Posts

Showing posts from January, 2024

US announcing new moves to deter North Korea nuclear attack on South Korea

The United States on Wednesday will announce steps designed to deter North Korea from launching a nuclear attack on South Korea, according to officials. The United States on Wednesday will announce steps designed to deter North Korea from launching a nuclear attack on South Korea, according to Biden administration officials. The commitments, which the officials said will be called the "Washington Declaration," coincide with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to Washington, D.C. as U.S. President Biden will host Yoon for a bilateral meeting and a state dinner at the White House on Wednesday. MORE: South Korea exporting arms to Poland amid controversy over lethal aid to Ukraine The U.S. plans to "to make our deterrence more visible, through the regular deployment of strategic assets," an official said. The steps include a visit by a U.S. nuclear ballistic submarine to South Korea for the first time in four decades; the strengthening of joint U.S.-South K

After investigating abuse in prison system, senators propose new oversight law

Image
The Federal Prison Oversight Act builds on similar efforts last year and follows multiple investigations of the prison system led by Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff Bipartisan legislation set to be introduced Wednesday aims to provide more oversight of federal prison s as part of a renewed push to address reports of Scandal and abuse . The bill would create a hotline for prisoners to report misconduct to an accountability office. It would also mandate federal watchdog inspections, congressional reporting requirements and response plans from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Titled the Federal Prison Oversight Act, the proposal builds on similar efforts last year and follows multiple investigations led by Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia that spotlighted misconduct and sexual abuse of inmates at the hands of prison guards. "My bipartisan investigations of corruption, abuse, and misconduct in the Federal prison system revealed an urgent need to overhaul federal prison oversight," Osso

Donald Trump needs protective order to prevent him from publicizing evidence, prosecutors say

Image
The Manhattan district attorney's office has asked the judge overseeing the criminal case against former President Donald Trump. The Manhattan district attorney's office has asked the judge overseeing the criminal case against former President Donald Trump to prevent him from publicizing evidence obtained during discovery. In a new motion, prosecutors said Trump's defense attorneys "will not consent to a protective order " so they asked the judge to impose one. Prosecutors said they want to make sure the material is used by Trump solely to prepare a defense and not for posting on social media. MORE: Timeline: Manhattan district attorney case against Donald Trump "Defendant Donald J. Trump has a longstanding and perhaps singular History of attacking witnesses, investigators, prosecutors , trial jurors, grand jurors, judges, and others involved in legal proceedings against him, putting those individuals and their families at considerable safety risk," t

New bill would require Supreme Court to create a code of conduct amid recent controversies

Image
The high court is the only government branch that operates without a code of conduct. Two senators want to change that. Two Senate lawmakers have unveiled bipartisan legislation to require the Supreme Court create a code of conduct amid recent controversies surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas. The high court is the only branch of government that operates without a code of conduct. Senators Angus King, I-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on Wednesday introduced a bill to change that. "A healthy democracy requires trust: trust in systems, trust in institutions, and trust in leaders. Americans deserve to have confidence that every part of their government -- especially the highest court in the land -- is acting in an ethical manner," King said in a statement. MORE: Clarence Thomas reportedly received years of gifts from GOP donor, stirring scandal Murkowski, too, said it's "critical the public has full faith that their institutions are functioning, including the judi

Why Asa Hutchinson looked forward (and didn't mention Trump) in campaign kickoff

Image
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson formally launched his campaign for president on Wednesday in his hometown of Bentonville. "It reflects me," he told ABC News. BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Former Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson, on Wednesday formally announced he's running for the White House -- going back to his hometown of Bentonville to kick off his campaign . "I have been a consistent conservative through my time as leader of the party -- in the United States Congress and as governor. And now, I bring that same vigor to another fight and that battle is for the future of our country and the soul of our party," he told supporters. "Today, I am announcing that I am a candidate for president of the United States." "In this campaign for president, I stand alone in terms of my experience, my record, and leadership," he said, echoing remarks from earlier this month when he first revealed he was running on ABC's "This Week." Former Arkan

Transgender lawmaker censured by Montana House Republicans

Image
Transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr has been censured by Montana House Republicans over criticism of gender-affirming care ban. The Montana House voted on Wednesday to censure the state’s first openly transgender legislator Zooey Zephyr, who called for her colleagues to vote against a gender-affirming care ban for transgender youth. The House voted 68-32 to censure Zephyr, who is barred from participating from the House floor. On April 20, Zephyr told conservative lawmakers they would have “blood on their hands” during debate on SB99, which would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The bill passed and is now on the desk of Gov. Greg Gianforte, who has signaled his support for the legislation. On Wednesday, in a hearing before the vote about disciplinary actions Zephyr could face, she defended her words. "I rose up in defense of my community that day, speaking to harms that these bills bring that I have firsthand experience knowing about. I have had friends who have take

Biden took 'hard look' at his age, would run even if Trump wasn't

Image
For the first time since his video announcement, Biden addressed questions about his 2024 reelection bid. President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he respects Americans taking a "hard look" at whether his age is a factor and to decide if he's fit to serve as he seeks a second term. Biden, 80, made his 2024 bid official Tuesday when he released his first campaign video. Biden addressed his reelection run for the first time since the announcement during a joint news conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. MORE: Low-key campaign launch fits Biden strategy for chaotic political era: ANALYSIS ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce pressed Biden on questions about his age and a recent poll showing 70% of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't believe he should run for a second term. She noted Biden has often responded "watch me" when the question comes up. "What do you say to those Americans who are watching and aren't

Supreme Court weighs 'equity theft' claim after state seized 94-year-old's home

The Supreme Court appeared sympathetic to the appeal of a 94-year-old Minnesota woman challenging the so-called practice of governmental 'home equity theft.' The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared sympathetic to the appeal of a 94-year- old Minnesota woman who got no compensation when the government seized her home over a small unpaid tax bill -- and pocketed the profit. Many justices suggested the practice, which the plaintiff's lawyers at the Pacific Legal Foundation have termed "home equity theft," could run afoul of the Fifth Amendment's prohibition against government taking private property without "just compensation." Geraldine Tyler, the plaintiff in the high court case, owed $15,000 in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties in 2015 when Hennepin County, Minnesota, seized her one-bedroom condominium and later sold it for $40,000. "It goes all the way back to the Magna Carta that the government cannot take more than it's owed,&quo