Four Democratic senators are calling on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to take action against trusts and financial vehicles used by the wealthiest individuals to avoid taxes. This comes as Congress is making no progress on how to avert a debt ceiling crisis and the recent collapses of some banks are deepening the stalemate. The senators’ letter is a step towards ensuring that the wealthiest individuals pay their fair share, but it remains to be seen whether the Treasury Secretary will take action on the proposed regulations.
Posts published in “Politics”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has changed his stance on the war in Ukraine, calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" and arguing that US support of Ukraine is of "vital" national interest. He has also noted that the US should remain engaged in the conflict and continue to provide support to Ukraine, including military aid. His comments come as the US and other countries have increased their involvement in the conflict, with the US imposing sanctions on Russia and the European Union taking steps to support Ukraine.
The Michigan Republican Party has come under fire for a post on social media which used a photograph of wedding rings taken from Holocaust victims with text over it that reads, "Before they collected all these wedding rings...they collected all the guns." The post has been met with criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has called for its removal and an apology. The post has since been deleted, sparking a debate over the use of Holocaust imagery in political discourse.
A federal appeals court has ordered a lawyer for former President Donald Trump to turn over documents to prosecutors in the investigation into the former president's retention of classified documents at his Florida estate. The Justice Department has evidence that Trump may have committed a crime, and the documents could be significant in the obstruction probe being pursued by special counsel Jack Smith's team. It is unclear what the documents will reveal or how they will affect the investigation.
Former Florida Republican lawmaker Joseph Harding has pleaded guilty to federal felony charges related to COVID-19 relief fraud in Gainesville federal court. He had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, but now pleads guilty to one count of each charge, cutting his potential punishment in half. Harding will pay $150,000 in restitution to the Small Business Administration and the sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 8.
A U.S. District Judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump may have committed a crime through his attorneys, allowing prosecutors to sidestep protections afforded to Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran. The ruling is based on a federal grand jury subpoena issued to Corcoran, and could force him to appear before the grand jury to testify about notes and exchanges with his client. The ruling is not a judgement on Trump's guilt or innocence, but could have major implications for the investigation into Trump's handling of classified records.
California is taking a stand against caste discrimination with a new bill introduced in the state Senate on Wednesday. The bill, authored by state Sen. Aisha Wahab, would add caste as a protected class to California’s anti-discrimination laws, making it the first effort of its kind by a US state legislature to explicitly ban caste discrimination. If passed, it would be a major step forward in the fight for civil rights and human rights, helping to combat discrimination against Dalits, those born at the bottom of the caste hierarchy.
A federal appeals court has rejected an attempt by former President Donald Trump to block his attorney Evan Corcoran from testifying in the investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith. The US DC Circuit Court of Appeals said that Corcoran must provide additional testimony and turn over documents about the former president as part of the criminal investigation into possible mishandling of classified documents. The announcement from the appeals court adds momentum to the special counsel investigation as it seeks to secure evidence that could potentially incriminate the former president.