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Vera Pauw says Republic of Ireland must wait to discover the extent of the injury that captain Katie McCabe suffered only two weeks before their opening World Cup game. Arsenal player McCabe rolled her ankle during the first half of the 3-0 Dublin defeat to France as Ireland received a painful World Cup send-off. McCabe had to be substituted after 29 minutes and Republic manager Pauw admitted they now have to play a waiting game ahead of their World Cup opener against tournament hosts Australia on July 20. “It’s an ankle injury, she rolled over, she stepped off the foot of the opponent and we can’t say anything now,” Pauw told RTE after Ireland were picked apart after making a promising start at the Tallaght Stadium. “We’ll see how it goes but hopefully it will not be too bad. “Katie was fantastic on the pitch and you miss that. It definitely changed the game, we were in control (until the injury). “You can not blame the one coming on. Issy (Atkinson) did really well but Katie is extraordinary and of course you miss that immensely.” Ireland should have been ahead after 11 minutes when Kyra Carusa finished Sinead Farrelly’s flick on. The goal was ruled out for offside despite television replays showing that Carusa had timed her run perfectly. With no VAR to correct the decision, France – ranked fifth in the world and 17 places higher than Ireland – made the most of their good fortune after McCabe had left the action. Maelle Lakrar and Eugenie Le Sommer struck in first-half stoppage time, and the former sealed matters with a powerful header just after the hour mark. Pauw said: “We were all so proud and it was such a shame in two minutes that we had individual mistakes. “That is why we play these games, France is one of the candidates to become world champions. “You could see the difference in quality and we know that. We’re not there but it’s a very good exercise. “You learn from playing this level and from these little details that you have to be better.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wimbledon day four: Curfew prevents Andy Murray joining other British winners Andy Murray Centre Court classic curtailed by curfew at Wimbledon Liam Broady lives his childhood dream with epic Centre Court victory

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A Florida woman whose complaints led to school restrictions for a poem read at Joe Biden’s inauguration appears to have ties to several far-right groups, including the Ron DeSantis-supported Moms for Liberty and neo-fascist gang the Proud Boys. In a complaint requesting that her child’s school remove the books entirely, Daily Salinas claimed that The Hill We Climb – Amanda Gorman’s book-length version of the poem she read at the president’s inauguration ceremony – and several other titles contained references to critical race theory, gender ideology, “indirect hate messages,” and “indoctrination,” especially of socialism, according to documents shared by the Florida Freedom to Read Project. Her complaint prompted the school to restrict access to the book, along with The ABCs of Black History, Cuban Kids and Love to Langston. A school committee moved the books to the library’s middle school section, despite the books being recommended for younger readers. Ms Salinas told the Miami-Herald that she “is not for eliminating or censoring any books” but wants materials to be appropriate and for students “to know the truth” about Cuba. But she appears to have connections with or has expressed support for several far-right groups that have promoted sweeping restrictions against LGBT+ people and honest discussions of race and racism, according to a review of her social media history and online activity from Miami Against Fascism and The Daily Beast. In August 2021, she was photographed alongside Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio during a protest against Covid-19 protections in Miami-Dade schools. The following year, while wearing a Ron DeSantis T-shirt, she attended another rally organised by Proud Boys to support far-right activist Christoper Monzon, a 2017 “Unite the Right” rally attendee who was allegedly beaten while canvassing for Republican Senator Marco Rubio last year. Ms Salinas also was photographed posing with Mr Monzon and a small group of his supporters after his release from hospital. That same year, Ms Salinas also worked as a volunteer for the governor’s “Education Agenda Tour,” which promoted right-wing candidates in school board elections as part of his efforts to upend the state’s education system. Video from a Miami-Dade school board meeting in July 2022 appears to show Ms Salinas with the group Moms for Liberty disrupting the hearing to protest sex education textbooks that had previously been approved by the board. Footage shows police forcibly removing her from the meeting. Moms for Liberty, a right-wing group that emerged from protests over Covid-19 guidelines, has offered so-called bounties for reporting teachers who allegedly discuss “divisive topics” in schools, attacked The Trevor Project for supporting young LGBT+ people at risk of suicide, and launched a barrage of book challenges. The group has also won praise from Mr DeSantis, who appointed one of its members to a board that now controls properties operated by the Walt Disney Company for its massive Orlando park campus. The Independent has requested comment from the group’s Miami-Dade chapter. A review of Ms Salinas’ social media history includes a Facebook post calling the Proud Boys “los mejores”, or “the best.” “My Proud Boys,” she wrote in the post on April 2021, above a photo of Tarrio with other members of the group. In March of this year, she shared a Facebook post promoting the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” a fraudulent century-old piece of antisemitic propaganda. Ms Salinas appeared to have deleted the post after it was flagged by Miami Against Fascism on Twitter. She then posted an image of an Israeli Defense Force soldier with a caption reading: “People never seen this. I love my Jewish people.” “I want to apologize to the Jewish community,” she told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on 24 May. “I’m not what the post says,” she added. “I love the Jewish community.” She also co-hosted a Spanish-language podcast – “Hablando Como Los Locos” – that published an episode with the caption “Learn more about Kanye West, his polemic, his message” on 5 December 2022. Four days earlier, the rapper appeared on Alex Jones’s InfoWars and praised Adolf Hitler. The Independent has requested comment from Ms Salinas. Mr DeSantis – who has entered the race for the 2024 Republican nomination for president – has ushered through sweeping laws to control public school education and lessons and speech he deems to be objectionable while characterising reporting on the impacts of such policies as a “hoax” and a “fake narrative” manufactured by the press. The state is at the centre of a nationwide trend of challenges against books and materials in libraries and schools, while the governor continues to falsely insist that no books have been banned as he launches his 2024 campaign. A trio of state laws enacted within the last school year include what opponents have called the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in all school grades, and laws that restrict discussions of race or racism, and mandate how schools catalog books on their shelves. Taken together, teachers and schools have been forced to remove materials out of fear of facing legal action without clear guidance, or have faced an increase in threats and challenges from activists emboldened by legislation. Last week, Penguin Random House and several prominent authors and families filed a federal lawsuit against a school district where activists have challenged dozens of books, largely involving or written by people of colour or LGBT+ people. In Escambia County alone, nearly 200 books have been challenged, at least 10 books have been removed by the school board, five books were removed by district committees, and 139 books require parental permission, according to an analysis from free expression group PEN America. In Florida’s Clay County, at least 100 books were pulled off shelves after challenges from a single person, PEN America found. Read More Amanda Gorman ‘gutted’ after poem banned at Florida school The book ban surge gripping America’s schools and libraries The school librarian in the middle of Louisiana’s war on libraries

Having a bad day? Mercury in retrograde. Broken your phone this morning? Mercury in retrograde. Had a sudden and unexpected breakup? Mercury in retrograde. It only takes a quick swipe through social media to see this cosmic event taking the blame for pretty much everything – and according to the age-old astrological theory, we are all influenced by its effects. Astrologers have been examining Mercury retrograde for thousands of years, but it wasn't until 2010 when Google searches started to spike. Now, with the help of Instagram and the drive towards self-care and mindfulness, interest in astrology has heightened to a whole new level. While Mercury retrograde is far too often viewed as a negative thing, it is also said to be the perfect time for self-reflection and growth. Laura Hayes, certified astrologer and founder of the online astrology community, @astrohuns, spoke with Indy100 to break down this astrological phenomenon. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter What does Mercury retrograde mean? To put it simply, Mercury retrograde occurs when the planet Mercury – which takes 88 days to orbit the Sun, as opposed to Earth's 365 – appears to go backwards in its orbit. In Astrology, Mercury – named after the Roman deity who served as a messenger to the gods – is the planet of communication and the mind. Hayes explained: "Its placement in your birth chart affects how you think and communicate. Additionally, Mercury's transits at any given time will also have an impact on our thoughts and way of communicating." How long does it last? It tends to last around three to four weeks a time. However, there is also a "shadow period" – or retroshade – before and after Mercury Retrograde. This can apparently make things "a little rocky." "This Retroshade period lasts about 2-3 weeks and is almost like a diluted form of the retrograde itself," Hayes said. "Therefore, you may begin to feel the effects of Mercury retrograde a few weeks before it begins and still feel its lingering effects for a few weeks afterwards." How can it 'impact your life'? Astrologically speaking, when Mercury is in retrograde, the areas of life associated with the planet are said to be affected. "You are said to have verbal communication difficulties at this time, causing you to mishear someone or say the wrong thing, leading to arguments and misunderstandings," Hayes explained. People can find themselves "stumbling over their words, saying the wrong thing, or struggling to think coherently altogether." "Phones can lose signal; steamy texts to bae get sent to your boss instead, or your laptop breaks down when you're in the middle of writing your memoirs," she added. "Travel is another area that gets messed up during Mercury Retrograde, so be careful on the road and make sure to double-check flight details before you book." What can people do to deal with said 'effects'? According to KJ Atlas, consulting astrologer, writer, and artist of the human aura, you shouldn't put your life on hold purely because Mercury is retrograde. Instead, she says it is a time to significantly slow down. "You're more likely to make mistakes during this period, but if you listen to the call to take it easy, spend more time in self-care, go out less, and prioritize your mental and physical health, you'll be just fine," she explained. "If you need to sign contracts, purchase something significant, or have a deep talk, just do so mindfully and do your due diligence." Atlas acknowledged one positive rule of thumb: People are encouraged to do anything with the prefix 're'. "If you’re in a situation that you don’t enjoy, you can use this period for reevaluation or rekindling, but wait to take action until the cycle has ended. This includes the pre and post shadow periods. "People often jump right back into things that might be warnings during Mercury retrograde on the day that it’s technically over, but it’s good practice to wait a few days." When does Mercury retrograde occur? Mercury retrograde occurs three to four times per year. It tends to occur roughly around the same time each year. The dates* for this year are: January 14th - February 4th May 10th - June 3rd September 10th - October 2nd December 29th - January 18th (2023) *dates based on GMT, so they may vary slightly in other time zones. It's worth noting that astrology is not the same thing as astronomy. Astrology is a belief system that the stars and planets allow us to 'read a person', predict the future or have the ability to alter our daily lives, as above. Astrology can be important to some cultures, but it is not based on scientific evidence. Astronomy, however, is backed by data. David J. Helfand, Professor of Astronomy and Columbia University Chair, slammed the astrological theory as "arrant nonsense." Helfand explained that the retrograde motion of Mercury is a "simple consequence of the fact that we observe the sky from a moving platform we call Earth as it orbits the Sun. The other planets also orbit the Sun, all in the same direction." "The apparent motion of any planet as observed from Earth is a combination of the orbit of the planet and the orbit of Earth," he added. "Simple geometry shows that roughly three times a year (for Mercury – less often for other planets on longer orbits), these combined motions give the Earth-bound observer the illusion that the other planet has reversed its direction of motion compared to the background stars." He stated that the orbit of Mercury is governed by laws of gravity and is completely unchanged, which has "been well-understood for over 400 years – it's hardly a new idea." "But apparently, some people prefer 2000-year-old views of the world in which the planets govern their lives – no need to take any personal responsibility then, is there?" "In fact, the gravitational force of Mercury on an Earth-bound you is less than the force of your dog on you when you pat him or her on the head," Helfand explained. "Indeed, patting your dog on its head is likely to have a positive influence on your mood. Maybe people should try that instead of contemplating arrant nonsense about the planets." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A map of the United Kingdom as US states has sparked debate about how British regions and counties compare to their American counterparts. For reasons unknown, the Twitter account “Milkman Memes For Lib Dem Teens” decided to attempt the wildly-controversial task of assigning states to the UK over the weekend, with the results sparking a mixture of debate and outrage online. Some of the decisions are pretty obvious: for example, London is clearly New York – a culturally rich and terrifying expensive major world city. However, others are less clear – especially as the explanations offered by Milkman Memes range from vague social commentary to geographical similarities. You can find the full map below: As ever with these things, whether any of these decisions make sense is a matter of gut instinct but here are some that fit quite well: And here are some that are more questionable… Anyone claiming that Preston is the “British Las Vegas” has surely not spent much time in either of those cities – especially when the UK’s Las Vegas is clearly Blackpool... Thankfully, some other users have come up with alternative suggestions for the different parts of the country, with some pretty detailed thinking behind them: Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.