President Joe Biden walked a muddy stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border and inspected a busy port of entry Sunday on his first trip to the region after two years in office, a visit shadowed by the fraught politics of immigration as Republicans blame him for record numbers of migrants crossing into the country. At his first stop, the president observed as border officers in El … Continue reading Biden inspects US-Mexico border in face of GOP criticism

The Border Patrol union is slamming President Biden’s trip to El Paso, Texas, on Sunday amid reports that state and local authorities have ramped up detentions and cleaned up much of the migrant encampments in the area ahead of the visit. “El Paso being cleaned up as if nothing unusual ever happened there,” the National Border Patrol Council tweeted Friday. “Just in time for Biden’s ‘visit … Continue reading Border Patrol union rips Biden’s border visit, says El Paso cleaned up ‘just in time’

Six journalists in South Sudan have been detained over the circulation of footage showing President Salva Kiir appearing to wet himself at an official event, the national journalists union said on Saturday.  The footage from December showed a dark stain spread down the 71-year-old president’s grey trousers as he stood for the national anthem at a road commissioning event. The video never aired on television … Continue reading 6 journalists detained after South Sudan president wet himself live on TV

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told Congress that the lead-up to his Speakership election made clear that he “never” gives up and would “never give up” on the American people during his first address as Speaker. McCarthy addressed members of the House of Representatives as Speaker of the House for the first time in the early morning hours of Saturday after he secured the speakership on the 15th … Continue reading House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Promises to ‘Never Give Up’ on the American People

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL., on Tuesday introduced bipartisan legislation that would ban the popular app TikTok from operating within the United States over national security concerns. Rubio’s bill—the Averting the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the Chinese Communist Party, or ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act—already has bipartisan support in the House, with Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, … Continue reading US Lawmakers Intro Bill to Ban TikTok in U.S.

Leaders of the EU Parliament accused foreign powers on Monday of trying to corrupt European democracy, as a probe into alleged bribes from World Cup host Qatar widened. Belgian investigators, meanwhile raided offices in the parliament’s Brussels base, seeking to seize computer data to track the alleged web of corruption. One of the vice presidents of the parliament, Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili, has been … Continue reading EU democracy ‘under attack’ as parliament rocked by Qatar bribe claims

Newly-appointed special counsel Jack Smith is moving fast on a pair of criminal probes around Donald Trump that in recent months have focused on the former president’s state of mind after the 2020 election, including what he knew about plans to impede the transfer of power, people familiar with the matter tell CNN. Though he remains in Europe recovering from a biking accident, Smith has … Continue reading Special Counsel Smith speeds ahead on criminal probes surrounding Trump

A rift between the European Union and recalcitrant member Hungary deepened Tuesday when Budapest vetoed an 18 billion euro ($18.93 billion) financial aid package to Kyiv, leaving the other 26 nations to scramble to keep the money supply going. Hungary’s defiant stance also exacerbated an EU dispute over the rule of law under Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his view of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. … Continue reading Hungary blocks EU Ukraine aid, deepening rift with Brussels

Congress is poised to use the annual defense policy bill to eliminate the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate — a major concession by President Biden’s Democratic allies that helps clear the way to passing the sweeping package before year’s end.  In a compromise with Republicans, House Democrats are allowing language into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that repeals the coronavirus vaccine mandate for U.S. service … Continue reading Democrats make major concession on vaccine mandate

The Jan. 6 committee will make criminal referrals to the Department of Justice as the panel wraps up its investigation into the events that led up to the deadly riot. “We have made decisions on criminal referrals,” Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the chairman of the committee, told reporters, saying “we will” on the question of whether referrals will be pursued. He added that consideration of … Continue reading Jan. 6 committee to make criminal referrals to Justice Department

Special counsel Jack Smith has subpoenaed local officials in Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin — three states that were central to former president Donald Trump’s failed plan to stay in power following the 2020 election — for any and all communications with Trump, his campaign and a long list of aides and allies. The requests for records arrived in Dane County, Wis.; Maricopa County, Ariz.; and … Continue reading Justice Dept. subpoenas Ariz., Mich., Wis. officials for Trump communications

Vladimir Putin has managed to drive across the Crimea bridge which was damaged by a bomb attack in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The Russian President took the wheel on Monday and drove across the blitzed Kerch Bridge to the peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. During his surprise visit, the Kremlin leader spoke to workers and discussed repair work with a senior … Continue reading Vladimir Putin brazenly drives across repaired Crimea bridge after huge truck bomb

Emboldened House Democrats ushered in a new generation of leaders on Wednesday with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries elected to be the first Black American to head a major political party in Congress as long-serving Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her team step aside next year. Showing rare party unity after their midterm election losses, the House Democrats moved seamlessly from one history-making leader to another, choosing the … Continue reading Hakeem Jeffries set to lead House Democrats

President Joe Biden was in the unusual position Tuesday of being praised by business interests and attacked by his normal allies in the labor movement after calling for Congress to move immediately to block a strike by more than 100,000 union members at the nation’s freight railroads set for the end of next week. The move was a serious setback for the unions, who say … Continue reading Rail unions decry Biden’s call for Congress to block strike. Businesses praise the plan

Former President Donald Trump on Monday unloaded on special counsel Jack Smith, who has taken over oversight of the Mar-a-Lago probe and the Justice Department’s investigation of the 2020 election overturn effort. Trump’s attacks came after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith, a career prosecutor, in an effort to provide a measure of insulation amid government probes of the announced 2024 presidential candidate.  ‘This fully weaponized monster, … Continue reading Ex-president Trump calls new Special Counsel ‘fully-weaponized monster’

President Joe Biden called Monday evening for Congress to act immediately to head off an economically crippling freight rail strike, saying there appeared to be “no path to resolve the dispute at the bargaining table.” Biden asked that Congress act “without any modifications or delay” to impose a tentative settlement that leadership of railroads and 12 unions had hammered out in September. However, of the … Continue reading Biden calls on Congress to avert rail strike

United States President Joe Biden renewed his call to pursue a national ban on assault weapons following the latest mass shooting at a Walmart store in the state of Virginia, and he said it’s “sick” that the United States still continues to sell semiautomatic weapons. The President made no comments regarding the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. constitution which grants individual Americans the right to … Continue reading President Biden calls for assault weapons ban after latest mass shootings

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to say that Ankara is planning to deploy ground forces to attack Kurdish forces based across the border in Syria. Turkey blames the groups for the November 13 bombing in central Istanbul, that killed six people. “We have been bearing down on terrorists for a few days with our planes, cannons and guns,” Erdogan said in a speech … Continue reading Erdogan threatens Syria ground operation ‘as soon as possible’

Vice President Kamala Harris called on countries Tuesday to stand up for territorial integrity and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which has been challenged by China, and said Washington would press an international campaign against “irresponsible behavior” in the disputed waters. Harris did not cite China by name but was obviously referring to Beijing when she underscored America’s support to treaty ally … Continue reading Kamala Harris says U.S. will defend Philippines in South China Sea