List of All Articles with Tag 'politics'

Former Vice President Mike Pence will launch his 2024 presidential campaign on June 7 with an announcement video and a speech in Iowa, two sources familiar with the plans tell CNN.

DAKAR Senegal's President Macky Sall on Wednesday said his government would ensure peaceful, free and transparent elections next

The White House on Wednesday strongly denied that the US government posed any threat to an ex-Senate staffer who has claimed President Joe Biden sexually assaulted her in a Senate office building hallway in the 1990s. The former staffer, Tara Reade, announced on Tuesday that she has moved to Russia, where she said during an interview with the state-owned Sputnik News website that she feels “surrounded by protection and safety” there. Asked about her claims in light of her announcement that she has moved to Russia and is seeking citizenship there, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby replied: “We'd be loath to comment on the on the musings of a potential Russian citizen.” Pressed further on whether the White House believes her allegations against Mr Biden could have been movtivated by an affinity for Russia, Mr Kirby said he “could not get inside her head and speak for her motivations and intentions”. But he did specifically address Ms Reade’s claim that she has moved to Russia because the US government was a risk to her life, calling those allegations “absolutely false” and “baseless”. “There’s nothing to that,” he added. Ms Reade, who worked for Mr Biden during a brief period in 1993, accused the then-former vice president of touching her inappropriately in 2019, when Mr Biden was contemplating entry into the 2020 presidential election. In mid-2020, when he was poised to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, she claimed he’d sexually assaulted her in a heavily-trafficked hallway in the Russell Senate Office Building. Mr Biden has strenuously denied the allegations. The former Senate staffer’s credibility took a hit after news outlets began scrutinizing her background after she made the assault allegations against Mr Biden. A university she attended, Antioch University, disputed her claim to have earned a Bachelor’s degree while studying there, and former associates came forward to recount instances in which they’d felt she’d been dishonest or deceitful in her dealings with them. A well known attorney, Douglas Wigdor, terminated an attorney-client relationship with her in May 2020 after it was revealed that she had not earned a degree from Antioch as she’d claimed publicly. Read More Tara Reade, who accused Biden of sexual assault, says she has ‘defected’ to Russia at event with Kremlin spy

All charges have been dropped against a US Secret Service employee and driver for former first lady Michelle Obama who was charged with criminal harassment and witness intimidation, according to his attorney.

Jamie Dimon is arguably the most powerful person in corporate America. Dimon has built a banking empire at JPMorgan Chase and his advice is sought by presidents, prime ministers and central bankers.

The Justice Department announced a lawsuit Wednesday against West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice's coal empire, seeking more than $5 million in unpaid civil penalties and fees.

Two Senate Democrats want the Biden administration to take another look at whether airplane seats are too cramped.

Watch live as Hakim Jeffries, minority leader of the House of Representatives, and other Democrats hold a news conference ahead of a vote on the US debt ceiling on Wednesday evening (31 May). The House is due to vote on a bill to lift the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, a critical step to avoid a destabilising default that could come early next week without congressional action. Republicans control the House by a narrow 222-213 majority, meaning the bipartisan deal - agreed days ago - will need support from both Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s Republicans and Joe Biden’s Democrats to pass. Mr McCarthy has predicted that the vote will succeed. “It’s going to become law,” he told reporters. Meanwhile, Mr Biden took to Twitter to outline what failure to pass the bill could mean for America. “Our bipartisan budget agreement prevents the worst possible crisis: a default for the first time in our nation’s history – an economic recession, retirement accounts devastated, and millions of jobs lost,” he wrote. Read More Biden and McCarthy’s debt ceiling deal expected to go to full House vote today – live Australian Parliament takes step toward holding a referendum on Indigenous Voice this year Why Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment fight isn't finished yet

If passed into law, the bipartisan debt ceiling deal will dash any hope borrowers might have that the federal student loan payment pause would be extended for a ninth time.

FBI Director Christopher Wray is scheduled to speak Wednesday with House Oversight Chairman James Comer and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley regarding a dispute over an internal law enforcement document that Republicans believe will shed light into an allegation that then-Vice President Joe Biden was involved in a criminal scheme with a foreign national.

A lawyer for a Texas man urged the Supreme Court late Tuesday to let stand a lower court opinion that

Zimbabwe's national elections will take place on Aug. 23, the country's president announced Wednesday. The vote is expected to be another closely watched affair in a country with a history of violent and disputed elections. The announcement through a government gazette also set Oct. 2 for a presidential runoff vote if required. Opposition parties have already made allegations of violence and intimidation against their supporters in the buildup to the elections, and human rights groups have said President Emmerson Mnangagwa is silencing criticism. The southern African nation has only had two leaders since it gained independence from white minority rule in 1980. Robert Mugabe led Zimbabwe for 37 years until he was removed and replaced by Mnangagwa in a coup in 2017. Mnangagwa had served as a vice president under Mugabe. The last general election was held in 2018, nearly a year after the coup. Once a close ally of Mugabe, Mnangagwa, 80, has tried to present himself as a reformer despite accusations that he is even more repressive than the man he helped remove from power. Mnangagwa is expected to face a strong challenge from Nelson Chamisa, the 45-year-old leader of the main opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change. Chamisa narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in 2018, with the Constitutional Court dismissing his claims of election rigging. Apart from the presidency, the election will also decide the composition of the 300-seat parliament and close to 2,000 local council positions. Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF ruling party and the government have denied allegations of violence and intimidation by ruling party activists and security forces. But rights groups have accused Mnangagwa’s government of intimidation and of suppressing any criticism and opposition amid a currency crisis and a sharp rise in food prices. Zimbabwe has faced severe economic problems for years and has been under U.S. sanctions for two decades over human rights abuses. Mugabe died in 2019. Chamisa said this week he is ready for the election, but has made allegations of voting roll irregularities. Compounding that, Chamisa said his party is at a disadvantage because Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF control state–run media and hold sway over the police, other security forces and the judiciary, which are used to clamp down on dissent. On Wednesday, Fadzayi Mahere, spokeswoman for the Citizens Coalition for Change, tweeted: “No govt that’s popular & knows it’s winning behaves like this. They’re terrified cause, like all of us, they know that ZANU PF can never win a free & fair election in Zimbabwe." "That’s why they’re trying to stitch & doctor the voters’ roll but it won’t work. People want change.” Opposition parties had accused Mnangagwa of delaying announcing a date for the election that must take place before the end of August. Mnangagwa's announcement came a day after Zimbabwe's foreign ministry summoned the United States’ deputy ambassador over a series of tweets the embassy sent calling for a peaceful election. The ministry accused the embassy of “election-related social media posts bordering on activism and meddling in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.” Deputy Ambassador Elaine French was called to a meeting with Zimbabwe foreign affairs acting permanent secretary Rofina Chikava on Tuesday following the posts on the U.S. Embassy's official Twitter account. The Zimbabwe foreign ministry said it had a particular issue with a May 26 tweet that called for Zimbabweans to “Register to vote and make sure your voice is heard.” Another tweet from the embassy said “Zimbabwe’s constitution grants citizens the right to choose their representatives in legitimate, credible, & peaceful elections.” The foreign ministry said the tweet urging people to register to vote was against diplomatic protocols. “We stand by our recent social media posts calling for peace during the election season," U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Meg Riggs said in a statement. “Elections are a part of a functioning democracy.” ___ More AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Zimbabwe releases prisoners in amnesty, reducing overcrowding AOC warns Elon Musk is ‘testing waters’ to interfere in 2024 election Nevada Republican governor approves abortion protections in rare cross-party move