
Republican senator sparks laughter as he tells witness: ‘I don’t want reality!’
Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma sparked a round of laughter in the a Senate hearing room after misspeaking and snapping “I don’t want reality!” at a witness. Mr Mullin’s comment came during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) hearing on race and education where he was aggressively questioning a panel of witnesses about whether it’s better to teach the book Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race or the lyrics of the song “Jesus Loves Me.” After Mr Mullin became irritated with a response given by Cheryl Morman, president of the Virginia Alliance for Family Child Care Associations, and cut her off, Sen Bernie Sanders, the committee chair, asked Mr Mullin to allow her to answer the question he had posed. One of the witnesses started saying: “The reality is ...” at which point Mr Mullin cut her off. “No, I don’t want reality, I’m asking the question, which one is better?” Mr Mullin said. “That’s exactly what it is.” Spectators in the hearing room errupted with laughter as Mr Mullin acknowledged that he “misspoke” and then continued with his questioning. The HELP committee was convened for a hearing called “Solving the Child Care Crisis: Meeting the Needs of Working Families and Child Care Workers.” When it was Mr Mullin’s turn to question the panel of witnesses, he pulled out a copy Our Skin — a book meant to teach young children about the history and function of race — and announced that he would read a passage from it. “‘A long time ago, way before you were born, a group of white people made up an idea called race,” Mr Mullin said. “They sorted people by skin colour and said that white people were better, smarter, prettier, and they deserved more than everybody else.” Mr Mullin later said he disagreed with the book “one thousand percent” and suggested it would prejudice children against white people. Mr Mullin, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation, said schools should instead teach the song “Jesus Loves Me,” a Christian hymn written before the onset of the Civil War that would likely violate the prohibition against religious activity in many public school districts. Mr Mullin has frequently made headlines in the last several months for his conduct on the HELP committee, where he’s clashed with figures ranging from Mr Sanders to Teamsters president Sean O’Brien. Mr Sanders has significantly raised the profile of the committee since he took over as chair at the beginning of the current Congress, bringing a range of activists, labour leaders, and major CEOs like Starbucks’ Howard Schultz to Washington to testify in high-profile hearings. Mr Mullin, a multimillionaire business owner who was elevated to the Seante in a special election last year, has chafed in past hearings at Mr Sanders’ treatment of major corporate executives like Mr Schutlz. Read More Trump launches rant after reports of bombshell classified documents tape - live Roger Stone caught on hot mic explaining how he manipulated Trump Trump and Maga allies mock Biden for Air Force graduation fall Teamsters boss boasts about taking on ‘schoolyard bully’ Republican at fiery Senate hearing
1970-01-01 08:00

Mexico Extends GMexico Concession After Rail Track Seize
The Mexican government extended one of Grupo Mexico’s train concessions by eight years in exchange of recovering a
1970-01-01 08:00

Trump Blasts DeSantis for Telling Voters He’s Limited to One Term
Donald Trump is pushing back on Ron DeSantis for telling voters he is preferable to the former president
1970-01-01 08:00

Joe Biden trips and falls at Air Force graduation ceremony
Joe Biden tripped and fell on stage as he took part in the Air Force graduation ceremony in Colorado. The president dropped to his knees but was quickly helped back to his feet by officials during the event at the service academy in Colorado Springs on Thursday. Mr Biden, 80, pointed to a black sandbag on the stage seemingly blaming it for the stumble. The president did not appear hurt by the fall and continued to stand on stage until the ceremony ended several minutes later, according to the White House pool. “President Biden fell down on stage after handing out the last diploma to the Air Force cadets. He appeared to slip and fall going down on his knees. He was helped up by Air Force officials,” the pool report stated. White House communications director Ben LaBolt took to Twitter to say that Mr Biden was fine. “There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands,” he tweeted. Mr Biden, a Democrat, is running for re-election in 2024 and his doctors declared him fit and healthy after his February physical examination. Earlier, during the commencement address, Mr Biden warned the graduates that they would enter military service in an increasingly unstable world, citing challenges from Russia and China. And he predicted that Swedend would “soon” join NATO, without giving any details of their entry into the alliance. “It will happen, I promise you,” he said, Read More Watch Biden trip and fall on-stage at Air Force graduation ceremony Biden and McCarthy’s debt limit deal went through – but there are winners and losers Biden tells US Air Force Academy graduates their leadership needed in increasingly confusing world Boeing signs alternative fuel deal with Los Angeles startup to cut carbon footprint Underestimated McCarthy emerges from debt deal empowered as speaker, still threatened by far right Senate passes GOP bill overturning student loan cancellation, teeing it up for Biden veto
1970-01-01 08:00

White House says Biden is fine after tripping on stage at Air Force Academy commencement
President Joe Biden tripped on a sandbag and fell as he completed handing out diplomas at the US Air Force Academy commencement in Colorado on Thursday.
1970-01-01 08:00

France influencers: Jail threat for those found flouting new ad laws
France's new rules ban or restrict certain commercial practices by online personalities.
1970-01-01 08:00

Senate passes GOP bill overturning student loan cancellation, teeing it up for Biden veto
A Republican measure overturning President Joe Biden's student loan cancellation plan passed the Senate on Thursday and now awaits an expected veto. The vote was 52-46, with support from Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana as well as Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent. The resolution was approved last week by the GOP-controlled House by a 218-203 vote. Biden has pledged to keep in place his commitment to cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loans for 43 million people. The legislation adds to Republican criticism of the plan, which was halted in November in response to lawsuits from conservative opponents. The Supreme Court heard arguments in February in a challenge to Biden's move, with the conservative majority seemingly ready to sink the plan. A decision is expected in the coming weeks. “The president’s student loan schemes do not ‘forgive’ debt, they just shift the burden from those who chose to take out loans onto those who never went to college or already fulfilled their commitment to pay off their loans,” said Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, lead sponsor of the Senate push. The legislation aims to revoke Biden’s cancellation plan and curtail the Education Department’s ability to cancel student loans in the future. It would rescind Biden’s latest extension of a payment pause that began early in the pandemic. It would retroactively add several months of student loan interest that was waived by Biden’s extension. The GOP challenge invoked the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to undo recently enacted executive branch regulations. Passing a resolution requires a simple majority in both chambers, but overriding a presidential veto requires two-thirds majorities in the House and Senate, and Republicans aren't expected to have enough support to do that. "If Republicans were to get their way and pass this bill into law, people across the country would have relief they are counting on snatched away from them,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. ___ The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
1970-01-01 08:00

Top Democrats say Biden should make this year's 'craziness' the last debt limit fight ever
Even as Joe Biden appears to have pushed off reaching the next debt limit until 2025, top Democrats on Capitol Hill say what he really needs to do is what he should have done last fall: Come out in favor of a drastic change to strip Congress of this power forever.
1970-01-01 08:00

Senate passes bill to block Biden's student loan forgiveness program
Both the Senate and the House have now passed a bill to block President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness program, which promises to cancel up to $20,000 of debt for millions of borrowers but has been held up by courts.
1970-01-01 08:00

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. emphasizes the importance of a democratic election and hits DNC in speech to New Hampshire Senate
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist who launched his 2024 presidential bid earlier this year, discussed the importance of a democratic election and critiqued the Democratic National Committee over the push to change the presidential nominating calendar in a Thursday address to the New Hampshire Senate.
1970-01-01 08:00

Biden administration imposes sanctions and visa restrictions in response to ongoing Sudan violence
The Biden administration on Thursday imposed financial sanctions and visa restrictions in response to the ongoing violence in Sudan.
1970-01-01 08:00

Brazil Congress Backs Lula’s Cabinet, But Tests Green Agenda
Brazil’s senate approved a provisional measure establishing the structure of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s cabinet, a
1970-01-01 08:00