List of All Articles with Tag 'erica'

Ron DeSantis has not ruled out enacting a national abortion “ban” if elected president, after the Florida governor implemented state restrictions on abortion access at 15 weeks and six weeks of pregnancy within the last two years. But he suggested that there is no “consensus” in the US for members of Congress to implement a national ban, as abortion restrictions and the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade remain overwhelmingly unpopular. Asked by NBC’s Dasha Burns whether he would “veto any sort of federal bill” that would institute a nationwide ban, Mr DeSantis replied: “We will be a pro-life president and we will support pro-life policies.” In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to revoke a constitutional right to abortion care last year, Republican officials have repeatedly stated that the ruling merely left it up to individual states to decide. But anti-abortion lawmakers at the state level and in Congress continue to push for national restrictions that would also strike down state laws that protect and expand abortion access. Congressional Republicans have already passed several anti-abortion measures with national implications and have signalled the GOP’s readiness to ban abortion at certain gestational limits. President Joe Biden has promised to veto any such legislation, if it made it through Congress. In media appearances throughout his campaign, the governor has not directly answered whether he would support or veto legislation that would enact national abortion restrictions, suggesting that the issue should come from the “bottom up” with individual states determining policy. His statements have drawn criticism from influential anti-abortion group Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America, which called the governor’s position “unacceptable” to anti-abortion voters. Meanwhile, his campaign’s top donor has threatened to stop funding the candidate over his “extreme” position on abortion. And Donald Trump, who has taken credit for the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, has suggested that his rival for the 2024 Republican nomination for president has gone too far with a state law that bans abortion at six weeks of pregnancy, signed into law just one year after a 15-week limit was put in place. “Dobbs returned it to the political branches. I think the reality is that that basically means the states are going to have primary control over it,” Mr DeSantis told NBC. “You know, I do think the federal government would have an interest in, say, preventing post-birth abortions or things that are really horrific, but I don’t think that there’s enough consensus in the country to see a lot of mileage in Congress,” he added. There is no such thing as a “post-birth” abortion; killing an infant after birth is illegal in all states, and pregnancies resulting in the death of the fetus in the third trimester are exceedingly rare, and largely involve fetal anomalies and life-threatening medical emergencies. The vast majority of abortions take place within the first trimester, while roughly 1 per cent occur after 21 weeks, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The governor also suggested that Democratic officials support “infanticide”, echoing his remarks in a recent CNN interview claiming that “liberal state” allow “post-birth” abortion. “I would not allow what a lot of the left wants to do, which is to override pro-life protections throughout the country all the way up really to the moment of birth in some instances, which I think is infanticide,” he told NBC News. Ms Burns interrupted Mr DeSantis: “That’s a misrepresentation of what’s happening.” The governor also said that he does not support penalties for people who seek abortions. “Not at all,” he told Ms Burns. “No, I don’t think this is an issue about the woman. I think a lot of these women, you know, are in very difficult circumstances. They don’t get any support from a lot of the fathers. And a lot of them, the number one reason why women choose to have an abortion is because they’re not getting support and they feel abandoned. Now, in Florida we’ve provided support and we’ve put our money where our mouth is, but at the end of the day, you know, I would not support any penalties on a woman.” Mr DeSantis also told NBC that he does not support limits on contraception access. “And I think it should be available over-the-counter, and I think people should be able to have access to it,” he added. Read More Texas judge sides with women after harrowing testimony over anti-abortion law Alabama health care providers sue over threat of prosecution for abortion help ‘Walmart Melania’, ‘America’s Karen’ or ‘Tacky Onassis’: Why Casey DeSantis matters to the 2024 race Senator who once worked at a Planned Parenthood warns that Republicans are planning a national abortion ban

A body has been found along a hiking trail in Maryland during a search for a missing mother-of-five. Rachel Morin was last seen heading to the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air at around 6pm on Saturday evening, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. The 37-year-old failed to return home that night and her boyfriend reported her missing. On Sunday morning, Morin’s vehicle was found in the parking lot at the entrance to the popular walking route. Hours later, at around 1pm that afternoon, a member of the public discovered a woman’s body close to the trail. Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler announced at a Sunday night press conference that a homicide investigation is now under way. While investigators believe the body belongs to Morin, they are awaiting official confirmation from the medical examiner’s office on the identity as well as cause and manner of death. The sheriff said that police currently have no suspects on their radar and, as a result, are unable to tell the public that there is no ongoing danger. Morin’s devastated sister confirmed her sibling’s death on Facebook and revealed a GoFundMe has been launched to help the family with funeral expenses. Read More Homicide investigation launched as body found after mother-of-five vanished on Maryland hiking trail Rachel Morin’s boyfriend says he ‘would never do anything to her’ as homicide probe launched

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called for cancelling Juneteenth after he had previously posted a video celebrating the holiday, NBC News reported. Mr Ramaswamy spoke in Vail, Iowa, about how to make elections more secure. In his speech, he called for Election Day to be made a national holiday. “Cancel Juneteenth or one of the other useless ones we made up,” he said. In addition, he called for paper ballots and voter identification cards despite the fact there is little evidence of widespread voter fraud. When asked if he considers Juneteenth a “useless” holiday, he said, “I basically do.” Juneteenth commemorates when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas on 19 June 1865 and announced that enslaved people were officially freed. In the ensuing years, it became a day of celebration in Black communities across Texas. In 2021, Congress voted overwhelmingly and President Joe Biden signed legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday. But two months ago, Mr Ramaswamy posted a video celebrating Juneteenth. “We don’t just look back and flog ourselves, that’s beside the point,” Mr Ramaswamy said. “What we celebrate is how far we’ve come, and as a first-generation American myself, you better believe I’m proud of it. Happy Juneteenth, everybody.” When asked by NBC News whether he thought Veterans Day or Memorial Day were useless, Mr Ramaswamy deferred. “I stand with the presumption of time-tested traditions,” he said, calling Juneteenth “redundant” of Martin Luther King Jr Day and Presidents Day. “The reason for making it a holiday was under political duress. It was a political hostage situation on the back of the death of George Floyd,” he said. Read More Vivek Ramaswamy's Hindu faith is front and center in his GOP presidential campaign Republicans rage against Jack Smith after latest indictment of Donald Trump over 2020 election conspiracy Indictment ignored, Trump barely a mention, as GOP candidates pitch Iowa voters to challenge him Vivek Ramaswamy's Hindu faith is front and center in his GOP presidential campaign GOP presidential hopeful Chris Christie says 'inhumanity' of war is palpable during visit to Ukraine

Ron DeSantis continues to defend newly approved curriculum guidelines in Florida instructing students to learn that enslaved people “developed skills” that could be “applied for personal benefit”. “That means they developed skills in spite of slavery, not because of slavery,” the governor told NBC News in a recent interview that aired on 7 August. “It was them showing resourcefulness and then using those skills once slavery ended,” he added. Mr DeSantis, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024, has dismissed criticism from Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic and Republican members of Congress urging Florida officials to amend the state’s African American history standards and reflect an honest history of race and racism in school curricula. The vice president has also rejected an invitation from Mr DeSantis to “discuss” the standards, telling a crowd in Orlando earlier this month that “there is no roundtable, no lecture, no invitation we will accept to debate an undeniable fact: there were no redeeming qualities of slavery.” Mr DeSantis had previously stated he “wasn’t involved” with the guidelines approved by the state’s appointed Board of Education. He said the standards are “probably going to show some of the folks” – enslaved people – “that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into doing things later in life.” The development of such “skills” would not have benefited the millions of enslaved people in the US in the decades before slavery’s abolition. Another controversial guideline instructs high schoolers to be taught that a massacre in the state led by white supremacists against Black residents to stop them from voting in 1920 included “acts of violence perpetrated against and by African Americans.” “Adults know what slavery really was. It involved rape, it involved torture, it involved taking a baby from their mother, it involved some of the worst examples of depriving humanity of people in our world,” Ms Harris said in her remarks in Jacksonville last month. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, echoed Ms Harris in his criticism of the standards, stressing that slavery was defined by “separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives”. “It was just devastating,” said Mr Scott, who is also seeking the 2024 Republican nomination. “So I would hope that every person in our country – and certainly running for president – would appreciate that.” Mr DeSantis told NBC in response: “Don’t take that side of Kamala Harris against the state of Florida. Don’t indulge those lies.” The new standards join the governor’s overhaul of public education and a “parents’ rights” agenda that targets honest lessons on race and racism and gender and sexuality, which the governor told NBC amounts to “indoctrination”. “Those standards were not political at all,” he added. “The legislature didn’t dictate any of that. [The] governor’s office didn’t dictate anything of that.” Last week, before thousands of high school students enrolled in advanced placement courses begin classes for the 2023-2024 school year, the DeSantis administration criticised the College Board’s warning that Florida education officials had “effectively banned” AP Psychology courses in the state under the Parental Rights in Education Act, what opponents have derided as the “Don’t Say Gay” law. Read More Ron DeSantis admits ‘of course’ Donald Trump lost the election DeSantis blasted for ‘un-American’ restrictions on AP psychology course under ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law Why Florida’s new curriculum on slavery is becoming a political headache for Ron DeSantis

Former president Donald Trump has again lashed out at the District of Columbia judge who will preside over his criminal trial and the prosecutor who brought the case against him for allegedly conspiring to disrupt certification of electoral votes following his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Mr Trump on Monday wrote on his Truth Social platform that Jack Smith, the Department of Justice special prosecutor who has obtained two federal indictments against him since June, is “going before his number one draft pick, the Judge of his ‘dreams’ (WHO MUST BE RECUSED!)” in an effort to “take away” the ex-president’s First Amendment rights. The twice-impeached, thrice-indicted former president was referring to a series of court filings in which Mr Smith is seeking a standard protective order to prevent Mr Trump from disclosing information which the government is set to turn over to him and his defence team as part of the pre-trial discovery process. Prosecutors, citing Mr Trump’s penchant for “public statements on social media regarding witnesses, judges, attorneys, and others associated with legal matters pending against him,” asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to impose an order barring the former president from disclosing discovery materials “directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure”. Mr Trump’s attorneys asked the judge for extra time to compose a response to the government’s motion, but Judge Chutkan quickly ordered the defence to respond by 5.00 pm along with a proposal for an alternative protective order. The former president has a history of disclosing sensitive materials so the names of people involved in court proceedings against him could be leaked to his supporters. After the FBI searched his Palm Beach, Florida home on 8 August 2022, an unredacted copy of a search warrant receipt that had been given to his attorneys was published by Breitbart News, allowing the names of FBI agents involved in the search to become public. According to subsequent court filings, the agents who were named on the document were innundated with death threats after their names became known to the ex-president’s supporters. Read More Ron DeSantis admits ‘of course’ Donald Trump lost the election A timeline of Donald Trump’s spat with Megan Rapinoe Ofcom investigates GB News programmes over due impartiality rules

A gloating Donald Trump has unexpectedly reignited his feud with soccer star Megan Rapinoe after the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) crashed out of the Women’s World Cup with a shock defeat by Sweden. The reigning champions had not been at their best throughout the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, only narrowly escaping their group before losing 5-4 on penalties in a hard-fought battle against the Swedes on Sunday. Rapinoe, a late substitute, was one of three players to miss a crucial spotkick. The outcome was doubly cruel for the veteran winger as it came in what proved to be her final appearance for the USWNT, her glittering career on the world stage ending in bitter disappointment. The 38-year-old, a prominent LGBT+ rights activist and campaigner for equal pay in the women’s game, had previously announced her plan to retire at the end of the domestic season, where she plays for OL Reign in Seattle, Washington. Her misfortune was met with utter glee by the twice-impeached, thrice-indicted Mr Trump, who took a timeout from his myriad of legal problems to troll the team on Truth Social, suggesting their disappointing World Cup run was symptomatic of a broader national decline under President Joe Biden. “The ‘shocking and totally unexpected’ loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our [sic] once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump posted on Sunday evening. “Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.” Here’s a timeline of the war of the words between the Republican lawmaker and the soccer star: May 2019 Rapinoe first came to Trump’s attention just prior to the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France when she described herself in an interview with Yahoo! as a “walking protest against the Trump administration [because of] everything I stand for”. She continued: “I feel like it’s kind of defiance in and of itself to just be who I am and wear the jersey, and represent it. Because I’m as talented as I am, I get to be here, you don’t get to tell me if I can be here or not. “So it’s kind of a good ‘f*** you’ to any sort of inequality or bad sentiments that the [Trump] administration might have towards people who don’t look exactly like him. Which, God help us if we all looked like him. Scary. Really scary. Ahh, disturbing.” June 2019 What really piqued the then-president’s animosity towards the soccer star was a video interview Rapinoe gave to Eight by Eight magazine where she said she was “not going to the f***ing White House” in the event that the USWNT secured the World Cup win – an expression of the Californian’s deep-rooted disdain for the divisive policies of the Republican then occupying the Oval Office. The interview was recorded that January but resurfaced in June 2019, when the tournament was in full swing. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not going to the f***ing White House,” she said. “No. I’m not going to the White House, I don’t think we’ll be invited, I doubt it.” She also advised her teammates to “think hard” before accepting any honours from Mr Trump’s administration. The president – who had already expressed disapproval for her pointed silence during the national anthem before games – was left fuming by the clip. He fired back against Rapinoe on Twitter, writing: “I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! “Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team. Be proud of the Flag that you wear.” Rapinoe said at a subsequent press conference that she stood by her comments “with the exception of the expletive… My mom would be very upset about that”. July 2019 When the USWNT did indeed win the cup with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands – with Rapinoe herself scoring from the penalty spot and being named player of the match – the soccer star stood by her word. She did pay a visit to Washington – but only as a guest of progressive Democratic lawmakers Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, a calculated snub to the blustering commander-in-chief. In the immediate aftermath, she told Time magazine that she believed Mr Trump was secretly a fan of hers. “You know he was watching that game. You know he had his McDonald’s lined up. And he was probably like, ‘You know what, I love that.’ I always felt Trump loved me,” she said. Rapinoe also addressed him directly during an interview with CNN, telling him: “Your message is excluding people. You’re excluding me, you’re excluding people that look like me, you’re excluding people of colour, you’re excluding Americans that maybe support you. “You’re harking back to an era that was not great for everyone. It might have been great for a few people, and maybe America is great for a few people right now, but it’s not great for enough Americans in this world. “You have an incredible responsibility as the chief of this country to take care of every single person, and you need to do better for everyone.” She also joked about the prospect of running for the top job herself, commenting: “It’s an absolute honour to lead this team out on the field. There’s no other place I would rather be. Even in a presidential race. I’m busy, I’m sorry.” August 2019 Later reflecting on the spat with Mr Trump and the vicious comments she and her loved ones had been subjected to as a result, she told The Guardian: “It’s ridiculous and absurd. People were like: ‘That was so intense!’ And I’m like: ‘Honestly, he’s a f***ing joke, so it wasn’t intense, because this is ridiculous.’” Speaking for herself and her twin sister Rachel, also a former professional footballer, Rapinoe added: “I wouldn’t say that we’re anti-authority, but when there’s a person who is abusing their power or manipulating people, whether it’s a teacher when I was younger or Donald Trump now, there’s nothing that fires me up and grinds my gears more. I was just like: ‘No. That’s not happening.’” Intriguingly, she also said of her own father during that interview: “I think my dad voted for Trump and I’ll say: ‘I don’t get it. How are you simultaneously as proud as punch of me, and watching Fox News all the time [who are doing] takedowns of your daughter?’” Aftermath (2020-23) Since those glory days, Megan Rapinoe has continued to use her celebrity to campaign for social justice issues, endorsing Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren for president in December 2019 and hosting a panel event at the 2020 Democratic National Convention in support of frontline healthcare workers at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Following her snub of the Trump administration, Rapinoe did finally come to the White House at the invitation of President Biden in March 2021 to speak about wage equality. In July 2022, she was then awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Mr Biden – marking the highest possible civilian honour. Mr Trump, meanwhile, has spent the same period camped out at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, plotting his political return, deriding his enemies online and wrangling lawyers as the state and federal investigations into his past continue. August 2023 On 6 August 2023, the USWNT crashed out of the World Cup following a disappointing penalty shootout. While Rapinoe sobbed on pitch, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to gloat about the loss. “Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!!” he cruelly jabbed. Read More Trump has meltdown attacking Biden, Megan Rapinoe and ‘wokeness’ for US Women’s World Cup loss – latest news Trump goes on unhinged Truth Social rant blaming Biden and ‘wokeness’ for USWNT’s World Cup loss From Megan Rapinoe’s miss to VAR drama: How the USA and Sweden’s penalty shoot-out unfolded Ofcom investigates GB News programmes over due impartiality rules Trump lawyer says his legal team is bracing for imminent Georgia indictment Trump insists he isn’t a ‘scared puppy’ in defiant attack on Nancy Pelosi

Donald Trump has gone on an unhinged Truth Social rant blaming President Joe Biden and “wokeness” for the US’s unexpected early defeat in the Women’s World Cup. The US Women’s National Soccer Team crashed out of the tournament on Sunday after losing 5-4 in a penalty shootout against Sweden – marking the team’s earliest-ever exit from the competition. In a tirade on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump reveled in the loss and bizarrely claimed it was a sign of the influence “Crooked Joe Biden” has had on the nation. As well as blaming his political rival, the former president also somehow argued it was because of “WOKE”-ness and cruelly trolled striker Megan Rapinoe for missing a penalty. “The “shocking and totally unexpected” loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden,” he fumed. “Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.” The former president has long had a contentious relationship with soccer star Rapinoe, who is well-known off the pitch for her social justice advocacy for racial equality, LGBT+ rights and women’s rights in sports. Back in 2019, Rapinoe sparked Mr Trump’s ire when she vowed that she would not go to Mr Trump’s White House if the national team won the World Cup. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not going to the f***ing White House,” she told soccer magazine Eight by Eight that June. “No. I’m not going to the White House, I don’t think we’ll be invited, I doubt it.” The team did win the cup that year – and refused to go to the White House. Mr Trump made it clear he was unhappy with her comments at the time, fuming that she should “never disrespect our country, the White House or our flag, especially since so much has been done for her and the team”. Before this, Rapinoe had already been attacked by conservatives for taking a knee during the national anthem in support of Colin Kaepernick and calls for racial justice. She also sued the US Soccer Federation for gender discrimination and was pivotal to the women’s team gaining equal pay to the men’s. Last year, Mr Biden awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honour. “Beyond the World Cup title to Olympic medals, Megan is a champion for essential American truth that everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect,” the president said at the award ceremony. Mr Trump’s latest angry diatribe involving Rapinoe was a marked difference from Mr Biden’s comments as he said the soccer team had made the US “proud”. “@USWNT, you’ve made your country proud,” he said in a post on Twitter. “Congratulations on an incredible run. This team is something special and I’m looking forward to seeing how you continue to inspire Americans with your grit and determination – on and off the field.” First Lady Jill Biden also praised the soccer team for their “grit and determination” which has inspired women and girls across the country. “Today, you inspired us with your grit and determination. We are proud of you,” she tweeted. “Always remember that you encourage women and girls everywhere to show up and fight for their dreams.” Zero goals were scored during Sunday’s 90-minute game between USA and Sweden, taking it to a penalty shootout. Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelly O’Hara each missed penalties while Sweden soared to a win. The loss marked a shock end to Rapinoe’s stellar career as she had announced she would retire after the World Cup. The 38-year-old has played four times in the tournament, helping the team to victory in both the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. Read More Trump has meltdown attacking Biden, Megan Rapinoe and ‘wokeness’ for US Women’s World Cup loss – latest news Trump lawyer says his legal team is bracing for imminent Georgia indictment England vs Nigeria LIVE: Score and updates from Women’s World Cup as VAR denies Lionesses penalty Mitch McConnell heckled with chants of ‘retire’ after freezing episode Trucking giant Yellow Corp. declares bankruptcy after years of financial struggles Texas separates migrant families, detaining fathers on trespassing charges in latest border move

An attorney for Donald Trump has indicated that another indictment for the former president is imminent in the investigations into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential elections in Georgia. Alina Habba told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures host Maria Bartiromo that Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis, who is spearheading a criminal investigation into Mr Trump, will “want her moment” through the case. “Are you expecting an indictment in the coming two or three weeks from Georgia?” the Fox News anchor asked her. “Yes, I think that it’s been highly spoken about,” Ms Habba replied. “I think if you look at the barricades, the fact that she’s got her PR team doing fresh pictures for her, it’s a good indicator that Fani wants her moment, and she will get on the bandwagon with the rest of the corrupt DAs and AGs that we’ve seen out of this country.” After an extensive investigation spanning more than two and a half years into Mr Trump’s purported efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the Fulton County grand jury is nearing a decision regarding another potential indictment. If Mr Trump gets indicted again, it will become his fourth one this year following federal charges in New York state court for hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, an indictment by a Washington DC court into efforts to overturn the 2020 elections and another over the mishandling of classified documents. The charges in Georgia stem from Mr Trump’s leaked phone call to Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger in which he asked officials to “find” votes for him, as well as the breach of voting machines by a group of Trump-connected operatives. Prosecutors also could charge Mr Trump or others with voter fraud-related crimes. Mr Trump, who has denied wrongdoing in any of the cases, chose to criticise the state of the nation’s capital – the latest in his personal feud with Washington DC’s administration. “It was also very sad driving through Washington, DC, and seeing the filth and the decay and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti,” he said on the tarmac of Reagan National Airport in Virginia, just a few miles away. “This is not the place that I left. It’s a very sad thing to see it.” Read More Trump goes after judge in Jan 6 indictment as Pence undermines key defence – latest news Trump demands Judge Tanya Chutkan be removed from election case after ruling against him Queen Latifah, Chuck D and more rap legends on 'Rapper's Delight' and their early hip-hop influences Trump insists he isn’t a ‘scared puppy’ in defiant attack on Nancy Pelosi Iran opens registration for candidates in next year's parliament election, the first since protests Inside the courtroom, it was clear this indictment is different for Donald Trump

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan's popular opposition leader, is now an inmate at a high-security prison after being convicted of corruption and sentenced to three years. It's the most dramatic twist yet in months of political and legal wrangling between Khan and his political rivals since he was toppled in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022. Khan's party said it will appeal what government critics describe as a flimsy case, aimed at removing the former cricket star from politics ahead of a general election meant to be held this fall. The government defended the conviction as lawful and denied that Khan is a victim of political persecution. If the conviction stands, the 70-year-old Khan would be prohibited by law from running for office or leading Pakistan Tehreek e-Insaf, the party he founded in the 1990s. However, polls indicate a strong election showing for PTI, and Khan's imprisonment could further boost its standing. WHAT WAS THE CASE AGAINST HIM? An Islamabad court ruled Saturday that Khan failed to report income from gifts he received from foreign dignitaries and heads of state while he was in power. In Pakistan, government leaders are allowed to keep such gifts after leaving power, in exchange for paying a portion of the value for them. The court said Khan sold some of those gifts and failed to state those earnings in a report last year to Pakistan's election commission. The court convicted Khan of corruption, handed down a three-year sentence and fined him 100,000 rupees, or roughly $350. Shortly after the verdict, Khan was detained at his home in the eastern city of Lahore and taken to a high-security lockup in the town of Attock, about an hour's drive from the capital of Islamabad. WHAT OTHER CASES ARE PENDING AGAINST KHAN? Since Khan's ouster, more than 150 cases have been filed against him by various government agencies on charges ranging from contempt of court to terrorism and inciting violence. Critics say this flurry of legal filings is part of an attempt by the governing coalition to sideline Khan, who as opposition leader has been able to mobilize huge crowds of loyal supporters. The government, in turn, portrays Khan as a corrupt trickster who has employed legal maneuvers to stay out of prison. The government has backers in Pakistan's powerful military, which has controlled the country for much of its 75-year history. HOW IS THIS ARREST DIFFERENT? Khan is being held in Attock, a notorious lockup for convicted militants and violent criminals. Officials familiar with conditions there said he has his own cell with a fan and separate bathing facilities, a step up from the prison's generally harsh conditions. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to brief the media. This is in marked contrast to Khan's brief detention in May, after he was dragged from a court hearing on a different set of corruption charges by anti-graft officials. The Supreme Court intervened swiftly, declaring the detention illegal. Khan was allowed to stay at a guest house in a police compound and could receive visitors while the legal arguments over his detention played out. Khan eventually returned to Labore, where his car was showered with rose petals. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The Supreme Court could overturn Khan’s conviction and sentence on appeal — an outcome that political analyst Imtiaz Gul believes is likely. “There was absolutely no solid case against Imran Khan, who had to face this conviction because of a technical mistake,” said Gul, who heads the Center for Research and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed in a statement defending the conviction that support for Khan is eroding. “He may deceive a few naive, gullible supporters, but the general public now recognizes his true nature,” she wrote. “His pretense has been stripped away, revealing the face of an individual who evaded the law, exploited state gifts for trivial profits.” If Khan's conviction stands, he won't be able to lead his party into an election because those with criminal convictions are barred from running for office. But even from behind bars, he could wield significant political influence. After his detention in May, his supporters demonstrated their ability to disrupt public life. Tens of thousands of Khan loyalists rampaged through cities, some of them destroying military and government property. The government cracked down, detaining more than 7,000, with some prosecutions still ongoing. By comparison, the reaction to Khan’s arrest this weekend was much more muted, possibly because of fears of another crackdown. His calls for peaceful protests failed to rouse widespread support. WHAT IS THE POLITICAL FALLOUT? Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to dissolve parliament in the coming weeks, possibly paving the way for elections by mid-November. The government could delay the vote by several months if it decides to redraw constituencies based on recent census results. Khan's imprisonment could win him and his party greater electoral support. It would also feed into the political persona he created after losing power — that of a fearless campaigner for Pakistan's disadvantaged. “The next elections are likely to be held without active participation of Imran Khan, but even from jail, he has the potential to effectively run a campaign for his candidates,” said political analyst Azim Chaudhry. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister spends night at high-security prison after sentencing Bill apparently aimed at halting criticism of Pakistani intelligence figures expected to become law Beijing has invested $25.4B in Pakistan over the last decade, Chinese vice premier says

Former vice president Mike Pence has described a moment when he believes Donald Trump legitimately considered – albeit briefly – accepting the lawful and valid results of the 2020 election. Mr Pence was speaking to CBS’s Major Garrett on Sunday about the newly filed indictment against Mr Trump, charging him with several crimes related to the former president’s efforts to overturn the presidential election. Among the crimes Mr Trump is accused of is depriving Americans of their right to a duly elected president via his efforts to interfere in the legal process of transferring power between administrations. The former vice president was central to that effort. As president of the Senate, the vice president presides over the special session of the chamber wherein the results of the election are certified. Mr Trump attempted to persuade Mr Pence throughout the latter part of 2020 to interfere in that process and demand that the election certification be halted while Republican-led state legislatures in states where Mr Trump lost would supposedly work to throw out the lawful election results and substitute their own. Mr Pence refused, however, and the transfer of power went ahead following an unsuccessful attempt by a mob of Trump supporters to invade the Capitol and prevent the process from taking place. During his interview on Sunday, Mr Pence recounted a conversation with Mr Trump that took place in December 2020 – just weeks before the attack on Capitol Hill – where he says he thinks his boss may have considered not going ahead with his effort to interfere in the transfer of power should his court challenges fail, which they eventually all did. “I remember one occasion before Christmas, where the president asked me what... he thought we ought to do. We were just the two of us in the Oval Office, Major,” Mr Pence told Garrett. “And I remember, I looked at him and I said, look, let all the lawsuits play out, let the Congress do their work to consider objections, but I said at the end of the day, if the election goes the other way, I said we ought to take a bow, we ought to travel around the country. And I remember, I remember, the president is standing in front of his desk, listening very intently to me, and I'll never forget the way he just kind of pointed at me as if to... say, that's worth thinking about.” Mr Trump’s legal team has denied any wrongdoing in the Jan 6 case and has warned that they will call Mr Pence to testify. The ex-president faces dozens of criminal charges while he campaigns for a second term in office. Despite his professed innocence, his legal team separately said on Sunday that they expect indictments to be handed down in Georgia’s investigation into the president and his campaign’s efforts to overturn the election in that state. Read More Pence skirts crucial questions about Trump’s election indictment Trump lawyer calls Trump request to Pence for Jan 6 ‘aspirational’ Inside the courtroom, it was clear this indictment is different for Donald Trump Ohio election that revolves around abortion rights fueled by national groups, money Trump's attack on 'filth and decay' in nation's capital just the latest in his personal feud with DC Trump lawyer calls Trump request to Pence for Jan 6 ‘aspirational’

Donald Trump’s lawyer on Sunday previewed a legal defence his client may make in court when his upcoming trial for his actions leading up to January 6 begins next year. Appearing on all the major networks, John Lauro fielded questions from journalists about the idea that Mr Trump was acting illegally when he approached then-Vice President Mike Pence with his plan for Mr Pence to halt or reverse the Senate’s certification of the 2020 election, allowing slates of false electors to be named to replace those set to vote for Joe Biden. Mr Lauro told journalists on NBC that Mr Trump had not directed his vice president to use his power as president of the Senate to interfere with the chamber’s process — instead, he characterised it as an “aspirational” request by the president. “Asking is aspirational. Asking is not action. It’s core free speech,” argued Mr Lauro on CNN. He went on to argue that Mr Pence’s refusal to comply with the request or demand was evidence itself that it had been the former. “I’m not saying that [the January 6 riot] was in any way appropriate, but the ultimate power of the presidency was transferred to Mr Biden,” he told CNN’s Dana Bash. It was the exact same language he used to describe Mr Trump’s overtures to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was revealed to have been pressured by the president to intercede in that state after Joe Biden was declared the lawful victor. On a now-famous phone call, Mr Trump suggested that Mr Raffensperger would be able to “find” more than 10,000 votes for him that would push him past Mr Biden’s total in the state. "That wasn't a threat at all,” Mr Lauro claimed on NBC. “He was asking for [him] to get the truth...That was an aspirational ask." He would go on to claim that asking Mr Pence to commit an act that violated the US Constitution was not inherently a crime. However, some crimes simultaneously represent violations of one’s constitutional rights, and in the case of Mr Trump this argument could falls flat given that the government will argue that an obstruction of the Senate’s ability to certify the election essentially represented a violation of every American’s right to be represented by the lawfully-elected president. Mr Lauro’s whirlwind Sunday media tour comes as he and the Trump legal team are set to respond to a new filing by the Justice Department seeking to limit what Donald Trump can say publicly about his ongoing prosecution. The federal government has argued that Mr Trump’s recent comments on Truth Social vowing vengeance against those involved with the investigation will have a chilling effect on witnesses; the ex-president is already charged with witness tampering among the dozens of counts he faces. Read More Inside the courtroom, it was clear this indictment is different for Donald Trump Pence and Trump lawyer share opposite stories of what ex-president said ahead of January 6 Trump insists he isn’t a ‘scared puppy’ in defiant attack on Nancy Pelosi Pence and Trump lawyer share opposite stories of what Trump said ahead of January 6 Pence skirts crucial questions about Trump’s election indictment Inside the courtroom, it was clear this indictment is different for Donald Trump

Mike Pence was evasive when answering questions from a CBS reporter in a new interview touching upon Donald Trump’s indictment on charges related to the effort to overturn the 2020 election. The former vice president, whom Mr Trump’s team has spoken openly about cross-examining in the ex-president’s upcoming trial, has largely remained on Mr Trump’s side when it comes to the barrage of legal threats now facing him. But he has not reserved that same loyalty amid Mr Trump’s newest criminal charges, on which he refused to take a side. Speaking with Major Garrett, Mr Pence dodged questions about whether the prosecution of Mr Trump specifically was “politicised” — a charge the Trump team has levelled —while making those same gratuitious swipes at the Justice Department over unrelated issues, like the ongoing prosecution of Hunter Biden. “I don't want to prejudge this indictment. I don't know whether the government has the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to support this case,” said the former vice president, who was at the very centre of the events now being examined for prosecution by the Department of Justice. He lashed out at the January 6 committee and its conclusion, which has largely been borne out in the Justice Department’s latest indictment. He also attacked the DoJ and vowed to “clean house” in 2025 if elected — while carefully limiting his criticisms to the now-shuttered Robert Mueller investigation and the GOP’s allegations that the department slow-walked and watered down the prosecution of President Joe Biden’s son, who was charged this year. In the interview, he also answered whether he’d take the stand against his former boss if called to do so, telling Garrett that he had no plans to voluntarily testify but would obey a subpoena. “I have no plans to testify, but people can be confident we’ll- we’ll obey the law,” he said. Mr Pence is currently polling in the mid to low single digits in the Republican primary race, and has seen little traction among a primary base that largely remains loyal to Mr Trump and largely refuses to accept the fact that the ex-vice president’s interference on Mr Trump’s behalf to overturn or stall the election’s certification would have been unconstitutional. He has faced angry questions from voters on that very issue at campaign stop after campaign stop, while Mr Trump continues to attack him and insist that he should have worked to stop an imaginary theft of the 2020 election. The former president remains atop the GOP primary field, the odds-on favourite to win the nomination as most of his competition languishes in single-digit or low double-digit polling territory. Read More Defiant Trump claims ‘we need one more indictment’ before 2024 race in first speech since federal charges Mike Pence heckled by Trump supporters at town hall after rolling out mocking merch Trump has been charged. But what about his past? Trump goes on kooky rant about how long it takes to wash his ‘gorgeous head of hair’ Pence, Trump attorney clash over what Trump told his VP ahead of Jan. 6, 2021 DeSantis steps up dire warning to GOP about distraction from Biden, amid Trump's latest indictment