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US court orders resentencing for Colorado clerk involved in election scheme

US court orders resentencing for Colorado clerk involved in election scheme

Former clerk Tina Peters has become a cause celebre for the election denial movement and President Donald Trump. By The Associated Press Published On 2 Apr 20262 Apr 2026 An appeals court in the state of Colorado has ordered the resentencing of Tina Peters, a former county clerk convicted of involvement in an election meddling scheme in the United States. The court overturned Peters’s nine-year prison sentence on Thursday, but not her conviction for helping to tamper with voting machines after the 2020 presidential race. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Her case has become a cause celebre for President Donald Trump and the election denial movement, after it emerged that she was seeking evidence to support Trump’s false claim that his 2020 loss was due to massive fraud. In Thursday’s decision, the three-judge appeals panel ruled that a lower court had considered Peters’s personal beliefs when deciding upon a punishment, thereby rendering the sentence improper. “The trial court’s comments about Peters’s belief in the existence of 2020 election fraud went beyond relevant considerations for her sentencing,” the appeals court wrote. The panel cited comments from Judge Matthew Barrett, who blasted Peters as a “charlatan” promoting “snake oil” claims. “Her offence was not her belief, however misguided the trial court deemed it to be, in the existence of such election fraud,” the appeals court said. “It was her deceitful actions in her attempt to gather evidence of such fraud.” Peters was convicted in August 2024 for helping someone from outside the government gain access to the Mesa County election system and make copies. That person was affiliated with efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss, and the copies they obtained were then shared on social media. False claims that the 2020 election was marred by massive fraud have been a persistent fixation for Trump and his allies, even after his successful re-election in 2024. Advertisement Trump’s efforts to remain in office after his 2020 defeat were the subject of a 2023 criminal indictment brought by former special counsel Jack Smith. He alleged that Trump led a criminal conspiracy to undermine the election process and rally supporters to overturn the results. Those charges, however, were ultimately dropped when Trump took office again in 2025, as the US Justice Department has a policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Since his inauguration, Trump has continued to push the claims he won the 2020 race. He has also used his allegations of fraud to demand greater control over the country’s election infrastructure in advance of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. In December, the president pardoned Peters, even though she was not in federal custody, and the presidential power of pardon does not extend to state crimes. The appeals court panel confirmed on Thursday that Trump’s pardon had no impact on state offences. “We have found no instance where the presidential pardon power has been stretched in such a way as to invade an individual state’s sovereignty,” the panel said. State Governor Jared Polis suggested last month that he could consider clemency for Peters. Adblock test (Why?)

Trump unveils 100 percent tariff on drugs to push for pharmaceutical deals

Trump unveils 100 percent tariff on drugs to push for pharmaceutical deals

US president has said that he will use tariffs to bring down costly pharmaceutical drugs, but the impact remains uncertain. By The Associated Press Published On 2 Apr 20262 Apr 2026 United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that could slap long-threatened tariffs of up to 100 percent on some patented drugs if pharmaceutical companies don’t reach deals with his administration in the coming months. Under Thursday’s executive order, companies that have signed a “most favoured nation” pricing deal and are actively building facilities in the US will have a zero-percent tariff. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list For those that don’t have a pricing deal but are building such projects in the US, a 20 percent tariff will apply, but it will increase to 100 percent in four years. A senior administration official told reporters on a press call that companies still have months to negotiate before the 100 percent tariffs kick in. Bigger companies will have 120 days, and 180 days are offered for everyone else. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to preview the executive order before it was issued, did not identify any companies or drugs that were in jeopardy of getting hit with the increased tariffs. But the source noted the administration had already reached 17 pricing deals with major drugmakers, 13 of which have signed. In Thursday’s executive order, Trump wrote that he deemed the tariffs necessary “to address the threatened impairment of the national security posed by imports of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients”. The order arrived on the first anniversary of Trump’s so-called Liberation Day, when the president unveiled sweeping new import taxes on nearly every country in the world, sending the stock market reeling. Those “Liberation Day” tariffs were among the duties the Supreme Court overturned in February. Critics, pharmaceutical leaders and medical groups warned of the consequences the new tariffs could bring. Advertisement Stephen J Ubl, the CEO of the pharmaceutical company trade group PhRMA, said taxes “on cutting-edge medicines will increase costs and could jeopardize billions in US investments”. He pointed to America’s already large footprint in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and noted medicines sourced from other countries “overwhelmingly come from reliable US allies”. Trump has launched a barrage of new import taxes on US trading partners since the start of his second term and repeatedly pledged sky-high levies on foreign-made drugs. But the administration has also used the threat of new levies to strike deals with major companies — like Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Bristol Myers Squibb — over the last year, with promises of lower prices for new drugs. Beyond company-specific rates, a handful of countries have reached trade frameworks with the US to further cap tariffs on drugs sent to the US. The European Union, Japan, Korea and Switzerland will see a 15 percent US tariff on patented pharmaceuticals, matching previously agreed rates for most goods. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom will get 10 percent, which Thursday’s order noted would “then reduce to zero” under future trade agreements. The UK previously said it secured a zero-percent tariff rate for all British medicines exported to the US for at least three years. Adblock test (Why?)

Karoline Leavitt reveals ‘anti-climatic’ way Trump told her she’d be press secretary: ‘Oh, by the way’

Karoline Leavitt reveals ‘anti-climatic’ way Trump told her she’d be press secretary: ‘Oh, by the way’

There was no formal meeting and no big announcement, just a brief phone call. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump informed her she had the job in a simple post-election call, telling her: “Oh, by the way, you know, you’re going to be the White House press secretary, right?” Speaking at a Turning Point USA event at George Washington University on Thursday evening, Leavitt described the moment as “the most anti-climatic thing ever” and said the job offer came without any formal process. “About a week after the election, we were on the phone about something, the president and me, just chit chatting,” Leavitt said. KAROLINE LEAVITT STOPS BY ‘RUTHLESS’ TO TOUT TRUMP’S ‘INCREDIBLE’ FIRST SIX MONTHS OF SECOND TERM “And it was the most anti-climatic thing ever. He goes, ‘Oh, by the way, you know, you’re going to be the White House press secretary, right?’” Leavitt said, to which she responded, “Oh, okay.” “And he said, ‘So about that other thing, what do you think about that? What should we do? What should we say?’” WHITE HOUSE HAS SUGGESTION FOR JASMINE CROCKETT AFTER DEM CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘SICK’ “That was it. That’s how I got the job,” she said. Leavitt added there was “no pomp and circumstance,” describing the moment as “true Donald Trump fashion.” Leavitt said she had worked on Trump’s 2024 campaign after losing her congressional race in New Hampshire and was serving as a spokesperson before being tapped for the role following the election. “There really wasn’t a process,” Leavitt said. “I thought, I hope I’ll get a job. I don’t know if I will.” Leavitt, who gave birth to her son in July 2024, is currently nine months pregnant with a girl.

Trump slaps up to 100% tariff on some brand-name drug imports in major America First push

Trump slaps up to 100% tariff on some brand-name drug imports in major America First push

President Donald Trump on Thursday proclaimed that certain imported patented pharmaceuticals and related ingredients could face tariffs of up to 100%, framing the move as a national security measure and intensifying his push to bring drug manufacturing back to the United States. The proclamation creates a tiered system for drugmakers: companies with Commerce Department-approved plans to onshore production could face a 20% tariff instead, while some firms that strike pricing and manufacturing agreements with the administration could receive zero-tariff treatment for a period. A senior administration official said the policy amounts to a “100% tax” on drugs produced abroad. Trump’s proclamation states that imported pharmaceuticals and key ingredients “are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States.” TRUMP’S NEW TARIFF PLAN BARRELS BACK TO COURT FOLLOWING MULTISTATE LAWSUIT The move sets up a major clash over the cost and supply of brand-name medicines, as Trump argues the U.S. is overly dependent on foreign pharmaceutical manufacturing while offering lower tariffs to companies that build in America. According to the proclamation, about 53% of patented pharmaceutical products distributed in the U.S. are produced abroad, while only 15% of patented active pharmaceutical ingredients by volume are made domestically. VOTERS REACT AS TRUMP TOUTS SIGNATURE TARIFF PLAN AT STATE OF THE UNION Under the framework, imports of patented pharmaceuticals listed in Annex I will face a 100% tariff, unless they qualify for lower rates. Companies with approved onshoring plans can instead receive a 20% tariff, though that rate rises to 100% in 2030, according to the proclamation. The administration is using that structure to push companies to shift production to the United States, officials said. TRUMP RAISES GLOBAL TARIFF TO 15% The proclamation also sets lower tariff rates for certain allies: 15% for products from Japan, the European Union (EU), South Korea, and Switzerland, and 10% for the United Kingdom (UK), which could fall to zero under a future agreement. It also creates a zero-tariff lane for companies that both onshore production and enter “Most-Favored-Nation” pricing agreements with the administration. Not all drugs are affected. The proclamation says generic pharmaceuticals will not be subject to tariffs “at this time,” and U.S.-origin drugs are also excluded. The broader push ties into the administration’s TrumpRx initiative, including the recently launched TrumpRx.gov platform, which the White House says gives Americans access to lower prices on some high-cost brand-name drugs through “Most-Favored-Nation” pricing agreements with pharmaceutical companies. The tariffs will take effect July 31, 2026, for some companies and Sept. 29, 2026, for others, according to the proclamation. Trump issued the order under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the president to restrict imports deemed a national security threat.

Pete Hegseth signs memo opening door for troops to carry personal firearms on bases

Pete Hegseth signs memo opening door for troops to carry personal firearms on bases

War Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Thursday ordering a major shift in base security policy, allowing service members to request permission to carry personal firearms for self-defense amid growing concerns about threats on U.S. installations. In an announcement on social media, Hegseth said all American citizens have a God-given right under the Second Amendment to carry weapons for protection.  However, he said that right has not been extended to uniformed service members, who are “trained at the highest and unwavering standards.” “These war fighters, entrusted with the safety of our nation, are no less entitled to exercise their God-given right to keep and bear arms than any other American,” Hegseth said. “Our war fighters defend the right of others to carry. They should be able to carry themselves.” HEGSETH INSTATES ‘HIGHEST MALE STANDARD ONLY’ FOR COMBAT, OTHER CHANGES, DECLARING DEPT. OF DEFENSE ‘IS OVER’ Citing recent tragedies at Fort Stewart, Holloman Air Force Base and Pensacola Naval Air Station, Hegseth said the incidents have “made clear” that “some threats are closer to home than we would like.”  “In these instances, minutes are a lifetime, and our service members have the courage and training to make those precious short minutes count,” he said. “Before today, it was virtually impossible … for War Department personnel to get permission to carry and store their own personal weapons aligned with the state laws where we operate our installations.” While service members can already own personal firearms, concealing and carrying a weapon was previously not permitted on federal sites — including military installations. HEGSETH APPEALS RULING BLOCKING PUNISHMENT OF DEM SENATOR OVER ‘ILLEGAL ORDERS’ VIDEO Those who owned personal weapons had to register their guns with base authorities and storage was often controlled by the installation. Carrying on post was often restricted to military police, security and personnel on official duty. “Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones,” Hegseth said. “Unless you’re training, or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn’t carry. You couldn’t bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post. Well, that’s no longer.” PENTAGON CITES ‘MERITOCRACY’ AS OFFICER REMOVALS DRAW DEMOCRATIC CRITICISM The memo signed Thursday directs installation commanders to allow requests to carry a privately owned firearm, with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection.  If a request is denied, Hegseth said the reason for that denial will be put in writing and will explain, in detail, the basis for that direction.  “Again, the presumption is service members will be able to have their Second Amendment right on post,” he said. “Not all enemies are foreign, nor are they all outside our borders. Some are domestic. Confirming your God-given right to self-protection is what I’m signing into action today, and I’m proud to do so.” Hegseth did not specify if training or certification will be required, or if storage and transport of weapons will be regulated. It is also unclear if there will be uniform rules across all military branches.