A history of American political scandals that have shaped American politics as it is today. Resourced and researched through American freedom of information act and with Political History Majors and Professors from Columbia university.
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Mark Carney meets Forever Canadian campaign supporters in Banff
Get you up to speed: Mark Carney meets with ‘Forever Canadian’ campaigners in Banff
The prime minister attended an event supported by about 50 participants of the Forever Canadian campaign. The gathering took place in Canada, where attendees displayed red and white signs and some wore maple leaf symbols.
The Forever Canadian campaign is actively promoting national pride through local events, with the prime minister engaging directly with supporters. No further details have been provided regarding upcoming campaign activities or the scope of the initiative beyond this event.
The prime minister received support from approximately 50 backers of the Forever Canadian campaign, who displayed red and white signs during the event. Officials have indicated that further outreach efforts will be initiated to engage a wider audience in upcoming discussions.
What remains unclear — It is unknown how many people were in attendance beyond the 50 supporters of the Forever Canadian campaign.
Mark Carney meets Forever Canadian campaign supporters in Banff
The prime minister was cheered by about 50 supporters of the Forever Canadian campaign, almost all holding red and white signs and some wearing the maple leaf.
Gen. Dan Caine recalls 9/11 response and asserts nation was at war
Get you up to speed: Gen. Dan Caine reflects on responding to 9/11 attacks: “No doubt” nation was at war
General Dan Caine, the chief of Weapons and Tactics for the 121st Fighter Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, was ordered to scramble aircraft to defend Washington, D.C., following the attacks on September 11, 2001. Caine’s squadron prepared to intercept United Flight 93 after receiving orders amidst the unfolding crisis, but the passengers of the flight ultimately brought the aircraft down in Pennsylvania, preventing further attacks on the capital.
The 121st Fighter Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base prepared to engage after a call from the White House directed them to scramble to defend Washington, D.C. Despite launching aircraft, some were not armed with missiles, resulting in contingency plans such as plans to ram a hijacked plane if necessary.
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, affirmed that “there was no doubt” the nation was under attack and detailed immediate military preparations following the September 11 events. He expressed continued reflection on the significance of that day, stating, “I don’t think I understood what it means to serve this country until September 11.”
What remains unclear — It is not specified how many aircraft were scrambled without munitions or the specific details of their intended missions.
Gen. Dan Caine recalls 9/11 response and asserts nation was at war
As thousands of first responders and emergency workers rushed to Ground Zero on 9/11, America’s military also rapidly leapt into action.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine was the chief of Weapons and Tactics for the 121st Fighter Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland that day. He told WTX US News’ Norah O’Donnell that he had just entered a scheduling meeting when a young staffer burst in to say that a plane had struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He and his colleagues then watched on live television as the second plane hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.
“I still remember to this day, Norah, what I felt and what I thought as we all watched that news helicopter camera filming the burning tower. What I felt and thought when the second airplane entered that shot and hit the second tower,” Caine said. “I knew right away that our nation was under attack, and we began to move right into action immediately.”
There was “no doubt” that the country was at war, Caine said, and his squadron began preparations.
Caine gave orders for the base’s weapons, including air-to-air missiles, to start moving, he said. With smoke from the Pentagon visible on the horizon, Caine received a call from the White House ordering the squadron “to get airborne to scramble to defend” Washington, D.C. The rules of engagement were “very liberal,” Caine said.
Orders were given to try to intercept United Flight 93, which hijackers planned to fly into a federal building in Washington, D.C., shortly before it crashed in a Pennsylvania field.
“They put the responsibility on us, and they came to our wing commander, Brig. Gen. Dave Wherley,” Caine said. “He said something that I’ll never, ever forget. He said, ‘Look, Dan, I don’t know what you’re going to have to do out there, but I know you’re going to do the right thing. I trust you.'”
Some planes were put in the air so quickly that there wasn’t time to arm them with missiles. Two of those planes were piloted by squadron operations officer Lt. Col. Mark Sasseville and wingman Heather Penney. In 2021, Sasseville and Penney told WTX US News they had planned to ram their aircraft into the plane. It would have been a fatal maneuver.
“In the military, we don’t send our service members on suicide missions,” Penney said. “But it was clear what needed to be done that morning.”
Caine’s jet, however, was loaded with live missiles, and he took off knowing that he might have to take down a commercial airliner. All planes had been ordered to stop flying in the airspace over Washington, D.C., with a warning given that any disobedient craft would be shot down immediately.
WTX US News 
“I remember thinking, ‘Wait a minute, that’s me that’s going to do the shooting here,'” Caine said. “And I think the biggest thing that ran through my mind is the, sort of, the fighter jet pilot prayer: ‘Dear God, please don’t let me screw this up.’ I just want to get out there and be able to do my job, to think through chaos, to remain calm through uncertainty, and if possible, protect, protect the country.”
But because the passengers aboard United Flight 93 stormed the cockpit and crashed the plane in an empty field far from any intended target, Caine didn’t have to fire, and Washington, D.C., was not directly hit. Caine praised the courage of those passengers.
“We take an oath in the military to protect and defend the United States of America. They got on an airliner, and yet they were the first ones that fought back in those dark, dark moments on September 11,” Caine said.
Caine also commended the emergency workers who responded to the crash sites.
“That is what makes our country great: to set aside that uncertainty and that fear and move towards the problem for somebody else,” Caine said.
Even 25 years later, Caine said he still remains affected by the events of the day.
“I don’t think I understood what it means to serve this country until September 11,” Caine said. “You know, I was probably a young fighter pilot who thought it was cool to fly jets, but then it got very real on September 11 and the days that followed, and the examples that the American people got on that day of courage, tenacity, grit, patriotism, remain a gift in many ways for me 25 years later.”
Fibreglass shark sculpture at Brighton crazy golf course sparks planning dispute
Get you up to speed: Giant fake shark on crazy golf course branded ‘offensive’ in unexpected row | News UK
A 9.5m-tall fake shark installed at Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf in Brighton has sparked objections over its depiction of the species as “criminals.” Brighton & Hove City Council will consider the retrospective planning application submitted by the leisure facility earlier this month.
Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf applied for retrospective planning permission for the shark installation earlier this month, following a council inquiry. Brighton & Hove City Council will decide on the application at a later date, during which objections, including claims that the shark unfairly depicts the species as “criminals,” have been submitted.
Brighton & Hove City Council is set to review the retrospective planning permission application for the 9.5m-tall fake shark at Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf, following objections that claim the sculpture depicts sharks as “criminals” and is “very offensive.” A heritage assessment supporting the installation argues it complements the recreational character of the seafront and poses no substantial environmental impact, but the council’s decision is pending.
What remains unclear — Brighton & Hove City Council has not specified when it will decide on the retrospective planning application.
Fibreglass shark sculpture at Brighton crazy golf course sparks planning dispute
A 9.5m-tall fake shark on a crazy golf course has triggered a rather unexpected row.
The feature, made of fibreglass, was installed at Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf last August and hangs from a gallows-like structure over one of the pirate-themed holes.
While the company applied for retrospective planning permission last month after the council got in touch, matters have now escalated, with objections arguing that the faux shark unfairly depicts the species as ‘criminals’.
The installation on the Brighton seafront course has been branded ‘ugly’, with a comment submitted on August 29 raging that ‘it is very offensive to have a marine animal being depicted as a criminal having been slaughtered for no reason’.
‘Sharks are a vital form of marine life and should be protected if we are to regain healthy seas which can help mend our planet,’ it adds.
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‘There is the most amazing story of our sea rewilding and returning huge amounts of different species, and it therefore feels completely inappropriate to have a symbol of slaughter and destruction in a children’s play area such as mini golf.’
The commenter claimed that ‘we need to educate our kids to protect and fight to preserve our wildernesses and seas’, not to ‘hunt and destroy such a vital species in our ecosystem’.
A heritage assessment, which is viewable online, notes that the shark is ‘clearly visible’ from the beach, Madeira Drive and Madeira Terrace.
But since the seafront is popular with visitors and has historically been used for recreational activities, such as golf, the decoration fits well with the area.
It reads: ‘The works are therefore considered to represent contemporary additions associated with the established recreational use of this part of Brighton’s lower seafront without detracting from the significance of the East Cliff Conservation Area or the setting and significance of nearby designated heritage assets.’
Plans also passed biodiversity checks, which determined that, because the shark structure has been added within an existing site, it poses no substantial impact on the environment.
Brighton & Hove City Council will decide on the application at a later date.
Ryanair CEO disputes passenger’s claim of being sucked out of aircraft window
Get you up to speed: Ryanair CEO calls claim passenger was saved by wife from being sucked out of window ‘delusional’ | News World
A Ryanair passenger, Ljubisa Karović, reported that he was partially sucked out of a window when it shattered due to an engine fan blade failure on Flight 1879, which originated in Thessaloniki and was bound for Memmingen, Germany. Ryanair disputes this account, with CEO Michael O’Leary asserting that Mr Karović did not exit the aircraft despite experiencing serious injuries and that the airline will contest his claims in court.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting an ongoing investigation into the incident involving Flight 1879, with inquiries expected to focus on the engine fan blade failure and potential bird strike. Greek investigators are also involved in the case, as the flight originated in Thessaloniki and was operated by Malta Air.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary stated the airline will vigorously contest Ljubisa Karović’s claims following the incident, describing his wife’s account of saving him as “delusional” and maintaining Mr Karović was not partially ejected from the aircraft. The ongoing investigations by the NTSB and Greek authorities will focus on the engine fan blades’ fracture and whether a bird strike contributed to the incident.
What remains unclear — The ongoing investigations by the NTSB and Greek authorities have not yet determined the exact cause of the engine fan blade failure.
Ryanair CEO disputes passenger’s claim of being sucked out of aircraft window
Ryanair has said it will fight claims that Ljubisa Karović was sucked out of an aircraft window after it was smashed by an engine fan blade (Picture: NTSB)
Ryanair has vowed to fight a passenger who claimed to have been sucked out of an aircraft window after it was smashed by an engine fan blade.
The Irish low cost airline continues to dispute Ljubisa Karović’s account that part of his face was pulled out of the window after the plane experienced a rapid depressurisation.
CEO Michael O’Leary said reports that Mr Karović was saved by his wife holding on to him were ‘delusional’ and insisted that no part of the passenger’s body was pulled out of the Boeing 737.
Asked about the case, he said: ‘He was certainly sucked towards the window, but he didn’t get out the window. He wasn’t partially out the window.’
He admitted that Mr Karović had been sucked towards the window ‘in very dramatic circumstances’ and had suffered injuries but maintained that his seat belt would have prevented him from leaving the aircraft.
He continued: ‘His wife who claims she saved him by hanging onto his feet is certainly somewhat delusional given that she was sitting in a seat three rows behind him.’
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Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said Mr Karović would not be getting ‘millions and millions’ in compensation and that the airline disputes accounts that any part of his body left the aircraft (Picture: Clodagh Kilcoyne/PA)
In his own recollection of events, Mr Karović told the Guardian that he had blacked out after the window beside him blew out.
A fellow passenger attempted to block the window with a bag which was sucked out and then a larger suitcase which succeeded in plugging the hole.
His wife Svetlana Grković recalled seeing him being half inside and outside the plane while it was flying at around 18,000 ft.
Mr Karović suffered from a serious hand injury and spent days in hospital unable to speak following his ordeal.
Mr O’Leary, long known for his outspoken tone, said the airline would fight Mr Karović’s claims in court.
The Ryanair boss added Mr Karović had a ‘very excitable lawyer down in Greece who’s talking about class action suits and millions and millions and millions.’
‘He [Mr Karović] won’t be getting millions and millions and we don’t believe there’s any basis for any class action suits either, but ambulance chasing lawyers like the sound of their own voices’, he said.
The incident onboard Flight 1879, operated by Malta Air, is the subject of an ongoing investigation by US agency NTSB, which investigates matters relating to American-made aircraft.
Greek investigators are also probing the incident flight, which originated in Thessaloniki.
Videos of the flight, bound for Memmingen in Germany, showed other passengers donning oxygen masks after they dropped from overhead panels following the depressurisation.
Others recounted hearing a loud noise resembling a tyre bursting as the window blew out.
Inquiries are expected to focus on why the engine fan blades fractured at its base as well as the role of a possible bird strike after remains were found in the damaged engine.
Events onboard Malta Air Flight 1879 are currently being investigated by the NTSB (Picture: ADMS)
During a press conference on Thursday, Mr O’Leary also renewed his calls for Nats chief Martin Rolfe to resign following the air traffic control outage this week.
The Ryanair chief accused Mr Rolfe of ‘telling lies to save his own skin’ after the Nats director insisted the Tuesday incident was like nothing his organisation has experienced in ‘more than 50 years in operation’.
He said: ‘This guy should be fired. He gets paid a basic salary of £500,000 and a bonus of nearly £900,000 a year to deliver the worst ATC service in Europe.’
Mr O’Leary also generated controversy this week by referring to his rivals as ‘high-fare rapists’, in a comment that was seen by some as trivialising abuse towards women.
‘You might find some people will choose not to fly with Ryanair – but you know they’ll be overrun with the people abandoning Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, BA, and others desperate to get to Ryanair’s low fares because they can’t afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe’, he said.
His words were criticised by transport secretary Heidi Alexander amongst others, who suggested women wouldn’t be rushing to book Ryanair following the CEO’s remarks.
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French government supports Slovakia’s call to delist Alisher Usmanov
French government supports Slovakia’s call to delist Alisher Usmanov
The French government has joined Slovakia in calling for the delisting of Russian-Uzbek businessman Alisher Usmanov from the EU’s sanctions list.
EU sanctions currently affect over 3,000 individuals and entities linked to Russia, making their renewal process critical to ongoing geopolitical stability and collective security efforts.
“The delisting of Alisher Usmanov is a political compromise,” stated a French official, highlighting ongoing negotiations amid escalating tensions within the EU.
France joins Slovakia in asking to delist Russian oligarch Usmanov
Published on •Updated
The French government has joined Slovakia in seeking the delisting of Russian-Uzbek businessman Alisher Usmanov, causing “huge frustration” among other EU countries, four EU diplomats told EU News.
Slovakia has long pushed for Usmanov and another Russian oligarch, Mikhail Fridman, to be removed from the EU’s sanctions list targeting individuals close to Vladimir Putin’s regime and the military-industrial complex sustaining the war in Ukraine.
But Bratislava is no longer alone. Paris has also called for Usmanov, who has been under EU sanctions since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, to be delisted.
Usmanov is an Uzbek-born Russian billionaire who built his fortune through investments in metals, mining, telecommunications and technology and is considered close to the Kremlin.
Usmanov denies this.
The French move has caused “huge frustration” among other member states, particularly against the backdrop of escalating hybrid threats in Europe, including the latest case of an attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport in Germany.
“It raised a lot of questions about the motivation — seems mostly economic reasons at play here. Not a lot of understanding on the side of other member states,” an EU diplomat told EU News, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the talks.
The EU sanctions regime currently targets more than 3,000 individuals and entities linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex and its contribution to the invasion of Ukraine. The regime is due for renewal on 15 September, with member states under pressure to reach an agreement by then.
Individual listings have so far been renewed every six months, but a 12-month renewal is now on the table. Sectoral sanctions already shifted from six-month to 12-month renewal cycles in July.
In several meetings of EU ambassadors, Slovakia has opposed the renewal, pushing for both oligarchs to be delisted and the six-month timeframe to remain in place.
The Slovak demands are not new. Bratislava has repeatedly called for the delisting of the two high-profile Russian oligarchs, including when the sanctions were last extended in March.
EU sanctions require unanimous approval for renewal, meaning a single country can veto an extension. Slovakia’s opposition has already caused frustration among member states, but France’s new position is likely to complicate the talks further.
Paris presented Usmanov’s delisting as a political compromise, betting that Slovakia would not abandon its two delisting demands as it did last time.
EU ambassadors are due to meet again on Monday to discuss the renewal and will be under pressure to reach a political agreement before the 15 September deadline.
A French official said Paris supported the renewal of sanctions, but declined to comment on the discussions, citing confidentiality.
CIA releases declassified documents on bin Laden and al-Qaeda ahead of 9/11 anniversary
Get you up to speed: CIA drops dozens of declassified documents on bin Laden and al-Qaeda
The CIA released several dozen declassified documents detailing intelligence on Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda surrounding the events leading to the September 11, 2001, attacks. CIA Director John Ratcliffe described the release as “an act of exceptional transparency”, marking it as the agency’s largest disclosure of declassified presidential daily briefs.
The declassified documents span from February 1998 to September 2001, illustrating the evolving understanding of Osama bin Laden’s network and potential threats to the US. While the CIA has characterised this release as an act of exceptional transparency, many documents remain redacted, limiting the availability of specific source information.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe described the release of the declassified documents as “an act of exceptional transparency,” highlighting it as the agency’s largest release of presidential daily briefs. These documents illustrate ongoing concerns about al-Qaeda’s threats to the US, with implications for future intelligence assessments and national security measures.
What remains unclear — The exact number of individuals involved in bin Laden’s network who received hijacking training is not specified.
CIA releases declassified documents on bin Laden and al-Qaeda ahead of 9/11 anniversary
News|September 11CIA drops dozens of declassified documents on bin Laden and al-Qaeda
A briefer wrote to then-President Clinton that bin Laden’s ‘preferred option is to strike the US on its own soil in Washington’, and that al-Qaeda ‘may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a US city’.
Published On 12 Sep 202612 Sep 2026
Published On 12 Sep 202612 Sep 2026Several dozen presidential briefing documents declassified on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks detail intelligence government officials had gathered about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda leading up to the hijackings that killed nearly 3,000 people and upended the United States’ national security.
The documents illustrate security analysts’ tracking of bin Laden’s movements and support system, as well as concerns about possible threats to US targets. They also detail officials’ understanding of his network in the US and other countries, including how his operations were financed.
Proclaiming it “an act of exceptional transparency”, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the documents were the agency’s single largest release of declassified presidential daily briefs — the highly classified briefings prepared by the nation’s intelligence community for the government’s most senior leaders.
The documents range from a February 1998 file, prepared for then-President Bill Clinton, titled “Terrorists Seeking WMD Capability” and mentioning bin Laden and other Islamic extremists, to a September 12, 2001, report in which a source indicated the attacks had been planned for two years and had also targeted the US Capitol.
An April 1998 document described the Taliban’s unwillingness to hand over bin Laden, at the time seen as their “guest” in Afghanistan, noting their “gratitude for his assistance during the Soviet occupation” was making them “reluctant to alienate him by monitoring or controlling his activities”.
Five months later, a briefer wrote that bin Laden’s “preferred option is to strike the US on its own soil in Washington” and that al-Qaeda “may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a US city”.
Potential hijackings were also discussed in December 1998, when a briefer described how conspirators “have evaded security checks during a recent trial run at an unidentified New York airport”, and “some members of the Bin Ladin network have received hijack training”.
Other documents detail bin Laden’s pursuit of materials for making “dirty bombs”, conventional weapons infused with radioactive material. By June 1999, according to intelligence officials, his operatives had conducted such experiments with explosives to “increase their energy output”.
Many of the documents were redacted to conceal sources’ names and other identifying information. They didn’t appear to break any new ground on the planning of the attacks or on US officials’ understanding of how they had unfolded.