List of All Articles with Tag 'politics'

Sen. Dianne Feinstein has grown isolated over the years from most members of her California delegation and other Democrats in her home state, feeding a discontent among allies who tell CNN they now wish for a more engaged and energetic senior senator.

Special counsel John Durham defended himself Wednesday amid sharp criticism from Democrats, and also rejected former President Donald Trump's attacks on former Attorney General Bill Barr, who appointed Durham to conduct his investigation into the FBI's Russia probe.

When President Joe Biden referred to his Chinese counterpart as a dictator late Tuesday in California, the response from Beijing was swift and angry.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy urged House Republicans to vote against the resolution brought forward by GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado forcing a vote to impeach President Joe Biden this week, arguing now is not the right time, multiple sources in the closed door meeting told CNN.

By Sarah Marsh BERLIN The far-right Alternative for Germany said on Wednesday it intended to nominate a chancellor

The New York state legislature has passed a bill that would legally protect doctors who prescribe and send abortion pills to patients in states where abortion services are outlawed or restricted.

ZURICH Swiss President Alain Berset is to step down at the end of the year and leave the

US president Joe Biden labelled Xi Jinping a dictator during a political fundraiser in California on Tuesday night. The comments came a day after US secretary of state Antony Blinken visited Beijing to stabilize bilateral relations, that China said was at its lowest point since formal ties were established. Mr Biden also said Mr Xi was very embarrassed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon was blown off course over the US airspace early this year, making the remark about the Chinese leader when Mr Blinken said on Monday the "chapter" should be closed. It was, however, unclear why Mr Biden made the comment about his Chinese counterpart. "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn’t know it was there," Mr Biden said. "That’s a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn’t know what happened. That wasn’t supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course," Mr Biden added. Mr Biden also said China "has real economic difficulties". While Mr Xi, who met with US’s top diplomats on Monday, has not publicly responded to Mr Biden‘s comments, but they are unlikely to go down well in Beijing and could jeopardise efforts by both countries to bring their relationship back to a more stable footing after the balloon incident. Earlier, Mr Blinken and Mr Xi agreed in their meeting to stabilize the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so it did not veer into conflict, but failed to produce any breakthrough during the secretary of state’s rare visit to China. Mr Biden however, praised Mr Blinken’s work in attempting to repair the relationship between the two countries, adding that it would take time. Mr Biden told the fundraiser that US climate envoy John Kerry may go to China “pretty soon”. Mr Biden said he thought relations between the two countries were on the right path, and he indicated that progress was made during Mr Blinken’s trip – the first such visit by the US secretary of state in the last five years. “We’re not going to have success on every issue between us on any given day, but in a whole variety of areas, on the terms that we set for this trip, we have made progress and we are moving forward,” Mr Blinken said in Beijing on Monday. A day later, Mr Biden said that Mr Xi had been concerned by the so-called Quad strategic security group, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the United States. The US president said he previously told the Chinese counterpart that the US was not trying to encircle China with the Quad. "He called me and told me not to do that because it was putting him in a bind," Mr Biden said. “We’re just trying to make sure the international rules of air and sea lanes remain open.” Later this week, Mr Biden will meet Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and China is expected to be a topic of discussion between the two leaders. Additional reporting from the wires Read More Why haven't China and the U.S. agreed to restore military contacts? Modi US visit: Amnesty calls for human rights to be central in talks with Joe Biden Biden-Modi relationship built around mutual admiration of scrappy pasts, pragmatic needs US and China hold top-level talks, but their rivalry remains unchecked Biden is ready to fete India's leader, looking past Modi's human rights record and ties to Russia

Judge Aileen Cannon has set a date for the trial in the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. The Trump-appointed judge has signed a court order listing the trial as starting on 14 August of this year in Fort Pierce, Florida. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden has reached a plea deal with the Justice Department over three federal charges. The news comes the morning after the former president denied that he ever possessed a secret document about attacking Iran despite the fact a recording exists that had him discussing a document he kept from his presidency. Mr Trump spoke in an interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier at his property in Bedminster, New Jersey less than a week after he pleaded not guilty to 37 charges in a federal court in Miami at his arraignment. A federal grand jury had indicted him for allegedly willfully mishandling classified documents, obstruction of justice and making false statements. The former president was also confronted by Baier over his insistence that he won the 2020 election — which he did not, as the Fox News host made clear in a testy exchange. Read More Trump calls Fox News ‘hostile’ as he declines to commit to first GOP debate on network Trump staffers are using the rat emoji to describe Mark Meadows amid testimony rumours Democrats downplay Hunter Biden's plea deal, while Republicans see opportunity to deflect from Trump Trump claimed the Durham report would uncover the ‘crime of the century.’ Here’s what it really found

President Joe Biden compared Chinese President Xi Jinping to "dictators" during a political fundraiser in California Tuesday night, delivering the unscripted remarks roughly a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his recent trip had yielded "progress" in repairing the fractured relationship between Washington and Beijing.

Donald Trump’s close allies and aides have started using the rat emoji in text message discussions about his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, a report says. The phrase – which can be used to describe an informer – became popular in the former president’s inner circle after Mr Meadows’s lawyer was vague about whether he is cooperating with special counsel Jack Smith, reports Rolling Stone. The federal prosecutor had been eager to question Mr Meadows under oath about Mr Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and his handling of top-secret documents. But the magazine states that “it’s been an ongoing mystery to Trump and his team how much Meadows has given the feds, and whether or not he’s actually cooperating.” Mr Meadows’s lawyer gave very few details to media outlets this month on his client’s status with investigators. “Without commenting on whether or not Mr Meadows has testified before the grand jury or in any other proceeding, Mr Meadows has maintained a commitment to tell the truth where he has a legal obligation to do so,” said George Terwilliger. The magazine reported that a source had told them of the rat emoji use, and had provided a screenshot of conversations where it was included. Mr Trump has told his allies that Mr Trump has said he does not know what Mr Meadows is doing and that it would be a “shame” if rumours he is cooperating with prosecutors were true. The magazine states that the allies have told the former president that there is no evidence that Mr Meadows is cooperating and that he may be following his lawyer’s advice to keep a low profile. Mr Trump Trump faces 37 federal felony counts alleging he illegally retained national defence information and concealed classified documents. He has pleaded not guilty and Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon has signed a court order listing the trial as starting on 14 August of this year in Fort Pierce, Florida. Read More Jonathan Turley tells Fox News the Trump indictment is ‘extremely damning’ and a ‘hit below the waterline’ Former Trump chief of staff says ex-president is ‘scared s***less’ Trump described Pentagon ‘plan of attack’ and shared classified military map with PAC member, indictment shows Trump news – live: Judge sets Mar-a-Lago classified papers trial date as Hunter Biden reaches plea deal Hunter Biden’s case throws a wrench in Republican rhetoric about ‘two-tiered’ justice Trump calls Fox News ‘hostile’ as he declines to commit to first GOP debate on network

A federal judge on Tuesday struck down Arkansas' ban on gender-affirming treatment for transgender youth, dealing the strongest blow yet to a state prohibition on such care.