
Police K-9 handler who released dog that attacked an unarmed Black man in Ohio placed on paid leave while incident is under review, mayor says
A Circleville, Ohio, officer who was seen on video deploying a police K-9 that attacked an unarmed Black man while he was surrendering to authorities is on paid administrative leave as the incident is under investigation, the mayor said.
2023-07-26 08:58

DeSantis campaign fires aide behind neo-Nazi meme video
A campaign staffer for Ron DeSantis who shared an online video using Nazi imagery with the Florida governor’s face has been fired. Nate Hochman, a 25-year-old campaign communications staff member who has written for The National Review and The New York Times, shared a video over the weekend to an anonymous pro-DeSantis Twitter account featuring a meme template that has been adopted by far-right and neo-fascist creators. The video shows a “wojack” character, unhappy with news footage of Donald Trump, watching the Florida seal turn into the Nazi-appropriated Sonnenrad symbol. Mr DeSantis is then seen superimposed on the icon in front of soldiers marching in formation. That video was then retweeted by Mr Hochman before it was deleted, according to posts reviewed by The Independent. Mr Hochman appears to have retweeted posts from the anonymous account at least six other times. “Nate Hochman is no longer with the campaign,” a spokesperson for the DeSantis campaign said in a statement to NBC News. “And we will not be commenting on him further.” Another clip on the anonymous account included audio of a man calling Mr DeSantis a “fascist” and cut together footage of the Florida governor alongside clips of Nazis and Benito Mussolini. The account also has been retweeted by the DeSantis campaign’s War Room account and the DeSantis-linked Never Back Down super PAC account. His departure also follows another video promoted by the DeSantis campaign that relies on the familiar aesthetics of far-right and neo-fascist memes to celebrate Mr DeSantis’s “draconian” anti-LGBT+ agenda and threat to “trans existence”. That video also was created by a campaign staffer but was made to appear as if it was produced externally, according to The New York Times. The videos have underscored the growing influence of fringe far-right online communities within mainstream Republican spaces, from the emergence of explicitly violent authoritarian “dark MAGA” memes to the dominance of “fashwave” aesthetics on social media platforms. The DeSantis campaign has fired more than 40 per cent of its original staff since launching his bid for the 2024 Republican nomination for president. At least 38 staffers have been laid off since the campaign’s launch in May, including at least 26 people on 25 July. Read More Ron DeSantis is caught in a death spiral of his own making DeSantis lays off a third of his campaign staff as presidential bid sputters Four cars in Ron DeSantis motorcade crash into each other on way to Tennessee fundraisers
2023-07-26 08:53

Ron DeSantis car accident - latest: Campaign fires staffer over Nazi meme as animal blamed for motorcade crash
Ron DeSantis was in a car crash while on his way to a fundraiser in Tennessee. The Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate was uninjured in the Tuesday morning incident. “We appreciate the prayers and well wishes of the nation for his continued protection while on the campaign trail,” spokesperson Bryan Griffin said in a statement. Mr DeSantis was set to attend fundraisers in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville on Tuesday as his campaign is reported to be floundering both in terms of funding and poll numbers. Meanwhile, the governor’s presidential campaign continues to suffer internal turmoil. A staffer was recently fired for posting a video using Nazi imagery superimposed on Mr DeSantis’s face. Read More Ron DeSantis in car crash as he heads to Tennessee campaign event DeSantis campaign fires aide behind neo-Nazi meme video Ron DeSantis is caught in a death spiral of his own making Ron DeSantis has already blown 40 per cent of his campaign donations – on private jets and fancy campaign dinners
2023-07-26 08:49

Godwin Emefiele's downfall: How Nigeria's bank boss ended up in court
The once-powerful bank chief is charged with illegally owning a shotgun, which he denies.
2023-07-26 08:21

Travis King: How the US negotiates with North Korea
The US is at a critical stage to negotiate the soldier's release, experts say.
2023-07-26 07:57

A familiar face for the US as China's Wang returns as foreign minister
By Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON China's decision to reappoint its top diplomat Wang Yi as foreign
2023-07-26 07:54

Texas congressman leads thirst and hunger strike to urge heat protections for workers
A Democratic congressman from Texas is participating in a brief thirst and hunger strike Tuesday to "draw attention to the need for a federal workplace heat standard, including protections for rest and water breaks."
2023-07-26 07:28

Greenpeace says ECB has broken climate pledge with end of bond buying
FRANKFURT Activist group Greenpeace said on Wednesday the European Central Bank has broken a pledge to join the
2023-07-26 06:29

DeSantis cuts additional campaign staff in effort to 'streamline operations'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is making additional cuts to his presidential campaign staff, two senior campaign officials told CNN, shrinking his payroll by more than a third as he continues to reboot his struggling White House bid.
2023-07-26 06:25

Banc of California and PacWest to merge, raise $400 million in equity
By Niket Nishant and Nupur Anand (Reuters) -Banc of California and PacWest Bancorp will merge in an all-stock deal to
2023-07-26 04:53

Inside McCarthy's sudden warming to a Biden impeachment inquiry
Speaker Kevin McCarthy in recent weeks has heard similar advice from both a senior House Republican and an influential conservative lawyer: prioritize the impeachment of President Joe Biden over a member of his Cabinet.
2023-07-26 04:27

Biden pledges 'mental health care is health care' with new rule ensuring mental health parity in insurance coverage
President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced new action to guarantee access to mental health care, unveiling a proposed rule that would ensure mental health benefits on private insurance plans more closely mirror physical health benefits.
2023-07-26 04:22