内容摘要：Dressed in army fatigues with a camera fixed to his forehead, Ayman Abu Hamadan was forced into houses in

Dressed in army fatigues with a camera fixed to his forehead, Ayman Abu Hamadan was forced into houses in

While experts said the presence of the chemicals is concerning and confusing, they noted the study didn’t go through the rigorous scrutiny that it takes to get published in a peer-reviewed science or medical journal.Javon Ford, a cosmetic chemist who talks about his work on social media, questioned the report’s findings, saying “the data set is so limited.” Consumer Reports only sampled two of each product, despite thousands on the market.

James Rogers, the head of product safety at Consumer Reports who led the study, said his hope was to get the information out there because of the lack of research. He noted that it was a pilot project, but that “we thought the results were important enough to start the conversation.”Research published in 2020 in the journal Environmental Health Insights showed synthetic hair let off volatile organic compounds — chemicals that can easily evaporate into the air — when heated. Synthetic hair is sealed when braided, either by burning it or dipping it in hot water. That study detected many of the same chemicals named in the Consumer Reports study, like the known carcinogen benzene.Experts can’t answer whether the products are truly safe — but that’s because there’s so little research out there.

There’s also little government oversight on the products, which leaves manufacturers to ensure that they’re safe. Consumer Reports is petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to begin regulating synthetic braiding hair.Jasmine McDonald, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University who has studied the health impacts of chemical hair straighteners, said the Consumer Reports study shouldn’t invoke fear but awareness about the potential harms of braiding hair, the lack of federal regulations and the minimal research.

“I think that in our culture, we sometimes normalize things to the point where we don’t see the harm ... the more that we can raise awareness that some of these cultural routines could potentially provide harm is us having the potential to stop that harm,” McDonald said.

If you’re concerned about using synthetic braiding hair or straightening chemicals, there are other hairstyles to try.An Associated Press review of donations to Trump over the past five years found 1,600 contributions from donors who live abroad, have close ties to foreign interests or failed to disclose basic information, often making it difficult, if not impossible, to identify them and verify the legality of their donations Among those was $5,000 linked to a derelict building, and $5,000 from a Chinese businessman who listed a La Quinta Inn as his address. Another sizable donation — $1 million — was made by the wife of an African oil and mining magnate.

It’s against the law for U.S. candidates and political committees to accept contributions from foreign nationals. Laws also place strict limits on donation amounts and prohibit the laundering of contributions to get around legal caps. For the most part, such donations have been policed by campaigns and the Federal Election Commission, with only the most egregious examples being targeted by federal law enforcement.But after reclaiming the White House, Trump embarked on a

against his perceived enemies, launching broadsides against universities, law firms and his own former officials. If the Justice Department were to investigate ActBlue, it could imperil a key fundraising tool for Trump’s political rivals before the 2026 midterm elections, when Republicans’ threadbare House majority — and the president’s ability to pass an agenda through Congress — will be on the line.“This is him taking direct aim at the center of Democratic and progressive fundraising to hamstring his political opponents,” said Ezra Reese, an attorney who leads the political law division at the Elias Law Group, a leading Democratic firm that does not represent ActBlue. “I don’t think there’s any question that they picked their target first. He’s not even pretending.”