Author: US News

Trump campaign gets $50m boost from single donor Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has received a significant boost with a $50 million donation from conservative billionaire Timothy Mellon, as disclosed in a federal filing on Thursday. Mellon’s contribution was part of the $68 million raised by the Super-PAC “MAGA Inc” last month.  Mellon, heir to the Mellon banking family, made his donation a day after Trump was convicted on 34 charges of falsifying business records related to his New York hush-money trial. Mellon has also been a major donor to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., contributing at least $20…

DOJ concealing info on probe into whether Hunter Biden violated ‘debauchery’ law, watchdog says A government watchdog group filed suit in Delaware federal court this week, seeking to compel the Justice Department to produce records that may determine whether Hunter Biden should be further investigated under a 1910 law relating to “prostitution or debauchery.” The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project petitioned the same Wilmington bench where Biden was found guilty on gun charges this month, contending that there is a significant amount of evidence the first son was being probed on Mann Act grounds. The law, stemming from a time when…

Louisiana orders every classroom to display 10 Commandments Louisiana has become the first US state to mandate that every public school classroom, from elementary to university level, display a poster of the Ten Commandments. The Republican-backed law, signed by Governor Jeff Landry, claims the commandments are “the foundational documents of our state and national government.” Civil rights groups are expected to challenge the law, arguing it violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from establishing a religion or impeding its free exercise. The law specifies that the posters must be 11 inches by 14 inches, with the…

Boeing crash families demand record $25bn fine Families of victims from two Boeing 737 Max plane crashes are calling for prosecutions and a $24.8 billion fine, labelling it “the deadliest corporate crime in US history.” Paul Cassell, the families’ lawyer, argues that this amount is “justified and clearly appropriate” considering the “enormous human costs of Boeing’s crimes.” In a 32-page letter seen by the BBC, Cassell urged the US government to prosecute Boeing leaders responsible for the 2018 and 2019 crashes, which claimed 346 lives. During a recent Congressional hearing, Boeing’s CEO, Dave Calhoun, apologised for the grief caused by…

White House questions Netanyahu’s criticism over weapons delay The White House has refuted claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. is withholding weapons and ammunition from Israel. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that a specific shipment of bombs is on hold, but emphasised that no other weapons are being withheld. Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed this, stating the pause concerns their use in urban areas of Gaza and remains under review. “We genuinely do not know what he’s talking about,” Ms Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. Netanyahu’s remarks appear to be an effort to lift the hold…

Florida plastic surgeon charged in wife’s death who went into cardiac arrest Florida plastic surgeon charged in wife’s death after she went into cardiac arrest on his operating table, and he allegedly waited 20 minutes to call 911, police said. According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s office, 41-year-old Benjamin Brown was arrested for the death of his 33-year-old wife, Hillary Brown. In a press release, Police authorities said that they were called to Restore Plastic Surgery clinic in Gulf Breeze, Florida, on Nov. 21, 2023, for a medical emergency. Authorities said that when they arrived at the cosmetic procedure…

KEY POINTS One in five Americans under extreme weather alerts Around 70 million Americans, or one in five, are under heat alerts as temperatures are expected to soar. The Northeast and Midwest are bracing for extreme heat, with temperatures potentially reaching 105F (41C). In other parts of the country, a wildfire north of Los Angeles has forced hundreds from their homes. Meanwhile, Montana is experiencing a rare June snowstorm with heavy snow expected. Scientists attribute these extreme weather events to climate change, which is making them more frequent and intense. The National Weather Service (NWS) describes this as the first…

KEY POINTS White House slams claims Joe Biden froze at LA fundraiser after viral clip The White House has accused “right-wing critics” of spreading misleading videos to question President Joe Biden’s mental fitness. Recently, critics claimed Biden was confused and needed Barack Obama to guide him off stage at a fundraiser. The White House responded by sharing footage showing Biden pausing to appreciate the applause. Both Biden, 81 and his opponent Donald Trump, 78, are facing scrutiny over their mental sharpness as the election approaches. Polls indicate voters are more concerned about Biden’s age. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the…

Americans believe US should focus more on domestic issues, but support leadership on world stage: poll A majority of Americans believe the U.S. should focus more on issues at home and withdraw from foreign affairs, despite an increasing number of Americans believing the U.S. should be more engaged and take the lead when it comes to international events. Just under two-thirds of Americans, 62%, believe the U.S. would be “better served by withdrawing from international affairs and focusing more attention on problems here at home,” according to the results of the Ronald Reagan Institute’s 2024 summer survey, which was shared…

John Fetterman at fault for car accident Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was at fault for a car accident that injured him, his wife and another driver, authorities said in a police report. Fetterman and his wife Gisele were involved in the car crash early Sunday in Maryland in the area of westbound Interstate 70 at Interstate 68, between Pennsylvania and West Virginia. According to a preliminary investigation, police said a Chevrolet Traverse was traveling “at a high rate of speed, well over the posted speed limit” before rear-ending a Chevrolet Impala around 7:45 a.m., a six-page Maryland State Police report…

Coast Guard offers update on deadly Titan submersible implosion nearly one year later Nearly a year after five people died when the OceanGate Titan submersible imploded on its way down to view the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard has given an update on its investigation into the tragedy. The Coast Guard said Friday it is still “actively investigating” the factors that led to the deaths of U.K. billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, father-son pair Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood, and French mariner Paul-Henry Nargeolet, but it “will take longer than initially projected to complete.” The five men were…

California democrats ‘playing dirty tricks’ to keep Prop 47 reform off ballot, GOP leader says Prop 47, a voter-approved initiative passed in 2014, loosened the penalties for drug and theft crimes in California and has been blamed for California’s rampant theft problems. Californians for Safer Communities, a bipartisan group made up of law enforcement, elected officials and businesses, said it has collected more than 900,000 signatures in support of the proposed amendment to reform Prop 47 in order to increase penalties for criminals. However, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and some elected democrats don’t support the effort and are pushing some…

Underdog candidate Andy Kim wins NJ Senate primary, setting up battle against Bob Menendez New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim defeated his Democratic rivals in the state’s Democratic primary Tuesday night and will face off against embattled Sen. Bob Menendez in November, who is running for re-election as an Independent. Rep. Kim defeated challengers Lawrence Hamm and Patricia Campos Medina to have the opportunity to unseat Menendez who has held the elected role since 2006, currently serving his third term. Menendez is embroiled in a bribery scandal also involving his wife, Nadine. He faces various criminal charges of conspiracy, obstruction of…

Today’s Headlines from LA Times Front Page

Arizona Daily Star Front page 4-6-2024

Trump rages at verdicts as he’s found guilty 34 times in historic case Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a criminal hush-money scheme aimed at influencing the 2016 election. This verdict follows less than 12 hours of jury deliberation, marking the first criminal conviction of a former U.S. president. Trump, convicted by a jury of 12 New Yorkers, was found guilty of felony falsification of business records, which involves making false entries in records with the intent to commit another crime. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 11…

US billionaire plans submersible trip to Titanic wreck US luxury real estate billionaire Larry Connor and deep-sea explorer Patrick Lahey are planning a submersible expedition to explore the Titanic wreck. Connor, an Ohio tycoon and adventurer, and Lahey, co-founder of Triton Submarines, aim to reach a depth of approximately 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) in the North Atlantic Ocean. The planned voyage will utilise the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer, a submersible certified for depths of up to 4,000 meters. This comes after the implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible in June 2023, which resulted in the deaths of all five on board,…

Hundreds of thousands without power after Texas storms Severe thunderstorms in Texas have left nearly 600,000 customers without electricity. The storms brought hurricane-force wind gusts up to 77 mph and golf ball-sized hail, compounding the impact of earlier severe weather that killed at least 24 people across five states, including Texas.  The extreme weather, which included tornado warnings in Dallas and surrounding areas, caused significant damage such as flooding, downed trees, and power lines. Dallas County declared a disaster as officials assessed the damage. At the peak of the outages, over 1,070,000 customers were without power, with Dallas County experiencing…

Thousands of Americans without power due to severe weather Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms have left nearly 300,000 residents across seven states without power as of Monday night. Over the weekend, intense storms claimed at least 23 lives and caused widespread destruction across the central United States.  The highest risk of severe weather has shifted eastward, spanning from Alabama to New York, with additional thunderstorms, damaging wind gusts, hail, and flash flooding anticipated. The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that heavy rain will affect the East Coast into Tuesday morning, impacting areas including New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.…

Joining him on stage was Florida Republican Byron Donalds, an African American congressman who is speculated to be a potential running mate.

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has announced her intention to vote for Donald Trump, her former opponent and former boss, in the upcoming 2024 US presidential election.

Blinken expressed his commitment to addressing what he called a “profoundly wrong-headed decision” during a congressional hearing.

The 948-foot (289-meter) ship remained at the site, covered in scrap metal from the bridge until a controlled demolition last week removed some debris.

“I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.” But lawyers for Cassie told CBS News that Diddy’s statement was “more about himself than the many people he has hurt”.