All posts tagged: Brace

Republicans brace for money problems in Texas after Ken Paxton’s win

Republicans brace for money problems in Texas after Ken Paxton’s win

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump may be celebrating that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won Tuesday’s Senate primary, but some Republicans now worry that they have a Texas-sized problem on their hands. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Paxton, with Trump’s endorsement, handily defeated four-term Sen. John Cornyn in the runoff. Democrats largely viewed Paxton as the weaker candidate because of his many controversies. But his fundraising struggles are also raising alarm bells among Republicans. “Economically, it’s a disaster. Texas is extremely expensive,” said a GOP consultant working on Senate races, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about party resources. So far, Paxton’s fundraising has paled in comparison with that of the Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, who has raised more than $40 million — though he spent most of it in a hotly contested primary. But Talarico is expected to raise millions more; he pulled in $600,000 in just two hours following Paxton’s win, according to Talarico’s campaign. The haul was first reported by Politico. …

China’s Nostradamus warns world to brace for major event | World | News

China’s Nostradamus warns world to brace for major event | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

Professor Xueqin Jiang, widely dubbed China’s Nostradamus, made an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, sparking a fierce exchange with economist Steven Keen. The episode, entitled “Heading For Global DEPRESSION!”, broadcast on Tuesday, May 5, saw Jiang issue a stark warning that the world is veering towards a “global depression.” Host Piers Morgan pressed him directly: “Professor Jiang, are we heading for a global recession, do you think?” He responded with an alarming prediction: “I think that we are heading toward a global depression.” He went on to say, “And this is a process that could take decades. We are in a new normal. We are in an undiscovered country. We are at a level of destruction, a level of pain and suffering that we are moving toward that is unimaginable. So buckle up!” Addressing the developing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, he stated: “China is not sitting this out.” Jiang continued, “We have the ceasefire in place because China did a lot of backdoor diplomacy in order to pressure the Iranians to attempt a …

Politics Home Article | “Keir Needs To Go”: Labour MPs Brace For Dramatic Week In Westminster

Politics Home Article | “Keir Needs To Go”: Labour MPs Brace For Dramatic Week In Westminster

Published by Sam Flores

Labour MPs are bracing themselves for a dramatic week in Westminster as calls grow for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign. (Alamy) 5 min read3 hr Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down following disastrous election results for Labour in Thursday’s local elections, but there are concerns among the party’s MPs around who would run in a leadership contest that is called too soon. By Sunday afternoon Labour had lost almost 1,500 council seats in Thursday’s local elections, suffering heavy losses across the UK with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and Zack Polanski’s Green Party making significant gains in traditionally Labour areas.  Labour lost control of the Senedd in Wales for the first time since it was established in 1999 – with Welsh Labour First Minister Eluned Morgan losing her seat, and the party also took heavy losses at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood.  Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the aftermath of the results said he would not “sugarcoat” what had happened – but said he was “not going to walk away” …

Brace for the Plastic Price Hikes

Brace for the Plastic Price Hikes

Published by Daniella Wilson

The Iran war’s effect on fuel prices is easy to see, not least in the climbing numbers on gas-station signs. Less visible is the disruption cascading through another part of the fossil fuel–based economy: plastic production. Before long, prices not just for the gasoline that goes into cars but for the parts that make them—along with the cost of toys, furniture, clothing, and more—could start climbing too. The plastics that proliferate through modern life are almost all made from oil and gas derivatives or by-products. Until the conflict began, many of the chemical ingredients that go into plastics, the ingredients for those ingredients, and raw plastics themselves originated in the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz closure has already created shortages of key ingredients, which could mount into shortfalls of some plastics and plastic products. Even if tensions ease and the strait reopens soon, untangling supply lines would take months, likely until the end of the year, experts say. So far, Asia, whose plastic makers depend heavily on oil and chemicals traveling through the strait, …

Could sci-fi save us all? How the Ministry of Defence is working with sci-fi storytellers to brace Britain for crisis

Could sci-fi save us all? How the Ministry of Defence is working with sci-fi storytellers to brace Britain for crisis

Published by Daniella Wilson

From AI making life and death decisions, to quantum technology that can predict the future, and wars fought by autonomous machines, a group of sci-fi authors have been dreaming up what could happen over the next century for a very important reason. Since the very dawn of science fiction, the genre has looked to the future, applying scientific principles to imagine futuristic scenarios, technological advances, social and environmental changes, and life on other planets. But it’s not just entertainment. Now, sci-fi is actually being used to brace Britain for a whole host of crises that could come our way in the next 100 years. That’s thanks to The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), an Executive Agency of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), which provides expertise and insight used for “maintaining UK warfighting readiness” in the face of increasing technological advancements. Dstl uses processes like horizon-scanning (which identifies early warning signals, emerging trends, and potential future threats or opportunities) to prepare the country for the future. In Futures Programme Manager Sarah Herbert’s words, “Dstl …

Republicans in Congress brace for a fight over the Iran war price tag : NPR

Republicans in Congress brace for a fight over the Iran war price tag : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

The U.S. Capitol is visible in the early morning hours on April 2, 2026. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Harnik/Getty Images As the price tag for the U.S.-Iran war grows by the day, the path to paying for the conflict is paved with political peril for Republicans in control of Washington. The effort will shift into high gear when Congress returns from recess next week. The GOP faces a high-stakes fight to fund the war, including challenges from within their own party as well as from Democrats. Complicating the path for Republicans is a host of unanswered questions about the war — from costs for the conflict so far to how much the administration wants in additional war funding. The White House has not yet offered detailed breakdowns of either figure, but one estimate by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has put the cost of the war so far at nearly $30 billion. And Republicans are on the clock, operating under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which terminates military operations …

Iranians brace for possible devastation as Trump’s deadline looms | US-Israel war on Iran News

Iranians brace for possible devastation as Trump’s deadline looms | US-Israel war on Iran News

Published by Sam Flores

Tehran, Iran – United States President Donald Trump says daily life could be different for more than 90 million Iranians on Wednesday, after his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz expires. Trump says that Iran’s electricity, bridges, and other critical infrastructure will be bombed if it does not open the vital waterway, despite the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure being a violation of international law. In the last hours before the 8pm US Eastern Time (23:00 GMT) deadline approaches, Iranians are left to worry about the consequences of attacks that Trump has threatened would be the death of “a whole civilisation“. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “We all know he’s crazy enough to do it. He doesn’t care as long as he believes it serves his interest,” a resident of Tehran said about Trump. The US president has been making apocalyptic threats as the war on Iran, which began with joint US and Israeli strikes at the end of February, expands. “I’ve been smoking more and haven’t been sleeping …

Brace yourself – wedge sneakers are back on the scene

Brace yourself – wedge sneakers are back on the scene

Published by Daniella Wilson

Fashion is inherently nostalgic. We often look back in order to look forward – it’s how trends are born. So far, 2026 has witnessed the return of the peacoat, Topshop’s epic comeback and the tutu skirt renaissance. There are even whispers of the skinny jean revival. Cue the Neyo hits and glimmering blue eyeshadow. The latest item to unearth itself from the sartorial archives? The wedge sneaker – one of the most divisive styles to emerge from the industry’s shoewear department. Let me take you back to 2012. French house Isabel Marant debuts the iconic Bekett Sneaker, defined by a suede exterior, an incorporated wedged heel, a high top silhouette and velcro-strap detailing. Within months, the kicks have been worn by stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Kendall Jenner, Lindsay Lohan and, perhaps most famously, Beyoncé – who sported a pair for her Love On Top music video. Zendaya even took to Instagram sporting an off-white pair, visible beneath a grainy, old-school Valencia Instagram filter.  © GettyLindsay Lohan wearing wedge sneakers in 2012 Considering Gen Z’s …