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Why child sexual abuse is our biggest public health crisis
An estimated one in five children will experience some form of sexual abuse before the age of 18. In this episode of Settle In, Amna Nawaz speaks with clinical psychologist Elizabeth Letourneau and journalist Luke Malone, authors of “One in Five,” a book that explores child sexual abuse as a public health crisis, about how education and early prevention can help protect children before harm occurs.
What the science of memory tells us about sexual assault cases
The investigation into the report of a gang rape at Cornell University has reopened a national discussion on sexual assault — in particular raising questions about how authorities respond to allegations and how well those who go to investigators remember details of their assault.
Shane Gillis joked about women's gym clothes on 'SNL.' Dan Levy isn't laughing.
The "Schitt's Creek" star said jokes that objectify women contribute to a culture that minimizes sexual assault.
Oyster Creek City Council to vote on limit where sexually oriented businesses can open
The Oyster Creek City Council is set to vote Thursday night on an ordinance that would limit where sexually oriented businesses can operate in the small Brazoria County city.
Rutgers Experts Available to Discuss Implications of Proposed 2030 Census Changes for Research and Public Health
A proposed Census Bureau rule could change the demographic information collected through the 2030 Census — eliminating questions on race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation — with potential implications for population health research and the use of Census data. The Census Bureau has invited the public to comment on this proposal by October 13, 2026. Rutgers experts available to discuss the proposed changes include Cristine Delnevo, Director of the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and
More needs to be done to support student mental health
When it comes to mental health resources at the University of Miami, numbers to call, sexual assault hotlines, therapy appointments and other resources aren’t hard to find. On paper, UM is doing exactly what it should to provide students with mental health outlets. But this support needs to extend beyond a counseling building and a
Sean Combs release delayed after posh prison lifestyle allegations
Sean Combs' release date from FCI Fort Dix was pushed back following allegations of a pampered prison lifestyle. His new release date is set for March 2, 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate database.
NJ Gov. Sherrill calls for lieutenant governor to resign after probe
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill called for Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign after a report released Sept. 24 detailed state ethics violations and alleged that Caldwell sexually harassed a
Teen Corner: Minnesota’s new K-12 health standards
For the first time, Minnesota has statewide K-12 health education standards, covering everything from mental health and nutrition to sexual health and substance use. In another Teen Corner, pediatrician Dr. Maddie Gagnon from Gillette Children’s and founder of Pulse Parenting joins us to break down what’s changing and what it could mean for kids and parents.
Sean Combs transferred to new prison after perks report, head injury
Sean Combs was transferred on Friday to FCI Allenwood, a low-security prison in Pennsylvania, following allegations of special prison perks and a head injury at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey.
Stomach-turning sexually transmitted infection is on the rise — and standard medicines are failing
Shigella bacteria are becoming harder to treat as drug-resistant strains rise, and doctors warn Americans should be concerned but not panicked.
Florence Pugh feels ‘rage’ over Cornell sexual assault scandal: ‘Fear of it lives in our bodies’
Florence Pugh addressed Instagram censoring her post about sexual assault amid the ‘Cornell 7’ scandal: ‘The fear of it lives in our bodies,’ the ‘East of Eden’ actress said.
Ohio Representative Landsman introduces legislation against sexual violence
On Friday, bipartisan legislation to improve how colleges and universities handle reports of sexual violence and ensure greater transparency and support was reintroduced in Congress.
Former NC State Sports Medicine Director faces Wake County Judge in sexual abuse case
Former NC State Sports Medicine Director Robert Murphy appeared in Wake County court Friday on 32 charges related to sexual abuse allegations involving former student-athletes.
“The Politics of Abuse”: Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse Shares How State Court Impacts Those Seeking Justice
Through the statewide tour, Trout and local advocates continued conversations about the barriers survivors face and the role North Carolina's legislature and courts play in addressing them.
Sunny Hostin says Cynthia Erivo phoned her with concerns over ‘The View’ host’s remarks about Cornell case
Cynthia Erivo called Sunny Hostin with concerns over ‘The View’ cohost’s controversial remarks about the alleged Cornell sexual assault case: ‘Sis, I know you.’
Provocative, sexually suggestive ad by Hilton campaign condemned by political allies on the right
A provocative, sexually suggestive ad by GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is drawing heat from his fellow Republicans while drawing millions of viewers online. Two young women sit on a
GTA 6 Age Rating Confirms New Details on Sex, Drug Use, Decapitation, and More
GTA 6 has received a rating of PEGI 18, revealing mentions of "decapitation," the ability for players to snort cocaine at any time, "scenes of sexual fetishes," and much more.
How these census changes could threaten public health
The Trump administration wants to make three big changes to the U.S. Census, including eliminating questions about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation and excluding anyone who is not a citizen or “lawful permanent resident."
Provocative, sexually suggestive ad by Hilton campaign condemned by political allies on the right
GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton faces backlash from fellow Republicans and Democrats over a provocative ad.
Former sports medicine director accused of sexually abusing more than a dozen college athletes
A grand jury indicted Robert Murphy on nine counts of sexual contact under pretext of medical treatment and 23 counts of sexual battery.
Judge dismisses child sex abuse charges against actor Timothy Busfield
By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES, Oct 16 (Reuters) - A state court judge in New Mexico on Friday dismissed charges of child sexual abuse against "West Wing" actor and director
Former NC State sports medicine director back in North Carolina to face sexual abuse charges
William Shatner says he learned about ‘the world of homosexuality’ from kinky Alexander Skarsgård movie
William Shatner says he made a connection between a playful shove in the face from his friend Neil deGrasse Tyson and Alexander Skarsgård’s erotic drama ‘Pillion’ — specifically, about ‘the world of homosexuality.’
Study connects food insecurity to mental health in young mothers
A new review of research from across sub-Saharan Africa found that inadequate access to food is linked to depression, suicide attempts, HIV vulnerabilities, and poorer sexual and reproductive health outcomes among adolescent mothers.
Human Contractors Are Seeing All Your Horny — and Creepy
Human contractors are reviewing Microsoft Copilot user's image editing prompting, many of which are for sexually explicit material.
CDC's Latest Youth Behavior Report Offers a Narrower Look at Teen Health
The new report leaves out national findings on substance use, sexual behavior, violence, and disparities.
Having someone to talk to linked to better mental health among LGBQ+ teens
Gay or bisexual teens who have someone to turn to with a serious problem have significantly better mental health outcomes than those who don't, according to a new study from Tulane University researchers.
Video Essayist And YouTuber Jacob Geller Removed From MinnMax Following Sexual Assault Allegations
Jacob Geller has not commented on the allegations or his removal from the games podcasts.
DEEP DIVE: How Politics Is, and Is Not, Addressing Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
In a conversation with U.S Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan last week with members of our young Future Forward editorial board, we talked about how powerful it is for four Minnesota women to be running for the two highest offices in the state — including Governor. We also talked about
For the first time, Minnesota has K-12 health standards. Here’s what to know
Minnesota’s first statewide K-12 health standards were approved Tuesday after an earlier version was rejected in July. The standards cover topics including sexual health, mental health, nutrition and media literacy.
Top Dawg Entertainment Wins Appeal Against Doxxing Claims by Sexual Assault Accusers
Top Dawg Entertainment won an appeal dismissing doxxing claims brought by two women who accused the label's executives of ...
Manny Yekutiel drops out of SF supervisor race after new allegations of sexual assault
Manny Yekutiel is dropping out of the District 8 supervisor race in San Francisco following new sexual assault claims.
Can Great Drama Series Change the World, Iberseries 2026 Panel Asks
Creatives behind the likes of 'Borgen,' 'The Best Immigrant,' eco-thriller 'After Us,' sexual aggression drama 'Pubertat,' and historical HIV drama 'Henki' shared their motivations and goals at Iberseries.
New Jersey Gov. Sherrill calls on her lieutenant governor to resign
An investigation found Dale Caldwell sexually harassed a woman and violated state ethics rules. He has denied allegations of misconduct. Sherrill said Caldwell had until Friday to step down.
Russell Brand arrives at a London court for his trial on rape and sexual assault charges
Comedian Russell Brand has arrived at a London court for the opening of his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
Opinion | Opinion: What the Cornell Lawsuit Reveals About Sexual Violence in America
The columnist David French argues that “we have privileged getting wasted over taking care of people.”
When “DEI” research is cut, what happens to community health?
“I’m just going to run to the grocery store!” How many times have we said this without thinking about it? For most of us, it's usually an easy walk or a short drive to get the cheese we forgot. In reality, though, 13% of the U.S. population (about 39 million people) live in “food deserts,” which means living more than a mile from a grocery store in urban areas and more than 10 miles in rural areas. This was the case for people in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, where a quick run to buy food wasn’t an option. In the 1930s, federal maps marked the Hill as "hazardous" for lending, a practice known as redlining that steered investment away from Black neighborhoods. Decades of disinvestment followed, and residents went about 30 years without a nearby grocery store. This made it hard to keep healthy eating habits and contributed to chronic disease. When a grocery store finally opened in the area in 2013, researchers saw the opportunity and launched the PHRESH study, which initially compared the health of participants from the Hill district to those in the Homewood district. Over time, the study expanded to other factors such as brain health and Alzheimer's risk. Residents like Roderick Blair overcame initial hesitation to share their health data, trusting it would benefit their neighborhood. Then, in August 2026, the NIH abruptly canceled the study’s grant, citing that it was “subjective” and fell outside their scientific scope—an effect of the administration’s interpretation of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Research like PHRESH can help determine what changes in a neighborhood actually improve health, so cutting it has left that question unanswered. Other canceled studies have examined health issues like maternal health, preterm birth rates, or sickle cell disease. Courts have reversed some of these grant cancellations, but not all of them. If we really want America to be healthier, research into why some communities get sicker than others is absolutely critical. The law that created the federal minority health research institute passed with bipartisan support in 2000. But these days, as evidenced by grant cancellations, the political shift in attitudes toward DEI means we often lose access to the health information we need to help all communities thrive. DEI vs. health equity vs. equality and the overlap (or lack thereof) The letters “DEI” evoke very different reactions depending on who you are in the U.S. DEI programs can address gender, disability, age, and other factors, but the fiercest debate centers on race. For some people, hearing DEI brings to mind policies that may have cost them a job or a college seat because they are white. Others see DEI as a matter of justice: a way to expand representation and opportunity for groups that have been historically marginalized. Both perspectives are rooted in lived experience, and both center on the same question: whether hiring and admissions practices are fair. Hiring and admission practices, though related, are not the same as health equity. Health equity is “the attainment of the highest level of health for all people.” It’s the recognition that some groups of people consistently experience worse health outcomes than others. For instance, black mothers die from pregnancy-related complications at three times the rate of white mothers, and rural Americans are more likely to die from issues such as heart disease and cancer. Equity is also often conflated with “equality,” which leads to misunderstanding of how to actually best support communities. Equality ignores the fact that we aren’t all starting life with the same resources or circumstances, whereas equity is about helping people get what they specifically need based on their situation so they have the chance to achieve the same outcome as anyone else. For example, if every household in Pittsburgh got a $30 grocery gift card, that would be equal. But during the decades the Hill District went without a grocery store, that card wouldn’t have helped much. Equity means making sure everyone can actually access a store in the first place. DEI policies can overlap with health equity in many ways. For example, they may help expand access to quality education and stable, well-paying jobs, which in turn can provide health insurance, safer housing, and improved finances—all of which can reduce health disparities. But to make that happen, we first need data to identify disparities in communities and to develop solutions that effectively address them. What we lose when the research stops Community data is important to health equity because: You can’t fix what you don’t see: Data show which communities are most affected by health factors such as infection, heart disease, and cancer. If we don’t know what is happening and where, then we can’t develop interventions to help. Poor health costs everyone: Chronic disease is expensive—both to the individual person and to the overall economy. Understanding what groups of people are most at risk allows us to develop interventions that can save everyone money. Disparities exist for many communities: Health equity includes disparities that exist due to a whole host of factors, such as family background, race and ethnicity, rural vs. suburban residence, gender and sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, and lower income. This means many Americans can benefit from research into differences in health outcomes and how to improve them. Trust is easy to lose: Some participants in the PHRESH study were initially vocal about their concerns about participating. But that trust was earned because the researchers kept their promises and centered their work on the community. When projects are canceled mid-cycle, researchers have no choice but to leave behind communities they had promised to help. This hurts trust in the long run. It’s also a very inefficient use of resources, and it will take significant time and effort to redo the work when the government realizes this work is important again. How should we talk about health equity? This is hard because the words “equity” and “DEI” are currently very politically charged. So whether you’re a public health professional, teacher, or friend, how we talk about this topic matters. The right framing can help people who might otherwise be skeptical see why health equity research is important and deserves funding. Here are some suggestions to help your conversations: Choose your words strategically: Who are you trying to reach with your message? Are they likely to be resistant to terms like “diversity” and “equity”? If so, find alternative words to use to still get the message across. It is frustrating to be in that position, but the goal of improving health is too important not to try to make inroads. Sometimes simply reframing can help the message reach those who need to hear it. Focus on the problem: The terms “health equity” and “DEI” are abstract. Make it more specific. For example, discuss differences in maternal death or ways to improve health outcomes in rural communities. These still have equity at their core but will likely be better understood by those you’re talking with. Focus on systems: Disparities exist, but if they are communicated poorly, people can mistakenly think the issue is the individual’s fault. Disparities are largely driven by failures of the system—such as lack of access to health care and a long legacy of racism. When discussing the disparities, frame them around these systemic issues to ensure blame isn’t placed on the individuals impacted. Tell stories: Personalize these policies by using stories from those impacted that connect to the data you’re trying to convey. This helps make the policies and outcomes more concrete and meaningful. Bottom line Some communities end up sicker than others. That’s just the facts. We can argue about the best way to do that research, but canceling it simply because it may be linked to DEI doesn’t make anyone healthier. It just leaves communities like the Hill district behind. And in the end, it causes us all to move backward in our efforts to improve health in this country. Love, EM Big thanks to MacKenzie Isaac & Legairre Radden, who reviewed this piece and generously shared their expertise and lived experience to help improve it. Dr. Liz Marnik, PhD, is Executive Director of The Evidence Collective and a science communicator and immunologist working at the intersection of public trust, science, and public health. To discuss communication training on topics like health equity and storytelling, email Liz at liz@yle.health or learn more on our website. Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) comprises a team of experts, ranging from physicians to immunologists to epidemiologists to nutritionists, working together with one goal: to “translate” ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. The YLE suite of newsletters reaches over 475,000 people across more than 132 countries. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: Your Local Epidemiologist is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Trump Officials Revise Biden-Era Sex Discrimination Rules
The change follows a court ruling barring Title IX from protecting L.G.B.T.Q. people and has angered advocates for sexual assault survivors.
U.S. Lawmakers Launch Sexual Abuse Probe of Youth Sports Giant AAU
Bipartisan leadership of a powerful House committee demanded answers from the Amateur Athletic Union after a ProPublica and Washington Post investigation found that the massive youth sports organization has failed to protect kids from sexual abuse.
'Doctor Who' actor Noel Clarke pleads not guilty to sexual assault
"Doctor Who" and "Kidulthood" star Noel Clarke has pleaded not guilty to several sex crimes.
Latter-day Saints women turn away from scandal-plagued Republican candidate in Arizona
Arizona Republican candidate for Congress Mark Lamb has been accused of sexual misconduct while sheriff. His controversy is turning many voters away as Democrats see an opportunity in the red seat.
Adventist Health's Sonora hospital settles sexual abuse lawsuit for $18.5M
Adventist Health Sonora will pay $18.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by seven women who say they were sexually abused by a physical therapist, the plaintiffs' law firm announced this week.
Melissa Gilbert seemingly reacts to dismissal of husband Timothy Busfield’s child sexual abuse charges
A judge dismissed the charges against Busfield on Friday, though they may be refiled by prosecutors in the future.
Drug Use, Nudity, and Sexual Fetishes All in GTA 6
Age rating descriptions share the details
Does Being Circumcised Make Sex Better or Worse? Here’s What Science Says.
A study found small differences in sexual satisfaction and erectile function, but researchers say the results aren't definitive.
Lesbian Bar Project Co-Founder: Purity Politics Could Destroy Our Remaining Spaces
Subscribe As a professional lesbian and Massachusetts native, I’ve recently been asked by a lot of folks what I think about the saga unfolding at Last Ditch. The now-viral story, first reported by The Boston Globe, centers on a Western Massachusetts lesbian bar that lifted its mask requirement for one night a week to help drum up business. The decision ignited an intra-queer controversy that has been feasted on by media outlets across the political spectrum—from the New York Post to LGBTQ Nation—and is even reportedly being eyed for a Hollywood adaptation. Apparently nothing is more entertaining than a bunch of lesbians and queers fighting with each other over KN-95s. What has been lost in all of the chatter and media coverage is the very real possibility that Last Ditch, which just opened in April 2025, will have to close its doors. The venue’s one remaining founder, Jackie Matellian, revealed in a community Zoom meeting that she’s working four jobs, is now solely responsible for the bar’s $50,000 business loan and is struggling to keep up with the bills. So as we laugh about the controversy’s similarity to a “Portlandia” skit and how one of the bar’s founders left to enroll in clown school, we forget that yet another lesbian bar is facing an existential crisis—and this time the call is coming from inside the house. In 2020, my friend Elina Street and I created The Lesbian Bar Project, an Emmy-, Webby- and GLAAD Media Award-winning docuseries and initiative that tells the stories of lesbian queer bars around the world. We were moved to act because at the time there were only an estimated 16 lesbian bars in the United States, and the pandemic threatened to bring that number down even further. There are now more sapphic bars than there were just before the pandemic—about 36 of them in total—but this is down from approximately 200 in 1980. Maybe that doesn’t mean much to you, but for the millions of sapphics living in the U.S., this number is calamitous. As the world laughs at lesbians and sapphics, I want to take a second and tell you what I feel when I walk into one of these bars, which are all unique and irreplaceable in their own way: I feel seen. Sometimes I think Cubbyhole in New York City’s West Village neighborhood knew I was gay before I did. When I walked in there for the first time, before I was even out, I was transfixed by the colorful array of tchotchkes hanging from the ceiling and how the women standing next to me were completely unafraid to express their desire for one another. I knew the minute I was ready to come out, I had a home. I also felt the joy of a new couple falling in love at Seattle’s Wildrose, the quiet confidence of a short king lining up her shot at the pool table at Ginger’s in Brooklyn and the kick of cayenne pepper in Julie Mabry’s crawfish at Houston’s Pearl Bar. Subscribe Lesbian bars don’t just serve lesbians; they serve queer folks across the spectrum, including bisexual, pansexual and trans people. As Elina and I traveled across the U.S. and Europe and to parts of Latin America to document the bar owners, staff and patrons that make up the ecosystems of these spaces, we also became uniquely acquainted with the factors that threaten their existence: gentrification, wage gaps, sexism, environmental disasters, gun violence, rising insurance premiums and political administrations working to annihilate queer people and their families. Lesbian bar owners, like all leaders and entrepreneurs, are imperfect. There have been significant issues over the years at lesbian bars: employee harassment, racism, lack of accessibility, sexual assault and transphobia. All bar owners should be held accountable and should listen to their communities to evolve into safer and more equitable spaces. I also acknowledge my privilege: I am able-bodied, white, cis and from a family system that loves me for who I am. Not everyone has that. Queer people, especially trans and bisexual people, are suffering from disproportionately high levels of depression, and our mental health system isn’t equipped to support them. Immunocompromised people and long COVID are real, and many of my friends are suffering to this day. The people with the least safety net are often the ones for whom a bar closing costs the most. And yet, as we’re seeing with Last Ditch, the queer community often lashes out at each other. It’s also the mainstream media taking the internal conflict and making a mockery out of it, distracting from the real possibility that this bar could close due to financial pressures. A bar that many people loved and needed is facing extinction. Perhaps it’s safer to dissent with one another than with the larger forces trying to eradicate us, but in doing so, we risk destroying the few spaces we have left. Due to the constraints of purity politics—some in good faith, some not so much—lesbian bar owners, almost all of whom are queer women themselves, are forced to be everything for everyone, similarly to how women are forced to be everything for everyone. By asking these bars to uphold impossible standards—standards very few other third spaces are asked to consider—we all end up losing. I want to move as a community toward dialogue, compassionate dissent and collaboration to make our spaces better with the goal of keeping them OPEN and thriving, rather than destroying them from the inside with expectations that are arguably unattainable. Subscribe While I have your attention—for this fleeting second of the news cycle—may I urge us to spearhead a way to keep these small businesses afloat without attacking our own community along the way? Bar owners are left with an impasse: They want to be community-centered, but they also have to make money to keep their doors open. Sometimes they might make business decisions that don’t work for everyone—and that’s partly because different patrons have different priorities and want different things—but these owners deserve the opportunity for productive dialogue**.** We have to work with them and with each other to keep our spaces open, to keep them growing. Lesbian bars raised me into the queer woman I am today. One thing I think about as I reflect on the six years of work we’ve done to document these spaces is that shared, unspoken language I have with a stranger the moment we both walk into one of these bars: the nod, the ease, the not having to explain ourselves. I don’t want to lose that, and neither should you. If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button: Donate
Sean 'Diddy' Combs hospitalized after prison head injury
Sean 'Diddy' Combs was hospitalized for treatment following a head injury, The Times has learned. The disgraced music mogul's release from federal prison was recently delayed.
'This is despicable': Amy Acton responds to Ohio attack ad
Her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy is airing the ad featuring her estranged mother, whose husband was charged with sexual abuse in her childhood.
Trusted support improves mental health in LGBQ+ teens
Gay or bisexual teens who have someone to turn to with a serious problem have significantly better mental health outcomes than those who don't, according to a new study from Tulane University researchers.
Video: How Title IX Became a Political Tool
After a Cornell student’s lawsuit alleging the school failed her when she reported sexual assault, there’s a new focus on Title IX, the federal law barring sex discrimination in federally funded education. Our Washington correspondent Michael C. Bender traces how interpretations of the law shifted between the Obama and Trump administrations.
Why female sexual health is often overlooked in bladder cancer care
Former Middleburg High behavioral health assistant arrested on 7 counts involving child sex abuse material
A 36-year-old Fleming Island man was arrested Tuesday on seven counts of knowingly possessing and/or intentionally viewing child sexual abuse material, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Your age may not tell the whole story about how healthy you are
Researchers developed a five-factor Lifestyle Index assessing physical activity, BMI, smoking, sleep quality, and sexual satisfaction in 312 Swiss adults aged 35 to 65 years. Higher scores were modestly associated with younger bio-functional age, suggesting a relationship between combined lifestyle patterns and functional health, although the findings cannot establish causation.
Policy brief: Closing the financing gap for adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights
Hinari Document item
Apple’s updated App Store rules go after ‘nudify’ AI apps
Developers must prevent and remove sexualized deepfakes.
As data centers remain potent political issue, David Crowley offers plan to regulate artificial intelligence in Wisconsin
Crowley wants to limit AI chatbots for children under 13 and increase penalties for circulating AI-generated sexual images of minors
“Glee” star Chris Colfer says he was ‘uncomfortable’ with the public wanting him to date Darren Criss
The actor also reflected on the strangeness of having fan fiction written about his real life: “It was really jarring and sometimes really sexual.”
Power & Politics: NJ Lt. Gov. Caldwell resigns following probe into allegations of sexual harassment, state ethics violations
Republican State Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, former State Rep. John Wisniewski and Republican Rep. Jefferson Van Drew join the show.
Letitia James is the most 'political' AG in the country: Jonathan Turley
Constitutional law expert Jonathan Turley and criminal defense attorney Donna Rotunno analyze the Cornell sexual assault investigation and the federal probe into Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on 'Fox News Sunday.'
Provocative, sexually suggestive ad by Hilton campaign condemned by political allies on the right
GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton faces backlash from fellow Republicans and Democrats over a provocative ad.
Steve Hilton sexual ad, attack on Becerra break vulgar new ground
The California Republican launched a soft porn-vibe TV takedown of Democratic rival "Bitch-Ass” Becerra. He's garnered attention but seems unlikely to win new votes.
Power & Politics: NJ Lt. Gov. Caldwell resigns following probe into allegations of sexual harassment, state ethics violations
Republican State Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, former State Rep. John Wisniewski and Republican Rep. Jefferson Van Drew join the show.
UN Decade of Healthy Ageing midpoint report finds progress, calls for greater investment
New evidence in the Secretary-General's report to the 81st UN General Assembly, prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in coordination with the UN system, finds more countries acting on healthy ageing than ever before – but longer lives will not become healthy, dignified ones without faster, more sustained investment at country level.(NEW YORK, 28 September 2026) The Secretary-General transmitted to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly the mid-term progress report on the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030), marking the midpoint of the ten-year global effort to improve the lives of older people. The report was prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in coordination with the UN Inter-Agency Group on Ageing and with inputs from thirteen UN entities, the World Bank Group and civil society partners. It finds real progress in countries – and persistent gaps that must close before 2030.The number of people aged 60 and over passed 1 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050, with the fastest growth in low- and middle-income countries. Longer lives are not automatically healthy ones: globally, the gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at age 60 widened between 2000 and 2023, and an estimated 71% of excess deaths from COVID-19 between 2020 and 2023 were among people aged 60 and over. “Longer lives are one of humanity’s great achievements, but we cannot congratulate ourselves while leaving millions without health and support,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, Director, Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO. “The first half of the Decade has shown what is possible. The second half must be about scaling and financing the progress to meet the needs and rights of older persons.”Real progress, unevenly sharedThe report finds that more countries than ever now have legislation against age-based discrimination – up from 44.5% in 2018 to 57.7% today – and over half now have national long-term care policies, up from 49% in 2023 to 56.7%, dedicated programmes to build age-friendly environments (54.6%), and comprehensive health and social assessments of older people (54.6%). New WHO guidance on services for long-term care and for Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) delivered in communities is enabling systemic change as an increasing number of countries incorporate these services within national universal health care benefit packages. A host of UN agencies and other partners support training, increasing health workforce competencies and use of digital health tools.“This report shows the Decade of Healthy Ageing is working,” said Dr Ritu Sadana, Head of the WHO Secretariat for the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing. “More countries are legislating against ageism, providing integrated care, strengthening long-term care systems, and creating age-friendly environments than ever before, in all regions and income levels. But progress is uneven and in one area, regressive: fewer countries report active multi-stakeholder forums on ageing, down from 53.1% in 2020 to 43.3% today. The second half of this Decade must turn commitments into results, in every country.”The financing gap: this Decade's binding constraintFinancing remains the binding constraint: more than a third of reporting countries (33.8%) have very little or no dedicated resources to develop long-term care, with similar shortfalls across the Decade’s other priority areas. Less than half of countries (45.4%) have legislation providing access to assistive devices (including hearing aids, spectacles or rollators), which are key to enabling older people to maintain productive, independent and dignified lives. Only 22.7% of countries can track older people’s health over time – the largest gap across the Decade’s core progress indicators. Nationally representative information is needed in each country, as policies and interventions cannot be designed as if all older adults of a given age share similar needs and capacities. The report calls for sustained investment through national budgets, country-owned plans, development cooperation and innovative financing mechanisms to fully close these gaps by 2030.“The Decade was designed as a whole-of-UN effort, and this report shows it in action,” said Amal Abou Rafeh, Chief of the Programme on Ageing Section at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and Permanent Co-Chair of the UN Inter-Agency Group on Ageing. “Thirteen UN entities, the World Bank group and civil society organizations contributed to this report, with WHO as the lead technical and implementing agency. That is the model of coordination the second half of the Decade will need to scale, with countries leading legislation, funding and implementation, engaging older people.”“Investing in healthy ageing is not simply a cost; it is one of the highest-return investments a government can make,” said Fiona Stewart, Global Lead for Ageing and Pensions at the World Bank Group. “Countries that invest early in integrated and long-term care see savings that outweigh the upfront cost many times over. The evidence in this report makes the economic case; what is now needed is predictable financing at country level to act on it, along with efforts to support older entrepreneurs and the silver economy.”Older people's own voicesThe report also draws on the direct experience of older people themselves, including a multilingual global survey conducted by the International Federation on Ageing that reached more than 1000 older people across 58 countries. WHO and UN partners called on Member States to use the second half of the Decade to accelerate implementation, strengthen data systems, and secure the financing needed so that the gains of longer lives reach older people everywhere. About the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030)Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 2020, the Decade is a global collaboration bringing together governments, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector, academia and older people themselves to improve the lives of older people, their families and communities. It is coordinated by the World Health Organization together with the UN Inter-Agency Group on Ageing. The Decade's mid-term progress report was transmitted to the General Assembly by the Secretary-General, prepared by WHO, and is available in 6 languages.Full Report available: A/81/366 Implementation of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030): Note by Secretary-General [ العربية | 中文 | English | Français | Pусский | Español
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Bobby Kotick’s lawyers sent me a bad email (and later apologized)
The message I had received was unsettling—for a moment. Then it was just really confusing. Back on January 20 of this year, at 5:15pm ET, I received an email with the subject line “Legal Correspondence re Bobby Kotick.” It was from the law firm Clare Locke, a firm I’d heard had been emailing reporters in recent years about their coverage of Kotick, the former, longtime CEO of Activision Blizzard. The letter was threatening. A lawyer from the firm introduced themselves as “defamation counsel to Bobby Kotick.” They issued a “demand” that I “correct” a Game File article I’d published a week prior. The article that had irked them had been a scoop of sorts. I’d written about a a 2022 lawsuit brought by a Swedish pension fund, AP7, over Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard. The suit wasn’t news, but I was first to review and report about Kotick’s extensive pushback to the fund’s claims. The pension fund’s core contention was that the sale had been rushed by Kotick to avoid the consequences of sexual misconduct scandals swirling around the company in 2021. (He’d not been accused of misconduct himself in those suits, to be clear.) As I wrote at the time, Kotick had denied the allegations of the rushed sale. Beyond that, Kotick used a December 2025 reply to the Swedish fund’s lawsuit to assign blame for those workplace scandals, the bad press and even for the AP7 lawsuit. I’d found Kotick’s arguments novel and newsworthy. Across nearly 3,000 words, I explained Kotick’s take: that a Swedish gaming company was behind the Swedish fund’s lawsuit (the Embracer group; they denied it); that the Microsoft-Activision deal was not rushed and was secured at what Kotick felt history had proven to be an optimal price for shareholders; that he believed a conspiracy of people at unions government agencies, PR firms and the media had spun up claims of widespread workplace misconduct at Activision Blizzard in 2021. The article gave context for all of this, letting readers assess the claims and weigh their credibility. As I’d later write to Kotick’s lawyers: I would be surprised if you could point to any news article about Bobby Kotick in the last five years that has spent more of its wordcount articulating his point of view. He is welcome to do an interview with Game File any time. Nonetheless, there they were in my inbox that Tuesday evening: Clare Locke, the law firm that secured a $787.5 million settlement from Fox News over false statements about voting machines. They were emailing me, threatening that failure to comply with their demand could support a claim of “actual malice,” a legal standard for libel. Unless… Unless, they said, I added a key paragraph to my article. This was a paragraph that I already knew Kotick’s lawyers had been emailing reporters about for at least a year, and it was a paragraph that was already in my article. The paragraph they wanted is from a 2023 settlement that California’s Civil Rights Department struck with Activision Blizzard. The settlement had closed a two-year-old lawsuit over alleged sexual discrimination at the game maker. The paragraph basically said that claims of systemic or widespread sexual harassment—or of execs like Kotick tolerating such behavior—had never been proven. I’d already seen proof that Kotick’s lawyers had pushed for the settlement’s language to be added to reports about 2021 sexual discrimination and misconduct lawsuits brought against Activision Blizzard by California and, separately, by the U.S. federal government (both suits were since settled). I knew that Kotick and his lawyers felt that the California settlement language should be mentioned in the same breath as references to an article he hated and denied, a November 2021 Wall Street Journal article claiming Kotick knew “for years” of sexual misconduct at Activision Blizzard. So, in the Game File article that Clare Locke emailed me about, in the interest of ensuring I was being fair and balanced regarding the person I was covering, I had already included the following excerpt from the California settlement [emphasis added in bold]: (Kotick has repeatedly pushed back against that November article in the Wall Street Journal, citing among other things, language from a court-approved consent decree as part of Activision’s 2023 $54 million settlement over the California suit. It states: “no court or any independent investigation has substantiated any allegations that: there has been systemic or widespread sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard [or] that Activision Blizzard senior executives ignored, condoned, or tolerated a culture of systemic harassment, retaliation, or discrimination.”) On the evening of January 20, I was incredulous. How do you write a four page legal threat about a week-old article and miss this? While scrambling to also make my kids dinner, I wrote a lengthy reply to Clare Locke’s lawyers, basically asking them to cool it with the threats and to start making sense. In part, I wrote: I hope you can understand why I am having trouble understanding what you’re asking for, when the statement you’re demanding to see in Game File’s article already appears in Game File’s article. Actual malice, as you know, refers to a reckless disregard for the truth. I’m not sure what your argument is when my article already states your client’s position. Here is where I should remind you, the reader, that I am an independent journalist. I publish on Substack, and have availed myself of the Substack Defender program that provides writers on the platform with legal support. But I’m no Wall Street Journal or New York Times, nor even IGN or GameSpot when it comes to such things as, well, having a legal department. There are more fun things for me to do as an independent journalist than writing back to a powerful law firm representing a very rich person. On the evening of January 20th, I was just trying to cook some pasta, broccoli and chicken nuggets for hungry twins. Nevertheless, I wrote back to them. Two hours later, I got a reply. Summarizing: A lawyer for Clare Locke said they’d “reviewed an incomplete version” of my article and they “apologize for the confusion.” (My guess: Someone didn’t read past the piece’s paywall, even though they’d had a full week to scrounge up the funds to do so. What I’d published above the paywall was balanced, as was what came after.)1 That was almost that, but something about the situation bothered me. The letter had been marked “confidential.” I hadn’t agreed to that, and I disliked the idea that powerful people on the beat that I cover would act like they could unilaterally control what I might tell my readers about. On the morning of the 21st, having already gotten the powerful law firm to back off, I oh-so-wisely re-approached them with just one more thing. I thanked them for clearing things up the night before but noted that I’d never agreed to keep their letter confidential. I’m all for agreeing with a source to keep things off the record, but that’s the thing. We have to agree. You can’t just declare it. I’m not bound by that. I wrote to Clare Locke’s lawyer and said, in part: I trust the matter is resolved. It was disappointing to have to spend less time with my kids last night in order to address your legal letter. Family time’s precious. I will add, for clarity’s sake, that, while your letter stipulated that it was confidential, I did not agree to those terms. In the future, should you wish to communicate with me confidentially, I am happy to agree to classifying our communication as “off the record” prior to the actual communication—as is standard with any professional journalist. The firm’s lawyer replied, not directly addressing the confidentiality issue but asserting that the matter was resolved. Why I didn’t write about this until now In May, I told this story on an episode of Simon Parkin’s podcast My Perfect Console, but I held off on sharing it directly with Game File readers. I held off to avoid stepping on the toes of another reporter, the journalist Mikhail Klimentov. He’d interviewed me in the spring of 2025 about an investigation he was working on regarding Bobby Kotick lawyers pressing the media to add the California settlement language to stories referencing the 2021 lawsuits. And about how some outlets had changed their stories and how some simply deleted them. Initially, I was a third-party source for Klimentov’s reporting, providing on-the-record context about the state of the games media. I’d heard about the letters but hadn’t put the time into pursuing the story. I thought it was interesting, and I was glad he was covering it. When the outlet that Klimentov was going to run his reporting in dropped the story, I began talking to him about potentially publishing his reporting on Game File. This was tentative. Then, in January, when I got my own Clare Locke letter, I told Klimentov that I didn’t think it would make sense for me to publish him, not with me now being part of the story. I had my own version of this situation to tell. But I wished him well and said I’d refrain from telling my tale until he could get his reporting out there. Last Friday, Klimentov finally ran his investigation, in a nearly 48-minute video report for People Make Games. It covers various Clare Locke letters, how media outlets reacted to them and what to make of all this. His video weighs the merits of Kotick’s request and looks at some of the articles that were changed (one of which had a glaring error). I highly recommend watching it: (Note, I did some editorial consulting for a People Make Games video last year but nothing to do with this report.) While many outlets haven’t left any public evidence that they updated their Kotick coverage at Kotick’s counsel’s request, at least one has. Back in October 2025, the mainstream outlet Reuters applied the most transparent article update I’ve seen. On the 3rd of the month, they published an article about the state of the Swedish pension fund’s lawsuit. Days later, they added this: In an October 7 letter sent after publication of this article, Kotick’s defamation counsel disputed claims of widespread harassment at Activision. “Not a single investigation, court finding, verdict, or ruling ever concluded that there was any merit” to the allegations of widespread harassment at Activision, Tom Clare and Nick Brechbill of Clare Locke wrote. I’ve never added a statement to my article on Game File, because none was needed. Not for fairness’ sake, nor to meet any demands of Kotick’s lawyers. I’ve nevertheless wanted to be transparent with Game File readers. If someone powerful is questioning my reporting, is threatening a lawsuit over it… if that threat is part of a pattern involving other games media outlets and if, in my case, the whole thing ran into a ridiculous ditch, I want you to know about it. I also share this as a real example of how I handle threats to Game File. I stand up for my own reporting, even when it’s not comfortable to do so. (In that same category of standing up for the work I do, I’ll point to an incident in late August. Asocial media post I published to X/Twitter regarding reporting I did about Take Two and GTA VI was hit by bogus copyright claim by a firm working for the publisher. I pushed back and got it reversed; even while a bigger games media outlet let themselves be censored. This is the other reason I’m sharing this story: To emphasize that dealing with threats from powerful people is one of the costs of covering the video game industry independently and as fearlessly as possible. This is where you come in. Your support, through free and paid subscriptions (sign up here!), can help me keep doing that. It can ensure that I’ve got the back-up I need. And it can help make fiascoes like this even less of a worry, so I can spend my evenings dealing with more important things, such as making sure I steam the kids’ broccoli just right. 1 That pension fund lawsuit I wrote about in January has all but gone away. In May, the fund and Activision Blizzard owner Microsoft agreed to settle. Lawyers for the fund brokered a $250 million settlement for former Activision Blizzard shareholders. In the settlement, the fund’s lawyers changed their rhetoric. Where once they’d questioned the meaning of the California settlement language, they adopted a version of it for themselves. Several weeks ago, while seeking to get a court to sign off on the terms of the settlement, they proposed their fee for their work in the case: $60 million.
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