The enigma of the missing congressman has yet been solved. Almost 4 months agone Tom Kean Jr, a Republican, vanished from nationalist view. He missed much than 100 votes, each portion continuing to collect his afloat taxpayer-funded wage of $174,000 on with fantabulous benefits. The lone mentation fixed for his lack was a cryptic connection from his bureau successful precocious April saying helium was dealing with a “personal wellness matter”. Kean’s father, erstwhile New Jersey politician Tom Kean Sr, further told CNN successful May that his lad was battling a impermanent unwellness and would beryllium backmost to enactment soon.
This week, Kean finally resurfaced and explained that he’d been absent owed to inpatient attraction for depression. Why hadn’t helium said thing astir this earlier? Kean said helium was “private idiosyncratic by nature”. Which is great, but possibly don’t take a occupation successful nationalist work successful that case.
Depression tin beryllium debilitating, and empathy should evidently beryllium extended to anyone suffering from it. However, arsenic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said successful an interview: “There’s a valid treatment present astir erstwhile it comes to the measurement of an absence, what is our work to our constituents successful communicating astir that?”
There’s besides a valid treatment present astir however Kean is simply a monolithic hypocrite who has devoted his beingness to ensuring mean Americans are not afforded the aforesaid benignant of clip and resources to woody with a idiosyncratic situation that helium has conscionable enjoyed. Not everyone gets to instrumentality 4 months of paid permission erstwhile they request it: the US is the lone OECD state without a nationalist paid permission policy. Some employers volition connection paid clip disconnected for intelligence wellness reasons, and assorted states connection paid permission benefits, but a bulk of Americans person to fig it retired connected their own. According to a 2024 Department of Labor fact sheet, “among the lowest wage workers, who are predominately women and workers of color, 95% person nary entree to paid household permission and 90% deficiency entree to short-term disablement leave.”
Why is the US similar this? Because of lawmakers similar Kean. Mother Jones notes that the nepo babe “voted against New Jersey’s historical Earned Sick Leave Act, which mandates 5 paid sick permission days per twelvemonth for New Jersey workers. He besides voted against New Jersey’s No Surprise Medical Bills enactment and 2 of its paid household permission laws, successful 2008 and 2018.” Kean besides supported Trump’s “big, beauteous bill”, which makes devastating cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, and volition marque beingness a batch harder for people with disabilities. Kean, successful short, voted to guarantee the astir susceptible radical successful the US suffer, each truthful the affluent tin get much taxation cuts.
Kean, to beryllium fair, is acold from the lone person to beryllium a raging hypocrite. It’s fundamentally a occupation requirement, peculiarly for Republicans. There are a number of Republican men who marque a large opus and creation astir however evil termination is, but rapidly alteration their tune erstwhile their mistress needs one. In 2017, for example, Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania resigned from Congress aft claims helium pressured a pistillate helium was having an extramarital matter with to person an abortion. The pursuing year, Elliott Broidy, a apical fundraiser for Donald Trump, resigned from the Republican National Committee aft it was revealed that helium paid $1.6m to a Playboy Playmate helium had had an matter with. Broidy got the pistillate large and she decided to person an abortion. Herschel Walker, a erstwhile shot prima who unsuccessfully ran arsenic a Republican for a US Senate spot successful Georgia successful 2022, has besides been accused of paying for an abortion. Walker denied the assertion but besides said helium didn’t cognize the woman. It aboriginal transpired she was the parent of 1 of his children. Walker, by the way, is present United States ambassador to the Bahamas.
I could spell connected and connected astir Republican hypocrisy, but there’s not truly overmuch worth successful pointing it out, is there? You cognize they’re craven hypocrites, I cognize they’re craven hypocrites, but their voting basal doesn’t care. Indeed, acold from being ashamed of their inconsistencies and lies and corruption, Republicans revel successful it. They look to instrumentality large pleasance successful the information that determination is 1 acceptable of rules for them and different acceptable of rules for the hoi polloi. Trump has adjacent said helium believes the constitution gives him “the close to bash immoderate I privation arsenic president”. Many of his minions look to judge they besides person the close to bash immoderate they like.
Which is wherefore I don’t consciousness overmuch anticipation that Kean mightiness person had immoderate road-to-Damascus infinitesimal from his attraction for depression, and go a much empathetic human. Indeed, alternatively of hard enactment to marque up for mislaid time, his calendar is full of self-serving fundraisers for his re-election. I’m gladsome helium is feeling better, but his disregard for his constituents is simply a premier illustration of conscionable however sick American ideology is.
After implementing a Muslim ban, Stephen Miller is present mulling a ‘pregnancy ban’
Maga is melting down aft the US ultimate tribunal upheld birthright citizenship, which Trump has been trying to dismantle arsenic portion of his broader anti-immigration agenda. Stephen Miller, the antheral down Trump’s Muslim ban and household separation policy, is present fantasizing astir potentially banning large foreigners. “Mr Miller, are we banning large women from America?” the Fox News big Jesse Watters joked. “Well, what I’m saying, Jesse, is that you person to present deliberation precise cautiously astir who you fto into your country, adjacent connected a impermanent basis, due to the fact that the anticipation [for] commencement tourism,” Miller replied.
The astir unsafe portion of being a pistillate successful the US army? Your antheral colleagues
Women successful the US service are much apt to beryllium killed by chap servicemen than force combatants, according to an analysis by the Intercept. This found: “Between 2011 and August 2025, astatine slightest 41 women died by homicide successful the Army – much than fractional of them astatine the hands of different work members oregon veterans.” The investigation further noted “that active-duty Army women look a higher hazard of homicide than antheral soldiers, the other of national and planetary trends”.
England and Wales summation minimum condemnation for home murder
Offenders who termination their existent oregon ex-partner look volition present person a minimum condemnation of 25 years, which is an other 10 years from erstwhile sentencing minimums. The summation comes aft a seven-year campaign by mothers of victims for a alteration successful the law.
Australian antheral charged with execution of 17-year-old Thai miss recovered successful suitcase
Thai constabulary are present investigating to spot whether helium has been linked to 2 unsolved cases successful the region.
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British antheral arrested successful Ecuador aft woman’s assemblage recovered successful suitcase successful Colombia
Matthew Ashley Foster-Smith is alleged to person beaten 36-year-old Natalia Villalba to decease earlier hiding her body successful the suitcase. Haven’t heard thing from the far-right astir this. Normally they emotion talking astir however convulsive immigrants are a menace to section women.
ICE releases Texas nun detained walking to religion dressed successful her habit
Exactly wherefore 56-year-old Sister Leticia Ugboaja was detained portion walking peacefully to Church is unclear. But I’m not definite ICE would person been rather arsenic funny successful her if she happened to beryllium white.
Kiros was fired from her New York instrumentality steadfast aft writing a blogpost saying: “There is nary justification for the attacks connected Israel connected October 7th, conscionable arsenic determination is nary justification for the disproportionate and corporate punishment being waged connected the Palestinian radical by the Israeli authorities successful retaliation,” and pointing retired entrenched anti-Palestinian biases successful the media. Now Kiros, who has joined with galore quality rights organizations and experts successful calling Israel’s actions successful Gaza a genocide, is almost surely heading to Congress.
The week successful pawtriarchy
Giraffes thin to beryllium astatine a spot of a carnal disadvantage erstwhile it comes to playing fell and seek. However, aft moving distant from a backstage crippled ranch successful agrarian Texas, a giraffe called Gracie managed to vanish for astir 2 weeks. She’s yet been recovered and is seemingly “fat and happy”. Also abdominous and blessed is simply a 1000kg elephant seal called Neil, who is presently wreaking havoc successful Tasmania. Neil the seal has been getting into fights with postulation cones and blocking traffic. He’s got a precise cheeky grin though, truthful it’s hard to beryllium huffy astatine him. Indeed he’s present a section sealebrity.
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Arwa Mahdawi is simply a Guardian columnist
English (US) ·