Japan’s Exports Shrink for First Time in More Than Two Years
Japan’s exports dropped for the first time in more than two years as demand slumped in several key
2023-08-17 08:24
World Bank’s Return to Office Spurs Grumbling But It Comes With Perks
A return-to-office requirement from the World Bank is producing grumbling among its staff, although the development lender is
2023-08-17 07:51
Rudy Giuliani biographer has a theory for why ex-New York mayor is so loyal to Trump
A biographer who wrote the book on the life and career of “America’s Mayor” has a new theory for why Rudy Giuliani remains so doggedly loyal to Donald Trump even after it has been proven time and time again that the two never had any convincing proof of election fraud from the 2020 contest. Andrew Kirtzman gave his take on the topic to MSNBC’s Chris Jansing during an interview this week; Mr Kirtzman is the author of Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor. Mr Kirtzman explains that the major turning point in Mr Giuliani’s political life came in 2008, when he failed to deliver a competitive performance in that year’s presidential primary race, despite all expectations for him to do so. “[H]e entered as a front runner and ended it in humiliation with just one delegate,” Mr Kirtzman explained. “[I]t was at that moment in 2008 when things kind of crashed around him, when he lost his 9/11 halo, was left in kind of the political wilderness. There was Donald Trump. And Donald Trump literally took him in to Mar-a-Lago right after his failure in 2008 and kind of shielded Giuliani when he was, kind of fell into a depression,” he continued. According to Mr Kirtzman, that relationship blossomed into a mutually beneficial transaction in 2016 — Mr Trump gained an endorsement from a supposedly credible voice within the GOP, and Mr Giuliani regained a hint of national relevance. But their friendship truly took off in 2020, when Mr Giuliani became Mr Trump’s main stooge in his campaign to tarnish Joe Biden’s name before the onset of the general election. When that failed, Mr Giuliani was right there to pick up the pieces of Mr Trump’s defeat, spinning them instead into a victory supposedly snatched away by the Democrats. Nearly three years after the 2020 election, there’s no sign of any change in the former New York mayor’s feelings for Mr Trump, or vice versa. But it’s an objective fact that Mr Giuliani’s acceptance into the Mar-a-Lago circle has now had more negative consequences for his reputation than positive effects. His law licence is now suspended in both New York and Washington DC; a disbarrment looks likely at least in the latter jurisdiction. He also now faces several felony counts in Georgia, where prosecutors this week handed down a massive indictment charging Mr Trump and his team with crimes related to their election result manipulation efforts. Mr Giuliani has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. It’s unclear where Mr Giuliani goes from here. But it seems, at least for now, that wherever he ends up will have been thanks to a path that became inextricably linked with Mr Trump way back in 2008. Read More Trump accused of skipping debate because he’s ‘scared of Chris Christie’ Will the Georgia gang of 18 turn on Trump? Trumpworld hanging by a thread as co-accused pressured to flip on ex-president Election workers who face frequent harassment see accountability in the latest Georgia charges
2023-08-17 07:29
Yen Slumps to 2023 Low as Japan Intervention Debate Intensifies
The yen slumped past levels that have seen Japan wade into the currency market in the past, putting
2023-08-17 06:59
China Leaders Vow to Lift Consumption Without Detailing How
China’s top leaders pledged to expand domestic consumption and support the private sector without detailing any new stimulus
2023-08-17 06:53
Canada wildfire: Car 'began melting' as family evacuated north
A blaze is threatening to reach Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, by the weekend.
2023-08-17 06:52
China Is Headwind for US, Global Economy, Treasury Official Says
US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said China’s economic issues are proving to be a headwind for the
2023-08-17 05:56
Trump claims Fox News is conspiring to stop him winning in 2024
Donald Trump bashed Fox News, claiming that it is working with other Republican candidates to figure out who can beat him in the GOP primary. The former president took to Truth Social to say that the network is “going all out, just as they did in 2016, to figure who in this very large, but failing, Republican field, can beat your favorite President, Donald John Trump”. “They use only the most negative polls, which are still great for me, and do everything possible to show that they still have a chance,” he added. “They even pull out nice guy Marc Thiessen to do contortions with numbers that just don’t exist. On top of all that, I am the only one beating, by a lot, Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST ‘P’ EVER!” Mr Thiessen, a Washington Post columnist, Fox News commentator, and former White House director of speechwriting under George W Bush, wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday that “64 per cent of Americans say they definitely or probably will not vote for Trump in 2024 (53 per cent definitely + 11 per cent probably). Like watching a slow-moving train wreck for the GOP”. He was referring to reporting and polling by the Associated Press outlining Mr Trump’s steadfast and growing support within the Republican Party but declining ratings with the general electorate. A number of Republicans have argued that the party must choose a new standard-bearer as Mr Trump’s standing with the public at large has only gotten worse since the 2020 election following the Capitol riot and the chaos around him, specifically in connection to his mounting legal problems and the litany of felony charges he faces. Anti-Trump Republican strategist Sarah Longwell told the AP: “There is a meaningful number of voters who have voted for Trump twice and can’t vote for him again after all of this.” Comparatively, according to the polling from The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 43 per cent said they definitely wouldn’t vote for President Joe Biden, in addition to 11 per cent who said they probably wouldn’t. “Trump needs to embody the voters’ grievances and not his own grievances,” Ms Longwell added. “Anytime he’s talking about 2020 he’s looking backwards and the voters get more excited about looking forward.” CPAC chair Matt Schlapp responded to Mr Thiessen on X, saying: “I love you @marcthiessen. You are a good man. Stop this. Trump has to be the nominee because we have to take it all down. It’s that bad and no one else will be able to do it.” Historian Aaron Aster wrote, “The key item in this poll is that 53% will ‘definitely not’ vote for Trump. 43% will ‘definitely not’ vote for Biden. (10-11% ‘probably’ won’t vote for each, respectively). The ‘definitely’ numbers are more important at this stage bc they set the parameters of possible outcomes.” While he added that “early General Election polling is mostly hot garbage because lots of people pay little attention at this point,” he noted that “the ‘definite’ numbers are more likely to pick up the hard ceiling. Yes, those numbers can change a bit too. But in this case they reflect hardening among Independents against Trump – and a small but decisive group of non-Trump GOPers. And less hard-core anti-Biden among Dems”. “A lot of people who really don’t want to vote for Biden but despise Trump will likely vote Biden in the end,” the historian speculated. Read More Will the Georgia gang of 18 turn on Trump? Trumpworld hanging by a thread as co-accused pressured to flip on ex-president Trump claims mystery report clears him of Georgia election charges as DA seeks March trial date – live updates Fulton County DA Fani Willis proposes Trump’s Georgia trial date the day before Super Tuesday Election workers who face frequent harassment see accountability in the latest Georgia charges Kentucky gubernatorial rivals Andy Beshear and Daniel Cameron offer competing education plans Fundraiser for George Santos charged with impersonating aide to Speaker McCarthy
2023-08-17 05:46
US summit with South Korea, Japan, will seek to lock-in progress -US official
By David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina WASHINGTON A U.S. summit with Japan and South Korea on Friday will
2023-08-17 04:21
Abortion drug case likely headed to Supreme Court after Republican-appointed judges agree to restrict access
A high-stakes lawsuit over the future of a widely used abortion drug is likely heading to the US Supreme Court, set to determine the fate of abortion rights access across the country for a second time within two years. Three Republican-appointed judges on a federal appeals court have determined that the federal government did not follow proper procedures when it amended regulations for a commonly used medication abortion drug in 2016. But the restrictions will not immediately take effect. The panel partially upheld a ruling from a Donald Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas, whose sweeping decision earlier this year threatened to strip access to the drug altogether. Nothing in the ruling from a three-judge panel on 16 August will go into effect until the nation’s highest court weighs in. Wednesday’s ruling argues that the US Food and Drug Administration unlawfully expanded access to mifepristone, which was first approved by the federal government more than 20 years ago. Mifepristone was first approved by the FDA in 2000 and is approved for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. A vast majority of abortions occur within the first nine weeks of pregnancy. From 2019 through 2020, nearly 93 per cent of all abortions were performed before the 13th week, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drug – part of a two-drug protocol for medication abortions, the most common form of abortion care in the US – is the subject of a lawsuit from a group of anti-abortion activists represented by right-wing Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, which joined efforts to overturn Roe v Wade at the Supreme Court last year. In April, US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk – a former right-wing activist lawyer who was appointed to the federal judiciary by Mr Trump – issued a ruling to suspend the FDA’s approval, which was immediately challenged by abortion rights advocates, providers, major medical groups, drug manufacturers and President Joe Biden’s administration. An initial ruling at the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit blocked part of that decision but struck down policies for mail-in prescriptions and rules that expanded the drug’s approval for pregnancies up to 10 weeks. On 21 April, the Supreme Court blocked the lower courts’ rulings from taking effect while the case plays out, retaining the status quo while the legal case plays out. Following the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority decision to revoke a constitutional right to abortion care in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, at least 15 states – mostly across the US South – have effectively banned most abortions and imposed criminal penalties against providers. Abortion rights advocates and providers have warned that eliminating or restricting access to mifepristone could drastically impact an already-fragile landscape for abortion care. A ruling that undermines the FDA’s drug approval process could also open the door for other activist-driven legal battles over other drugs wrapped up in political debates, potentially inviting other destabilising lawsuits to Covid-19 vaccines, contraception, HIV medication, gender-affirming care, and other life-saving drugs. Read More What is mifepristone? The widely used pill in the abortion rights battle at the Supreme Court Abortion rights advocates win major victory in Ohio as voters reject GOP plan to thwart ballot measure Texas women detailed agonising pregnancies after being denied abortions. The state blames doctors Some abortion drug restrictions upheld by in a case bound for Supreme Court Akram criticizes Pakistan Cricket Board for leaving Imran Khan out of Independence Day video Netanyahu voices support for Israel's military after his allies and son lambaste security officials
2023-08-17 04:19
House Oversight Committee member asks chairman to refer Snyder to the DOJ for investigation
The ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform is asking the Republican chair in charge to refer former Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder to the Department of Justice for lying under oath. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin wrote a letter earlier this week to Kentucky Rep. James Comer urging him to send the case to the DOJ to determine if Snyder should be prosecuted for making false statements in his deposition and obstructing a congressional investigation. Raskin pointed to the results of the NFL’s independent review by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White that contradicted Snyder’s testimony, specifically about sexually harassing a former employee and deliberately underreporting revenue to avoid sharing it with other owners. The league fined Snyder $60 million for sexual harassment and financial improprieties last month as part of the completion of his sale of the team to a group led by Josh Harris for a North American professional sports record $6.05 billion. “Making false statements to Congress and obstructing congressional investigations are serious crimes,” Raskin wrote in the letter dated Wednesday. “This Committee cannot conduct effective oversight if witnesses misrepresent and obscure the truth.” A message sent by The Associated Press to Comer's office for a response was not immediately returned. A representative for Raskin said his office had nothing to add beyond the letter. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide
2023-08-17 02:24
Little warning, few escape routes, phones knocked out: The chilling similarities between the Maui and Paradise fires
A fire with so much loss and destruction shouldn't have precedent, but recent history has proven otherwise.
2023-08-17 01:51