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The enigma of nan missing congressman has yet been solved. Almost 4 months agone Tom Kean Jr, a Republican, vanished from nationalist view. He missed much than 100 votes, each while continuing to collect his afloat taxpayer-funded net of $174,000 on pinch fantabulous benefits. The only mentation fixed for his absence was a cryptic connection from his agency successful precocious April saying he was dealing pinch a “personal wellness matter”. Kean’s father, erstwhile New Jersey politician Tom Kean Sr, further told CNN successful May that his boy was battling a impermanent unwellness and would beryllium backmost to activity soon.
This week, Kean finally resurfaced and explained that he’d been absent owed to inpatient curen for depression. Why hadn’t he said thing astir this earlier? Kean said he was “private personification by nature”. Which is great, but possibly don’t take a occupation successful nationalist work successful that case.
Depression tin beryllium debilitating, and empathy should evidently beryllium extended to anyone suffering from it. However, arsenic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said successful an interview: “There’s a valid chat present astir erstwhile it comes to nan measurement of an absence, what is our work to our constituents successful communicating astir that?”
There’s besides a valid chat present astir really Kean is simply a monolithic hypocrite who has devoted his life to ensuring normal Americans are not afforded nan aforesaid benignant of clip and resources to woody pinch a individual situation that he has conscionable enjoyed. Not everyone gets to return 4 months of paid time off erstwhile they request it: nan US is nan only OECD state without a nationalist paid time off policy. Some employers will connection paid clip disconnected for intelligence wellness reasons, and various states connection paid time off benefits, but a mostly of Americans person to fig it retired connected their own. According to a 2024 Department of Labor fact sheet, “among nan lowest costs workers, who are predominately women and workers of color, 95% person nary entree to paid family time off and 90% deficiency entree to short-term disablement leave.”
Why is nan US for illustration this? Because of lawmakers for illustration Kean. Mother Jones notes that nan nepo babe “voted against New Jersey’s historical Earned Sick Leave Act, which mandates 5 paid sick time off days per twelvemonth for New Jersey workers. He besides voted against New Jersey’s No Surprise Medical Bills enactment and 2 of its paid family time off laws, successful 2008 and 2018.” Kean besides supported Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”, which makes devastating cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, and will make life a batch harder for people pinch disabilities. Kean, successful short, voted to guarantee nan astir susceptible group successful nan US suffer, each truthful nan rich | tin get much taxation cuts.
Kean, to beryllium fair, is acold from nan only leader to beryllium a raging hypocrite. It’s fundamentally a occupation requirement, peculiarly for Republicans. There are a number of Republican men who make a large opus and creation astir really evil abortion is, but quickly alteration their tune erstwhile their mistress needs one. In 2017, for example, Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania resigned from Congress aft claims he pressured a female he was having an extramarital matter pinch to person an abortion. The pursuing year, Elliott Broidy, a apical fundraiser for Donald Trump, resigned from nan Republican National Committee aft it was revealed that he paid $1.6m to a Playboy Playmate he had had an matter with. Broidy sewage nan female pregnant and she decided to person an abortion. Herschel Walker, a erstwhile shot prima who unsuccessfully ran arsenic a Republican for a US Senate spot successful Georgia successful 2022, has besides been accused of paying for an abortion. Walker denied nan declare but besides said he didn’t cognize nan woman. It later transpired she was nan mother of 1 of his children. Walker, by nan way, is now United States ambassador to nan Bahamas.
I could spell connected and connected astir Republican hypocrisy, but there’s not really overmuch worth successful pointing it out, is there? You cognize they’re craven hypocrites, I cognize they’re craven hypocrites, but their voting guidelines doesn’t care. Indeed, acold from being ashamed of their inconsistencies and lies and corruption, Republicans revel successful it. They look to return awesome pleasance successful nan truth that location is 1 group of rules for them and different group of rules for nan hoi polloi. Trump has moreover said he believes nan constitution gives him “the correct to do immoderate I want arsenic president”. Many of his minions look to judge they besides person nan correct to do immoderate they like.
Which is why I don’t consciousness overmuch dream that Kean mightiness person had immoderate road-to-Damascus infinitesimal from his curen for depression, and go a much empathetic human. Indeed, alternatively of difficult activity to dress up for mislaid time, his almanac is full of self-serving fundraisers for his re-election. I’m gladsome he is emotion better, but his disregard for his constituents is simply a premier illustration of conscionable really sick American populist is.
After implementing a Muslim ban, Stephen Miller is now mulling a ‘pregnancy ban’
Maga is pouring down aft nan US ultimate tribunal upheld birthright citizenship, which Trump has been trying to dismantle arsenic portion of his broader anti-immigration agenda. Stephen Miller, nan man down Trump’s Muslim ban and family separation policy, is now fantasizing astir potentially banning pregnant foreigners. “Mr Miller, are we banning pregnant women from America?” nan Fox News big Jesse Watters joked. “Well, what I’m saying, Jesse, is that you person to now deliberation very cautiously astir who you fto into your country, moreover connected a impermanent basis, because nan anticipation [for] commencement tourism,” Miller replied.
The astir vulnerable portion of being a female successful nan US army? Your antheral colleagues
Women successful nan US service are much apt to beryllium killed by chap servicemen than force combatants, according to an analysis by nan Intercept. This found: “Between 2011 and August 2025, astatine slightest 41 women died by homicide successful nan Army – much than half of them astatine nan hands of different work members aliases veterans.” The study further noted “that active-duty Army women look a higher consequence of homicide than antheral soldiers, nan other of national and world trends”.
England and Wales summation minimum condemnation for home murder
Offenders who termination their existent aliases ex-partner look will now person a minimum condemnation of 25 years, which is an other 10 years from erstwhile sentencing minimums. The summation comes aft a seven-year campaign by mothers of victims for a alteration successful nan law.
Australian man charged pinch execution of 17-year-old Thai woman recovered successful suitcase
Thai constabulary are now investigating to spot whether he has been linked to 2 unsolved cases successful nan region.
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British man arrested successful Ecuador aft woman’s assemblage recovered successful suitcase successful Colombia
Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith is alleged to person beaten 36-year-old Natalia Villalba to decease earlier hiding her body successful nan suitcase. Haven’t heard thing from nan far-right astir this. Normally they emotion talking astir really convulsive immigrants are a threat to section women.
ICE releases Texas nun detained stepping to religion dressed successful her habit
Exactly why 56-year-old Sister Leticia Ugboaja was detained while stepping peacefully to Church is unclear. But I’m not judge ICE would person been rather arsenic willing successful her if she happened to beryllium white.
Kiros was fired from her New York rule patient aft writing a blogpost saying: “There is nary justification for nan attacks connected Israel connected October 7th, conscionable arsenic location is nary justification for nan disproportionate and corporate reward being waged connected nan Palestinian group by nan Israeli authorities successful retaliation,” and pointing retired entrenched anti-Palestinian biases successful nan media. Now Kiros, who has joined pinch galore quality authorities organizations and experts successful calling Israel’s actions successful Gaza a genocide, is almost surely heading to Congress.
The week successful pawtriarchy
Giraffes thin to beryllium astatine a spot of a beingness disadvantage erstwhile it comes to playing hide and seek. However, aft moving distant from a backstage crippled ranch successful agrarian Texas, a giraffe called Gracie managed to vanish for astir 2 weeks. She’s yet been recovered and is apparently “fat and happy”. Also fat and happy is simply a 1000kg elephant seal called Neil, who is presently wreaking havoc successful Tasmania. Neil nan seal has been getting into fights pinch postulation cones and blocking traffic. He’s sewage a very cheeky grin though, truthful it’s difficult to beryllium huffy astatine him. Indeed he’s now a section sealebrity.
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Arwa Mahdawi is simply a Guardian columnist
