WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two U.S. Republican lawmakers are now pushing to oust House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, who said on Tuesday he would not resign. THE TAKE Johnson, who took over as the narrowly divided chamber’s speaker last year after fellow Republicans ousted his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, faces pressure from far-right conservatives, particularly those … Read more
Changing course, a Democratic Florida prosecutor suspended from office by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he will seek reelection while a court battle continues over his 2022 removal from the post. Andrew Warren had said in January he would not run this year. But that was before a federal appeals court ruled that a … Read more
FILE – Associate Justice Clarence Thomas joins other members of the Supreme Court as they pose for a new group portrait, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022. Thomas is absent from the court Monday with no explanation. The 75-year-old Thomas also is not participating remotely in arguments, as justices sometimes do … Read more
TOKYO (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to Japan urged Tokyo on Tuesday to take a greater role in developing, producing and supplying weapons “to enhance our collective security” amid conflict in Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel visited a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ F-35 fighter jet factory and stressed the importance of stronger defense industry … Read more
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden‘s administration will help 50 countries identify and respond to infectious diseases, with the goal of preventing pandemics like the COVID-19 outbreak that suddenly halted normal life around the globe in 2020. U.S. government officials will work with the countries to develop better testing, surveillance, communication and preparedness for such … Read more
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Monday said he planned this week to advance a long-stalled national security spending package to aid Israel, Ukraine and other U.S. allies, along with a separate bill aimed at mollifying conservatives who have been vehemently opposed to backing Ukraine. Johnson’s announcement, coming after he has agonized for … Read more
NEW YORK — It was about 2:30 on Monday afternoon when the first 96 potential jurors filed into a drab courtroom in lower Manhattan to encounter the world’s most famous defendant: Donald Trump. Some craned their necks to catch a glimpse, an indication of the undeniable power of Trump’s celebrity. But not long after, more … Read more
By Tim Reid (Reuters) – When Donald Trump was indicted a bit more than a year ago over hush money paid to a porn star, it turbocharged the Republican’s presidential campaign. He surged ahead of his rivals for the White House nomination, gaining a lead he never relinquished. Trump went on trial in New York … Read more
By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will tell lawmakers on Tuesday that the Biden administration is “taking a serious look” at U.S. trade defense tools to deal with threats posed by China’s trade and economic policies, including a review of Trump-era tariffs on Chinese imports. In excerpts of testimony to … Read more
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump began his day as a criminal defendant lashing out at the judge and prosecutors, casting himself as a victim and angrily posting on social media. In other words: a familiar routine. But inside the courtroom, which was closed to TV cameras, Trump was a different man — … Read more