Biden ‘Politburo’ member Steve Ricchetti appears before House investigators in Comer cover-up probe
Longtime Democratic operative Steve Ricchetti is appearing before House investigators on Wednesday, the seventh former White House aide to be summoned for Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer’s probe. Ricchetti most recently served as counselor to President Joe Biden during the vast majority of the Biden White House’s four-year term. He’s now expected to sit down with House Oversight Committee staff for a closed-door transcribed interview that could last several hours. Ricchetti said little to reporters on his way inside the room. His lawyer told Fox News Digital to expect a statement after his interview. COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ “I’m not gonna say anything on the way in. I’m just gonna go in and- just go in and give an interview,” Ricchetti told Fox News Channel’s Chad Pergram. Asked if Biden was “up for the job” of president, Ricchetti said, “Of course he was.” Comer, R-Ky., is investigating whether Biden’s top White House aides concealed signs of mental decline in the president, and if that meant executive actions were signed via autopen without his knowledge. Ricchetti first began working for Biden in 2012, when he was appointed as counselor to the vice president during the Obama administration. He was soon promoted to Biden’s chief of staff in late 2013. Ricchetti, who made a living as both a lobbyist and a Democratic insider, chaired Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign as well. The committee’s interest in him, however, lies in his alleged key role in managing the White House while aides reportedly worked to obscure signs of the president’s mental decline. “As Counselor to former President Biden, you served as one of his closest advisors. According to a report, you were part of a group of insiders who implemented a strategy to minimize ‘the president’s age-related struggles,’” Comer wrote to Ricchetti in June, referencing a Wall Street Journal report. “The scope and details of that strategy cannot go without investigation. If White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive’s condition—or to perform his duties—Congress may need to consider a legislative response.” Axios reporter Alex Thompson, who co-wrote “Original Sin” with CNN host Jake Tapper about Biden’s cognitive decline and his aides’ alleged attempts to cover it up, told PBS program Washington Week earlier this year that Ricchetti was part of a small group of insiders that some dubbed Biden’s “Politburo.” He also played a key role in Biden’s legislative agenda, most notably as one of the Democratic negotiators working with then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to avoid a full-blown fiscal crisis over the U.S. national debt in early 2023. It comes after another close former aide, former White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain, appeared before investigators for his own transcribed interview last week. FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP Like Klain, Ricchetti is appearing on voluntary terms—the fourth former Biden aide to do so. Three of the previous six Biden administration officials who appeared before the House Oversight Committee did so under subpoena. Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor, as well as former advisers Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, all pleaded the Fifth Amendment during their compulsory sit-downs. But the three voluntary transcribed interviews that have occurred so far have lasted more than five hours, as staff for both Democrats and Republicans take turns in rounds of questioning.
New poll shows plunging US public support for Israel’s war on Gaza
Washington, DC – A new poll from the research firm Gallup suggests that only 32 percent of Americans approve of Israel’s military action in Gaza, a 10-point drop from September 2024, as anger over atrocities against Palestinians continues to rise. The survey, released on Tuesday, also showed an enormous partisan divide over the issue. Seventy-one percent of respondents who identified as members of the Republican Party said they approve of Israel’s conduct, compared with 8 percent of Democrats. Overall, 60 percent of respondents said they disapprove of Israel’s military action in Gaza. Shibley Telhami, a professor at the University of Maryland and the director of the Critical Issues Poll, said the latest survey shows a trend of growing discontent with Israel that goes beyond the war on Gaza. “What we’re seeing here is an entrenchment of a generational paradigm among particularly young Americans – mostly Democrats and independents, but even some young Republicans – who now perceive the horror in Gaza in a way of describing the character of Israel itself,” Telhami told Al Jazeera. In Tuesday’s survey, only 9 percent of respondents under the age of 35 said they approve of Israel’s military action in Gaza, and 6 percent said they have a favourable opinion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The study follows an April poll from the Pew Research Center, which found a majority of respondents – including 50 percent of Republicans under 50 years old – said they had unfavourable views of Israel. Advertisement But even as public opinion in the US continues to shift, Washington’s policy of unconditional support for Israel has been unwavering. Since the start of the war on Gaza, the US has provided Israel with billions of dollars in military aid, as well as diplomatic backing at the United Nations. Both President Donald Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, have been uncompromising backers of the Israeli assault on Gaza, which human rights groups have described as a genocide. Israel has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, imposed a suffocating siege and flattened most of the enclave, reducing its buildings to rubble. The siege is credited with prompting deadly hunger: The UN on Tuesday said there was “mounting evidence of famine and widespread starvation”. Nevertheless, the US Congress also remains staunchly pro-Israel on a bipartisan basis. Earlier this month, a legislative push to block $500m in missile defence support for Israel failed in a 422-to-six vote in the House of Representatives. So, what explains the schism between the views of average Americans and the policies of their elected representatives? Telhami cited voter “priorities”. He explained that foreign policy traditionally has not been a driving factor in elections. For example, domestic issues like abortion, the economy and gun control usually dominate the electoral agenda for Democrats. He also noted the influence of pro-Israel groups, like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which have spent millions of dollars to defeat critics of the Israeli government, particularly progressives in Democratic primaries. But things are changing, according to the professor. Palestine is rising in public importance, he said, with US voters looking at the issue through the lens of “soul-searching”, as a way of questioning what they stand for. “It’s not just Gaza. It’s that we are enabling the horror in Gaza as a country – in terms of our aid or support or, even in some cases, direct collaboration,” Telhami said. “That it is actually creating a paradigmatic shift about who we are, not just about: ‘Do we support Israel? Do we support the Palestinians?’” He said the victory of Palestinian rights advocate Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary last month underscores that movement. “The rise of Zohran Mamdani in New York is giving people pause because he’s been able to generate excitement, not, as some people thought, despite his views on Israel-Palestine, but actually because of his views on Israel-Palestine.” Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Trump says Epstein ‘stole’ young women staff from his Mar-a-Lago resort
Trump says he cut off his relationship with Epstein because the sex offender poached workers from his Florida resort. United States President Donald Trump has said that he ended his relationship with disgraced financier and convicted sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein because he “stole” young female workers from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Speaking to reporters on his way home from a trip to Scotland on Tuesday, Trump alleged that one such worker was the late Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein‘s highest-profile accusers. “People were taken out of the [Mar-a-Lago] spa, hired by him. In other words, gone,” Trump said. “When I heard about it, I told him, I said, ‘Listen, we don’t want you taking our people.’ “And then, not too long after that, he did it again. And I said, ‘Out of here.’” The US president, who had a close relationship with Epstein for years, has become increasingly defensive as he faces growing scrutiny over his administration’s refusal to release government records with information about Epstein’s abuses. Officials including Attorney General Pam Bondi have said that releasing further documents would risk disseminating victim information and child pornography collected as evidence. But Bondi’s comments have helped fuel the controversy. In a February interview with Fox News, Bondi said that Epstein’s supposed client list was “sitting on my desk right now”. Conspiracy theorists have long maintained that Epstein kept a list or book of contacts in order to coerce powerful figures in arts and politics. They also have cast doubt on Epstein’s jailhouse suicide in 2019, calling it, without proof, a cover-up. Advertisement Current members of Trump’s administration, including FBI director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, had played up those theories in past media appearances. But the Department of Justice and FBI later released a review concluding that there was no reason to believe such a list existed and that Epstein had died by suicide, as the government originally concluded. That assertion was met with frustration from some corners of Trump’s own far-right base, who have speculated for years about Epstein’s ties with powerful figures and the circumstances of his death. Giuffre has been a prominent figure in online conspiracy theories. She had accused Epstein of pressuring her to have sex with the powerful men in his orbit. Until her death by suicide earlier this year, Giuffre maintained that she had been approached as a teenager by Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, while she was working at Mar-a-Lago. Giuffre had been employed at the time as a spa attendant. Her father worked in maintenance at the resort. Maxwell, according to Giuffre, offered her money to work as a masseuse for Epstein, who then sexually abused her. She described Maxwell and Epstein as grooming her to perform sex acts for other men. Giuffre alleged that “massage” was sometimes used as a code word for sex. Giuffre ultimately filed a civil suit against Maxwell in New York. While Maxwell has denied Giuffre’s allegations, she settled the suit for an undisclosed sum. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in a Florida federal prison for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse underage girls. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, these organisations may be able to help. Adblock test (Why?)
Tsunami alerts issued for US, Japan, Philippines after massive earthquake
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Magnitude 8.7 quake off Russia’s east coast prompts warnings, evacuations in dozens of countries. Tsunami alerts have been issued in dozens of countries after a massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s east coast. Waves of up to 4 metres high (13 feet) struck Russia’s far-eastern Kamchatka region early on Wednesday, with tsunami alerts issued for the United States, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico and numerous Pacific island states. The US National Weather Service issued tsunami “warnings” for the state of Hawaii and Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, and lower-level tsunami advisories for parts of California, including Los Angeles and Oregon, with waves expected to arrive from the late afternoon on Wednesday. Less serious tsunami watches were in place for the entire US West Coast. The Honolulu Department of Emergency Management in Hawaii urged the evacuation of residents in some coastal areas. “Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected,” the agency said on X. The emergency agency in Hawaii said it expected the first waves to arrive at 7:10pm local time on Tuesday (05:00 GMT, Wednesday). US President Donald Trump urged residents in Hawaii, Alaska, and along the Pacific Coast to pay attention to tsunami-related advisories. “STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!” Trump said in a social media post. Japanese authorities said they expected waves as high as 3 metres (9.8 ft) to hit some coastal areas. “People in coastal areas or along rivers should immediately evacuate to safe places such as high ground or evacuation buildings,” the Japan Meteorological Agency said in a statement. Advertisement “Tsunamis can strike repeatedly. Do not leave the safe location until the warning is lifted.” Footage posted on social media showed residents of some Japanese coastal communities moving to higher ground. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged the public to evacuate from areas under warning. Japanese media reported the arrival of the first waves, measuring about 30cm (1 ft) high, on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido on Wednesday morning. In Russia, a tsunami flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, forcing the evacuation of its residents, the country’s Ministry of Emergencies and Disaster Relief said. Videos posted on Russian social media appeared to show buildings in the town submerged in seawater. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the 8.8-magnitude quake struck 136km (85 miles) east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Russia’s far east. The USGS revised the intensity of the quake up from an earlier estimate of 8.0. Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on Telegram that the quake was the “strongest in decades”. The regional health minister, Oleg Melnikov, told Russia’s state-run TASS news agency that several people had been injured, but none of them seriously. Subsequent quakes of magnitude 6.9 and 6.3 were recorded 147km (91 miles) and 131km (81 miles) southeast of Petropavlovsk and Vilyuchinsk, respectively, in Russia’s far east, according to the USGS. Robert Weis, a tsunami expert at Virginia Tech, said the tsunamis could potentially do serious damage. “It is correct to be worried about this one,” Weis told Al Jazeera. “Three metres is pretty destructive,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
PM Modi makes BIG statement during speech in Parliament, says, ‘No world leader…’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today affirmed in the Lok Sabha that no leader of any country asked India to stop Operation Sindoor but lamented that while the nation got support from the entire world, the Congress and its allies could not stand behind the valour of the nation’s soldiers. Here’s more.
Meet Daya Nayak, Mumbai Police ‘encounter specialist’ promoted to ACP rank, he inspired THIS Bollywood film
Senior police inspector Daya Nayak, once known as an “encounter specialist,” was on Tuesday promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). Nayak had joined the Mumbai Police in 1995 and is currently posted at the Bandra unit of the Crime Branch. Read on to know more about him.
Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi over his Parliament speech on Operation Sindoor, says, ‘He never said…’
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not naming China in his address during the Operation Sindoor discussion and for not directly refuting US President Donald Trump’s claims. Read on to know more on this.
Feds move to eliminate petrochemical watchdog, putting Texans and others at risk
Amid increasingly intense weather, the Chemical Safety Board is the lone independent agency watching over the Gulf Coast’s petrochemical corridor.
TribCast: What’s next for Republicans?
Mark Davis, the dean of Texas conservative talk radio, joins TribCast to talk about the GOP’s outlook for 2026.
Los Angeles County pushes to prohibit law enforcement from hiding their identities while on the job
Los Angeles County officials are calling for an ordinance to prohibit law enforcement officers from concealing their identities while on duty. The move comes after recent federal immigration raids in the city where some federal agents covered their faces with masks and refused to reveal their identities, which is not abnormal. The Board of Supervisors voted 4–0, with one abstention, on Tuesday to direct county counsel to draft an ordinance that bans law enforcement, including federal agents, from wearing masks, with some exceptions including for medical protection or during undercover operations. Officers would also be required to visibly display identification and agency affiliation while on duty in public. MASSACHUSETTS BILL WOULD FORCE ICE AGENTS TO UNMASK Federal agents have conducted ICE raids in Southern California since June under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, sparking protests and the subsequent federal deployment of the National Guard and Marines. About half the Guard troops and all the Marines have since been pulled out of Los Angeles. Supervisor Janice Hahn, who co-authored the motion, said the raids have provoked fear and residents have a right to know who is stopping, questioning or detaining them. “Across the county, people are being pulled out of their cars, beaten, and ripped from their families by men in tactical gear with balaclavas, no badges, and no names,” Hahn said. “That’s not how law enforcement in a democracy should operate.” Hahn admitted that it is unclear if the county will be able to enforce the measure against actions by federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Ultimately, it might have to be decided by a court,” she said. FROM ‘SAFETY’ TO ‘FASCIST STATE’: SENATORS SHARE OPINIONS ON ICE AGENTS WEARING MASKS Administration officials have defended officers who conceal their identities, arguing that immigration agents do it for their safety to avoid potential death threats and doxing, which includes releasing someone’s personal information online without their permission. “I’m sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I’m not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people don’t like what immigration enforcement is,” ICE acting director Todd Lyons said last month. A pending measure in the state legislature would prohibit local, state and federal police from covering their faces while on duty in the Golden State. Similar legislation has been proposed in other states and U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., have introduced a bill at the federal level. In Los Angeles County, the county counsel has 60 days to submit the draft ordinance to the board for approval. Supervisor Hilda Solis, the other co-author, said local officials must establish expectations about how law enforcement should conduct themselves in the county. “The use of masks, tactical gear, and refusal to show identification is not only alarming and confusing, but erodes public trust and raises serious safety concerns,” Solis said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.