DALLAS, Texas — The World Cup was supposed to be Dallas’s moment to shine. The city is famously image-conscious, and the powers-that-be trumpeted the fact that more Cup matches were scheduled here than any other host city. It seemed like a coup for a town whose football team (the other kind of football) bills itself as “America’s team.”

But off the pitch, Dallas leaders have spent the spring and summer fighting a series of political fights, many of them centered around sports. It’s a cautionary tale to the many European tourists who have marveled at America’s glittering sporting venues, but are unaware of the complex economic and political forces that have shaped them, for better and for worse.

Before the soccer tournament even started, the city’s pro basketball team had announced it was leaving its downtown arena. Then the hockey team decamped for a new arena in the suburbs.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson was booed when he attended a World Cup Fan Fest. Along the way, the city was forced to furlough non-essential workers because of a budget shortfall, so the public libraries were closed for a day last week.

“There’s a lot of — the only word I can think of is — drama,” City Councilmember Paula Blackmon said.

To be clear, the World Cup matches aren’t being played in Dallas. They’re 15 miles west, in Arlington, Texas. The Texas Rangers play baseball a few blocks away.

But Dallas proper could still stake a claim as a professional sports hub. The Dallas Mavericks (basketball) and the Dallas Stars (hockey) have spent the last 25 years at American Airlines Center, a retro-styled arena just north of the central business district, which is served by its dedicated light rail stop. That arena’s future has been at the heart of the fighting.

Last fall, the city began discussing the idea of tearing down its City Hall to make way for a new sports arena. The building is showing its age — or its neglect — and city officials estimate it’ll take hundreds of millions of dollars to repair it.

Some in Dallas questioned whether the teams need a new arena, since the American Airlines Center — which is 1.6 miles from City Hall — seems to work just fine. Others objected to tearing down the building since its architect, I.M. Pei, is kind of a big deal.

The conflict divided the city council into two factions — the majority in favor of tearing down the building, the minority trying to preserve it. Blackmon and another council member, both of whom favor preserving the old City Hall, sued the city in June trying to block a vote on tearing down the building.

To some extent, the fight has been a proxy for the broader fight over how to preserve downtown Dallas. AT&T, the telecom giant which has had its corporate headquarters in Dallas since 2008, announced this spring it’s moving to the suburbs, citing rising crime, homelessness and government dysfunction. Even the luxury retailer Neiman Marcus, the most Dallas of institutions, is closing its downtown store.

Former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, who got into politics after a career as an investigative reporter, said the fracas over the sports arena is a symptom of the city’s dysfunctional government. Dallas has a weak mayor and its city council has been divided for decades, which gives developers — and sports teams — the upper hand in negotiating with the city.

Miller is famous locally for turning down the Dallas Cowboys when team owner Jerry Jones asked for a publicly-financed stadium inside the city in the early 2000s.

The Cowboys — like the Mavericks and Stars before them — promised to help redevelop neglected parts of the city. Miller argued that the city was better off putting its funds into basic services like public safety and infrastructure — and pointed to a string of broken promises from the sports teams and other big developers.

“It’s kind of Dallas’ Achilles heel, because Dallas will just do anything to quote unquote ‘save the teams,’ even though all the teams are all within a 30-minute drive of all of our homes,” she said.

Dallas’s local organizing committee for the World Cup declined to comment for this story, as did a spokesperson for the Mavericks. A spokesperson for the Stars didn’t respond to requests for comment. Johnson, the Dallas mayor, also declined several interview requests.

Most of the fighting has been invisible to World Cup fans, who will flock to town Tuesday for the region’s final World Cup match, which is the semi-final between France and Spain. But the outcome of the city council fight could affect Dallas for decades to come.

Source link

Source link

Pressure on the government to ban the importation of foie gras is intensifying. Activists from animal protection organisation Animal Equality have unfurled a giant banner on Victoria Embankment.

It says “KEEP YOUR PROMISE: BAN FOIE GRAS IMPORTS”, in direct view of parliament. The action follows the launch of 150 billboards and ads running across south east England sharing the same message. These are likely to reach 30 million passers-by.

Foie gras is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese via a metal pipe inserted down the throat, multiple times a day. This cause their livers to swell up to ten times their natural size.

The practice is so cruel that it has been illegal to produce in the UK for 20 years. Yet the UK continues to import the product. This allows restaurants to profit from suffering that would be a criminal offence if it took place on UK soil.

Just days before the last General Election, the government promised to ban foie gras imports. A senior Labour Party representative watching an Animal Equality investigation into a French foie gras farm reacted:

…great big pipes down those animals’ throats, and they’re just forcing that food in. Oh, they’re terrified. Disgusting. Look at the tiny little cages they’re in as well. That is just shocking. It is beyond disgusting. They’re force-feeding these terrified animals to fatten their livers.

Continuing, he added:

Vote for change. A vote for Labour is a vote for animals.

Foie gras ban at risk

Years on, that promise remains unfulfilled, and campaigners now fear the ban is at risk due to ongoing EU-UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary trade negotiations which aim to ease trade.

Abigail Penny, executive director of Animal Equality UK, said:

The government made a promise to the British public and we have not forgotten. Every day this ban is delayed is another day that ducks and geese are violently force-fed – a practice that deliberately induces organ failure and is so cruel it is a crime to carry out in the UK.

The government’s negotiators must not trade away animal welfare commitments. Ministers would do well to remember who they represent; with nearly nine in ten Brits in favour of a ban, they have a clear mandate. The government must keep its word.

Public opinion is overwhelmingly behind a ban. The latest YouGov polling shows that almost nine in ten (87%) of the UK public support banning foie gras imports. This makes it one of the most widely supported animal welfare reforms across the UK. Animal Equality’s petition calling for a ban has surpassed 329,000 signatures.

At a recent parliamentary roundtable, hosted by Labour MP Irene Campbell, Dr Huw Golledge, chief executive and scientific director of Science for Animal Welfare, said:

The disease is not a side effect. Causing the disease is the purpose of the production system. Anyone looking objectively at the evidence would conclude that this is something that should not continue.

Featured image supplied

By The Canary

Source link

The French national team arrived in Dallas on Sunday aboard an Airbus A320 jet. The day before, the same jet had been used for an ICE deportation flight to Nicaragua.

The French team has traveled on GlobalX charter flights to travel during the World Cup, as The Guardian first reported Thursday. GlobalX, a Miami-based charter airline, has maintained its traditional business while also operating a growing number of deportation flights since the Trump administration launched its mass deportation campaign.

This dual use has created a stark contrast, with planes used to carry deportees shackled to their seats soon returning to routine charter service. Although many Americans back deporting unauthorized immigrants, U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign has drawn extensive backlash over its forceful tactics and violent clashes with protesters.

POLITICO tracked the jet that carried Les Bleus to Dallas and asked researchers with ICE Flight Monitor, which tracks deportation flights, whether it had been used for Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations. The team posted Monday a video of players deboarding in Dallas from a jet with a “Global Crossing Airlines” insignia, the legal name of GlobalX.

“Under the second Trump administration, this particular plane conducted 323 ICE flights,” said Savi Arvey, director of policy for refugee and immigrant rights at Human Rights First, which oversees ICE Flight Monitor.

After departing Nicaragua on Saturday, the GlobalX jet flew on to Harlingen, Texas, an ICE deportation hub, and then Boston, the French team’s training base, according to data provided by ICE Flight Monitor. About 15 hours after landing in Boston, it departed for Dallas with the team aboard.

Representatives for the French football federation and GlobalX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Less than an hour after landing in Dallas, the GlobalX jet flew to Harlingen to conduct another deportation flight to Mexico.

Meanwhile, the Spanish national team arrived in Dallas aboard an American Airlines jet. The airline has not operated any ICE deportation flights.

Source link

There are few things more taken for granted in my humble kitchen than my seemingly never-ending supply of black pepper.

Ideal as a topper for salads, scrambled eggs or even just a plate of chips, black pepper is present in most of the meals I prepare. However, I’d never once considered where it actually comes from.

In fact, much like pasta and tea bags, I assumed it just came as part of having a kitchen, tbh.

Advertisement

Where black pepper actually comes from

According to McCormick Science Institute: ”Black pepper is native to Malabar, a tropical region on the Western Coast of Southern India (part of the Indian state of Kerala).

“The pepper vine is a perennial ivy-like climber which adheres itself to a support tree or man-made structure.”

Schwartz explained: “The black peppercorn is a small berry picked just as it ripens from green to red: the centre is a white seed which contains more piperine and gives the pepper its heat and bite, while the black husk is the flesh of the fruit and gives the fruity, floral aromatic character.”

However, the spice experts added that while black pepper is best when it’s been crushed by pestle and mortar or a peppermill, you need to act quickly to maintain that punchy flavour.

Advertisement

They said: “Once crushed, the punchy, volatile oils concealed inside each corn soon evaporate.

“Be sure to add towards the end of cooking, or at the table – which can add a certain amount of finesse when serving. A natural companion to steak in particular, its natural flavour is enhanced by heat, and its distinct, woody aroma is instantly recognisable to many.”

I’ll never take my trusty black pepper for granted again.

Source link

!function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement(‘iframe’);t.display=’none’,t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement(‘script’);c.src=”//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js”,c.setAttribute(‘async’,’1′),c.setAttribute(‘type’,’text/javascript’),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document);(new Image()).src=”https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4″;cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({“playerId”:”19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4″,”mediaId”:”29629cc9-8282-4b43-aa67-4574ef3829e6″}).render(“6a565f79e4b0d0cec7cd9196”);});

Source link

Showing that political fundraising doesn’t have to be all fancy dinners and shady crypto-related windfalls, the Green Party is instead heading for the dancefloor.

Green Space is taking its “party with purpose” model to Bristol this month, as the community and culture project builds what organisers describe as a repeatable, transparent and people-powered fundraising model for Green politics.

The Bristol event, taking place at Sawmills on Sunday 26 July 2026, will be the fourth Green Space party in the series, following two events in London and one in Leeds.

Putting the party into Green Party

Together, the first three events have raised around £37,000 for campaigning:

• Approximately £13,000 for London Greens at Heaven.
• £17,000 for Leeds Green Party.
• £7,000 for the national Green Party of England and Wales at The Cause in London.

The Bristol edition marks the next stage in proving the model can be built out beyond one-off city events, with locally rooted events raising money for local Green Parties while also supporting the wider national movement across the country.

The format offers a sharp contrast to traditional political fundraising, which is often a world of private dinners, big donors and closed-door access. Green Space events are publicly ticketed, culturally led and help people connect to politics through music, community and joy rather than formal party meetings or high-cost donor events.

The Bristol party will raise money for Bristol Green Party, with tickets accessibly priced at £10 – £15. Confirmed speakers include Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, and climate justice activist Dominique “Domi” Palmer, with more speakers to be announced.

The event will also feature a large DJ line-up spanning drum and bass, jungle, techno, hardcore, and bass – sounds long associated with Bristol’s pioneering music scene.

Confirmed DJ line-up:

• Anna Prank b2b Junction 17.
• Amen4Tekno.
• Euphonique.
• DJ Hybrid.
• DJ Gurl Power.
• El-Ze b2b Josie Bee.
• Gucci Libre.
• Hardcore Energy.
• Hypershé b2b Mousai.
• IffyHype.
• Origin8a & Propa b2b Buckfast Boys Club.
• REVRT.
• Tommy Leng (My Nu Leng).
• Visla.
• Lobsta B.
• Daunder.
• Das Ist Vas x Engineer.

More artists TBA.

Polanski said:

Politics shouldn’t be funded in private rooms – and only by people who can afford expensive dinners. What Green Space is showing is that there is another way that is open, transparent, joyful and rooted in community.

These events are more than just about raising money – they are changing who politics feels like it belongs to. A ticket to a day party should never be dismissed as less serious than a private donor dinner.

In many ways, it is more democratic. It brings people together. It is transparent about what it is raising money for. And it gives people a way into politics that feels alive rather than alienating.

It’s great to see events supporting local Green Parties and helping build a national movement powered by people, culture and hope.

Niall Moore, co-founder of Green Space, said:

Bristol is the beating heart of what we’re trying to build. This is a city with deep roots in club culture, climate justice, community organising and Green politics. It represents the spirit and the sound of the movement we are building.

Whilst this event is about raising money for the local Bristol Green Party, it’s also about making politics feel social, creative and open again. We want people to leave Sawmills feeling like they’ve been part of something joyful, local and politically meaningful.

British politics is being pulled apart by hate and division. We’re putting it back together with love and community.

Green Space aims to widen political participation by reaching people who may care about issues ranging from climate, housing, inequality and public services, but may feel alienated by traditional routes into politics.

Organisers hope the Bristol edition will show how the model can be adapted city by city, connecting national politics with local music scenes, venues and communities.

Profit from ticket sales goes directly to the Bristol Green Parties. You can get tickets to the event here (£10 / £15).

Featured image supplied

By The Canary

Source link

Source link

Reform and its backers are on something of a tear right now. With the scandals mounting, they’re doing everything they can to deflect and distract. And it seems ‘everything they can’ includes literally calling the police:

Retweeted by Isabel Oakeshott.

Very obvious that if Reform come to power, they will lock people up for criticising them. pic.twitter.com/6Vtf4f5HYq

— Owen Jones (@owenjonesjourno) July 13, 2026

Advertisement

The relevance of Isabel Oakeshott is that she’s the partner of Reform deputy Richard Tice. She’s also a self-proclaimed free speech warrior. And that’s not surprising, of course, because she’s far from the first such person to call for the oppression of speech they don’t like.

At risk

As we reported, Reform politicians are doing everything they can to convince the public that Nigel Farage’s life is being put at risk. It’s not being put at risk because his rivals are stirring up violence, though (something Farage himself stands accused of); it’s being put at risk because journalists are applying scrutiny to the man’s many ongoing scandals.

Now, Reform’s backers have gone full Karen by literally calling the police. As you can see above, an account has referred Dan Hodges of the Daily Mail to the police. According to them, scrutinising the far-right Farage qualifies as “harassment” that could “incite others against him and the party”.

Here are some of tweets that the boys in blue may soon be scrolling over:

Think it's worth repeating. Zia Yusuf claimed no state support was being offered to Reform MPs for protection. In reality, Nigel Farage was offered a car, a trained driver, a bodyguard, and security on a similar level to that offered Kemi Badenoch. That's quite the deception.

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) July 14, 2026

But Hodges isn’t backing down:

"Your party has been spewing reckless hate for Reform. Starmer said Reform are not fit to be in government". So saying Reform are not fit to form a government now represents "reckless hate". As I said, this is all part of a coordinated effort to prevent legitimate scrutiny. https://t.co/5ekoOZph3s

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) July 14, 2026

Oh, that. No, you guys are deliberately trying to deflect from the £5m donation. That's self-evident. I'm not going to be apologising for that. I'm going to keep repeating it. https://t.co/dQQrfiy364

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) July 14, 2026

If you’re unfamiliar with Hodges, he’s someone who pisses everyone off (for us, his atrocious takes on Palestine). We’ve never called for his arrest, though, and we’re part of the ‘censorious left’, apparently! Reform UK, meanwhile, sells itself as a bastion of free speech.

Here’s what Tice said about us last month in response to an article from 2020:

Is this you Canary?
Do you now accept cancel culture exists?
Would you like some help from us who are Right?
Even though you have been utterly foul to us ? https://t.co/bIVrULwQwk

— Richard Tice MP (@TiceRichard) June 30, 2026

He’s lucky we didn’t call the police on him, honestly; apparently you can do that when your feelings get hurt now.

The article above did draw a distinction between actual oppression (e.g. the state arresting a journalist for doing their job) and irrelevant oppression (e.g. people calling you names online). So it’s not like we ever denied the existence of authoritarianism. We know it exists, and we know we’re looking at would-be authoritarians in Reform UK.

Inscrutable

Needless to say, all politicians face scrutiny. The billionaire-funded Reform is facing a lot of scrutiny right now, and the signs are that it’s eroding the party’s support. In response, Reform and Reform-linked journalists are lashing out.

Farage and the far-right may not like the heat directed at them, but they’ve had no problem directing it at others. On 13 July, we covered that Reform’s Zia Yusuf was complaining about the criticism his party faces. As Willem Moore noted:

If you’re going to label people ‘traitors’ — as Zia Yusuf has — then people are going to get angry. If you’re going to claim successive governments have overseen an ‘invasion’ — as he has — then tensions are going to rise.

Politicians who stoke fear and division think they can ride the wave, but hatred is more like a fire than a sea. And people who play with fire get burned.

Advertisement

As Owen Jones said, it seems clear that Reform and its politicians will pursue authoritarian politics should they take power. This is despite their insistence that they will defend free speech; an example of that being the following response from Reform’s Matt Goodwin to Jones:

Unlikely given Reform is the only party completely committed to the restoration of free speech. What some of your Green party colleagues would do to you if the Islamo-Greens ever come to power is a far more interesting question, Owen.

The ‘Islamo-Greens’, he says, because he’s a racist, little gobsh*te.

People in turn replied to Goodwin:

“committed to the restoration of free speech.”

Hmmm … pic.twitter.com/xZpa0FwqlI

— M4rty (@M4rtyman) July 13, 2026

Jones responded too, noting:

Bollocks.

Reform is committed to banning protests against Israel's genocide.

Why?

Because Reform claims they are "inciting hate and violence".

Advertisement

They will use this smear to shut down other protests and arrest dissidents. https://t.co/ECN6AB6jNQ

— Owen Jones (@owenjonesjourno) July 13, 2026

‘Free speech for me but not for thee‘ as they say.

Reform UK’s authoritarian streak

Reform is a party run by would-be fascists, so none of this surprises us. The casual calls for arrests should come as a stark warning to the British people, though; especially the ones who care about their democratic rights and freedoms.

Oh, and before we go, we should note that Oakeshott lives in Dubai — a country where modern slavery is rife, as well as restrictions on free speech. The alleged human trafficker Tristan Tate spends a lot of time in Dubai too, and Richard Tice was reposting him just the other day. Again, this is no surprise, because these people don’t believe in anything besides money and getting their own way. And if they need to use state violence to guarantee their rights to either, they will do.

Featured image via the Canary

By Willem Moore

Source link

Source link