
Wisconsin Assembly advances redistricting bill in effort to bypass state Supreme Court
The Republican-controlled Wisconsin State Assembly has voted to change how the state's legislative maps are drawn -- a major shift in strategy as Republicans face the possibility that the new liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court could throw out the current electoral maps, which give the GOP an advantage.
2023-09-16 06:24

What anger over top influencer says about China today
Li Jiaqi's comments struck a raw nerve as China's youth struggle to find jobs in a sputtering economy.
2023-09-16 06:19

Prosecutors ask judge to restrict Trump’s ‘inflammatory’ attacks surrounding election subversion case
Federal prosecutors are asking the judge overseeing a case targeting Donald Trump’s alleged efforts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election to help stop his wave of “inflammatory” attacks. Following a grand jury’s indictment in the case, the former president has “repeatedly and widely disseminated public statements” attacking Washington DC residents as well as members of the court, prosecutors and prospective witnesses, according to a filing in US District Court on 15 September. His statements threaten “to undermine the integrity of these proceedings and prejudice the jury pool,” prosecutors warned. Prosecutors with US Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith have asked US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to take “immediate” steps to ensure a fair trial and an impartial jury, including drafting a “narrowly tailored order” that restricts “certain prejudicial extrajudicial statements” from Mr Trump. An unsparing assessment of Mr Trump’s remarks charts the former president’s ongoing and baseless narrative casting doubt on the integrity and veracity of US elections, his remarks targeting his perceived political opponents, including family members of the judges and prosecutors overseeing the criminal cases against him, and how his bullhorn dog-whistle statements are heard among his supporters who elevate those threats. “The defendant has an established practice of issuing inflammatory public statements targeted at individuals or institutions that present an obstacle or challenge to him,” including bogus statements surrounding US elections that have “engendered widespread mistrust in the administration of the election, and the individuals whom he targeted were subject to threats and harassment,” according to prosecutors. Mr Trump knows that “when he publicly attacks individuals and institutions, he inspires others to perpetrate threats and harassment against his targets,” according to the filing, and that he continues those attacks “precisely because he knows that in doing so, he is able to roil the public and marshal and prompt his supporters.” The filing includes several posts from Mr Trump’s Truth Social account, which the former president has used as a bully pulpit to his supporters to direct the narratives surrounding the criminal cases against him while casting himself as a victim of political prosecution. Mr Trump has “posted publicly about individuals whom he has reason to believe will be witnesses in this trial,” and his “relentless public posts marshaling anger and mistrust in the justice system, the Court, and prosecutors have already influenced the public,” according to prosecutors. The special counsel’s office has also faced “multiple threats,” according to the filing. In a separate filing on Friday, prosecutors have warned a judge that people connected to the case have faced “threats and harassment” fuelled by the former president’s “inflammatory public statements.” Judge Chutkan has allowed prosecutors to seal those names, according to the nine-page order on 15 September. Prosecutors asked to court to withhold the names and other identifying information of “certain individuals” targeted by Mr Trump with “inflammatory” statements, as well as excerpts from witness interview transcripts that describe the alleged threats and harassment they received, according to the filing. “The government seeks to establish that Defendant has publicly criticized his perceived adversaries and is aware that this criticism has led to their harassment,” the judge wrote. This is a developing story Read More Trump’s Twitter DMs handed over as special counsel asks for narrow gag order in Jan 6 case – latest
2023-09-16 05:47

UAW strike: Biden says striking car workers deserve 'fair share'
The president urges Ford, General Motors and Stellantis to "go further" to meet the union demands.
2023-09-16 04:58

An Arkansas toddler dies of rare brain-eating amoeba infection likely contracted at splash pad
An Arkansas toddler died of a rare brain-eating amoeba infection, which was likely contracted at a splash pad at a country club, according to health officials and the county coroner.
2023-09-16 04:49

Libyan official refutes blame for flood disaster
An official in the eastern based government tells the BBC locals in Derna were told to flee their homes.
2023-09-16 04:45

Trump's public statements led to harassment of witnesses, federal prosecutors say
Former President Donald Trump's public statements about the federal election interference investigation led to the harassment of witnesses, according to prosecutors with special counsel Jack Smith's office.
2023-09-16 04:45

Diamonds and diplomacy: How ex-envoy Robert Olson fell from grace
Career diplomat Robert Olson admits violating ethics laws after serving as US ambassador to Pakistan.
2023-09-16 04:25

Sia reveals she suffered ‘severe’ three-year depression after divorce from Erik Anders Lang
Sia has opened up about the painful experience she underwent after her divorce from ex-husband Erik Anders Lang. The “Chandelier” singer, 47, spoke candidly about her mental health in an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 on 13 September. “Well, actually, the truth is that I had just been every now and again writing a song here or there for the last six, seven years,” Sia said while discussing her forthcoming album, Reasonable Woman. "I got divorced and that really threw me for a loop,” she explained. “That was such a dark time that I was in bed for three years, really, really severely depressed. And so I couldn’t really do anything for that period of time.” However, the “Unstoppable” singer was able to record “just little bits and pieces here and there” of her new music, and eventually felt inspired to create an album. “Finally, it just turned out we had enough songs to make an album, enough good ones,” Sia continued. “I just rely on my management to tell me when we’ve got enough good ones, because I don’t really... I can tell when I think one is particularly good, I think I can tell, but they tell me when we’ve got 11 or 12 or 13 enough good ones, real good ones.” Sia, whose full name Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, was previously married to filmmaker Erik Anders Lang. The former couple were married at the Grammy-winner’s Palm Springs home in August 2014. However, they filed for divorce two years later, citing “irreconcilable differences”. These days, the “Cheap Thrills” singer has moved on with husband Dan Bernad. The couple were married last May during an intimate wedding ceremony in Italy with “just four” guests present. Sia has managed to keep many details about her relationship with Bernad private, sharing only one picture with him on Instagram last year. “Pride forever! #lgbtqia+ #LAFC #22 also just finished my next album! A great day all round!” she captioned the post, which featured Bernad. According to People, the couple tied the knot during a candlelit ceremony at Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s Villa Olivetta in Portofino, Italy – the same venue where Kourtney Kardashian married Travis Barker in May 2022. The bride wore a lace mermaid wedding gown, complete with a matching, nude sheer veil, while Bernad chose a light-coloured tuxedo for the nuptials. They reportedly exchanged vows under an iron gazebo, adorned with pink, purple, yellow, and white flowers. In 2020, Sia announced she had become a grandmother at the age of 44 - one year after she adopted two adult sons. Speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe at the time, she revealed that one of her adopted sons had just become a father. “My youngest son just had two babies, I’m just immediately horrified,” she quipped. “No, I’m cool. They call me Nana. I’m trying to get them to call me Lovey, like Kris [Jenner]. I’m like: ‘Call me Lovey’... I’m a f***ing grandma!” Read More Sia marries boyfriend Dan Bernad at wedding with ‘just four guests’ ‘I love them’: Sia reveals she adopted two 18-year-old sons Emily Ratajkowski jokes she’ll date ‘anyone who wants to take her to dinner’ David Foster and Katharine McPhee express grief after death of their child’s nanny Mother defended after calling father ‘creepy’ over name choice for newborn daughter Action needed to protect women from birth trauma – MP
2023-09-16 03:47

Biden admin imposes new sanctions on Iran for anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death
The Biden administration on Friday imposed sanctions on more than two dozen Iranian individuals and entities tied to the violent suppression of protests following the death of Mahsa Amini one year ago.
2023-09-16 03:23

Berlin protesters condemn Russian soprano Netrebko's opera performance
Anna Netrebko has been accused of failing to denounce Vladimir Putin for Russia's war in Ukraine.
2023-09-16 02:46

White House says Biden is focused on his job in the wake of his son's indictment
President Joe Biden remains focused on his job -- including preparing for next week's United Nations meetings -- after his son was indicted on gun charges, according to US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
2023-09-16 02:46