List of All Articles with Tag 'us politics'

The US State Department on Wednesday ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family members from Niger following last week's military takeover.

As security measures ramp up for his arraignment, Mr Trump decries "corruption, scandal, & failure".

Special counsel Jack Smith's criminal indictment appeared to be more than two and half years in the making, but the American public heard many of the key details of the case outlined in a series of hearings last year -- as a well as an 800-page report -- run by the House Select Committee that investigated the January 6 riot.

The Senate went into lockdown Wednesday afternoon as US Capitol Police investigated reports of an active shooter in the Russell office building, putting Capitol Hill on edge more than two years after the January 6, 2021, attack.

Watch live from outside the US Capitol after police said no active shooter was found on Wednesday 2 August. Officers were dispatched to canvass Senate office buildings in response to what they described as “a concerning 911 call”. In a post on X (the social media website formerly known as Twitter), the US Capitol Police department advised that people should stay away from the area as officers were investigating. “Our officers are searching in and around the Senate Office Buildings in response to a concerning 911 call. Please stay away from the area,” the post read. DC Fire and EMS subsequently told Fox News that the situation was likely to be related to mental health and not an active shooter. Read More FBI looks for more possible victims after woman escapes from cinderblock cage in Oregon Moment stepfather arrested by police for murder of 10-month-old stepson Italian police dog sniffs out €1 million in cash hidden in luggage

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday dined with top Fox executives at his Bedminster golf club, during which Fox News president Jay Wallace and the network's chief executive, Suzanne Scott, encouraged him to participate in the first presidential debate the network is hosting later this month, two sources with knowledge told CNN.

Russia is forcing Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territories to accept Russian citizenship by engaging in a systematic push "to make it impossible for residents to survive in their homes" unless they do so, according to a newly released report from the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab.

One of the few Republican senators who voted to convict former president Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial for his role in the January 6 riot, said that the latest indictment showed the former president played an “active role” in instigating the chaos. A federal grand jury in Washington DC elected to indict the former president on four counts of violating three sections of the federal criminal code for his attempted scheme to stay in the White House despite losing the 2020 presidential election. Sen Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined six other GOP senators in 2021 to convict Mr Trump for his role in inciting the riot at the US Capitol as Mr Trump’s supporters breached the complex in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. “In early 2021, I voted to impeach former President Trump based on clear evidence that he attempted to overturn the 2020 election after losing it,” Ms Murkowski said in a series of posts on X , formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday evening. “Additional evidence presented since then, including by the January 6 Commission, has only reinforced that the former President played a key role in instigating the riots, resulting in physical violence and desecration of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021,” she added. Ms Murkowski won re-election in Alaska last year largely thanks to the state moving to a ranked-choice system. Mr Trump campaigned heavily for her Republican challenger Kelly Tshibaka last year. She is one of only four remaining Republican senators who voted to convict Mr Trump, along with Sens Mitt Romney (R-UT), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). So far, she is the only Republican senator who has won re-election since voting to convict Mr Trump. Only two of the 10 Republicans who voted in the House of Representatives to impeach Mr Trump remain in the chamber. The Alaska Republican said that Mr Trump is considered innocent until proven guilty and will have his day in court like any American. “As that process begins, I encourage everyone to read the indictment, to understand the very serious allegations being made in this case,” she said. The grand jury charged Mr Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of an official proceeding and deprivation of rights under the colour of law after a four-hour presentation by Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office. Ms Murkowski’s words differ drastically from those of her Republican colleagues, including Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who called to defund Mr Smith’s office, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Andrew Feinberg contributed reporting Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump hit with 2020 election probe charges as he likens it to ‘Nazi persecution’ DeSantis ripped for calling new Trump indictment ‘unfair’ - even though he hasn’t read it ‘Co-conspirator 1’ Rudy Giuliani flips out saying Jack Smith should be indicted for indicting Trump Analysis: Trump's indictment is a stress test of Biden's focus on safeguarding democracy Republican National Committee boosts polling and fundraising thresholds to qualify for 2nd debate Pence fought an order to testify but now is a central figure in his former boss's indictment

Federal prosecutors have asked the judge overseeing the prosecution of Donald Trump, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira in the Southern District of Florida to hold a hearing that could result in Mr Nauta seeking new legal representation in the case against him. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office on Wednesday filed a motion asking Judge Aileen Cannon to schedule what is known as a “Garcia Hearing,” at which Mr Nauta would be informed that he has the right to be represented by a lawyer who does not represent any other party in the case against him. The proceeding takes its’ name from a 1975 court case, United States v. Garcia, in which an appeals court found that a defendant could use an attorney with a conflict of interest if they were properly informed as to the risks in doing so. Prosecutors said they were asking for the hearing because Mr Nauta’s attorney, Stanley Woodward, has represented or is currently representing three other people who may be called to testify against the longtime Trump aide and his co-defendants when the case against them goes to trial in May 2024. They explained that the hearing is needed because “ an attorney who cross-examines a former or present client inherently encounters divided loyalties,” and suggested that Judge Cannon could “procure” an independent attorney to be present at the hearing to advise Mr Nauta should he wish to speak with them. The special counsel’s office said Mr Woodward, who is paid by Mr Trump’s Save America Political Action Committee, represents seven persons who have been questioned during the government’s probe into the ex-president’s alleged mishandling of classified information. Specifically, they said the individuals include the Mar-a-Lago IT director referenced in the indictment of Mr Trump, Mr Nauta and Mr De Oliveira as “Trump Employee 4” as well as two other Trump aides who worked for the ex-president “during his presidency and afterwards”. Prosecutors also noted that they had previously told Mr Woodward in February and March of this year that his representation of the IT supervisor constituted a conflict because the employee would give evidence that was damaging to Mr Trump and Mr Nauta. The IT worker subsequently obtained a different attorney in early July, just a few weeks before the government obtained a superseding indictment of the ex-president and Mr Nauta and added Mr De Oliveira as a defendant in the case using the worker’s testimony. Continuing, they said Mr Woodward’s representation of the potential witnesses raises a conflict of interest because it “may result in the attorney’s improper use or disclosure of the client’s confidences during the cross-examination” or result in the attorney “pulling his punches” during cross-examination of the witnesses to protect the client or his own personal interests. “Where, as here, a potential conflict arises from an attorney’s simultaneous or successive representation of a defendant and a potential witness, a Garcia hearing is warranted. Nauta should be thoroughly advised of the potential conflicts and attendant risks,” they said. Prosecutors added that the two witnesses other than the Mar-a-Lago IT worker should also attend the hearing so they can be advised of the risks of having Mr Woodward as an attorney. A response to the government motion by Mr Nauta’s legal team is due on 16 August. Read More Trump has now been indicted for a 3rd time. Here's where all the investigations stand Mar-a-Lago property manager is the latest in line of Trump staffers ensnared in legal turmoil Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump's classified documents case to make first court appearance

Children under the age of 16 no longer have to obtain permission to work in Arkansas. To mark the day that the child labour law rollback went into effect, social media users circulated a photo of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders wearing a massive smile - with frowning children sitting beside her. The photo was taken on 8 March 2023 when Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an education bill into law. But New York Times reporter Hannah Dreier resurfaced the photo on X – formerly known as Twitter – on Tuesday to highlight another bill that went into effect that day—the “Youth Hiring Act of 2023”—to try to illustrate how kids may be feeling about the new law. The post drew a wide range of reactions from social media users, from criticism to sarcastic comments. Orlando Sentinel reporter J.C. Carnahan wrote sarcastically, “The kids look enthused about it. What could go wrong?” “The kids in this photo look super stoked,” another said similarly, and yet another wrote, “kids look thrilled.” Another user remarked, “Talk about turn back the clock--good ol’ Huck-a-Buck just returned her state to the early 1900s. Way to go!!” One user went so far as to say, “They’d rather put little kids to work (because kids will be glad to get any amount of money) than raise the minimum wage.” Ms Sanders’ communications director spoke to NPR after the governor signed the bill into law in March: “The Governor believes protecting kids is most important, but this permit was an arbitrary burden on parents to get permission from the government for their child to get a job. She added, “All child labor laws that actually protect children still apply and we expect businesses to comply just as they are required to do now.” In 2022, the Department of Labor reported that there were 3,876 minors illegally employed; the highest figure in the past 10 years. A March report by the Economic Policy Institute said that 14 states have either introduced or passed bills that roll back child labour laws. Read More Sarah Huckabee Sanders travels to Europe for 1st overseas trade mission as Arkansas governor Arkansas librarians are suing to block state law that threatens them with jailtime Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she never meant job applicants to write what they admire most about her

Special counsel Jack Smith said Tuesday that the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol was "fueled by lies" told by former President Donald Trump. The indictment of Trump on four new federal criminal charges, all related to the former president's effort to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election, lays out some of those lies one by one.

After Special Counsel Jack Smith handed down yet another indictment against former President Donald Trump—this time with criminal charges over 2020 election interference—fellow 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis took the opportunity to defend Mr Trump, as well as make campaign promises. The Florida Republican governor wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, moments after the indictment was handed down. He wrote, “As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans.” He admitted that he has not read the indictment, but “believe we need to enact reforms so that Americans have the right to remove cases from Washington, DC to their home districts.” Mr Trump was indicted in a US District Court in Washington, DC. Mr DeSantis continued, “Washington, DC is a ‘swamp’ and it is unfair to have to stand trial before a jury that is reflective of the swamp mentality.” He continued, “One of the reasons our country is in decline is the politicization of the rule of law. No more excuses—I will end the weaponization of the federal government.” Mr DeSantis’ post echoes claims from Mr Trump. Following the indictment announcement, the Trump campaign put out a statement, writing: “This is nothing more than the latest corrupt chapter in the continued pathetic attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their weaponized Department of Justice to interfere with the 2024 presidential election, in which Donald Trump is the undisputed frontrunner, and leading by substantial margins.” Mr Trump has consistently led Mr DeSantis in the polls, as the two men vie for the Republican nomination. It’s unclear how the latest indictment will affect the former president’s favourability. The former president was charged on four criminal counts and the indictment lists six unnamed co-conspirators on Tuesday. Read More Dismal turnout for Ron DeSantis ‘one-dollar beer’ campaign event Matt Gaetz calls DeSantis ‘thirsty’ for Kamala Harris invite It's Kamala Harris vs. Ron DeSantis in the fight over Florida's new teachings on slavery