The Daily Populous

Friday August 1st, 2025 morning edition

image for Blame the governor! Oklahoma’s “board meeting porn” scandal goes gonzo.

And yet we've already reached the "just asking questions" stage of the scandal lifecycle, with the state's hard-right education boss wondering aloud if Oklahoma's governor might not be behind the whole thing.

One might have expected Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters to agree with his outraged board members.

You know, a sort of "Together we will unmask the degenerates who are making a mockery of our meetings with their streaming retro pornography!".

Since then, Walters has just kept throwing metaphorical tanks of gasoline into this dumpster fire of a situation.

On July 29, he recorded a video statement to X (formerly Twitter) in which he called the scandal the "nastiest political attack" and said it was based on "lies by board members."

He then said the board members in question should "resign immediately in disgrace over the lies they have pushed about me.".

"When you decide to lie about me in the way that several have," Walters said, "there will be consequences for those lies. »

Mass rape, forced pregnancy and sexual torture in Tigray amount to crimes against humanity – report

Authored by theguardian.com
image for

Hundreds of health workers across Tigray have documented mass rape, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy and sexual torture of women and children by Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers, in systematic attacks that amount to crimes against humanity, a new report has found.

Amhara has long-standing territorial disputes with Tigray and its own tensions with the federal government – they, too, sent troops.

Legal analysis of the medical record data and health worker testimony found conclusive evidence of crimes against humanity, including mass rape, forced pregnancy, and enforced sterilisation, Shah said. »

Arab states call on Hamas to disarm and relinquish power in unprecedented move

Authored by cnn.com

Arab and Muslim states including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have for the first time issued a joint call for Hamas to disarm and relinquish power in the Gaza Strip as part of efforts to end the war in the territory.

“We welcomed the readiness expressed by some Member States to contribute in troops,” it said.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vehemently opposes the two-state solution, arguing that it is incompatible with his country’s security. »

Teacher arrested for Arkansas double murder admits to killing married couple: Police

Authored by abcnews.go.com
image for

During an interview with police, he admitted to killing the couple, Arkansas State Police Director Col. Mike Hagar said during Thursday's press briefing.

Arkansas State Police said Andrew James McGann, 28, of Springdale, was arrested in connection with the double slaying of Clinton and Cristen Brink.

Arkansas State Police released a sketch of a person of interest sought in connection with a double homicide at Devil's Den State Park. »