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Twitter Unites to Dunk on LeBron James For Blowing His Signature Reverse Dunk
Twitter Unites to Dunk on LeBron James For Blowing His Signature Reverse Dunk
VIDEO: LeBron James blew a dunk during the Western Conference Finals.
2023-05-19 09:51
Brazil's Americanas to seek bidders for fruit and vegetable unit
Brazil's Americanas to seek bidders for fruit and vegetable unit
SAO PAULO Brazil retailer Americanas SA said on Thursday it will next week start to seek potential bidders
2023-05-19 09:23
George Santos accused of scamming fellow GOP candidates in fraud scheme
George Santos accused of scamming fellow GOP candidates in fraud scheme
Embattled lawmaker George Santos has been accused of allegedly defrauding fellow Republican candidates running for office, a report says. Mr Santos, a Republican first-term congressman from New York has been accused of a string of lies and falsehoods about numerous parts of his background. He was indicted in federal court last week for, among other things, having an associate tell a donor that a contribution to a firm Mr Santos owned would go to support his campaign. Much of the money allegedly went to Mr Santos’s personal accounts instead. But deep-pocketed donors are reportedly not the only people Mr Santos allegedly conned into donating to his firm. According to The Daily Beast, Mr Santos also allegedly took money from his fellow Republican candidates. The firm in question, identified only as “Company #1” in the indictment, is believed to be Redstone Strategies — a limited liability company founded in Florida in 2021 that listed Mr Santos’ Devolder Organization as one of its managers. Mr Santos has denied that Redstone Strategies is the company in question in the indictment but said he was unsure what that company could be. Other people seem to recall more details. Redstone reportedly served as a vendor for multiple New York Republican candidates during the 2022 election cycle and was given a substantial amount of money by Rise NY PAC, a political action committee run by Mr Santos’s sister. “George didn’t only lie to his voters, but also to fellow candidates around him for his own alleged financial gain,” Stefano Forte, a Queens Republican who ran unsuccessfully for the New York state Senate last year, told The Daily Beast. Mr Forte told the publication that Mr Santos approached him personally and pitched him on hiring Redstone, which he did — parting ways with the firm only after he’d paid it $14,000. Mr Forte said he never knew that Mr Santos had a stake in the company, meaning Mr Santos did not disclose that information when he pitched him on hiring the firm. Mr Santos confirmed to The Daily Beast that he had pitched fellow candidates on hiring Redstone, but said he never personally profited from the resulting transactions and dismissed Mr Forte’s criticism as a political attack. Mr Santos is facing a bevvy of legal issues that have made his position in Congress tenuous. Following his indictment, House Democrats introduced a resolution to have him expelled from the chamber. The House voted along party lines on Thursday to refer the resolution to the House Ethics Committee, with Mr Santos himself voting against his explosion. Read More Effort to expel Santos falters as Republicans vote to send measure to Ethics Committee Aide to embattled Republican George Santos resigns: ‘You never took one point of professional advice’ Republicans will regret taking the easy way out on George Santos Jamaal Bowman: Marjorie Taylor Greene used racial ‘bullhorn’ after Capitol exchange George Santos bizarrely compares himself to a Mean Girls character Aide to embattled Republican George Santos resigns
2023-05-19 08:50
Dianne Feinstein’s office confirms health complications are broader than previously known
Dianne Feinstein’s office confirms health complications are broader than previously known
The office of US Senator Dianne Feinstein has confirmed that the California Democrat was suffering worse health complications from a recent shingles case than she had previously claimed. A spokesperson for Sen Feinstein, 89, told CNN Ms Feinstein, the Senate’s oldest lawmaker, experienced Ramsay Hunt syndrome and encephalitis as part of the diagnosis. “While the encephalitis resolved itself shortly after she was released from the hospital in March, she continues to have complications from Ramsay Hunt syndrome,” the spokesperson said on Thursday. Ramsay Hunt syndrome can occur when a case of shingles affects the facial nerve close to the eye, sometimes causing facial paralysis and hearing loss, according to the Mayo Clinic. Earlier in the day, Sen Feinstein claimed to CNN she didn’t have encephalitis, saying, “It was really a bad flu.” The California senator’s health and mental fitness have long been subjects of scrutiny. Some of her colleagues have called on her to resign. She returned to the Senate last week after being absent for 10 weeks as she recovered from shingles. Upon returning to the Senate, Sen Feinstein told reporters that she had never left. “No, I haven’t been gone,” she said to LA Times’s Ben Oreskes when asked how her Senate colleagues have responded to her return, reported Slate. Mr Oreskes then asked her whether she had been working from home. “No, I’ve been here. I’ve been voting,” she said. “Please, you either know or don’t know.” The absence of Sen Feinstein halted the work of the Senate judiciary committee, where Republicans demanded the California Democrat either return to work or resign from the Senate, rather than allow a temporary replacement. The infighting halted the confirmation of federal judges, one of the main ways Democrats can cement their influence in a divided Congress. As The Independent has reported, Sen Feinstein is part of a generation of elderly leaders at the top of the US political system, leading critics to argue more should be done to make elected office accessible to young people. The present Congress contains the second-oldest Senate and third-oldest House in US history. Generationally, the US population fits roughly into four, equal-sized blocks of about 20 to 25 per cent: ages 0 to 18, 19 to 34, 35 to 54, and 55-plus. The composition of Congress, meanwhile, is drastically tipped toward the elder part of that range, with the median House member aged 57.9 and the median senator aged 65.3. According to Professor Munger, Kevin Munger, assistant professor of political science and social data analytics at Pennsylvania State University, author of Generation Gap: Why the Baby Boomers Still Dominate American Politics and Culture, the age of America’s most senior politicians – Sen Chuck Schumer is 71, Sen Mitch McConnell is 81 – often means that issues that matter to other generations don’t get top billing, leading both to disaffection and to bigger-picture existential issues, like a lack of serious climate legislation or the impending funding crisis of social security. “It’s been clear that because of the size of the boomer generation, at a certain point, we were either going to have to raise taxes on the workforce or cut the benefits,” he said. “We didn’t do either of those things. Sometime in the 2030s, it’s going to run out. They’re not going to cut benefits to boomers. Instead, younger generations are going to have to fully fund this obvious 30-year shortfall.” In the case of social security in particular, many of the leaders deciding on the issue are current recipients, while those younger generations who will likely pay more or get less in the future aren’t represented in office. A similar problem arises with climate change: the leaders holding up urgent action on the climate likely will not be alive to see the very worst impacts of their inaction. “The issues that matter to younger generations don’t get on the agenda at all,” Prof Munger added. Read More Dianne Feinstein’s decline is heartbreaking and difficult to discuss — but we can’t avoid it Democrats have behaved shamefully around Dianne Feinstein and Republicans are taking advantage The danger of America’s ageing politicians Diane Feinstein denies she was ever absent from US Senate California lawmakers block bill allowing people to sue oil companies over health problems Feinstein's office details previously unknown complications from shingles illness
2023-05-19 07:58
Strip club dancers to form only US topless union
Strip club dancers to form only US topless union
Performers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood pass a unanimous vote to unionise.
2023-05-19 07:27
Alleged Bosnian war criminal busted living secretly in Boston after 25 years
Alleged Bosnian war criminal busted living secretly in Boston after 25 years
A man accused of being a Bosnian war criminal who faked his way into the US was arrested in Boston, according to court records. Kemal Mrndzic, who authorities took into custody on Wednesday, allegedly oversaw a prison camp in Bosnia & Herzegovina where prisoners were murdered, raped, and tortured in the 1990s. Federal prosecutors allege that Mr Mrndzic, 50, lied about being a refugee and claimed he had US citizenship, according to Boston.com. They claim he worked as a supervisor at the ÄŒelebići prison camp in the country during the Bosnian War. Survivors accused him of being involved in the war crimes committed against prisoners at the camp. He has been charged with falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact from the US government by trick, scheme, or device, for using a fraudulently obtained US passport, and for possessing and using a fraudulently obtained naturalisation certificate and fraudulently obtained Social Security card. Three former guards who allegedly worked with Mr Mrndzic have already been convicted by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Prosecutors said he was interviewed by the UN's tribunal after the Bosnian War and was then accused of participating in the war crimes carried out in the camp. Mr Mrndzic allegedly fled the region to Croatia, where prosecutors say he took on a fake identity and presented himself as a refugee to gain entry to the US. He gained access in 1999 and was later granted citizenship, according to Radio Free Europe. Prosecutors said Mr Mrndzic claimed he had been taken prisoner by Serb fighters and was afraid they would seek revenge on him if he was not granted refugee status. “It is alleged that in his refugee application and interview, he falsely claimed that he fled his home after he was captured, interrogated and abused by Serb forces, and could not return home for fear of future persecution,” the Department of Justice said in a statement. “He was admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in 1999, and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009.” Mr Mrndzic made his first court appearance on Wednesday morning and was released on a $30,000 bond. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the fraudulent passport and naturalisation charges — 10 years each — and up to five years in prison for the remaining charges, with three years of supervised release afterwards as well as a $250,000 fine. Approximately 240 ethnic Serbs were imprisoned at ÄŒelebići as part of the systemic ethnic cleansing of Serbian civilians by Bosnian Muslim and Croat forces. Read More Death row inmate challenges new Tennessee post-conviction law Remains of Georgia woman killed 46 years ago identified, confirmed serial killer victim Man accused in baseball bat attack of Connolly congressional staffers now facing federal charges
2023-05-19 06:49
Trump campaign knocks DeSantis over Disney’s cancelled Florida expansion
Trump campaign knocks DeSantis over Disney’s cancelled Florida expansion
Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign wasted no time in knocking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the news that Disney is cancelling a $1bn plan to expand its business in Florida. The campaign for the former president to return to the White House sent out a fundraising email on 18 May after the news broke about the shelving of the planned relocation of some thousands of staff to the Orlando area. Headlined: “President Trump is always right”, the email included a Truth Social post from Mr Trump dated 18 April. The post reads: “DeSanctus is being absolutely destroyed by Disney. His original P.R. plan fizzled, so now he’s going back with a new one in order to save face. Disney’s next move will be the announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the Governor.” He continues: “In fact, they could even announce a slow withdrawal or sale of certain properties, or the whole thing. Watch! That would be a killer. In the meantime, this is all so unnecessary, a political STUNT! Ron should work on the squatter MESS!” Walt Disney has pulled the plug on a $1bn office complex in central Florida, following a warning from Disney leadership that billions of dollars in projects were on the line after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis escalated his feud with the company. The development scheduled for construction in the Orlando area was set to bring 2,000 jobs to the region, with 1,000 employees expected to be relocated from southern California. In an email to employees on 18 May, Disney’s theme park and consumer products chair Josh D’Amaro pointed to “changing business conditions” for the cancellation of the 60-acre Lake Nona Town Center project, according to The New York Times, which first reported the move. “I remain optimistic about the direction of our Walt Disney World business,” he added, noting that the company has still planned $17bn in projects over the next decade at its Disney World campus. “I hope we’re able to,” he said. For years, Florida legislators and the governor’s office enjoyed a close relationship with the state’s largest taxpayers, among the state’s largest employers, which has wielded enormous political influence while bringing in billions of dollars to the state each year. Now, the company and DeSantis allies are suing one another, following a year-long feud over opposition to what opponents have called Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law that boiled over into political and legal battles that could shape the company’s business in the state. Moments after a board appointed by Mr DeSantis voted to strip the company’s control of its Florida park, Disney filed a federal lawsuit against the governor and state officials alleging a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” for “expressing a political viewpoint.” The lawsuit follows the governor’s state takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, now the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, made up of conservative activists and DeSantis loyalists, a move that followed Florida Republicans’ punitive measures against the company after its public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” law. Days later, the board voted to sue Disney in state court. In March, Disney slammed the governor’s “anti-business” approach to the company, which Mr DeSantis has accused of advancing a “woke agenda” while his administration targets LGBT+ people and their families with sweeping laws to control public school education, healthcare access and speech. The governor dissolved a decades-old municipal district that allowed Disney to control its own land use, zoning rules and public services, without putting a tax burden on Florida residents. In effect, Disney taxed itself to foot the district’s bill for its municipal needs. “Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people, and pay more taxes, or not?” Disney CEO Bob Iger said on a conference call with analysts last week. A statement from Disney said the company has decided to pull out of the new campus construction “given the considerable changes that have occurred since the announcement of this project, including new leadership and changing business conditions.” Governor DeSantis’s office said in a statement: “Disney announced the possibility of a Lake Nona campus nearly two years ago. Nothing ever came of the project, and the state was unsure whether it would come to fruition. “Given the company’s financial straits, falling market cap and declining stock price, it is unsurprising that they would restructure their business operations and cancel unsuccessful ventures.” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings released his own statement reading: “It is unfortunate that Disney will not be moving forward with construction of the Lake Nona campus. However, these are the consequences when there isn’t an inclusive and collaborative work environment between the state of Florida and the business community.” He concluded by saying: “We will continue to work closely with our valued partners at Disney.” Read More Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis Ron DeSantis mocked over bizarre video of roaring laughter: ‘A faulty robot’ Pete Buttigieg says GOP falling in ‘delicious’ trap: ‘Coca-Cola, Disney and Bud Light are on the other side’ Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
2023-05-19 05:46
Atlanta United sell Luiz Araújo to Brazilian giants Flamengo
Atlanta United sell Luiz Araújo to Brazilian giants Flamengo
Atlanta United makes another power transfer sale move and agree to selling Brazilian winger Luiz Araújo to Flamengo. The reported eight-figure transfer will see Araújo remain with the club through June 24.
2023-05-19 04:46
GOP Rep Clay Higgins filmed shoving activist who questioned Lauren Boebert’s divorce
GOP Rep Clay Higgins filmed shoving activist who questioned Lauren Boebert’s divorce
Republican Congressman Clay Higgins yanked and shoved an activist who he claimed was mentally disturbed during a press conference outside the US Capitol. Jake Burdett, an activist with leftist political views, was filming and asking questions of the GOP lawmakers present when a man in a suit approached him. The moment, which is captured in Mr Burdett's footage, shows the man in the suit — Mr Higgins — walking up, introducing himself, and telling the activist to back off and that he will answer his questions after the conference. “All I’m asking you to do is just peacefully stand by with your camera and I promise you—look at me—I’ll come talk to you straight up and answer all your questions. Fair enough?” Mr Higgins asks. Mr Burdett stood back, but zeroed in on the lawmakers again when Congresswoman Laura Boebert began to speak. The activist began to ask questions about her recently announced divorce but was intercepted by Mr Higgins. Footage capturing the moment shows Mr Higgins grabbing the activist and shoving him several feet away from the press conference. “Uh-uh. Uh-uh. No. You’re out. You’re out," Mr Higgins can be heard saying in the footage. Mr Burdett can be heard protesting Mr Higgins’s interference, asking: “Aren't you a congressperson, touching me?” He then demanded that he “get off” and said that the lawmaker was hurting him. Mr Higgins continued to grapple Mr Burdett until DC Metropolitan police intervened and split the men up. Mr Burdett was questioned by DC police and was later allowed to leave. He spoke about the experience with The Daily Beast, saying he felt “scared, intimidated, powerless, [and] defenceless”. Mr Burdett said he felt as though he could do nothing to defend himself since Mr Higgins is a member of Congress. “Like, who do I think the cops are going to crack down on, me, or the congressperson?” he said. He believes the incident was an example of a lawmaker thinking of themselves as “untouchable” because of their position. “It’s one thing for anybody to do that,” he said of Higgins’ behaviour. “But for a sitting US congressperson to think that that’s OK—it just shows an extra level of entitlement, that they feel they’re untouchable and the law doesn’t apply to them.” The footage was shared widely on social media, sparking a Change.org petition for the arrest of Mr Higgins. The Independent has reached out to Mr Higgins and Mr Burdett for comment. Mr Higgins responded to the incident in a video response posted to Twitter. Mr Higgins offered a comment to KATC, and said Mr Burdett "was a 103M," which is a police code referring to mentally disturbed individuals. The statement goes on to accuse Mr Burdett of being “threatening”. Mr Burdett told The Daily Beast he was in Washington to attend a Medicare for All rally featuring Senator Bernie Sanders. After that rally, he spotted the Republican press conference setting up in the same spot. He decided to stay and "ask them some tough questions." He said that after the incident he is weighing his options and strongly considering making assault charges against the congressman. “I’m absolutely evaluating my options here, and if it looks like there is a strong case for assault and [there is] an attorney willing to take on the case, I am absolutely prepared to press charges,” he said. Read More The school librarian in the middle of Louisiana’s war on libraries Lauren Boebert denies claim husband flew into rage after being served divorce papers Marjorie Taylor Greene launches racially-loaded attack on Black Democrat after Capitol steps shouting match Lauren Boebert denies claim husband flew into rage after being served divorce papers Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis FACT FOCUS: Who’s to blame for the national debt? It’s more complicated than one culprit
2023-05-19 04:23
Jamaal Bowman says Marjorie Taylor Greene used ‘racial bullhorn’ when she said she felt ‘threatened’ during Capitol exchange
Jamaal Bowman says Marjorie Taylor Greene used ‘racial bullhorn’ when she said she felt ‘threatened’ during Capitol exchange
Rep Jamaal Bowman (D - New York) criticised Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene for characterising him as threatening when they confronted each other on the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday. The two had a heated exchange on the steps of the US Capitol after the House voted to refer the expulsion of Representative George Santos to the House Ethics Committee. At a press conference on Thursday, Ms Greene said criticised Mr Bowman, an outspoken progressive, for confronting her on the steps of the US Capitol on Wednesday, for calling her a white supremacist. Ms Greene later criticised Mr Bowman for calling her a white supremacist. “That is like calling a person of colour the n-word,” she said. “Jamaal Bowman was down there cursing at me, telling me to get the eff out of there, right outside the vehicle I was sitting in.” Mr Bowman confronted Ms Greene in a heated conversation on the steps of the US Capitol on Wednesday following the vote to refer the expulsion of the embattled New York Republican representative to the House Ethics Committee rather than subject his expulsion to a full vote on the House floor. “What is on video is Jamaal Bowman shouting at the top of his lungs, cursing,” she said. “Calling me a white supremacist, which I take great offence to. That is like calling a person of colour the N-word.” Ms Greene accused Mr Bowman of “leading the mob” right outside a vehicle as she was prepared to leave the Capitol. She then noted that he confronted her after the vote. “His physical mannerisms are aggressive,” she said, criticising his recent interaction with Rep Thomas Massie (R - Kentucky) and accusing him of shoving Mr Massie when discussing gun violence. “I am concerned. I feel threatened by him.” The Daily Beast’s Ursula Perano filmed the interaction as Mr Bowman admonished Ms Greene, who has promoted conspiracies such as QAnon, to fix the Republican Party. Eventually, Mr Bowman’s friend Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D - New York) stepped in to tell him of Ms Greene: “She ain’t worth it, bro.” During their back and forth, Mr Bowman told Ms Greene of Mr Santos: “Expel him. Save the party. The party is hanging by a thread.” But Ms Greene deflected, saying: “We got to get rid of Biden to save the country,” before she tried to start a chant of “impeach Biden.” Mr Bowman then said Ms Greene needed to stop promoting conspiracy theories. “No more QAnon,” he said, to which Ms Greene replied: “No more CNN.” “No more debt ceiling nonsense,” he said. “Come on, now. Save the party.” Mr Bowman also called on Ms Greene to do something about guns. “So close the border,” Ms Greene, which led Mr Bowman to scoff. “The border is where Trump left it,” he said. Mr Bowman ultimately moved on following the advice of Ms Ocasio-Cortez. The confrontation came after Mr Bowman and Ms Ocasio-Cortez heckled Mr Santos outside of the Capitol building, imploring him to resign as he spoke to reporters. Last week, Mr Santos was indicted on 13 counts of criminal charges related to wire fraud, money laundering, making false statements to the House of Representatives and theft of public funds. However, on Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted to refer the resolution to expel Mr Santos to the House Ethics Committee rather than sent it to a House vote. The charges come months after it was revealed that Mr Santos lied on his resume before being elected to represent New York’s 3rd district. Democrats have been pushing for Mr Santos to resign, citing ethical concerns- including Mr Bowman and Ms Ocasio-Cortez. Read More AOC heckles George Santos after Congress votes on his future: ‘Resign! Resign bro!’ Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis Marjorie Taylor Greene files impeachment against Biden, unlikely to pass AOC heckles George Santos after Congress votes on his future: ‘Resign! Resign bro!’ Marjorie Taylor Greene falsely claims slain Georgia activist killed police officer at Cop City protest
2023-05-19 04:00
Pentagon accounting error could give Ukraine extra $3bn in US weapons
Pentagon accounting error could give Ukraine extra $3bn in US weapons
A massive accounting error by the US Defense Department could allow an extra $3bn in American-made weapons to be delivered to Ukraine’s defence forces in the coming months. Two senior American officials told Reuters on Thursday that the Pentagon had overestimated the value of ammunition, missiles and other military materiel that has already been sent to Kyiv, leaving a $3bn deficit between what was believed to have been delivered and what was actually delivered to arm Ukrainian forces in their fight against Russian invaders. “We’ve discovered inconsistencies in how we value the equipment that we’ve given,” said one of the officials, who added that Congress will soon be officially notified of the bookkeeping screw-up. One defence official also said it’s still possible that the amount by which the US has overvalued the aid packages it has already delivered could grow beyond the current $3bn estimate. The Pentagon officials who spoke to Reuters said the overvaluation was introduced into the process for assigning values to weapons being shipped to Ukraine when the Defense Department erroneously calculated totals using the estimated cost to replace the weapons that were being provided from existing US stockpiles. Instead, the Pentagon should have assigned monetary values based on the original cost of the weapons, minus value subtracted to account for depreciation in the years between the original purchase date and when they were taken out of the US inventory to be sent to Ukraine. The updated — and presumably lower — value of the defence aid packages that have already been provided to the Ukrainian government could give the Biden administration more time before it must ask Congress to authorise additional aid for Kyiv. To date, the Ukrainian government has benefited from approximately $21bn in American defence aid, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, Javelin anti-tank weapons and two Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries. Read More Ukraine war – live: Putin launches day-long barrage on Bakhmut but Kyiv ‘repels all’ Ukraine repels Russian forces in Bakhmut after overnight strikes on Kyiv
2023-05-19 04:00
Ecuador lawmakers denounce president's disbanding of National Assembly, argue it wasn't legal
Ecuador lawmakers denounce president's disbanding of National Assembly, argue it wasn't legal
Ecuadorian lawmakers who were ousted when President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly denounced the move Thursday and argued it wasn't legal because the country wasn't facing any urgent crisis. The conservative president, who had sparred with the left-leaning assembly over his pro-business agenda since taking office in 2021, disbanded the chamber Wednesday just as it tried to oust him on mismanagement allegations in an impeachment trial. Lasso was making first use of a 2008 constitutional provision that allows the president to dissolve the assembly during times of political crisis, with the requirement that new elections be held for both lawmakers and the president. However, a lawsuit filed Thursday by the assembly’s former head, Virgilio Saquicela, argues that Lasso’s move violated the constitution because the country was not experiencing any social upheaval. Instead, Lasso’s detractors have argued, the president chose to disband the chamber merely to avoid his own ouster. Saquicela’s lawsuit — and two other challenges filed Wednesday — are before the country’s Constitutional Court, which is known to act slowly. Lawmakers have been urging the panel to act quickly this time. “We require, we demand an immediate pronouncement from the Constitutional Court,” Virgilio Saquicela said in an interview with The Associated Press. Meanwhile, the National Electoral Council is moving forward with setting a date for elections. Council President Diana Atamaint told the Teleamazonas television network that the electoral body has until Wednesday to decide. The tentative date is Aug. 20. If needed, a runoff would take place Oct. 15. The constitution allows the president to dissolve the assembly when it oversteps its mandate under the constitution or during times of “serious political crisis and internal commotion.” Minister of Government Henry Cucalón defended Lasso’s decision during a news conference Thursday, arguing that the constitution makes it clear that the dismissal is up to the president's “judgment, criteria, discretion and reason," and that it does not require approval of any other entity. The president appears to have the support of the armed forces, but faces pushback from critics including a powerful confederation of indigenous group that previously has nearly paralyzed the country with protests. Lasso can now govern for up to six months by means of decrees on economic and administrative issues under the oversight of Ecuador’s Constitutional Court. The National Electoral Council is required to set a date for presidential and legislative elections within seven days from Lasso’s decision. Lawmakers want the court to issue a ruling before the council makes a decision, because after the election date is set “no authority may interfere in the carrying out of the process,” lawyer and electoral analyst Medardo Oleas said. He added that if the Constitutional Court interfered, its members “could be dismissed.” Those elected would finish the terms of Lasso and the lawmakers he ousted, which had been set to end in May 2025. Lasso, a former banker, can choose to run in the election. Lawmakers had accused Lasso of not having intervened to end a contract between the state-owned oil transport company and a private tanker company. They argued Lasso knew the contract was full of irregularities and would cost the state millions in losses. During impeachment proceedings Tuesday, Lasso noted that the contract predated his administration. He also said that the state-owned company experienced losses of $6 million a year before he took office, and that it has seen $180 million in profits under his watch. Lasso had clashed from the start of his four-year term with the opposition-led National Assembly. He accused them Wednesday of focusing “on destabilizing the government.” Saquicela, in an interview with AP, accused Lasso’s government of being “incapable of solving the real problems of Ecuadorians” including health, transportation and security issues. He rejected any shared responsibility for the turmoil affecting the country arguing that the assembly had complied with its constitutional obligation to legislate. “I do not want to justify whether the assembly has been good or bad, what I defend is the constitutional framework,” he said. “However, we believe that as a political class, we fell short in our legislating and oversight duties.” Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Group plans to put legalization of medical marijuana on Nebraska ballot Explainer: Why Supreme Court tiptoeing past Section 230 helps Big Tech fueled by social media Trial delayed for driver held since 2015 in deadly Las Vegas Strip pedestrian crash
2023-05-19 03:47
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