
Georgia Supreme Court dismisses Trump bid to shut down Fulton County probe
The Georgia Supreme Court has dismissed a longshot legal bid from former President Donald Trump to essentially shut down the Fulton County criminal probe into his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state.
2023-07-18 06:22

Accused Discord leaker Jack Teixeira argues he should be let out of jail as he awaits his classified documents trial, citing Trump's release
The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who is accused of posting a trove of classified documents to social media asked a judge to reconsider his detention on Monday, pointing out that he is charged with the same federal counts as former President Donald Trump and that prosecutors did not opposed Trump's release.
2023-07-18 06:17

Trump praises judge overseeing classified documents case: ‘She loves our country’
Former President Donald Trump praised a judge he appointed as he awaits to hear about his request to delay the trial in the classified documents case until after the 2024 election. “I know it’s a very highly respected judge. A very smart judge, and a very strong judge,” Mr Trump said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, referring to federal Judge Aileen Cannon. Judge Cannon also presided over the court proceedings surrounding the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. Host Maria Bartiromo pointed out that the federal judge was appointed by Mr Trump. He replied, “I did, and I’m very proud to have appointed her.” “But she’s very smart and very strong, and loves our country,” the former president continued. “We need judges that love our country so they do the right thing.” Attorneys for Mr Trump — and his co-defendent Walt Nauta — wrote in a filing on Monday: “Proceeding to trial during the pendency of a Presidential election cycle wherein opposing candidates are effectively (if not literally) directly adverse to one another in this action will create extraordinary challenges in the jury selection process and limit the Defendants’ ability to secure a fair and impartial adjudication.” Last month Mr Trump pleaded not guilty to the 37 count federal indictment in the classified documents case, which is led by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Judge Cannon was criticised last year when she issued what many legal experts saw as an unusually broad decision to appoint a “special master” to review the documents seized by the FBI from Mr Trump’s home. She temporarily barred federal agents and prosecutors from reviewing a batch of classified documents seized during the search. However, her order was ultimately thrown out in a scathing opinion by a federal appeals court, which found she had overstepped. While Mr Trump’s supporters had cheered her ruling as a check on what they viewed as a politically motivated probe, others accused her of trying to help the former president. With reporting from the Associated Press Read More Is DeSantis campaign dead in the water? The money says yes Donald Trump Jr says he wouldn’t have got away with having cocaine at White House: ‘Luckily it’s not my thing’ Fox News anchor and Trump superfan Maria Bartiromo shocks by pushing back on ex-president: ‘You didn’t drain the swamp’
2023-07-18 06:15

Microsoft Clears Another Hurdle as Court Halts UK Veto Case
Microsoft Corp.’s once imperiled $69 billion bid for Activision Blizzard Inc. has fresh momentum. At a hearing on
2023-07-18 05:59

The curse of third-party presidential candidates
The viable third-party presidential option is the fever dream of American politics.
2023-07-18 05:57

Democratic PAC unveils ‘steamy and horrifying’ ad with GOP lawmaker interrupting couple in bedroom
Progressive Action Fund launched a new ad attacking crackdowns on reproductive rights ahead of an Ohio ballot measure, featuring an elderly Republican congressman in a couple’s bedroom. The ad begins with a sex scene in which a woman asks, “Do you have a condom?” The man reaches for the condom in a bedside table drawer, and another suit-covered arm reaches for it as well, shocking the couple. “Sorry, you can’t use those,” says an older man, clad in a black suit and red tie, while standing beside the bed. The woman asks who he is. “I’m your Republican congressman. Now that we’re in charge, we’re banning birth control,” he says. “This is our decision, not yours,” the woman replies, adding, “Get out of our bedroom!” The Republican congressman says eerily, “I won the last election, I’m not going anywhere. I’m just gonna watch and make sure you don’t do anything illegal.” The ad then ends with a frame of the Republican congressman’s face next to text that reads: “Keep republicans out of your bedroom.” It urges voters to “vote no” on 8 August, in reference to State Issue 1, which would require proposed amendments to Ohio’s constitution “receive the approval of at least 60 per cent of eligible voters voting on the proposed amendment.” If passed, State Issue 1 would replace a simple majority requirement. The argument for Issue 1 states that it “protects our Constitution from deep-pocketed, out-of-state interests,” while the argument against it states that “it takes away our freedom by undermining the sacred principle of ‘one person, one vote’ and destroys majority rule in Ohio.” A number of people have said the amendment is all about preventing abortion access. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose disagreed, “Some people say this is all about abortion.” Instead, he said, it was about protecting the state from special interest groups: “Well, you know what, I’m pro-life. I think many of you are as well. This is 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution. The left wants to jam it in there this coming November.” “If you live in Ohio, watch this steamy and horrifying ad and vote against raising the number for ballot initiatives to pass to 60%,” Jill Wine-Banks tweeted. Read More Ohio's Republican secretary of state, Frank LaRose, launches his campaign for US Senate Watchdog calls for House committee to uninvite RFK Jr. after his comments are blasted as antisemitic Ohio police officers struggle to get mayonnaise jar off raccoon’s head in CCTV footage Unhealthy air quality lingers across parts of U.S. from drifting Canadian wildfire smoke Watchdog calls for House committee to uninvite RFK Jr. after his comments are blasted as antisemitic Ohio's Republican secretary of state, Frank LaRose, launches his campaign for US Senate
2023-07-18 05:25

Trump news – live: Manchin run could help Trump as ex-president eyes two of his GOP 2024 rivals for VP
Donald Trump is considering his Republican 2024 rivals as potential running mates should he win the GOP nomination. The former president told Fox News on Sunday that his running mate could “possibly” be among those in the 2024 field. He said that Vivek Ramaswamy has “done a very good job” and Senator Tim Scott is a “very good guy” but stopped short of saying who he would pick if the time came. Over the weekend, Mr Trump headlined the first of a two-day conference hosted by right-wing political activist group Turning Point USA alongside far-right lawmakers, candidates and pundits, including Tucker Carlson and Matt Gaetz. In his rambling Saturday night address condemned investigations and criminal indictments against him while telling Ron DeSantis to “get home to Florida,” accusing his rival for the Republican nomination for president of neglecting the governor’s office. Meanwhile, Senator Joe Manchin is continuing to feed speculation about his political future by appearing at an event with No Labels as he weighs whether to make a third-party run for president. Some Democrats fear a No Labels-backed candidacy would siphon votes away from President Joe Biden and enable Mr Trump to win another term as president. Read More Donald Trump brands US a ‘third-world hellhole’ run by ‘perverts’ and ‘thugs’ Ron DeSantis campaign fires staff as Florida governor trails Trump in the polls Fundraising takeaways: Trump and DeSantis in their own tier as Pence and other Republicans struggle RFK Jr revives antisemitic conspiracy theory that Covid-19 was ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jewish people
2023-07-18 05:16

State judge temporarily blocks Iowa's 6-week abortion ban
Abortions in Iowa will for now remain legal up to 22 weeks into a pregnancy after a judge on Monday temporarily blocked the state's newly signed law that would ban the procedure as early as six weeks.
2023-07-18 05:15

Biden still concerned about judicial overhaul as he extends invite to meet with Israel's Netanyahu
President Joe Biden on Monday invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with him in the U.S. this fall, the White House said, even as he expressed ongoing concern about Netanyahu's controversial plans to overhaul his country's judicial system. Monday's phone conversation between the U.S. and Israeli leaders came one day before Israel's figurehead president Isaac Herzog is set to visit to the White House and as Netanyahu's government pushes forward with the judicial changes that have sparked widespread protest in Israel. The Biden administration declined to say whether Biden would host Netanyahu at the White House — as the Israeli leader has hoped — or in New York on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly. White House visits are typically standard protocol for Israeli prime ministers, and the delay in Netanyahu receiving one has become an issue in Israel, with opponents citing it as a reflection of deteriorating relations with the U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Biden again on Monday expressed concern to Netanyahu over the judicial plan — as he did when they last spoke earlier this year — and urged the “broadest possible consensus” over the legislation that has been pushed by Netanyahu and his hard-line coalition. Netanyahu and his allies, a collection of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist parties, say the plan is needed to rein in the powers of unelected judges. Opponents say the plan will destroy Israel’s fragile system of checks and balances and move the country toward authoritarian rule. Kirby said Biden also expressed his “ironclad, unwavering commitment” to Israel's security and that the two leaders discussed Iran's nuclear program and regional security issues. Biden also “expressed concern” over Israel's continued settlement growth in the West Bank and urged Israel to take steps to preserve the viability of a two state solution with Palestinians. Biden, Kirby said, also welcomed steps by the Palestinian Authority to reassert security control in Jenin and other areas of the West Bank and moves by Israel and Palestinians to move toward another round of direct talks. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide
2023-07-18 04:54

White House condemns RFK Jr’s ‘vile’ antisemitic Covid conspiracy claim
The White House on Monday condemned anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr’s claim that the virus which causes Covid-19 was somehow engineered to target white and Black people while sparing Asians and Jews of Eastern European descent as an example of antisemitism that puts Americans at risk. During a press event in New York City on 11 July, Mr Kennedy baselessly stated that “there is an argument to be made” that the disease is “ethnically targeted” and claimed that the Sars-CoV-2 virus was “targeted to attack Cucasians and Black people” even as “those who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese”. Mr Kennedy later falsely claimed that he had made the remarks at an off-the-record event and attacked the New York Post who had reported on his offensive comments, accusing him of trying to “to discredit [him] as a crank — and by association, to discredit revelations of genuine corruption and collusion.” His comments were widely condemned by numerous Jewish groups including the Anti-Defamation League, which called them “deeply offensive” pointed out that they “feed into sinophobic and antisemitic conspiracy theories”. Speaking at the White House daily press briefing on Monday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to respond to Mr Kennedy directly, citing his status as a 2024 presidential candidate. But Ms Jean-Pierre said the anti-vaccine activist’s comments were insensitive to the “countless” American families with empty seats at the dinner table because they’ve lost people to the virus since it began spreading across the globe in March 2020. Continuing, Ms Jean-Pierre said the claims Mr Kennedy made on a tape which was published by The New York Post were “false” as well as “vile,” and said they “put our fellow Americans in danger”. “if you think about the racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories that come out of saying those types of things, it’s an attack on our fellow citizens, our fellow Americans and so it is important that we ... speak out when we hear those claims made more broadly,” she said. “This President and this whole administration is going to stand against ... those false claims against ... Asian Americans, against Jewish Americans,” she said. “We’re going to continue to speak out and we believe ... it’s important to protect the dignity of our fellow Americans”. Read More RFK Jr revives antisemitic conspiracy theory that Covid-19 was ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jewish people RFK Jr press dinner screaming match over climate crisis ends with columnist launching his own natural gas Robert F Kennedy Jr calls interviewer ‘unfair’ for spelling out his laundry list of conspiracy theories Editor apologises for publishing RFK Jr anti-vaxx screed: ‘I should have been fired’
2023-07-18 04:50

White House says Biden and Netanyahu will 'probably' meet this year
US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will "probably" meet before year's end, the White House says, a step toward easing what had been a strained relationship but still short of the full-blown Oval Office invitation Netanyahu has long sought.
2023-07-18 03:59

US orders deployment of fighter jets and Navy destroyer to Middle East in response to Iranian activities
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered F-35 and F-16 fighter jets deployed to the Middle East, as well as the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, in response to Iranian activities in the Strait of Hormuz.
2023-07-18 03:54