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Democrats are gearing up to challenge Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) again after nearly unseating her in one of the biggest surprises of last year’s midterms.

In a sign of her perceived vulnerability, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) this week highlighted Boebert’s district as one of 31 targets next year, even after former President Trump handily won it in the past two presidential elections.

For Democrats, Boebert’s high-profile media antics and close ties to Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement make her a prime foil.

“One of our most effective comments that we talked about in the district was she’s not focused on the job, she’s focused on herself,” said Adam Frisch, the Democrat who nearly defeated Boebert last year and who is running again to unseat her in 2024. “I can’t believe she had almost the most embarrassing loss in 20 years and she hasn’t changed one iota. She’s actually doubled down on crazy.”

That sentiment is one that Frisch, a businessman and former city council member in Pitkin County, will continue to hammer home in the run-up to the general election next year. 

Boebert’s firebrand style has resulted in a long list of controversies in her short congressional career, including a Democratic push to have her removed from House committees after her Islamophobic attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and her staunch support of Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

She emerged from her first election victory, defeating 10-year Republican incumbent Rep. Scott Tipton in the primary, as a star of the right wing of the GOP, tying herself closely to then-President Trump. Former Chair of the Colorado Republican Party Dick Wadhams remembered Boebert’s rabble-rousing speaking appearances ahead of the election, focusing on issues like gun rights and cultural issues.

“She took that very combative style to her everyday work in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Wadhams said. “I think it started the people in the third congressional district thinking that she wasn’t paying enough attention to the district as she was paying more attention to national politics.”

But the behaviors that Wadhams said may have pushed away some voters in the district also made her a national conservative media star and turned her into one of the GOP’s powerhouse fundraisers in Congress. She raked in nearly $8 million for the 2022 cycle.

“She’s always been a fundraising machine so she’s certainly going to have enough money,” Wadhams said. 

But with national Democrats identifying the race as one of their priorities in 2024, Frisch, who in part self-financed his campaign with more than $2.2 million in loans in 2022, might be able to stock a campaign chest comparable with Boebert’s. Through the first quarter of 2023, Frisch raised more than $1.7 million in just over a month after announcing his campaign. Boebert has yet to release her fundraising numbers for the first quarter.

Frisch has pitched himself as an unabashedly moderate Democrat, focusing on agricultural and energy production issues. As the debate over an approaching debt ceiling rages in Washington, many Democrats have taken the stance that cuts to entitlement programs — like Social Security and Medicare — should be off the table as Republicans angle for spending slashes. Frisch ventured into territory that only a select number of Democrats have, arguing that while Congress should raise the debt ceiling, it does need to take a look at the long-term viability of entitlement programs.

“There are three or four big programs that control the vast majority of the budget, and then there’s everything else,” Frisch said. “So I think it’s hard to say we’re going to keep 85 percent of the budget off the table … even if you get rid of 600 percent of the 15 percent that’s left over, you might have a math problem.”

But Frisch will have to walk a tightrope in the run-up to 2024 in a district that Trump won by 12 points in 2016 and 6 points in 2020. Republicans have already tried to tie Frisch to what they say are the reckless crime policies of the Democratic Party.

“Extreme House Democrats lost the majority because they hammered families with crime, chaos and skyrocketing costs,” said Jack Pandol, communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “Why would voters change their minds after Democrats spent their time in the minority coddling violent criminals and opposing relief?”

Wadhams said Frisch would be forced to take even more policy positions in front of voters this time around, without the element of surprise that allowed him to travel the district “presenting himself as a legitimate alternative to Boebert.”

“He will be forced to expose where he really is on these issues,” Wadhams said. “He will be pressured by his left wing in the Democratic party. They do not want anybody to put any distance between their agenda and getting elected to Congress.”

As her detractors rail against her headline-making antics, Boebert pointed to legislative victories like an energy bill that passed the House last week that would boost domestic energy production, which Republicans say would help drop fuel costs. 

“I’m working every day to be a strong legislator and to deliver results,” Boebert said in a statement. “I think I’ve been surprising my detractors by introducing and passing a growing list of bipartisan legislation and amendments. The success I’m achieving legislatively is proving my efforts to change the rules are helping make Congress more effective and our country stronger.”

But looming over Boebert’s presumed reelection campaign in 2024 is Trump, who is once again vying for the GOP’s nomination. Boebert has been a close ally of Trump, backing his unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. On top of that, the former president has now been criminally charged in a New York case involving hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

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“Donald Trump, he’s just completely toxic in this state,” Flaherty said. “When he’s anywhere near the discussion, he’s just a walking turnout machine for Democrat and younger voters.” 

With the pressure of increasing eyes on the race from the national parties and the added dynamic of what is setting up to be a polarizing presidential election, Frisch said he would rely again on his moderate bonafides to try to turn Boebert’s district blue.

“I know that the Democratic Party is not looking for a straight, middle-aged, white, moderate Democrat from a mountain town,” Frisch said. “But I truly say what I believe. And authenticity and sincerity works … I was by far and away the most moderate, conservative Democrat (in the last primary), and I wasn’t hiding it.”

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Hungary bans Irish rap group Kneecap from entering country over ‘antisemitic hate speech’

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Hungary bans Irish rap group Kneecap from entering country over 'antisemitic hate speech'

Hungarian authorities have banned the Irish rap group Kneecap from entering the country, accusing them of engaging in “antisemitic hate speech” and “supporting terrorism”. 

Kneecap were set to perform at the Sziget Festival, taking place from 6 to 11 August in Budapest.

The Belfast-based band, which often shares pro-Palestinian messages during its shows, has attracted controversy in recent months after accusing the Israeli government of committing “genocide” in Gaza.

Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said on Thursday that the band’s members “repeatedly engage in antisemitic hate speech supporting terrorism and terrorist groups”.

“Hungary has zero tolerance for antisemitism in any form,” Kovacs said on X, adding that the band’s planned performance “posed a national security threat,” and the band has therefore been formally banned from entering Hungary for three years.

“If they enter, expulsion will follow under international norms,” Kovacs added.

Kneecap performing on the West Holts Stage during the Glastonbury Festival. Pic: Reuters
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Kneecap performing during the Glastonbury Festival in June. Pic: Reuters

Responding to the spokesman’s comments, Kneecap said “there is no legal basis” for Hungary’s decision and that “no member of Kneecap has ever been convicted of any crime in any country”.

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“It is clear that this is a political distraction and a further attempt to silence those who call out genocide against the Palestinian people,” the band said in a statement on X.

During Kneecap’s gig at Britain’s Glastonbury Festival in June, frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, performing under the stage name Mo Chara, accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza.

Ahead of the gig, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he doesn’t think Kneecap’s planned performance was “appropriate”.

Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury. Pic: Reuters
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Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury. Pic: Reuters

Following Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury, a criminal investigation was launched into comments made on stage by the trio. However, police ultimately decided not to pursue further action, citing “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.

Kneecap called the investigation “political policing intimidation”.

Mo Chara has been formally charged with a terrorism offence after allegedly displaying a flag in support of the militant group Hezbollah during a gig in November. He denies the offence.

Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UK and the US.

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Business

Lloyds Bank’s Charlie Nunn expects two more interest rate cuts in 2025

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Lloyds Bank's Charlie Nunn expects two more interest rate cuts in 2025

The head of the UK’s biggest mortgage lender has said he expects two more interest rate cuts this year, making borrowing cheaper.

Chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group Charlie Nunn told Sky News he expected the Bank of England to make the cuts two more times before 2026, likely bringing the base interest rate to 3.75%.

Two cuts are currently anticipated by investors, the first of which is due to be a 0.25 percentage point reduction next month.

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The banking group owns Halifax and Bank of Scotland, making it the biggest provider of mortgages.

Mr Nunn also forecast house price growth of between 2 and 3%.

“We helped 34,000 first-time buyers in the first half [of the year] alone, 64,000 last year. And of course, it was driven by the stamp duty changes in Q1 [the first three months of the year]. So Q2 [the second three months] was a bit slower, but we continue to see real strength in customers wanting to buy homes and take mortgages. So we think that will continue,” he said.

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Expect two more rate cuts this year, says Lloyds boss

It comes as the bank reported higher profits than City of London analysts had expected.

Half-yearly profit at the lender reached £3.5bn as people borrowed and deposited more.

The bank has benefited from high interest rates, set at 4.25% by the Bank of England to control inflation, which have made borrowing more expensive for households and businesses.

Over the last six months, the difference between what Lloyds earns on loans and what it pays out rose.

Mr Nunn told Sky News the profits were due to increased market share in mortgages and small business lending, as well as productivity improvements.

Despite this, Mr Nunn warned the chancellor against raising taxes on financial services, saying it was one of the highest taxed in the world.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announce tax rises in the autumn as her vow to bring down debt has come under pressure due to the rising cost of borrowing and government spending U-turns.

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Inside Gaza’s Nasser Hospital – where there’s virtually no food for malnourished children

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Inside Gaza's Nasser Hospital - where there's virtually no food for malnourished children

In Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, they have virtually nothing left to eat.

Warning: This article contains images that some readers may find distressing.

Huda has lost half her body weight since March, when Israel shut the crossings into Gaza, and imposed a blockade.

The 12-year-old girl knows she doesn’t look well.

“Before, I used to look like this,” Huda says, pointing to a picture on her tablet.

“The war changed me. Malnutrition has turned my hair yellow because I lack protein. You see here, this is how I was before the war.”

Her mother says her needs are simple: fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, maybe a little meat – but she won’t find it here.

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Huda can only wish for a brighter future now.

“Can you help me travel abroad for treatment? I want to be like you. I’m a child. I want to play and be like you,” she says.

Huda on her hospital bed
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Huda wishes for a brighter future

A children's ward in Nasser Hospital

Amir’s story

Three-year-old Amir was sitting in a tent together with his mother, father and his grandparents when it was hit by projectiles.

Medical staff carried out surgery on his intestines and were able to stop the bleeding – but they can’t feed him properly.

Instead, he’s given dextrose, a mixture of sugar and water which has no nutritional value.

Amir in hospital in Gaza
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Amir’s mother and siblings were killed in an attack that also left his father ‘in a terrible state’

Medical staff reassembled Amir's intestines
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Medical staff performed surgery on three-year-old Amir – but can’t feed him properly


Amir’s mother and his siblings were all killed in the attack and his father is no longer able to speak.

“His father is in a terrible state and won’t accept the reality. What did these children do? Tell me, what was their crime?” Amir’s aunt says.

The desperate scenes of hungry children in Gaza have not been caused by scarcity.

There’s plenty of food waiting at the crossings or held in warehouses within the territory. Israel claims the United Nations is failing to distribute it.

Pictures of Amir before
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Amir’s relative holds pictures of the toddler and his family before the war

Both Israel and the US have taken charge of the food distribution, with the UN’s hundreds of aid centres shut.

Instead, the UN tries to organise convoys but says it can’t obtain the necessary permits – and faces draconian restrictions on aid.

Sometimes food is made available at communal kitchens called ‘tikiya’.

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Malnourished girl: ‘The war changed me’

‘I want life to be how it was’

Everyone is desperate for whatever they can get – and many leave with nothing.

“It’s been two months since we’ve eaten bread,” one young girl says. “There’s no food, there’s no nutrition. I want life to go back to how it was, I want meat and flour to come in. I want the end of the tikiya.”

Read more:
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Starvation ‘knocking on every door’ in Gaza

People wait at a soup kitchen

Dr Adil Husain, an American doctor who spent two weeks at Nasser Hospital, treated a three-year-old called Hasan while he was there.

Weighing just 6kg, Hasan should be 15kg at his age.

“He needs special feeds, and these feeds are literally miles away. They’re literally right there at the border, but it’s being blockaded by the forces, they’re not letting them in, so it’s intentional and deliberate starvation,” Dr Husain tells me.

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Hasan died two days after Dr Husain examined him.

“It’s just so distressing that this is something man-made, this is a man-made starvation, this is a man-made crisis,” he says.

Israel says it has not identified starvation, but this feels like a situation that is entirely preventable.

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