List of All Articles with Tag 'politics'

Barbiemania is unstoppable. Merch is flying, people won't stop playing the soundtrack, and the Greta Gerwig film has been a huge box office hit. But now it has gone one step further and transcended pop culture to worm its way into the political realm - having influenced anti-Tory protesters, who have cast MPs as characters in the hit film and put posters of them around London bus stops and tubes. The posters show big name ministers and MPs Suella Braverman, Rishi Sunak, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Robert Jenrick, Lee Anderson and Priti Patel, Kemi Badenoch, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Dominic Raab and doesn't cast them in a favourable light. Instead, they show quotes from the politicians or short bios about their failures accompanied with the hashtag "#ThisBarbieIsAC*nt". Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Liz Truss's poster, for instance, claims she is "as useful as a condom". It adds: "Liz Truss holds the record for the shortest time served as PM. She crashed the economy trying to make her pals richer. While we're struggling to buy food and pay our bills, she's making tens and thousands as a public speaker. "#thelettucewoulddoabetterjob". Another poster calls another former PM, Johnson a "f**king eejit". Pictures of the bus posters were uploaded to Twitter by the campaign group Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants. The group, who posted the images on Twitter on the same day that Barbie was released in cinemas, wrote: “This week not only marks the cinematic event of the summer, but the Illegal Immigration Bill also passed a few days ago and it looks as though someone has been doing some alternative promo.” They added: “This government’s treatment of migrants and asylum seekers is an outrage that violates human rights and fails to protect those fleeing from persecution and conflict. It will make life even more dangerous for people on the move.” As for the tube posters, they wrote: "We may not all be barbie girls, but we do live in this Tory world. The UK government targets and scapegoats asylum seekers, migrants and trans people, and fabricates fear to distract us all from their farcical failure to serve the people." They referenced Sunak's commitment to expand North Sea drilling today, which is controversial because of climate change, adding: "While Shell announces annual profits almost 10X their last, around one in five (20 percent) of our population live in poverty. Now just this morning the Tories have issued 100 new oil and gas licences. Make it make sense. "We’re being rinsed, financially and politically, now and for generations to come. No mojo dojo case house vibes please, we’ve had Kenough". But it looks like the poster campaign might be short-lived. When the bus stop posters appeared, Transport for London (TfL) spokeswoman told the Evening Standard: “These offensive adverts are not authorised by TfL or our advertising partner JCDecaux. “We have instructed our contractors to remove any of these posters found on our network immediately.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The Mar-a-Lago IT supervisor identified as “Trump Employee 4” in the latest indictment against former presidentDonald Trump and his alleged co-conspirators was reportedly informed that he’s a target of the ongoing Justice Department probe into alleged mishandling of classified records by the ex-president. According to CNN, the employee in question is named Yuscil Taveras. The outlet said Mr Taveras, who is charged with any crime at this point, subsequently met with Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team of prosecutors and gave evidence that was used to obtain the superseding indictment against Mr Trump, co-defendant Walt Nauta and a newly-added third co-defendant: Mar-a-Lago maintenance supervisor Carlos De Oliveira. According to the superseding indictment, Mr De Oliveira informed Mr Taveras during a conversation at the Palm Beach social club that “’the boss wanted” the contents of a server containing CCTV surveillance records “deleted” in the days following receipt of a grand jury subpoena for video that showed the corridor outside a room where boxes of documents from the Trump White House were being stored. Prosecutors allege that Mr Taveras responded by telling Mr De Oliveira that he did not think he “would have the rights” to delete the footage in question, leading his co-worker to ask: “What are we going to do?” Mr De Oliveira is charged with conspiring with Mr Trump and Mr Nauta to obstruct the DOJ probe into Mr Trump’s alleged unlawful retention of national defence information as well as with lying to investigators about his involvement in moving boxes containing records from the Trump administration when Mr Trump moved from the White House back to his Palm Beach, Florida property. A Trump campaign statement called the charges “nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him” and accused Mr Smith, a veteran prosecutor overseeing multiple probes into Mr Trump of “casting about for any way to salvage their illegal witch hunt and to get someone other than Donald Trump to run against Crooked Joe Biden”. Read More Georgia DA says Trump 2020 election probe is ‘ready to go’ in strongest hint yet of looming indictment Trump news – live: Georgia DA says Trump 2020 case is ‘ready to go’ as Mar-a-Lago worker heads to court Right-wing TV host at Trump rally denies he wants to kill liberals, globalists, and RINOs

Former president Donald Trump mocked Ron DeSantis, his chief rival in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, by posting a video of the Florida governor wiping his nose with his hand while greeting people. Mr Trump posted the video on his Truth Social site, which featured the children’s song “One of These Things is Not Like the Other” with Mr DeSantis talking with supporters while holding a beer. The video was created on the right-wing video site Rumble by the pro-Trump Dilley Meme Team. The end of the video shows Mr DeSantis wiping his nose with his hand while speaking with people with a voice saying “ew.” The Florida governor has received negative media attention for his supposed social awkwardness, most notably a story in The Daily Beast where he reportedly ate pudding with his fingers. Mr Trump has regularly pilloried Mr DeSantis, accusing the Florida governor of being disloyal after Mr Trump endorsed him in the Republican primary for governor in 2018, and has dubbed him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” During a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, he mocked the fact that Mr DeSantis’s campaign is shedding money and staff, according to multiple news reports. He also said Mr DeSantis ruined his chances to run for president in 2028. “A lot of people say just saying this is dropping out of the race,” Mr Trump said. “I don't know that that's true, but I wouldn't be surprised. He should. Because I think he's absolutely killed himself for [2028].” Mr DeSantis recently laid off multiple members of his staff after raising only $20m and burning through a large part of his campaign cash despite the fact he has only been a candidate for two months. A New York Times/Siena College showed that 54 per cent of Republicans support Mr Trump, with only 17 per cent supporting Mr DeSantis. Read More Georgia DA says Trump 2020 election probe is ‘ready to go’ in strongest hint yet of looming indictment Trump rehearses defence over possible election lies charges at Pennsylvania rally Trump news – live: Georgia DA says Trump 2020 case is ‘ready to go’ as Mar-a-Lago worker heads to court

Carlos De Oliveira, the Mar-a-Lago property manager and newest co-defendant in the special counsel's criminal case charging former President Donald Trump and his staff with mishandling classified information, is scheduled to make his initial appearance in a Miami courtroom on Monday.

After clamping down on food stamps in the debt ceiling deal, House Republicans now want to take a whack at WIC, the food assistance program for low-income women, infants and young children.

Lexicographer Susie Dent has destroyed Rishi Sunak in the most subtle way with her “word of the day”. Dent is an expert on all things words, having appeared on the TV word-based game show Countdown since 1992. Dent is known for referencing the news and particularly politics with her daily word posts on Twitter and today, prime minister Sunak appears to be her target. Sunak has made headlines recently by very quickly changing his stance on car usage and green energy. It was so out of the blue, that many suspect it has everything to do with the Conservative party marginally retaining the Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat in a recent by-election, based solely on a campaign against London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Since then, the PM has ordered a review of low-traffic zones, is reportedly considering scrapping 20mph speed limits and has committed to offering more licenses for firms to drill for oil and gas. With this in mind, Dent tweeted: “Word of the day is ‘snollygoster’ (19th century): one who abandons their principles for short-term gain or power.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Many suspect Dent’s post was a dig at Sunak and his apparent abandonment of green policies to win votes. One person tweeted: “Word of the day couldn't be more apt for the snollygosters in the @Conservatives today. “With particular reference to snollygosters in chief @RishiSunak @grantshapps. Burning our future for their immediate self-interest.” Someone else wrote: “Snollygoster Sunak fries the planet for political gain..” “Prime Miniature Snollygoster - has a certain ring to it?” said another. Environmental group Greenpeace described Sunak’s decision to grant oil and gas licenses as “a cynical political ploy to sow division”. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The fateful clash between former President Donald Trump's legal imbroglio and the 2024 election is deepening amid new signs his GOP poll-topping campaign is partly designed to bankroll his defense and beat criminal charges.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis reaffirmed in a local news interview that she will announce charging decisions by September 1 in her investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election result.

A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked portions of an Arkansas law that would have made it a crime for librarians and bookstores to provide minors with materials deemed "harmful" to them.

Former President Donald Trump's team is creating a legal defense fund to help offset some of the enormous bills incurred as his legal troubles mount, two sources familiar with the planning told CNN.

Former New York Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik will meet with special counsel Jack Smith in the coming days to discuss efforts taken by former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani to investigate potential election fraud in the wake of the 2020 election, Kerik's attorney said Sunday.

Former President Donald Trump’s legal fees are skyrocketing, and have already surpassed $40m as he awaits indictment on a host of charges related to the January 6 attack and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The Washington Post reported the staggering total cost of the president’s legal expenditures on Saturday, citing numerous sources within Trumpworld. The mounting costs are only likely to grow more burdensome after Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith hands down an indictment in the coming days charging Mr Trump for crimes allegedly committed while he served as president. And then there’s Georgia: the former president and members of his legal team are expected to face potential charges as a result of Fulton County prosecutors’ investigation into their efforts to change the election results in that state too. A decision in that matter is expected later this month. Mr Trump’s Save America PAC, his primary vessel for outside spending, is expected to verify this total in a campaign finance filing on Monday, according to the Post. The Trump campaign has been reported in recent months to have begun funneling a greater share of donations directly to the PAC as his legal expenses mount. Complicating the issue: Mr Trump is apparently paying legal fees for a number of those within his inner circle who have been drawn into the investigation — which itself has become an issue that prosecutors are examining. A spokesman for the former president confirmed this, stating only that Mr Trump was paying for legal representation for potential witnesses in the cases against him “to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed” by a supposedly “unlawful harassment” campaign led by the DoJ. The Post’s scoop drew ire on Twitter from Trump loyalists, who decried the ongoing and growing prosecution of the former president as a politicised witch hunt. One of those loyalists was Senator JD Vance, who won a hard-fought election last year with close support from the former president throughout his primary and general election campaigns. “The “Trump paid $40m in legal fees” attack is so lame. I have good friends who did nothing wrong who had their legal fees paid by Save America PAC. Would you rather they throw all of their employees under a bus?” tweeted Mr Vance on Saturday. “The real story is that our system has become so corrupted that it costs millions of dollars to fight ir [sic],” he continued. “Anyone who thinks they wouldn’t do this to [GOP primary candidates Ron] Desantis, or [Tim] Scott, or anyone else, is kidding themselves.” Read More Chris Christie slams Trumps as ‘Corleones with no experience’ Nikki Haley urges McConnell and Feinstein to ‘walk away’ after recent health concerns Trump returns to first impeachment roots by saying Ukraine aid should be linked to Biden probes ‘Poetic’: Trump takes stage in Iowa to song about going to prison Joe Biden, America's oldest sitting president, needs young voters to win again. Will his age matter? Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected