CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stepped into Iowa on Tuesday for the first time as a Republican presidential candidate and stepped up to Donald Trump, vowing to “fight back” against the former president as the GOP’s 2024 campaign enters a new phase.
Under fire from conservatives, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is hunting for votes from fellow Republicans for the debt ceiling deal. The Republican speaker urged GOP skeptics Tuesday to look at “the victories” in the package he negotiated with President Joe Biden. Hard-right conservatives are criticizing the deal, while liberals decry new work requirements for older Americans in the food aid program. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the package reduces deficits by $1.5 trillion over the decade, although food stamp changes end up costing $2.1 billion. The House Rules Committee voted 7-6 Tuesday to advance the bill to the full House, which is expected to vote Wednesday.
Uganda’s president has signed into law new anti-gay legislation supported by many in the East African country but widely condemned by rights activists and others abroad. The version of the bill signed by President Yoweri Museveni doesn’t criminalize those who identify as LGBTQ, a key concern for rights campaigners, who condemned an earlier draft of the legislation as an egregious attack on human rights. However, the new law still prescribes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” which is defined as cases of sexual relations involving people infected with HIV as well as with minors and other categories of vulnerable people.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Legislature already made one historic move with its impeachment of Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Another one is coming.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada lawmakers questioned whether a proposal to subsidize a new MLB stadium with tax credits and bonds would further boost Las Vegas’ economy, or serve as a handout for a big business that could strain government resources.
Activists in the LGBTQ+ community are calling for new ways to mobilize against threats to their long fight for equality. This comes after Target announced last week that it removed some products and relocated its Pride displays to the back of certain stores in the South after protestors confronted workers in stores. Activists have said new campaigns are needed to convince corporate leaders not to cave to anti-LGBTQ+ groups. Target is the latest company to face backlash over its support for the community. Nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures around the country this year and at least 18 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
A historic impeachment trial in Texas to determine whether Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton should be permanently removed from office will begin no later than August in the state Senate. The Texas Senate on Monday moved to start organizing the trial for Paxton, who was suspended from office Saturday when the GOP-controlled Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to impeach the three-term attorney general. Paxton has been dogged by ethical and criminal accusations since taking office in 2015. He has called the House investigation that led to his impeachment “corrupt” and denies wrongdoing.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Explosions rattled Kyiv during daylight Monday as Russian ballistic missiles took aim at the Ukrainian capital, hours after a more common nighttime barrage of the city by drones and cruise missiles.
President Joe Biden says in a Memorial Day address Americans “must never forget" the price paid by troops who “dared all and gave all” to protect their democracy. As is customary on Memorial Day, Biden laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery. Biden has taken pride that his administration has overseen a time of relative peace for the U.S. military after two decades of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s been nearly 21 months since the Democratic president ended the United States’ longest war, in Afghanistan. Biden and the first lady plan to spend the rest of the holiday at their home near Wilmington, Delaware.
MILAN (AP) — The French general manager of Milan’s famed Teatro alla Scala is facing the threat of a tenure cut short, even as he unveiled a star-studded 2023-24 season and announced record sponsor revenues on Monday.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — After securing a strong new mandate in a runoff presidential election, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan could temper some positions that have irritated his NATO allies. But observers predicted that the country's longtime strongman leader is unlikely to depart from his poli…
ATLANTA (AP) — A new reactor at a nuclear power plant in Georgia has reached its full power output for the first time and is scheduled to enter commercial operation within the next month.
Ukraine's capital is sleepless as a new Russian air campaign terrorizes citizens in Kyiv. A pharmacist says “what is there to say? Everyone is exhausted.” Russian air attacks have escalated to near-nightly raids over the last month. Many people are complaining about sleeplessness. The war-defying bustle of Kyiv’s cafes, restaurants and salons goes on despite the ongoing war. But everyone has a story about how tired they feel.
When Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina launched his campaign for the White House, the notoriously prickly former President Donald Trump welcomed his new competitor with open arms. There were no accusations of disloyalty or nasty nicknames like when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his leading rival, joined the race two days later. The contrast underscores not only the fact that Trump sees DeSantis as his most formidable rival, but also basic math: He and his team have long believed the more candidates who enter the Republican primary contest, the better for Trump. And the field is growing by the day.
The debt ceiling deal has come with just days to spare before a potential first-ever government default. On Sunday, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached a final agreement and they are urging Congress to quickly pass it. Biden pronounced the development “good news” in remarks at the White House announcing the agreement. This followed a tentative compromise announced late Saturday. The deal risks angering some Democratic and Republican lawmakers as they begin to unpack the concessions, which include spending cuts. McCarthy and Biden spoke Sunday evening as negotiators drafted legislative text. They face a June 5 deadline when Treasury says the U.S. would risk a debt default.
WASHINGTON (AP) — One morning during the debt ceiling crisis, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy climbed onto his mountain bike and took a ride along the National Mall, marveling at the monuments.
The historic impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is plunging Republicans into a bruising fight over whether to banish one of their own in America’s biggest red state. Paxton was impeached this weekend by the state's GOP-controlled House of Representatives after years of scandal and accused crimes. Paxton says he has “full confidence” as he now awaits trial in the state Senate. His conservative allies in the Senate include his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, who has not said whether she will recuse herself from the proceedings.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won reelection in a victory that extends his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade. The divisive populist won Sunday's presidential runoff despite the fact that his country is reeling from high inflation and the aftermath of an earthquake that leveled entire cities. A third term gives Erdogan an even stronger hand domestically and internationally, and the election results will have implications far beyond the capital of Ankara. Turkey stands at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and it plays a key role in NATO.
Former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney blasted Republicans raising fears about college students voting and implored new graduates not to compromise truths in a commencement speech at her alma mater. The Wyoming Republican spoke at Colorado College on Sunday about being ousted from House Republican leadership after calling out lies about the 2020 election and working on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Cheney's speaking schedule and subject matter have fueled speculation about whether she may choose to enter the 2024 GOP presidential primary race. Her fierce anti-Trump stances have elevated her platform high enough to call on a national network of donors and Trump critics should she run for the White House.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's capital was subjected to the largest drone attack since the start of Russia's war, local officials said, as Kyiv prepared to mark the anniversary of its founding on Sunday. At least one person was killed, but officials said scores of drones were shot down, demo…
Race has emerged as a central issue, and a delicate one, in the 2024 presidential contest as the Republican Party fields one of its most racially diverse group of primary candidates ever. In most cases, the candidates of color play down the significance of their racial heritage. They also oppose policies around policing, voting rights and education that are specifically designed to benefit disadvantaged communities and combat structural racism. But the GOP's increasingly diverse leadership, backed by evolving politics on issues such as immigration, suggest the party might have an opportunity to widen its appeal in 2024.
Prolonged fighting in Nigeria between farmers and herdsmen is becoming more deadly. The attacks have caused villagers who complain of delayed justice to become more desperate to defend themselves. The violence in Nigeria's northwest and central regions presents a huge challenge for incoming President Bola Tinubu. It threatens to further destabilize the country and drive more of its 216 million people into poverty. Security analysts are warning of a "substantial loss of confidence in the government as a protector of citizens.” The security experts are urging the incoming government to address the root cause of the crisis and bolster the nation's security forces with more personnel and equipment.
India’s major opposition parties have boycotted the inauguration of a new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a rare show of unity against his Hindu nationalist ruling party. Modi inaugurated the new Parliament in the capital of New Delhi on Sunday. Opposition parties criticized the event saying Modi had sidelined President Droupadi Murmu, who has only ceremonial powers but is the head of state and highest constitutional authority. In his speech, Modi hailed India’s parliamentary democracy and said the country had left behind its colonial past, referring to the old Parliament building that was built by the British. The opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the ceremony saying it resembles a coronation.
Asylum-seekers say joy over the end of the public health restriction known as Title 42 this month is turning into anguish with the realization of how the Biden administration’s new rules affect them. For many people, their fate is being largely left up to a U.S. government app that is limited and unable to decipher and prioritize human suffering. The CBP One app is a core part of the administration’s plans to create a more orderly system at the border. But since its rollout, the app has been criticized for technological problems. Demand has far outstripped the appointments available. The government says the app and other new measures have helped reduce illegal immigration.
President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have reached an “agreement in principle” to resolve the looming debt crisis. McCarthy outlined the proposed deal Saturday night. Biden and McCarthy spoke by phone earlier in the evening as they raced to prevent a catastrophic debt default. With the outline of an agreement, a legislative package can be drafted in time for votes in Congress next week. That's ahead of a projected June 5 federal default. Negotiators have wrangled over a deal that would also making spending cuts that House Republicans are demanding.
The Texas House of Representatives has voted to impeach scandal-plagued Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. The move Saturday triggers his immediate suspension and sets up a trial in the state Senate that could permanently remove Texas’ top lawyer from office. The historic vote came after a monthslong House investigation into the three-term attorney general that resulted in 20 charges alleging sweeping abuses of power, including obstruction of justice, bribery and abuse of public trust. After the vote, Paxton’s office said the impeachment was “based on totally false claims” and pointed to internal reports that found no wrongdoing. House investigators have said the attorney general’s own probe includes false and disproven claims.
After years of legal and ethical scandals swirling around Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state’s GOP-controlled House of Representatives has impeached him in a vote that automatically suspended him from office. The extraordinary and rarely used maneuver came Saturday in the final days of the legislative session. Paxton has allied himself closely with former President Donald Trump and the state’s hard-right conservatives, while House Republican leaders appear to have suddenly had enough of the allegations of wrongdoing that have long dogged Texas’ top lawyer.
Vice President Kamala Harris has become the first woman to deliver a commencement speech at West Point. In her address, the vice president lauded graduating cadets for their noble sacrifice in serving their country. But she noted an “unsettled world” because of Russian aggression and the rising threats that China poses. Some 950 men and women took part in the graduation ceremony. While Harris visits West Point, New York, President Joe Biden heads to Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Thursday to dole out advice to graduates at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Earlier this month, the president was the commencement orator at Howard University, his vice president’s alma mater.
Former diplomat and presidential adviser Henry Kissinger is marking his 100th birthday, outlasting many of his political contemporaries who guided the United States through one of its most tumultuous periods including the presidency of Richard Nixon and the Vietnam War. Born in Germany on May 27, 1923, Kissinger remains known for his key role in American foreign policy of the 1960s and 1970s including some of the most disputed policies of the Vietnam conflict. David Kissinger writes in The Washington Post that his father will celebrate this week with visits to New York, London and his hometown of Fürth, Germany.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A bill introduced late Friday in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000-seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.
BERLIN (AP) — Police in Berlin said Friday that they have opened an investigation of Roger Waters on suspicion of incitement over a costume the Pink Floyd co-founder wore when he performed in the German capital last week.
An upbeat President Joe Biden says a deal to resolve the government’s debt ceiling crisis seems “very close." He spoke late Friday, shortly after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen pushed the deadline for a potentially catastrophic default back to June 5. That announcement seemed likely to drag negotiations between the White House and Republicans into another frustrating week. House Republicans led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy spent the day negotiating by phone and computers with the White House. One Republican negotiator, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, called Biden’s comments “a hopeful sign” but also cautioned that there’s still “sticky points” impeding a final agreement.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has called on his supporters to protest when the GOP-led state House of Representatives takes up impeachment proceedings against him on Saturday. During a news conference Friday, the three-term Republican invited "fellow citizens and friends to peacefully come let their voices be heard at the Capitol tomorrow.” The request echoes former President Donald Trump’s call for people to protest his electoral defeat on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob violently stormed the U.S. Capitol. Paxton decried the impeachment proceeding as an effort to disenfranchise the voters who returned him to office in November. The state House will consider on Saturday whether to impeach Paxton on 20 articles, including bribery, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust.
President Joe Biden has appealed for more support for female athletes during a White House event celebrating Louisiana State's championship women's basketball team. The event once appeared in jeopardy after Biden's wife, Jill, suggested that the losing Iowa team be invited, too. Friday's ceremony was briefly halted when forward Sa'Myah Smith appeared to collapse on stage. The Bidens lavished praise on the LSU Tigers for their performance and the way they've helped advance women's sports. Neither one mentioned the uproar Jill Biden's earlier comments caused. Biden also welcomed the UConn men's championship basketball team to a White House celebration later Friday.
As he vies for the Republican presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is touting a series of measures he has pushed that have led to an upswing in banned or restricted books — not just in Florida schools but in an increasing number of other conservative states. Florida last year became the first in a wave of red states to enact laws making it easier for parents to challenge books in school libraries they deem to be pornographic, deal improperly with racial issues or in other ways be inappropriate. DeSantis insists books aren’t actually being “banned” in his state’s schools, preferring to call the forced removal of some books “curation choices."
Two Army veterans who stormed the U.S. Capitol in a military-style formation with fellow Oath Keepers members have been sentenced to prison terms for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Friday sentenced Jessica Watkins, of Woodstock, Ohio, to eight years and six months behind bars and sentenced Kenneth Harrelson, of Titusville, Florida, to four years in prison. On Thursday, Mehta sentenced Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes to 18 years in prison for his seditious conspiracy conviction. A jury acquitted Watkins and Harrelson of seditious conspiracy but convicted them of obstructing Congress' certification of President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory.
With distant family members looking on, Connecticut senators voted Thursday to absolve the 12 women and men convicted of witchcraft -- 11 of whom were executed — more than 370 years ago and apologize for the “miscarriage of justice” that occurred over a dark 15-year-period of the state's col…
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Disney is opposing a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis to disqualify a judge overseeing the company's First Amendment lawsuit against the Florida governor and others in which Disney says it was punished for speaking out against Florida legislation that critics have dubbed “Do…
Texas lawmakers have issued 20 articles of impeachment against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, ranging from bribery to abuse of public trust as state Republicans surged toward a swift and sudden vote that could remove him from office. The charges were released Thursday night, hours after a Republican-led House investigative committee recommended impeaching the state’s top lawyer. The House could vote on the recommendation as soon as Friday. If it impeaches Paxton, he would be forced to leave office immediately.
The murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police was three years ago today, and the fervent protests that erupted around the world in response seemed like the catalyst needed for a nationwide reckoning on racism in policing. Along with a few other cities, Minneapolis has issued bans on chokeholds and neck restraints, and restrictions on no-knock warrants. But activist calls to defund the police and to hold officers accountable have mostly failed. The killing of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police earlier this year underscored just how long it’s taking to achieve meaningful change. On Thursday night, more than 100 people gathered at the site of Floyd's killing, known as George Floyd Square to remember him with music, dancing and a candlelight vigil.
Cambodia’s top opposition party has been barred from participating in the July elections after the Constitutional Council refused to overturn a decision not to register the party over a paperwork issue. The council said Thursday that the complaint from the Candlelight Party was deemed unlawful. The decision is final. The party had been the sole credible challenger to the governing Cambodian People’s Party, which has had an iron grip on power for decades. Hun Sen’s eldest son, army chief Hun Manet, is widely expected to replace his father as prime minister after the polls. The U.S. State Department said it would not send observers to witness the vote and said it was deeply troubled by the council decision.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is working to push past an embarrassing beginning to his presidential campaign. The Republican outlined an aggressive travel schedule on Thursday and announced he had raised $8.2 million in the 24 hours since entering the race. His team insists they remain well funded and well positioned for a long fight ahead. Still, DeSantis faced nagging questions about his rocky rollout during a conservative media tour. The 44-year-old governor formally launched his campaign Wednesday during an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, but the audio stream crashed repeatedly. DeSantis’ allies privately acknowledge that the situation was an unwelcome distraction. But there is a broad sense that the announcement snafu will have limited long-term political consequences.
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was sentenced Thursday after a landmark verdict convicting him of spearheading a weekslong plot to keep former President Donald Trump in power. He’s the first of the Jan. 6 defendants convicted of seditious conspiracy to receive his punishment. Rhodes did not express remorse or appeal for leniency, but instead claimed to be a “political prisoner." Another Oath Keeper convicted of seditious conspiracy alongside Rhodes — Florida chapter leader Kelly Meggs — was sentenced later Thursday to 12 years behind bars.
The Air Force fighter pilot tapped to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff got his call sign by ejecting from a burning F-16 fighter jet high above the Florida Everglades and falling into the watery sludge below. It was January 1991, and then-Capt. CQ Brown Jr. had just enough time in his parachute above alligator-full wetlands. He landed in the muck, which coated his body. That's how the man nominated to be the country’s next top military officer got his call sign: “Swamp Thing.” President Joe Biden announced he was nominating Brown for the chairman's job during a Rose Garden event on Thursday.
Elon Musk wants to turn Twitter into a “digital town square,” but his much-publicized Twitter Spaces kickoff event, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announcing his run for president, struggled with technical glitches and a near half-hour delay Wednesday.
The first new U.S. nuclear reactor built from scratch in decades has begun generating electricity. The Georgia reactor is supposed to reach full power output in coming days, with a second reactor scheduled for completion in 2024. Lead owner Georgia Power Co. says the reactors are a success. But the project is $17 billion over budget and seven years late. It was supposed to be part of an early 2000s nuclear power renaissance, but two reactors in South Carolina were abandoned and no others have been built. Still, proponents say nuclear power is a necessary part of achieving carbon-free electricity. Some are trying again, this time to build scaled-down reactors.
The first of two nuclear reactors in Georgia is generating electricity and could be days away from achieving full-power operation. But the new units at Georgia Power Co.’s Plant Vogtle are $17 billion over budget and running seven years late. Customers of multiple Georgia utilities are already paying billions. Regulators haven’t yet decided how much Georgia Power ratepayers will owe. Meanwhile, two similar reactors planned for different owners in South Carolina were abandoned partway through construction. There, federal prosecutors have pursued criminal charges, saying executives illegally concealed delays and cost overruns. The projects were supposed to mark a rebirth for the U.S. nuclear industry, but construction proved difficult despite consistent federal support.
Ron DeSantis’ entry into the 2024 White House race against former President Donald Trump sets up a clash of the Republican Party’s two leading figures. Trump has spent months working to hobble the Florida governor, whom he and his team have long viewed as his most serious challenger. DeSantis so far has tried to remain above the fray, ignoring Trump's escalating attacks. The rollout of his campaign Wednesday made clear that, at least for the time being, DeSantis intends to leave the dirty work of attacking Trump to his allies, who see openings that they plan to exploit, particularly on policy.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has entered the 2024 presidential race with an announcement plagued by technical glitches. He’s stepping into a crowded Republican primary contest that will test his national appeal as an outspoken cultural conservative and the party’s willingness to move on from former President Donald Trump. DeSantis tried to announce his bid in a special Twitter feed that turned disastrous. Listeners could hear almost nothing distinguishable for nearly half an hour. He never mentioned Trump in the session that lasted about an hour but said he was ready to fight. “Buckle up when I get in there,” he said.
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