Sean “Diddy” Combs overdosed on painkillers at the Playboy Mansion, his ex-girlfriend said.Cassie Ventura, who had an on-and-off relationship with the rapper for 11 years, said that Combs forced her to participate in drug-fuelled “freak-off” orgies. Some of the sex parties, in which Ventura said she would sleep with male escorts as the rapper watched, would last as long as four days.During their relationship, she told the court, they both struggled with drug addiction, and the rapper in February 2012 overdosed on opiates at the Playboy Mansion.Ventura said that on that day, they had a “freak-off” and went to a sex club before Combs went to the party at Hugh Hefner's LA mansion without her.“From what he told me, he took a very strong opiate that night, but we didn't know what was happening, so we took him to the hospital,” she said.Ventura agreed Combs was extremely dependent on opioids “for a time” and became irritable when suffering from withdrawal symptoms.Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex-trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted on all counts, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and could face life in prison.He has pleaded not guilty on all counts. Sean “Diddy” Combs's lawyers have shed doubt on Cassie Ventura's claims that she witnessed the rapper dangle her friend over a balcony. Asked when her friends and family learnt of Combs's abuse, she referred to an incident in 2013 when the rapper attacked her for falling asleep and not packing before a trip, which resulted in a gash on her eyebrow. Cassie Ventura has said Sean “Diddy” Combs was furious over her relationship with Kid Cudi. She agreed with the defence lawyer's characterisation of Sean Combs as “irate” over Ventura's brief relationship with Kid Cudi, mainly because he was a rival celebrity. “He brought it up quite a bit,” she testified, adding that whenever she would accuse him of cheating, he would bring up her history with Kid Cudi in response. Ventura said she eventually broke off her relationship with Combs in 2015 by sending the rapper and his staff a video of him with another woman at an event. “I've been at the edge of tears this whole week. I don't think that you sympathise with my feelings. “They've never known you and Kim [Porter] to be together. Unless there's something that I just don't know about. Cassie Ventura told the court she got a burner phone to communicate with Kid Cudi because she didn't want Sean “Diddy” Combs to find out about her new relationship. “I thought it would be way too dangerous to tell him about that,” she said. She said that Combs eventually found out about the relationship when he went through her phone during a “freak-off”, adding that she continued to take part in the sex parties when she was not seeing Combs because “it was a job”. Ventura said Combs lunged at her when he discovered the relationship. Cassie Ventura told the court that women on social media would often claim to be in a relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs. Asked if she would react to seeing Combs with other women, Ventura said: “Yes, mainly Gina”. She went on to add that a woman called “Gina” was the main problem in their relationship. The woman in question likely refers to Gina Huynh, also known as Virgina V, a former girlfriend of Combs who in 2019 claimed that the rapper stomped on her stomach. Cassie Ventura told Sean “Diddy” Combs that she wished the pair could have had a “freak-off” together before he had to leave, in old messages shown to the court. “Wish we could have fo'd before you left,” Ventura wrote in texts shown by the defence, which appear to show that Combs did not initiate the conversation about sex. Combs's lawyers asked if there was a time when the rapper left a “freak off” with Ventura in order to see Ms Porter, to which she responded, “yes”. “I'm too excited,” Ventura wrote to Combs in one exchange from 2017. In the 2017 message, Combs wrote: “Have fun, impress me,” before Ventura visited a sex shop for supplies. The defence also raised a message in which Ventura appeared to agree she enjoyed “freak offs”, writing: “When we both want it”. In a further exchange raised by the defence, Combs wrote: “I want an FO right now,” to which Ventura replied, “lol, me too,” adding: “Well I want to have fun with you.” Ventura taking the stand was always a contentious issue as the singer is heavily pregnant, and the judge has grown increasingly frustrated with Sean “Diddy” Combs's lawyers amid pressure to wrap up their questioning in a timely manner. “In what universe did you not understand that this was important,” he said of the timing significance. “If there's something that really needs to be done after the lunch break, then you can have some additional time at my discretion,” he added.

Gene-editing breakthrough has potential to treat array of devastating genetic diseases soon after birth, scientists say Doctors in the US have become the first to treat a baby with a customised gene-editing therapy after diagnosing the child with a severe genetic disorder that kills about half of those affected in early infancy. International researchers have hailed the feat as a medical milestone, saying it demonstrates the potential for treating an array of devastating genetic diseases by rewriting faulty DNA soon after affected children are born. Doctors said he was thriving, but would need careful monitoring for life. Dr Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, a senior physician on the team, said the breakthrough was made possible by “years and years of progress” in gene editing. KJ was born with severe CPS1 deficiency, a condition that affects only one in 1.3 million people. Those affected lack a liver enzyme that converts ammonia, from the natural breakdown of proteins in the body, into urea so it can be excreted in urine. While some patients receive liver transplants for CPS1 deficiency, babies with severe disease can have suffered damage by the time they are big enough to operate on. The therapy uses a powerful procedure called base editing which can rewrite the DNA code one letter at a time. Details were presented at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy annual meeting in New Orleans. “The promise of gene therapy that we've heard about for decades is coming to fruition, and it's going to utterly transform the way we approach medicine,” said Prof Kiran Musunuru at the University of Pennsylvania.

Connecticut activists are making big gains in their campaign against the airlines ICE is using to abduct people. Connecticut activists are making big gains in their campaign against the airlines ICE is using to abduct people. In early May, the state's legislature advanced a bill that bans companies engaged in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation flights from business with state agencies, and dramatically and purposely did not extend a seemingly insignificant (but actually consequential) fuel tax exemption, all of which impact one company most significantly: Avelo Airlines. As of May 12, the company is the only known commercial airline contracting with ICE to carry out deportation flights — including those carrying U.S. citizens and green card holders. Avelo is already under financial pressure, even though it has already signed for this tainted contract and money, it's also still desperately trying to raise $100 million to stay afloat, meaning these additional local-level blowbacks will have real financial consequences. If the bill passes, it could jeopardize Avelo's contracts with institutions like the University of Connecticut, which includes a partnership for their athletics department: tickets for travel, partnerships for events and branding at UConn stadiums. But it doesn't stop there — Connecticut's attorney general has also threatened investigations. These pointed actions follow weeks of organizing by students, workers, and other community members, joined by local politicians and even the president of the State Senate. The protests are rooted in a singular concern: Connecticut taxpayers shouldn't subsidize government-sanctioned kidnapping. These voices don't stop in the Nutmeg State. For instance, Avelo enjoys a fuel tax break in Delaware up for renewal this year, and even though Avelo is the only commercial airline in the state, the governor has said he's looking for alternatives specifically because of Avelo's contracting for deportation flights following local pressure. The company also enjoys local subsidies in places like Scranton, Pennsylvania; Lakeland, Florida; and even the Delaware River and Bay Authority. Avelo has also partnered with universities around the country, like Yale and Quinnipiac, with arrangements that vary but are similar to the UConn collaboration — all while receiving incentives and tourism funds from places like Salt Lake City, Utah, and Salem, Oregon. Community members and their representatives are now taking stock and asking: Are our tax dollars helping deport people — sometimes without court hearings — even in defiance of federal court orders? The financial blows could keep coming, because Avelo already has tough competition. Tens of thousands have signed petitions and pledges committing to boycott Avelo. The airline flies out of over 50 destinations around the country, but many passengers are looking at other companies that fly similar routes but have chosen not to profit off of abduction and the morally and legally corrupt work of aiding ICE. A ProPublica report revealed horrifying conditions on prior Avelo deportation flights. The airline's flight attendants are speaking out because of concerns around passenger health and safety. These barely trackable routes operate in the shadows — removing people to send them to countries they aren't even from, sometimes without notifying families or lawyers. But that justification rings hollow when the result is tearing families apart and potentially harming legal residents, all while placing the company's own workers in traumatizing conditions. Protests are growing, and this is no fringe movement. It includes students, retirees, faith communities, politicians and aviation workers. But the reason we're seeing responses from state legislatures is due to bottom-up pressure. We know these actions can work, but if we want to stop Avelo, we need more of them, in more places, and at more of the points that help the company stay solvent. Strategic actions, like these protests in key locations impact a company's ability to make money and raise funds. We've stopped immoral corporations before, thanks to combinations of local outrage and protests, as well as efforts to pressure local governments and key institutions like universities to cut off ties, end subsidies and demand more from these companies. We already know Avelo isn't the only airline option. And its complicity in the Trump administration's deportation agenda means public dollars are propping up likely illegal ICE actions. That includes setting up ICE watch groups, educating our communities on their rights, ensuring workplaces and institutions are prepared to protect the Fourth Amendment — and targeting corporations profiting from this cruelty. Avelo recently issued a statement saying, “When our country calls and requests assistance our practice is to say yes.” But we are the country. The Trump administration is cracking down on political dissent. Under pressure from an array of McCarthy-style tactics, academics, activists and nonprofits face significant threats for speaking out or organizing in resistance. Truthout is appealing for your support to weather this storm of censorship. We've launched a fundraising campaign to find 500 new monthly donors in the next 10 days. Your support during our fundraiser (7 days left) will help us continue our nonprofit movement journalism in the face of right-wing authoritarianism. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. We've set a goal to add 440 new monthly donors in the next 7 days – will you be one of them?

Countries dispute ownership of Essequibo, oil-rich region where Venezuela claims it will hold elections this month Guyanese soldiers have come under attack three times in 24 hours in an oil-rich border region also claimed by neighboring Venezuela, which says it will hold elections there this month. “On each occasion, the Guyana Defence Force executed a measured response, and no rank sustained any injuries,” said a statement on Thursday. Both countries lay claim to Essequibo, which makes up two-thirds of Guyana's territory and is home to around 125,000 of its more than 800,000 citizens. Guyana has administered the region for decades, and insists Essequibo's frontiers were determined by an arbitration panel in 1899. Venezuela claims the Essequibo River to the region's east forms a natural border that has been recognized as far back as 1777. Caracas has since held a referendum asserting its claim to the territory, and has threatened to annex most of the region and make it Venezuela's 24th state. It has also announced Essequibo will be included in gubernatorial elections planned for 25 May, despite the UN's top court ordering it not organize a vote there. The GDF said Thursday it “remains resolute in its mission to protect Guyana's territorial integrity” and was taking “all necessary measures to safeguard the nation's borders and maintain peace and security within our beloved country”. Tensions calmed after the two countries' presidents agreed in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines last December 2023 to avoid any use of force, but were fanned again in February when Guyana said six of its soldiers were wounded in an ambush in the region.

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck central Türkiye on Thursday, shaking the capital Ankara as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky. The quake hit at 3:46pm local time in the Kulu district of Konya province, according to Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Authority (AFAD). The tremor was also reportedly felt in the surrounding provinces. Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas confirmed that the quake was felt in the capital, saying authorities were “closely monitoring developments.” Zelensky, who had announced his intention to visit Türkiye following Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal that Moscow and Kiev participate in direct talks, reportedly flew to Albania, having despatched a team of negotiators to Istanbul. Last week, Putin proposed resuming direct dialogue to find a lasting settlement to the Ukraine conflict. The talks, which are expected to take place imminently in Istanbul, would mark the first such meeting between Russia and Ukraine since 2022, when the peace process was aborted by Kiev. Zelensky, who had previously said he would only talk directly with Putin, said later in the day on Thursday that he would send a delegation led by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. © Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “TV-Novosti”, 2005–2025. Read RT Privacy policy to find out more.

In line with the spirit of the CIO Fund series, this fund transforms the market insights of Standard Chartered Group's Chief Investment Office (CIO) into investment strategies and portfolio allocations, which are also designed to support investors in navigating volatile markets with a resilient and diversified approach. Historical trends show that equities and bonds can seldom move in tandem, limiting the benefits of traditional diversification. The CIO Balanced Fund strategically diverse assets include stocks, bonds and gold. The CIO Balanced Fund is built upon five core investment strategies, offering investors a comprehensive and flexible solution to pursue opportunities across market cycles: Standard Chartered Bank serves as the custodian bank for this “Signature CIO Balanced Fund,” and investors can subscribe through Standard Chartered online / mobile banking or at any branch from May 5. For more information on the Signature CIO Balanced Fund, please visit: https://www.sc.com/tw/investment/cio/. To many, Tatu City on the outskirts of Nairobi looks like a success. The first city entirely built by a private company to be operational in east Africa, with about 25,000 people living and working there, it accounts for about two-thirds of all foreign investment in Kenya. However, to some local politicians, Tatu City has looked more like a target for extortion. An Indonesian animated movie is smashing regional box office records and could be set for wider success as it prepares to open beyond the Southeast Asian archipelago's silver screens. Jumbo — a film based on the adventures of main character, Don, a large orphaned Indonesian boy facing bullying at school — last month became the highest-grossing Southeast Asian animated film, raking in more than US$8 million. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's (TSMC, 台積電) revenue jumped 48 percent last month, underscoring how electronics firms scrambled to acquire essential components before global tariffs took effect. That compares with the average analysts' estimate for a 38 percent rise in second-quarter revenue. US President Donald Trump's trade war is prompting economists to retool GDP forecasts worldwide, casting doubt over the outlook for everything from iPhone demand to computing and datacenter construction. However, TSMC — a barometer for global tech spending given its central role in the Alchip Technologies Ltd (世芯), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designer specializing in server chips, expects revenue to decline this year due to sagging demand for 5-nanometer artificial intelligence (AI) chips from a North America-based major customer, a company executive said yesterday. That would be the first contraction in revenue for Alchip as it has been enjoying strong revenue growth over the past few years, benefiting from cloud-service providers' moves to reduce dependence on Nvidia Corp's expensive AI chips by building their own AI accelerator by outsourcing chip design.

B: Even Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, who is 47, registered for softball and squash. New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi, who is 68, also registered for table tennis. A: And it will be the largest sports event ever in Taiwan's history. Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, who chose to be called Leo XIV, became the 267th pope, spiritual leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. If you could nominate any toys for the Toy Hall of Fame, what would they be? Classic toys such as jacks, playing cards, and board games like Chess, Monopoly, and Uno have brought endless joy to generations. Overall, there are countless toys that __2__ in the Toy Hall of Fame. The Toy Hall of Fame aims to __4__ items that have been cherished for generations, and several Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang However, not every toy has its moment. Some fans were __8__ that simple classics like balloons—a universal symbol of celebrations—haven't made the cut yet. With their lightweight charms and transformative puffs of air, balloons have __9__ millions for decades and will have to wait at least another year for a chance to be inducted. As the Toy Hall of Fame continues to celebrate toys that __10__ creativity and joy, we can only wonder which treasures will earn a spot next. Will the widely adored balloon finally take its place in 2025? Have you ever wondered who decides what we see in a museum or how one artwork seamlessly connects to the next? Behind every thoughtfully arranged gallery space stands a curator, a skilled professional who combines art and storytelling to craft meaningful experiences. The term “curator” originates from the Latin word cura, meaning “to care.” Curators were originally caretakers of museum collections, but over time, their role has grown to include a broad range of responsibilities that extend far beyond preservation.

From next-gen cybersecurity to international alliances, the headlines show how fast the tech is evolving and how many industries it's starting to touch. Here's a quick and easy rundown of what you need to know. Previously only available on-premises, this advanced cybersecurity and observability platform is now accessible across Oracle's public, government, and sovereign cloud environments. What makes Ground-Truth special is that it processes up to 20TB of data per day and uses AI and quantum-inspired algorithms to detect threats in under a second, with up to 90% fewer false alarms. It's designed for zero-trust environments and works across corporate networks, IoT, and operational tech (OT), making it a powerful fit for modern cyber defense. QV is a metric, developed by IBM (IBM), that measures not just qubit count but also system coherence, error rates, and connectivity. Quantinuum pledged in 2020 to increase QV tenfold every year, and it's now delivered on that promise early. No other company has made (or kept) such a public promise on QV growth. Illinois continues to position itself as a global quantum hub, and Diraq's move signals growing international investment. Neutral-atom quantum company Pasqal has partnered with Google Cloud (GOOGL)(GOOG) to offer access to its 100-qubit QPU through the Google Cloud Marketplace. With a pay-as-you-go model and open-source tools, Pasqal is making it easier for both experts and newcomers to run quantum workloads in the cloud. Users can monitor job progress, optimize workflows, and even run advanced simulations. More toolkits—especially in optimization and quantum simulation—are expected later this year, making Pasqal's platform a strong contender for real-world use cases. The EU and Japan signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen quantum tech collaboration as part of the EU-Japan Digital Partnership. This partnership is about more than research; it also covers cybersecurity, semiconductors, and quantum communication, with a progress review set for 2026. It's another sign of global momentum in quantum R&D, especially on strategic issues like resilience and digital sovereignty. One is led by the University of Nottingham and Phasecraft, focused on targeting myotonic dystrophy. The other, from Harvard and MIT, aims to enhance ligand-protein binding predictions—both using QuEra's quantum simulation capabilities. These projects are now entering Phase 3, where real quantum hardware will be used to validate earlier simulation results. With up to $2 million in funding available, this is a key step in proving that quantum computing can actually help solve real-world healthcare problems. Below is Tipranks' Comparison Tool, where we've compared the prominent quantum computing companies. All market data (will open in new tab) is provided by Barchart Solutions. For exchange delays and terms of use, please read disclaimer (will open in new tab).

“Now is the time to be bold and audacious,” says community safety organizer Che Johnson-Long. “Part of my work as a community safety and security practitioner is about offering tools for people to feel and move through fear so that we can continue to keep more of us in this fight,” says Che Johnson-Long. Music by Son Monarcas, Pulsed and Curved Mirror Note: This is a rush transcript and has been lightly edited for clarity. Copy may not be in its final form. Kelly Hayes: Welcome to “Movement Memos,” a Truthout podcast about organizing, solidarity, and the work of making change. I'm your host, writer and organizer, Kelly hayes. Today, we are talking about movement security and safety planning in these perilous times. I know many of us are feeling deeply unsafe right now, so I wanted to have a practical conversation about what we can do to create as much safety in our lives and movements as we can. Che is the Community Safety Education Coordinator at Vision Change Win. She comes from a long line of blues singers and calls Atlanta, Georgia, home. Sharing episodes on social media is also a huge help. Truthout is an independent news organization, publishing stories that the craven corporate media won't touch. We are a union shop with the best family and sick leave policies in the industry, and we could not do this work without the support of readers and listeners like you. And with that, I hope you enjoy the show. These are busy times, and I think many of us could use a nap. I know this is an especially hectic time for you, as someone that people look to for advice around safety and security — which are really widespread concerns right now. But before we get into a deep dive about what's unfolding right now, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your work? I run the programmatic offerings of Vision Change Win's community safety work, which means that I support left movement groups through navigating safety threats, threats that can include threats from the state, police, law enforcement, the right, and sometimes even safety threats from within our communities. KH: Yeah, I think that about covers it. But just to briefly address safety, since I have you here… in your role as someone who helps groups and organizations operate as safely as they can, what kind of threats and concerns are you seeing and hearing about right now? I say emerging because some of these threats are not new to this political moment, but they've either ramped up or they have been accompanied by so many new threats that they can feel new. There's been a number of right-wing think tanks who have put out reports quite literally naming these groups and putting a target on them. 9495 are important for us to track because I think they point to an emerging trend of creating new ways for the government to label an organization as a terrorist group or supporting terrorism. That's really scary because they could very, very immediately change a group's tax status, make it really difficult for them to receive grants [and] have staff. I think there's also a lot of threats to groups who are doing any kind of mutual aid or collective care work. We've been seeing a lot of financial deplatforming happening. We're seeing groups who receive donations through PayPal or other financial institutions get a notice from PayPal or other banks saying that they simply won't house their money. And in some cases, those groups are also then seeing their funds frozen, which then makes it really difficult for groups to continue doing their work. And especially for bail funds, I think it's especially scary because these groups rely on many small donations to get people out of jail. And the existence of bail funds, I think is part of a political ecosystem that allows people to feel more confident about showing up to protests, knowing that if there are arrests and if they happen to be one of those people arrested, that there's an organized group of people whose role it is to get them out of jail. And so without those bail funds, I imagine that it would chill a lot of the protests and mass protests that we're seeing. I don't have to say that ICE has been incredibly terrifying. The ICE raids that we're seeing in Atlanta and Chicago, in New York City, in many places have been overwhelming to all sorts of left movement groups, but especially groups that focus on immigrant rights. In addition to these ICE raids, in Atlanta and a lot of other places that are fighting against cop cities, we're seeing increased police targeting. The cop asked me a few questions, maybe saw a stack of flyers in my backseat or saw a bumper sticker or saw something that indicated involvement or support for the movement to Stop Cop City, and then asked for my phone and presumably went through my phone and then handed it back and let me go. And then I think the last thing is just a general threat to anyone who's dissenting. We see this all over the place, whether it's that recent Greenpeace lawsuit, they lost a suit against a big oil company called Energy Transfer, and the suit is what's known as a SLAPP suit. It stands for “strategic lawsuits against public participation.” And these suits are basically meant to discourage folks from protesting and groups from organizing protests. And right now, Greenpeace, because of this loss, might owe over $600 million in damages. Many courts have already said that they are illegal. I think over 35 states have anti-SLAPP laws that are basically meant to prevent these kinds of frivolous suits, but unfortunately, those anti-SLAPP laws aren't everywhere. And so I imagine that these suits will continue and are meant to eventually create enough intimidation that organizations distance themselves from protests. I think Greenpeace is a good example because they tried everything. And so I just think that we're in a political moment right now where dissent is very quickly being criminalized and the state is trying every possible avenue to criminalize that it can. I think we'll see more of these SLAPP suits in the future that are just meant to tie up groups in the court system for a long time or be very costly for groups. KH: I'm glad you brought up the situation with Greenpeace because I don't think this is on a lot of people's radar, or that folks necessarily understand how this outcome might affect grassroots work. The idea that telling the truth about a pipeline project, or using messaging that defends a marginalized community, or holding direct action workshops, can lead to a $660 million judgement has chilling implications for grassroots organizers because grassroots folks do all of the things Greenpeace was targeted for, in this case, but don't have the kind of money Greenpeace has had to wage a defense. Which kind of describes what we're up against in general — it's a very daunting situation. So, in your experience, how are people adapting as our political climate becomes more overtly fascistic? And so one thing that she said to me that really stuck with me was, we were talking about bravery and what actually creates bravery in someone. And she said to me, “Bravery is not when someone doesn't feel fear in the midst of a scary thing happening. Bravery is when someone feels fear, really actually embodied feeling of fear, and then continues to move through it and continues to take an action that leads to more liberation, more freedom.” And then she proceeded to give me a bunch of homework about practicing more embodied fear, because at the time, I was someone who really loved to disassociate from fear and just kind of check out from it. And I think that is incredibly brave and I feel really inspired by all of these examples of bravery. I don't mean to shout y'all out too much, but I feel very much a fan girl of the organizers of Chicago right now. Y'all are holding down some incredible organizing work when it comes to dealing with the ICE raids in your city. I think about… there was a House hearing last year on antisemitism in schools, and the hearing was really meant to target schools who allowed for folks to publicly speak in support of a free and liberated Palestine. And I just feel like that kind of bravery is what we need. And I think it has led to a lot of other public schools creating space for people to talk about their work and to talk about not just Palestine, but supporting trans folks, being in solidarity with the Black Liberation movement, with the movement for abolition. And at the same time, I do think that some people are adapting to our political moment by avoiding fear, which I get it. I think avoiding fear in this moment can often be the thing that leads to isolation, that leads to people saying things like, Oh, I'm going to sit this one out. And unfortunately, I think that this moment is very critical and we actually just need all of us inside of our left movement. We need stronger base building strategies so that there are more of us. And so part of my work as a community safety and security practitioner is also about offering tools for people to feel and move through fear so that we can continue to keep more of us in this fight. KH: Well, I appreciate the Chicago shout out. We are very proud of the work that's happening here, and I hope more people will join those efforts. I also want to say that I really relate to what you were saying about the distinction between not feeling something, and really feeling it, and allowing yourself to move through it. In my early and mid-twenties especially, but for many years, I was not afraid in situations when I should have been. In organizing, when I started to find myself in a position where other people took my actions and choices seriously, and might follow along, and do what I was doing, I had to reevaluate my actions. And in that way, I think my regard for other people helped me make better and more grounded decisions for myself, as well, because I started thinking about what would happen to us, instead of just disregarding what would happen to me. As I have gotten a little older and a little more in touch with my mortality, and also done a lot of healing, I no longer have the problem of not being afraid when I ought to be. Now, I am thoroughly afraid of many things that I think it's really normal and healthy to be afraid of. I don't actually like that refrain from Dune that some people are fond of, about how “fear is the mindkiller,” because as someone who lacked fear when I should have had it, I know it has the power to keep me safe. At that point, it needs to be managed. Because I think our fears, as you said, have the potential to immobilize us, and also the potential to compromise our values, if we allow that. So, much like grief, I think it's important that we not hide from fear. We need to own it, discuss it, and talk about what's grounded in something immediate, that needs to be attended to, and what's probably not as pressing right now, even though it's coming from a real place — and what we can and can't do about these things. I think one of the greatest dangers we face right now comes from fear and what it will bring out in us. And those actions are what really make the ugliest outcomes we're afraid of more likely to happen in the long run. And I understand that move towards wanting to hide or be small, I have a lot of empathy for it. And I think that to help people move through their fears, we need to give people tools, so they feel empowered to create as much safety as they can and reduce some of the harm and risks they and their communities might face. Can you talk a bit about what safety planning might look like for different groups and individuals right now? What kind of scenarios should people be looking at and how can we have these conversations without throwing ourselves into panic mode? I think it's important for us to start with examining what is panic mode? So I'm going to start by talking about what safety planning is not. We all have ways that we have navigated or survived harm as individuals, and maybe that way has been to hide or to run away or to fight your way out. And I think that those ways are really smart. I think that those ways have saved us, and in some cases have been the reason that many of us are still alive. And so while I have a lot of gratitude for these ways that we each individually have dealt with and moved through harm, trauma, abuse, violence, pressure, these ways, and sometimes people might refer to these as trauma responses, these trauma responses are not very adaptive. And so they're often responding in a present moment as if it were the past, as if it were that time where you got out or that time where you survived that thing. And so I think it's important for us to just start by saying that it's often from this place if we allow for our trauma responses to lead us and if we allow for them to be the only tools in our toolbox, that is what can create panic mode. And so in order to understand this political moment and to not safety plan from our trauma responses or go immediately into panic mode, I think we also have to be able to look at what's happening in our political landscape and understand some of the intention behind what the right is doing. I think namely the news is just a shit-show right now. There's this term “flooding the zone” that I hear everywhere, and I think this term is meant to refer to the news media being flooded with all sorts of scary things. And I think that the right means to overwhelm us with this tactic. And so one of the ways that we can push back against that frenzy and create safety plans for a more grounded place is through what we call a risk assessment. So a risk assessment is looking to answer those two questions. Risk assessments can happen in a lot of ways, but I like to start by just thinking about it as a research project. When we're looking at this question of what's likely, we can often start by looking at the national level, understanding what sorts of threats are we hearing about often in national news media, what threats are we hearing about repeatedly across regions? I think understanding what's trending at the national level can help us to sometimes predict safety threats that might be happening at a different region of this country, but eventually it might make its way to us. I want to talk to the people in Atlanta who are out in the streets often, who do a lot of base building often, and I want to ask them about threats that I'm concerned about. So for example, a few summers ago we had a really beautiful summer of action in the movement to Stop Cop City and the summer was filled with a lot of barbecues and just protests in Southwest Atlanta and more activity in parts of Atlanta that don't often see protests and barbecues and Stop Cop City-related stuff. And so as we were planning all these events, we were hearing rumors about cops showing up to different events and disrupting, and so we wanted to get a sense of is this a likely threat for our events coming up? And so using this kind of risk assessment tool, we started by looking at the national level. Of course, the movement to Stop Cop Cities started in Atlanta, but it's national now because unfortunately Cop Cities are starting to be built in many states, and so we talked to a lot of partners in other states to get a sense of how their week of actions had gone. And they said, yeah, actually it's interesting because the cops are showing up more to our fliered events that say things like family friendly that are hosted in parks than they are to our big protests. And we thought that was really strange, and so we said, okay, that's good information for us to have. We talked to folks who are intentionally not a part of our movement who maybe have political disagreement with us. And we talked to them because they know our communities well. And so for us, it's important that we build coalition across different kinds of groups and especially groups who have a strong understanding of the neighborhood, knowing that we don't have to have perfect political alignment with some groups in order to build safety together. So as we talked to some of these groups, they said, no, we haven't seen increased police presence, but we have heard about police presence increasing at these parks specifically, so you should check out those places. We followed that line of questioning, always being sure to be clear with people that we are looking into an unverified threat. We're worried about this thing, we don't know if it'll happen, and so we're curious about it, just to avoid that rumor mill or to avoid information getting away from us and then becoming misinformation. And then lastly, I think a lot of groups who are older than five years old tend to do great organizing, but sometimes struggle with documenting state threats over time. And so what can happen in a lot of organizations is they experience sort of cycles or seasons of the same threats coming back around, but because they're not tracking those threats over time, it can feel like a brand new threat and so then safety planning starts all over again. And so for us, the movement to Stop Cop City has been a part of and has sort of been fed by many different movements in Atlanta against police violence. And so we talked to police violence groups that predated our movement to get a sense of what it's looked like in the past in Atlanta when there's been a big campaign against police violence or against police spending. And the answer ended up being yes, it is likely. But in addition to answering that question, we also got a ton of advice we heard from people who said, when the cops showed up to our barbecue in 2012 or in 2017, here's what we did that did not work and you shouldn't do this again, and here's what we did that did work. And so we were able to pick up a number of tactics that we just didn't have to spend a lot of time planning or coming up with ourselves, and that was a really big gift. The second part of a risk assessment is again, just asking yourself what's the impact that this safety threat might have on our work? For us, the impact was pretty big because we were looking to have these events in a part of Atlanta that hadn't seen a lot of Stop Cop City events in the past few years, and we didn't want to scare people off in neighborhoods that maybe had a lot of people showing up to these events for the first time. And so it really informed how we did safety for these events, the ways that we navigated the cops and the ways that we were able to create a buffer for folks who might've been newer to our events. There are so many safety threats in the news, there are so many safety threats that we hear about constantly, they're not all likely. And we just don't have time or resources to waste developing safety plans for things that aren't likely to happen. And so again, just grounding in that risk assessment allows for us to really focus our energy on what we think is most likely to happen. KH: I really appreciate the process you described around determining what is likely, because my work requires me to consume so much bad news, and so many horror stories, that my imagination is all over the place — and I think that's something a lot of people can relate to, right now. Our fears can seize upon our psyches in ways that can distort our sense of what's imminent or likely, and requires immediate action, what's possible, and may require long-term action, and what's probably not going to happen. What are some baseline moves that individual activists can make to create more safety in their lives during this time? CJL: Going back to that story about people in Atlanta being pulled over and then the cop asking for them to turn over their phone – many of those pullovers were for all sorts of different excuses and the state will find lots of excuses to target us. And so one of the small ways that individuals can reduce their vulnerability to these sorts of safety threats is by figuring out where you can reduce your personal vulnerabilities. This is going to be different for everybody. For some folks, it might mean actually paying those unpaid parking tickets because that might be the thing that gets somebody caught up. Or it might mean making sure that your tags are up to date. For some folks where that's possible, I think reducing those vulnerabilities actually protects our movement, but for other folks that might not be possible. For some folks, it might mean not bringing your personal phone to the protest anymore, but instead bringing a low-data or a burner phone with fewer contacts and fewer sensitive information. For some folks it might be really upping their personal digital security. And so all of our very sensitive information that we're communicating about on Signal is vulnerable because people are storing it for longer than it's needed. And so these are the kinds of personal practices that can not just protect individual people, but that can also prevent really sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. I think it's also important that folks do their own work to recognize and understand how your fear response might take over. I think that the fear response that we all hold is probably in a normal time, is maybe on 3, but for a lot of us it's on 10. And so what that can mean in a coalition meeting or in a planning meeting is that sometimes we can come with safety concerns and we'll come with these valid concerns, but we'll share them in a way that can actually feel like more of a fight. There was another organization that's a part of a coalition of ours who was just subpoenaed and Google just turned over all their information. And so they have valid reasons for wanting this safety practice, but the way that they bring it to meetings is like a strong embodied fight. And so I think the more that we can each kind of understand our fear response ground in a risk assessment and have empathy and love and care for other people's fear responses, the easier some of these conversations are going to be about safety practices, because they're not easy conversations to begin with, and so we really need to show up with our best selves. The last thing I'll say is to just not isolate. Everyone needs to be in a group right now. And if you can't find the group that's right for you, then start a group, because that's what allows for us to coordinate with each other better and to be able to consolidate power. KH: I agree so much that we all need to be in a group right now, and I know some people don't love hearing that, but it's really true. So, for people who have found their people, what are some actions that groups and organizations can take right now to create more safety for their members? CJL: Every left movement organization needs to have some basic safety protocols right now. These protocols should include some of the most common safety threats that we're seeing, like what happens if ICE shows up to your organization? What happens if someone in your group goes missing or you don't hear from them for a while? Those are just three likely threats that a lot of groups are starting to plan around, but I encourage groups to first start by just going back to that risk assessment tool and getting critical about what are the likely threats for my organization given what we do, given who our opponents are, given our identities and our location. I think once groups have that list of likely threats and they go through that risk assessment, then it's important to start building an inventory of what existing resources and skills do you have to address the threat. I like to do inventories in fun ways, so I discourage people from sending out a very boring survey and encourage folks to get creative with how you get a sense of what you already have. They were looking to decrease their reliance on the state, and so they wanted to increase their medical knowledge so that there were fewer moments where they needed to call 911, because in their city calling 911 brought both an ambulance and the cops. And so there were all of these different skills that they wanted to inventory to get a sense of who knows how to do this, who's trained in CPR, who's trained in Stop the Bleed, et cetera. Have you been CPR trained and certified within the past six months? Have you been to a Stop the Bleed training? I think when groups can create those sorts of fun games or engagement, it's a friendly way to get folks thinking about the safety skills that exist in their crew, and it helps you to understand what do you have on deck and then what do you need. From there, just starting to go through each of those safety threats and developing a plan. How do we want to intervene in this threat? I think when people are thinking through those questions around intervention, it'll often bring up training needs. They'll say, we really want to decrease the police presence in our block, but one barrier to that is us being able to deal with respiratory emergencies, people who have asthma, in a timely fashion. And so it will then naturally create, well, we need a training. And so figuring out where the training gaps are that would actually increase your group's skill. I think every group should be in that kind of conversation. Vision Change Win is one of many groups that's available to support some of those training gaps, namely around safety and security, but I also encourage folks to kind of think outside the box. I've been really pleased recently with the number of street medics in Atlanta who've been doing different kinds of trainings related to heat stroke and heat exposure that have really helped us to navigate some of the medical emergencies that show up during protests much faster than we would otherwise. There's also just a huge retired nurse and RN community inside of our left ecosystem here, and so it's been really fun to learn from elders here about different skills that have been really useful to deal with these emergencies during protests. The last thing to consider when you're building these safety protocols is that training should happen regularly. So if you're building up a protocol, for example, around the cops showing up to your space with a warrant, you want to make sure that you have skill, someone knows how to read a legal warrant, how to recognize when a warrant isn't legal. But you might realize that as you're building up this practice, that oh, three of the people who knew how to read a legal warrant are about to be on maternity leave. Training is also a great place to evaluate. So a risk assessment can change, we can have risks that are likely in one month that are not likely the next month. And so as we're offering these regular trainings, it's also important to make sure we go back to our risk assessment at least once a year, but I would recommend more often than that, to make sure that the risks that we're planning around are still likely. And I think the reality is that we are going to be in a rapid response moment for a while. And so figuring out where we can slow down also means being able to braid safety into the fabric of our work a bit more seamlessly so that safety isn't this last minute burden. When we're able to do that braiding well, when we're thinking about safety from the beginning of the protest plan and not in the last few days, I think that's when we see the most successful interventions and that's when we're able to do safety in a way that's also sustainable. I think the last thing to say is, just like I think it's important for individuals to be in a group, I also think it's important for groups to find the coalitions that are right for them. Whether it's an alliance, a network, or just a partnership with one other group, I think that groups are stronger when they can communicate with other groups about safety threats. And so whatever that means for your organization, whether it means formalizing a sort of informal partnership you might have with a local group, or showing up more regularly to a coalition, or talking to a network who you're politically aligned with about sharing safety threats with each other, I think upping the rigor around working together is what's going to help groups to maintain safety over time. I really love what you said about last minute planning, and this is a mistake I've made in the past myself. When I look back at all of my organizing over the years, there are a couple of moments that really jump out at me when things went sideways, and if I am honest with myself, I knew in my gut, before doing the thing, that we didn't have enough time to plan and prepare the way we should have. I got swept up in the urgency of the thing, or in other people's arguments about why it had to happen right away, or maybe moved from a place of ego, thinking that we could handle it. And, you know, I learned by being humbled by my mistakes that we need to be thorough as fuck in our planning and in our preparations, and I think that's even more true now, because the stakes are so high. I also really appreciate what you were saying about skill inventories and making plans about how you want to intervene. It made me think about the Chicago Teachers Union's Sanctuary Toolkit, and how teachers here are forming sanctuary teams, and taking on safety roles for scenarios when ICE might be trying to get into the building. CTU has also shared that toolkit publicly, and it can be adapted by teachers in other cities and states, and I hope folks will look at that, because learning from each other is so key right now. And on that note, we have a lot to learn from Vision Change Win (VCW). VCW's resources have been so important to me as an organizer. Can you talk a bit about the resources you all offer and about any upcoming workshops that folks might want to plug into? CJL: Yeah, the Get In Formation Training Series (G.I.F.T.S.) is the first resource that I would recommend folks check out. And then quarterly, we have a session on digital security. You can complete it in one month or you can take one training every month for four months, so it's really kind of a choose your own adventure training series. The second offering is we run a 10-month Safety and Security School. And the Security School is for anyone who wants to take a deeper dive into community safety work within their organization. The application for Security School will drop in May. Rapid response is kind of our warm line, so not quite a hotline, but it is our offering to be able to support organizations in urgent or emergent needs. We have about a 24- to 48-hour turnaround time, you can request support from going on our website. And groups reach out to us for all kinds of safety and security crises through that rapid response system, but often once they've developed a plan for that crisis, we'll then move into a training program. KH: VCW's Rapid Response system is such a gift to our movements. I have been so grateful to be able to send some folks y'all's way in moments when they were facing some very scary, very credible threats. It meant everything to me, honestly, when folks reached out with those nightmarish experiences to be able to point them toward people who I knew would give them practical advice, based on years of experience and analysis around how we address these things. I won't get into those people's stories, because they are not mine to tell, but I will say that when we face threats in the movement, sometimes the scariest possibilities involve our loved ones being at risk, and that can make us feel so helpless and powerless. To offer people practical guidance on how we can move from that sense of helplessness and powerlessness to doing whatever we can to create safety for ourselves and our loved ones, that's just beautiful and essential work, and we're all so lucky that VCW exists. Because that's the kind of help that's going to allow us to be as brave and strategic as we can in these times. So, as we wrap things up, is there anything else you would like to share with or ask of the audience today? I've been talking to a lot of parents recently about how they're navigating this moment. And that group just formed because someone wanted to go to a protest and just didn't feel like they had capacity to be at the protest and care for three kids. I have friends who are mechanics who are really skilled at fixing cars, and they've been reaching out to community members to offer a free tune up and oil change for folks so that they're able to drive around safely. And so I just feel like no matter who you are or what you're good at, there is a way to make that an offer to movement, and I just encourage folks to get really creative about what that offering is. I love those examples, and I think this is a really important time for us to think expansively and creatively about what it means to create as much safety as we can. This is how we are going to move through these times effectively — by moving through our fears together, building skills, making plans, and having each other's backs. I want to thank you, Che, for helping us learn how to do that, and thank you so much for joining me and thinking alongside me today. This is such an exciting opportunity, I'm such a fan of the podcast, so I am grateful to be here talking with you. Please remember to check the show notes of this episode for links to some of the resources we've discussed today. I know many of us are grappling with our fears in these uncertain times. For me, moving through fear is a process that involves acknowledging what's beyond my control, and examining what choices I can still make to protect myself and others, while also trying to live my values. That last part is important, because our fears can sometimes pull us away from our values, and prompt us to abandon other people, or hunker down, in the hopes that we can ride the storm out in safety, if we only look out for ourselves. That kind of mentality is what our enemies are counting on. Individualism shreds our solidarity and leaves us isolated. I encourage everyone who is frightened right now to create or join a space to discuss those feelings with others. You might find that sharing your feelings not only helps you cope, but also opens the door to constructive conversations about what we can do to address our fears together. Risk assessments and safety planning can empower us to create as much safety as we can in our lives and movements. Rather than becoming immobilized by fear, let's learn together and build skills that can help us meet the moment. Solidarity means making every effort to protect each other, so let's figure out what that looks like in practice, for all of us. Until next time, I'll see you in the streets. The Trump administration is cracking down on political dissent. Under pressure from an array of McCarthy-style tactics, academics, activists and nonprofits face significant threats for speaking out or organizing in resistance. Truthout is appealing for your support to weather this storm of censorship. We've launched a fundraising campaign to find 500 new monthly donors in the next 10 days. As independent media with no corporate backing or billionaire ownership, Truthout is uniquely able to push back against the right-wing narrative and expose the shocking extent of political repression under the new McCarthyism. Your support during our fundraiser (7 days left) will help us continue our nonprofit movement journalism in the face of right-wing authoritarianism. Kelly's written work can also be found in Teen Vogue, Bustle, Yes! Magazine, Pacific Standard, NBC Think, her blog Transformative Spaces, The Appeal, the anthology The Solidarity Struggle: How People of Color Succeed and Fail At Showing Up For Each Other In the Fight For Freedom and Truthout's anthology on movements against state violence, Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Kelly was honored for her organizing and education work in 2014 with the Women to Celebrate award, and in 2018 with the Chicago Freedom School's Champions of Justice Award. To keep up with Kelly's organizing work, you can follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. We've set a goal to add 440 new monthly donors in the next 7 days – will you be one of them?

Stand behind Ukrainian independent journalism when it's needed most. Pope Leo XIV has been handed a list of Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity during a ceremony at the Vatican, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on May 15. "My heart goes out to the suffering and beloved people of Ukraine. Let us do everything we can to bring about a true peace, a just and lasting peace, as soon as possible," Pope Leo XIV said, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. There have been 64 POW swaps since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, and five during 2025. In his first Sunday address on May 11, Pope Leo XIV called for an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine, adding that he carries in his heart the "suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine." Previously, while serving as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, Leo XIV spoke out against Russia's continued war against Ukraine. In a 2022 interview with Peruvian news outlet Semanario Expresion, he condemned Russia's war against Ukraine, characterizing it as "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power." We're working hard to show the world the truth of Russia's brutal war — and we're keeping it free for everyone, because reliable information should be available to all. Our goal: reach 20,000 members to prove independent journalism can survive without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise.

Kseniia Petrova, 31, was charged with one count of smuggling goods into the country. The charges were announced just hours after a federal judge in Vermont heard arguments in a lawsuit Petrova filed against the Trump administration alleging she has been unlawfully detained at an immigration detention center in Louisiana for months. She was transferred out of the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to a nearby Louisiana parish jail shortly after being charged. An initial hearing in her criminal case has been set for May 15. Petrova, a Russian national, was first taken into immigration custody on Feb. 16 after arriving at Logan International Airport in Boston following a trip to Paris. According to prosecutors, she was stopped by Customs and Border Protection agents after her checked duffle bag was flagged for inspection, revealing biological items including a foam box containing clawed frog embryos in microcentrifuges, as well as embryonic samples in paraffin well stages and on mounted dyed slides. Prosecutors said that Petrova initially denied carrying such material in her baggage but acknowledged she had biological specimens when asked again. During an interview under oath, Petrova allegedly claimed to be unsure that she was required to declare biological material when entering the country, prosecutors said. They alleged that in response to one text message asking how she planned to get through customs with the biological samples, Petrova said: “No plan yet. Petrova's case has drawn criticism from Democrats, including Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, who filed an amicus brief on May 12 opposing the government's efforts to dismiss her petition for release. The brief states that Petrova had been conducting critical research on degenerative diseases at Harvard under a valid J-1 visa prior to her detention 10 weeks ago. Harvard University said in a statement that it “continues to monitor the situation.” The Epoch Times has contacted Petrova's attorney for further comment.

Russia's stance at negotiations on the situation in Ukraine has been modified if compared to 2022 and adjustments are due to the situation on the ground, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists on Thursday. "Yes, there are adjustments in Russia's stance. These changes are due to developments on the ground," she said. "If you want to grasp the connection between the negotiating process and territories, I should remind you of a statement made by the Russian Foreign Minister [Sergey Lavrov] on September 28, 2024," Zakharova said. According to her, Foreign Minister Lavrov stated at that time that Ukraine would have preserved a part of Donbass if the agreements reached at the April 2022 negotiations in Istanbul were observed. "However, Sergey Lavrov added that each time when any agreement backed by Russia is breached, Ukraine becomes smaller," Zakharova said. "I think it would be wise to keep this quote in mind for everyone trying to find a connection between the negotiating process and the size of the [Ukrainian] territory." The plan is to start dialogue in Istanbul on May 15. Vladimir Zelensky, in turn, announced plans to travel to Istanbul on Thursday, following US President Donald Trump's call on Ukraine to immediately accept Putin's offer for talks. The Russian team of negotiators also includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.

Stand behind Ukrainian independent journalism when it's needed most. Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) on May 14 for the first time presented its latest versatile Magura naval drones to the public. The Magura drones, as well as the Sea Baby drones of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), have been pivotal in turning the tide of the war in the Black Sea, destroying or damaging multiple Russian ships and other assets. HUR's Group 13 has deployed Magura drones to successfully hit 17 naval and aerial Russian targets. Fifteen of them, including two Mi-8 helicopters, two Su-30 fighter jets, and the Sergey Kotov, Ivanovets, and Ceasar Kunikov warships of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, have been destroyed, the agency said. As of 2024, Ukraine was reportedly able to destroy or disable one-third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in a drone and missile campaign, despite Moscow's significant advantage in sheer naval power. Black Sea hostilities have since then quieted down as Russia moved most of its naval assets from occupied Crimea further east and Ukraine managed to resume its maritime shipping. We're working hard to show the world the truth of Russia's brutal war — and we're keeping it free for everyone, because reliable information should be available to all. Our goal: reach 20,000 members to prove independent journalism can survive without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise. Will you help us do it?

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is at the center of another controversy, and this time it directly involves Mexico. MrBeast also visited the archaeological sites of Calakmul in the state of Campeche and Balamcanché in Yucatán. The video, which as of Wednesday afternoon has accumulated more than 55 million views, shows MrBeast and his team in the surroundings of Kukulkan, but also inside other archaeological structures, in cenotes and temples. What is the controversy surrounding MrBeast in Mexico? In one part of the video, MrBeast himself says: “I can't believe the government is letting us do this. Not even archaeologists are allowed in here.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that there were permits for the “broadcast,” but asked the INAH to report “under what conditions this permit was granted.” “And if the permit was violated, then (it must be determined) what sanctions apply,” the president added. Other points have also caused controversy, such as a drone shot that appears to be inside the temple at the top of El Castillo in Chichén Itzá. There are also scenes where MrBeast appears to descend to the archaeological sites by helicopter or where he holds a pre-Hispanic mask in his hands. How easy is it to apply for permits? Is it true that not even archaeologists can enter, as MrBeast claims? Exploring, filming, and broadcasting in Mexican archaeological sites is a restricted activity that few are allowed to do. The INAH stated that, while institute personnel were supervising MrBeast's activities at all times, access was granted to an area that is not permanently accessible to the general public. “The tours were conducted in publicly accessible areas without affecting visitor access. Although it is not permanently open to the public, it does provide access by arranging a scheduled visit in advance and with justification, as is the case with tours conducted with the communities surrounding the archaeological site,” it said in its Monday statement. However, by law, exploration of Mexico's archaeological sites is permitted for a very small group of institutions. In this request, the director of the Chichén Itzá Archaeological Zone, José Francisco Javier Osorio León, mentions that “in accordance” with the provisions of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historical Monuments and Zones, “all types of material work to discover or explore archaeological monuments will only be carried out by the National Institute of Anthropology and History or by scientific institutions or those of recognized moral standing, with prior authorization.” Meanwhile, Federal Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza spoke out against the activities carried out by MrBeast and his team at the archaeological sites. Of course we don't agree, and of course there will be appropriate sanctions because that's not what these spaces are for,” Curiel de Icaza said Tuesday at a decorative and utilitarian art event. CNN has reached out to MrBeast for comment.