International

Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama ally to warn about the danger of choosing Trump

Vice President Kamala Harris and the former first lady of the United States. Michelle Obama joined forces this Saturday to warn voters that “there is a lot at stake” in the November 5 elections, especially for women’s health and reproductive rights, if Donald Trump reaches the Presidency again.

In a crowded rally in Kalamazoo, in the key state of Michigan, the Democratic candidate and the former first lady raised their voices to charge against former President Donald Trump, between 2017 and 2021, and the setbacks in rights that, in her opinion, the United States has experienced.

“There is a lot at stake in this election,” Harris said, stressing that the current race for the Presidency is “en even more important” than that of 2016 or 2020.

Kamala Harris: “It is clear that Trump has become increasingly deranged”

“In the last eight years, Donald Trump has become more confused, more unstable and more angry, and it is clear that he has become increasingly deranged,” Harris accused.

Harris also used a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that granted partial immunity to the former president for the case of the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. “Imagine Donald Trump without a barrier to stop him,” he stressed.

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Kamala Harris again criticized her opponent for saying that she wanted generals like those of Adolf Hitler during his tenure in the White House and threatening to use the army against those who disagree with him.

Michelle Obama follows the questions to Trump

Obama was not left behind in criticism of Trump by confessing that she is “a little angry because we are indifferent to his erratic behavior, his obvious mental deterioration, and his history as a convicted criminal,” when comparing the Republican candidate with Harris.

The first lady also dedicated a good space of her speech of more than 40 minutes and anteroom to Harris to list the failures of the Trump Administration in describing the response to the COVID-19 pandemic as poor, when it discredited scientists and spread false information.

A message focused on women’s reproductive rights

The rally in Michigan also served for Harris and Obama to appeal to the vote of women and warn them about the risks of allowing the Republican to return to the White House.

“I ask you from the depths of my being to take our lives seriously,” Obama said. “We need you to vote for the only candidate in this race who will protect our lives. Kamala Harris will fight to restore our reproductive freedoms and defend our health,” he added.

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They invite women to vote

The former first lady challenged women to keep their vote private, regardless of the political opinions of the men in her family and told them that voting for Trump or a third-party candidate “would bring collateral damage” to their wives, sisters and daughters.

For her part, Kamala Harris recounted how the three Supreme Court members elected by the Republican in his mandate helped repeal the Roe vs Wade sentence that protected abortion nationwide.

“They did what he wanted and now one in three women in the United States lives in a state where Trump prohibits abortion, and many of them have no exceptions in cases of rape and incest,” the candidate said.

Both Harris and Obama urged voters to cast their vote in advance.

Key support in Michigan

“I think Donald Trump is a not very serious man, but the consequences of him becoming president again are brutally serious,” Harris said.

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The appearance of the former first lady at this Saturday’s rally is fundamental for the Democratic campaign that seeks to consolidate itself in the so-called “blue wall”, to which Michigan belongs, a state that offers 15 electoral votes to the winner.

Michigan is one of the seven competitive states in the United States that will decide the election in ten days.

Harris has leveraged great and recognized figures in the final stretch of his campaign. This Friday he performed in Houston (Texas) with Beyoncé, and on Thursday he shared the stage with former President Barack Obama (2009-2017) in Atlanta (Georgia).

International

Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Luigi Mangione admitted Friday to fatally shooting Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance group in the United States, during an appearance before a federal judge.

The case shocked the U.S. business community and dates back to December 2024, when Mangione opened fire on Thompson, 50, on a Manhattan street. Prosecutors have described the attack as being motivated by Mangione’s opposition to the U.S. health insurance system.

“On the morning of December 4, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” Mangione said as he pleaded guilty to a federal stalking charge related to his pursuit of the executive.

Mangione, 28, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, and prosecutors have indicated that they will seek a life sentence.

In addition to the federal charges related to stalking Thompson, Mangione also faces a murder case brought by the state of New York.

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Following his guilty plea in federal court, Mangione’s defense asked a state court to dismiss the state charges, arguing that prosecuting him again for the same conduct would violate protections against double jeopardy.

“We have just filed our motion in state court to explain why the charges should be dismissed under New York’s protections against double jeopardy,” Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said Friday.

Both the federal and state cases could result in a life sentence. Two other federal charges that initially carried the possibility of the death penalty were dismissed by a judge earlier this year.

International

ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns

Plans to equip U.S. immigration agents with gloves capable of delivering electric shocks are raising concerns over potential abuses by a law enforcement agency that critics accuse of using excessive force and providing inadequate training to its personnel.

The plan involves the potential purchase of electric-shock gloves for agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency primarily responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost criticized the proposal on X, arguing that the agency has already faced accusations of excessive force during immigration enforcement operations.

“As if assaulting and shooting people in the streets wasn’t enough,” Frost wrote. He also criticized the reported $20 million potential expenditure on the devices and called for greater restrictions on ICE.

The agency has faced growing scrutiny following a series of deadly shootings during immigration enforcement operations. Among the incidents were the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota in January who were participating in protests against the agency.

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Critics have focused on the tactics used by ICE agents when detaining immigrants, as well as allegations that training standards for newly recruited personnel have been lowered.

According to a procurement plan first reported by the Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, could spend between $10 million and $20 million on the devices.

The gloves are described by the agency as tools intended for “distraction and de-escalation,” rather than lethal weapons. The system, known as GLOVE, stands for “Generated Low-Output Voltage Emitter.”

The device is manufactured by Compliant Technologies, a Kentucky-based company that describes its products as advanced non-lethal tools designed to protect and assist law enforcement and other personnel.

The proposal comes amid an intensifying national debate over ICE’s enforcement methods and the use of force during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

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International

Three U.S. Executions Set for Same Day as Trump Pushes to Expand Death Penalty

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 U.S. states, while three others —California, Oregon and Pennsylvania— currently have moratoriums in place.

The United States is set to carry out three executions on the same day, a rare occurrence that has not happened since 2010, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.

President Donald Trump has sought to expand the use of capital punishment for what he describes as “the most heinous crimes.” In April, the Department of Justice proposed expanding execution methods to include firing squads, lethal gas and electrocution.

Tennessee is scheduled to execute Anthony Darrell Dugard Hines, 66, on Thursday. He was sentenced to death for the 1985 murder of a woman, according to local media.

In Oklahoma, Carlos Cuesta-Rodríguez, 70, is scheduled to be executed for a 2003 murder.

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Meanwhile, Alabama plans to execute Jeremy Williams, 42, who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl.

The United States carried out 47 executions in 2025, the highest number since 2009, when 52 executions were recorded.

Florida conducted the largest number of executions last year, with 19, followed by Alabama, South Carolina and Texas, with five each.

Of the executions carried out in 2025, 39 were conducted by lethal injection. Three were carried out by firing squad and five through nitrogen hypoxia, a method that involves forcing nitrogen gas into a face mask, depriving the prisoner of oxygen.

The United Nations has condemned nitrogen gas as a cruel and inhumane method of capital punishment.