Former President Donald Trump's call to "PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!" in a Saturday social media post has authorities on edge, as fears of a resurgence of violent behavior reminiscent of the horrific events of January 6th linger. Trump is also facing a potential indictment by multiple grand juries in New York and Georgia, fueling his base's anger and further straining U.S. law enforcement.
As the possibility of indictment looms, House Republicans have requested the testimony of Manhattan's District Attorney as they push to discredit the investigation into Trump. A witness provided potentially helpful testimony in a New York courthouse, meanwhile, and political rivalries between Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are heating up.
At the forefront of this politically-charged circus is the unprecedented possibility of a former president being indicted. Trump's incendiary language has created a situation in which violent extremists might take up his call as
Attorneys for the family of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old who was found dead on a backcountry road in Hampton, South Carolina, in July 2015, announced that authorities now believe he was murdered. Despite the medical examiner concluding that Smith died from a hit-and-run, Smith's family lawyers said during a Tuesday phone call about the investigation that South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is now considering Smith's death a homicide. Attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, who are representing Smith's family, said that they have a chance to right eight years of wrongs, and authorities' new conclusion has given the family hope. Smith's mother, Sandy Smith, expressed her joy at the latest development, adding that she knew in her "heart" that the initial findings into Smith's death were not accurate. The investigation could also include an exhumation and an independent autopsy.
Amid the two-day state visit of China's President Xi Jinping to Russia, Washington has expressed skepticism over any breakthroughs with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. China has recently positioned itself as an aspiring broker of peace through a few of its writings while calling for a ceasefire and peace talks. Still, Ukraine has remained concerned about the lack of withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory. Putin has stated that Russia has carefully studied China's proposals and promised "an opportunity to discuss this matter." Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has criticized Xi's visit, remarking that it had come days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin. Blinken stated that "China feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine, and instead of even condemning them, it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those very crimes."
March 21, 2023 / 11:45 PM
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Miguel Luna Perez, a deaf student who sued his public school for providing an inadequate education. The ruling is significant for disabled students across the nation, who accuse school officials of neglecting their educational needs. Perez claimed that for 12 years, the school system lied to his parents about his progress and neglected him, stunting his ability to communicate permanently. After a settlement between the family and school officials regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Perez and his family pursued monetary damages under a different federal law. The Supreme Court’s decision confirmed that Perez’s family had the right to pursue monetary damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) after settling the complaint under IDEA. Justice Neil Gorsuch remarked that the “case ‘holds consequences not just for Mr. Perez but for a great many children with disabilities and their parents.’” This ruling has established, unequivocally, that disabled children have the right to a proper education and the means to restitution if that right is denied.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis found himself in a tricky situation when pressured by Trump allies over the prospect of the former president getting indicted for paying adult film star Stormy Daniels to conceal an alleged affair. While DeSantis criticized Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg for being part of a group of prosecutors who ignore real issues around crime, he also threw in references to the Daniels scandal. Such a move could potentially put him in conflict with Trump, who hit back at him on social media. However, Trump's indictment offers DeSantis an opening to challenge the former president's grip on the GOP, but it remains unclear if he will take such a gamble. DeSantis has played a careful path so far and has distinguished himself from Trump's brand of politics, hoping it will be more appealing to Republican voters. DeSantis's decision could make or break his political future.
Donald Trump appears to be banking on recent testimony by a lawyer, Robert Costello, to protect him from potential indictment from a New York grand jury. Costello testified as part of the Manhattan district attorney's office probe into hush money paid to adult-film star Stormy Daniels to keep an alleged affair she had with the former president a secret ahead of the 2016 election. An indictment from the jury could be announced in the coming days. Prosecutors are probing whether the money Trump arranged for his former lawyer Michael Cohen to pay Daniels amounted to a campaign violation or if any records were falsified when Cohen was reimbursed for the money, listed in Trump Organization records as legal fees. Trump is at risk of becoming the first U.S. president in history to be charged with a crime. Trump hailed Costello's testimony as evidence that he casted doubts on Cohen's credibility.
Abby Grossberg, a producer for Tucker Carlson's show, has filed a discrimination lawsuit against Fox News, the TV host, and other executives and producers. The lawsuit describes examples of sexism, misogyny, and discrimination in the workplace, including Carlson's team putting up photos of Nancy Pelosi in a bathing suit revealing her cleavage as a practical joke. Grossberg claims that this instance is just one example of how pervasive the misogyny and objectification or women was among the male staff at the show. The lawsuit also describes hostile and sexist behavior towards host Maria Bartiromo when executives referred to her as "crazy," "menopausal," and "hysterical." Fox News previously stated that they had engaged an independent outside counsel to investigate the complaints, but a spokesperson did not comment on the allegations of sexism and the purported images of Nancy Pelosi.
This week, Vladimir Putin welcomed China's proposed plan to bring peace to the war-torn region of Ukraine during a joint press conference with Chinese president Xi Jinping in Moscow. Putin said Beijing's peace plan "correlates to the point of view of the Russian Federation", but Antony Blinken, US secretary of state, has voiced skepticism and warned that this could simply be a "stalling tactic" to aid Russian troops in the area.
China's plan includes calls to respect all countries' territorial sovereignty and also to put an end to economic sanctions. Importantly, it does not suggest Russia withdraw its forces. Kyiv, on the other hand, says any talks will be contingent on the full restoration of Ukraine's territory.
Xi Jinping is positioning himself as a global peacemaker and claims to have an "objective" and "impartial" view of the conflict. He was also
Former President Donald Trump's potential upcoming criminal indictment is a step closer to reality as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg continues to pursue the case. In response, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., along with three Republican committee chairs, Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, and James Comer of Kentucky, pledged to investigate the situation even further.
The GOP trio sent a letter to Bragg, accusing him of “an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority,” which is being used to investigate alleged hush-money payments from Trump to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016. Despite the gravity of the
situation, the Republican argument for “investigating the investigator” appears questionable as the letter mainly draws from GWU law professor Jonathan Turley's analysis of the case.
Legal experts, including Turley himself, have expressed their doubts about the validity of
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning about a dangerous fungus, Candida auris, which has seen a "dramatic increase" in cases and is spreading rapidly through health care facilities in the US. The CDC has classified the fungal infection as an "urgent threat" because it is becoming resistant to antifungal drugs, is multidrug-resistant, easily spreads through healthcare facilities, and can cause deadly disease. Scientists found 4,041 people who carried the fungus in 2021 but were not sick at the time. The fungus can be found on the skin and throughout the body, and about 30-60% of infected people have died.
Cameron Diaz's highly anticipated return to Hollywood might have taken a turn for the worse. The star has been shooting Netflix's "Back in Action" with co-star Jamie Foxx, but the movie has sunk into chaos after Foxx was allegedly the target of an attempted scam of 40,000.
In addition to the incident, the movie has been halted by chilly autumnal weather in London, as well as other delays. A source close to production stated, "There have been some [production] issues and Jamie had a major meltdown over it all. He demanded that the problems be sorted immediately, and unfortunately, four production staff were fired from the movie as a result... Some people working on it are totally fed up with how this has played out and Jamie has become pretty unpopular."
Fortunately for Foxx, authorities at the successful streaming service launched an investigation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning about a deadly fungus that is spreading quickly in healthcare facilities. The fungus, called Candida auris, is drug-resistant and can pose a significant threat to medically fragile patients, including those undergoing chemotherapy or on ventilators. CDC data shows that fungal infections from the yeast strain tripled in the US between 2019 and 2021. Cases where individuals carry the fungus but are not infected have also risen fourfold in the same period. Although scientists believe that the fungus doesn't represent a threat to healthy individuals, those hospitalized with bloodstream infections are estimated to face a mortality rate of between 30 and 70%. Healthcare facilities are likely to use more antifungals to tackle the issue now that the CDC has issued a warning.
Health officials have confirmed 35 cases of blastomycosis, a rare fungal disease, among workers at the Billerud Paper Mill in Escanaba, Michigan. The cases were reported on 28 February and the source of the fungal disease is still unknown. Although Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where the mill is located, is a known risk area for the disease, infections are "exceedingly rare," according to Michael Snyder, Public Health Officer for Delta and Menominee Counties. Blastomycosis can be contracted by breathing in fungal spores from moist soil and decomposing matter, such as leaves or wood. It is not contagious from person to person or between people and animals. Symptoms can include coughing, fever, chest pain, muscle and joint pain, night sweats, fatigue, and weight loss. The mill has taken a number of steps to protect its employees and prevent further infections, including conducting extensive cleaning and inspections, testing raw materials, providing N95 masks and requesting a health hazard evaluation.
The World Baseball Classic final between Team USA and Japan is set to feature two of the biggest names in Major League Baseball, teammates Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels. However, the big question is whether Ohtani will pitch in relief, which would set up a battle between the two superstar teammates. Japan is looking for its third title in the tournament's history, while the United States aims to win back-to-back titles after their victory in 2017. Both teams have impressive lineups, but Japan's Masataka Yoshida is one player to watch out for with his wild stats throughout the tournament. The game will air on FS1, and it promises to be one of the most exciting baseball games in recent history.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow this week underscores Russia's increasing reliance on China economically and logistically. Furthermore, while China has not provided material support to Russia in its war with Ukraine, they are increasingly positioning themselves as mediators. Xi's itinerary this week signified his pseudo-neutrality in the situation, holding meetings in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin before a planned phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. While this move has put China in a considerably advantageous position by seemingly aligning with both sides, it raises concerns about their motivations for the mediation role. Furthermore, there are worries that a shift in the military balance in favor of Russia could result in increased Chinese mediation, diminishing Western influence in the region. Experts predict that China's economic domination in the Asian market and Russia's loss of European energy demand could cement a symbiotic relationship between these two countries going forward.
MSI Malaysia has announced its Ramadan promotion for selected gaming and productivity laptops, which will run from March 20th to April 20th, 2023. Customers can get up to RM700 off on gaming laptops and up to RM500 off on productivity laptops. Among the gaming laptops, the most discounted one is the MSI Katana GF66, which is powered by 11th Gen Intel CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 3060 graphics. Selected 13th Gen Intel gaming laptops such as the new Katana 17, Katana 15, and Cyborg have a US$100 Steam Wallet code. The most affordable gaming laptop is the MSI GF63 Thin 10SC, which retails at RM2,799. The most discounted productivity laptop is the MSI Modern 14 C12M, which sports a 14-inch Full HD display, and costs only RM2,499. The Modern 14 C7M with AMD Ryzen 7530U processor retails at RM2,499 as well. The sale covers laptops with AMD-based processors, and non-gaming laptops are also part of the sale.
Abby Zwerner, a first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, spoke out Monday in an NBC News interview with Savannah Guthrie, speaking at length for the first time since being shot by a 6-year-old student in January.
Zwerner has gone through four surgeries since the shooting on January 6. She told Guthrie, “Some days are not-so-good day, where I can't get up out of bed. Some days are better than others, where I'm able to get out of bed and make it to my appointments. But, for going' through what I've gone through, I try to stay positive. You know, try to have a positive outlook on what's happened and where my future's heading."
The incident prompted swift criticism from parents, and the school board voted to oust Superintendent George Parker III.
Amidst a severe food crisis in North Korea, residents of the hermit country are secretly envious of their supreme leader's daughter, Kim Ju Ae, who appears to be well-fed while other children in the country suffer due to the lack of food. Locals told Radio Free Asia's Korean Service that during Kim Jong Un's public appearances, they can't help but notice Kim Ju Ae's "plump cheeks" in comparison to the undernourished kids in their villages.
A source from North Pyongan Province said people were saying that "she must be eating so well, her face is so white and plump like the moon," in contrast to the children who cannot eat properly due to the dearth of food. A different source from South Pyongan Province reported that people were unhappy to see the Beloved Child's chubby appearance featured in propaganda.
The citizens are
GameStop (GME) shareholders believe that heightened short positions in financial and banking stocks could set up GME for a short squeeze. Indeed, the short interest in GME as of Feb. 28 was 22.1%, one of the highest percentages in 8 years. Many investors are now turning to SVB Financial Group (SIVB) subsidiary Silicon Valley Bank, as it is believed to have a possible connection to GME’s success.
Hedge funds have been selling off financial and banking stocks, increasing their bearish bets on banks over the past 9 weeks. Vanguard and BlackRock remain the largest shareholders of SIVB, controlling a 0.04% and 0.03% of its portfolio respectively. These two companies, according to GME shareholders, will be forced to hedge their positions by selling out of long positions and recalling short GME shares due to their losses in SV
Suri Cruise, 16, the daughter of Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes, is reportedly in the midst of starting the college application process. However, the Daily Mail reports that her father "has no part" in her life, following her parents' highly-publicised 2012 divorce. Holmes has been vocal about her desire to keep her daughter out of the spotlight, but has been increasingly showcasing her acting and singing chops in recent years. Cruise has not been seen in public with his daughter since 2013 and there are reports he is estranged from Suri due to her refusal to follow his Scientology faith. Despite frequently splitting for periods, Cruise was granted visitation rights to Suri after his divorce from Holmes.
Former President Donald Trump's recent social media post calling on his supporters to "PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!" in response to his potential indictment by New York officials raises concerns about whether violent extremists will mobilize on his behalf once again. The domestic extremist group Boogaloo Boys has been ramping up recruitment efforts, and law enforcement agencies will need to withstand another violent assault on our system from domestic extremists. While Trump's base may support him in the short term, the former president needs to grow his support beyond his personal following to convince more Americans that Trumpism is about transforming America, not just a cult of personality.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday in a visit that has been met with criticism from the United States. Xi's visit comes shortly after an arrest warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court against Putin on war crimes allegations.
During the meeting, Putin expressed optimism regarding the Chinese-proposed peace plan for Ukraine and said it could be used as a basis to end the war. The 12-point plan calls for peace talks and respect for national sovereignty and condemns "unilateral sanctions" in what is seen as a veiled criticism of Ukraine's allies in the West. Putin said there is value in having a blueprint for peace talks, though he noted the readiness from Kyiv and the West has yet to be seen.
However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin using the peace plan as a basis to end the war
On Tuesday evening, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, according to reports from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre. Tremors from the quake were felt as far away as India's capital, New Delhi, in the north of neighbouring Pakistan, and in other parts of South Asia. This seismic activity is caused by the Indian Plate pushing north into the Eurasian Plate, making much of the region vulnerable to earthquakes.
The epicenter of the quake was in the Hindu Kush mountain range and had a depth of 194 km. While it's too soon to know if the tremor caused any damage or casualties, earthquakes in the region can be devastating. Last year, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in eastern Afghanistan killed over 1,000 people and injured thousands more.
Residents in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan report of strong jolts that lasted for at least 30 seconds, forcing people to flee
Nike has reported Q3 revenues of $12.4 billion, up 14% from the same period last year, beating expectations from Yahoo analysts. Despite challenges in China and recent inventory excesses, the athletic giant exceeded analyst expectations with better-than-expected results. Nike brand digital sales were up 24%, and wholesale revenues grew 18% in the quarter, marking the second consecutive quarter of impressive growth, even with an emphasis on DTC channels. Every region experienced currency-neutral growth with sales in Greater China up 1%. Nike CEO John Donahoe attributed the strong Q3 results to the Consumer Direct Acceleration ( CDA ) program alongside Nike's focus on DTC and digital channels.
Pakistan and Afghanistan were hit by a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake on March 21, 2023, spreading panic among the people, as rescuers were put on high alert. The quake originated in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, and its impact was felt for more than a minute in many cities of both countries. However, so far, no casualties or property damages have been reported. The earthquake tremors were felt in Islamabad, Lahore, New Delhi, Peshawar, and many other cities of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Baluchistan provinces. In 2005, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake had killed over 74,000 people in Pakistan.
