Judge rejects Trump’s attempt to throw out hush money conviction
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday — the same day that a judge rejected his bid to have his hush money conviction dismissed because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity. But the case’s overall future remains unclear. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press) A judge on Monday refused to throw out U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction dismissed because of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity. But the case’s overall future remains unclear. Manhattan Judge Juan M.Read more
TikTok asks U.S. Supreme Court for emergency order to block upcoming ban
Lawyers for social media company TikTok on Monday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis to block a federal law set to come into effect on Jan. 19, 2025, that would ban the popular platform in the U.S., unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, agreed to sell it. (Richard Vogel/The Associated Press) TikTok on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis to block the federal law that would ban the popular platform in the United States unless its China-basedRead more
SoftBank to make $100B US investment in the U.S., Trump announces with CEO by his side
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks next to SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 16. The two announced on Monday that SoftBank would invest $100 billion US in the U.S. over the next four years in what they said would be a boost to the country’s economy. (Brian Snyder/Reuters) U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, with SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son at his side, announced on Monday that the Tokyo-based company would invest $100 billion US in the U.S. over the next four years, in what theRead more
Germany’s Olaf Scholz loses confidence vote, as he requested, setting up snap election
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz casts his ballot during a vote of confidence against him in a plenary session at the German parliament Bundestag, in Berlin on Monday. (Markus Schreiber/The Associated Press) The German parliament accepted Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s invitation to withdraw its confidence in him and his government on Monday, clearing the way for the Feb. 23 early election necessitated by the collapse of his government. Scholz’s three-party coalition fell apart last month after the pro-market Free Democrats quit in a row over debt, leaving his Social Democrats and theRead more
MPs approve $21B in additional government spending during 11th hour vote
Government House leader Karina Gould rises during question period on Sept. 26, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press) MPs have voted to approve an additional $21.6 billion in government spending. The money, which is supplementary to this year’s federal budget, will fund various programs including First Nations child services, dental care and compensation to Quebec for services to asylum seekers. Conservative MPs did not support the additional spending in a vote tonight in the House of Commons. But there had been uncertainty over whether the vote would even happen beforeRead more
Trump taunts Trudeau by calling him ‘governor’ of ‘a great state’
President-elect Donald Trump took a jab at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, calling him a “governor” and referring to Canada as a “great state” – another suggestion by the incoming president that this country should be part of the United States. Trump apparently joked about Canada becoming the 51st state during his dinner with Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago last month. In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump said that if the U.S. is going to run up lopsided trade deficits with Canada, it might as well become a state.Read more
Watchdog faults Trump-era Justice Department for subpoenas to Congress, media during Russia probe
The department’s Office of Inspector General found that records were subpoenaed from two Democratic members of Congress and 43 staffers, roughly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, as prosecutors investigated leaks of classified information to media outlets in 2017 and 2018. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters) The U.S. Justice Department’s internal watchdog said on Tuesday that prosecutors’ decision to subpoena phone and email records from members of Congress and their staff during president-elect Donald Trump’s first term risked a chilling effect on congressional oversight. The department’s Office of Inspector General found that recordsRead more
South Korean police reportedly raid president’s office over martial law declaration
A large crowd gathers in Seoul on Tuesday ahead of a rally aimed at demanding the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in the wake of his recent — and ultimately failed — bid to impose martial law. (Lee Jin-man/The Associated Press) South Korean police searched President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office Wednesday over his imposition of martial law last week, reports said, as some of his top officials were arrested, detained and questioned about their actions in enforcing his orders. The developments come hours before the main liberalRead more
No global treaty reached on cutting plastic production, talks to resume next year
Climate activists march on a street to demand stronger global commitments to curb plastic pollution on Nov. 23 in Busan, South Korea, two days before the start of what was supposed to be the fifth and final round of talks to develop an international, legally binding treaty to end plastic waste by 2040. (Minwoo Park/Reuters) Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution for a week in South Korea won’t reach an agreement and plan to resume the talks next year. They are at anRead more
The takeaway from Trudeau’s trip to Mar-a-Lago: For Trump, fentanyl is priority No. 1
Donald Trump left his Canadian guests at Mar-a-Lago with a clear impression that fentanyl is his top priority for now in the Canada-U.S. relationship, according to Canadian officials familiar with the details of Friday’s surprise dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The incoming U.S. president gave the sense he wants to declare he’s already saved American lives even before taking office on Jan. 20, 2025, said two sources whom CBC News agreed not to identify. The intensity of the focus on fentanyl caught some of the Canadians at the dinnerRead more