News & Current Events

[ad_1] Adam Schiff raises insider trading concerns after Trump's tariff pause Following a turbulent day on Wall Street sparked by President Trump’s sudden 90-day tariff pause on most countries—with the exception of China—Democratic Senator Adam Schiff has raised concerns about insider trading within the Trump administration. In a pointed statement on Capitol Hill, Schiff criticized what he described as an erratic and dangerous trade policy. “This on again, off again, it must be Wednesday, tariffs are off again kind of policy… has just wreaked havoc on the markets,” he said.But the damage to the markets, Schiff alleged, might only be the surface of a deeper scandal. Referencing a social media earlier in the day from President Trump saying “this is a good time to buy,” Schiff questioned who may have known in advance about the administration’s plans to lift tariffs—a […]

[ad_1] Steve Shand (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement via AP) , Harshkumar Patel (Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office via AP) A federal court justice, on Tuesday, denied applications for fresh trials of two individuals found guilty on charges related to human smuggling. The case involved the tragic deaths of four Indians who died of extreme cold while attempting to cross from Canada into Minnesota during a severe storm in 2022.US District Judge John Tunheim upheld the guilty verdicts delivered last November against Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Anthony Shand. The ruling enables the defendants to pursue their cases in a federal appeals court after their sentencing on May 7.Defence counsel for both accused contested the evidence sufficiency. "But this was not a close case," Tunheim stated.The judge determined adequate evidence existed for the jury's guilty verdict on all counts against both […]

[ad_1] A town hall event on CNN featuring Senator Bernie Sanders took an unexpected turn when anchor Anderson Cooper introduced a civil rights attorney using "incorrect" pronouns. Cooper said, “I want to introduce Grace Thomas. She is a local civil rights attorney. She is a Democrat, right?” Thomas politely corrected him, saying, “They/them pronouns, actually. Thank you.” Cooper responded with an “oh”.Sanders smiled seemingly in affirmation of Thomas as she corrected the anchor.Thomas further went on to ask Sanders, “Polling and turnout data indicate that men of all racial demographics are turning away from the Democratic Party...” The senator appeared to listen to the question intently, his face focused but slightly furrowed. Social media users picked up on his expression and joked that he looked confused about the pronoun. “Bernie’s face. He looks so confused,” wrote one user. Others used […]

[ad_1] OpenAI filed a lawsuit against billionaire Elon Musk on Wednesday, alleging that he has deliberately tried to harm the company through a mix of public criticism, legal threats, and business manoeuvres. The lawsuit, submitted to a federal court that had recently blocked Musk’s attempt to challenge OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit model, furthers the ongoing dispute between Musk and the AI company he co-founded. According to the legal filing, Musk used various tactics — including public posts on X, legal claims, and a failed $97.4 billion takeover bid — to damage OpenAI’s credibility and operations. OpenAI said the takeover offer was not genuine and was merely an attempt to disrupt the company’s growth. “Through press attacks, malicious campaigns broadcast to Musk’s more than 200 million followers on the social media platform he controls, a pretextual demand for corporate records, […]

[ad_1] The death toll in the catastrophic nightclub collapse in the Dominican Republic has risen to at least 184, as desperate families continue to wait for news about missing loved ones. The incident occurred on Tuesday.Video footage circulating on social media showed he moment just before the roof collapsed, crushing hundreds of nightclub-goers under tonnes of debris. Rescuers officially ended the search for survivors late Wednesday and shifted their focus to recovery efforts.The collapse occurred early Tuesday at Jet Set, a nightclub in southern Santo Domingo, during a merengue concert by singer Rubby Pérez, who also died in the disaster.The nightclub was hosting musicians, politicians, professional athletes and celebrities. It was filled with dancing and music when the ceiling gave way without warning — sending tonnes of concrete crashing down on hundreds of guests.Victimis spent 'hours under rubble' Witnesses say […]

[ad_1] Chinese producers of plastic Christmas trees and other holiday items say they’ve yet to receive any orders from their US clients – and they fear they may not get any at all, reports news agency Reuters. The delay comes amid soaring US import tariffs, with US President Donald Trump ramping up levies on Chinese goods by 104% this year alone.Manufacturers across China have expressed concerns as international clients lower, pause, or even cancel orders.“By mid-April all the orders are normally finalised,” said Qun Ying, who runs a Christmas tree factory in Jinhua, eastern China. He was quoted as saying to Reuters, “But right now ... it's hard to know if any orders are coming. Maybe American customers won’t buy anything this year.”Across the festive supply chain, manufacturers are reporting a standstill. Jessica Guo, also based in Jinhua, said one […]

[ad_1] A federal appeals court has ruled in favour of the Trump administration on Wednesday, allowing it to proceed with the dismissal of thousands of probationary federal employees. This overturns a previous court order in Baltimore that had required reinstatement.The court ruled that the employees’ terminations should be challenged through the federal employment process rather than through the courts. The decision is part of a broader legal battle involving multiple states and ongoing lawsuits over the legality of mass terminations under Trump’s federal workforce reforms. The panel of three judges was divided. Two Republican-appointed judges backed the administration, while the third, appointed by a Democrat, dissented. Federal appeals court allows Trump administration to resume firing probationary workers The lawsuit, filed by nearly two dozen states, argued that the sudden job losses placed a heavy financial and administrative burden on them, […]

[ad_1] The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday limiting federal district judges from issuing nationwide injunctions. The move, backed mainly by Republicans, follows repeated court blocks of Trump administration policies. The bill restricts judicial orders to only those directly involved in a case. The legislation would prevent judges from issuing nationwide injunctions—orders that currently allow a single court to block government policies across the entire country. The bill reflects growing Republican frustration over court decisions that have stalled or overturned policies from former President Donald Trump’s administration. These include actions like firing federal workers, freezing government funds, and shutting down federal offices. Most recently, judges in Texas and New York blocked the application of the Alien Enemies Act on detainees. Republicans argue that the judiciary is interfering too broadly and too often, calling it a form of […]

[ad_1] File photo: Byron Donalds (Picture credit: AP) US Rep Byron Donalds is once again in the headlines after a video of him being shouted down by voters during a campaign stop went viral. The Florida Republican, who is running for governor in 2026 with US President Donald Trump’s endorsement, attempted to engage with a group of left-leaning voters but was met with boos and heckling. In the clip, Donalds stood firm, responding, “I’m gonna be your governor, trust me! Oh, yes I am!” The moment, captured on social media went viral, earning praise, especially from right-wing supporters.At the same time, Donalds is also embracing Trump's hardline stance on international trade, defending the administration's steep tariffs against China. Speaking on Fox Business, he argued the tariffs are necessary to end “sweetheart deals” from past administrations, saying, “China has to actually […]

[ad_1] Trump praises Chinese president, predicts 'very good deal' with China despite tariff standoff (Picture credit: AP) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday voiced optimism that a deal with China is still within reach, even as tensions between the two superpowers escalated following his decision to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping and left the door open for direct talks.“Xi is a smart guy and we’ll end up making a very good deal,” Trump said, calling the Chinese leader “one of the smartest people in the world” and “a man who knows exactly what has to be done, he loves his country”.Trump told reporters he would consider speaking with Xi, though he acknowledged that the Chinese aren’t currently taking advantage of the US. “I think investing […]