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Borders tighten, maps blessed: GOP push after National Guard shooting; NC court OKs GOP map; face-transplant hope and hardship; a Welsh winter-walk pub
Republicans push for stricter immigration measures after National Guard shooting
Republicans push for stricter immigration measures after National Guard shooting as GOP lawmakers seize on the D.C. attack—where two Guard members were reportedly shot near the White House by 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal—to demand tighter screening and new restrictions. The CIA said Lakanwal previously worked for the agency in Afghanistan before the U.S. withdrawal, a detail already fueling a fresh Capitol Hill fight over vetting even as investigators piece together what happened.
Top Welsh Pub for a Winter Walk
Top Welsh Pub for a Winter Walk: The Good Food Guide points you to The Felin Fach Griffin in Bannau Brycheiniog, declaring it “everything you could want from a country pub” after a bracing stomp—think fireside sofas, craft ales, and a kitchen‑garden‑backed, “properly cheffy” menu from Gwenann Davies. Part of Charles and Edmund Inkin’s Eat, Drink, Sleep trio and among the guide’s 100 best pubs, it balances heritage charm with polished service: broccoli‑Stilton soup, lamb rump with faggot, sticky glazed short rib with kimchi, crisp‑skinned hake, and a Sunday roast that actually earns the capital letters. Translation: endure the invigorating bit outdoors, then collect your reward—white‑chocolate mousse included. And you’re spoiled for routes nearby, from Pen y Fan and Corn Du to the Four Falls Trail, Llyn y Fan Fach, and Talybont Reservoir.
Court allows North Carolina to use GOP-drawn congressional map
Court allows North Carolina to use GOP-drawn congressional map, clearing the way for Republicans to likely snag another U.S. House seat in next year’s elections. A three-judge federal panel unanimously denied preliminary injunctions in two lawsuits, saying they saw no direct evidence the legislature acted with racially discriminatory intent, despite claims the map dilutes Black voting power in violation of the 14th Amendment. The Republican-controlled legislature approved the map last month, reworking a swing seat held by Democrat Don Davis to scoop up more GOP-friendly coastal areas, while shuffling inland, bluer voters into a neighboring district already safely red. Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, can’t veto redistricting—because in North Carolina, checks and balances take a coffee break when maps are on the table. Republicans tout the lines as reflecting the “true beliefs” of North Carolinians; Democrats call it partisan cartography with a racial undertone and a predictable destination. In other words: politicians promise representation, then pick the voters who’ll represent them right back.
Face Transplants Offered Hope, but Patients Endured the Unthinkable
Face Transplants Offered Hope, but Patients Endured the Unthinkable: Two decades after France’s first partial face graft in 2005 on Isabelle Dinoire, the field is grappling with high mortality, hidden downsides, and a system that abandons patients once the headlines fade. About 50 procedures have been done worldwide; a 2024 JAMA Surgery analysis cites 85% five-year and 74% ten-year graft survival, yet roughly 20% of recipients have died from rejection or organ failure—and the study didn’t track mental health, finances, employment, or quality of life. Lifelong immunosuppressants can wreck kidneys and leave patients dangerously vulnerable to infection. In the U.S., the Department of Defense largely bankrolls the surgeries while private insurers refuse to cover them, leaving survivors scrambling for medication, transportation, and basic care. The money flows to surgical breakthroughs; the people living with them are left to fend for themselves.
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This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
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