Cuba Gooding Jr settles civil sex abuse case moments before trial
By Jack Queen Cuba Gooding Jr. reached a settlement on Tuesday with a woman who sued him for
2023-06-07 00:53
Mike Pence suffered the wrath of Trump. Now the ex-vice president wants his old boss’s job in 2024
Former Vice President Mike Pence, the onetime loyal sideman to twice-impeached ex-president Donald Trump, will kick off his own attempt to win election to the nation’s top job this week when he formally announces his campaign at a Des Moines, Iowa event on Wednesday. Mr Pence’s announcement will come just days after he made his candidacy official by filing the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. The ex-Indiana governor’s presidential ambitions are nothing new, with Mr Pence having teased a presidential run for months during a string of public appearances. But the advent of an actual campaign changes the Republican landscape by putting him in direct competition with Mr Trump, his former running-mate. Mr Pence, 63, served as a member of the House of Representatives between 2001 and 2013 and as Indiana’s governor between 2013 and 2017 but first rose to international attention as Mr Trump’s running-mate in 2016. The pair always made for an unlikely double act, with Mr Pence’s quiet, respectful demeanour and devout evangelical Christian faith utterly at odds with the trash-talking New Yorker’s taste for celebrity, glitzy decor and vulgar showmanship. But Mr Pence remained at his boss’ side throughout his tumultuous one-term presidency, a source of constant support until even his loyalty was tested beyond breaking point by the events of 6 January 2021. After losing the electoral vote to Democrat Joe Biden the previous November by 306 to 232 and the popular vote by 81.3 million ballots to 74.2 million, Mr Trump immediately and baselessly began to insist the contest had been “rigged” in a vast nationwide conspiracy orchestrated by his opponents. Two months of farcical legal proceedings led by a ragtag group of misfit attorneys — most notably among them ex-New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani — ended with a whimper, as Mr Trump’s allies entirely failed to offer a court any argument that satisfied the legal requirements to bring lawsuits challenging the election, much less any proof of the fraud they’d alleged. Increasingly desperate, the president was caught on tape exerting pressure on Georgia’s secretary of state to “find” additional votes in that crucial swing state, before turning his attention to his own deputy, Mr Pence, whom he called upon to weaponise his ceremonial position overseeing a joint session of Congress on 6 January to ratify the election results. Demanding that Mr Pence rule the election results null and void, Mr Trump piled on the public pressure in a series of tweets and in person on the campaign trail, presumably knowing his vice president was reluctant to follow orders. “I hope Mike Pence comes through for us,” Mr Trump said in Georgia. “I hope our great vice president comes through for us. He’s a great guy. Of course, if he doesn’t come through, I won’t like him very much.” Mr Pence refused to comply, instead writing a letter to Congress in which he explained: “I do not believe that the founders of our country intended to invest the vice president with unilateral authority to decide which electoral votes should be counted during the joint session of Congress, and no vice president in American history has ever asserted such authority.” On the day the US Capitol was stormed by enraged Trump supporters attempting to stop the ratification, some participants even erected a gallows and chanted “Hang Mike Pence!” on the National Mall. “To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today: you did not win,” Mr Pence responded in the aftermath, sounding far more presidential than Mr Trump. “Violence never wins. Freedom wins. And this is still the people’s house. And as we reconvene in this chamber the world will again witness the resilience and strength of our democracy.” The two men held clear-the-air talks five days after the failed insurrection but their relationship has clearly never recovered. Speaking at a Republican dinner in New Hampshire in June 2021, Mr Pence told his audience: “You know, President Trump and I have spoken many times since we left office. And I don’t know if we’ll ever see eye to eye on that day.” Mr Pence was born in Columbus, Indiana, on 7 June 1959, one of six children born to Edward and Nancy Pence and is a graduate of Hanover College and the Indiana University School of Law. He married his wife Karen in 1985 and the couple have three children: Michael, Charlotte and Audrey. His net wealth has been estimated at $4m, modest compared to some prominent politicians, but has been enhanced post-presidency after he signed a two-book deal with publishing giant Simon & Schuster, thought to be worth around $3-4m, according to industry insiders. Mr Pence will now find himself in competition not only with Mr Trump but also the likes of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, South Carolina senator Tim Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and ex-radio pundit Larry Elder. Ex-New Jersey governor Chris Christie is expected to enter the GOP primary race this week as well. Read More Mike Pence files paperwork to jump into crowded 2024 GOP primary race DeSantis, Pence and other GOP 2024 hopefuls, but not Trump, set to appear at Iowa rally Trump reacts to report Pence won’t face charges for classified documents: ‘I’m at least as innocent as he is’ Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
2023-06-07 00:51
Ukraine's Zelenskiy discusses peace moves with Papal envoy
KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the Vatican on Tuesday to contribute to the implementation of a Ukrainian peace plan
2023-06-07 00:49
Ukrainian dam breach: What is happening and what's at stake
The dramatic rupture of the dam that upheld Ukraine’s largest reservoir released a torrent of water, raising fears of widespread damage and flooding in areas where tens of thousands of people live
2023-06-07 00:19
What are the takeaways from Prince Harry's day in a London court?
It's rare enough to see a senior British royal testifying in a court of law
2023-06-06 23:57
EU member Slovenia overwhelmingly defeats Moscow ally Belarus for a seat on the UN Security Council
In an election reflecting opposition to Russia’s war against Ukraine, European Union member Slovenia has overwhelmingly defeated Moscow’s close ally Belarus for a seat on the U.N. Security Council starting in January
2023-06-06 23:55
US hotel developers run out of cash as construction lending dries up
(Corrects number of total hotel projects that have broken ground or are in preconstruction phase in 2023 to 324 from
2023-06-06 23:46
Cuba Gooding Jr settles rape lawsuit ahead of civil trial
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr reaches settlement with rape accuser, just as civil trial was about to start.
2023-06-06 23:29
'Jerry Maguire' star Cuba Gooding Jr. settles civil sex abuse case, averting trial
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. has settled with a woman who claims he raped her, averting a trial that was about to begin in New York City
2023-06-06 22:57
'Marc Anthony genes kicking in': Video of Jennifer Lopez teaching daughter Emme, 14, to sing leaves Internet stunned
While many fans are awestruck by Emme in the viral video, Jennifer Lopez received some harsh criticism from trolls
2023-06-06 21:55
Astrud Gilberto, singer of 'The Girl from Ipanema,' dead at 83
Astrud Gilberto, the Brazilian singer, songwriter and entertainer whose off-hand, English-language cameo on “The Girl from Ipanema” made her a worldwide voice of bossa nova, has died at age 83
2023-06-06 21:29
Supreme Court tossed out heart of Voting Rights Act a decade ago, prompting wave of new voting rules
A U.S. Supreme Court decision a decade ago that tossed out the heart of the Voting Rights Act continues to reverberate across the country
2023-06-06 21:17