An Indian court is due to hear a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's social media company X, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of misusing the law to censor content on its platform. Last month, X sued the government saying a new website - Sahyog - launched by the federal home ministry last year, was being used to expand its censorship powers and take down content. Read more
Six Australian universities have quietly closed Chinese government-linked Confucius Institutes (CI) on their campuses, leaving seven open nationwide. Canberra has ramped up scrutiny on the education centers over concerns that Beijing is using them to spread propaganda and spy on Chinese international students. Beijing says its Confucius Institutes, which offer Chinese language and cultural classes overseas, are a "bridge reinforcing friendship" with the world. Western intelligence agencies have been concerned about Beijing's global reach through these education centers. Some universities in America and Europe also closed some of their branches. AI estimates there are approximately 30 Confucius Institutes operating in the US, down from a peak of around 1,201. In Canada, there are 13 Confucius Institutes operating. Read more
The CIA has withdrawn Ralph Goff, an agency veteran and vocal supporter of Ukraine, from consideration to serve as its chief of clandestine operations. Goff had been appointed and given a start date for later this month before he was pulled from consideration. The CIA's DDO is responsible for overseeing the agency's covert activity and the gathering of HUMINT" one of the most challenging and vital aspects of the agency's work. The role is commonly seen as one of the most powerful jobs in the agency. No immediate explanation was given as to why Goff had been withdrawn from consideration for this important position. Goff's career at CIA spanned 35 years, and included significant stretches in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Europe. CIA declined to comment on this story. Read more
National security adviser Mike Waltz's team regularly set up chats on Signal to coordinate official work on issues including Ukraine, China, Gaza, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, according to four people who have been personally added to Signal chats. Two of the people said they were in or have direct knowledge of at least 20 such chats. All four said they saw instances of sensitive information being discussed. This sheds new light on how commonly the Trumpf administration's national security team relies on Signal, a publicly available messaging app, to conduct its work. Read more
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement: "Luigi Mangione's murder of Brian Thompson " an innocent man and father of two young children " was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumpf's agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again." An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Read more
A Republican congressman appalled Democrats at a congressional hearing by quoting infamous Nazi Joseph Goebbels. "A direct quote from Joseph Goebbels: It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion,' and I think that may be what we're discussing here," said Texas' Keith Self. Goebbels was the minister of propaganda for the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler. His role was to convince the German people to support Hitler's regime, which he did so by spreading anti-Semitism and orchestrating the 1933 burning of "un-German" books in Berlin.
President Trump on Wednesday is set to give a "Make America Wealthy Again" speech Wednesday afternoon, when he is expected to announce additional taxes on certain imported goods, as well as reciprocal tariffs on other nations. Trump has deemed April 2 "Liberation Day" because of the tariffs. Despite concern over the economy and financial markets in the U.S. and abroad, the president has argued that the tariffs will boost domestic manufacturing. He has said he's also implementing them to help to curb the flow of drugs, such as fentanyl, from entering the U.S. The perceived trade war, which has sparked significant backlash on both sides of the aisle, follows tariffs imposed earlier this month on Canada, Mexico and China.
We have the world's richest billionaires, who pay only a tiny fraction of their income in taxes compared to cops and bus drivers.
Our middle class, meanwhile, has collapsed from being two-thirds of us in 1980 to fewer than 45 percent of us today as Reaganomics (which is still in effect) has transferred over $50 trillion in wealth from working class people into the money bins of the top one percent. Read more
Tribute performances that defy a world that seems to lack weight or reverence.
Official Keith Emerson Tribute - Lucky Man / The Great Gates Of Kiev - Live in L.A. 2016
A top employee of billionaire Elon Musk who is now working in the U.S. Justice Department previously bragged about hacking and distributing pirated software, according to archived copies of his former websites reviewed by Reuters.
President Donald Trump has told his inner circle, including members of his Cabinet, that Elon Musk will be stepping back in the coming weeks from his current role as governing partner, ubiquitous cheerleader and Washington hatchet man. The president remains pleased with Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency initiative, but both men have decided in recent days that it will soon be time for Musk to return to his businesses and take on a supporting role, according to three Trump insiders who were granted anonymity to describe the evolving relationship.
He was in at least five movies that could have gotten him an Academy Award for best actor.
Cut the agency and their efforts to battle outbreaks will surely promote the MAGA magic.
BOSTON (AP) " A judge in Boston is holding a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in contempt after he detained a suspect while the man was on trial.
Job cuts at federal health agencies began Tuesday as some employees have received notices that their jobs had been terminated. How many jobs are being cut was unclear as of Tuesday morning, but some employees at health departments lost access to be able to get into buildings, CNN reports. Last week the Health and Human Services Department announced it would be cutting 10,000 jobs as the agency undergoes a reconstruction plan. The workforce will drop from 82,000 to 62,000 positions.
In what may be an American first, President Donald Trump pardoned a company sentenced to $100 million in fines for breaking money laundering laws.
