DAVID MARCUS: I've seen enough human suffering in homeless encampments to know Trump's new policy is right

When the ambulance arrived in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia two years ago, an angry EMT got out and barked at the crowd, “Who called this in?” 

Standing next to my cameraman and above the prone body of a shirtless soul bedecked in boils and not moving, I said, “I did.” He didn’t say a word, he looked at me, then down the street at the dozens of strung out bodies, then back at me as if to say, “Look at all this, what do you want me to do?”

I had no answer.

HOMELESS PEOPLE CAN BE REMOVED FROM STREETS BY CITIES, STATES IN NEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER

Last week, President Donald Trump did answer that question with a much-welcome executive order (EO) intended to bring back civil commitment, in other words, the ability to put people who are a danger to themselves or others in institutions, even against their will.

Civil libertarians are in a tizzy over the EO. They insist this is an abuse of due process and harkens to the bad old days, when hundreds of thousands of Americans were committed to mental institutions, sometimes for dubious reasons.

But in examining and judging Trump’s proposed policy here, it is important to understand and accept what the status quo on the ground is right now, and it is nothing short of horrific.

I’ve traveled to homeless encampments all over America, from tucked-away Manhattan underpasses to the sprawling chaos of San Francisco’s Tenderloin, a place you literally smell a block before you enter.

SANTA MONICA BUSINESS OWNER OFFERING ONE-WAY FLIGHTS TO GET HOMELESS OUT OF CALIFORNIA

In these encampments, your gag reflex is challenged by needles sticking out of necks and mountains of human detritus, but the real soul-crushing, existential sadness comes from knowing that these human beings are just being left to die.

For decades now, Democrats have spent endless dollars on fruitless efforts to fix the homeless problem. In California alone, Gov. Gavin Newsom has spent $20 billion on failing to fix it, and only recently admitted the encampments have to go.

What the Trump administration realizes is that Democrats refuse to accept is that homelessness is, actually, two very distinct problems. One is financial, the other is a matter of addiction and mental health.

Financial homelessness is fairly easy to address. The evicted mother living in her car can be given temporary housing and job assistance. She really does just need a hand up.

Homelessness related to mental illness and addiction, however, isn’t really a homelessness problem at all, it’s an addiction and mental illness problem, and shockingly, just letting people in tents shoot up in what was once a thriving commercial district doesn’t solve it.

As I have wandered the streets of these hellscapes in city after city, my question hasn’t really been if these people would be better off in an institution, but rather, if they weren’t in a de facto open-air institution already.

What does it matter if these places lack walls and locks? They are cages nonetheless, cruel prisons whether voluntary or not.

Opponents of civil commitment insist you cannot take away people’s freedom! But freedom to do what? Shoot fentanyl every day until they die on a curbside, pockets rifled by another desperate junkie?

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If it was your child on these broken and brutal streets of death, would you want them to be left in freedom to waste away, or would you want them taken somewhere where they could be protected and helped?

Opponents will say that civil commitment can be abused. They will point to the 1950s when homosexuals were sent to institutions, but it’s not 1950. We aren’t going to institutionalize gay people, and we cannot be paralyzed by a bigoted past when trying to save lives today.

Could there be abuses or mistakes made regarding civil commitment? Sure, but people are dying in the streets right now, and we must trust ourselves to actively help them, without stepping over the line.

Annoyed with me, or not, that day in Kensington, the EMT revived the man at my feet, who, it turns out, wasn’t dead, after all. Instead, he was angry, because the Narcan that woke him up also negated the high he had paid for.

There are really only two sides to be on here: the side that says we are going to do everything we can to save that man’s life, even against his will, or the side that condemns him to an open-air prison of his own making.

President Trump has chosen wisely, and if local governments take heed, it is going to save a lot of lives across America.

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US

Drew Barrymore sported a one-piece swimsuit while enjoying a family vacation in Saint-Tropez. 

On Sunday, Barrymore, 50, was photographed on a yacht wearing a simple black one-piece during her France getaway.

The talk show host spent the day jumping off the side of the boat and relaxing with family members, including her children.

During “The Drew Barrymore Show” in April, the actress responded to a fan who asked for her “secret to aging gracefully and being so comfortable in your own skin.” 

JESSICA ALBA EMBRACES SELF-CARE AND SUMMER VIBES IN BIKINI PHOTOS

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Barrymore responded, “I haven’t done anything, and I want to try and stay that way.”

She expressed that she’s not knocking anyone for getting procedures done and promoted that people should “do whatever works for you.”

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“The only thing I do know is: Don’t judge other people because they do things differently. We’re all on our own path, and we have to support each other,” Barrymore noted.

Drew explained that as she has gotten older, she has become more self-conscious about certain parts of her body, including her “turkey neck.”

“I see a lot of turkey neck, or I have a lot of other times where I’m like, ‘Oh, wow! Wow, we’re there now,'” she said.

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Barrymore didn’t have an answer for the fan who asked her, but she did give the woman some advice on how to approach aging.

“I want to tell myself not to be so mean to myself. How many beautiful moments do we even get the privilege of seeing our reflection and that person looking back at us is us?

“So the kinder, more patient, more resilient, more loving, embracing, less dismissive that we can be, the better it is for our mental game and spiritual game, which affects the face,” Barrymore said.

The “Charlie’s Angels” star continued, “A smile is better than any lipstick you’ll buy, and internal dialog that isn’t so eviscerating of ourselves and so quick to catch a flaw — who says that’s the flaw? By the way, that might be someone else’s favorite thing about you… how ironic. It isn’t how you look. It’s how you feel.”

US

City officials in Kerrville were largely unprepared for the devastating floods that struck the Hill Country on July 4, according to newly released city communications, including emails and text messages obtained by KSAT through public records requests.

The documents include a text exchange involving Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice, in which he appeared to mock U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Hours before a July 5 press conference, held alongside federal, state, and local officials to update the public on rescue efforts, a city employee texted Rice, “Just saw you met Homeland Barbie. How is she?” 

Rice replied, “Basically Homeland Barbie,” followed by a string of laughter. 

NOEM SAYS CRITICISM OF FEDERAL RESPONSE TO TEXAS FLOODING IS ‘ALL POLITICS’: ‘DISSERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY’

The nickname, and similar terms like “ICE Barbie,” have circulated online to satirize Noem since her appointment as DHS Secretary earlier this year.

The exchange has raised eyebrows given the gravity of the disaster response and growing criticism of how it was handled.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has sharply criticized the federal response, alleging it was politically motivated. While not directly blaming Noem for the flooding itself, Murphy accused the Trump administration of undermining FEMA’s readiness, claiming FEMA personnel were fired while flood victims were actively calling the agency for help.

Noem defended the federal response in an interview on Fox News Sunday, earlier this month, pushing back on allegations of delay. 

She stated that more than 700 FEMA workers were on the ground within hours of a call with Texas officials. She also noted the Coast Guard was deployed immediately following that conversation.

Despite her defense, concerns persist at both the state and local levels.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S TEXAS FLOOD DISASTER RESPONSE ‘FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT’ FROM BIDEN’S APPROACH: NOEM

At the state level, Texas officials have long resisted calls to implement a warning siren system along the Guadalupe River, where the flooding proved most fatal. Critics argue that such a system could have saved lives.

Separately, a controversial reorganization by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led to the dismissal of a key National Weather Service emergency coordination officer just months before the disaster, raising additional questions about institutional readiness.

The tragedy has left Kerrville and surrounding communities demanding accountability and systemic reform before the next storm strikes.

NOEM RIPS CNN REPORT CLAIMING SHE DELAYED DHS RESPONSE TO TEXAS FLOOD AS ‘ABSOLUTELY TRASH’

The catastrophic flooding claimed at least 137 lives across Texas, with 108 fatalities reported in Kerr County alone. Among the dead were 27 campers and staff members at Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls in the town of Hunt.

Authorities are now investigating whether Camp Mystic officials received and appropriately responded to flash flood warnings prior to the tragedy. 

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The incident has sparked broader questions about how youth camps and other vulnerable institutions assess and act on rapidly evolving weather threats.

Fox News Digital reached out to Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice and the Kerrville city officials, but did not receive a response. 

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace and Asher Redd contributed to this report. 

US

President Donald Trump’s new deadline for Russia to end the conflict with Ukraine is an additional “step towards war,” according to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.  

Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, cautioned that Trump’s announcement Monday that Russia must end the conflict with Ukraine in 10 to 12 days would not end well for the U.S. 

“Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10… He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,” Medvedev said in a post on X on Monday. “Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!”

TRUMP MEETS WITH UK PRIME MINISTER STARMER ON HEELS OF EU TRADE DEAL

While Trump announced on July 14 that he would sign off on “severe tariffs” against Russia if Moscow failed to agree to a peace deal within 50 days, Trump said Monday that waiting that period of time was futile amid stalled negotiations. 

“I’m going to make a new deadline, of about 10 — 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump told reporters from Scotland. “There’s no reason for waiting. It was 50 days. I wanted to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made.”

Trump’s remarks come as his frustration with Putin has grown in recent weeks amid no progress toward peace between Russia and Ukraine, and just a day after Russia launched more than 300 drones, four cruise missiles and three ballistic missiles into Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian air force.

TRUMP ‘DISAPPOINTED’ IN PUTIN, SAYS HE’LL REDUCE 50-DAY DEADLINE 

Trump called out Putin for providing lip service during their discussions while not taking proactive steps to end the war. As a result, Trump said he’s grown “disappointed” in the Russian leader and that he’s “not so interested in talking anymore” with Putin. 

“He talks — we have such nice conversations, such respectful and nice conversation. And then, people die the following night,” Trump said Monday. 

Following Trump’s announcement about whittling down the deadline for a peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Trump for his “clear stance and expressed determination” to resolve the conflict.

“I thank President Trump for his focus on saving lives and stopping this horrible war,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Monday. “Ukraine remains committed to peace and will work tirelessly with the U.S. to make both our countries safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”

ZELENSKYY POINTEDLY THANKS TRUMP, AMERICA FOR UKRAINE SUPPORT MONTHS AFTER VANCE’S JAB ABOUT LACK OF GRATITUDE 

Zelenskyy previously came under scrutiny from Vice President JD Vance in February during an Oval Office meeting for not voicing more gratitude for U.S. support for Kyiv as it battles Moscow.

Although Trump has historically boasted about having a solid relationship with Putin, he has publicly voiced increased frustration with Putin in recent weeks as the war rages on between Russia and Ukraine. 

“We get a lot of bulls— thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on July 8. “He’s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

US

A Michigan councilman whose criminal record as a drug dealer was wiped clean following a Democrat-backed law has been arrested for allegedly beating a woman. 

Leon El-Alamin, 44, a Democratic First Ward city councilman in Flint, was arrested on July 10 and is charged with alleged domestic violence and assault, according to court documents filed by the Mount Morris Township police. 

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said the lawmaker allegedly became angry with the woman because she was looking at her emails, WNEM-TV reported

KNIFE-WIELDING ILLEGAL MIGRANT ACCUSED OF THREATENING US ATTORNEY ON ALBANY, NY STREETS

“She had bruising on her face, which is consistent with being struck in the face,” Leyton said. “She had a mark on her neck, which is consistent with the allegation of being choked, and she claims she had been dragged out by her hair. And I do believe they found some strands of hair on the floor on the ground, so that corroborated what she said.”

A gun was also found inside the home, he said.

In a statement on the Facebook page for the M.A.D.E. Institute, El-Alamin denied the accusations against him. 

“These recent allegations are both false and deeply disheartening, but I remain confident in the truth and in the legal process,” he wrote. “My legal team is actively handling the matter, and I fully intend to clear my name and win this case.”

El- Alamin is the founder and executive director of the M.A.D.E. Institute, a nonprofit organization that stands for Money, Attitude, Direction and Education.

NEWARK MAYOR SUES INTERIM US ATTORNEY FOR FALSE ARREST, MALICIOUS PROSECUTION

El-Alamin was elected to the city council in November, and has been pictured with prominent Democratic leaders like U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 

After graduating from high school, he began dealing drugs and spent a month in a coma following a shootout, his bio on his website states. He was subsequently arrested on drug and weapons charges.

He was released from prison after serving part of a 12-to-20-year sentence. 

In 2021, he had his criminal record wiped under the Clean Slate Act, which expunged the records of many ex-convicts who were eligible. 

“I’m excited, I can’t really explain it. I’m overwhelmed with joy,” El-Alamin told Mid Michigan Now at the time.

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El-Alamin’s bond was set at $7,500. He appeared in court for a hearing last week. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Whitmer’s office, El-Alamin and Leyton. 

US

Deion Sanders, the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, revealed that he needed his bladder removed following a cancer diagnosis this offseason, yet he has no plans to step away from his job.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Devin Hester, a good friend of Sanders, wasn’t surprised at all to hear he’s still committed to the Buffaloes’ program.

“I don’t think it’s surprising,” he told Fox News Digital on Monday following his time with service members at USAA’s “Salute to Service Boot Camp” at the Chicago Bears’ facility. “When you know Deion Sanders and know what type of person he is, this is what he loves. He loves football. He loves grooming young boys into men. That’s what he feeds off. That’s his passion. That’s his heart.

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“I knew he wasn’t going to walk away from the game because he’s still young and he’s still enjoying it.”

Hester and Sanders have had a strong relationship for years, and when the former joined the latter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year, the Bears legend’s emotions couldn’t be contained as he hugged Sanders after receiving his gold jacket from him. 

So, knowing the person that Sanders is on and off the field, Hester understands why “Coach Prime” wants to still be on the sidelines despite his medical situation.

DEION SANDERS REVEALS HE FOUGHT BLADDER CANCER

“He’s given opportunities for a lot of men that have dreams of coaching and dreams to be a part of something special,” Hester added. “He’s opening up doors, and that’s the way he looks at things in life. He’s opened up doors not only for himself, but for his peers and the great men around him. He’s used that to his advantage, and it’s something he’s been blessed with from God, to be in that situation where he can bless other young men. 

“He takes advantage of it, and he makes sure he does the right thing.”

Sanders and medical officials held a news conference on Monday to address the coach’s health, during which Colorado assistant athletic trainer Lauren Askevold and Dr. Janet Kukreja at UC Health broke down the timeline of his cancer diagnosis and surgery. 

Askevold noted Sanders had an ACT scan of his vascular pattern to check up on whether his blood clots were away. While everything checked out in that regard, Sanders’ primary care doctor wanted to refer him to a urologist, which ultimately led Kukreja, the director of urological oncology at UC Health, to give Sanders a look. 

According to Askevold, Sanders’ primary care doctor told him he had a bladder tumor.

“We proceeded with the removal of the bladder tumor. We removed the tumor. It was very high grade, invading through the bladder wall, not into the muscle layer, something we call high-risk non-invasive bladder cancer,” Kukreja explained. 

Sanders, then, elected for bladder removal and the creation of a new bladder after Kukreja broke down his options.

“I am pleased to report that the results of the surgery are that he is cured from the cancer,” she said.

Sanders’ health was a concern for months now, as it was previously a mystery what he was dealing with. He also revealed in a video posted by his son, Deion Sanders Jr., on Sunday that he made a will amid his health battles. The video was shot on May 9. 

“Mentally, emotionally, last night was tough, yesterday was tough, because I had to make a will. That’s not easy at all, to think that you may not be here,” he said in the video.

Sanders said at Big 12 Media Days that he is now ready to embark on yet another Buffaloes season, where it’s a new-look group with his son, Shedeur Sanders, and Heisman-winner Travis Hunter both ready to take on their rookie seasons in the NFL.  

IMPACTING THOSE WHO SERVE US

Meanwhile, in Chicago, Hester took the field after the Bears had their latest training camp practice to put service members through a real-life combine thanks to USAA, the official “Salute to Service” partner of the NFL. 

These boot camps feature drills similar to those used by NFL coaches to evaluate talent at the NFL Scouting Combine, including the 40-yard dash, broad jump, three-cone shuttle and more. 

These boot camps have been in place for years, but they now feature a live leaderboard to capture and monitor participants’ scores in real time, which Hester said added tons of competitiveness among those on the field. 

“It was very exciting, and it was a unique situation being among these guys and seeing them have fun. At the end of the day, they all had fun and competed, so it was a great cause for today,” Hester said of the experience. 

“I can relate to them because I have a couple cousins that are my age that were in these types of services. Just to pick those guys’ brains, their daily routine, and it’s similar to the stories my family members told me. Of course, my family members were true football fans, too, so they had the opportunity to pick my brain as well when it comes to football. We were just back and forth giving conversation, giving tips on daily routines, and having a great time out there.”

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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US

Move over, Air Force One — a new armored vehicle outfitted for presidential protection is in town, this one specifically for golf outings. 

The vehicle specifically designed for ballistic protection, dubbed “Golf Force One,” seemingly made its public debut during a round of golf between President Donald Trump and his son, Eric, at the Trump golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, over the weekend. 

The White House confirmed “Golf Force One” is “part of the presidential fleet of specialty vehicles,” but did not share any further details. 

It comes 10 months after an assassination attempt on Trump while he was playing golf at his Florida course. 

According to the General Services Administration, a Polaris UTV can be outfitted by Chicago company Scaletta Armor with an “add-on armor kit to Polaris XP 1000 Ranger UTV with protection scalable to mission.” The kit costs around $190,000.

EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND, HOME OF TRUMP GOLF COURSE

Trump was in Scotland for a meeting with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 

During the golf outing, Trump was seen cruising around in a regular golf cart, with the armored vehicle following a fleet of carts carrying Secret Service agents.

The president is known to enjoy driving his own cart, but the UTV was likely on hand in case of an emergency requiring additional protection in such a wide-open space. 

During the last Trump assassination attempt — on Sept. 15, 2024 at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida — a Secret Service agent conducting a sweep saw a man hiding in the brush along the fence line of the sixth hole.

TRUMP SHOWS OFF GOLF SKILLS AT TURNBERRY RESORT DURING SCOTLAND VISIT, CITES GARY PLAYER’S PRIOR PRAISE

“The agent observed the barrel of a rifle aimed directly at him,” a Justice Department press release suggested. “As the agent began backing away, he saw the rifle barrel move, and the agent fired at [Ryan Wesley] Routh.”

That came after last July when shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at the president during a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally, killing an attendee behind Trump.

In 2020, Iran posted a digitized video of a drone targeting Trump on a golf course in a “vengeance” strike over the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

“Golf Force One” joins a fleet of armored vehicles that includes the Beast, the 10-ton mobile fortress equipped with walls eight inches thick and layered, five-inch windows of reinforced glass that can stop high-caliber rounds. It’s capable of distributing tear gas, grenades, and pump-action shotguns.

US

Heidi Klum is shrugging off the criticism she’s received for posing in lingerie with her daughter Leni.

“A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, I don’t know about mom and daughter doing this together,’” Klum told People magazine. “But for us? I’m proud of my daughter. She’s fine with me like that.”

Klum, 52, and her daughter Leni, 21, have posed together in multiple ads for the Italian brand, Intimissimi.

“I’ve always been very open with my body,” she continued. “When I’m suntanning in the backyard, I might not have a top on. I’m European … My kids don’t know me any other way and are probably more easygoing with their bodies because of it.”

HEIDI KLUM’S LINGERIE SHOOT WITH 20-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER SPARKS ONLINE DEBATE: ‘GIVES ME A YUCKY FEELING’

Leni launched her modeling career at the age of 16. Klum and her daughter appeared together on the cover of Vogue Germany for the January/February issue in 2021.

“So excited for my first cover!! I had so much fun on set with @voguegermany couldn’t dream of a better start!! Thank you for being by my side @heidiklum,” Leni wrote on Instagram at the time.

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The young model previously hit back at criticism over her choice to pose for lingerie ads with Klum.

“I always try to remember that no matter what you do, there will always be someone who doesn’t like it,” Leni told Glamour Germany. “You simply have no influence on it and shouldn’t concentrate too much on the negative.”

She added: “But there are so many more positive reactions. Oh, and: Most of the comments are in German, and I don’t really understand many of them. Of course that helps too.”

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Leni and Klum have faced criticism every time they’ve posed for Intimissimi. After sharing a new ad in October 2024, the mother-daughter duo received mixed comments.

“This makes me feel uncomfortable,” one user wrote.

“Heidi looks amazing. But why would you pose in lace revealing lingerie with your mother?” another added. “Gives me a yucky feeling. And before someone tells me to unfollow Don’t! I didn’t follow it in the first place. It showed up on my feed. There is no place on this ad where I can block it anyway so I am commenting.”

However, not everyone had a problem with the photos.

“Two beautiful ladies! I can’t imagine why anyone would be critical of this. People have been modeling underwear forever,” a user wrote.

US

Nature conservation is about conserving not only the huge number of species but also the myriad interactions between all the players on the same ecological stage. Moreover, all these species need a complex assortment of microhabitats to find food, disperse, mate, reproduce and develop into adults. 

But, with so many species and even more interactions, we must find ways to conserve the overall fabric of life. This is something that we should also reflect on as we celebrate World Nature Conservation Day on 28 July.

Finding the solutions is vital for South Africa because it has a rich diversity of plants, fungi and animals — and an untold number of micro-organisms. Across landscapes, groups of species and their interactions change from place to place. Furthermore, the organisms in this mosaic must ebb and flow across the landscape in search of optimal conditions for feeding, growing, reproducing and surviving. This flux of organisms also helps maintain healthy levels of genetic diversity in their population over time. 

Another challenge is that many of the species live in specific habitats. Damage to the habitat can lead to loss of a species — possibly even causing local extinction — and begin to unravel the thread of life. 

A starting point is to conserve nature and embrace the “Nature knows best” principle. While nature reserves play a crucially important role in conserving biodiversity, the greatest challenge lies at the interface of human activity and the conservation of nature. This means we must find workable solutions that benefit both people and nature where they live side by side. 

A way is to embrace the “precautionary principle”, which involves conserving as much land and water as possible to avoid imperiling all species and their interactions.  

Timber production is important for South Africa because it has few natural wood resources, with plantations covering huge swaths of land. But how do we integrate nature conservation with timber production? After extensive discussions with timber company Mondi, we at Stellenbosch University developed a workable solution — acceptable to both timber producers and conservationists — by working with nature and not against it. 

The solution involves setting aside land between plantation compartments — land amounting to about half a million hectares nationally. These land areas take the form of networks of large conservation corridors of natural habitat, composed of mostly natural grassland, but also forests, wetlands and small rivers. These networks make up about one-third of the plantations, on average, and are well established in KwaZulu-Natal. 

It has been essential to demonstrate that the corridors are indeed functioning naturally. We have done this by comparing biodiversity levels in the conservation corridors with those in nature reserves nearby. 

As not all biodiversity can be sampled, we use mostly plants and insects as sentinels. The reason for this is that they are numerous, rich in species, show a wide range of lifestyles and are sensitive to habitat change. 

A bonus is that they also live in and on the soil, as well as being associated with plant communities. Many are also associated with freshwater — whether streams, rivers or wetlands. As they interact widely with many other species, they provide a comprehensive ecological picture. 

Importantly, the corridors must be as wide as possible to avoid any adverse effects from the adjacent plantation trees, mostly alien pines and eucalypts. This great width, which ideally should be more than 120m, means that all the natural interactions and processes can take place as they would naturally. But this does not mean that narrow corridors are without value, as many natural interactions can still take place in them and they promote the movement of insects and other organisms across the landscape.

It is essential that the corridors are well connected to each other in a network, including from one plantation to the next. Doing this leads to congruence among natural habitats over hundreds of kilometers, crisscrossing all types of terrain, elevations and ecosystem types. Crucially, it is the enormous amount of conserved landscape variation that enables organisms to find their most suitable habitat. This connectivity also gives the landscapes ecological resilience to withstand a changing climate and extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall or drought. 

All the while the natural water systems and soils in the corridors are maintained as intact as possible. This is done by not planting timber trees close to streams, rivers and wetlands. In turn, moist soil acts as a sponge for water and supports lush vegetation, which is kept free of plantation trees to help maintain the movement of natural ground water. 

Fire must also be considered, as it is a natural phenomenon in the area— preventing the grassland from developing into a bushy landscape and playing a vital role in the health of many plants. 

The edges between natural forest and grassland are also protected in the corridors, because these transition areas support many rare and important species. Game animals are also left to roam in this mosaic of vegetation as they help maintain grassland health. 

Some difficulties have arisen in these networks of conservation corridors. Invasive alien plants are an ongoing problem. While the woody aliens are controlled relatively easily, it is the American bramble that has been most troublesome. But recent research, using satellite technology and machine learning, has identified the weed’s invasion pathways, enabling swift and effective bramble removal. 

Local people are involved in the establishment of corridors, and they use the land as pastures for moderate levels of cattle and goat grazing. Poaching of large mammals is strictly controlled, resulting in healthy populations of elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and many other large animals. This is important for insects as these large animals support a rich variety of dung beetles. 

In turn, firebreaks help stop wildfires from entering the plantation compartments. Also, timber tree harvesting is carried out sensitively to reduce disturbance to the soil. 

Plantations benefit from implementation of the corridors in that the soil and water systems, along with their biodiversity, are maintained in an ongoing healthy state. Mondi has embraced sustainable forestry. In doing so, the company attains Forest Stewardship Certification and exports products to Europe and elsewhere.

Michael J Samways is Emeritus Distinguished Professor in the Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology at Stellenbosch University.

When a government spokesperson devotes an open letter to attacking a journalist by name, it often says more about the state’s discomfort with being questioned than it does about the journalist.

On 21 July 2025, department of international relations and cooperation spokesperson Chrispin Phiri published an open letter accusing me of promoting “clickbait”, “unsubstantiated hogwash” and undermining the integrity of South African media. His response was directed at a blog published in the Times of Israel on 11 July.

In that blog, I raised a set of concerns based on documents shared with me by a source, Justin Lewis. These included allegations that certain South African officials may have had foreknowledge of the 7 October Hamas attacks and played a role in enabling legal access to international courts on Hamas’s behalf. 

I never claimed that the allegations were confirmed, only that they deserve to be taken seriously and properly looked into. As a journalist, it is not my role to suppress serious allegations simply because they are unproven — it is my responsibility to bring them to light when they raise legitimate public interest concerns. In doing so, I make clear what is allegation and what is fact, and I seek responses from all relevant parties. That is how scrutiny, accountability, and responsible journalism work. Which is why two days later I published a follow-up explicitly stating that the material formed part of a lobbying and advocacy initiative — not a legal case — and that the source’s credibility had come under scrutiny.

Phiri’s letter acknowledged that clarification — only to dismiss it as “damage control”. Instead of presenting factual rebuttals, he delivered a lecture peppered with sarcasm and insults, calling my work reckless and unethical, and accusing me of misleading the public.

This exchange, at its core, comes down to a clear line of argument on both sides. My position is that journalists have a duty to raise serious allegations — especially when they involve governments, foreign policy or international law. Not because all allegations are true, but because the public deserves to know what questions are being asked, and what answers are being avoided.

Phiri’s position, on the other hand, is that because Justin Lewis has made exaggerated and questionable claims elsewhere, the allegations I raised should never have been aired. But journalism doesn’t work that way. Bad people can stumble onto important truths. Flawed sources can raise valid concerns. A journalist’s job is not to vouch for a source’s biography — it’s to follow a story where it leads, verify what can be verified, and disclose what can’t.

That’s what I did. Within 48 hours, I published a follow-up. I clarified the context not because the allegations were proven or disproven, but because responsible journalism requires transparency when new information comes to light. What Phiri offered in response was not a factual correction, but a character attack against both the source and me.

After two decades reporting from front lines in Gaza, Syria, Ukraine, Russia, Israel and beyond I’ve learned that truth in conflict is rarely clean. Sources sometimes collapse under scrutiny. When that happens, you take responsibility, correct, and move forward. That is exactly what I did.

What I did not do was present fiction as fact. I reported on allegations. I clarified their status. I acknowledged the problems. And I continued asking questions.

If the government believes those questions are baseless, it should present evidence to the contrary. It should clarify timelines, communications and diplomatic steps taken before and after 7 October. Instead, it has chosen to mock the person raising them.

The department’s refusal to engage with the core concern, South Africa’s foreign policy conduct and the credibility of its international alliances, is telling. Their silence on substance, and volume on character, only fuels public doubt.

And for the record: I do not claim South Africa collaborated with Hamas. I do not claim the allegations are proven. I do claim they are serious enough to merit scrutiny. That scrutiny should not be met with institutional outrage.

Phiri’s letter suggests that by platforming concerns, I violated the principles of journalism. But journalism is not built on silence. It’s built on inquiry. You follow leads. You evaluate sources. You clarify what cannot be confirmed. That’s what I did. That’s what I will continue to do.

South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice is not what I was writing about. My focus was narrower: what was said, shared or supported before the events of 7 October? Were there missteps or blind spots in our diplomatic positioning? And if so, shouldn’t we want to know?

In his closing, Phiri quotes Nelson Mandela: “Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” I would add this: our democracy is incomplete without the freedom to question our own government especially when the stakes involve war, ideology and lives.

I’ll continue to ask hard questions, report without fear, and correct when needed — not because it’s popular, but because journalism demands it. A free press doesn’t need permission to investigate —  and it certainly doesn’t answer to the government it is questioning.

Paula Slier is a South African-born war correspondent and journalist.