentence or even a pardon. Weighing in on such a high-profile and controversial case could be politically risky for Newsom, who is said to be mulling a presidential run.
In addition to the clemency request, the brothers are also asking for a new trial in light of newly uncovered evidence alleging childhood sexual abuse by their father.
A judge is mulling that request, but it is opposed by the Los Angeles district attorney’s office.
California Department of Corrections
During Friday’s hearing, prosecutor Ethan Milius lobbied against Lyle’s release. He questioned whether he has “genuinely” taken accountability for his conduct and pointed to Lyle’s inability to “follow basic rules while in a highly structured setting.”
“There is no growth. It is just who Lyle appears to be,” Milius said. “When you look at him, Lyle has a long-documented history of lies made to avoid the consequences of his own actions.”
A coalition of relatives who have long advocated for them, as well as supporters, were also in attendance virtually for Friday’s hearing and spoke on his behalf. Some of them refused to speak after audio of his brother’s hearing was released to a media outlet, which spurred anger from attorneys and a dramatic pause in the deliberations.
Lyle’s cousin Eileen Cano, who also spoke to the panel during Erik’s hearing on Thursday, told the board that she is amazed by how much Lyle has achieved despite facing life in prison without parole.
“While most people surrender to the crushing weight of prison life, Lyle rose above it,” she said.
“Lyle will not be a risk to the community because we as a family will hold him accountable,” she continued. “Delaying his release would serve no purpose. Lyle is not the man who went to prison 35 years ago.”
