
Judge sides with 16 activists in Montana climate case
They alleged the state’s pro-fossil fuel policies violated their right to a healthy environment.
2023-08-15 05:46

Hawaii wildfires: 'Directed energy weapons' and other false claims go viral
Rumours that the disaster was orchestrated by elites with a laser have been seen by millions.
2023-08-15 05:17

Trump has no plans to stop posting about 2020 election conspiracy case despite stern warnings from judge
Donald Trump's frustration over his ability to speak publicly about his federal election conspiracy case is fueling his plans to continue posting about it on social media, slamming the judge over the weekend after she warned him not to intimidate witnesses, obstruct justice or try to muddy his ability to have a fair trial, according to sources close to the former president.
2023-08-15 04:57

Federal judges review Alabama’s new congressional map, lack of 2nd majority-Black district
A panel of federal judges on Monday began a review Alabama’s redrawn congressional map which opponents argue blatantly defies the court’s mandate to create a second district where Black voters have an opportunity to influence the outcome of an election
2023-08-15 04:50

Billy Porter criticised for calling Anna Wintour a ‘b****’ over Harry Styles Vogue cover
Billy Porter has sparked backlash after he called Anna Wintour a ‘b****’ over her decision to feature Harry Styles as the first-ever solo male cover star of Vogue. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, the Pose actor addressed criticism he initially received after hitting out at Styles for appearing on the cover of the fashion magazine wearing a Gucci dress. Porter - who’s known for championing gender-neutral fashion - explained how he would have better approached Wintour about “uplifting” those whose voices often go unheard in the fashion world. Speaking to the outlet, the 59-year-old actor explained that he participated in a Q&A with the Vogue editor-in-chief months before Styles’ cover was revealed in December 2019. “That b**** said to me at the end: ‘How can we do better?’ And I was so taken off guard that I didn’t say what I should have said,” Porter recalled. Looking back, the Cinderella star wished he had said: “Use your power as Vogue to uplift the voices of the leaders of this de-gendering of fashion movement.” However, Porter noted: “Six months later, Harry Styles is the first man on the cover.” “It’s not Harry Styles’ fault that he happens to be white and cute and straight and fit into the infrastructure that way... I call out the gatekeepers,” he continued, before suggesting that the former One Direction member was “on the cover” of Vogue because he’s “white and he’s straight”. “Non-binary blah blah blah blah. No. It doesn’t feel good to me. You’re using my community - or your people are using my community - to elevate you. You haven’t had to sacrifice anything,” Porter said. Despite the Tony award-winner’s efforts to promote inclusivity in fashion, his comments about Wintour sparked backlash online, as some fans deemed his remarks “misogynistic” towards the fashion editor. “Not him thinking he’s allowed to be misogynistic,” one person wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. “Calling a woman a b**** just because she didn’t do what you wanted will NEVER be okay.” “I’m not one to defend Anna or that cover, but using misogyny to make your case for de-gendering fashion is not smart,” another user tweeted. “I immediately tune out the second a man refers to a woman as a b****,” said someone else. “Your statement is now null”. Another person joked: “Oh he’s never getting invited to the Met Gala ever again.” Meanwhile, one user recalled how Porter recently admitted to selling his house as a result of the Hollywood strikes when they tweeted: “I would not be calling Anna Wintour a b**** if I was currently having to sell my house to be able to live but that’s just me.” In December 2019, Styles became Vogue’s first-ever solo male cover star when he posed on the cover of the magazine in a Gucci dress. Months later, Porter took issue with Vogue’s decision to feature Styles on the cover when he claimed that all the singer had to do to break barriers was “be white and straight”. “I was the first one doing it and now everybody is doing it,” the actor told The Sunday Times in October 2021. “I’m not dragging Harry Styles, but... He doesn’t care, he’s just doing it because it’s the thing to do. This is politics for me. This is my life. “I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars,” Porter added. “All [Styles] has to do is be white and straight.” After facing criticism for his initial comments, Porter issued an apology to Styles live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, telling the camera: “Harry Styles, I apologise to you for having your name in my mouth. “It’s not about you. The conversation is not about you.” The American Horror Story alum went on to explain that the conversation surrounding inclusivity in fashion is “deeper,” as it is actually about “the systems of oppression and erasure of people of colour who contribute to the culture”. After acknowledging that there is a lot to “unpack” regarding the topic, Porter noted that he is willing to do so as long as it is without the interference of “the cancel culture of the internet”. “I’m willing to unpack it, sans the dragging and cancel culture of the internet, because I do not now, nor will ever, adjudicate my life or humanity in sound bites on social media,” he said. “So when you’re ready to have the real conversation, call a b****. Okay? I’m ready to have it!” Porter, who previously told The Sunday Times that he “changed the whole game” when it came to breaking gendered fashion barriers, famously wore a tuxedo dress custom-made by designer Christian Siriano to the 2019 Oscars. As of now, Wintour has not publicly acknowledged Porter’s recent remarks. The Independent has contacted representatives for Billy Porter and Anna Wintour for comment. Read More Billy Porter hits out at Harry Styles and Anna Wintour over Vogue cover: ‘You’re using my community’ Billy Porter reveals he has to sell his house due to Hollywood strikes: ‘You’ve already starved me out’ Billy Porter and husband Adam Smith split after six years of marriage Billy Porter hits out at Harry Styles and Anna Wintour over Vogue cover Supermodels including Naomi Campbell recreate iconic Vogue cover from 1990 Will the gendered separation in clothing ever cease to exist?
2023-08-15 03:22

Biden urges UAW and Big Three automakers to reach deal to avoid strike
President Joe Biden sought to ramp up pressure on the United Auto Workers union and the nation's three unionized automakers -- Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, known as the "Big Three" -- one month ahead of a critical deadline for labor talks.
2023-08-15 03:18

Nevada Republicans will hold 2024 presidential caucuses on February 8
The Nevada Republican Party will hold its 2024 presidential caucuses on February 8, the party announced Monday.
2023-08-15 02:59

'No Labels' movement says it could offer bipartisan presidential ticket in 2024
A national political movement that could offer a bipartisan presidential ticket in 2024 as an alternative to major-party nominees has now won ballot access in 10 states
2023-08-15 02:45

Exclusive: Former Republican legal officials endorse special counsel's speedy trial date proposal in Trump Jan. 6 case
Nearly a dozen Republican-appointed former judges and high-ranking federal senior legal officials on Monday endorsed the January 2, 2024, trial date proposed by special counsel Jack Smith in his 2020 election interference criminal case against Donald Trump.
2023-08-15 01:58

Biden administration releases 'legal resources' for colleges in response to Supreme Court's affirmative action decision
The Biden administration is releasing new guidance and "legal resources" for colleges and universities that want to ensure student diversity in the admissions process after the Supreme Court gutted affirmative action in June.
2023-08-15 00:53

Can Donald Trump pardon himself?
Donald Trump has already been indicted three times this year, twice at the federal level. In April, he was arraigned in New York and pleaded not guilty to state charges after receiving an indictment from Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg accusing him of manipulating his business records to conceal hush money payments allegedly made to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 to stop her discussing an extramarital affair they are said to have had in 2006 in time to derail his presidential run. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith then handed him a federal indictment in May over his alleged mishandling of classified government documents following the conclusion of his one-term presidency and then another in August over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election result, accusing him of conspiracy to defraud the United States, tampering with a witness and conspiracy against the rights of citizens. In both cases, Mr Trump again pleaded not guilty to all charges. But that’s not all. He could be about to face a fourth indictment, this time from Fani Willis, district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, over his attempts to influence the 2020 vote count in that crucial swing state, which turned blue for Joe Biden and prompted Mr Trump to pressure local secretary of state Brad Raffensperger into helping him “find” the 11,780 ballots he needed to win, a conversation that was recorded and described as “worse than Watergate” by veteran Washington Post journalist Carl Bernstein. While Ms Willis hasn’t confirmed that an indictment will be handed down this week, her earlier statements and security measures surrounding the Fulton County courthouse indicate that movement is imminent in the case. No former or sitting president of the United States has ever been formally charged with a crime before, so for Mr Trump to have received multiple indictments is already history-making, another ignominious claim to fame for the first American commander-in-chief ever to have been impeached twice. The prospect of Mr Trump winning the presidency again in November 2024 and then attempting to use his presidential pardoning powers to excuse himself is a fascinating prospect that could yet become a reality. As president between 2017 and 2021, Mr Trump cheerily used his executive clemency powers to hand out pardons to no fewer than 237 people, from Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio to right-wing content creator Dinesh D’Souza by way of cronies like Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort and George Papadopoulos. Whether he had the authority to pardon himself was a key question at the time he left office in the aftermath of the deadly Capitol riot of 6 January 2021, which, ultimately, never had to be answered because he did not attempt to do so. The broad consensus among legal experts back then was that there was no stipulation in place to actually prohibit such an act but, given that there was no precedent for it either, it would likely be subjected to a lawsuit calling into question its legal validity. While Mr Trump is now a private citizen and therefore has no such powers, he does find himself in the extraordinary position of being thrice-indicted while simultaneously leading the pack for the Republican Party’s nomination to be its candidate for president in 2024, leaving such rivals as Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and Chris Christie eating his dust in the polls. There is nothing in the US Constitution to stop someone from running a presidential campaign while under indictment or even having been convicted of a crime, although its 14th Amendment does prevent anyone from running who has taken an oath of office and thereafter engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” against the country, which could ultimately cause problems for Mr Trump should he be convicted over Mr Smith’s charges pertaining to the Capitol riot. Unless that comes to pass, however, he is free to run for the White House once more. But what would happen if he were to actually win and attempt to use his reinstated pardoning powers for his own benefit is where matters get really knotty. Firstly, presidential pardons are only applicable to federal crimes. While that means he could potentially absolve himself in the classified documents and 2020 election cases brought by Mr Smith, he could not do the same in the indictment brought by Mr Bragg, which is a state affair. Second, the Constitution bans presidents from pardoning themselves from impeachments, meaning any conduct Mr Trump is found guilty of committing in connection with impeachment would not be eligible for a pardon. Third, any pardon would almost certainly result in a Supreme Court case and the court might not be inclined to side with Mr Trump, despite the current conservative majority on its benches. A Justice Department memo from 1974 stated: “Under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, the president cannot pardon himself.” While that memo is not law, it could be used to argue for precedent should the situation go to court. Therefore, if a scenario were to arise in which Mr Trump won the 2024 election but was convicted on charges in the state case (a trial is scheduled for March) or in the federal case relating to the Capitol riot, over which he was impeached, he would not be allowed to pardon himself, likely resulting in a massive and costly legal fight to spare him jail time. If he found himself unable to avoid that outcome, the situation would almost certainly lead to a third impeachment or his removal from office via the 25th Amendment, which allows the Cabinet to remove a president who is unable to perform their duties. There are many duties and trappings of the presidency an incarcerated person would simply not be able to carry out from a prison cell, like the viewing of classified materials, to name just one. We are still very much in hypothetical territory at this point, with any potential conviction for Mr Trump still a long way off and little more than a distant possibility. But the conversations he has started with his latest bid for the presidency have already pushed parts of theoretical US constitutional law far further than many experts ever believed they might live to see. Read More Trump judge demands court hearing as Jack Smith and ex-president spar over protective order – latest Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon sides with Trump again in classified documents case Former Republican official in Georgia subpoenaed over Trump efforts to change election result Trump and Biden tied in hypothetical 2024 rematch, poll finds Prosecutors have started presenting Georgia election investigation to grand jury Hunter Biden's lawyers say gun portion of plea deal remains valid after special counsel announcement Trump assails judge in 2020 election case after she warned him not to make inflammatory remarks
2023-08-15 00:51

Little League World Series Tickets: How Much Does It Cost to Get In?
How much does it cost to go to the Little League World Series?
2023-08-15 00:45