White House grilled on flow of taxpayer dollars to government DEI programs
FIRST ON FOX: A group of House Republicans is demanding the White House provide a full accounting of U.S. taxpayer dollars going toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., wrote to President Biden’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young on Friday morning, arguing it is important for the House to have those calculations on hand as lawmakers start crafting federal spending bills to fund the government in the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. “As Congress begins work on fiscal year 2025 appropriations bills, it is important that we know whether the administration is spending the American people’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars on divisive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs,” Burlison wrote. UNC CHAPEL HILL BOARD VOTES TO DISMANTLE DEI PROGRAMS, USE FUNDS ON CAMPUS POLICE AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS The letter was signed by nine other House Republicans. Among the details they are seeking are the names and funding allocations for any government DEI programs in fiscal years 2022, 2023 and 2024, as well as what the administration is seeking for those efforts in 2025. They are also looking for the total number of full- and part-time positions within the federal government that have to do with DEI, and any job listings advertising open roles. RUTGERS UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR SAYS WITHOUT DEI OFFICES, THERE IS ‘NO ABILITY TO MAKE MEANINGFUL PROGRESS’ The letter similarly requested “the names of all potential programs in the planning or development stages that would address diversity, equity, inclusion, the prioritization of non-merit-based hiring or management, and/or similar concepts at each executive branch department and agency, if implemented.” Burlison accused the Biden administration of trying to “embed DEI” into multiple facets of the federal government. PENTAGON EQUITY CHIEF PRAISES BOOK CALLING 9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS ‘MENACES’ AS SHE PUSHES FOR ‘REVOLUTION’. “The Biden Administration has made clear that one of its main priorities is to embed DEI ideology into every facet of American society and the federal government. DEI programs are an affront to everything we believe in as Americans,” Burlison told Fox News Digital. “Instead of uniting us, they divide us and pit American against American. We need to know exactly how much of the American people’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being wasted on DEI programs so that we can defund them along with other wasteful and divisive spending.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
‘Inhumane’: Utah mom slaps drug company with lawsuit after suffering COVID vaccine trial injuries
EXCLUSIVE: A Utah mother says she was left with “no choice” but to sue a pharmaceutical company on the basis of a breached contract that promised to provide compensation for injuries caused by a clinical trial for the COVID-19 vaccine. Brianne Dressen, a mother of two, enrolled in a clinical trial for AstraZeneca in November 2020, taking only one dose of the vaccine before her “life changed forever.” The mother suffered severe injuries after taking the vaccine. She shared her emotional story in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on how it had a “dramatic” change on her family’s life, as well as her feeling abandoned by the pharmaceutical company as she juggles her mounting medical bills. “I didn’t want to do this,” Dressen told Fox, adding that the drug company “left me no choice.” Dressen said she has experienced “three and a half years of silence” from AstraZeneca, filing the lawsuit in an effort to bring attention to the issue. CLASSIFIED DOCS ‘CREDIBLY’ SUGGEST COVID ORIGINATED FROM WUHAN LAB LEAK, COVERED UP BY CCP: HOUSE REP “We gave them ample opportunities to pitch in and to help in any way, shape or form as they agreed to in the contract. And it just hasn’t happened,” Dresson said. “So, my hands are tied. I mean, I’m not going to roll over and die because of what they did. So it’s time for them to be held accountable.” Dressen’s suit against AstraZeneca was filed on the basis that the company breached their contract with her that she signed before taking part in the clinical trial. According to the lawsuit, ahead of her involvement in the trial, the drug company reportedly said she would receive medical and financial support if injuries were suffered as a result of the vaccine. Dressen, who was diagnosed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) with “post-vaccine neuropathy,” says the company offered her a settlement of around $1,200 for her lifelong injuries. Dressen added that given the contract, she has “no idea” why they aren’t aiding in her medical expenses. The lawsuit is the first filed against AstraZeneca in the U.S., as it relates to the coronavirus vaccine trial, but the drug company faces over 50 others in Europe who brought claims against the company either citing injuries from the vaccine or representing loved ones that passed away after taking the shot. COVID ORIGINS: HHS SUSPENDS ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE GRANTS AFTER FINDING TAXPAYER FUNDS USED IN RISKY RESEARCH Amid the controversy, the pharmaceutical company pulled its COVID-19 vaccine from European markets in May, citing a decline in demand as the reasoning behind the decision. When asked about the other ongoing legal action against the company, Dressen said “it absolutely breaks my heart that they’re getting the same treatment from the drug companies as I am,” calling the situation “inhumane.” “I’m hopeful that this brings a little bit of light to just what happens when things don’t go the way that the drug company wants,” Dressen said when asked about the outcome of the lawsuit. “It didn’t matter what I did, how cooperative I was. You know how many times I cried out for help? It didn’t matter the second I was injured, I was then considered a liability. And if this is how the drug companies in general, you know, operate, especially in clinical trials, I think it’s something that people need to be aware of.” Dressen added that the issue is not unique to coronavirus vaccines but applies to any pharmaceutical company in a similar situation. “If you are harmed by a COVID vaccine or any vaccine or any pharmaceutical product for that matter, you should be able to get help,” she said.
Travis County GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak announces run to lead state Republican Party
The political consultant joins a crowded field to replace outgoing Chair Matt Rinaldi when party delegates meet next week.
Sen Durbin mulls reviving tool that could stymie Trump nominees in another term
Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., signaled his willingness to discuss bringing back a past Senate norm of allowing home state senators to nix judicial nominees they take issue with, as the potential of former President Trump being elected once again in November has become more evident. During a recent Judiciary Committee mark-up, Durbin responded to Republican frustrations over their inability to prevent certain circuit court judicial nominees in their state or region from moving forward, due to a lack of consideration for “blue slips,” or the approval or opposition of home state senators. The informal tool was routinely honored by the committee chairman for decades before the courtesy ceased to be offered in 2017. “I’m ready to open this conversation and dialogue on a bipartisan basis,” Durbin said last week. NPR CHIEF WORKS TO CLEAN UP PUBLIC IMAGE WITH EXTRA EDITORIAL REVIEW, MEETING WITH GOP SENATOR “If we are going to do anything in blue slips on circuit court judges, I think there is one premise. We should do it prospectively, not knowing the outcome of an election that may change the presidency or may not,” he explained. As the blue slip discussion is renewed, some have claimed Democrats are worrying about the fate of judicial nominations under another potential Trump term. Mike Davis, the former chief counsel for nominations to former Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, called the idea “nonsense.” “Durbin fears Trump will win back the White House and Republicans will win back the Senate in November,” he said. “On the surface, it seems that Democrats are preparing to lose the majority and the White House,” said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, a former top spokesman to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and former chief of staff of the Senate Republican Conference, who likened it to an “insurance policy.” DEMS USE GOP-OPPOSED IMMIGRATION BILL AS CUDGEL AGAINST REPUBLICANS ON BORDER SECURITY Durbin did not provide comment to Fox News Digital. As chairman, Grassley broke with a yearslong practice of honoring his fellow senators’ blue slips during the Trump administration. He moved forward in 2017 with an appellate court confirmation hearing over the objections of then-Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. Grassley suggested at the time that Democrats were using the blue slip rule as a substitute for the filibuster, rather than for serious concerns. DEMS SAY KATIE BRITT’S NEW BILL WOULD CREATE ‘DATABASE OF PREGNANT WOMEN’ The Iowa senator, who would be expected to be judiciary chairman once again if Republicans take the majority in November, may not be as interested in re-instating the rule as some other GOP lawmakers. “The blue slip process is a courtesy – not a rule – extended at the discretion of the Judiciary chairman,” said a Grassley spokesperson. “The vast majority of chairmen over the past century have allowed hearings on circuit court nominees without blue slips returned,” the spokesperson added. Carrie Severino, the president of the Judicial Crisis Network, similarly noted the rule “has not been an absolute bar to considering the nominee.” “There are people who are trying to make this into more of a norm than it ever was,” she claimed. “Only a couple [of] Judiciary Committee chairs in history actually treated this really strict[ly].” According to Ryan Owens, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the decision “highlights the uncertainty going into the election and likely Democratic weakness. It’s unclear who will hold the White House in 2025.” He noted that Durbin’s willingness to consider re-instituting the rule “appears to be a recognition that his party is limping into the election and Trump very well could win.” If accepted, “Durbin’s offer may help Democrats slow a Trump presidency,” he explained. BIDEN TORCHED BY REPUBLICANS FOR TOUGHER IMMIGRATION RULE AHEAD OF NOVEMBER ELECTION Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., pleaded with his Democratic counterparts to support bringing the rule back as well as deferring to significant concerns aired by home state senators during the markup. “I think that most Democrats realize if the election were held today, Donald J. Trump would be president” and Republicans could score the majority in the Senate, he explained. “And they’re giving me nothing to motivate me to look out for them when the tables are turned next year,” he said. There is notable disagreement between Democratic and Republican senators over which people and what party is responsible for the rule no longer being honored. Democrats have pointed to Grassley’s move on circuit court nominees, but Republicans believe the trajectory started years earlier. Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked his colleagues if they could at least agree that former Democratic leader Sen. Harry Reid charted such a trajectory when he got rid of the filibuster for most executive nominations. However, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., refused to agree. “No, I think the blue slip is a completely different thing,” he maintained. Tillis stressed to his fellow committee members that Reid’s action and Grassley’s are “intrinsically linked.” In fact, Tillis told Fox News Digital in an interview that it truly was triggered by an event in 2003. “Chuck Schumer made a conscious choice of breaking away from the norms of the Senate and using the filibuster to start holding judges up,” he said. Sen. Chuck Schumer notably broke with tradition to begin blocking judicial nominees that otherwise enjoyed majority support by using the filibuster at the time. A spokesperson for the majority leader from New York told Fox News Digital, “Senate Republicans ended the blue slip for circuit court nominations under Donald Trump,” in reference to Grassley’s decision. Despite bipartisan interest, “it feels unlikely that they’re going to come to a resolution before the election,” Bonjean said of the fate of the blue slip’s return. Owens noted that “politicians are always skeptical of proposed ‘truces’ when offered by parties in weak positions.”
Preview: Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – heavyweight boxing fight
Who: Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk When: Saturday, May 18, 2024 – main event at about 1pm local time (22:00 GMT) Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Professional records (W-L-D): Fury (34-0-1), Usyk (21-0-0) Wins by knockout: Fury (24), Usyk (14) Height: Fury – 206cm (6ft 9in), Usyk – 190cm (6ft 3in) Reach: Fury – 216cm (85in) Usyk – 197cm (78in) Follow the fight LIVE: Al Jazeera will run a live page for the build-up and text commentary of the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight from 18:00 GMT on Saturday, May 18. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – In the days leading up to their undisputed heavyweight title fight, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk seemed relaxed and eager to soak up the occasion, even as their camps taunted each other and clashed. The biggest drama came early in the week, when Fury’s father, John, headbutted a member of Usyk’s entourage. But both the fighters had stayed light-hearted throughout the build-up – good-naturedly teasing each other, and grinning and showboating in their open workouts. But on a baking hot Thursday evening in Riyadh, as the unbeaten fighters came together at the final news conference before the bout on Saturday, both grew terse and tight-lipped as the weight of the occasion seemed to press in. Sitting opposite them, in the front row of a crowd of sweating journalists, entourages and VIP guests, was a grey-bearded Lennox Lewis, 58, and Evander Holyfield, 61. Lewis beat Holyfield in 1999 to become boxing’s last undisputed heavyweight champion. On stage, Usyk, 37, was wearing a black and white traditional Ukrainian sash. “Let’s make history. Enough. Thanks very much,” he said. Oleksandr Usyk speaking during the media conference at Boulevard City, Riyadh on May 16 [Andrew Couldridge/Reuters] Fury, who sported a flame-coloured suit and a black trilby hat, is normally a garrulous and flamboyant figure renowned for his trash talk. But the 35-year-old British boxer also had little to say on Thursday. “I’m ready. I’ve got nothing else to say apart from I’m ready for a good fight,” he said. “God bless him,” he added when asked if he had a message for Usyk. “I’ll say a prayer for him before the fight for us both to get out of the ring safely.” Boxing has long frustrated fans with various belts and sanctioning bodies creating multiple champions at the same weights, and frequent disputes over money and clashing egos often prevent the best fighters from facing each other in their prime. Although Fury vs Usyk has taken some taken to materialise and was postponed from its original date in February after Fury suffered a cut in training, the fact that a bout of this magnitude is finally happening – partly a result of growing Saudi influence in the sport – means many are billing it as the fight of this century, with the winner stepping into the ranks of the all-time greats. On Thursday, chants by rival fans quickly petered out into the sweltering night as locals looked on quietly. Drones fizzed overhead as spotlights illuminated swirling dust, and gusts of wind buffeted the microphones on stage. The host of the news conference tried and failed to draw more words from the fighters. When they stood for the traditional face-off, Fury refused to even look at his rival, flexing his biceps and gazing into the crowd, while Usyk stared at Fury intently, a smile playing on his lips. Tyson Fury refuses to look at Oleksandr Usyk during the media conference at Boulevard City, Riyadh on May 16 [Andrew Couldridge/Reuters] “[This fight is] of monumental importance for the history of the heavyweight division, for boxing’s value,” combat sports analyst Luke Thomas told Al Jazeera a few days ahead of the fight. “People always complain people don’t know who the champions are. Well, now they’re going to know. And they’re going to know in the most storied division in boxing.” How they match up Fury, who generally fights out of the orthodox stance, is a giant of a man who first became a heavyweight champion by beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. The “Gypsy King” subsequently battled severe mental health issues and ballooning weight, but came back from years in the wilderness to dethrone knockout artist Deontay Wilder – beating him twice (one fight ended in a draw) in a thrilling trilogy to win and retain the WBC belt. Fury survived a scare in his last fight against mixed martial arts (MMA) star – and novice professional boxer – Francis Ngannou, as the Gypsy King got up from being floored on his way to a split-decision win. Usyk – a master technician and an Olympic gold medallist who usually fights southpaw – moved up to heavyweight after dominating the cruiserweight division as a unified champion. He made his heavyweight debut in 2019 and won the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts in 2021 – outclassing the much bigger Anthony Joshua, whom Usyk has now beaten twice. In his last fight, Usyk stopped Daniel Dubois in the ninth round, but it was not a totally comfortable fight for the Ukrainian, who was hurt on a couple of occasions. In this combination of pictures, Britain’s Tyson Fury (L) and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk train in Riyadh on May 15, before their undisputed heavyweight world boxing championship fight on May 18 [Fayez Nureldine/AFP] Size vs speed Combat sports commentator Sean Wheelock cautioned against taking too much from their last fights. “For me, this is an extremely even fight between two incredibly talented heavyweights,” Wheelock told Al Jazeera. “I think that Fury definitely relies on power punches more, he’s got incredible power when he has his timing. Usyk obviously also has power, and I think Usyk often showcases that he can be a bit more of a technical and slicker, boxer.” Fury will surely look to make the most of his considerable size advantage. He could try to maintain and control distance with his reach, and he could try to smother, rough up, lean on and drain
Israel tells UN court it has right to press on with assault in Gaza’s Rafah
Israel’s lawyers have told the United Nations top court that the country has the right to move ahead with a full-scale offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza to defend itself against Palestinian group Hamas after South Africa filed an urgent request to order a ceasefire as part of a wider case accusing Israel of genocide. “The fact remains that the city of Rafah also serves as a military stronghold for Hamas, which continues to pose a significant threat to the state of Israel and its citizens,” Gilad Noam, Israel’s deputy attorney general for international law, told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on Friday. Noam accused South Africa of making “a mockery of the heinous charge of genocide”, accusing the country of “adopting a strategy of dragging Israel to court endlessly” and having an “ulterior motive” for urging an Israeli withdrawal from Rafah to obtain “a military advantage for its ally Hamas, which it does not want to see defeated”. Reporting from The Hague, Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen said the hearing had been “unusual”, with a German judge asking Israel to submit a written response to a request for information on humanitarian conditions in its declared “evacuation zones” in Gaza by the following day. Adding to the “high emotions” at the hearing, a woman had shouted “Liars, liars!” at the Israeli legal representative from the public gallery, said Vaessen. “South Africa says this is now the last chance for the court to save the people in Gaza and save the people in Rafah,” she said. South Africa asked the ICJ on Thursday to order Israel to stop its offensive on Rafah, from where the UN says at least 630,000 displaced civilians have been forced to flee after seeking refuge from bombardment across the besieged enclave. Lawyers requested the ICJ issue three emergency orders, or “provisional measures”, while it rules on the wider accusation that Israel is breaking the 1948 Genocide Convention. Tamar Kaplan Tourgeman, principal deputy legal adviser of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Israel was making “remarkable efforts” to improve aid delivery, denying that it had shut down southern Gaza’s two main crossings – the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which it seized on May 7 as it launched an assault on the town, and the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing with Israel. “This is blatantly untrue,” she said at Friday’s hearing. “The truth is that Israel allows and facilitates the provision of more and more humanitarian aid through a number of crossings on a daily basis.” Reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said UN officials confirmed no aid has been coming in through either of the crossings. Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor of Middle East studies and digital humanities at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, said he believed South Africa’s case was strong enough for the court to issue additional provisional measures in Gaza, given that humanitarian conditions had only worsened after the court’s earlier orders for Israel to allow aid to flow. “It’s months later and the aid situation is desperate,” he told Al Jazeera. While a decision on the emergency measures is expected next week, it will likely take years before the court can rule on the underlying genocide charge. ‘Genocidal’ consequences On Thursday, ICJ judges heard multiple accusations against Israel from lawyers representing South Africa, regarding mass graves, torture and the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid. South African lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi told the court that Israel was pressing on with its attacks in Rafah despite “explicit warnings” that they could carry “genocidal” consequences. South Africa asked the court to order Israel to “immediately” cease all military operations in Gaza, including in Rafah, and to withdraw from the territory. It also wants Israel to enable humanitarian access, allow unimpeded access for UN officials, aid groups, journalists and investigators, and report on its progress in achieving these orders. It is the third time that the ICJ has held hearings on the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza since South Africa filed genocide proceedings in December. In January, judges ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in Gaza, and to enable humanitarian aid to the enclave. But it stopped short of ordering an end to the military offensive. ICJ judges have broad powers to order a ceasefire and other measures, though the court does not have its own enforcement apparatus. A 2022 order by the court demanding that Russia halt its full-scale invasion of Ukraine has so far gone unheeded. Adblock test (Why?)
Assassination attempt opens Slovakia’s wounds, some linked to PM Fico
As Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico fought for his life in a serious condition on Thursday, a political battle broke out over what had motivated a 71-year-old former security guard to shoot him. Tomas Taraba, Fico’s deputy and Slovakia’s environment minister, initially accused the centre-left political opposition, saying it had “blood on its hands”. Meanwhile, parliamentarians from Fico’s right-wing coalition held a news conference. “They were saying, ‘Now we’re going to go after the media, and we are going to pass legislation. We will not be shy about this,” one person with knowledge of the event told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity. “It sounded quite threatening.” The assassination attempt has highlighted deep divisions in Slovak society, and Fico has played his part in bringing them about. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is transferred at the FD Roosevelt University Hospital after he was wounded in a shooting incident in Handlova, in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, May 15, 2024 [Reuters] “He [Fico] is constantly pushing the boundaries of what can be said aloud,” said Michal Hvorecky, a journalist with the independent Dennik-N newspaper. “Last week he called the whole cultural scene, which is very critical – independent culture and national broadcasting – he called us spiritually homeless people … and even harsher [terms], calling journalists prostitutes,” Hvorecky told Al Jazeera. “And I found myself asking, ‘How far can he go with this radicalisation?’ Because this can turn back on you.” Fico was shot in Horlivka, a small mining town in central Slovakia, among the miners and farmers from whom he draws much of his support. The suspect is reportedly an elderly amateur poet and government critic. He fired five shots at close range, hitting the premier in the arm and stomach. As Fico’s condition remained critical, Interior Minister Matus Estok said Slovakia was “on the edge of a civil war” because of heightened political rhetoric on social media. Initial investigations show a “clear political motivation” behind the shooting, according to Estok. Meanwhile, Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova said in a statement: “Hateful rhetoric, which we see in society, leads to hateful actions. Please stop it.” “His security people underestimated the situation, because he is not only popular. He is the second most unpopular politician as well,” said Hvorecky. “His voters love him, they trust him … but the other half really hates him.” Fico’s politics Fico, who is expected to survive, dominates Slovak politics. He has been prime minister for 10 of the past 24 years. But in 2018, he was forced to resign in disgrace after the assassination of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova led to countrywide protests against his governing Smer party and its perceived ties to corrupt oligarchs. But Timothy Less, who runs the Cambridge University Centre for Geopolitics risk analysis study group, believes Slovakia is no more divided between liberal globalists and nationalist conservatives than any other member of the European Union. “The one important difference in Slovakia is that, with Mr Fico’s return to power last October and the presidential election last month which his ally Peter Pellegrini won, nationalists are governing and liberals have been relegated to the opposition, in contrast to most of Western Europe where liberal governments hang on and conservatives are in opposition,” he told Al Jazeera. Elections in 2020 brought a weak centre-left coalition to power, which did not serve a full term. Last autumn, Fico returned to power with what some Slovaks termed a “coalition of revenge”. He dismantled the special corruption court set up to try about a thousand high-level corruption cases after 2018, and fired the judges who presided on it. Then, he took aim at the media which are critical of him. Fico threatened to cut state advertising to independent television networks and threatened their parent companies with ineligibility for state contracts – tactics that have gutted independent media in neighbouring Hungary. He also boycotted critical media, forbidding coalition members from going to their talk shows and banning their journalists from government buildings. ‘EU-sceptic parties are generally big and powerful’ On the day he was shot, parliament was scheduled to vote on a law restructuring state broadcaster RTS to give the government more direct control over it. Fico’c comeback came as no surprise to Katalin Miklossy, University of Helsinki lecturer in Eastern European studies. “The problem in Slovakia, like other Eastern European countries, is the EU-sceptic parties are generally big and powerful, and around them are small left-wing and liberal parties,” Miklossy told Al Jazeera. “In Slovakia the [left] coalition was weak … And the conservative party got even bigger and came back with stronger positions.” Fico shares a worldview with Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Poland’s Jaroslaw Kaczynski, and eurosceptic nationalists lurking in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and elsewhere in the former Warsaw Pact countries. Slovakia’s power to disrupt the EU was limited, Dimitar Bechev, lecturer at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) and senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, a think tank, told Al Jazeera. “Slovakia is much smaller than Poland and even Hungary, and is part of the Eurozone – hence, much more tightly integrated into the EU core, [with] less room for manoeuvre in other words.” But within Slovakia, Fico had found pathways to power. “Fico has a constituency which keeps supporting him… populists on the left and the right have found common ground with the ultra-right SNS – against migration and the EU, scepticism on Ukraine etc That is key to Fico’s success,” Bechev said. Haughty Brussels One reason for this euroscepticism was that the region’s integration into the EU after 2004 has not gone smoothly, Miklossy said. “If you look at all these countries that turned against the EU and started to advocate nationalism – it all happened during EU membership,” she said. “Something went wrong within the EU, because they started to detach themselves from the values and what they called the bullying of the community, because they were looked down on and not trusted.” Even
Heatwave alert issued for several states on May 18 by IMD, check weather forecast
The Met department in its weather advisory has said that heat to severe heat wave conditions are likely over the plains of Northwest India and Bihar during the next 5 days
AAP attacks Swati Maliwal after purported clip from day of ‘assault’ goes viral
The post refers to a news story with a purported video clip of the Rajya Sabha MP and security personnel at CM Kejriwal’s house on May 13.
Kamala Harris accepts invitation to debate Trump VP pick
Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to debate former President Donald Trump’s eventual pick for his running mate. Harris accepted an invitation to debate Trump’s eventual vice-presidential pick during the summer, offering July 23 and August 13 as options. Trump is expected to announce his vice-presidential pick during the GOP convention, which begins on July 15. TRUMP ACCEPTS BIDEN OFFER TO DEBATE HIM IN JUNE AND SEPTEMBER “I don’t say anything is 100%, but you’re getting pretty close,” Trump said of selecting his running mate. “I’ll be doing it in Milwaukee. We’re going to have a great time.” An official with the Biden campaign told Politico they “look forward to the Trump campaign accepting one of these dates so that the full debate calendar for this campaign can be set.” The debate will be broadcast by CBS News and hosted inside the network’s studios. WHY BIDEN DID THE DEBATE THROWDOWN, TRUMP AGREED, AND THE RISKS FOR EACH SIDE In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, the Biden-Harris campaign proposed that the first debate be in late June, after Trump’s New York criminal trial is likely to be over and after Biden returns from meeting with world leaders at the G-7 Summit. A second presidential debate would occur in September prior to the beginning of early voting. The Biden-Harris campaign asked that the debates occur inside a TV studio, with microphones that automatically cut off when a speaker’s time limit elapses. The letter also asked that the debates involve just the two candidates and the moderator — without “an in-person audience with raucous or disruptive partisans and donors” that Trump feeds on. They also want the debates without the participation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. or other independent or third-party candidates. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.