Scouting America, the Texas-based national organization founded as the Boy Scouts of America, is working to shed claims it has gone «woke» in recent years as it renews its focus on training young people with life skills, providing fun and educational outdoor experiences and revitalizing its partnership with the U.S. military.

Since its inception by Lt. Gen. Robert Baden-Powell in February 1910, what is now Scouting America has remained dedicated to providing the key life tenets of faith, character and service to young people, as in one example it eliminated an otherwise recently conceived «DEI» merit badge and replaced it with a military-centric one.

Chief Scout Executive Roger Krone told Fox News Digital that scouts have been central to key moments in history, a testament to the program’s values, importance and longevity.

«In fact, I think all but one of the men that walked on the moon were Scouts. There is [also] a tendency for a certain percentage of membership to want to trade their Scout uniforms for military uniforms: we have a long tradition with the military,» Krone said.

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In 1915, professional scouter E. Urner Goodman founded Scouting America’s own honor society, the Order of the Arrow, at Treasure Island Scout Reservation in the middle of the Delaware River to recognize scouters who excel in their life of service.

John F. Kennedy was the first scout president, and Gerald Ford is the only one to date who has earned Eagle Scout. President Jimmy Carter, though never a scout, earned the BSA’s Silver Buffalo Award for service to Georgia scouts.

As part of its reaffirmation of American values, Scouting America will waive registration fees for military families’ children and participate in the America250 program.

«Just as it has for 116 years, Scouting America is dedicated to shaping patriotic Americans grounded in faith, character and service,» Krone said. «Our relationship with the United States Military reflects a shared belief that leadership, service, and love of country are not abstract ideals—they are values forged through action, discipline, and commitment. The Scouting program is uniquely positioned to instill these values in our future leaders.»

Fifteen percent of military academy cadets are Eagle Scouts, and more than 130 million Americans have been trained by the Boy Scouts since 1910.

He noted that Baden-Powell, a British military hero, conceived the idea in the wake of the Industrial Revolution to instill merit and values in wayward children in London.

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Scouts march in a parade for Gov. Abigail Spanberger. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

«There were kids in London that were getting in trouble because they had too much time on their hands. And so we started using these military tactics, learning how to track animals and using compasses and these things, to keep kids occupied they go on camp out some things like that. And that was the birth of the scouting program. So we have a proud tradition with the military.»

Scouts continue wearing the American flag on their Class-A uniforms from their time as Cub Scouts through earning Eagle, and, as Krone noted, their meetings also begin with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Scout Oath, which include pledges to honor God, country and law.

«There’s a deep connection between what we teach with character and leadership … to the military so it’s probably just natural.»

Krone pushed back on Scouting America being called woke, noting that about 70 percent of sponsoring organizations are churches. The Catholic Church is said to be the largest holder of unit charters, Krone said, while across the country other houses of worship, from Methodist to Episcopal to the United Church of Christ, sponsor troops.

«We are a very faith-based, faith-driven organization, very patriotic, we love God and country and so yeah, we strive very hard to be apolitical these days.»

Scouting received blowback for allowing girls to join in the past decade. Krone said that Scouting remains a meritocracy and rank requirements aren’t changed by gender.

«Whether you’re a young man in a program or a young woman in a program, you do the same exact thing. And it all is about using the outdoors as a classroom where you learn leadership and grit and resilience and you put the ideals of Scout … to practice in the outdoors and it is an amazing teacher. It’s an amazing program.»

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Julian Holkenborg of Boy Scout Troop 642 salutes after planting a flag at the Los Angeles National Cemetery in Westwood, Calif., on May 24, 2025, ahead of Memorial Day. He was among 3,500 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who planted 90,000 flags for the ceremony. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

The Scouting program also takes kids away from their screens and away from potentially «woke» influences online and reconnects them with serving their community and working or camping outdoors.

«We know one of the challenges I think our kids in our country face today is that they’re glued to the devices, they’re indoors or on a couch,» Krone said.

«And I think there’s a lot of authors out there have written about the fact that it’s toxic, right? We’ve got to get kids back outdoors and get them off devices, you know, moving around. «We say it’s ‘social without the media’.»

Scouting America’s youth leaders recently visited Capitol Hill, where they met with congressional leaders who included scouters among them.

«Great day with [the] Boy Scouts. I enjoyed meeting Ricky Mason, Chair of the Scouts Executive Board, and outstanding young leader Joshua Nero, Chief of the Order of the Arrow (the highest ranked Scout), and taking him to meet Speaker Mike Johnson,» Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., said in a statement.

«Scouts is a great program and more parents should get their kids off of their phones and out into the wilderness learning life skills and confidence with Scouting for America.»

Boy Scouts attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis., on July 17, 2024. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The Hill also hosts its own Congressional Scouting Caucus led by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Reps. Glenn «GT» Thompson, R-Pa., and Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.

To be awarded the Eagle Scout rank, a scout must earn at least 21 merit badges, including 10 from a specific list that includes three «Citizenship» badges — Community, Nation and World — through which they learn civics and about America’s founding principles and are required to write their congressman or senator about an issue important to them.

Other required skills include Personal Management, First Aid, Swimming, Cycling or Hiking, Family Life and Environmental Science. Most scouts earn many more than required.

The Scout Law, which all scouts agree to, hosts 12 tenets for daily life:

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«Trustworthy; Loyal; Helpful; Friendly; Courteous; Kind; Obedient; Cheerful; Thrifty; Brave; Clean; Reverent.»

Scouting’s motto remains «Do a Good Turn Daily,» and it is most recognized by its 116-year-old slogan: «Be Prepared.»

Cada vez es más complicado saber qué pasa en Rusia, aunque hayan llegado en las últimas semanas películas para arrojar algo de luz como El mago del Kremlin. Aun así, no hace falta indagar mucho para imaginar qué estaba viendo el director Kirill Sokolov en el año 2003. La influencia de Kill Bill en particular y de Quentin Tarantino en general entró como un elefante en una cacharrería en casa del cineasta ruso, que originalmente iba a ser físico y que ha terminado convirtiéndose en una de las voces más interesantes del terror en Rusia, hasta el punto de que era inevitable que terminase desembarcando donde mejor podía funcionar su cine, en la cuna de las patadas voladoras y los charcos de sangre.

En el corazón de Nueva York se ambienta Te van a matar, primer proyecto de Sokolov fuera de Rusia tras las sorprendentes ¿Por qué no te mueres? y Sin mirar atrás, que le labraron un nombre en su país pero que sobre todo atrajeron la atención de los hermanos Barbara y Andy Muschietti, las mentes detrás de Mamá o Bienvenidos a Derry y quienes se embarcan en su primera aventura producida bajo el sello de terror Nocturna, asociado a la gigantesca Skydance, pero de la que seguro saldrán títulos tan interesantes y frescos como este. Curiosamente, Te van a matar se parece mucho más a las películas violentas de Asia que al terror que podrían hacer los Muschietti, pero quizá ha sido ese contraste lo que les ha convencido para apostar por Sokolov. En cualquier caso, hay una cosa que permanece común en ambos y no es otra que el humor, muy presente a lo largo del desfile de hígados, ojos y otras vísceras por los pasillos del hotel.

En ese hotel transcurre por completo la historia de Te van a matar, centrada en el ascenso a los infiernos de Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz), una joven exconvicta que se adentra en el complejo haciéndose pasar por empleada del hogar para intentar encontrar a su hermana, a la que perdió diez años atrás intentando escapar de su abusivo padre. Para aterradora sorpresa, el staff del hotel tampoco es del todo el que dice ser, ya que Asia se convierte en el objetivo de un culto satánico que lleva operando décadas sin levantar sospechas, pero que encontrará en Asia un hueso duro de roer.

El hotel de los horrores

Por más neoyorquino que pueda parecer el Virgil que acoge la historia, lo cierto es que la semilla remite a la madre Rusia, en concreto al edificio de pisos en el que vivía originalmente Sokolov junto a su mujer. “Enseguida nos dimos cuenta de que éramos los únicos dos menores de 65 años. La mayoría de los demás inquilinos eran ancianas solitarias. Pasaban todo el día dando de comer a los gatos callejeros y, cada vez que salías o volvías, cotilleaban y hablaban de ti. Esta tensión fue creciendo cada vez más, y mi mujer y yo empezamos a bromear diciendo que era una secta que vendría a por nosotros en algún momento”, contaba el director en una entrevista, una inspiración que cristalizó por completo con el visionado, cómo no, de La semilla del diablo, la película de Roman Polanski que revolucionó el terror en los años 60 y que plasmaba como ninguna el horror claustrofóbico y el miedo a las sectas.

De forma mucho más ligera y desenfadada ha querido encarar Sokolov esta película, que se recrea en sus secuencias de acción intentando emular a Tarantino con un hacha en lugar de katanas, pero con el mismo baño de sangre. “La historia empieza con un tono bastante realista, pero a medida que avanza, se vuelve cada vez más alocada. Por eso quise cambiar el lenguaje visual y el estilo para que se viera y se sintiera más alocada a medida que la historia se vuelve más alocada. Partimos de una historia clásica, casi al estilo de La semilla del diablo, y luego damos un giro hacia la realidad de Kill Bill y la de Sam Raimi. Fue una progresión interesante con la que jugar, e intentamos que cada transición fuera fluida e imperceptible“, reconocía Sokolov, mencionando también el anime Afro Samurai como punto clave de referencia.

Reina del grito (y del hacha)

Lo cierto es que lo mejor de Te van a matar es precisamente ese inicio en el que las piezas comienzan a encajarse dentro del puzle, pues una vez el espectador se encuentra en el mismo punto que la protagonista y todas las cartas se ponen sobre la mesa, la violencia crece pero la intriga desaparece. Un giro que, sin desvelar mucho, alude directamente a la isla de Epstein y que viene a confirmar lo agotada que está la fórmula del eat the rich que lleva trabajando la ficción audiovisual en los últimos años, desde El triángulo de la tristeza o El menú hasta Noche de bodas, que precisamente tendrá su continuación la próxima semana.

A pesar de todo, cabe destacar la presencia de Zazie Beetz, imponente protagonista hasta el punto de opacar a los no tan trabajados personajes de Tom Felton o Heather Graham, otrora secundarios de lujo en Boogie Nights y Austin Powers por un lado, y como el icónico Draco Malfoy de Harry Potter por otro, cuando no la dueña del hotel interpretada por Patricia Arquette. La actriz que brillase en la serie Atlanta y que ya tenía experiencia con los cuchillos de su paso por Marvel con Deadpool derrocha carisma por los cuatro costados mientras salta y se desliza en su festival de sangre, coreografiado al más puro estilo John Wick pero que por momentos se puede hacer algo repetitivo en una película que, precisamente por divertida y cómica, deja con un sabor a poco en su conclusión, aunque, tal y como promete su director, quizá falte aún universo por recorrer.

Uganda’s military chief has warned the African country’s armed forces could enter the Iran war on Israel’s side after issuing a series of statements on social media that went viral this week.

Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba — son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni — who is considered to be his likely successor, has spent this week making a barrage of posts on X in support of Israel.

«We stand with Israel because we are Christians,» he wrote, adding in another post, «Uganda is the David that was forgotten and neglected by the world. We will defeat the giant, Goliath.»

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Kainerugaba began his social media blitz with, «We want the war in the Middle East to end now. The world is tired of it. But any talk of destroying or defeating Israel will bring us into the war. On the side of Israel!»

Uganda has 45,000 active military personnel in the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF), with around 35,000 reserves, according to its ministry of defense. It’s estimated to have approximately 240 tanks and over 1,000 armored fighting vehicles.

The nation is also heavily involved militarily in conflict-affected countries. Its soldiers fight as part of an African Union force against Islamist al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia. Their army is also still operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) against the Islamic State-linked ADF terrorist group.

While Iran is not known to have any interests in Uganda, it has been accused of covert operations in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, including the running of smuggling networks and making controversial diplomatic and economic outreach with questionable motives throughout the region. Although landlocked, Uganda is said to be wary of Iran’s strategic interest in gaining a presence in the regional waters of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

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In another post he stated, «Israel stood with us when we were nobodies in the 1980s and 1990s. Why wouldn’t we defend her now that our GDP is $100 billion? One of the largest in Africa.»

Israel has historically trained Ugandan forces, including the general. It is understood that Uganda maintains a strong strategic partnership with Israel, with close security and intelligence ties.

Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from the city of Ashkelon, Israel, Oct. 9, 2023.  (Amir Cohen/Reuters)

It wasn’t always like this. In 1976, with dictator Idi Amin aggressively opposing Israel, four terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139 on its way from Tel Aviv to France. The plane was diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. During the night of July 3, 1976, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) mounted a long-range rescue mission, originally codenamed Operation Thunderbolt, to rescue 106 mostly Israeli hostages being held.

The mission was retroactively renamed Operation Yonatan after the mission’s leader, Lt. Col. Yonatan «Yoni» Netanyahu, the elder brother of the current Israeli Prime Minister, was killed by a Ugandan sniper during the raid. The Israeli soldiers pulled off a successful rescue, but four hostages, seven hijackers and 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed.

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Kainerugaba announced that in a further gesture of goodwill toward Israel, he intends to have a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu erected at the exact spot in Entebbe’s airport where he fell. This week, Kainerugaba posted a photo of the statue on X, dubbing it «a sneak peek.»