President Trump condemns protesters, calls death of George Floyd a ‘tragedy’
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Following the launch of two astronauts into space, President Donald Trump delivered remarks in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
‘We must be better:' Former President Barack Obama issues statement on death of George Floyd
LOS ANGELES - Former president Barack Obama weighed on the death of George Floyd, who was killed during an incident with Minneapolis police officers on Monday, writing “this shouldn’t be ‘normal’ in 2020 America.”“It can’t be ‘normal’ if we want our children to grow up in a nation what lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must be better,” he wrote.Obama also called on Minnesota officials to ensure that circumstances surrounding Floyd’s death are investigated thoroughly and “that justice is ultimately done.”
President Trump claims protesters in DC risked facing 'vicious dogs'
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that many Secret Service agents were “just waiting for action” and ready to unleash “the most vicious dogs, and the most ominous weapons, I have ever seen" if protesters angered by his response to George Floyd's death had crossed the White House's security fence.In a series of tweets hours after hundreds of demonstrators had massed outside the White House and scraped with officers in riot gear, President Trump belittled them, doubted their allegiance to Floyd's memory, said they were only out “to cause trouble” and were “professionally managed.” He offered no evidence to back his assertions, and the president even seemed to invite supporters to make their presence felt: “Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???”President Trump later rejected the suggestion that he was stoking a potential conflict between protesters and his supporters: “I was just asking.
President Trump's WHO funding cut prompts criticism as virus spreads
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's announcement he was cutting U.S. funding for the World Health Organization prompted criticism Saturday, as spiking infection rates in India and elsewhere served as a reminder the global pandemic is far from contained.President Trump on Friday charged that the WHO didn’t respond adequately to the pandemic, accusing the U.N. agency of being under China’s “total control.”The WHO wouldn't comment on the announcement but South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize called it an “unfortunate” turn of events.“Certainly, when faced with a serious pandemic, you want all nations in the world to be particularly focused ...
Thousands ignore Minneapolis curfew as U.S. protests spread
MINNEAPOLIS — Thousands of protesters ignored a curfew and vows of a forceful police response to take to the Minneapolis streets for a fourth straight night, as the anger stoked by the police killing of George Floyd spread to more cities across the U.S.The Pentagon on Saturday ordered the Army to put military police units on alert to head to the city on short notice at President Donald Trump’s request, according to three people with direct knowledge of the orders who did not want their names used because they were not authorized to discuss the preparations.
Transcripts released of Flynn's calls with Russian diplomat
WASHINGTON — Transcripts of phone calls that played a pivotal role in the Russia investigation were declassified and released Friday, showing that Michael Flynn, as an adviser to then-President-elect Donald Trump, urged Russia's ambassador to be “even-keeled” in response to punitive Obama administration measures, and assured him “we can have a better conversation” about relations between the two countries after Trump became president.Democrats said the transcripts showed that Flynn had lied to the FBI when he denied details of the conversation and that he was undercutting a sitting president while ingratiating himself with a country that had just interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
President Trump vetoes bipartisan measure against DeVos' loan rules
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Friday vetoed a measure that would have overturned a policy that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued in 2019 making it harder for students to get their loans erased after being misled by for-profit colleges.The Senate gave final approval to the bipartisan measure in March, dealing a rare rebuke of DeVos from the Republican-led chamber.
US cuts World Health Organization ties over virus response
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. will be terminating its relationship with the World Health Organization, saying it had failed to adequately respond to the coronavirus because China has “total control” over the global organization.He said Chinese officials “ignored” their reporting obligations to the WHO and pressured the WHO to mislead the world when the virus was first discovered.He noted that the U.S. contributes about $450 million to the world body while China provides about $40 million.The U.S. is the largest source of financial support to the WHO and its exit is expected to significantly weaken the organization.
Twitter adds 'glorifying violence' warning to President Trump tweet
WASHINGTON — Twitter has added a warning to one of President Donald Trump's tweets about protests in Minneapolis, saying it violated the platform's rules about “glorifying violence."President Trump, a prolific Twitter user, has been at war with the company since earlier this week, when it for the first time applied fact checks to two of his tweets.
President Trump: $40.9M in federal funding committed to Milwaukee rapid transit project
MILWAUKEE -- President Donald Trump on Thursday, May 28 tweeted that millions of dollars in funding is being committed to Milwaukee's East-West Bus Rapid Transit project.
President Trump signs executive order targeting Twitter, social media protections
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump escalated his war on social media companies Thursday, May 28, signing an executive order challenging the liability protections that have served as a bedrock for unfettered speech on the internet.Still, the move appears to be more about politics than substance, as the president aims to rally supporters after he lashed out at Twitter for applying fact checks to two of his tweets.President Trump said the fact checks were “editorial decisions” by Twitter and amounted to political activism.
US joins G7 artificial intelligence group to counter China's record of 'twisting technology'
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. has joined an international panel for setting ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence.
US charges North Koreans in $2.5B sanctions-busting scheme
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has accused a network of North Korean and Chinese citizens of secretly advancing North Korea’s nuclear weapons program by channeling at least $2.5 billion in illicit payments through hundreds of front companies.The indictment, unsealed on Thursday, is believed to be the largest criminal enforcement action ever brought against North Korea.The 33 defendants include executives of North Korea's state-owned Foreign Trade Bank, which in 2013 was added to a Treasury Department list of sanctioned institutions and cut off from the U.S. financial system.According to the indictment, the bank officials — one of whom had served in North Korea's primary intelligence bureau — set up branches in countries around the world, including Thailand, Russia and Kuwait, and used more than 250 front companies to process U.S. dollar payments to further the country's nuclear proliferation program.Five of the defendants are Chinese citizens who operated covert branches in either China or Libya.“Through this indictment, the United States has signified its commitment to hampering North Korea's ability to illegally access the U.S. financial system and limit its ability to use proceeds from illicit actions to enhance its illegal WMD and ballistic missile programs," acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin said in a statement.The case was filed at a time of delicate relations between the U.S. and North Korea.
Democrats pull surveillance bill after President Trump veto threat
WASHINGTON — Democrats on Thursday pulled legislation from the House floor to extend FBI surveillance authorities after President Donald Trump and Republicans turned against the measure and ensured its defeat.
President Trump says 'justice will be served' as federal authorities investigate George Floyd's death
MINNEAPOLIS -- President Donald Trump is promising justice as the death of a man in Minneapolis while in police custody has sparked protests.In tweets, President Trump said he has already directed the FBI and Department of Justice to look into the death of George Floyd.
Biden calls President Trump a 'fool' for mocking masks during pandemic
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden said Tuesday that wearing a mask in public to combat the spread of the coronavirus is a sign of leadership and called President Donald Trump a “fool” who was “stoking deaths” for suggesting otherwise.The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s comments came a day after he wore a black face mask while making his first public appearance in more than two months.
Most Medicare enrollees could get insulin for $35 a month, President Trump announces
WASHINGTON — Many Medicare recipients could pay less for insulin next year under a deal President Donald Trump announced Tuesday in a pivot to pocketbook issues important in November's election.“I hope the seniors are going to remember it,” President Trump said at a Rose Garden ceremony, joined by executives from insurance and drug companies, along with seniors and advocates for people with diabetes.The deal comes as President Trump tries to woo older voters critical to his reelection prospects.Medicare recipients who pick a drug plan offering the new insulin benefit would pay a maximum of $35 a month starting next year, a savings estimated at $446 annually.
President Trump says schools in US should be opened 'ASAP'
WASHINGTON D.C. -- President Trump urged the reopening of schools throughout the U.S. on Sunday, as most remain closed to limit the coronavirus spread and protect the health of students during the pandemic.His tweet was an apparent reaction to similar comments from Fox News' Steve Hilton on his program "The Next Revolution." President Trump tagged Hilton and Fox News in a tweet Sunday where he mentioned reopening schools "ASAP.""Schools in our country should be opened ASAP.
President Trump honors fallen soldiers on Memorial Day in twin events
BALTIMORE — President Donald Trump honored America’s fallen service members on Monday as he commemorated Memorial Day in back-to-back appearances in the midst of the pandemic.“Together we will vanquish the virus and America will rise from this crisis to new and even greater heights," President Trump said during a ceremony at Baltimore’s historic Fort McHenry. “No obstacle, no challenge and no threat is a match for the sheer determination of the American people.”
President Trump demands immediate answer from governor on RNC capacity
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump demanded Monday, May 25 that North Carolina's Democratic governor sign off “immediately” on allowing the Republican National Convention to move forward in August with full attendance despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.President Trump's tweets Monday about the RNC, planned for Charlotte, come just two days after the North Carolina recorded its largest daily increase in positive cases yet.On Friday, Gov.