Pentagon official charged with running a dogfighting ring
A Department of Defense communications official has been charged with running a dogfighting ring that operated for years and in which thousands of dollars were bet on violent matches, federal prosecutors in Maryland said. The official, Frederick Douglass Moorefield Jr., 62, of Arnold, Maryland, was a deputy chief information officer for command, control and communications, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore and Moorefield’s LinkedIn page, which said he had been with the department for 11 years. Moorefield and another defendant, Mario Damon Flythe, 49, of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, appeared in federal court in Baltimore on Thursday and were released pending trial.
A new way to prevent STIs: A pill after sex
In a bid to stem the resurgence of sexually transmitted infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to recommend doxycycline, a widely used antibiotic, for use after an unprotected sexual encounter. The antibiotic would be taken only by gay and bisexual men and transgender women who have had an STI within the previous year or who may be at risk for one. The scientific evidence is too limited to recommend the strategy, called doxy-PEP, to all people who might be exposed to infection-causing bacteria during sex. The agency released draft guidelines Monday and plans to finalize them after a 45-day public comment period.
Drugmakers agree to negotiate with Medicare on prices of 10 medications
The manufacturers of 10 expensive medications have agreed to negotiate with the federal government for lower prices for Medicare recipients, the Biden administration announced Tuesday. The pharmaceutical companies said they would begin talks with the government even as several of them were suing the administration over the new law. The drug pricing program was created last year by Congress when it passed the Inflation Reduction Act. Medicare had previously been barred from negotiating directly with drugmakers. The first negotiations will be over 10 drugs including blood thinners Eliquis and Xarelto and diabetes drugs Jardiance and Januvia, with lower prices scheduled to go into effect at the beginning of 2026.
Job openings rose in August, shaking markets
The number of job openings rose in August, the Labor Department reported Tuesday, after three consecutive months of falling numbers. There were 9.6 million job openings in the month, up from a revised total of 8.9 million in July, according to seasonally adjusted figures in the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The increase was larger than expected. Investors balked at the fresh numbers, fearful the Federal Reserve could again raise interest rates in response. The S&P 500 slumped 1.4%. The rate of people quitting their jobs, a measure of confidence in the labor market, was unchanged in August at 2.3%.
Russian troops’ tactic frustrating Ukraine’s counteroffensive
Across desolate fields and shattered villages, Ukraine’s counteroffensive is confronting Russian minefields, and soldiers dug into elaborate trench networks. But one daunting obstacle to Ukrainian troops is a tactic adopted by Russian forces: ceding ground and then striking back. Rather than holding a line of trenches at all costs, security experts say, Russian commanders have employed a military tactic known as “elastic defense.” To do this, Russian forces pull back to a second line of positions, encouraging Ukrainian troops to advance, and then strike back when the opposing forces are vulnerable — to prevent Ukrainian troops from actually securing a position and using it as a base for further advances.
U.S. and world leaders pledge support for Ukraine ‘for as long as it takes’
President Joe Biden has told his counterparts in allied countries that he remains confident that Congress will approve military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine “for as long as it takes” in spite of opposition among some Republicans that blocked funding over the weekend, a national security spokesperson said Tuesday. Biden affirmed U.S. support in a call Tuesday with the prime ministers of Canada, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, and the presidents of Poland and Romania. The chancellor of Germany and foreign minister of France also joined the call, along with leaders of the European Commission, European Council and NATO.
Trudeau rejects retaliation as India moves to expel Canadian diplomats
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada said Tuesday that his country was in talks with India over its latest demand that dozens of Canadian diplomats leave within a week. The demand represents a further escalation of tensions between the two countries, which were sparked by Trudeau’s assertion last month that India had played a role in the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist in British Columbia. The Financial Times reported that India has told 41 of Canada’s 62 diplomats based there to go. Neither Trudeau, who spoke briefly to reporters, nor Canada’s foreign minister would discuss specifics of India’s demand or confirm the number designated for expulsion.
New Delhi police raid homes and offices of journalists
Police in New Delhi on Tuesday raided the homes and offices of journalists who worked for a left-leaning online news portal known for criticisms of the Indian government. The founder and editor of the news site and one of its journalists were also arrested, according to The Indian Express, a local outlet. Some writers were detained while their property was searched or seized during the early-morning raids. Police, who fall under the direct command of India’s government, have not issued an official statement. The targeted journalists had produced reports for a website called NewsClick, best known for its sharp invective against India Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
They were given IUDs as children without their consent. Now, they want compensation.
Dozens of indigenous women and girls from Greenland have said they had intrauterine devices inserted without their consent in the 1960s and 1970s and have filed a complaint with the Danish government, demanding compensation. The women said they were among thousands affected by a Danish government campaign to control the growth of Greenland’s Indigenous population. Greenland is a semi-autonomous part of the kingdom of Denmark. The women, many of whom are now in their 60s or older, have called the procedure a violation of their human rights that left lasting physical and psychological damage. They’re asking for 300,000 Danish kroner each for their suffering, or about $42,135.
By wire sources