List of All Articles with Tag 'us politics'

Donald Trump is celebrating the “big, beautiful, and glamorous” merger between the PGA, LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour. The former president took to Truth Social on Tuesday as news of the landmark deal broke. Some of Mr Trump’s branded golf courses have recently hosted LIV Golf events. In his usual all-capitalised ebullience, he wrote: “Great news from LIV Golf. A big, beautiful, and glamorous deal for the wonderful world of golf.” He added: “Congrats to all!!!” The three biggest tours in world golf made the announcement out of the blue after 18 months of bitter conflict that has seen players who defected from the ‘establishment’ PGA Tour to the controversial LIV tour, such as Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson, branded as traitors. That has caused feuds with loyalist stars such as Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm – often resulting in a war of words in the press – but the tours appear to have reached a solution. A statement released by the PGA Tour confirmed the merger, which puts an immediate end to all ongoing lawsuits where players and tours have been suing and counter-suing each other. The statement read: “The PGA TOUR, DP World Tour and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) today announced a landmark agreement to unify the game of golf, on a global basis. “The parties have signed an agreement that combines PIF’s golf-related commercial businesses and rights (including LIV Golf) with the commercial businesses and rights of the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour into a new, collectively owned, for-profit entity to ensure that all stakeholders benefit from a model that delivers maximum excitement and competition among the game’s best players.” The end of the ongoing lawsuits was also highlighted in the statement. “Notably, today’s announcement will be followed by a mutually agreed end to all pending litigation between the participating parties,” it added. “Further, the three organizations will work cooperatively and in good faith to establish a fair and objective process for any players who desire to re-apply for membership with the PGA TOUR or the DP World Tour following the completion of the 2023 season and for determining fair criteria and terms of re-admission, consistent with each Tour’s policies.” Mr Trump came under fire from families of 9/11 victims for working with Saudi-backed LIV Golf when his Bedminster, New Jersey course hosted the tour in 2022. Read More LIV Golf and PGA Tour merger explained: Everything we know so far PGA and LIV Golf news LIVE: Golf’s civil war ends after stunning merger announcement Bitter rivals LIV Golf and PGA Tour announce shock merger to end golf’s civil war 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

The sheriff of Bexar County, Texas is recommending criminal charges against those involved with flights that sent 49 mostly Venezuelan migrants from El Paso to Martha’s Vineyard last year, what was widely derided as a political stunt orchestrated by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. A statement from the sheriff’s office says it has completed an investigation launched last September and recommended several counts of unlawful restraint, both misdemeanors and felonies, to the office of the Bexar County district attorney. “At this time, the case is being reviewed by the DA’s office. Once an update is available, it will be provided to the public,” the statement said. The sheriff’s office has not named suspects. The flights faced international scrutiny following allegations that migrants and their families, who were in the country with legal permission, were deceptively lured into planes out of state after they were processed in the US after crossing the southern border with Mexico, with their asylum cases pending in Texas. “What infuriates me the most about this case is that here we have 48 people who are already on hard times, they are here legally in the country at that point,” sheriff Javier Salazar said in a statement announcing the investigation last year. “They have every right to be where they are, and I believe they were preyed upon – somebody came from out of state, preyed upon these people, lured them with promises of a better life, which is what they were absolutely looking for, with the knowledge that they were going to cling to whatever hope they could be offered ... to just be exploited and hoodwinked into making this trip,” he said. A federal lawsuit filed by attorneys for a group of migrants last year alleges that the DeSantis administration supervised a “fraudulent and discriminatory scheme” to collect migrants and fly them, unannounced, hundreds of miles out of state. The lawsuit alleges the governor and members of his administration targeted immigrants who were recently released from shelters with false promises of job opportunities, education and financial assistance before they landed on the island with only volunteer support from local groups and emergency assistance from state agencies. The lawsuit includes two unnamed defendants who “targeted” many of the people who boarded the flights, as well as three other unnamed defendants who participated in the alleged scheme, who “manipulated them, stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process and equal protection under the law,” according to the complaint. Those allegations mirror claims from migrants who spoke with reporters about the ordeal, including multiple allegations that a woman identified only as “Perla” was central to an alleged effort to coerce migrants to board the planes, providing cash and McDonald’s gift cards to help recruit others. Mr DeSantis has taken credit for the flight, and his administration has supported legislative efforts to secure $12m in funding for similar operations. The administration has spent more than $1.5m on such flights, according to state records. The sheriff’s announcement follows more migrant flights from Texas to California, which California Attorney General Rob Bonta has likened to “state-sanctioned kidnapping.” Officials and civil rights attorneys are investigating whether the DeSantis administration was also behind those flights; Mr Bonta has stated that the migrants had what appeared to be Florida government documents. “We are also evaluating potential criminal or civil action against those who transported or arranged for the transport of these vulnerable immigrants,” he said in a statement this week. “While we continue to collect evidence, I want to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting.” The Independent has requested comment from the DeSantis administration. Read More DeSantis news – latest: Casey DeSantis nicknamed ‘Walmart Melania’ over anti-woke leather jacket California officials probe ‘state-sanctioned kidnapping’ of migrants flown in on private jet False promises, a legal investigation and a mystery woman: Unanswered questions about Ron DeSantis's migrant flights

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, a US official told CNN, the latest step toward rapprochement between the US government and the de facto leader of a key US ally.

Although it's named the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the compromise debt ceiling package that President Joe Biden signed into law this past weekend doesn't do much to fix the nation's enormous financial challenges.

Democrat presidential candidate and notable anti-vaccine advocate Robert F Kennedy Jr joined Elon Musk and David Sacks on Twitter Spaces on Monday 5 June to discuss the former’s bid for the White House. Mr Kennedy was also joined by Tulsi Gabbard, Balaji Srinivasan, Omeed Malik, Michael Shellenberger and Kelly Slater at the event. The Twitter Spaces event comes just weeks after Mr Musk and Mr Sacks hosted and moderated a similar audio listening event with presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, where he launched his own campaign. Notably, the Spaces session was filled with technological glitches, which Mr Sacks attributed to a high volume of listeners. Following the event, Mr Musk welcomed all candidates onto Twitter and said he would be open to hosting other candidates on Twitter Spaces. But some were unhappy with Mr Musk’s decision to host Mr Kennedy as he has been previously banned from social platforms for spreading misinformation.

Casey DeSantis, Florida’s first lady and the wife of aspiring Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, has been branded a “Walmart Melania” after she wore a leather jacket emblazoned with a map of the Sunshine State, an alligator and the legend “Where woke goes to die” during a campaign stop in Iowa to promote her husband. Ms DeSantis wore the offending jacket in Des Moines at a “Roast and Ride” event hosted by state senator Joni Ernst. The gesture recalled former US first lady Melania Trump wearing a jacket that said “I really don’t care. Do you?” while child immigrants were being cruelly separated from their families at the Texas border during her husband Donald Trump’s presidency. “Walmart Melania made herself fair game when she put on this jacket,” one Twitter user wrote, while another prominent account tweeted: “Behind every Republican man, there’s a Republican woman selling out her sisterhood.” Meanwhile, a Vice documentary about the candidate’s earlier career as a US Navy lawyer serving at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba has been mysteriously dropped from Showtime’s schedules, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with no explanation given. Read More DeSantis defines ‘woke’ after Trump claimed ‘half the people can’t’ DeSantis condemns Trump for congratulating ‘murderous dictator’ Kim Jong-un Transgender adults in Florida `blindsided' that new law also limits their access to health care DeSantis, Pence and other GOP 2024 hopefuls, but not Trump, set to appear at Iowa rally

Two members of Donald Trump’s legal team, Evan Corcoran and Lindsey Halligan, were spotted entering the Washington DC headquarters of the Department of Justice late on Monday morning as the agency continues its investigations into their employer and his handling of classified documents post-presidency. Meanwhile, federal investigators taking part in the probe are reportedly training their attention on an employee at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, who, in the process of draining a swimming pool on the property last year, flooded a room where computer servers containing video surveillance logs were stored. Investigators are said to have asked at least one witness about the episode but it is as yet unclear whether the flooding of the server room is being treated as suspicious or an accident. Responding in an all-caps meltdown on Truth Social, Mr Trump raged: “HOW CAN DOJ POSSIBLY CHARGE ME, WHO DID NOTHING WRONG, WHEN NO OTHER PRESIDENT’S WERE CHARGED?” Also on Monday, his estranged former deputy Mike Pence filed the necessary paperworks with the Federal Election Commission to commence a presidential bid of his own, which is likely to be formally announced on Wednesday. Read More Trump makes misleading claim that New York hush money case could be dropped DeSantis defines ‘woke’ after Trump claimed ‘half the people can’t’ DeSantis condemns Trump for congratulating ‘murderous dictator’ Kim Jong-un Marjorie Taylor Greene U-turns on release of Jan 6 tapes - saying she’s worried about Capitol security

When Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas appeared for the first time before the Florida Federalist Society in January 2020, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared to a large banquet audience on the Disney World grounds: "I do think he is our greatest living justice."

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is set to enter the 2024 Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, launching his second bid for the White House and kicking off another clash with former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner and a former Christie ally.

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered his initial speech as a declared presidential candidate in Iowa last week, his first 15 minutes succinctly previewed how Republicans might defeat President Joe Biden next year.

A lawyer for Harlan Crow, the GOP megadonor who provided luxury travel and engaged in private real estate deals with Clarence Thomas, has offered to meet with Senate Judiciary Committee staff to discuss its questions regarding the interactions between his client and the Supreme Court justice.

Indicted Rep. George Santos' attorney has filed a letter asking the judge overseeing the New York Republican's case to keep the names of the people who put up his $500,000 bond sealed.