Pakistan has been ranked as the second-most terrorism-affected country in the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025. The country experienced a significant increase in terrorist incidents, with attacks doubling from 517 in 2023 to 1,099 in 2024. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were the most affected regions, with Taliban militants responsible for 482 attacks and 558 deaths in 2024.
https://indiatoday.in/world/story/pakistan-terror-attacks-tehreek-e-taliban-global-terrorism-index-burkina-faso-syria-institute-economics-and-peace-2689918-2025-03-06Teddi Mellencamp has been spotted in public for the first time since undergoing emergency brain surgery to remove tumors last month. Just days after sharing a health update revealing more tumors were found on her brain, she was seen grabbing lunch with Kyle Richards and a friend in LA. This is not the first time Mellencamp has shared her health battle publicly, as she had previously documented her experience of having staples removed from her head and announced her release from the hospital via Instagram video.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14469981/teddi-mellencamp-health-update-brain-surgery-tumors.htmlResearch by scientists at Tianjin Normal University and the University of California, Los Angeles has found that excessive use of short-video platforms like TikTok can lead to cognitive deficits, including memory loss and anxiety. People with "TikTok brain" show compulsive and uncontrolled use of these platforms, and their brains develop a different structure compared to others. This addiction leads them to excessively consume personalized content, interfering with other activities and affecting their mood, learning, and memory.
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3300919/tiktok-brain-short-video-addiction-affects-mood-learning-and-memory-study-shows?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionUS President Donald Trump has vowed to pursue civil rights cases against schools that discriminate based on race, while also targeting diversity and equity policies in education as "explicit unlawful discrimination". He has threatened to fine and tax colleges with endowments for implementing such policies. Additionally, Trump plans to exclude transgender students from Title IX protections, which affect school policies on pronoun use, bathrooms, and locker rooms.
https://www.khou.com/article/news/nation-world/education-department-what-it-does/507-c4282d68-23de-49b4-827f-2b75417e2605A bill sponsored by Utah's Republican Sen. Todd Weiler aims to require app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental permission for minors to download certain apps. The measure would also allow parents to link their child's account to their own, with a credit card serving as an age verification tool in most cases. This proposal is part of a broader trend, with eight other states considering similar legislation. In Louisiana, Apple helped kill a similar bill last year, and lawsuits have delayed the implementation of state laws regulating social media apps and websites. If Utah's governor, Spencer Cox, signs the bill into law, it would take effect on May 7.
https://apnews.com/article/utah-app-store-age-verification-7e31de07ddca7b32cc82f7ead2c4adc9Michael Missal, former inspector general at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), has expressed concerns that the agency's recent staff cuts and reorganization under President Trump will harm veterans. Missal, who was fired last month, stated that the VA is already suffering from a lack of expertise due to top-level officials leaving or being reassigned. This comes as Democrats in Congress have criticized the cuts, while Republicans like Rep. Mike Bost and Sen. Lindsey Graham have expressed caution and concern about the impact on service delivery, with Graham calling it "political malpractice" that the VA did not notify lawmakers of the changes ahead of time.
https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-administration-plans-to-cut-80-000-jobs-at-veteran-s-affairs-memo-says-/8000802.htmlThe US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to cut tens of thousands of employees, including veterans who make up over 25% of its workforce, as part of a reorganization effort. The move is aimed at resizing and tailoring the workforce to meet the agency's mission and revised structure, with the goal of implementing objectives set by the Trump administration in collaboration with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This decision has sparked opposition from employees, who are concerned about layoffs and the cancellation of hundreds of contracts.
https://krcgtv.com/news/nation-world/va-to-cut-80000-jobs-in-major-reorganization-aims-to-return-to-2019-staffing-levels-elon-musk-department-of-government-efficiency-president-donald-trump-veterans-affairs-layoffs-reorganization-christopher-syrek#The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been applying a "benefit of the doubt" rule, which favors veterans when evidence regarding a service-related disability claim is in balance, in cases such as Bufkin v. Collins, involving veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder who have applied for disability benefits.
https://natlawreview.com/article/unusual-combinations-justices-denying-veterans-claim-requiring-executive-makeThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan program, which has been in place since World War II, is a benefit available to millions of service members and veterans. As of this writing, it is unclear how federal cuts will affect the program, but as of now, it remains an option for those who have earned these rewards.
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-military/2025/03/06/what-troops-and-retirees-need-to-know-about-the-va-home-loan-in-2025/