01 Trending

DOGE plays hardball in U.S. Institute of Peace takeover – The Washington Post

pgnewser March 20, 2025 0

DOGE plays hardball in U.S. Institute of Peace takeover – The Washington Post
Source Link
Excerpt:

Following President Donald Trump’s Feb. 19 executive order targeting nonexecutive branch foreign aid and peacemaking agencies for elimination, agents of DOGE, the White House-based organization overseen by Elon Musk, have moved to take over entities both small and large.

DOGE, which stands for Department of Government Efficiency, took over the U.S. Institute of Peace on Monday after threatening its officials with criminal prosecution. Its president was removed from its headquarters with the assistance of the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, the FBI and D.C. police.

In seizing control of the 40-year-old Washington institution, founded and funded directly by Congress and employing about 600 people here and overseas, DOGE emptied the building and installed DOGE agent Kenneth Jackson as acting USIP president. Jackson is also titled as a board member of several other far smaller agencies similarly emptied, and he was nominated by Trump as a senior official at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Canada Condemns China’s Execution of 4 Canadians on Drug Convictions – The New York Times– news.google.com

pgnewser March 20, 2025 0

Canada Condemns China’s Execution of 4 Canadians on Drug Convictions – The New York Times– news.google.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

  1. Canada Condemns China’s Execution of 4 Canadians on Drug Convictions  The New York Times
  2. China executed four Canadians for drug crimes this year – Ottawa  BBC.com
  3. Ottawa condemns Chinese executions of four Canadians on drug charges  Reuters
  4. Canada says China executed an unspecified number of Canadians earlier this year  ABC News
  5. Foreign minister ‘strongly condemns’ China’s executions of four Canadians  The Guardian

Mexico City bans violent bullfighting in bid to keep the tradition, but without the bloodshed– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser March 20, 2025 0

Mexico City bans violent bullfighting in bid to keep the tradition, but without the bloodshed– www.cbsnews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Mexico City — Mexico City lawmakers on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to ban violent bullfighting, triggering outrage from aficionados and celebration from animal rights advocates. The legislation, approved by a 61-1 vote, prohibits the killing of bulls and the use of sharp objects that could injure the animals. It also sets time limits on how long bulls can be in the ring, all part of an initiative dubbed “bullfighting without violence.”

The decision sparked angry protests from bullfighting supporters and matadors, some of whom tried to breach a police barricade at the local Congress. Some carried signs that read “Being a fan of la fiesta brava (bullfighting) is not a crime, it’s a point of pride.”

Animal rights activists and lawmakers who have been pushing the bill celebrated, however, walking out onto the steps of Congress surrounded by police in riot gear, pumping their fists and carrying stuffed bull dolls.

“It was either this or nothing,” said Sofía Morín, an animal rights activist with the organization Culture Without Torture, Mexico Without Bullfighting, leading the initiative to change the laws. “We prefer this because, without a doubt, it’s a huge step in protecting animals.”

Luigi Mangione court date postponed as his lawyers question evidence– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser March 20, 2025 0

Luigi Mangione court date postponed as his lawyers question evidence– www.washingtonexaminer.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was scheduled to appear in federal court in New York City on Wednesday, but his court date was postponed to next month.

Mangione’s legal team has argued that Mangione’s rights were violated when he was arrested because they say he wasn’t read his Miranda rights and that authorities collected his DNA illegally by offering him a snack and drink before he was arrested. His next federal court appearance is scheduled for April 18.

The accused assassin was apprehended at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after Thompson was shot in the back in New York City on his way to an investor conference on Dec. 4.

Mexico’s attorney general cites irregularities in investigation of alleged cartel killing site– abcnews.go.com

pgnewser March 20, 2025 0

Mexico’s attorney general cites irregularities in investigation of alleged cartel killing site– abcnews.go.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s attorney general on Wednesday reported irregularities in an investigation by state authorities into an alleged cartel killing site and training camp at a ranch in the western state of Jalisco where people searching for relatives found hundreds of articles of clothing and other personal effects.

The ranch in the town of Teuchitlan, outside Guadalajara, was found by authorities in September 2024. Six months later, a so-called search collective found charred bone fragments and personal items, raising questions about the original investigation by the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office.

Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, whose office took over the investigation last week, said that investigators in Jalisco failed to register evidence and fingerprints and process vehicles found at the ranch, three of which were later stolen.

China says ex-engineer to be executed for spying – The Straits Times

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

China says ex-engineer to be executed for spying – The Straits Times
Source Link
Excerpt:

A former Chinese engineer has been sentenced to death for leaking state secrets to a foreign power, Beijing’s spy agency said on March 19.

The man, surnamed Liu, “secretly copied, duplicated, and sold a large volume of state secrets to a foreign espionage and intelligence agency”, China’s Ministry of State Security said in a post to its official WeChat account.

Liu had worked as an assistant engineer at a research institute and had resigned after believing he had been treated unfairly, the ministry said.

Kristi Noem, announces construction of 7 more miles of border wall starting today– gatewayhispanic.com

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

Kristi Noem, announces construction of 7 more miles of border wall starting today– gatewayhispanic.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, has announced the start of construction on an additional seven miles of border wall as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to strengthen security along the southern border of the United States. This announcement reinforces the administration’s commitment to protecting national sovereignty and reducing the illegal trafficking of drugs, guns and people that has plagued the country in recent years.

‘Our nation’s security is non-negotiable,’ Noem declared during the press conference in Texas, where the first phases of the project will be carried out. ‘Under President Trump’s leadership, we are taking back control of our border and sending a clear message to the cartels and human traffickers: you are not welcome in our country.’

Since assuming leadership of the Department of Homeland Security, Noem has prioritised the implementation of tougher and more effective immigration policies, seeking to reverse the border crisis inherited from the Biden administration. With the completion of these seven miles of wall, it is hoped to reinforce strategic points that have been used by criminal organisations to facilitate the illegal entry of migrants and the trafficking of drugs such as fentanyl, one of the greatest threats to US public security.

JFK Assassination Files Live Updates: Second Batch of Documents Is Released – The New York Times– news.google.com

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

JFK Assassination Files Live Updates: Second Batch of Documents Is Released – The New York Times– news.google.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

  1. JFK Assassination Files Live Updates: Second Batch of Documents Is Released  The New York Times
  2. Inside the 24-Hour Scramble Among Top National Security Officials Over the J.F.K. Documents  The New York Times
  3. Trump releases more than 2,000 new JFK assassination files: What we know  Al Jazeera English
  4. Last of the classified JFK assassination files released  NPR
  5. JFK files key takeaways: What we learned and didn’t  6ABC Philadelphia

Jonathan Turley: The Chances of Overturning Biden’s Pardons Over Autopen Are ‘Vanishingly Low’– slaynews.com

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

Jonathan Turley: The Chances of Overturning Biden’s Pardons Over Autopen Are ‘Vanishingly Low’– slaynews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Legal scholar Jonathan Turley has warned that it is very unlikely that former President Joe Biden’s presidential pardons will be overturned due to an autopen signature.

It comes amid growing concerns about presidential documents being signed by White House handlers using an autopen while Biden was in a cognitively diminished state.

Autopen signatures are automatically produced by a machine, as opposed to an authentic, handwritten autograph.

The use of an autopen means documents could have been signed without Biden being present, or even aware, as his signature was applied.

The scandal has led to speculation that important documents signed with an autopen, such as Biden’s final hour pardons, could be overturned.

Brit spyplane buzzes Russian convoy packed with weapons stalking in Channel as UK to draw up Ukraine ‘peacekeeper’ plan– www.thesun.co.uk

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

Brit spyplane buzzes Russian convoy packed with weapons stalking in Channel as UK to draw up Ukraine ‘peacekeeper’ plan– www.thesun.co.uk
Source Link
Excerpt:

A ROYAL Air Force spy plane roared over a Russian warship in a dramatic Channel showdown – as Europe’s top generals “swoop into  London” to discuss putting troops in Ukraine.

The Poseidon P-8A patrol plane buzzed the destroyer Severomorsk as it led a Russian convoy retreating past the cliffs of Dover.

Florida man convicted for raping, killing 8-year-old, murdering her grandma asks SCOTUS to block execution– www.foxnews.com

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

Florida man convicted for raping, killing 8-year-old, murdering her grandma asks SCOTUS to block execution– www.foxnews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

A Florida death row inmate convicted of raping and killing an eight-year-old girl and murdering her grandmother is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution.

Edward James, 63, was convicted in the 1993 rape and murder of Toni Neuner, 8, and the murder of Betty Dick, 58, in Seminole County. He pleaded guilty to the murders and charges of child abuse and kidnapping, and pleaded no contest to other charges he said he could not remember.

James’ execution by lethal injection is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Florida State Prison in the city of Starke. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed James’ death warrant last month.

Entire Families Wiped Out as Israel Resumes Genocidal Assault on Gaza – Common Dreams

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

Entire Families Wiped Out as Israel Resumes Genocidal Assault on Gaza – Common Dreams
Source Link
Excerpt:

Once again, entire families are being wiped out by Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip after U.S. President Donald Trumpreportedly gave the green light for the key American ally to resume its assault on the Palestinian enclave.

Israel unilaterally abrogated the crumbling eight-week cease-fire early Tuesday, unleashing a wave of ferocious strikes on the already flattened Gaza Strip, killing at least 404 people—including 174 children, 89 women, and 32 elders—and wounding at least 562 others, with the death toll expected to rise, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Elon Musk’s DOGE are breaking things they can’t fix, warn IT experts– mashable.com

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

Elon Musk’s DOGE are breaking things they can’t fix, warn IT experts– mashable.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Elon Musk loves wearing his TECH SUPPORT T-shirt in the White House. He wore it to his Oval Office interview; he wore it to his first Cabinet meeting. “I actually just call myself Humble Tech Support here,” Musk told heads of departments whose computer systems he’d already accessed.

Acting like the IT guy: this wasn’t really Musk trying to be cute, or somehow downplaying all the chaos his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had unleashed in its first month of existence. It’s a stark reminder of how he had secured, so fast, enough power to terrorize the federal government from within: literally, using nothing but the access provided by the White House’s IT department.

Which, in all probability like your company’s tech team, has a “god mode” level of access to many key computer systems. The kind of access that could do a lot of damage at any organization anywhere in our hyperconnected world, let alone inside the two million employee-strong U.S. government.

Ukrainian ‘troops & tanks’ launch assault over border & Putin unleashes ‘flamethrower’ weapon hours before Trump call– www.thesun.co.uk

pgnewser March 18, 2025 0

Ukrainian ‘troops & tanks’ launch assault over border & Putin unleashes ‘flamethrower’ weapon hours before Trump call– www.thesun.co.uk
Source Link
Excerpt:

UKRAINIAN troops and tanks have launched an assault into Russia while Vladimir Putin has unleashed a mighty flamethrower weapon, reports claim.

Claims of fresh fighting come as Donald Trump and Putin are set to speak on the phone and hash out a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Trump Lawyer Refuses to Answer Judge’s Questions in Deportation Flight Hearing – The New York Times– news.google.com

pgnewser March 18, 2025 0

Trump Lawyer Refuses to Answer Judge’s Questions in Deportation Flight Hearing – The New York Times– news.google.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

  1. Trump Lawyer Refuses to Answer Judge’s Questions in Deportation Flight Hearing  The New York Times
  2. Chief justice pushes back against calls to impeach judges who rule against Trump  NBC News
  3. Trump says judge blocking deportations ‘should be impeached,’ DOJ challenges jurisdiction  CNBC
  4. US Chief Justice Calls Impeaching Judges Over Rulings Improper  Bloomberg
  5. Trump insults federal judge amid legal battle over deportation flights  ABC News

Accused Texas megachurch pastor to surrender on child sexual abuse charges– www.bostonherald.com

pgnewser March 18, 2025 0

Accused Texas megachurch pastor to surrender on child sexual abuse charges– www.bostonherald.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A former pastor of a Texas megachurch is expected to turn himself into Oklahoma authorities Monday on child sexual abuse charges.

Robert Preston Morris, 63, is expected to surrender to officials in Osage County, where he was charged last week with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, his attorney, Mack Martin, told The Associated Press.

Martin declined to comment on the charges against Morris, but said he anticipated entering a not guilty plea on Morris’ behalf.

Court records show an Osage County judge set a $50,000 bond and ordered Morris to surrender his passport to the local sheriff.

Morris resigned last year as pastor of Gateway Church in the Dallas suburb of Southlake after a woman accused him of sexually abusing her in the 1980s.

Trump’s Assault Demands a United Front– www.vanityfair.com

pgnewser March 18, 2025 0

Trump’s Assault Demands a United Front– www.vanityfair.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Donald Trump has been in office for only about two months, but his administration is on a supercharged march to exert complete control over both the media and academia. So much of this is right out of Project 2025, which involves concentrating executive power while castrating the judicial and legislative branches. I predicted last month that the latter two might be something of a bulwark, as they were last time, against Trump’s worst instincts. This time, however, that doesn’t seem to be the case: Congressional Republicans will seemingly rubber-stamp just about anything Trump wishes, while Democrats appear increasingly powerless against the GOP’s groupthink. Only the courts and the cratering financial markets have provided some checks on Trump—and he has unsurprisingly decided to ignore both.

That’s why I’ve spent so much time lately thinking about how we can protect the norms and institutions we still have. Democratic senator Sheldon Whitehouse appeared on my podcast last month to argue that Democrats should fight the “corruption” and “chaos” of “Trump and his creepy billionaires” by “hang[ing] together with persistent and relentless focus on the real danger we are facing.” That call for solidarity isn’t just applicable to Democrats; it also applies to the media and the university system, which Trump is targeting through a process of divide and conquer.