Aggregator

The Dodgers looked great in Washington on Thursday, and no wonder: They got to celebrate their 2025 World Series win at the White House, in front of the nation.

By the end of the night, Cam Schlitler had successfully transferred that frustration into the helpless hands of the Phillies lineup. 

China Is Now Viewed More Favorably Than America

Public opinion toward the world’s two leading powers has undergone a notable shift. Pew Research Center’s Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey reveals significant differences in how countries perceive China and the United States.

The visualization below, created by Visual Capitalist's Iswardi Ishak using Pew Research Center data, compares favorability toward both countries across 36 nations, showing where each holds the strongest public support and where opinions remain closely divided.

How the World Views the U.S. and China

The chart below plots favorable opinions of China and the U.S. using Pew Research Center’s Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey.

Regional differences are pronounced. Many countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of Latin America express more favorable views of China. The U.S. leads in nine countries: Brazil, Ghana, Hungary, India, Israel, Japan, the Philippines, Poland, and South Korea.

The Development Divide

The scatterplot reveals several broad clusters. Wealthier Western democracies generally remain skeptical of both countries, with Germany, France, Sweden, Australia, and the Netherlands posting relatively low favorability ratings for each.

Much of the developing world falls into the opposite quadrant, where China receives majority support while views of the U.S. lag behind. Pakistan stands out with a 90% favorable opinion of China versus 15% for the United States. Large gaps also appear in Malaysia (75% vs. 19%) and Indonesia (72% vs. 29%).

Several African countries, including Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria, express positive views of both powers. This suggests many respondents see value in maintaining relationships with each country rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive.

Why China’s Image Has Improved

China’s improving standing reflects both rising favorability toward Beijing and declining perceptions of the United States. Recent reporting indicates that this reversal has been especially pronounced among several longstanding U.S. partners, including Canada and countries across Europe.

Public opinion rarely hinges on a single issue. Analysts point to expanding Chinese trade and diplomatic engagement, alongside changing perceptions of U.S. foreign policy and reliability. As countries deepen economic ties with Beijing, trade has become an increasingly important factor in international relationships.

Coverage from the BBC and analysis from the Council on Foreign Relations also suggest that many countries are pursuing pragmatic relationships with both powers, balancing security partnerships with growing economic ties to China.

Soft Power Remains a Global Competition

Although China receives stronger favorability ratings across most countries surveyed, the results do not necessarily translate directly into geopolitical alignment.

Instead, the survey points to an increasingly multipolar world in which economic influence, trade, diplomacy, and public perception all contribute to global power. As China expands its international presence and the U.S. works to maintain longstanding alliances, competition between the two superpowers is increasingly measured not only in economic and military terms, but also through global public opinion.

How does public opinion compare with hard power? Explore The U.S. and China Account for 49% of Global Military Spending on the Voronoi app to see how the world’s two leading powers compare in defense spending.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/24/2026 - 21:20

Before leaving the game at Citi Field, Juan Soto had been walked twice. Jorge Polanco replaced him in the lineup. 

Anthony Volpe was back in the lineup at shortstop for the Yankees on Friday against the Phillies.

In April, Storms' ex-husband was granted an emergency restraining after he told a judge the actress was dealing with a "mental health crisis."

In April, Storms' ex-husband was granted an emergency restraining after he told a judge the actress was dealing with a "mental health crisis."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should sue Mayor Mamdani for defamation.

The release of Los Angeles' annual homeless count intensified the mayoral race, with Nithya Raman highlighting gains in her district while critics pointed to rising citywide numbers.

Highlights from the Esports World Cup in Paris and how to build a gaming PC.

Liberal: The DSA’s Demographic Sweet Spot “The most Democratic voting group in America,” notes Silver Bulletin’s Nate Silver, is “voters with postgraduate degrees but lower-to-middle household incomes of $30K to $60K per year.” And it is “very much also the sweet spot for the DSA,” whose own “most recent member survey” revealed that “80 percent...

Not Giving The Pentagon $1.5 Trillion Is the 'Greatest Threat' Facing The US, Hegseth Claims

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, during a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, said a failure to appropriate $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget constitutes the “greatest threat” to US national security.

Hegseth, joined by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday to discuss the Trump administration’s request for an additional $87.6 billion in supplemental spending.

Hegseth before the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 21, 2026 (DoW)

Most of the money would go to the Pentagon, but approximately $11.1 billion would go to US farmers. The war with Iran has depleted Pentagon funding, and the shock to the oil economy will have a direct impact on the fertilizer market farmers depend on.

On Tuesday, Hegseth defended the supplemental funding and claimed it would be part of the Pentagon’s FY27 budget, not in addition to it. Congress has yet to approve the $1.5 trillion the Pentagon wants.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted to authorize $1.15 trillion of the massive military budget, but the Senate has yet to approve it.

There is no guarantee the Republican-controlled Senate will sign off on the funding. Democrats have generally opposed the funding on party lines (only six democrats in the House voted for it) and even Republican senators have balked at the massive price tag.

Pete Hegseth: Not funding this department at $1.5 trillion is the greatest threat our nation faces. pic.twitter.com/j2AvDMdpzg

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 21, 2026

Hegseth characterized the full budgetary request as a "generational investment" and claimed the supplemental funding was of the utmost importance:

"As you know, we live in a dangerous world that requires bold and swift action. Hence, this supplemental request for fiscal year 2026. This request is an urgent, necessary injection of resources to address the immediate needs of our department," he said.

The "immediate needs" refers to the ongoing war with Iran, which analysts believe has cost far more than the Pentagon is willing to admit.

On Tuesday, Hegseth told Senators the war has cost approximately $37.5 billion thus far. Credible independent analysis, however, suggests the cost could already be north of $100 billion, a number much closer to the supplemental money the White House has requested.

The Pentagon wants more money than the US spent in all of World War 2 https://t.co/q6nxT8axWK

— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) July 22, 2026

Unprecedented budget ask amid a 'war of choice'...

CNN split screen comparison of what Hegseth was saying months ago on the Iran War and what he said today. pic.twitter.com/YUEBfKsKIU

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 22, 2026

Regardless of the true cost of the war, Hegseth’s commitment to the $1.5 trillion funding target tracks typical military bureaucratic logic, and it marks a major boost in military spending, a nearly 50% increase from this year’s more than $1 trillion military budget.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/24/2026 - 20:55

LeBron James stunned the basketball world with his decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Of the final four suitors in the free agent sweepstakes, Cleveland and Miami seemed like the most probable landing spots for James. But the NBA’s all-time leading scorer shocked just about everyone with his two-year, $8 million deal with the...

In 2026, the movies have returned to their previous cultural dominance, while poor TV’s relevance has hit rock bottom.

Baseball standout runs hospital dry of anti-venom after rattle snake bite in desperate fight

A Los Angeles company is facing backlash for its latest marketing strategy — giving away tents branded with their logo to the homeless on skid row. 

From Porn Star To Politician: Amaranta Hank Sworn In To Colombia's Congress

A former adult film actress was sworn in as a Colombian senator on Monday, and she is vowing to fight for the rights of the country's adult-content creators.

Deyci Alejandra Omaña Ortiz, 33, who performed as Amaranta Hank before leaving the business, took her seat in Bogotá for the left-wing Historic Pact party, La Opinión reported. She won it as the 23rd name on the party's closed candidate list.

Villa del Rosario está presente en el Congreso de la República. Fue en el Templo Histórico donde se firmó la primera Constitución de la Gran Colombia, donde Simón Bolívar tomó posesión como Presidente y donde se abolió la esclavitud. También fue Villa del Rosario donde me crié,… pic.twitter.com/fx0gTLViB4

— Alejandra Omaña (@aleomanao) July 20, 2026

The former journalist turned adult performer turned politician was elected in March to represent the Norte de Santander region, and she is wasting no time. Her signature priority is guaranteeing social-security rights for adult performers, who she says are ripe for exploitation by unscrupulous companies and agencies.

"These women have been unprotected by the state because, due to misinformation, prejudice and double standards, no one has declared to regulate it," she said in a campaign video obtained by the Post.

This is not Omaña's first role in Colombian government. Before her election she served as a deputy minister in the Ministry of Equality under President Gustavo Petro, appointed alongside another former adult performer, Juan Carlos Florián - a pair of appointments that stirred considerable controversy within Petro's administration. Her Senate run, in other words, was a step up rather than a leap from nowhere.

Omaña, who entered the adult industry in 2017 and left two years later, has defended her decision to run despite her past. "My experience allowed me to understand inequality, the struggle for freedom and the popular economy, arguments that I now promise to bring directly into legislative debate," she said, according to the Post. "The problem is that society consumes adult films but denies us the possibility of speaking in spaces of power."

Her agenda extends past the industry that made her famous. Omaña has said she will also push for improved mental-health services and stronger measures to prevent sexual abuse, and has floated designating her home city of Cúcuta a special border, commercial and historic district. Born in Cúcuta and a working journalist until 2017, she has framed her arrival in the Senate as the start of a broader project.

"We can look for a different way of doing politics," she said. The Historic Pact, currently Colombia's strongest political force, won more than 4.4 million votes - 22.7 percent of the Senate ballot - and took 25 seats in the March elections that carried her into office.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/24/2026 - 20:30

It’s not every day that one gets picked up on defense by a former president.

Clay Holmes is on the cusp of returning to the mound, but the chances of it being for the Mets seem slim. 

Over 148,000 Mail Ballots Rejected In California's Primary Election, Data Show

Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times,

Election data that was provided by California state officials for last month's primary elections show that more than 148,000 mail-in ballots were rejected, an uptick of more than 40,000 from the 2024 primary.

Election workers conduct ballot tabulation at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center during California's state primary election in the City of Industry, Calif., on June 2, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

All in all, 148,241 were rejected in the state's June 2 primary election, according to data released by the California Secretary of State's office, which manages elections. The figure represents 1.73 percent of all mail-in ballots.

According to the data released earlier this month, more than 93,000 mail-in ballots were rejected by officials because they arrived too late. Another 8,300 were rejected because there was no voter signature on the ballot, and nearly 44,000 were rejected due to a non-matching signature.

Meanwhile, some 580 weren't used because no photo ID was provided, more than 740 were rejected because the voter had already voted, around 640 were rejected because the ballot was missing from the envelope, and roughly 450 were flagged as having multiple ballots in each envelope, the election figures show.

The data provided by the office did not list the rejected ballots by party registration.

The rejection rates varied by county, with Tulare County having the highest rate at 3.52 percent. Alpine and Merced counties saw 3.36 percent rejection rates, according to the data. The lowest was reported in Placer County, with a 0.93 percent rejection rate.

Los Angeles County, the county with the highest population and most voters, reported a 1.34 percent rejection rate, while San Diego County saw a 1.37 percent rate, the figures show.

The 2026 primary rejection figures are up from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 mail ballots were tossed, representing a 1.56 percent increase, according to the California Secretary of State's office.

Kim Alexander, the head of the California Voter Foundation, told media outlets this week that ballot rejections during the primary election last month were largely due to them being mailed too late.

"Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count," Alexander told The Associated Press.

Following last month's primary, President Donald Trump criticized California's election system. At one point, he questioned results showing Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt falling to third place behind two Democrats.

"Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had," Trump wrote on social media at the time. "Rigged Elections!"

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office has sought to counter claims made by Trump that elections are being mismanaged in the state, including a post issued on X last week.

"California law is clear: You MUST be a U.S. citizen to vote state and federal elections," the post said. "Voter fraud is EXTREMELY RARE - and almost always committed by U.S. citizens."

Newsom added that the Trump administration has "provided NO evidence to support" recent claims of non-citizens being registered to vote in California. It came as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on July 17 that around 250,000 non-citizens were registered in New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and California.

The Trump administration has sought to tighten rules around mail-in ballots, issuing an executive order that would create a voter list regarding who could get a mail-in ballot during elections that was blocked by a judge in late June. Trump has long said, especially in the lead-up to and after the 2020 election, that voting by mail leads to fraud and irregularities.

On Thursday, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called on the U.S. Postal Service to address delays in the state in April.

"Hundreds of absentee ballots received by the Postal Service before Wisconsin's Spring Election were delivered after Election Day, preventing them from being counted," the two Democrats wrote to U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner.

The California Secretary of State's office did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/24/2026 - 20:05