Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

Claim: Actor Gary Sinise has taken more than 1,000 children of fallen service members to Disney theme parks free of charge. Rating: Context The program is called the “Snowball Express” and operates through the actor’s nonprofit organization, the Gary Sinise Foundation. While some versions of the claim name the specific theme park as Disneyland in Anaheim, California, the Snowball Express actually takes its participants to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, annually. Further, although minimal, participating families are responsible for some costs of travel such as airport transportation and luggage fees. Gary Sinise, the acclaimed actor most known for…

For centuries, the wooden real ale pump has been the hallmark of a good British boozer. But now problems are brewing for the proper pint, as the Campaign for Real Ale has seen its membership sink to an eight-year low and its accounts show it is firmly in the red, making an £800,000 loss last year.Real ale is a traditional draught cask beer, a “living” product that is produced and stored in its cask. It differs from a cold, fizzy lager, in which the yeast is killed and carbon dioxide is added. Real ale contains live yeast so it continues…

Speaking in front of St. Sofia Cathedral in Kyiv to mark the 35th anniversary of the nation’s independence, Burnham said: “This is the moment to keep up the pressure on Russia, the moment to squeeze their ability to fund this illegal war.” He vowed that “despite Russia’s outrageous threats to my country we will continue our support for Ukraine.”   Turning up the temperature Germany’s Merz is facing fresh criticism of his stance from within his own parliamentary group, from his coalition partner, and from the opposition. “It’s a clear sign that both countries are no longer waiting for Germany…

Rupert Lowe, the leader of Restore Britain, is on course to earn as much from the social media platform X as he does from his salary as an MP, after surging income from posts that include demands for mass deportations.Lowe has earned £932 an hour for his posts on X, formerly Twitter, since the start of the year, according to his own declarations in the register of MPs’ financial interests, which detail how many hours he has spent on X for each payment he received from the platform.The figure is more than twice the £377 an hour on average he…

In around a month or two, marathon season will be in full swing. Runners will lace up their tennis shoes and brace for 26 miles of excitement, pain, and eventual success. If you are one of the one million runners who take to a marathon trail each year, you’re probably already in the midst of training for your first or next race. Maybe you’ve got a smartwatch that isn’t cutting it for all that pavement you’re pounding, or maybe you’re finally ready to buy your first watch and track your pace with greater accuracy. Also: The best Garmin watches of 2026:…

Ravie LakshmananAug 24, 2026Cybersecurity / Hacking A package gets installed. A login prompt opens. A box sits exposed to the internet. Nothing looks unusual yet. That’s roughly the mood this week. Trusted tools turn hostile, old weak spots get fresh attention, AI makes exploit work cheaper, and researchers keep finding attacks that sound harder than they actually are. Plenty to clean up. Here’s the short version. ⚡ Threat of the Week U.S. Warns of AI-Powered Attacks on Siemens PLCs — Threat actors are using AI to write exploit scripts targeting internet-exposed Siemens S7 Series programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used across…

The Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI) and Blockchain Association (BA) filed a lawsuit against Illinois officials regarding the state’s 0.2% tax on cryptocurrency, expected to be enforced starting in January 2027. In a lawsuit filed Friday in the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit for Sangamon County, lawyers for the two crypto advocacy groups challenged Illinois’ digital asset tax on the grounds it violated the US Constitution, the state’s constitution, federal and state due process laws and the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the measure into law as a “privilege tax” in June as part…

Medications can influence the community of microbes living in the human gut long after a person stops taking them, according to a large study led by researchers at the University of Tartu Institute of Genomics. The findings suggest that a person’s prescription history may help explain differences in the gut microbiome years later. The gut microbiome includes the vast community of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the digestive tract and can influence digestion, metabolism, immune function, and other aspects of health. Drug Effects May Persist for Years Researchers analyzed stool samples and prescription records from more than 2,500…

A monumental figure in Pennsylvania’s environmental movement passed away last week. Former state legislator Franklin Kury, who was 89, led Pennsylvania to become one of the first governments in the world to adopt a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a healthy environment as a basic right. “He is a true icon, and a historic leader,” said Delaware Riverkeeper Maya van Rossum. “When people start writing the history of the environmental movement, they will not just be looking to people like Rachel Carson; they will be talking about Senator Franklin Kury.” Kury authored Article 1, Section 27—better known as the environmental rights amendment—…

Australia’s energy giant Woodside is moving its liquefied natural gas (LNG) development project in Louisiana closer to the targeted first cargo in 2029 with a new construction milestone at the project site in the Pelican State, United States (U.S.). Louisiana LNG project; Source: Woodside The Louisiana LNG project on the U.S. Gulf Coast was 28% complete at the end of the second quarter of 2026, as buildout activities gather pace toward first LNG cargo in 2029. Located in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, between Houston and New Orleans, the project constitutes a $17.5 billion investment. Since announcing a final investment decision (FID)…