Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has announced that he will not be running for the Republican nomination for president in 2024. At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this week, Donald Trump topped the straw poll of declared and likely 2024 presidential candidates with 62% of the vote. Hogan is still considering how to help the Republican party, such as speaking engagements and fundraising, and is heading to Iowa later this month. The CPAC straw poll results may not reflect the actual outcome of the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
Posts tagged as “Advancing American Freedom”
Two Ukrainian pilots have arrived in the United States to have their skills evaluated by American military trainers, as part of a larger effort to strengthen US-Ukraine military ties. The pilots are currently at a military base in Tucson, Arizona, undergoing an assessment to determine how long it would take to train them to fly attack aircraft, including F-16 fighter jets. The familiarization event is essentially a discussion between the Air Force personnel and an observation of how the pilots operate the simulators, with more of their fellow pilots potentially joining them soon.
Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor, has urged potential Republican presidential candidates to make up their minds quickly when it comes to running for the White House in 2024. She currently leads the polls for the nomination with an average of 44%, and her message of decisiveness is sure to resonate with many potential candidates. Former President Donald Trump is set to address the Club for Growth donor retreat in Palm Beach, Florida, this Saturday, while other potential contenders such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence have already spoken at the retreat.
The families of the victims of a shooting spree in Orlando, Florida, are grieving and demanding "sane and responsible gun legislation in America" in the wake of the tragedy. Brandi Major and Tokiyo Major, parents of nine-year-old victim T'yonna Major, spoke of their heartbreak and the other victims, Dylan Lyons, 24, and Nathacha Augustin, 38. The gunman, 19-year-old Keith Moses, was apprehended by authorities.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has criticized the Department of Justice for not charging any protesters outside Supreme Court justices' homes in the wake of the Dobbs decision. In response, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that white supremacists are the most dangerous domestic terror group in the US, and that the DOJ is committed to protecting the rights of all Americans. The DOJ has yet to comment on Cruz's criticism.
The U.S. intelligence community has released the results of a review into the mysterious neurological symptoms known as "Havana Syndrome", concluding that it is "very unlikely" that a foreign adversary is responsible. The State Department is now preparing to compensate victims with payments of between roughly $100,000 and $200,000 each, and is working to ensure those affected receive the compensation they are due.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has confirmed that the FBI has assessed that the Covid-19 pandemic is most likely the result of a laboratory incident in Wuhan, China. He noted that the FBI has a team of agents, professionals, analysts, virologists, and microbiologists dedicated to researching the origins of the virus, and that the FBI has "moderate confidence" in the lab-leak theory. Wray's comments come at a time when the US government is divided on the origin of the virus, and the FBI's assessment is an important step in understanding the origin of the virus.
President Joe Biden has nominated Julie Su to serve as the next labor secretary, making her the first Asian American to serve in a secretary-level role in Biden’s Cabinet. Su is a civil rights attorney and former head of California’s labor department, and has been central to negotiations between labor and freight rail companies. Biden has asked the Senate to take up Su’s nomination “as soon as possible” and if confirmed, she will be tasked with addressing the needs of working people and creating an economy that works for everyone.