Congress decides to boycott Lok Sabha exit poll debates, Pawan Khera says, ‘why should we…’
Congress spoksperson and media department chairperson Pawan Khera said the voters have cast their votes and their verdict has been secured
Texas Supreme Court rejects challenge to abortion laws
The court ruled against 20 women who said they were denied medically necessary abortions, saying the medical exceptions in the law were broad enough.
Meet our newest reporter: Kayla Guo
Kayla Guo, after a successful yearlong fellowship covering Congress for The New York Times, joins The Texas Tribune.
‘Corrupt criminal’: Maxine Waters receives backlash over vitriolic response to Trump’s guilty verdict
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., received backlash on social media in response to her reaction to the criminal conviction of former President Trump in a post where she mocked the former president. “Trump shut your mouth!” Waters posted on X following Trump’s conviction. “You talk about saving the Constitution? You’re the one who has disrespected the Constitution and you have supporters who believe we should get rid of the Constitution! Just shut your mouth, you’re convicted on all counts!” The post, which ignited an immediate push back from conservatives on social media, received over 1 million views on X. DE NIRO SAYS TRUMP GUILTY VERDICT MEANS ‘JUSTICE WAS SERVED’ “Woman who implored supporters to physically get up in the faces of any Trump administration official has thoughts to share…,” Fox News contributor Joe Concha posted on X. “Literally no one who supports Trump nor Trump wants to get rid of the Constitution,” former U.S. Attorney and Executive Director of Right on Crime Brett Tolman posted on X. RFK JR UNLEASHES ON BIDEN, DEMS AFTER ACCUSING THEM OF ‘WEAPONIZING’ COURTS AGAINST TRUMP “These people are mentally ill,” radio host Mike Sperrazza posted on X. “TDS is real.” “Such ugliness and I bet it goes all the way to the bone,” author Juanita Broaddrick posted on X. “This woman is a corrupt criminal who has laundered over a million dollars in campaign cash to her daughter,” Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. MAXINE WATERS PAID DAUGHTER $192,000 IN CAMPAIGN FUNDS DURING 2022 CYCLE, FILINGS SHOW Fox News Digital reached out to Waters’ office for comment but did not receive a response. Waters was widely criticized for what many labeled a call to violence in 2018 when she encouraged her supporters, “If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.” Waters denied that she had promoted violence. Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree on Thursday. Each count carries a maximum prison sentence of four years. In total, Trump faces a maximum sentence of 136 years. Moments after the verdict was delivered by the jury, the former president spoke to reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom. “This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt, as a rigged trial and disgrace. It wouldn’t give us a venue change,” Trump said. “We were at 5% or 6% in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.” Trump said “the real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people.” Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Trump turns conviction into cash, with a record fundraising haul following guilty verdicts in trial
Donald Trump is cashing in on his convictions in the first trial of a former or current president in the nation’s history. The former president’s campaign announced on Friday morning that it had hauled in $34.8 million in fundraising from 6pm ET to midnight on Thursday, immediately after Trump was found guilty of all 34 felony counts in his criminal trial in New York City. The campaign highlighted in a release that they raked in “a record shattering small dollar fundraising haul” as Trump battles President Biden in a 2024 election rematch. They said the haul was “nearly double the biggest day ever recorded for the Trump campaign on the WinRed platform” and emphasized that the guilty verdicts “have awakened the MAGA movement like never before.” HOW TRUMP GUILTY VERDICTS MAY IMPACT THE 2024 REMATCH WITH BIDEN “From just minutes after the sham trial verdict was announced, our digital fundraising system was overwhelmed with support, and despite temporary delays online because of the amount of traffic, President Trump raised $34.8 million dollars from small dollar donors,” Trump campaign senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles wrote in a statement. They spotlighted that “not only was the amount historic, but 29.7% of yesterday’s donor’s were brand-new donors to the WinRed platform.” And pointing to the autumn election, LaCivita and Wiles reiterated that “President Trump is fighting to save our nation and November 5th is the day Americans will deliver the real verdict.” WHAT TRUMP TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL FOLLOWING THE VERDICT Minutes after the verdict was read in the first trial of a former or current president in the nation’s history, Trump’s team put out a fundraising appeal to supporters. “Friend: Is this the end of America?,” Trump asked in the email. “I was just convicted in a RIGGED political Witch Hunt trial. “My end-of-month fundraising deadline is just DAYS AWAY!” Trump emphasized in the email, which included a photo of the former president labeling him a “political prisoner.” WinRed, the GOP online fundraising platform used by Trump’s campaign, among others, briefly shut down within an hour of the verdict. Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita advised donors encountering a WinRed error message to sign up for Trump’s text messaging list or log back onto the site and try again. “If you are one of the millions of American Patriots wanting to donate to Donald Trump’s campaign and you get an error message from @WINRED …don’t give up! Log back on and try again ! or Text TRUMP to 88022,” LaCivita wrote in a tweet. BIDEN CAMPAIGN QUICKLY POUNCES ON TRUMP TRIAL GUILTY VERDICTS Trump’s campaign website also directed donors to Anedot, another fundraising platform used by various GOP campaigns. The former president’s top pollsters put out a memo on the eve of the verdict arguing that a conviction would not have any electoral consequences. Meanwhile, Trump’s team also fired off a warning shot to the campaigns of down-ballot Republicans not to try and raise money directly off of the former president’s conviction, to prevent the “siphoning” of donations headed to Trump’s coffers. Biden’s re-election campaign also quickly sent out fundraising appeals following the verdict. “Despite a jury finding Donald Trump guilty today, there is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box,” the Biden campaign wrote in a fundraising text to supporters. And it urged that “if you have been waiting for the perfect time to make your first donation to Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, we’re here to tell you today is the day.” Trump has been aiming to close his fundraising gap with Biden. In April, his campaign and the Republican National Committee for the first time outraised the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee. While Trump has stepped up his fundraising, the Biden campaign still enjoyed an $84 million to $49 million cash-on-hand advantage at the end of April. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin leaves Democratic Party, registers as independent
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a longtime political moderate, on Friday announced he is leaving the Democratic Party and has registered as an independent. In a news release, Manchin, who is not running for re-election, said he switched his party affiliation at the West Virginia State Capitol. “From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what’s best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics. Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am. It’s who I will always be. I have never seen America through a partisan lens,” Manchin said. “However, since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy. Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.” JOE MANCHIN FACES PRESSURE FOR 11TH-HOUR RUN TO SECURE CRITICAL SEAT FOR DEMOCRATS Manchin’s surprise decision comes amid reports that he is being encouraged to run for governor of West Virginia by moderate Republicans dissatisfied with the party’s nominee, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. Questioned about those reports last week, Manchin downplayed the rumors but would not rule them out. He said the Democrati nominee, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, is a friend. MANCHIN ON 2024 PROSPECTS: I’D NEVER BE A SPOILER “I heard that this morning, the rumors. I’ve supported my friend Steve Williams, we’ve known each other for 40 years, got him involved. He’s a good person. I don’t know what’s going on. So basically, I’ll just wait until I go home,” Manchin said. The West Virginia MetroNews report quoted sources “close” to the senator who said at least 20 Republicans “with financial resources” have encouraged Manchin to run for governor. WEST VIRGINIA’S MANCHIN ADDRESSES REPORT HE’S BEING RECRUITED TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR Since that report publsihed, Manchin was reportedly bombarded by people urging him to run at an event at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, according to WVMetroNews. The Greenbrier is notably owned by the state’s current governor, Democrat-turned-Republican Jim Justice, who is term-limited and now is the GOP’s Senate nominee to replace Manchin. “The talk about the possibility of Joe Manchin running for West Virginia governor again is real,” wrote Hoppy Kercheval, a news anchor and one of the state’s most recognizable media figures. The Democratic primary is over and Manchin could not run for governor as a Democrat. But his sudden and unexpected decision to become an independent opens the door for a bid for governor’s mansion, or even a reelection effort for Senate. Fox News has reached out to Manchin’s office for comment. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Darker days lay ahead for opposition, minorities after India’s election
For many commentators, an unequivocal victory for Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the foregone conclusion of the ongoing Indian general elections. They insist that the question is not if Modi will win but by how much in terms of seats and votes. Yet, despite this seeming certainty regarding the outcome of these elections, the ruling party and its leader have appeared jittery. And after the winner is declared, I worry, darker and more repressive days may follow. The Indian elections are indeed a big deal. A total of 543 seats in the lower house are up for grabs for 2600 registered political parties. With 969 million eligible voters, it is also the world’s largest election. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has 15 million people employed to monitor and facilitate the elections. Polling has also been spread across 44 days. In this period, incumbent Prime Minister Modi, in search for a third term, has reportedly attended over 200 public events and given 80 interviews. It would be easy to say that what we are witnessing is a celebration of democracy. But numbers can be deceptive. For a few years now India has witnessed a steady democratic downturn. Media and press freedoms have been suppressed and there is little to speak of in terms of journalistic independence in the mainstream. Often dubbed as Godi media – a play on Modi’s name and the word for “lapdogs” – it is not uncommon for mainstream journalism to operate as an arm of the BJP propaganda machinery. Critical journalists have also been targeted by the PM’s cadres as well as federal economic and investigative agencies. In 2024, Reporters without Borders declared the Indian media to be in an “unofficial state of emergency”. The rights of minority groups have also been systematically under attack. Punitive measures have included arbitrary detention and arrests, public floggings and the demolition of homes, businesses and places of worship. All of these measures helped the Modi-led Hindu nationalists become a hegemonic force in Indian politics long before the elections. Yet, in the lead-up to these elections, they have seemed unsure of their standing. But why? Commentators have noted that despite no one doubting that Modi will win the elections, the jingoism around him as a leader embarking on a third term has been noticeably lacklustre. As the elections proceeded this has been reflected in the slightly low voter turnout. The BJP’s self-image as a “corruption slayer” took a beating in late March when the Supreme Court-led disclosers of the Electoral Bonds scheme – a highly secretive “election funding” program introduced by the Modi government in the 2017 Finance Bill – revealed that the BJP was its largest beneficiary. The opposition has called the scheme “the world’s largest extortion racket” run by the prime minister himself. There also seems to be a lack of marquee election issues to galvanise voters. Greatly hyped electoral promises like the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on top of the ruins of Babri Masjid that was destroyed by a Hindu mob in 1992 and the revocation of the constitutional guaranteed special status for the state of Jammu and Kashmir have already been fulfilled. Attention has turned to “bread-and-butter issues” and the performance of the ruling party on “economic growth, job creation, and poverty alleviation” has been less than stellar. Nearly 800 million people remain dependent on government rations. Unemployment rate among 20–24-year-olds hovers around 50 percent. India today is also more unequal than it was under British colonial rule. Under Modi, the top one percent’s income and wealth shares reached 22.6 percent and 40.1 percent respectively. The income share of India’s top one percent is now among the “highest in the world”, above South Africa, Brazil and the United States. Nervous about how these issues would affect the ruling party’s election prospects, the government has been uncompromising. The ruling BJP party has more money than all the other political parties combined. Yet, when the Congress, India’s largest opposition party, attempted to attract small, individual donations, the government weaponised the Income Tax Department and froze the party’s bank account. Tax authorities have also confiscated $14m from the party. Former party chief Rahul Gandhi said the Congress was unable to campaign before the elections. “We can’t support our workers, and our candidates and leaders can’t travel by air or train,” he told reporters. “This is a criminal action on the Congress party done by the prime minister and the home minister,” he added. “The idea that India is a democracy is a lie. There is no democracy in India today,” Less than a month before the start of the elections, Delhi Chief Minister and leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the federal financial crimes agency on “graft allegations” in relation to Delhi’s liquor policy. Members of the party have said that this was a politically motivated move and done to prevent him from campaigning. The senior AAP leader and Delhi’s finance leader Atishi said, “This was a way to steal elections.” The BJP has also endeavoured to remind the electorate of its “origin story” – namely its Islamophobic ethos and aspirations. Modi usually lets others in the BJP cadre engage in overtly Islamophobic rhetoric, while he himself maintains the aura of a stoic spiritual leader. Yet, this time around he has felt the need to take on the Islamophobia mantle. On the campaign trail, he has regularly used communal language and called Muslims “infiltrators [with] large families”. Without any evidence, Modi has claimed that under Congress rule Muslims “have first right over resources”. He warned that the opposition party would gather all the wealth of Hindus and redistribute it among the “infiltrators”. Modi also warned Hindu women that the opposition party would take away their gold and “redistribute it to Muslims”. During a public rally in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, Modi also said that Congress was committing “vote Jihad” by uniting Muslims against him. On June 4, Modi will most likely be declared the winner. But a victory will not make the
Why are Gen Z and Millennials ditching their smartphones for dumb phones?
We’ll explore how some people are ditching their smartphones for old-school dumb phones and embracing low-tech living. Did you know the average user could spend up to 5.5 years of their life on social media? We’re living in a time dominated by smartphones and constant connectivity. But more and more people are saying they want to reclaim their time by going back to the basics. This switch is fuelled by the desire for stronger mental wellbeing. In this episode, we’ll explore how people are trying to break the addictive grip of social media and whether this is signalling a broader change in society’s relationship with technology. Presenter: Myriam Francois Guests:Shayonne DasGupta – WriterJose Briones – Content Creator & Digital MinimalistSophia Smith Galer – Journalist & Content CreatorPete Judo – Behavioural Scientist & Content CreatorMarco Prince – Tech Content Creator Adblock test (Why?)
Teams, format, India vs Pakistan: All to know about the T20 World Cup 2024
Cricket’s biggest tournament is making its way to North America. The United States and the West Indies are set to host 20 teams in the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2024 from June 1 to 29. Here’s what you need to know about the tournament: Which teams have qualified for the T20 World Cup? The tournament has been expanded to include 20 teams for the first time, up from 16 teams in the 2022 edition. The top eight teams from the previous edition and the two host nations, USA and West Indies, earned direct entry. Afghanistan and Bangladesh qualified on the basis of their ICC T20 rankings on the cut-off date in November 2022. The remaining six teams emerged from regional qualification tournaments that took place last year across the Americas, Africa, Asia, Asia Pacific and Europe. USA, Papua New Guinea and Uganda will make their debut at an ICC World Cup. Here is Al Jazeera’s list of all 20 squads. Will there be an opening ceremony? The ICC has not confirmed the official line-up of the opening ceremony ahead of the first match between USA and Canada on June 1 at 7:30pm local time (00:30 GMT) in Dallas. However, there has been widespread promotion for a pre-match event on June 2, when co-hosts West Indies play Papua New Guinea in Guyana at 10:30am local time (14:30 GMT). What are the formats and schedule of the T20 World Cup? The tournament will be divided into two group-based rounds and a knockout round that will commence with the semifinals. The 20 teams will be divided into four groups and following the round-robin matches, the top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight. The four teams in each group will play against each other once in the Super Eight phase. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. Al Jazeera has listed all the matches, with their timings and venues here. Group stage: June 1 to 17 Super Eight: June 18 to 25 Semifinals: June 26 and 27 Final: June 29 T20 World Cup groups Group A: India, Pakistan, Ireland, USA, CanadaGroup B: Australia, England, Namibia, Scotland, OmanGroup C: Afghanistan, New Zealand, West Indies, Papua New Guinea, UgandaGroup D: Bangladesh, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands Super Eight groups Group 1: A1, C1, B2, D2,Group 2: B1, D1, A2, C2 Which teams are favourites to win the T20 World Cup? Al Jazeera’s five favourites for the title are: Where will the matches be played? The tournament will be played at nine venues – three in the US and six across the West Indies. New York, Texas and Florida will play host to the 16 matches being played in the US, with New York bagging half of those, including the marquee India vs Pakistan clash. The six Caribbean nations that will host 39 matches are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Our stadium guide has everything you need to know about the venues. India vs Pakistan India vs Pakistan is the biggest match of any ICC World Cup and one that is now a permanent fixture regardless of groups and seedings, which means every time the two nations participate in an ICC men’s event, they face each other at least once. Whenever and wherever the South Asian rivals meet, tickets sell out in record time, hotels run at full occupancy and life in both countries comes to a standstill. This time, the fixture has been assigned to New York, the bustling hub of the South Asian diaspora on the East Coast. It is scheduled for June 9 at 10:30am (14:30 GMT) at the purpose-built modular stadium in Nassau County, Long Island. The state of New York has beefed up its security cover ahead of the big clash, with one police official saying it is the “largest security we’ve ever had to do”. Tickets for the match were sold out within a few hours of going on sale, while resale platforms are asking for anything between $1,000 to $5,000 per seat. What are the rules for ties, super overs and rain delays at the T20 World Cup? There are a few of them. Here’s what they look like: All tied matches will proceed to a super over. And if that too is tied, subsequent super overs will be played until the winners emerge. If a match is delayed by weather conditions or other interruptions, each team will have to complete five overs for a result to be declared in the group stage and Super Eight. Both the semifinals and the final will have additional time allotted to allow the completion in case of any delays. The final will have a reserve day on Sunday, June 30. Previous winners of the T20 World Cup 2007: India 2009: Pakistan 2010: England 2012: West Indies 2014: Sri Lanka 2016: West Indies 2021: Australia 2022: England Here’s Al Jazeera’s quick walk through the history of the tournament. How much is the prize money for the T20 World Cup? The ICC has not confirmed the prize money for the 2024 edition of the tournament, but previous winners England walked away with $1.6m in 2022. T20 World Cup tickets Tickets for the tournament went on sale in February via a public ballot, with prices beginning at $6 and going up to hundreds of dollars. Tickets for some group matches and Super Eight matches are still available on the tournament website. Where can I follow the T20 World Cup? The ICC has allotted rights to various broadcasting and online streaming outlets across the world. Al Jazeera will run extensive coverage of the tournament with pretournament news, previews, key information as well as live updates for the biggest matches, followed by post-match reaction, analysis and everything else you’d need to know about the T20 World Cup. What is cricket and how is it played? It’s a simple game of bat and ball,
Sex scandal accused Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna to undergo potency test; What is it and how is it conducted?
As per experts, for the potency test, the accused is brought to police custody for conducting a medical examination which includes a general physical examination, and checking his semen and sperm count.