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☆ Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's potential late entry into the 2024 field seems destined to fail from the start
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( John L. Dorman | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Glenn Youngkin of Virginia is reconsidering a 2024 presidential run, per a recent Axios report. But such a decision would be rife with peril, with Youngkin far down the pack of GOP contenders. Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023. As of May 31, the GOP polling average on FiveThirtyEight had Trump ahead of DeSantis 54.1%-20.7%, with former Gov. Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, left, gavels to order the special session of the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, Va., on September 7, 2022.

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☆ Special Counsel John Durham Criticizes FBI Actions in 2016 Trump-Russia Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Aruna Viswanatha | Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Special counsel John Durham said his report was based on more than 480 interviews, 190 subpoenas and other actions. Photo: Evan Vucci/Associated PressWASHINGTON—A special counsel appointed in President Donald Trump’s administration issued a highly critical report on how the FBI handled allegations linking Mr. Trump to Russia in 2016, ending four years of work Monday after having lost the two criminal cases he took to trial. In his 306-page report, John Durham , the former top federal prosecutor in Connecticut, repeated prior criticisms faulting the Federal Bureau of Investigation on a number of points.

☆ FBI Faulted for Its Probe of Russian Meddling in 2016 Campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Aruna Viswanatha | Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Special counsel John Durham said his report was based on more than 480 interviews, a review of more than six million pages of documents, 190 subpoenas and other actions. Photo: Evan Vucci/Associated PressWASHINGTON—A special counsel appointed in President Donald Trump’s administration issued a highly critical report on how the FBI handled allegations linking Mr. Trump to Russia in 2016, ending four years of work Monday after having lost the two criminal cases he took to trial. In his 306-page report, John Durham , the former top prosecutor in Connecticut, repeated prior criticisms faulting the Federal Bureau of Investigation on a number of points.

☆ Why battery, not rape? E. Jean Carroll's own testimony against Donald Trump helps explain Manhattan verdict
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A federal jury in Manhattan found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll. That jury on Tuesday awarded her $5 million in damages, after finding Trump civilly liable for sexual battery, but not for rape. he asked Carroll. "We were basically the same height," Carroll told Tacopina during cross examination. "So you are saying," Tacopina asked, "that you got your knee up to his — it would be waist, as high as his waist?"

☆ Biden, Lawmakers Look to Break Impasse on Debt Ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( David Harrison | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a meeting at the White House on Friday. Photo: Evan Vucci/Associated PressWASHINGTON—Top Democrats and Republicans are racing to try to find a politically acceptable way to raise the nation’s borrowing limit in the coming weeks, diving into talks that President Biden has avoided during months of impasse. Mr. Biden will host House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) and other congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday, the first direct contact in months as officials grapple with the prospect of the first-ever U.S. default as soon as June 1.

On Easter Monday, the hottest ticket in Washington, DC, is the annual Easter Egg Roll. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden participate in the 2023 White House Easter Egg Roll in April 2023. Evan Vucci/APWashingtonian families have spent the day on the South Lawn of the White House rolling and playing with their dyed Easter eggs since President Rutherford B. Hayes opened the gates to the Executive Mansion in 1878. Since then, the affair has become one of the most high-profile events that takes place at the White House each year. In a 2017 interview with The New York Times, Melinda Bates, who organized eight years of Clinton-era Easter Egg Rolls said, "The White House and the first lady are judged on how well they put it on."

☆ Trump praised his family in his post-arraignment speech, but didn't mention Melania, who was nowhere to be seen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Neither Melania nor Ivanka Trump were seen during Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago speech Tuesday. Donald Jr, Eric and Tiffany Trump all showed up to hear the former president speak. While Donald Jr, Eric and Tiffany Trump and their partners were seen in the ballroom, his wife and eldest daughter were notably absent. During his speech, Trump singled out several family members for praise, including Ivanka — but notably didn't mention his absent wife, a transcript of the speech shows. Speaking about the "fantastic job" his "great family" have done, he indicated Donald Jr, Eric, Ivanka, and Barron Trump, per the paper.

☆ Nikki Haley's road to the White House will be difficult, but she has a key polling advantage her rivals lack.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Nikki Haley faces a number of challenges — namely Donald Trump — as she runs for the White House. But the former governor still has the potential to overcome her current standing as the Republican primary season heats up. And if it works, she could position herself as a forward-thinking leader who can move the GOP past the tumult of the 2020 presidential election. And in a mid-March Morning Consult poll, Haley's favorability among GOP voters sat at 47%, while only 16% had an unfavorable view of her; roughly 1 in 5 respondents said they were unfamiliar with the ex-governor. AP Photo/Alex BrandonA push to move beyond the 2020 electionSince November 2020, Trump has continued to question his election loss, alleging voter fraud despite no evidence of widespread malfeasance.

☆ Biden seeks $1.6 bln to tackle COVID relief fraud ahead of Republican probes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] President Joe Biden speaks before signing two bills aimed at combating fraud in the COVID-19 small business relief programs at the White House in Washington, U.S., August 5, 2022. Evan Vucci/Pool via REUTERSMarch 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden plans to ask Congress to provide $1.6 billion in new funding to tackle fraud tied to U.S. pandemic relief programs and help victims of identity theft, the White House said. In addition, Biden wants Congress to increase the statute of limitations on serious pandemic unemployment insurance fraud to 10 years, the White House said. In one case, an investigation by the task force recovered $286 million in stolen pandemic relief funds, and investigators have identified several equally important cases, according to the White House. Sperling, who oversees the COVID aid response for the White House, told reporters the renewed focus on pandemic fraud has nothing to do with coming Republican investigations.

☆ Putin gave Biden a $12,000 writing set in 2021. It was among the unusual presents world leaders offered the US president that year.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

These are 7 of the most unusual, unique, or noteworthy presents gifted to President Joe Biden that year. These are 7 of the most unusual presents gifted to President Joe Biden in 2021. Putin gave Biden a $12,000 desk setLess than a year before Vladimir Putin launched his unprompted war in Ukraine, the Russian president gifted Biden a Kholuy Lacquer miniature workshop desk writing set and pen valued at $12,000, according to the State Department. Queen Elizabeth gave the president a photo of herselfThe late Queen Elizabeth gave the gift of herself during the 2021 G7 summit in England. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office of the White House, Sept. 1, 2021, in Washington.

They are demanding steep spending cuts to tame the deficit at a time when the United States is pumping billions of dollars in military and other aid into Ukraine. For now, Republican leaders in Congress, who fiercely oppose Biden on most issues, support aid for Ukraine's defense, even calling for Washington to send more powerful weapons, more quickly. "Americans' support for Ukraine is reflected in strong bipartisan support Ukraine assistance has received in both houses of Congress," Watson said. A global Ipsos poll late last year found that majorities in NATO members including Canada, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and Poland back continued military support to Ukraine. Only in Hungary and Italy did more oppose than support it, and those countries' leaders have fallen in line with European initiatives to support Ukraine.

☆ How Biden's surprise trip to Kyiv was kept secret - but not from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] President Joe Biden arrives for a surprise visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in Kyiv. After months of planning, Biden on Friday decided to go ahead with the trip, according to the White House. By then it was Sunday night, and Biden's train traveled in the dark with a heavy security presence on board. "It's good to be back in Kyiv," Biden said after stepping off the train. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who accompanied the president, said U.S. officials did notify Russian officials that Biden would be traveling to Kyiv.

That number includes both rocket launches and capsule reentries, and has been steadily climbing. A Falcon Heavy rocket launches the USSF-67 mission on January 15, 2023 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "Air space is going to be a critical, critical issue," Isom said, calling on new industries to contribute to the cost of air traffic control. A graph of FAA-licensed or permitted commercial space launches (excludes launches licensed by other U.S. government agencies, such as NASA or the Department of Defense). Together they create a moving target for space launches and the commercial airlines eyeing the same air space.

☆ Biden doubles down on needling Republicans over proposed Social Security and Medicare cuts: 'I'm your nightmare'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"I guess I shouldn't say any more," he said, "but particularly on Social Security and Medicare." Rubio, who is in the rumored mix for the 2024 GOP nomination, said anybody who supports slashing Social Security or Medicare is delusional. "You have to listen to what the president said the last couple of years about protecting and fighting for Medicare and Social Security." "I've never ever said I would reduce Medicare or Social Security benefits. As for Social Security, its trust funds are expected to be insolvent by 2035, which would trigger 20% in cuts across the board.

☆ DeSantis echoes Trump in latest offense against the media after taunting the former president during live TV roundtable
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Ron DeSantis won't be the Republican to give the party's response to President Joe Biden's forthcoming State of the Union Address. The broadcast echoed the media ire former President Donald Trump frequently has on display. "To assassinate someone's character with anonymous sources would have been a total no-no," DeSantis said of past media practice. Like Trump, DeSantis often bemoans his media coverage and excoriates what he calls the "corporate press." Despite raising his tussles with the press, DeSantis insisted non-politicians would be the focus of new libel laws.

☆ What Elon Musk has said publicly — and in private texts — on his ideas for Twitter and X, an 'everything app'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Elon Musk has discussed his plans for X, an "everything app," on Twitter and in private texts. AP Photo/Jacquelyn MartinPrivate texts about a blockchain-based platformMusk has also discussed creating a social media platform built on a blockchain. In April, the billionaire privately outlined his idea for a "Doge" social media platform in texts to his younger brother, Kimbal Musk. "I have an idea for a blockchain social media system that does both payments and short text messages/links like Twitter," Musk texted. Shortly after buying Twitter, Musk began charging Twitter users for the app's blue check mark.

☆ Meet Bernie Marcus, the Home Depot co-founder who is fearful of 'socialism' and 'woke' workers ruining America
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

He has also actively given to Republican politicians, donating $64 million to political causes over the years such as the campaigns of former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Sen. John McCain, according to data from the Federal Election Commission. Ric Feld, Evan Vucci/AP ImagesSource: Insider

☆ Joe Biden's biggest successes and failures in his second year in office
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

His second year in office was marked by historic legislative achievements despite Democrats' razor-thin majority in Congress. Here are some of the highs and lows from Biden's second year:Success: UkrainePresident Joe Biden talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outside the White House. Conservative New York Times columnist Bret Stephens in September called the "staggering gains" by Ukrainian forces "a victory for Joe Biden, too." Universal pre-K was included in a sweeping spending plan passed by House Democrats until their Senate colleagues cut that out too. Failure: InflationPresident Joe Biden arrives for an event focused on inflation and the supply chain at the Port of Los Angeles in June.

☆ DeSantis' latest anti-COVID-19 vaccine push puts him on a collision course with Trump over the pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ron DeSantis intensified his attacks on the COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday, in a move that positions the Republican governor to contrast his pandemic record with that of former President Donald Trump. It's not clear whether Trump will lean into his success on the COVID-19 vaccine through his Operation Warp Speed program. Then-President Donald Trump with then-Florida governor candidate Ron DeSantis at a July 2018 “Make America Great Again” rally in Tampa, Florida. For instance, the FDA and CDC have cleared the bivalent booster for those as young as 6 months of age depending on what COVID-19 vaccine a person has previously had. The committee will issue guidance about COVID vaccines and other healthcare matters.

Prosecutors in the Trump Organization tax fraud trial said in their closing arguments Friday that the former president sanctioned what became a sweeping 15-year scheme to compensate top company executives off the books. “Donald Trump is explicitly sanctioning tax fraud. “This whole narrative that Donald Trump is blissfully ignorant is just not real.”Attorneys for the defense objected to the late-trial move by the prosecution, which also mentioned Trump at the beginning of closing arguments on Thursday. The 15-count indictment in the case charges the company and longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg with scheming to defraud, tax fraud and falsifying records. Donald Trump stands next to Allen Weisselberg at a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower on Jan. 11, 2017.

Christopher Gregory/Getty ImagesDonald McGahn, Trump campaign counsel: I was at the top. Trump's 2016 campaign aides said they paid about 50 people, including part-time actors, to appear as supporters for his 2016 campaign announcement. Corey Lewandowski, Trump campaign managerCorey Lewandowski: I called my wife just as we were getting onto the plane. Stuff that would be from Mars on any other campaign was perfectly normal for the Trump campaign. Mark J. Terrill/AP photo Show less Trump at the Republican National Convention while Cruz speaks on July 20, 2016.

☆ Elon Musk and Donald Trump now own rival social networks. Here's a timeline of their rocky relationship.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Former President Donald Trump said he's "very happy" that Elon Musk now owns Twitter. January 2020: 'One of our great geniuses'Former President Donald Trump speaks during a "Save America" rally in Anchorage, Alaska, on July 9, 2022. May 2020: Trump backs up Musk in feud with California covid rulesElon Musk meets Donald Trump at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. May 30, 2020. May 2022: Musk said he would reinstate Trump's Twitter accountTesla CEO Elon Musk. July 2022: Trump lashes outFormer President Donald Trump gives the keynote address at the Faith and Freedom Coalition during their annual conference on June 17, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee.

☆ Trump's yearslong crusade against Ukraine has finally come home to roost as Republicans call for abandoning Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

US aid to Ukraine could be in jeopardy if Republicans win the House in the midterms. Several GOP lawmakers and candidates have signaled they would support reducing or cutting off Ukraine aid. In April, 10 House Republicans voted against a bill allowing the Biden administration to more easily lend military equipment to Ukraine. The following month, 57 House Republicans voted "no" on a nearly $40 billion aid package for Ukraine. Some GOP opposition to continuing aid to Ukraine is tied to Trump's "America First" policy vis-a-vis foreign affairs.

☆ What Elon Musk has said publicly — and in private texts — about X, his idea for an 'everything app'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk has discussed his plans for X, an "everything app," in Twitter and in private texts. AP Photo/Jacquelyn MartinPrivate texts about a blockchain-based platformMusk has also discussed creating a social media platform built on a blockchain. In April, the billionaire privately outlined his idea for a "Doge" social media platform in texts to his younger brother, Kimbal Musk. "I have an idea for a blockchain social media system that does both payments and short text messages/links like Twitter," Musk texted. A battle against botsOne thing is clear throughout Musk's dealings with Twitter — the billionaire's social media platform will be tasked with eliminating scam accounts.

Keep up to date on the latest of Trump's legal travails, both criminal and civil, with this guide to the ever-evolving Trump docket. The Issues: Trump's real estate and golf resort business is accused of giving its executives pricey perks and benefits that were never reported as income to taxing authorities. The issues: They say Donald Trump sicced his security guards on their peaceful, legal protest outside Trump Tower in 2015. Donald Trump, right, sits with his children, from left, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Trump International Hotel on July 23, 2014, in Washington. The Issues: Donald Trump is accused of promoting a scam multi-level marketing scheme on "The Celebrity Apprentice."

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