Politics Archives

Trump swearing-in will move inside Capitol Rotunda because of intense cold

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weather.Inaugural planners are discussing the possibility of moving Trump’s swearing-in inside due to the extreme temperatures and icy winds, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the planning before a final announcement was made. The Rotunda is prepared as the inclement weather alternative for each inauguration and a final decision would be up to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies in consultation with the Trump, the person said.… Continue Reading

North Carolina governor rolls out further abortion protections ahead of next Trump term

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein announced measures to protect reproductive health care providers and patients via a new executive order. The order announced Thursday mandates that state Cabinet agencies will not cooperate with prosecuting and penalizing physicians who provide lawful reproductive health services. It also requests state agencies to review and revise how they store patients’ reproductive health data to ensure their privacy. The announcement joins a growing movement by Democratic governors to protect abortion access before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office next week. Trump’s stance on abortion was largely inconsistent on the campaign trail and it’s unclear what action he will take.… Continue Reading

Blinken defends US policy on Gaza as his final State Department briefing is interrupted by protests

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken has defended Biden administration policies on Israel’s war with Hamas after a ceasefire agreement in Gaza was reached. He said Thursday that he expects a deal to be implemented over the weekend, even as Israel says a last-minute dispute was holding up its approval. As he touted the deal during his final news conference at the State Department, two people in the room accused him of complicity in Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians in loud outbursts. One shouted, “Why aren’t you in the Hague?” referring to the International Criminal Court based in the Dutch city. Blinken asked them to “respect the process.” Both men were removed by security officers.… Continue Reading

Biden warns in farewell address that an ‘oligarchy’ of ultrarich in US threatens future of democracy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has used his farewell address to the nation to warn of an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and of a “tech-industrial complex” that is infringing on Americans’ rights and the future of democracy. Speaking Wednesday from the Oval Office as he prepares to hand over power to President-elect Donald Trump, Biden spotlighted the accumulation of power and wealth in the U.S. among just a small few. The president warned Americans to be on guard for their freedoms and their institutions during a turbulent era of rapid technological and economic change. Biden also called for a constitutional amendment to end immunity for sitting presidents.… Continue Reading

Bondi in her confirmation hearing says Trump was ‘targeted’ by Justice Department investigations

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, has insisted at her Senate confirmation hearing that Trump was targeted by years of investigations. Bondi pledges she would not “politicize” the Justice Department if confirmed as the country’s chief federal law enforcement officer. Bondi’s statements Wednesday echoed Trump’s claims the Justice Department had been weaponized against him. Democrats are concerned the Republican president-elect will look to use the agency’s law enforcement powers to exact retribution against his adversaries, including the investigators who investigated him. Bondi s a former Florida attorney general. Bondi says she would work to restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice.… Continue Reading

Hegseth confronts allegations of misconduct as senators grill Trump’s choice for Pentagon chief

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth vows to bring “warrior culture’” to the military if confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick. Hegseth is dismissing the sexual assault allegations against him as a “smear” campaign. The former combat veteran and TV news show host calls himself a “change agent’ as senators determine whether he is fit to lead the U.S. military. Chairman Roger Wicker says Hegseth will “shake up” the Pentagon. But the top Democrat Sen. Jack Reed says the allegations against Hegseth are “extremely alarming.” Tuesday’s hearing starts a weeklong marathon as the Republican-led Senate rushes to have some of Trump’s Cabinet picks ready to be confirmed as soon as Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.… Continue Reading

Special counsel Jack Smith has resigned after submitting his Trump report, Justice Department says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith has resigned from the Justice Department after submitting his investigative report on President-elect Donald Trump. It was an expected move that comes amid legal wrangling over how much of that document can be made public in the days ahead. The department disclosed Smith’s departure in a court filing Saturday, saying he had resigned one day earlier. The resignation, 10 days before Trump is inaugurated, follows the conclusion of two unsuccessful criminal prosecutions against Trump that were withdrawn following Trump’s White House win in November. At issue now is the fate of a two-volume report that Smith and his team had prepared about their twin investigations on Trump.… Continue Reading

Judge sentences Trump in hush money case but declines to impose any punishment

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has been sentenced in his New York hush money case, but the judge has declined to impose any punishment. The sentence pronounced Friday by Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine. It caps a norm-smashing case that saw the Republican convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a payment to bury affair allegations that threatened to cloud his 2016 presidential run. Yet it didn’t hurt him with voters. Trump denies wrongdoing and has vowed to appeal.… Continue Reading

Jimmy Carter lauded for his humility and service in Washington before his return to Georgia

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was honored with the pageantry of a funeral in the nation’s capital before a second service in his tiny Georgia hometown that launched a Depression-era farm boy to the world stage. The dual funerals Thursday conclude six days of national funeral rites for the 39th president who died Dec. 29 at the age of 100. President Joe Biden eulogized Carter in Washington. Carter’s other living successors attended along with other dignitaries. His afternoon funeral in Plains, Georgia, is a small affair limited to family, friends and members of Maranatha Baptist Church. Carter will be buried alongside his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, in the same town where they were born, lived most of their lives and died.… Continue Reading

Approaching winter weather cancels North Carolina inauguration ceremony

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s public inauguration ceremony scheduled for Saturday for new Gov. Josh Stein and other statewide elected officials has been canceled because of approaching winter weather. The state inaugural committee announced the decision Wednesday. It was supposed to be held on the grounds of the old Capitol building in Raleigh. Stein and Council of State members were to be sworn in publicly. A little snow with sleet and freezing rain is anticipated for Friday and Saturday. Stein and several Council of State members already have taken their official oaths in private or in small ceremonies. A block party for Saturday also was canceled but may be rescheduled.… Continue Reading