US Republicans upbeat on debt deal as budget hawks dig in
Top US Republican Kevin McCarthy said Thursday he saw "the path" to a breakthrough in talks to avert a looming debt default, despite signals from his party's hard right that they would not soften...
2023-05-19 05:27
Elizabeth Holmes: Inside the routine at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas
Here's what we know about the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, where Holmes is likely to be sent.
2023-05-19 04:56
GOP Rep Clay Higgins filmed shoving activist who questioned Lauren Boebert’s divorce
Republican Congressman Clay Higgins yanked and shoved an activist who he claimed was mentally disturbed during a press conference outside the US Capitol. Jake Burdett, an activist with leftist political views, was filming and asking questions of the GOP lawmakers present when a man in a suit approached him. The moment, which is captured in Mr Burdett's footage, shows the man in the suit — Mr Higgins — walking up, introducing himself, and telling the activist to back off and that he will answer his questions after the conference. “All I’m asking you to do is just peacefully stand by with your camera and I promise you—look at me—I’ll come talk to you straight up and answer all your questions. Fair enough?” Mr Higgins asks. Mr Burdett stood back, but zeroed in on the lawmakers again when Congresswoman Laura Boebert began to speak. The activist began to ask questions about her recently announced divorce but was intercepted by Mr Higgins. Footage capturing the moment shows Mr Higgins grabbing the activist and shoving him several feet away from the press conference. “Uh-uh. Uh-uh. No. You’re out. You’re out," Mr Higgins can be heard saying in the footage. Mr Burdett can be heard protesting Mr Higgins’s interference, asking: “Aren't you a congressperson, touching me?” He then demanded that he “get off” and said that the lawmaker was hurting him. Mr Higgins continued to grapple Mr Burdett until DC Metropolitan police intervened and split the men up. Mr Burdett was questioned by DC police and was later allowed to leave. He spoke about the experience with The Daily Beast, saying he felt “scared, intimidated, powerless, [and] defenceless”. Mr Burdett said he felt as though he could do nothing to defend himself since Mr Higgins is a member of Congress. “Like, who do I think the cops are going to crack down on, me, or the congressperson?” he said. He believes the incident was an example of a lawmaker thinking of themselves as “untouchable” because of their position. “It’s one thing for anybody to do that,” he said of Higgins’ behaviour. “But for a sitting US congressperson to think that that’s OK—it just shows an extra level of entitlement, that they feel they’re untouchable and the law doesn’t apply to them.” The footage was shared widely on social media, sparking a Change.org petition for the arrest of Mr Higgins. The Independent has reached out to Mr Higgins and Mr Burdett for comment. Mr Higgins responded to the incident in a video response posted to Twitter. Mr Higgins offered a comment to KATC, and said Mr Burdett "was a 103M," which is a police code referring to mentally disturbed individuals. The statement goes on to accuse Mr Burdett of being “threatening”. Mr Burdett told The Daily Beast he was in Washington to attend a Medicare for All rally featuring Senator Bernie Sanders. After that rally, he spotted the Republican press conference setting up in the same spot. He decided to stay and "ask them some tough questions." He said that after the incident he is weighing his options and strongly considering making assault charges against the congressman. “I’m absolutely evaluating my options here, and if it looks like there is a strong case for assault and [there is] an attorney willing to take on the case, I am absolutely prepared to press charges,” he said. Read More The school librarian in the middle of Louisiana’s war on libraries Lauren Boebert denies claim husband flew into rage after being served divorce papers Marjorie Taylor Greene launches racially-loaded attack on Black Democrat after Capitol steps shouting match Lauren Boebert denies claim husband flew into rage after being served divorce papers Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis FACT FOCUS: Who’s to blame for the national debt? It’s more complicated than one culprit
2023-05-19 04:23
US to unveil 'significant' new Russia sanctions at G7
The United States unveiled "significant" new sanctions targeting Russia's "war machine" on Friday, as President Joe Biden meets fellow...
2023-05-19 04:17
1 Misconception About Each of the 50 States (and D.C.)
We debunk one myth about each state in the U.S., from the Rocky Mountain not-so-high of Colorado to New Mexico. That’s right, New Mexico.
2023-05-19 04:17
Jamaal Bowman says Marjorie Taylor Greene used ‘racial bullhorn’ when she said she felt ‘threatened’ during Capitol exchange
Rep Jamaal Bowman (D - New York) criticised Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene for characterising him as threatening when they confronted each other on the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday. The two had a heated exchange on the steps of the US Capitol after the House voted to refer the expulsion of Representative George Santos to the House Ethics Committee. At a press conference on Thursday, Ms Greene said criticised Mr Bowman, an outspoken progressive, for confronting her on the steps of the US Capitol on Wednesday, for calling her a white supremacist. Ms Greene later criticised Mr Bowman for calling her a white supremacist. “That is like calling a person of colour the n-word,” she said. “Jamaal Bowman was down there cursing at me, telling me to get the eff out of there, right outside the vehicle I was sitting in.” Mr Bowman confronted Ms Greene in a heated conversation on the steps of the US Capitol on Wednesday following the vote to refer the expulsion of the embattled New York Republican representative to the House Ethics Committee rather than subject his expulsion to a full vote on the House floor. “What is on video is Jamaal Bowman shouting at the top of his lungs, cursing,” she said. “Calling me a white supremacist, which I take great offence to. That is like calling a person of colour the N-word.” Ms Greene accused Mr Bowman of “leading the mob” right outside a vehicle as she was prepared to leave the Capitol. She then noted that he confronted her after the vote. “His physical mannerisms are aggressive,” she said, criticising his recent interaction with Rep Thomas Massie (R - Kentucky) and accusing him of shoving Mr Massie when discussing gun violence. “I am concerned. I feel threatened by him.” The Daily Beast’s Ursula Perano filmed the interaction as Mr Bowman admonished Ms Greene, who has promoted conspiracies such as QAnon, to fix the Republican Party. Eventually, Mr Bowman’s friend Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D - New York) stepped in to tell him of Ms Greene: “She ain’t worth it, bro.” During their back and forth, Mr Bowman told Ms Greene of Mr Santos: “Expel him. Save the party. The party is hanging by a thread.” But Ms Greene deflected, saying: “We got to get rid of Biden to save the country,” before she tried to start a chant of “impeach Biden.” Mr Bowman then said Ms Greene needed to stop promoting conspiracy theories. “No more QAnon,” he said, to which Ms Greene replied: “No more CNN.” “No more debt ceiling nonsense,” he said. “Come on, now. Save the party.” Mr Bowman also called on Ms Greene to do something about guns. “So close the border,” Ms Greene, which led Mr Bowman to scoff. “The border is where Trump left it,” he said. Mr Bowman ultimately moved on following the advice of Ms Ocasio-Cortez. The confrontation came after Mr Bowman and Ms Ocasio-Cortez heckled Mr Santos outside of the Capitol building, imploring him to resign as he spoke to reporters. Last week, Mr Santos was indicted on 13 counts of criminal charges related to wire fraud, money laundering, making false statements to the House of Representatives and theft of public funds. However, on Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted to refer the resolution to expel Mr Santos to the House Ethics Committee rather than sent it to a House vote. The charges come months after it was revealed that Mr Santos lied on his resume before being elected to represent New York’s 3rd district. Democrats have been pushing for Mr Santos to resign, citing ethical concerns- including Mr Bowman and Ms Ocasio-Cortez. Read More AOC heckles George Santos after Congress votes on his future: ‘Resign! Resign bro!’ Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis Marjorie Taylor Greene files impeachment against Biden, unlikely to pass AOC heckles George Santos after Congress votes on his future: ‘Resign! Resign bro!’ Marjorie Taylor Greene falsely claims slain Georgia activist killed police officer at Cop City protest
2023-05-19 04:00
Here's how the 14th Amendment factors into the debt ceiling debate
As negotiations over addressing the debt ceiling continue and the threat of default draws closer, President Joe Biden has resurfaced the controversial idea of using the 14th Amendment as a way to lift the borrowing cap without Congress.
2023-05-19 03:48
Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis
The Walt Disney Company has pulled the plug on a $1bn office complex in Orlando, following a warning from Disney leadership that billions of dollars in projects were on the line after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis escalated his feud with the company. The development scheduled for construction in the Orlando area was set to bring 2,000 jobs to the region, with 1,000 employees expected to be relocated from southern California. In an email to employees on 18 May, Disney’s theme park and consumer products chair Josh D’Amaro pointed to “changing business conditions” for the cancellation of the 60-acre Lake Nona Town Center project, according to The New York Times, which first reported the move. “I remain optimistic about the direction of our Walt Disney World business,” he added, noting that the company has still planned $17bn in projects over the next decade its Disney World campus. “I hope we’re able to,” he said. For years, Florida legislators and the governor’s office enjoyed a close relationship with the state’s largest taxpayers, among the state’s largest employers, which has wielded enormous political influence while bringing in billions of dollars to the state each year. Now, the company and DeSantis allies are suing one another, following a year-long feud over opposition to what opponents have called Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law that boiled over into political and legal battles that could shape the company’s business in the state. Moments after board appointed by Mr DeSantis voted to strip the company’s control of its Florida park, Disney filed a federal lawsuit against the governor and state officials alleging a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” for “expressing a political viewpoint.” The lawsuit follows the governor’s state takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, now the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, made up of conservative activists and DeSantis loyalists, a move that followed Florida Republicans’ punitive measures against the company after its public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” law. Days later, the board voted to sue Disney in state court. In March, Disney slammed the governor’s “anti-business” approach to the company, which Mr DeSantis has accused of advancing a “woke agenda” while his administration targets LGBT+ people and their families with sweeping laws to control public school education, healthcare access and speech. The governor dissolved a decades-old municipal district that allowed Disney to control its own land use, zoning rules and public services, without putting a tax burden on Florida residents. In effect, Disney taxed itself to foot the district’s bill for its municipal needs. “Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people, and pay more taxes, or not?” Disney CEO Bob Iger said on a conference call with analysts last week. A statement from Disney said the company has decided to pull out of the new campus construction “given the considerable changes that have occurred since the announcement of this project, including new leadership and changing business conditions.” The “Parental Rights in Education Act” – what opponents have called “Don’t Say Gay” – prohibits instruction of “sexual orientation or gender identity” from kindergarten through the third grade and any such discussion “that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students” in other grades. The governor recently expanded the law to explicitly extend such restrictions to all grades. Critics have warned that the broadly written law threatens to freeze classroom speech involving LGBT+ people and issues, from civil rights history lessons to discussion of LGBT+ students, school staff and their families. Following passage of the Florida law, lawmakers across the US and in Congress have introduced similar legislation, including more than two dozen measures in current legislative sessions. Read More DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse ‘We will not be erased’: Critics slam Ron DeSantis for unprecedented bills attacking LGBTQ+ people Penguin Random House sues Florida school district over ‘unconstitutional’ book bans Florida teacher under investigation for showing Disney movie with LGBT+ character speaks out
2023-05-19 03:45
Disney scraps $867m Florida plan amid Ron DeSantis feud
The company makes the decision amid an escalating legal battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
2023-05-19 03:23
Armenia PM says to meet Azerbaijan leader in Moscow
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday said he had agreed to meet with the president of arch-enemy Azerbaijan...
2023-05-19 02:59
PGA Live Updates | Rahm trying to recover from run of bogeys at PGA Championship
Jon Rahm is off to another rough start in a major
2023-05-19 02:46
Debt ceiling negotiators rushing for weekend deal, but much work remains
Negotiators from the White House met over the debt limit with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s emissaries at the Capitol
2023-05-19 02:29