By STEPHEN GROVES, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, on Wednesday evening as Republicans looked past his connections to right-wing extremists and support for conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Kent won confirmation on a 52-44 vote tally with Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina the only Republican nay vote. Kent had already been working for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. As the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, he will oversee an agency tasked with analyzing and detecting terrorist threats.

In the role, he plans to devote agency resources to targeting Latin American gangs and other criminal groups tied to migration. He is the latest Trump loyalist to win Senate confirmation to the upper echelons of U.S. national security leadership at a time when Trump is stretching his presidential wartime powers to accomplish his goals.

“President Trump is committed to identifying these cartels and these violent gang members and making sure that we locate them and that we get them out of our country,” Kent said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in April.

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Kent enters the top role at the counterterrorism center after two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state, as well as a military career that saw him deployed 11 times as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA. His first wife, a Navy cryptologist, was killed by a suicide bomber in 2019 while fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.

Yet Democrats strongly opposed his confirmation, pointing to his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents had somehow instigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump won the 2020 election over President Joe Biden.

Democrats grilled him on his participation in a group chat on Signal that was used by Trump’s national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.

They also raised grave concerns over a recent incident where Kent, as Gabbard’s chief of staff, told an intelligence analyst to revise an assessment of the relationship between the Venezuelan government and a transnational gang. The revisions supported Trump’s assertions that members of the gang could be removed under the Alien Enemies Act — a wartime provision.

Democrats said it showed Kent cannot be trusted to handle some of the nation’s most important and sensitive intelligence.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said any counterterrorism director “must be trusted to tell the truth and to uphold the core principles of the intelligence community: Objectivity, nonpartisanship and fidelity to fact.”

“Unfortunately, Mr. Kent has shown time and again that he cannot meet the standard,” Warner added.

Still, Republicans have praised his counterterrorism qualifications, pointing to his military and intelligence experience.

Sen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chair of the intelligence committee, said in a floor speech that Kent “has dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and keeping Americans safe.”

By DAVID BAUDER, Associated Press

A federal judge on Wednesday essentially accused the Trump administration of ignoring his orders to restore Voice of America’s operations and explain clearly what it is doing with the government-run operation that provides news to other countries.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth of the District of Columbia gave the administration until Aug. 13 to explain how it will get VOA working again. The outlet that dates back to World War II has been largely dark since March.

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Lamberth said the administration needs to show what it is doing with the $260 million Congress appropriated for VOA’s operations this year.

Kari Lake, the adviser appointed by Trump to run the government news agencies, said in June that 85% of employees at VOA and its overseers at the U.S. Agency for Global Media had lost their jobs. She called it a “long overdue effort to dismantle a bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy.”

Lamberth said there’s a process for eliminating funding that had previously been appropriated — Congress must vote on it, as it recently did for NPR and PBS funding. But that hasn’t happened here, he said.

He scolded the administration for providing “cagey answers” and omitting key information when asked for it in previous court orders.

“Without more explanation, the court is left to conclude that the defendants are simply trying to run out the clock on the fiscal year, without putting the money Congress appropriated toward the purposes Congress intended,” Lamberth wrote. “The legal term for that is ‘waste.’”

There was no immediate comment from the White House.

David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

“Despite regulations aimed at reducing outbreaks, a critical blind spot persists: many buildings with positive Legionella tests or related cases remain unreported, leaving residents, workers, and visitors unknowingly exposed to this silent threat.”

Office towers in Manhattan (Adi Talwar/City Limits)

Legionella bacteria lurk quietly in the water systems of many New York City buildings, posing a persistent yet largely hidden health threat. Just this week, local health officials announced a cluster of such cases in Harlem.

Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling water droplets contaminated with Legionella, remains underreported and insufficiently managed in many buildings across the city. Despite regulations aimed at reducing outbreaks, a critical blind spot persists: many buildings with positive Legionella tests or related cases remain unreported, leaving residents, workers, and visitors unknowingly exposed to this silent threat. 

New York City’s dense building stock, including hospitals, hotels, office towers, and residential complexes, relies on complex water systems that can harbor Legionella if not properly maintained. Although regulations require periodic water testing in certain high-risk buildings, the system for mandatory reporting and follow-up actions is fragmented and inconsistent. Without universal mandatory reporting of positive results and compulsory retesting after outbreaks or detected contamination, prevention efforts fall short. 

To close this critical gap, New York City must establish a robust citywide framework that includes regular Legionella testing in all high-risk buildings such as hospitals, nursing homes, large residential buildings, and commercial properties with cooling towers or extensive water systems.

This framework must also mandate reporting of all positive Legionella test results to public health authorities to ensure transparency and enable timely interventions. Additionally, compulsory follow-up retesting and verification for any building that tests positive or has associated Legionnaires’ disease cases would confirm that remediation efforts are effective before reopening or continued occupancy. 

This proactive, transparent approach would enable early intervention before outbreaks escalate, reduce health risks, and enhance public trust. 

Emerging PropTech solutions offer promising tools to improve monitoring and prevention. IoT-enabled water sensors can provide continuous, real-time monitoring of water quality parameters such as temperature, pH, and disinfectant levels, which are critical factors influencing Legionella growth. Data analytics platforms can aggregate sensor data, predict risk patterns, and alert building managers or authorities to anomalies. Integration with building management systems can automate preventive actions such as flushing water lines or adjusting temperature settings to inhibit bacterial proliferation. 

Such technology not only improves detection speed and accuracy but also helps building owners optimize maintenance schedules, reduce liability, and meet compliance requirements efficiently. 

If the true scale of unreported Legionella contamination and associated cases in New York City buildings were fully transparent, the public and policymakers might be shocked. Many residents are unaware of the risks lurking in their own buildings’ water systems. This opacity fuels complacency and limits community advocacy for stronger regulations and investment in preventive technologies. 

Greater transparency and mandatory reporting would empower residents to demand safer environments and enable public health officials to allocate resources more effectively. 

Building owners and property managers must prioritize Legionella risk management as a critical health and safety issue, integrating routine testing and maintenance into their operational protocols. Public health authorities should enforce regulations consistently, provide clear guidance, and support adoption of innovative monitoring technologies. 

Insurance companies represent a crucial but underutilized partner in this risk reduction framework. Forward-thinking insurers can incentivize proactive water management through premium discounts for buildings with robust testing protocols and comprehensive water management plans.

By partnering with PropTech providers, insurance companies could offer real-time monitoring solutions to policyholders, creating a win-win scenario where building owners receive cutting-edge technology while insurers reduce their exposure to Legionnaires’ disease claims.

Additionally, insurers possess valuable claims data that could help identify risk patterns and inform prevention strategies across the industry, transforming them from passive risk assessors into active partners in public health protection. 

The city can incentivize early adoption through grants, technical assistance, and recognition programs, fostering a culture of proactive risk management. 

Several cities and regions have pioneered robust Legionella oversight frameworks. California mandates strict Legionella monitoring and reporting for cooling towers statewide, coupled with comprehensive databases accessible to public health agencies. Singapore requires all building owners to submit Legionella risk assessments and water management plans, enforced through periodic audits. European Union guidelines emphasize integrated water safety plans, combining regulatory oversight with technology-driven monitoring. 

New York City, with its unparalleled density and complexity, is uniquely positioned to lead this effort. The city can learn from these examples, adapting best practices and leveraging its technological ecosystem and public health infrastructure. 

To safeguard public health and reduce Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks, New York City must enact legislation mandating universal Legionella testing and reporting for all high-risk buildings and establish a centralized, accessible database of test results and remediation status.

The city should also promote and subsidize PropTech innovations for continuous water quality monitoring while educating building owners, managers, and residents on Legionella risks and prevention. Finally, fostering cross-sector collaboration between government agencies, real estate stakeholders, and technology providers will be essential to success. 

Legionella’s silent threat demands urgent, coordinated action in New York City. By closing the reporting gap and embracing modern technology, the city can lead the nation in safeguarding its buildings’ water systems, protecting public health, and restoring confidence in urban living environments. 

Christine A. McHugh is a PropTech and ClimateTech strategist with over 30 years of global commercial real estate experience. She is editor of The PropTech Standards Consortium and creator of PropTech Insights, a weekly series exploring real estate technology and sustainability. Christine serves on the boards of ASHRAE NYC, the US PropTech Council, and IFMA NYC, influencing standards and policies around smart buildings, cybersecurity, and health. 

The post Opinion: Addressing NYC’s Hidden Legionella Risk appeared first on City Limits.

By ROB GILLIES, Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday, the latest in a series of symbolic announcements that are part of a broader global shift against Israel’s policies in Gaza.

Carney convened a Cabinet meeting to discuss the situation in the battered Palestinian territory. He said it came after he discussed the crisis with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer who announced a similar move on Tuesday.

Leaders are under mounting pressure over the issue as scenes of hunger in Gaza have horrified so many across the world.

“The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” Carney said.

“Canada intends to recognize the State of Palestine at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025.”

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Carney said the intention is predicated on the Palestinian Authority “holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how much of a condition Carney’s caveat represented — an election in the wrecked strip is not likely anytime soon.

Pressure to formally recognize Palestinian statehood has mounted since French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will become the first major Western power to recognize a Palestinian state in September.

As with France and the U.K., Canadian recognition would be largely symbolic, but it’s part of a broader global shift against Israel and could increase diplomatic pressure for an end to the conflict.

More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including a dozen in Europe. Macron’s announcement last week made France the first Group of Seven country — and the largest in Europe — to take that step.

Canada has long supported the idea of an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel, but has said recognition should come as part of a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict.