Former President Donald Trump defended his infamous "grab 'em by the pussy" comments in a recorded deposition for a civil case filed by writer E. Jean Carroll, who is suing him for defamation after he denied her claims of rape. Trump denied the claims, saying they were "pure fiction" and accused Carroll of making up the story to make money. The jury heard the deposition as part of the trial, but it is unclear when they will reach a verdict.
Posts published in “Politics”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has defended her absence from the Senate due to shingles, stating that there has been no slowdown in confirming President Joe Biden's judicial nominees. She has blamed Republicans for blocking a few nominees from moving forward in the Senate judiciary committee, and expressed confidence that when she returns, the remaining qualified nominees will be able to move quickly to the Senate floor for a vote. Despite her absence, the Senate has confirmed over 100 judicial nominees since Biden took office in January.
Avril Haines, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, has warned that a domestic debt default could lead to global uncertainty, and that Russia and China would likely take advantage of the situation to portray the U.S. as a chaotic and unstable nation. She also noted that the Russian military is facing significant shortfalls and would be unable to sustain its current operations without a mandatory mobilization and third-party ammunition supplies.
North Carolina lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, sparking debate among both pro-choice and pro-life advocates. The bill is expected to be signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper and is likely to face legal challenges in the coming months.
A group of senators is preparing to introduce a bill that would extend the U.S. government's ability to expel migrants without court hearings beyond the expiration of a public health order. Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego has expressed concern that border communities in his state are not prepared to handle the surge of migrants when Covid restrictions end. The proposed bill would allow the U.S. government to continue the soon-to-be terminated Title 42 border expulsion policy for two years without a public health justification.
ProPublica has reported that wealthy Republican donor Harlan Crow paid for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' grandnephew to attend two private schools in the late 2000s. Crow defended his actions, and the cost of the tuition could have been at least $150,000. This has sparked outcry and calls for ethics reform, as critics argue that the payments could be seen as a form of bribery and could be in violation of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges.
The United States has denied any involvement in a purported drone attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin, with John Kirby from the National Security Council stating that "Mr. Peskov is lying." Former intelligence officers, diplomats, military officials and analysts have expressed skepticism about Russia's narrative, and unnamed U.S. officials are working to determine whether the attack was orchestrated by Kyiv or a pro-Ukraine rogue group, or a false flag operation by the Kremlin. NBC News has viewed two videos of the incident, and the investigation is ongoing.
Four members of the far-right Proud Boys organization were found guilty Thursday of seditious conspiracy in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, including the rare charge of seditious conspiracy under a Civil War-era statute. Enrique Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl and Joseph Biggs were convicted of conspiring to prevent the peaceful transfer of power and obstructing Congress, marking the first convictions under the seditious conspiracy charge since the Civil War. The Justice Department has vowed to continue to pursue those responsible for the attack on the Capitol.