World

He may have confessed to never having listened to a rap song when he first defended a rapper, but Drew Findling, an Atlanta-based attorney with over three decades of experience, has come a long way from that confession. In fact, he has come such a long way that he had earned a distinctive moniker from late Memphis rapper Young Dolph, “The Billion Dollar Lawyer”. He’s revered within Atlanta’s rap community, but now, his stage is set for a far more controversial client – former President Donald Trump. The nickname isn’t a passing comment by Young Dolph; it’s a testament to Mr. Findling’s high-profile status within the hip-hop world and his robust track record.

Garnishing a reputation as a powerhouse lawyer known for defending the big names in the mecca of black entertainment, from Cardi B to Waka Flocka Flame, Mr. Findling finds himself on the front line of an altogether different showdown. He was hired last year to represent Mr. Trump in the criminal investigation into election interference in the state of Georgia from the 2020 election. Becoming Mr. Trump’s defender places Mr. Findling squarely at the crossroads of his career. Here is a notoriously tough client who often discounts legal advice and aims to postpone the Georgia case until 2026, and a lawyer described by ex-clients as a “Robin Hood with Jesus swag”.

While the lawyer’s hip hop clientele initiated him to the nuances of free speech as it applies to the world of rap, his new case with Mr. Trump necessitates a different type of argument. Rather than dissect verse lyrics from a rap song, Mr. Findling now has to assert that the actions of an American President were merely aspirational. The former president’s legal team has indicated a heavy reliance on a free speech defense to challenge the charges in this case and a separate election subversion case ruled by the federal government.

It’s a political dance with higher stakes than his previous trials. That includes his work for Demetrius Flenory, a.k.a Big Meech, whom Mr. Findling helped secure acquittal for murder charges in 2003. This case shot Mr. Findling into the limelight and garnered him a reputation as a defender who could open the cross-racial dialogue. Reflecting on his career trajectory, Mr. Findling said, “I do not believe that we choose our client or clients based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, political belief or the substantive issues involved in the crime.”

However, Mr. Findling doesn’t hide from his political stance. As an avowed liberal, he’s openly criticized the former president, calling him “pathetic” and “racist”. He’s even donated $1,440 (£1,130) to Democrat Fani Willis’ successful bid as the top prosecutor in Georgia’s most populous county. These statements and actions add a unique twist to their attorney-client relationship. Despite the partisan lines in the sand, Mr. Findling seems to share the sentiments expressed by John Adams, the second US president, who was famously known for setting aside personal prejudice to represent British soldiers accused in the 1770 Boston Massacre.

Whether music mogul or ex-president, Mr. Findling is a lawyer first and foremost. Regardless of the twists and turns of public opinion, his raison d’être appears to be grounded in upholding his legal responsibility, regardless of his personal beliefs. His fortitude and effectiveness will surely be put to the test as he navigates the waters defending Mr. Trump. But if his past is any guide, it’s clear that he is more than up to the task.

In the face of adversities and the haunting inferno of history, choosing to buckle down and confront a commanding officer as a young recruit is an arduous decision. Even graver is the challenge when you’re the lone Jewish warrior in Germany’s army, navigating relationships with comrades who served under the Nazis during the horrendous World War II.

Michael Fürst, a Jewish recruit in the German Army in 1966, recalls the sharp lashes of anti-Semitic remarks he endured, slashing deep into his memory. Although Fürst is doubtful about the necessity for a multitude of military rabbis considering relatively few Jewish soldiers, he welcomes the inception of chaplaincy as a significant leap forward. Today, there are about 300 Jewish serving personnel in the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces.

Contrarily, a 24-year-old German air force technician dubbed Johannes sees an intertwining collaboration between Jewish teachings and Bundeswehr’s ethos. Deciding his dual identity, he embraced his German and Jewish sides, underscoring a feeling many young Germans harbor about their nation’s military history.

Anne, a Jewish convert during her teens, staunchly intended to join the Bundeswehr. She poured over the founding values to craft persuasive arguments against any potential resistance. Despite the shocking reaction from her counterparts, Anne upheld her conviction to protect the tenets of human rights and democracy.

The past still materializes in pockets of the institution. Advanced into the digital age, anti-Semitic remarks surfed on secret online channels among soldiers in 2020. Moreover, appalling Nazi mementos were discovered in military barracks. It manifestly shows that the specter of anti-Semitism is far from being vanquished completely in the Bundeswehr.

In 2019, an accord between Germany’s Central Council of Jews and the Ministry of Defense introduced a Jewish chaplaincy into the Bundeswehr. This chaplaincy, catering to the religious and spiritual needs of Jewish serving personnel, marks a long overdue return; the Bundeswehr’s Jewish chaplaincy tradition discontinued post World War I only to revive now.

In 2021, Zsolt Balla, a native Hungarian Jew, stepped into the role of spiritual lead of the chaplaincy. His presence in the Bundeswehr underscores not only Germany’s attempts to make amends for its past but also its societal evolution concerning Jews. Throughout this process, a consensus emerges that the lingering past must not lead to paralysis and stagnation. Such developments could be vital in handling the anti-Semitism issue.

The Jews serving in the Bundeswehr today, aware of their unique identities, have been stalwart in the face of skepticism and derision. Interlacing their faith and duty, they sketch out a fitting narrative of defiance and resilience. Michael Fürst, pushing through the reprehensible flames of his captain’s Holocaust denial and proudly bearing his dual German and Jewish identity, embodies this very defiance.

Jewish chaplaincy, as a newly woven fabric of the Bundeswehr, could be key to building empathy within its ranks. It also forms pathways of dialogue and understanding for those unfamiliar with Judaism. Ultimately, the stories of Michael Fürst, Anne, Johannes and others are reminders that, despite challenges ahead, the Bundeswehr’s mantle can be taken up by unlikely hands. Together, these tales form the narrative of a new generation defining their roles in their nation’s defense regardless of their faith or historical baggage.

When talking about Ukraine’s ongoing struggle and the aftermath of Russia’s invasion, we can’t omit the tales of our four-legged heroes who, despite their petite statures, are making great strides in mitigating the impact of the war. Their heart, courage, and pure souls have reached far beyond the borders of Ukraine, capturing the world’s attention.

At the heart of Kharkiv, one of the cities most scarred by the Russian onslaught, lives a resilient feline named Stepan. His Instagram account, followed by 1.3 million users, narrates more than just his cuddly exploits; it relays the grotesque realities of warfare. Last year, Stepan’s fame and undeniable charm helped raise almost 15,000 euros (£12,900), which went towards animal food, medicine, and care provisions.

Meanwhile, making waves in Ukraine’s postal service is Patron, a Jack Russell terrier celebrated for his crucial service in sniffing out mines. His selfless duty as part of the state’s emergency service has earned him a stamp series graced with his brave image and a medal for his dedicated service from President Volodymyr Zelensky. Over time, Patron’s renown crossed paths with numerous dignitaries such as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who met Ukraine’s hero during a trip to Kyiv.

What makes Patron special isn’t just his utility, but his ability to provide solace to the Ukrainians, particularly children, by sharing uplifting posts on his social media platforms. Never shying away from his day job, Patron continues to protect his people, bravely traversing potentially explosive territories.

These accounts have also acted as forums of emotional support, advice, and welfare for people and animals alike. Take, for example, cartoon cat Inzhyr. While his creator, Olena Pavlova, describes him as a “natural anti-depressant”, his presence on social media has been instrumental in encouraging Ukrainians to develop reading habits and learn fundraising techniques. Amid the gloom of continuous conflict, the eccentric orange kitty serves as an embodiment of hope, the beacon of light that many Ukrainians are clamoring to see in their lives.

However, not all stories feature guiding animals safely maneuvering unfamiliar terrains. Some, like the instance of the Kakhovka Dam’s destruction, revolve around animals in distress. Animals needed urgent evacuation from the flood-stricken areas, leading to an increase in demand for animal welfare organizations and the fundraising activities that support them.

The efforts of these animal heroes, in whatever capacity they serve, not only expose the harsh realities of war but also evoke humanity amidst despair. As the war continues to spread its dismal clouds, our instinctively hopeful furry friends break through the darkness with their unwavering determination. Their stories of triumph and endurance are salient reminders of the resilient spirit fostered by the people of Ukraine.

The ongoing conflict has shaped these pawsome influencers into symbols of hope and resilience. Stepan, Patron, and Inzhyr are no longer mere social media celebrities, but rather figures that inspire, reassure, and uplift the hearts of their followers as they face the harsh realities of war. The courage of these furry and fictitious friends reflects the undying hope of the Ukrainian people during the bleakest of times. And as the war wages on, they continue to bring smiles and comfort to their people, proving that even during war, there can be spots of warmth and kindness.

Collateral victim or hero, these furry creatures offer a unique perspective into the war-torn landscapes of Ukraine. Their stories reflect the collective bravery and resilient spirit that Ukrainians continually showcase despite their circumstances. In this exhausting cycle of destruction, despair, and hope, they are set to offer a light in the gloom, thoroughly deserving of their status as Ukraine’s unexpected heroes.

Canada is presently enduring its gravest wildfire season on record, with raging flames engulfing the landscape in a merciless blaze, says the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). The situation has become so dire that an emergency state is declared across the province, staring into the fiery eyes of hundreds of separate blazes.

Juliana Loewen and residents of Kelowna, an eastern shore city of Okanagan Lake, have painted a dramatic picture complete with plumes of smoke resembling an “ominous cloud of destruction.” The fire’s alarming advancement has left some locals with no escape but the lake’s depths. This aerial menace has forced closure of the airspace around the Kelowna International Airport, leaving room only for aerial firefighters.

Loewen and her family have found themselves inadvertently thrust into the frontline of this crisis, offering sanctuary to displaced relatives. The wildfire’s rapid and deadly expansion threatens entire residential communities. Amid the chaos, Loewen describes how the “fire jumped very quickly from one tree to an entire area.”

As the scorching menace creeps over the mountainside, nearby Yellowknife’s residents are urged to evacuate, unless their services are deemed essential to emergency response. The citizenry has recounted horror tales of the relentless blizzard of flames that tore through their city, razed their homes, and chased them away.

The unfolding catastrophe is taking a toll on the city of West Kelowna, where vast swaths of structures are succumbing to the blaze. The city of 36,000 residents has witnessed approximately 2,400 homes evacuated while facing the damning verdict of their fire chief, Jason Brolund, who describes the wildfire as “devastating.”

Reacting to local conditions, the premier of the province, David Eby, paints a stark and anxious picture of a situation that has “evolved rapidly”. He foresees “an extremely challenging situation in the days ahead” and warns that highways and airports could crumble under the wildfire’s onslaught.

Residents, traditionally privy to California-style climates, have been caught off-guard by increasingly dreadful wildfires. Juliana Loewen cites the perfect storm fostered by the lethal trifecta of heat, dryness, and wind.

Experts, reflecting on such conditions, affirm that climate change exacerbates the risk of scorching and arid weather, likely to amplify and fuel wildfires. The increasingly severe heat effectively acts like a sponge, leaching moisture from the surroundings, leaving essentially the perfect fuel for rampant wildfires.

In light of evacuation requirements growing exponentially by the hour, Eby is making a call for public cooperation. Warning that “emergency orders could include travel restrictions to specific areas if people do not respect our calls to avoid non-essential travel,” he seeks to mobilize resources and create a unified front to combat this environmental catastrophe.

The outlook, although bleak, remains resilient, as no deaths have been reported so far amid the calamity. The provinces’ inhabitants, though shaken, stand resolute in the face of this natural calamity. After all, this is a battle for their homes, their communities, and their very survival against Canada’s worst wildfire season ever.

Shockwaves rippled through the entertainment industry as pop princess Britney Spears bravely opened up about her splitting with Sam Asghari, revealing in a heartrending confession that she “couldn’t bear the pain anymore.”

Resilient yet understandably distraught, Spears resisted the urge to break down in public. “I would love to show my emotions and tears on how I truly feel, but I’ve always had to camouflage my vulnerabilities,” Spears revealed, a sobering testament to the pressure and scrutiny the superstar constantly endures.

Asghari, an accomplished Iranian-American actor, model, and fitness trainer, met Spears on the set of her music video for the hit single ‘Slumber Party’ back in 2016. Their whirlwind romance saw them engaged five years later in September 2021, followed by a low-key wedding in June last year.

Despite the emotional strain of her marital crisis, Spears committed herself to staying “as strong as I can,” giving us a heartening glimpse of her fighting spirit while acknowledging she has been “actually doing pretty damn good.”

Amidst the flurry of social media chatter and relentless press attention, Spears, 41, rued the necessity to maintain any semblance of privacy, referring to this as a seemingly ridiculous request. Asghari echoed her sentiments, urging, in a separate Instagram post, everyone, including the media, to demonstrate kindness and thoughtfulness.

In a twist that left Britney “a little shocked,” Asghari bared his sentiments to his 1.5 million Instagram followers, announcing, “After six years of love and commitment to each other, my wife and I have decided to end our journey together.”

Spears, renowned for her candor in an industry often compromised by duplicity, stripped away the glamorized veneer of her Instagram fame. “I’ve been playing it strong for way too long, and my Instagram may seem perfect, but it’s far from reality, and I think we all know that,” she announced.

The media had been rife with rumors about their wavering union after the couple were spotted ring-less in public. The final confirmation came when 29-year-old Asghari officially filed for divorce in Los Angeles, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Spears chose to avoid speculations surrounding the divorce, stating in an Instagram post, “I’m not here to explain why because it’s honestly nobody’s business.”

As per the divorce papers, Asghari has requested spousal support and legal fees be footed by Spears. However, he lauded their parting as amicable, stating, “We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other, and I wish her the best always.”

The breakup transpires just a few months after Spears’ triumphant victory in terminating her father Jamie’s conservatorship—a legal struggle that Asghari staunchly supported. Now, as the dust settles on another chapter in Britney Spears’ storied life, we’ve been given a candid, if heart-wrenching, look into the human side of stardom. While we wait and see what the future holds, one thing appears certain: Britney Spears remains fiercely determined to dance through the storm.

The stirring winds of Hurricane Hilary, spinning at speeds of up to 100mph, accentuate its ferocity as a Category 2 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. This south-eastern tempest is expected to collide with earth later on Saturday.

The inclement weather has already unleashed torrents of rain upon Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and southwestern regions of the US. With its swirling eye only about 285 miles southeast of Baja California’s Punta Eugenia, the aftermath of this meteorological phenomenon is expected to be substantial.

The scarred landscape bears silent testimony to the carnage left in the wake of these hurricane winds. Rainfall across southern areas of California and Nevada could escalate to 10 inches, warns the NHC, and is signalling towards the likelihood of “dangerous to catastrophic flooding”.

An intricate analysis reveals a changing eyewall and rainbands, with the hurricane declining in strength while inundating these regions in heavy rainfall. Climate change, as per experts, might have a significant hand in intensifying this abnormal weather pattern.

Mexico’s readiness to face the tempest is evident. With parts of the country under a tropical storm watch, its government has mobilized an army of 18,000 soldiers to aid in rescue operations.

While tropical storms and hurricanes are not a stranger to Mexico, their visit to California, however, is historically rare. Southern California last made acquaintance with a tropical storm in 1939, when it made landfall in Long Beach.

Despite its weakening, Hurricane Hilary, bound for Mexico’s Pacific coast, remains an ominous threat with potential “life-threatening” flooding, a grave warning issued by US meteorologists.

US President Joe Biden has affirmed the readiness of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), pre-positioning supplies and personnel in the region.

The city of San Diego remains under the scanner, with the National Weather Service issuing a flash flood warning. Flash flooding remained a concern for over 26 million residents in the Southwestern US. Recent events, such as the devastating wildfire in Hawaii in August 2023, underscore the intensified threats of natural catastrophes.

While Hurricane Hilary continues to lose strength rapidly, as per John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at NHC, the potential hazard cannot be overlooked.

From Arizona to other cities across the region, local authorities are extending helping hands by providing residents with sandbags to fortify their properties against the imminent floodwaters.

The unfolding scenario led the National Park Service to shutter Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve in California to ensure visitors’ safety. The anticipation of Hilary’s impact has also influenced Major League Baseball to reschedule its southern California games, and SpaceX to postpone a rocket launch from its base on the California coast.

Though Hilary will likely weaken into a Tropical Storm by the time it encounters lands, it remains the first tropical storm set to hit US soil in over eight decades. Navigating safely through this storm will require collective efforts, precautions, and adhering to guidance from state and local authorities.

One percent of 4 sextillion is a staggering figure. It is the enormous number that puts forth a subtle warning to us about the potential ecological impact of ancient viruses locked in the rapidly melting permafrost.

As our planet continues to warm, an unsightly outcome might be lurking beneath the once-frozen landscapes — ancient viruses, long locked away, returning to life. Melting permafrost in Arctic regions could be time portals releasing these microbial invaders from their cryogenic sleep. While most people would struggle to conceive the scale of this, the sheer number of potential viruses makes it a matter of concern, even if the probability of one single virus causing havoc seems infinitesimal.

To understand the ecological ramifications of this phenomenon, a team of international researchers digitally simulated interactions between an ancient virus and modern bacteria. The study, published in PLOS Computational Biology, paints a potential picture of the disruptions these ancient parasites could cause in present-day ecosystems.

Much like other invasive species, most viral infiltration in an ecosystem would fail. Yet once an invader establishes itself, the consequences can be dire. If an ancient virus were to find fertile grounds in our modern biosphere, it could wreak ecological havoc, dramatically reducing species diversity by 32% or creating uncontrolled population surges. Moreover, the study found that ancient viruses not only survive in modern ecosystems but evolve over time, throwing the system off-kilter.

Moving beyond the theoretical, the impacts of these ancient, thawed viruses pose an essential question. What happens when they infiltrate modern species, including us humans? The grim reality is that modern organisms often have minimal defenses against these ancient microscopic predators. Similar to any other parasite, these ancient viruses could absorb energy from their bacterial host, leaving them weak, unable to reproduce and eventually, dying.

While the thought of ancient viruses being released from melting permafrost might sound like a plot of a dystopian sci-fi, the findings of this study make it a legitimate concern. The research builds a framework to assess the risk of biological invaders from a bygone era, urging more extensive studies to stretch the implications to human or animal populations.

Yet, despite the alarming implications of the study, the infection risk from these emerging pathogens is currently seen as “highly improbable,” a silver lining in a potentially somber tale. The likelihood of these viruses causing large-scale disruptions is buffered by the sparse human population in the permafrost regions. Nonetheless, the study and its realistic simulations underscore the indisputable urgency of slowing global heating to prevent these unforeseen, potential threats.

The story of ancient viruses reawakening in the melting permafrost is another reminder of the high-stakes gamble we are playing with our planet. While these organisms pose their own unique risks, they are just one factor in a much larger, far more complex climate change scenario. The response to this potential threat isn’t all that different from many others associated with climate change: slow our carbon emissions, protect our delicate ecosystems, and work toward a sustainable future.

In the face of on-going climate change, the notion of ancient pathogens escaping from melting permafrost adds a chilling dimension to our environmental challenges. It’s a stark reminder of the intertwined fate of all life on Earth and a testimony to the saying “the past can come back to haunt us.” As the global temperature continues to rise, the cryptic inhabitants of our ancient world are inching closer to the surface, possibly carrying a warning from the past.