What’s in the Proposed New Chilean Constitution? An Explainer

Recent polls indicate that wealthier critics of the proposed new constitution’s guarantees of social rights for all and recognition of indigenous sovereignty may have convinced Chileans to reject it–but with Chileans legally required to get out to the polls on Sunday, poorer voters could tip the scales the other way.

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US Senator on Foreign Affairs Panel Warns Recognizing Taiwan Will Not Protect US Interests

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Senator Chris Murphy, who is a member of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, is warning that potentially recognizing Taiwan as an independent state will not protect US interests.

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Trump Files Formal Response to DoJ's Filing Over Ongoing Mar-a-Lago Investigation

On Tuesday, the Justice Department said in a court filing US government documents were "likely concealed and removed" from storage at Mar-a-Lago in an effort to "obstruct" the FBI's inquiry into the alleged improper handling of classified information by ex-President Donald Trump. It also opposed Trump's request for the case's third-party review.

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NASA, Axiom Agree to Send More Astronauts to ISS on Commercial Mission - Space Agency

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - NASA and the Axiom Company have signed a new agreement for the commercial firm to send a second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the US space agency said in a press release.

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Russia Has Resources for Victorious Outcome of Operation in Ukraine - Upper House Speaker

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has enough resources for the victorious outcome of its special military operation in Ukraine, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said.

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Report: Justice Department May Wait Until After Midterms to File Charges Against Trump

In the wake of its investigation at Mar-a-Lago, the Justice Department is under great scrutiny due to the extraordinary possibility of filing charges against a former US president. His attempt to void the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden, is the subject of a separate DOJ investigation.

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Twitter is lighting up with Circle memes

Twitter Circle rolled out to all users this week, meaning folks can share posts exclusively with a select group of people.

Basically, the feature is a lot like Instagram Close Friends. You get to choose the group of people who can exclusively access your Circle posts. The idea is to make these posts more private though, of course, nothing is that private on the internet.

Predictably, since the Circle feature dropped, people online have been making memes and jokes about it. As one might expect with, you know, the internet...a lot of the jokes are about, well, being horny online.

People definitely seemed ready to make and see horny content.

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There were also lots of straightforward jokes. People joked about Circle being for cowards, the pressure of getting added to a Circle, being nosy, and lots of other things. The memes came flying in.

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It'll be interesting to see where Circle goes from here. Folks online are great at finding novel ways to use new features. But for now we've at least gotten funny jokes about it.

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Video: Brawl With Senior Lawmaker Gets Chilean MP Booted From Republican Caucus

Following a physical altercation with a colleague in the Chamber of Deputies, Chile’s lower legislative chamber, independent MP Gonzalo de la Carrera was ejected from the right-wing Republican caucus.

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French Football Star Paul Pogba Reportedly Paid $100K to Extortionists, Who Included His Own Brother

The case gained attention after Mathias Pogba threatened to publish "explosive" information about his famous brother, Paul's agent Rafaela Pimenta, and Kylian Mbappe on social media last weekend. In Instagram videos, Mathias appeared to be reading a statement that promised "great revelations" in Italian, Spanish, English and French.

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Oil Loses Nearly $6 on Speculation Iran Nuclear Deal Revival Has Been Agreed

NEW YORK (Sputnik) - Oil prices closed down almost $6 a barrel on Tuesday, with global crude benchmark Brent falling beneath key $100 pricing, on speculation that Iran and the United States have reached a deal to revive a nuclear deal that could legitimately put the Islamic Republic’s oil back on the export market.

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NASA Will Make Another Attempt to Launch Artemis Moon Rocket on Saturday - Official

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - NASA will make another attempt to launch the Artemis moon rocket on Saturday, the space agency's Artemis Mission Manager Mike Sarafin said during a conference call with reporters.

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‘Man of Remarkable Vision’: Biden Offers Condolences After Death of Soviet President Gorbachev

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden extended condolences to the family and friends of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and said Gorbachev was a man of remarkable vision.

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Gorbachev Was Promised Non-Expansion of NATO, His Mistake Was to Believe it, Ex-US Official Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev understood the needless threat of the nuclear Armageddon, however, his main mistake was that he did not understand Washington where any President’s agreement can be rescinded by a following leader, ex-US Assistant Treasury Secretary Paul Craig Roberts told Sputnik.

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No Hazing Allowed: Male Dolphins Partake in 'Frat-Boy Culture' to Attract Females, Research Finds

According to the study, dolphins are the only species other than humans to be known to create such intricate, cooperative "bromances." In contrast, in their efforts to mate with females, some species, such as chimpanzees, display strong male rivalry. Their contacts result in violence rather than cooperation.

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Britain Will 'Survive But Suffer' Under Liz Truss Leadership, Pundits Say

The Conservative Party leadership contest has seen "blue-on-blue" below-the-belt attacks by the campaigns of Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak on each others' policies and personal integrity. But both have struggled to present a credible plan for dealing with the cost-of-living crisis.

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US Army Grounds Chinook Helicopter Fleet Due to Engine Fire Fears - Report

With its iconic dual rotors, Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook is capable of some pretty unique maneuvers, including the pinnacle maneuver, where troops are embarked or disembarked on a hillside or roof without landing, and a “handbrake” U-turn.

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Top Republican Says Dems Want Chaotic Afghan Withdrawal 'Swept Under the Rug,' Calls For Hearing

Questions remain over the Biden administration’s handling of the 2021 US military withdrawal from Afghanistan that former President Trump negotiated with the Taliban.

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Washington Resident Sentenced to 55 Months for Participating in January 6 Events

WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) - Former Washington, DC bartender Joshua Pruitt has been sentenced four years and seven months in prison entering with a group of Proud Boys a restricted area of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, the Justice Department said.

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Twitter's Website for Desktops Is Reportedly Down For Users Wordwide, Namely in US & Europe

People can still access the website on their phones, and many have tweeted about the problem happening on desktops.

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Pro-Western Outlets Insist the US HHS Office Is Suffering Russian Cyberattacks

Despite a complete lack of any conclusive evidence, the Biden administration continues to claim that the Russian government is sponsoring attacks on US corporations.

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Biden to Ask Congress to Approve $1.1 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan - Reports

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Biden administration plans to ask Congress to approve a $1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan that includes hundreds of missiles for fighter jets and anti-ship systems, Politico reported citing three sources familiar with the matter.

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NY Gov. Hochul Under Fire for Telling Republicans to 'Head to Florida' Where They 'Belong'

Last week, Hochul openly stated that Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) should board a bus and head to Florida since he is not a New Yorker. Hochul later defended her comments while campaigning for Democrat Pat Ryan in upstate New York.

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Biden Not Briefed on Classified Records Seized From Trump's Residence, White House Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden has not been briefed on the classified material the FBI recovered from former President Donald Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said.

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Princess Rhaenyra dunks on 'The Rogue Prince' to become 'House of the Dragon' MVP

Welcome to House of the Dragon MVP, our series highlighting each episode's Most Valuable Player in the game before the Game of Thrones.

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Once again, the women of House Targaryen triumph over the men of their age to claim the MVP crown for the second episode of House of the Dragon, "The Rogue Prince." Last week's MVP was the inimitable Queen Aemma, who rose above the stereotype of the suffering, childbearing queen to leave a legacy of defiance that will echo through the entire run of the show. This week, her daughter Princess Rhaenyra gets the crown for exemplifying that defiance, dunking severely on her uncle Daemon and his goldcloaks, and dropping the medieval microphone on her way back to her throne. 

The episode opens six months after Episode 1, which ended with King Viserys naming Princess Rhaenyra his heir. Unfortunately for Rhaenyra, her father seems content to let the fact of her eventual succession stand while changing nothing about her position or duties. The court still condescends to her, a state exemplified when her suggestion to solve the looming threat in the Stepstones with dragons is met with derision from the king and Otto Hightower, despite the logic in using the massive, borderline-nuclear advantage the Targaryens have over literally everyone else in the world. 

SEE ALSO: The 'House of the Dragon' opening sequence is one big Targaryen family tree

Before going into how MVP Rhaenyra deals with that condescension, a word about Targaryen dragons at this period in Westeros' history. Viserys' own dragon died before he became king, making him the first Targaryen to ascend the throne without being a dragonrider. Instead, these not-so-symbolic externalizations of Targaryen power are held by his brother Daemon riding Caraxes, his daughter Rhaenyra riding Syrax, and his cousin Rhaenys riding Meleys. That's two women and an enemy, an equation Viserys is no doubt aware of. With that in mind, Viserys' distaste for dragon-based solutions feels like metaphor for his distaste in the current balance of power in his house — a trait that makes the sitting king the weakest member of House Targaryen.

As the underrated female heir, Rhaenyra starts out from a similar position of weakness but snaps out of it quickly. While her father ponders a new marriage, her cousin Rhaenys (the OG woman whose claim to the throne was passed over in favor of a man) reminds her that a new marriage means new claimants to the throne, and that Rhaenyra is kidding herself if she thinks the oaths of fealty the lords of Westeros took at the end of Episode 1 will hold unless she seizes the role of sole heir for herself. 

That's literally all it takes for Rhaenyra to remember that being a dragonrider gives her power that Otto Hightower and her own father can only dream of. She exercises that power by solving in minutes a problem that could have turned into a years-long war and performing a maneuver few living beings are capable of: checking the power of Daemon's dragon Caraxes with her own, Syrax. 

It's one part nuclear deterrent, two parts "I double-dragon dare you," with a healthy garnish of "Get over yourself." In that moment Daemon's little niece transforms into a force to be reckoned with, a true contender for the heirdom who won't go quietly if the men around her seek to put a cork in her overflowing awesomeness. 

Of course, it seems unlikely that Uncle Daemon will go quietly either. Even though he ends the episode knowing he got beat by a girl, there's a whole season of House of the Dragon for him to plan his comeback. Or perhaps somebody else's. 

New House of the Dragon episodes are available every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.

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‘They Are Not Organic’: Ukraine MoD Called Out After Giving Thanks to ‘NAFO’ Trolls

Since the beginning of the Russian special military operation in February, Ukraine has often resorted to outright disinformation and even all sorts of memes in its own struggle on social media, trying to win the sympathy of people in the events in the most accessible way online.

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The 'House of the Dragon' opening sequence is one big Targaryen family tree

The Game of Thrones opening sequence is a tough act to follow. Its sprawling fantasy map informed viewers where in Westeros the episode would take them, making it necessary viewing. Add to that Ramin Djawadi's instantly iconic theme, and you're looking at an unskippable one and a half minutes of television.

Because of the sheer power of the Game of Thrones titles, one of the biggest questions coming into prequel series House of the Dragon was "Could its opening match up?" After an opening titles-free premiere, the show's second episode finally gives us an answer: It's complicated.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' review: Worthy 'Game of Thrones' successor is an excellent fantasy series in its own right

House of the Dragon's opening credits certainly try to recapture the excitement of the Game of Thrones titles, even going so far as to use the exact same music and 3D animated art style. In this new sequence, we're guided through an imposing stone city by a river of blood. The blood moves through gears carrying different insignias, charting a new path depending on how the gear turns. However, where the Game of Thrones title sequence helped viewers unfamiliar with Westeros get used to the geography of the world, House of the Dragon's opening is far more symbolic, and may be more rewarding to people already acquainted with the lore of George R.R. Martin's Targaryen history, Fire & Blood.

Let's break these titles down, starting with the stone city.

What do the House of the Dragon opening credits mean?

A clue for the credits. Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO

The backdrop for these new credits may look familiar to viewers, as it bears a resemblance to the stone model in King Viserys' chambers in House of the Dragon's first episode. That's because this city is Old Valyria, the original home of the Targaryen Dragonlords before they came to Westeros. By the time of House of the Dragon, Old Valyria is long destroyed. However, its legacy still weighs heavy on the Targaryens, making it a solid choice for a background for these credits.

Now onto the insignias and the blood. Each of the spinning gears we see in the title bears a crown or some other symbol linking it to a specific Targaryen. The very first gear we see contains a portrait of dragons during what is likely the Doom of Old Valyria, but once the circle fills with blood, all that remains is an iron crown signifying Aegon the Conqueror.

Some symbols are easier to puzzle out than others. For example, we're able to identify Rhaenyra's symbol because it's the same interlocking design on the necklace that Daemon gave her. However, the sequence moves past many of the other gears very quickly, so we don't always get a good look at them.

That's where the blood comes in. Blood means a lot to the Targaryens: their house words are literally "fire and blood," plus they're obsessed with keeping their bloodline — the blood of Old Valyria — as pure as possible. Hence all the, um, incest.

In the House of the Dragon titles, the blood links the gears in the world's most metal (and, once again, incestuous) family tree. At one point, we see nine trails of blood spin off from the union of two gears: Those gears would be King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne, and all those blood trails are their children. Thankfully the credits don't follow every blood path, otherwise we'd be here all day. They do bring us to our biggest players, like Rhaenyra.

The blood also reminds us who is alive and who is dead: If a gear fills up with blood, that Targaryen is no more. That's why Rhaenyra's symbol remains above the river of blood, while others, like Aegon's, Jaehaerys's, and Alysanne's, become submerged.

A cool sequence... or a sign of bigger problems?

Old Valyria, the crowns, and the blood are all effective symbols to represent the Targaryen family tree and House of the Dragon itself. There's a clear focus on succession, history, and family lines, while the blood reminds us of all the violence that is soon to come. Still, these credits may be more interesting in theory than in practice. They're full of elements that viewers may not understand if they're not up to date on all their Targaryen lore. They're also so much darker visually than that of Game of Thrones, making it harder to make out what's going on. Even some identifying text on each Targaryen insignia could have gone a long way.

Finally, these credits get at one of my biggest worries about House of the Dragon: Will its desire to hew too closely to Game of Thrones prevent it from charting its own path?

Aside from the premiere's neatly packaged Song of Ice and Fire mention, House of the Dragon is solidifying itself as, well, somewhat its own thing: a family drama on an epic scale that just happens to be set in Westeros. Yet the opening sequence feels like Game of Thrones-lite, an attempt to recreate something exceptional that unfortunately ends up being more confusing. Adopting the same art style is one thing, as it doesn't hurt to be visually consistent. Using Djawadi's exact same opening theme, though? That's complete nostalgia bait. Why not use a new song, or at least a variation on any of the Targaryen themes?

If anything, this credit sequence feels like a sign that House of the Dragon is still nervous to spread its wings and fully fly free of its predecessor. Fire cannot kill a dragon, but an undue reliance on Game of Thrones just might.

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Over 50,000 Personnel to Take Part in Vostok Drills Next Month - Russian Defense Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The strategic "Vostok-2022" exercises will be held starting September 1 in Russia’s Eastern Military District and will involve over 50,000 personnel, the Russian Defense Ministry informs.

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Chernobyl, Fukushima Scenario Possible at Zaporozhye NPP Amid Ukraine's Shelling - Authorities

MELITOPOL (Sputnik) - A possible accident at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP) resulting from the shelling carried out by the Ukrainian military could be comparable in consequences to the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters, the head of the regional military-civil administration Yevgeny Balitsky told Sputnik.

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Shelling of Energodar by Ukrainian Troops Leaves Nine Injured - Local Administration

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The shelling of the city of Energodar in the Zaporozhye region has left nine people injured, two of whom are in serious condition, the head of the regional military-civil administration Yevgeny Balitsky said.

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Two Air France Pilots Suspended Over Cockpit Brawl Moments After Take-Off

The June 2022 incident came to light after the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), France's air investigation agency, released a report highlighting documented issues among Air France pilots.

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US Navy Warships Transiting Taiwan Strait - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Two US Navy ships are passing through international waters in the Taiwan Strait, in what is the first such naval operation since US-China tensions escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Reuters reports citing US officials.

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Police Officers Injured During Rally in Support of Argentine Vice President - Reports

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Seven law enforcement officers were injured during demonstrations in support of Argentina’s Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who has been accused of corruption, media reported.

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Father and Son Survive by Clinging to Cooler After Lobster Boat Capsizes

A lobster boat named “Glory Days” reportedly capsized when its engine died after an entanglement with lobster trap lines. The boat then began to take on water, prompting the two men to abandon ship.

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Gov. DeSantis Suspends Four Broward County School Officials

Governor Ron DeSantis has made a habit of suspending public officials. He recently suspended Andrew Warren, a liberal prosecutor in Tampa, over comments made about abortion and gender affirming surgery, and has now suspended school officials after a damning grand jury report.

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Albanian Prime Minister Says Espionage Accusations Against Russians ‘Laughable’

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama has commented on the incident involving two Russian citizens and one Ukrainian who were detained after entering the territory of an arms factory in the Albanian city of Gramsh, saying that the espionage charges the trio now face are "laughable."

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Six People Killed in Attack on Mining Convoy in Burkina Faso - Military

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - At least six people were killed in a militant attack on a convoy belonging to a gold mine in the province of Tapoa in eastern Burkina Faso, the country's Armed Forces said.

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8 organizations working to solve the gender gap in education — and how to help them

You might not spend much time thinking about the gender gap in education — that is, the difference in educational outcomes between boys and girls — but you should. These disparities affect people from childhood all the way through adult life, via the careers they choose and beyond.

Girls and boys receive different messages (both implicit and explicit) about who's smart and who's not. By age six, girls are more likely to call boys "really, really smart," and shy away from games or activities that they view as for kids who are "really, really smart." Race and class also have an impact. And this continues: Boys who go to school districts that are mostly white, high-income, and suburban usually test better than girls in the same districts.

Edward Morris, who teaches sociology at the University of Kentucky, researches the intersections of gender, class, and race in education. He thinks schools and teachers can help reduce the gender gap by not separating boys and girls in classes or expecting students to do well on certain tasks because of their gender or race. "Black boys are definitely the most behind in terms of all these educational outcomes," says Morris, explaining that part of this is because Black boys are more likely to be disciplined in school than white boys (even for the same behavior).

SEE ALSO: What to do if your child mentions a 'back-to-school necklace'

There are organizations working to change these disparities, and you can help them in the fight. Each of the organizations listed before gets three or four stars, the highest rating, from the charity watchdog website Charity Navigator, or has been rolled into Charity Navigator's new Encompass Rating System, which was created to allow them to rate more nonprofits. (Organizations assigned stars retain those ratings.) Pick one, or several, and donate if you have a few spare bucks — or simply raise awareness of their work on social media. It all helps.

1. American Association of University Women

Three stars

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a gender-equity organization that works to increase access to education for all women regardless of race or ethnicity. It offers fellowships and grants to help fund women's studies, advocates for policies to lower student loan debt (AAUW found that women hold nearly two-thirds of the $1.54 federal student loan debt in America), and encourages more girls and women throughout the country to pursue STEM professions.

Donate to the AAUW.

2. Girls Inc.

Four stars

Women hold just 28 percent of science and engineering jobs, with prospects even worse for Black, Latina, and other racially underrepresented women who make up fewer than five percent of science and engineering professionals. It's not that girls are worse at math and science than boys, it's that they're told (both implicitly and explicitly) that boys are better at these subjects starting in early childhood. Enter Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization that works in 350 cities across the U.S. and Canada and serves girls ages six through 18. It offers year-round programming, including after school and weekend activities to engage girls in STEM. And it gets results: The organization has found that with this support, 89 percent of its girls "find science or math interesting."

Donate to Girls Inc.

3. Student Leadership Network

Four stars

The organization gives girls in grades six through high school who come from underserved backgrounds the chance to be educated in its public high schools (known as The Young Women's Leadership Schools, located in New York City). The girls can take advantage of programming in "college and career awareness, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics), health and wellness, and leadership development." Often, these students are the first in their families to attend college.

Donate to Student Leadership Network.

4. All Star Code

100/100 on Charity Navigator's newest rating system

All Star Code, headquartered in New York City, works to get young men of color in the tech field by teaching them computer science. Of all the scientists and engineers in the U.S., only 3 percent are Black men, according to 2015 data compiled by the National Science Foundation. Black students are also more likely than white students to switch out of STEM majors and earn a degree in another field, according to a 2019 study.

The organization was founded by Christina Lewis, the daughter of Reginald F. Lewis — the first Black person to build a billionaire-dollar business when he bought the global food company TLC Beatrice International. Lewis says she decided to focus on young men because she found many organizations that focus on the dearth of women in tech, but not men of color, according to All Star Code's website. The organization works in both New York City and Pittsburgh. Its summer intensive program offers six weeks of coding, while also fostering a growth mindset. GPA isn't used to determine eligibility for the program.

Donate to All Star Code.

5. Step Up

Four stars

Step Up mentors young girls throughout their four years of high school, serving almost 1,600 girls in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and New York City every year, and instills social-emotional skills that boost academic outcomes. Before entering the program, typically half of its participants are not on track to graduate, but with Step Up's mentorship, 98 percent do so, says Delores Morton, Step Up's CEO. About 87 percent of the mentees are girls of color.

"We focused on mentoring because it gives teens the social supports they need to realize their potential," says Morton.

Donate to Step Up.

6. National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)

100/100 Encompass Score

The National Center for Women & Information Technology was founded in 2004 by the National Science Foundation to address the underrepresentation of women and women of color in computing fields. The organizations offers support at all levels, from kindergarten to college, as well as professional career development tools for women already in the field. In addition to technical training, fellowships, and other financial support for young women, the center has compiled resources for educators and advocates. The BridgeUp STEM program, a two-year course in computer science and a research internship, is open to gender non-conforming youth, as well.

Donate to NCWIT.

7. The Education Trust

100/100 Encompass Score

The Education Trust is a national nonprofit working to improve education gaps for students of color and those from low-income families through both on-the-ground efforts with educators, parents, and civic leaders, as well as national and local-level political advocacy. 

The organization offers data tools and research to help inform and empower advocates working for improved access to equal education, as well as frequent organizing opportunities and even workshops and speaking events. In order to address the specific needs of these underserved student populations, the Trust also operates regional affiliates in the West, Midwest, and East (New York-based). 

Donate to The Education Trust, or visit its regional sites for other specific ways to get involved. 

8. TechGirlz

100/100 Encompass Score

TechGirlz is an initiative and resource organization created by the national nonprofit CompTIA Spark (formerly Creating IT Futures), encouraging middle school girls to get involved in the broad-scope tech industry through free workshops, learning resources, and teaching and summer camp guides. 

Founded by Philadelphia-based IT professional Tracey Welson-Rossman, the organization partners with leaders in the tech industry, nonprofits, government, and education fields to design engaging lessons and introduce young girls to innovative and creative tech. 

More than 50 free courses make up a curriculum that spans the range of tech interests and difficulty levels — from basic coding to game design to in-depth data analysis. The free resources of TechGirlz hope to engage both young women (and volunteering adults) who have previously lacked access to digital tools.

Donate to TechGirlz, or volunteer your time.

UPDATE: Aug. 24, 2022, 11:14 a.m. EDT An original version of this story was published in August 2020. It was updated with additional reporting by Chase DiBenedetto in September 2021 and August 2022.

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Morocco Recalls Ambassador to Tunisia Over President's Meeting With Polisario Front Leader

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Morocco has recalled its ambassador to Tunisia for consultations after Tunisian President Kais Saied met with the leader of the rebel Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

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'Wordle' today: Here's the answer, hints for August 27

The weekend is well and truly here, and it's time to set out on a puzzle adventure: There's a new Wordle to solve! Take our daily Wordle hints and tips — it's not dangerous to go alone, but it will certainly be harder.

The answer to the August 27 Wordle, puzzle #434, can be found at the end of this article. Before you get there, though, there are a couple of subtle clues to help you narrow it down, and as you scroll down, you'll see we've gathered a selection of the best tips and strategies from our previous reporting to help you every day.

Where did Wordle come from?

Former Reddit engineer Josh Wardle came up with the game in 2021 as a bit of fun for him and his word game-loving partner. It eventually became a staple of their family WhatsApp messaging, and that's when Wardle started to suspect he might have something special enough to merit a wider release.

Thousands of people around the globe now play this game each day, and fans have even created alternatives to Wordle inspired by the original format. This includes music identification game Heardle, Hollywood nerd faves Actorle and Framed, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.

Not the day you're after? You'll find the Wordle answer for August 26 here.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

We have some ideas to help you pick the perfect first move. Such tips include choosing a word with at least two different vowels to rule those building blocks in or out, plus a few common consonants such as S, T, R, or N.

Also, even if you're attached to your mathematically sound starter, once it's been the answer on any given day it won't be the answer again for a few years — so if you happen to get the elusive 1/6 result, celebrate by swapping out your starting five.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

While you could once play the entire archive of past puzzles, the archive was taken down at the request of the New York Times, according to the site's creator.

Is Wordle getting harder?

If you've been finding Wordle too easy, there is a Hard Mode you can enable to give yourself more of a challenge. But unless you activate this mode, we can assure you that Wordle isn't getting harder. 

Why are there two different Wordle answers some days?

The whole point of Wordle is that everyone's solving the same puzzle, with the same answer, no matter where you are in the world. However, occasionally the puzzle game will accept two different correct solutions on the same day. This aberration is due to changes the New York Times began making after it acquired Wordle earlier this year, excising words from Wardle's original list that the team considers obscure or potentially offensive.

To make sure you're always getting the same puzzle as everyone else, refresh your browser before you play — don't worry, the site will keep your streak.

A subtle hint for the Wordle answer on August 27

More insulting than most words.

Wordle today is a 5-letter word that ends with...

...the letter R!

Does today's Wordle word have a double letter?

It sure does!

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL.

Wordle today: What's the answer?

Ready?

It's time to reveal the solution.

It's...

RUDER.

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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South Korea, Japan, Brazil Express Interest in Working With Russian Film Industry - Agency

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian film industry is now working with countries from non-antagonistic countries and regions, including India, South Korea, Brazil, Middle East and North Africa, while Spain and Japan have also shown interest in cooperation, Inna Shalyto, the head of the Russian state movie agency Roskino, said on Friday.

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15 best documentaries on HBO Max to learn something new

HBO Max offers an extraordinary selection of movies, and its documentary library alone has enough gems for hours of compelling viewing. But if you're indecisive, have no fear: We've gone through the hundreds of documentaries on HBO Max and picked out the ones you absolutely have to make time to watch.

These movies prove the versatility of the documentary genre, both in terms of subject matter and form. They'll immerse you in high school basketball, concerts, fights for racial justice, and so much more.

Here, in alphabetical order, are the best documentaries on HBO Max streaming now.

1. 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets

Marc Silver’s 2015 documentary recounts the 2012 death of teenager Jordan Davis, who was shot multiple times in a parking lot while listening to music with friends. His attacker was found guilty of first-degree murder, but only after a mistrial and extensive media coverage, which the film follows along with Davis’ friends, family, and trial proceedings. — Proma Khosla, Senior Entertainment Reporter *

How to watch: 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets is now streaming on HBO Max.

2. André the Giant

HBO’s original documentary André the Giant is a thoughtful examination of what it means to be larger than life. It gives André Roussimoff credit for his contributions to sports entertainment by identifying him as a pioneer who fully understood how gigantism, the medical condition responsible for his seven-foot-four frame, could elevate him to the status of a living myth. Interviews with wrestling personalities like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Vince McMahon offer a rare glimpse behind the curtain of kayfabe by documenting Roussimoff’s keen awareness of the awe he inspired and how his example transformed the WWF franchise into the massive performance showcase that exists now as the WWE. — Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: André the Giant is now streaming on HBO Max.

3. Class Action Park

Death trap or fun time? Credit: HBO Max

Welcome to Action Park! This New Jersey amusement and water park, built by former Wall Street tycoon Gene Mulvihill, was home to attractions such as Cannonball Loop and the Alpine Slide. It was also severely mismanaged and the cause of many injuries and deaths. Class Action Park reveals just how insane the story behind Action Park was, from the park’s madcap rides to Mulvihill’s shady tactics for keeping his venture afloat.

Through a mixture of fun animation and interviews with comedians who attended Action Park as children, Class Action Park keeps things light and humorous. However, it still exercises proper seriousness and restraint when discussing the park’s fatalities. Overall Class Action Park is a wild documentary about a truly wild place - you’ll come for the descriptions of the insane rides and stay for the nuanced exploration of nostalgia and childhood in the 1980s. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Class Action Park is now streaming on HBO Max.

4. Everything Is Copy

HBO Films' Everything Is Copy is the best kind of love letter: one that's effusive in its admiration of its subject, but also clear-eyed about her quirks and imperfections. Journalist Jacob Bernstein explores the life, career, and 2012 death of Nora Ephron — known to us as the writer and filmmaker behind such movies as Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and Julie & Julia, and to Bernstein as his mother.

Interviews with family members and famous friends (including Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Mike Nichols), along with archival interviews and excerpts from Ephron's own work, paint a portrait of a brilliant and ambitious spirit who lived by the motto stated in the title: "Everything is copy," meaning that everything that happens in life can be fodder for a story later on. Though you wouldn't mistake Bernstein's documentary for a work by Ephron herself, the film's warmth, candor, and humor make it a fitting tribute to the icon she was. — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Everything is Copy is now streaming on HBO Max.

5. Gimme Shelter

Keith Richards onstage in "Gimme Shelter." Credit: Maysles/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

Originally conceived as a behind the scenes account of the Rolling Stones' legendary 1969 U.S. tour, Gimme Shelter was ultimately transformed by the circumstances that unfolded around it. While the film does delve into various moments from the UK band's cross-country trip, its value as a historical document is most evident in its on the ground account of the infamous Altamont Free Concert in 1970 and the circumstances leading up to that day.

California's attempt to reproduce the success of Woodstock took the form of a massive free concert staged at the Altamont Speedway in 1969, drawing a crowd of about 300,000 people. The Hells Angels motorcycle club provided security for the event in what turned out to be an ill-fated decision that ended in a stabbing during the Stones performance. The filmmaking team led by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin captured it all, and Gimme Shelter, a triumph of the cinéma vérité movement, is the result. — Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Gimme Shelter is now streaming on HBO Max.

6. Grey Gardens

"Little Edie" Beale pictured in Grey Gardens, 1975. Credit: Tom Wargacki/Archive Photos/Getty Images

In their famed 1976 film Grey Gardens, brothers and documentary team Albert and David Maysles pay a visit to a dilapidated mansion in the Hamptons. There, they profile the intriguing and tragic lives of a reclusive mother and daughter, both named Edith Beale, in a strange and winding character study unlike any other.

Relatives of First Lady Jackie Kennedy, the life stories of "Little Edie" and "Big Edie" are sensationalized in the documentary, and many argue that the film takes an inherently exploitative view of its subjects and their apparent mental health conditions. But as far as fascinating footage goes, Grey Gardens is a must-watch — capturing a unique family at the heart of a broader dialogue about the decline of political royalty and ‘60s-era Americana. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter *

How to watch: Grey Gardens is now streaming on HBO Max.

7. Harlan County, USA

Harlan County, USA drops us into small-town Kentucky in the 1970s to show us a time, a place, and a community — and to reveal wheat happens when a group of coal miners go on strike, incurring the wrath of the Duke Power Company. Barbara Kopple's film follows the miners and their supporters (including their ferociously determined wives) into the front lines of the fight, from picket lines to town hall meetings to more intimate moments of grief or rage or everyday life. 

As the battle intensifies, spilling over into violence, what emerges is a gritty portrait of hard-won courage against an all-too-familiar villain, captured through Kopple's principled perspective. Harlan County, USA won Best Documentary at the 1977 Oscars, and almost half a century later, it's still regarded as one of the best documentaries of all time. It's as riveting, as powerful, and urgent as it was the day it was released. — A.H.

How to watch: Harlan County, USA is now streaming on HBO Max.

8. Hoop Dreams

Arthur Agee in "Hoop Dreams." Credit: Fine Line/Kartemquin/Kobal/Shutterstock

Hoop Dreams dives into the lives of Arthur Agee and William Gates, two young men from inner city Chicago who dream of making it big in the NBA. Both are recruited to play for St. Joseph’s high school’s highly regarded basketball program early on in the film, but over the next four years they take extremely different paths. Through Agee and Gates’ basketball careers, director Steve James explores issues of race, class, and how sports recruitment can cross into the realm of the exploitative and put undue amounts of pressure on young players.

What’s astonishing about Hoop Dreams is the level of intimacy James achieves with both Agee and Gates. He follows their journeys on and off the basketball court as they and their families experience parental separations, sports injuries, and financial struggles. The resulting documentary makes you feel like you’re experiencing life alongside Agee and Gates, so you desperately want them to succeed. It all comes to a head in the thrilling and tense basketball sequences. Even though these games were played decades ago, James makes every missed shot feel like a lost opportunity and every successful play feel like a massive victory. — B.E.

How to watch: Hoop Dreams is now streaming on HBO Max.

9. Original Cast Album: Company

If you're a fan of the legendary Stephen Sondheim and George Furth musical Company, or of musical theater in general, this documentary is for you. Director D.A. Pennebaker trains a close eye on the original cast and orchestra of Company as they undergo an intense 15-hour recording session. You hear stand-out Company numbers such as "Being Alive" and "Getting Married Today" and get to see Sondheim at work. The film's best and most famous sequence comes towards the end, when the great Elaine Stritch struggles to record "The Ladies Who Lunch." It's a gripping portrait of a performer trying to push through exhaustion and her own frustrations, and a perfect end to this stellar documentary. — B.E.

How to watch: Original Cast Album: Company is now streaming on HBO Max.

10. The Problem with Apu

The Simpsons’ Apu Nahasapeemapetilon may not have bothered most viewers, but Hari Kondabolu’s deep dive into the characters origins and legacy reveal a racist caricature that damaged a whole generation of South Asian Americans. The Problem With Apu reveals just how harmful Apu was at a time when South Asians were practically invisible, especially in Hollywood, where brown face and offensive accents stood in for actual representation until — well, they still do.

Kondabolu, an acclaimed comedian, speaks with many successful contemporaries — including Aasif Mandvi, Kal Penn, Sakina Jaffrey, Hasan Minhaj, and many more — all of whom are now shining examples of South Asian American talent and stories, who carry Apu’s burden to this day. — P.K.

How to watch: The Problem with Apu is now streaming on HBO Max.

11. Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind

Robin Williams pictured in New York City, 1980. Credit: Sonia Moskowitz/Images/Getty Images

Years after Robin Williams’ death by suicide in 2014, the loss of his talent and presence still stings. Come Inside My Mind paints a portrait of Williams through those closest to him; his son, ex-wife, best friends, and many more — a portrait of someone immensely, inordinately talented who battled mental illness for most of his life. Marina Zenovich’s documentary chronicles Williams’ whole life, from a sometimes lonely childhood to a meteoric comedy rise, addiction, relationships, and an often troubled career despite his cemented status as a legend. Clips of his performances remind us — though no one needs reminding — that there was and likely never will be another with Williams’ iconic spark of madness. — P.K.

How to watch: Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind is now streaming on HBO Max.

12. Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland

Sandra Bland in "Say Her Name." Credit: HBO

When 28-year-old Sandra Bland was arrested for a traffic violation and subsequently found hanged in her jail cell days later, a two-year legal ordeal began. Filmmakers Kate Davis and David Heilbroner document the family’s battle with law enforcement while sharing Bland’s own video blogs and history of activism. Though her death was ruled a suicide, it remains surrounded by questions and the undeniable fact that it can’t be undone. — P.K. *

How to watch: Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland is now streaming on HBO Max.

13. Transhood

Leena at a modeling audition in "Transhood." Credit: HBO

In Transhood, director Sharon Liese documents the lives of Phoenix, Avery, Jay, and Leena, four transgender children and teenagers living in Kansas City, over the course of five years. It’s a moving portrait of its subjects’ - ages 4, 7, 12, and 15 at the start of filming - childhoods and transitions.

Transhood is intimate but never invasive, following its subjects with a caring and understanding eye. From consultations about gender-affirming treatments to interactions with friends, we get to know Phoenix, Avery, Jay, and Leena, as well as their parents, whose support and sacrifices fuel some of the film’s most emotional moments. Transhood doesn’t choose to lift Phoenix, Jay, Avery, or Leena up as monoliths of the trans experience. Rather, it celebrates the differences and similarities between their journeys and finds the beauty in their transitions, all while inspiring great amounts of compassion and empathy. — B.E.

How to watch: Transhood is now streaming on HBO Max.

14. Welcome to Chechnya

The third film from Academy Award-nominated documentarian David France, Welcome to Chechnya takes viewers on a guerilla-style investigation into the anti-gay purges that still plague the constituent republic of Russia.

Not only does the explosive project detail the abhorrent policies created by Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov to criminalize homosexuality, it also delves into the insidious culture the government has instilled in its citizens to encourage hate crimes. It’s a painful watch that demands attention from viewers, focusing in large part on the courageous efforts of underground networks working to help LGBTQ people escape the region.

What makes this doc stand out is the urgency. Documentary filmmaking can help us examine issues or events in greater detail, as well as preserve them for the historic record. Welcome to Chechnya does both with heartbreaking heroism, urging western audiences to at the very least acknowledge the genocide that continues to this day. — A.F.

How to watch: Welcome to Chechnya is now streaming on HBO Max.

15. Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music

This director's cut of Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music is almost 4 hours long, but don't let that stop you from watching. Director Michael Wadleigh's 1970 film is a celebration of Woodstock, including performances from Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and so many more legendary musicians. It's also an engrossing look at the counterculture surrounding Woodstock, and the community that formed over the course of the festival. If you watch Woodstock and get a hankering for more musical documentaries, be sure to check out Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson's Summer of Soul, an exceptional look at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. — B.E.

How to watch: Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music is now streaming on HBO Max.

Asterisks (*) indicate the write up comes from a previous Mashable list.

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US Monkeypox Case Count Rises to Nearly 17,000, Up 25% From Last Week - CDC

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US has now identified about 17,000 monkeypox cases across the country, up about 25 percent from a week ago, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data revealed on Friday.

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Israel's Gantz Tells Sullivan How to Stop Iran From Getting Nuclear Weapons - Ministry

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz presented measures to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons at a meeting with White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in the United States, the Israeli Defense Ministry said on Friday.

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Official White House Twitter roasts GOP critics of student debt forgiveness

The White House is getting messy on main.

The official Twitter account has called out commentators who criticised its student loan forgiveness plan — by sharing exactly how much of their own debt the government forgave. It ain't pennies, either.

Earlier this week, President Biden announced that the U.S. government would partially forgive some students' debts, finally making some students' dreams partially come true. Under the new student loan forgiveness plan, the government will cancel up to $20,000 of people's federal student loans, provided they meet certain criteria.

Predictably, this caused certain others to loudly object to the perceived injustice of it all — few as loudly as the conservative members of Congress. This was particularly ironic considering that many of these critics' own Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans had previously been forgiven by the government as well. As such, Twitter was quick to dunk on their hypocrisy.

SEE ALSO: The internet's dunking on student loan debt complainers with PPP loan receipts

Now the White House itself has gotten in on it, quote tweeting objections from members of Congress with the amount of debt they themselves had forgiven.

"Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had $183,504 in PPP loans forgiven," the White House tweeted, responding to a clip of Taylor Greene calling debt forgiveness "completely unfair."

Others targeted in the simple, savage thread include Congressman Vern Buchanan (over $2.3 million), Congressman Markwayne Mullin (over $1.4 million), Congressman Kevin Hern (over $1 million), Congressman Mike Kelly ($987,237), and Congressman Matt Gaetz ($482,321). 

For those of us less mathematically inclined, all of these numbers are significantly higher than $20,000. 

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Of course, Twitter has thoroughly enjoyed the White House dragging conservatives, sitting back to enjoy the show with a metaphorical bucket of popcorn and less metaphorical grin.

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To be clear, all of this is public information. The White House isn't breaching anyone's privacy by tweeting out these representatives' PPP debt forgiveness numbers. Even so, the subjects of its posts would probably prefer it if their hypocrisy wasn't laid out quite so clearly.

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Champions League Draw: Toughest Groups, High Profile Matches, and Prime Player Returns

The Champions League Draw was held in Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday. The same city will host the final game in June 2023.

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‘Trumpism Still Very Much Alive’, Capable of Taking Back House in November, Expert Says

It’s common for the president’s party to lose the midterm elections, so when US voters go to the polls in November to vote in a new House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate, US President Joe Biden is likely to lose the de facto majority in at least one chamber of Congress.

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Florida Duo Pleads Guilty to Theft and Sale of Ashley Biden’s Diary and Other Property

The pair from Florida stole property belonging to Ashley Biden, 40, daughter of President Joe Biden, including a handwritten journal, tax records, a digital storage card filled with family photos, a cell phone and other items. They then conspired to sell those items to the far-right media group Project Veritas.

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US Approves $141Mln Ground Command, Control Systems Deal With Morocco - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Biden administration has approved the potential sale of $141 million of Ground Command and Control systems and related equipment to Morocco, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on Thursday.

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Biden Administration Strengthens DACA Immigration Policy By Making It Law - DHS

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Biden administration has strengthened the legal standing of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy by making it an official regulation in the Federal Register, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a press release.

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Only 1 Out of 34 Ships Exporting Grain From Ukraine Went to Africa - Russian Envoy to UN

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Only one out of the 34 ships exporting grain from three Ukrainian ports under the United Nations-brokered Black Sea Initiative has gone to Africa, Russian Ambassador to the world body Vasiliy Nebenzia said.

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US Justice Dept. Recommended Not Charging Trump With Russia Probe Obstruction - Memo

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Justice Department recommended against charging former US President Donald Trump with obstruction of justice in regards to the probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged collusion with Russia, according to a 2019 memo released on Wednesday.

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Ethiopia Says Shot Down Arms-Loaded Plane Bound for Tigray From Sudan as TPLF Breaks Ceasefire

The Ethiopian conflict has generated a massive humanitarian crisis, with millions being internally displaced or threatened with hunger. The UN has struggled to get food aid to the affected regions, especially Tigray, due to the fighting. However, a five-month ceasefire allowed many shipments to arrive, partly alleviating the problem.

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Laura Loomer Refuses To Concede Primary, Claims Fraud, Blames Big Tech

Laura Loomer is a former contributor to the conspiracy website InfoWars and has made a name for herself by spreading conspiracies about mass shootings and posting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic rhetoric on social media.

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US Court Rejects Ben & Jerry's Bid to Stop Sale of Ice Cream Products in West Bank

On July 5, Ben & Jerry's filed a lawsuit against its parent company Unilever, alleging the sale of its Israeli business to local licensee Avi Zinger was a breach of the contract through which Unilever acquired the Vermont-based corporation in 2000.

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The best robot vacuum and mop hybrids

Few people are champing at the bit to go over their freshly vacuumed floors with a manual mop. It's not that the act is particularly cumbersome, but there's just something about taking the time to pull yet another handheld device out of a closet that rightfully earns a collective groan. Isn't that why the robot vacuum has become a well-loved household tool over the past decade?

Then, the inevitable happened: hybrid models, which add mopping to the menu, flooded the market. Now, for many brands smaller than iRobot, Samsung, and Shark, mopping robot vacuums are the norm.

Are mopping robots worth it?

A mopping robot's value is pretty indisputable if it'll do the wet scrubbing that you yourself aren't about to do.

Think about the last time you pulled your mop out of the dark, dark place where it's kept. That's a trick question — most of you probably don't even have that memory. The mop and bucket is a logistical headache. If you're going to pay to take the tedious motion of vacuuming off of your to-do list, you may as well let the same bot finish the job with a nice sparkle. These hybrid bots may not scrub with as much oomph as your own two hands, but they can make your floors shine a bit more than they normally would.

How do robot vacuum mops work?

At their core, robot vacuum-mop combos are really just robot vacuums with an attached water reservoir. Thus, they work just like robot vacuums but dispense water for mopping when they're not sucking up dust. When you want to finish your freshly-vacuumed floors with a shine, you fill the water tank up and attach a cloth or pad to the bottom and the bot will navigate your floors to clean up the extra dirt. Some, of course, are better than others at lifting the cloth when they approach carpet and ceasing water flow automatically.

What should you look for in a robot vacuum mop combo?

Choosing the best robot vacuum mop for you really depends on your lifestyle and the budget you’re working with. Whether you’re looking for something that will tackle big messes with ease, or something that you can set and forget, there are a few key factors to keep in mind:

Battery life — If you’re hoping to swap your mop and bucket for a hybrid robot vacuum, the device you choose should have the battery life to cover your entire surface area, with enough juice left in the tank to seal the hard floors with a wet polish. A 100-minute battery life should be sufficient for most apartments, or if most of your cleaning will be done on a room-by-room basis. Battery life of 170 to 200 minutes isn't hard to find and would be ideal for square footage over 1,500. The best robot vacuums recharge on their own and automatically resume cleaning.

Floor-type sensors — A robot vacuum's ability to adjust suction based on floor type is important even just in the dry sweeping realm. But for robot mops, this is what will keep your carpets from getting soggy. Most hybrids automatically start to mop once their water tank is attached, but only the smarter ones know to pause the water flow and lift their wet cloth above the carpet. Bots that remember your rooms or follow virtual boundaries can be programmed to avoid carpeted areas while mopping altogether.

Smart mapping — A robot vacuum's navigation tech decides whether or not it's equipped to adhere to virtual boundaries (or stuck with those ugly magnetic strips). Currently, the golden standard is LiDAR: a laser that scans different points in your home to determine where walls are. Once the robot vacuum has made its rounds and got its bearings, it draws a floor plan that you can refer to in the app to send the bot to clean specific rooms or set up zones that you'd like the bot to avoid, like a pile of toys or your pet's water bowl.

Dust bin size and automatic emptying — You’ll want to make sure the dust bin and water reservoir in your robot vacuum-mop combo are an appropriate match for your home. If you’re living in a flat, apartment, or other small space, you probably won’t need a massive vacuum reservoir. If you’re hoping to cover an entire house, you’ll probably want to look for something that you won’t have to empty out after every single cleaning session. A self-emptying vacuum would be ideal, which automatically empties its debris into a dock and leaves you off the hook for a month or two.

There are of course other things to keep in mind, like price and storage, but this is a good place to start.

What is the best robot vacuum and mop?

We’ve outlining some of the top-rated robot mop combos on the market right now — including the standout features that set them apart. If a model listed below looks awesome but out of your price range, click on it. Amazon is known to inflate original prices and keep things permanently on sale for upwards of £200 off.

These are the best robot vacuum mops in 2022.

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Top EU Diplomat Praises Iran’s ‘Reasonable’ Response in Nuke Deal Negotiations–Says Ball in US Court

While Iran and the European Union have blamed the US for the current delay, all sides seem to agree that a potential breakthrough is looking more and more likely.

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With More US Trigger Laws Activating, One-Third of Childbearing-Age Women Have Lost Abortion Access

Years ago, a host of conservative US states passed “trigger laws” that would take effect and immediately ban abortion there if the Supreme Court ever overturned Roe vs. Wade, the ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The high court did just that in June, sending women scrambling for health care solutions.

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Singapore to End Colonial-Era Ban on Sex Between Men But Concerns Remain High Over LGBTQ Rights

The move to abolish 377A—a colonial-era law banning sex between men—comes after an attempt in February of 2022 by Singapore’s government to take an impartial stance on the rights of gay people, by both promising to not enforce the law while also refusing to appeal it.

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‘Thankless Task’: Deputy FM Says Resumption of US-Russia Dialogue on Strategic Stability Doubtful

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia does not consider the possibility of resuming dialogue with the United States on strategic stability obvious, given Washington’s aggressive policy, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

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How 'House of the Dragon' is different from George R.R. Martin's 'Fire and Blood'

The Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon is finally here, bringing George R.R. Martin's massive fantasy tome Fire & Blood to the small screen.

Fire & Blood tells the history of House Targaryen as they ruled over Westeros, including events like Aegon's initial conquest and the civil war knowns as the Dance of the Dragons. House of the Dragon focuses on the Dance and the events leading up to it, including the rivalry between Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower. However, just like with the TV adaptation of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon makes several changes from the source material in order to make the transition from page to screen. Don't worry, book loyalists: Change can be a good thing, and in House of the Dragon's case, a grand majority of the adaptation choice work to enhance the narrative instead of detract from it.

From structural differences to missing characters and more, here are the biggest changes House of the Dragon has made so far.

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A history book vs. a TV show

Caraxes, my beloved. Credit: Courtesy of HBO

Starting out, the biggest difference between Fire & Blood and House of the Dragon is each work's individual structure. Fire & Blood is written as a history book by the fictional Archmaester Gyldayn, whereas House of the Dragon is a narrative TV show that adapts only a small portion of the centuries-long history covered in Fire & Blood.

Throughout Fire & Blood, Gyldayn discusses his differing sources for his work, especially during the section dealing with the Dance of the Dragons. These sources include conflicting reports from Maesters and Septons, as well as a court jester named Mushroom. Each source gives us a slightly different take on key moments that take place behind closed doors, Rashomon-style, with Mushroom's accounts tending to be the most lascivious and extreme. While characters like Mushroom do not figure into House of the Dragon, it will be fascinating to see which course of events House of the Dragon chooses to portray, as it will have to take a definitive stance on some of Fire & Blood's more ambiguous moments.

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An exciting element that comes with adapting a history book (albeit a fictional one) is the chance to play around within the historical framework. Fire & Blood rarely delves into scene-level detail, which means House of the Dragon gets to add new scenes or embellish events that are already in the book. So while book readers may know the general story arc of House of the Dragon, they won't be able to anticipate some of the more granular, character-focused scenes. It's a good way to keep viewers on their toes, and to keep this adaptation somewhat unpredictable.

A tournament and a birth

The first episode of House of the Dragon is built around two key events: the birth of King Viserys and Queen Aemma's son, and the tournament to celebrate it. Scenes of fighting, like the brawl between Prince Daemon and Ser Criston Cole, are juxtaposed directly with Queen Aemma's painful labor, hammering home her earlier point to her daughter Rhaenyra that childbirth is a woman's battlefield. While Aemma's labor and the tourney introducing Criston do not happen at the same time in the books, the choice to bring them together is a smart one. We get the thematic parallels mentioned previously, as well as a good, old-fashioned Game of Thrones-style tournament. The lavish celebration also signals just how important a male heir is to the realm: If Aemma has a son, peace will likely continue. If not, questions about the line of succession will fester.

Aemma's death during childbirth isn't detailed in great amounts in Fire & Blood. However, Viserys's dilemma about whether to kill Aemma in order to make sure his son is born actually happens to other characters in the book. Much earlier in the Targaryen dynasty, Queen Alyssa Velaryon, mother to King Jaehaerys, experiences a similarly painful birth. The maester tending to her tells her husband, Lord Rogar Baratheon, that there's still a chance they can keep the child, but Alyssa is sure to die; Rogar chooses to save the child. The fact that House of the Dragon is drawing from events like this throughout Fire & Blood to enrich its narrative is fascinating, and proof of the flexibility the show has given its source material's historiographical nature.

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Childhood friends

Best friends forever... I wish. Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

House of the Dragon makes the excellent decision to center Rhaenyra and Alicent's friendship right from the start. The rift between them is what brings about the Dance of the Dragons, so it makes sense that House of the Dragon begins developing their relationship in the very first episode.

In Fire & Blood, Rhaenyra and Alicent aren't particularly close before Alicent marries King Viserys, but in House of the Dragon, they are fast friends. Their in-show childhood bond promises to make their fallout even more heartbreaking, which is sure to give later episodes even greater emotional weight.

A song of ice and what now?

During the first episode's final moments, King Viserys drops a truth bomb on Rhaenyra. Their ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, conquered Westeros not just because of ambition, but because he had a dream. That dream foretold the end of mankind, brought on by a terrible winter — White Walkers, anyone?

There's nothing in Fire & Blood that suggests Aegon had this dream, but given that the book rarely delves into its characters' thoughts, there's nothing saying that Aegon didn't have this dream either. Perhaps this was Martin's intent all along. However, I'm not a fan of this particular storytelling tweak. It's way too neat a connection to Game of Thrones, and after the adverse fan reactions to Season 8, House of the Dragon needs as much of a fresh start as it can get. Plus, the reveal of Aegon's dream — which he called A Song of Ice and Fire, eliciting a massive eye roll from me — shifts focus away from the politics of House of the Dragons in favor of reminding us of a Big Bad we already know is coming. Heck, we already know that the Night King fails to conquer Westeros, so why bother tying it back to Aegon? In a series that has so far made many smart adaptation decisions, this is the only one I outright disagree with. We don't need "winter is coming," round two — House of the Dragon already has plenty of great characters and plot points to choose from.

We'll be updating this article weekly with more changes between Fire & Blood and House of the Dragon, so be sure to check back in after each episode airs!

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