Simmering tensions erupt between top Texas state Republicans
The day after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused the state House speaker of presiding over the chamber while drunk and called on him to resign, a House ethics panel on Wednesday heard explosive testimony from investigators detailing what they described as years of misconduct by the attorney general.
2023-05-25 10:58
Chinese hackers seeking to disrupt communications between US and Asia in event of crisis, Microsoft says
Chinese government-backed hackers are likely pursuing cyber capabilities that could be used to "disrupt critical communications" between the US and the Asia Pacific region in the event of a future US-China crisis, Microsoft warned on Wednesday.
2023-05-25 10:49
FBI director to meet with House Oversight chair in coming days about internal document
FBI Director Christopher Wray and House Oversight Chairman James Comer are scheduled to meet in the coming days as the Kentucky Republican continues to escalate his investigation into President Joe Biden's business dealings, a spokesperson for the FBI told CNN.
2023-05-25 10:25
The campaign launch Ron DeSantis’s team will want to forget
Ron DeSantis's choice fuels questions over how he handles scrutiny, our North America editor says.
2023-05-25 10:25
IRS veteran goes public as whistleblower in Hunter Biden criminal probe
A 14-year veteran of the Internal Revenue Service went public for the first time Wednesday as the whistleblower claiming to have information about alleged mishandling and political interference in an ongoing criminal probe into Hunter Biden.
2023-05-25 09:22
Ron DeSantis news – live: Elon Musk’s Twitter Spaces crashes ruining Florida governor’s 2024 campaign launch
The Twitter launch of Ron DeSantis’s 2024 bid for the White House was struck by early tech issues with the sound repeatedly dropping out. The Twitter Spaces event crashed several times on Wednesday evening, with Twitter owner Elon Musk saying the servers appeared to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people trying to listen. Donald Trump took aim at Mr DeSantis, writing on Truth Social: “Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!” Mr DeSantis officially entered the 2024 presidential race on Wednesday, after months of speculation, having filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. Mr DeSantis, 44, is seen as Mr Trump’s biggest rival for the Republican vote with several Republican lawmakers and right-wing media rallying behind him after the midterms. However, the latest polls show Mr DeSantis trailing Mr Trump. This comes as Mr DeSantis is going to war with Disney and pushing back on the NAACP’s advisory warning travellers that Florida is “openly hostile” towards Black people, people of colour, and LGBT+ people due to his laws. Read More Elon Musk complains about David Duke comparison during disastrous DeSantis 2024 launch event Ron DeSantis 2024 launch with Elon Musk derailed by tech issues amid awkward jokes about ‘melting servers’ Trump dubs DeSantis 2024 launch ‘DISASTER’ and crack bizarre joke about ‘red button’ and ‘friend’ Kim Jong-un Donald Trump Jr and George Santos ridicule disastrous DeSantis 2024 launch on Twitter Boycott Florida? Warnings from civil rights groups call attention to ‘hostile’ DeSantis agenda
2023-05-25 08:28
Trump mocks disastrous DeSantis 2024 launch with bizarre joke about ‘red button’ and his ‘friend’ Kim Jong-un
Donald Trump mocked the disastrous Twitter Spaces launch of Ron DeSantis’s bid for the White House as he made a bizarre joke about Kim Jong-un. The one-term president took to his Truth Social platform to poke fun at the Florida governor, whose campaign launch descended into chaos as Twitter crashed immediately as he tried to present his candidacy to Elon Musk. “Rob,” My Red Button is bigger, better, stronger, and is working (TRUTH!), yours does not! (per my conversation with Kim Jung Un, of North Korea, soon to become my friend!)” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social. Mr Trump tweeted in January 2018 that the “nuclear button” in Washington DC was “much bigger and more powerful” than the North Korean dictator’s “and my button works!” Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of the one-term president, took to Twitter to ridicule his father’s main rival for the GOP presidential nomination, branding the campaign launch a “DeSaster.” “DeSantis is making JEB! look high energy right now,” he added. The Twitter event, which began at 6pm ET, was plunged into chaos when it was hit by tech issues and dropped audio almost immediately. David Sacks, one of the moderators of the event, said the massive number of participants was “melting the servers”. Despite the mocking he has received for the event, Mr DeSantis told Mr Musk as it ended: “We should do it again.” Earlier he laid out why he was running for president, before mostly talking about right-wing culture war issues beloved by many of his supporters. “I am running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback,” Mr DeSantis said. “American decline is not inevitable. It is a choice,” he said. “And we should choose a new direction, a path that will lead to American revitalization.” Read More Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement As Oregon Senate GOP boycott hits 'crucial point,' governor begins talks Boycott Florida? Warnings from civil rights groups on ‘hostile’ DeSantis agenda Donald Trump Jr and George Santos ridicule DeSantis for 2024 launch on Twitter
2023-05-25 07:53
Biden set to nominate Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
President Joe Biden is set to announce on Thursday that he will nominate Air Force chief of staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a defense official familiar with the plans.
2023-05-25 06:48
US intelligence indicates Ukrainians may have launched drone attack on Kremlin
US officials have picked up chatter amongst Ukrainian officials blaming each other for a drone attack on the Kremlin earlier this month, contributing to a US assessment that a Ukrainian group may have been responsible, sources familiar with the intelligence told CNN.
2023-05-25 05:50
Man who rested feet on Pelosi office desk on Jan. 6 sentenced to over four years in prison
The man who was infamously photographed with his feet on a desk in Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol was sentenced Wednesday to four and a half years in prison.
2023-05-25 05:28
Ecuador's Lasso seeks 'national agreement' in August elections
QUITO Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso on Wednesday described coming early elections as an opportunity to unite the country
2023-05-25 04:53
Biden makes fresh call for assault weapon ban as he marks Uvalde anniversary in emotional speech
Joe Biden has made a fresh call for the banning of AR-15 assault weapons as he marked the one-year anniversary of the Uvalde mass shooting. A gunman murdered 19 students and two teachers at the Robb Elementary School in the Texas city last May, with police heavily criticised for their slow response in taking down the shooter. Mr Biden, who was joined by first lady Dr Jill Biden for the speech, said that at the scene of each mass shooting he attended, he was told the same thing by the families of victims. “At each place, you hear the same message ‘Do something, for God’s sake do something,’” he said. “We did something afterwards but not nearly enough. We still need to ban, in my view, AR-15 assault weapons once again, you know they have been used time and again in mass killings of innocent children and people.” And Mr Biden, who visited Uvalde after the shooting, called on politicians to do more to end the gun crisis in the United States. “We can’t end this epidemic until Congress passes some common sense gun safety laws... How many more parents will live their worst nightmare,” he said. The president, who has lost two children of his own, told the families that he realised that the anniversary represented a “really tough day” for them. “Remembering is important but it is also painful,” said the president, who was surrounded by a lit candle for each victim of the mass shooting. “A year of missed birthdays, school plays and soccer games, just that smile. A year of everyday joys gone forever.” A criminal investigation into the actions of law enforcement reaction to the shooting remains underway in Texas, where it is the worst school shooting in the state’s history. A report by state lawmakers concluded that nearly 400 officers from federal, state and local agencies responded to the school but that those heavily-armed officers waited an hour to confront and kill the 18-year-old gunman. The report accused Uvalde police of failing “to prioritize saving innocent lives over their own safety.” Mr Biden has now made more than 70 unanswered calls for Congress to take action and ban assault weapons, which are commonly used in mass shootings in the country. It’s a demand he has given lawmakers dozens of times since entering office in 2021. Within his first two years in office, there have been roughly 1,400 mass shootings. He has referenced a federal ban on assault weapons, called on Congress to renew an assault weapons ban or pledged that his Democratic allies will do so roughly 70 times since entering office, according to The Independent’s March 2023 review of his public statements and remarks via Factba.se. Read More How Greg Abbott met the murders of 21 children and teachers in Uvalde with silence Chilling video shows New Mexico teen gunman’s shooting rampage: ‘Come kill me’ Supreme Court refuses to block Illinois assault weapons ban Watch as Joe and Jill Biden mark one year anniversary of Uvalde shooting On 1st anniversary of Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, Biden will push for more gun control Can Ron DeSantis beat Donald Trump? These Florida political veterans aren’t so sure
2023-05-25 04:20