Gloria Steinem, feminist icon, dies at 92
Gloria Steinem, a journalist, activist, and organizer who became the most recognizable face of the U.S. women's movement, died at 92. Steinem resisted being cast as feminism's singular face, but for six decades she carried its ideas into mainstream America across its second and third waves. She made the personal political: an illegal abortion at 22 preceded decades of fighting first to legalize abortion and then to defend that right. Steinem died peacefully, surrounded by people who loved her at her home in New York City, according to a Thursday announcement posted from her and her foundation's Instagram accounts. "Gloria's greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard," the announcement said.
Steinem first drew national attention as a journalist in 1963 when she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny and exposed the job's low pay and sexist treatment. Soon, she was both chronicling feminism's emerging second wave and organizing within it. She co-founded Ms. magazine, bringing feminist arguments about work, sex, politics, family, and reproductive rights to a mass audience. She also helped found the National Women's Political Caucus. She took her fight to Congress, testifying for the Equal Rights Amendment in 1970, and to the American people, campaigning for its ratification.
Where the accounts differ
The Daily Wire attributes Steinem's normalization of feminism to her appearance and media presence, contrasting her with earlier feminists like Kate Millett, Angela Davis, and Betty Friedan, whom it describes as "angry, cantankerous, and mentally ill." The Daily Wire also claims Steinem said she would have been "stopped there" if she had had a child as a young single woman, a claim not present in other accounts. The Daily Wire attributes this quote to a 2022 interview with Meghan Markle and Vogue magazine. The Slate article mentions Steinem's abortion in 1957 and her doctor's influence, but does not include the claim about having a child. The Axios article notes Steinem's abortion at 22 and her later activism around abortion rights, but does not mention the 2022 quote. The BBC and NPR accounts focus on her early life, activism, and legacy without the specific claims about her personal life or the 2022 interview.
Trading food for medicine and crossing the river by zip line are part of life in Nepal flood zone
Survivors in Nepal’s flood-affected areas are facing severe shortages of essential medicines, with some resorting to selling relief food to afford their prescriptions. Suresh Kumar Karanjit, a resident of a relief center in Devighat, Nuwakot district, described the lack of medicine for his heart condition, stating he sold a carton of noodles he received as relief for 400 rupees ($2.60) to buy his regular medication. The floods, triggered by a glacier collapse on Aug. 26, devastated towns and valleys, destroying homes, roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure. Nepal’s disaster chief, Dharam Raj Uprety, noted that health camps with doctors and medicine have been set up at each relief center, while authorities are also focusing on hygiene and sanitation to prevent disease.
Rescue efforts have focused on hydropower tunnels where workers are believed to have survived for over a week. Two workers were rescued alive from the Trishuli 3A tunnel nine days after the disaster, with one, Sanjay Shah, describing his ordeal of trying to save others before being trapped. Officials confirmed the rescue of Sanjay Shah and Kabir Maharjan, with Maharjan in critical condition. Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina expressed hope that more workers will be rescued. The death toll has risen to at least 1,259, with over 5,000 people missing, according to Nepal’s disaster management agency.
Where the accounts differ
The Associated Press and Washington Examiner both report that at least 1,259 people were killed, while Al Jazeera and ABC News state the death toll is at least 1,287. The Guardian and ABC News mention 1,287 deaths, with the Guardian also noting that 5,000 people remain missing. The Washington Examiner and Associated Press report that China said 21 people were killed and 541 missing on the Tibet side, while Al Jazeera and ABC News state that China reported 16 additional deaths and 546 missing people, bringing the total to 1,268 and 4,762 missing on both sides. The Guardian and ABC News also mention that more than 5,000 people remain missing, while the Associated Press and Washington Examiner report over 5,000 missing.
Iran fires on its Gulf neighbors, retaliating for U.S. strikes after a monthlong lull
Iran launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. allies in the Gulf on Wednesday, following a night of American bombardment that included a strike on a wedding party in southern Iran. The six-month conflict has led to rising oil prices and economic instability. The U.S. military struck Iranian military targets, including air defense sites and maritime assets, in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping and American forces in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials claimed the U.S. strike killed four people, including two children, at a wedding in Kuhestak, while the U.S. denied targeting civilians. The strikes marked the end of a monthlong lull in fighting.
Where the accounts differ
NPR and BBC both report that the U.S. strike killed four people, including two children, at a wedding in Kuhestak. Al Jazeera and BBC also mention that the attack may constitute a war crime. NPR and Christian Science Monitor report that the U.S. strike hit a home hosting a wedding, while BBC and Al Jazeera specify that the attack occurred at a home in Kuhestak. Christian Science Monitor and FOX News mention that the U.S. strike targeted Iranian military assets, including mine-laying capabilities and communications sites, while NPR and BBC do not specify these targets. FOX News and Straight Arrow News report that the conflict began on February 28, 2026, with Operation Epic Fury, while other accounts do not mention this date or operation.
Trump names new acting Army secretary after Driscoll resigns
President Trump on Thursday named Adam Telle, a civilian leader in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as the acting Army secretary, following the resignation of Dan Driscoll earlier this week. Telle is currently the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. Driscoll resigned as the Army's top civilian leader this week, following months of behind-the-scenes friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Driscoll had drawn up plans to transform the Army's operations but shared concerns with the Trump administration that Hegseth had pushed out some of the generals responsible for implementing those plans.
Telle will now oversee the nation's largest fighting force at a time when the U.S. is still engaged in conflict with Iran and significant Army forces are stationed in the Middle East. The war has contributed to the U.S. military's shortfall in critical weapons like the Patriot and THAAD defense missile interceptor systems, which are operated by the Army. Democrats and Republicans lamented Driscoll's departure, with some blaming Hegseth directly. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is retiring and sometimes has clashed with Trump, said on social media that Hegseth "is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks."
Where the accounts differ
CBS News reports that Driscoll resigned after months of friction with Hegseth and that Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down in April. FOX News and Al Jazeera also mention the tensions between Hegseth and Driscoll, but FOX News adds that Tillis called for Trump to replace Hegseth, while Al Jazeera highlights Hegseth's broader controversies, including the "Signalgate" incident. The Guardian and CBS News note that Driscoll did not provide a reason for his resignation, while Newsweek states Driscoll gave no explanation for his departure. CBS News and The Guardian mention that Driscoll was an ally of Vice President JD Vance, while FOX News and Al Jazeera attribute Tillis's criticism of Hegseth to his own political stance.
Russia’s strikes near Moldova raise alarm over Putin’s plans for Europe’s eastern flank
Russia has intensified strikes against Ukrainian-Moldovan border infrastructure, according to Moldova’s national security advisor Stanislav Secrieru, who told Fox News Digital. These strikes are aimed at disrupting Ukraine’s grain exports through Moldova, which has become a key transit route for Ukrainian grain to Romanian ports. Moldova cut rail transit tariffs by half to maintain the flow of exports. The Moldovan government has also reported multiple violations of its airspace by Russian drones and missiles, with 17 incidents recorded in August 2025. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently visited Moldova to express solidarity with President Maia Sandu amid the escalating tensions.
The European Union and NATO have responded to recent Russian actions, including a suspected drone attack on a cargo plane in Germany’s Leipzig airport. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have warned that Russia is growing increasingly reckless and called for a stronger response. Germany has blamed Russia for the attack and announced sanctions, including the closure of Russian cultural institutions, which Russia has retaliated by closing its own Goethe-Institut centers in Russia.
Where the accounts differ
FOX News reports that Moldova has recorded 17 Russian airspace violations in August 2025, while the Christian Science Monitor and The Guardian do not mention specific numbers of violations. The Guardian and BBC attribute the Leipzig drone attack to Russia, while the BBC adds details about the suspects identified in the attack, including a Belarusian with a Russian passport and another with Latvian and Russian passports. The Guardian also notes that the attack was linked to Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics, a point not explicitly made in the other accounts. The Christian Science Monitor mentions that Russia is suspected of paying local gangs to carry out sabotage, a claim not made by the other outlets.
Biden-appointed judge blocks Trump’s latest birthright citizenship executive order
A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to restrict birthright citizenship, citing the Supreme Court’s prior ruling that children born in the U.S. to parents who are unlawfully present are citizens at birth. The order, issued in August 2026, sought to deny automatic citizenship to children of “alien enemies” and those engaged in “birth tourism.” Judge Deborah Boardman, a Biden appointee, issued a preliminary injunction against the executive order, arguing it was “almost certainly unconstitutional” as it contradicted the Supreme Court’s decision in *Barbara v. Trump*. The White House criticized the ruling, calling it an example of “activist judges” attempting to block Trump’s “commonsense agenda.”
The executive order aimed to limit birthright citizenship for children of foreign government employees and those whose parents are deemed “alien enemies,” including members of designated terrorist organizations. The order also targeted “birth tourism,” the practice of traveling to the U.S. to give birth for citizenship. The Supreme Court had previously ruled that children of undocumented immigrants and temporary visitors are citizens at birth, but allowed for exceptions such as foreign diplomats and during hostile occupations.
Where the accounts differ
FOX News reports that the judge cited the Supreme Court’s June ruling in *Barbara v. Trump* and that the White House called the ruling an “activist judge appointed by Biden attempting to thwart President Trump’s commonsense agenda.” The New York Post states that the judge cited the same ruling and that the White House spokesperson said the order was “consistent with the holdings and analysis set forth by the Supreme Court.” The Federalist adds that the judge previously gave a lenient sentence to the attempted killer of Justice Kavanaugh and that Rep. Chip Roy introduced impeachment articles against her. The Guardian and BBC both note that the judge cited the Supreme Court’s June ruling and that the government has not yet issued guidelines on how to implement the restrictions. Straight Arrow News mentions that the judge initially denied an injunction due to the complaint referencing the 2025 order, which had already been struck down.
ICE officer faces federal charges for lying over shooting of Venezuelan immigrant
Federal prosecutors have charged an ICE officer, Christian Castro, with making false statements to investigators about the shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant, Julio Sosa-Celis, in Minnesota in January. The charges are part of a broader investigation into the incident, which occurred during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis known as Operation Metro Surge. Castro was initially accused of shooting Sosa-Celis in the leg through a closed door, but surveillance footage contradicted his account of the incident. The Justice Department initially charged Sosa-Celis with assault, but later dropped those charges after acknowledging that officers involved made untruthful statements. Castro is also facing state-level assault charges in Minnesota.
The shooting has sparked controversy, with Sosa-Celis's attorney criticizing the federal charges as insufficient, arguing that Castro lied to cover up the shooting without self-defense justification. Minnesota officials have sought to extradite Castro from Texas, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to sign the extradition request, citing Castro's return to Texas for work. A federal judge ruled against Minnesota's request to keep Castro in jail pending extradition, allowing him to be released.
Where the accounts differ
NPR and The Guardian both report that the Justice Department initially charged Sosa-Celis with assault, which was later dropped after acknowledging untruthful statements by officers. The Daily Wire and CBS News mention that the charges against Sosa-Celis were dismissed with prejudice in February, citing newly discovered evidence. The Washington Examiner and The Guardian note that the federal charges against Castro were blocked by Justice Department officials, while NPR and The Daily Wire state that the federal charges are separate from the state charges. The Guardian and BBC mention that the Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge in early December 2025, while NPR and CBS News refer to it as occurring earlier in the year.