Trump

Deja vu? Trump accused of economic denial and physical decline

BY AURéLIA END

  • When will Polls reflect the Greatness of America at this point in time, and how bad it was just one year ago?"
  • An aging president faces poor poll numbers and suspicions about his health but insists that America is thriving. 
  • When will Polls reflect the Greatness of America at this point in time, and how bad it was just one year ago?"
An aging president faces poor poll numbers and suspicions about his health but insists that America is thriving. 
Joe Biden? No, it's Donald Trump.
The Republican, back in power for nearly a year, continues to compare himself to his predecessor.
Biden would be senile, while Trump brims with energy; the Democrat would have driven the country into bankruptcy, but the Republican presides over an economic "golden age" - so Trump says.
At a Pennsylvania rally on Tuesday, Trump uttered his rival's name more than 20 times and even called him a "sleepy son of a bitch." 
Yet for the past few weeks, a strong sense of deja vu has colored the billionaire's presidency. 
Some of his statements, in the unabashed style that is his hallmark, echo remarks made by Biden. 
"America has the best economy in the world," the Democratic president declared in April 2024, a statement running counter to voters’ perceptions.
The US economy deserves "A+++++", Trump declared in an interview with Politico published on Tuesday.
He repeated that prices are falling, even though Americans still complain about the high cost of living. 
"There will always be a portion of his supporters that are going to be with him regardless. If he says the sky is not blue, then they will agree that the sky is not blue," said Alex Keena, a political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. 
But "that's not the majority of the American public," the researcher told AFP. "At the end of the day, people will go out and they will buy things and their experiences are undeniable."

31 percent

According to a poll by the University of Chicago for the Associated Press, published Thursday, only 31 percent of Americans are satisfied with Trump's economic policy.
"When will people understand what is happening? When will Polls reflect the Greatness of America at this point in time, and how bad it was just one year ago?" Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social network. 
While campaigning, Trump accused Biden of ignoring the struggles of low-income households. 
Like his predecessor, Trump today is trying to steer some of consumers' discontent toward big corporations suspected of inflating prices.
Like Biden, he is also struggling to generate enthusiasm for his plans to bolster purchasing power. 
And like the former president, Trump is dogged by questions about his health, though not as intensely as concerns about his rival's decline -- which Trump himself has fueled.
- Blue on the hand - 
By portraying Biden as an old man unfit to govern, Trump is "tapping into a very real frustration" over the aging of America's political class, Keena noted. 
But this strategy could backfire on Trump, the oldest president ever elected in the United States.
The 79-year-old is now the one whose every public appearance is scrutinized, and who is being attacked on social media. 
On Thursday, for example, a fake photo showing him with a walker circulated. 
Was that Trump nodding off during this cabinet meeting, or was he resting his eyes for a moment? And was that bandaged bruise on the back of his hand really the result of countless handshakes, as the White House keeps saying?
Biden's team had furiously denied allegations of declining health, but also increasingly shielded the octogenarian president from public view and journalists' questions.
Trump, for his part, remains much more accessible than his predecessor ever was and frequently engages in lengthy impromptu exchanges with the press. 
But beware, anyone who dares -- as the New York Times recently did -- to investigate his work pace and vitality.
"I actually believe it's seditious, perhaps even treasonous, for The New York Times, and others, to consistently do FAKE reports in order to libel and demean 'THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,'" he wrote on Truth Social. 
aue/vla/iv/ksb

Guatemala

For children of deported parents, lonely journeys to a new home

BY GERARD MARTINEZ

  • Andy was making the trip with six other children aged 3 to 15 -- three of them US citizens, the others Guatemalans who grew up in Florida.
  • One recent day at Miami's international airport, Andy, age 6, was getting ready to fly to Guatemala. 
  • Andy was making the trip with six other children aged 3 to 15 -- three of them US citizens, the others Guatemalans who grew up in Florida.
One recent day at Miami's international airport, Andy, age 6, was getting ready to fly to Guatemala. 
He was anxious, this was no year-end vacation to visit his relatives.
Andy was moving to his ancestral country to reunite with his father, recently deported as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive policy to expel undocumented migrants.
"They took my brother and I've had to take care of the little one," said Osvaldo, Andy's uncle who brought him to the airport but was not getting on the plane with him.
Andy was making the trip with six other children aged 3 to 15 -- three of them US citizens, the others Guatemalans who grew up in Florida. They were all moving to a country where they either had never been, or one which they barely remembered.
The sprawling city of Miami on Florida's east coast is about 70 percent Hispanic, and often called the Gateway to Latin America.
Across the United States, cities with large immigrant communities are primary targets of Trump's virulent anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric.
Trump's administration has deployed heavily armed and masked enforcement agents and onlookers have filmed them in various cities tackling people in the street or dragging them from cars.

'I worry about the child'

Born in the United States, Andy is a US citizen. Until November, he lived with his father Adiner, who had been in Florida for a decade. His mother hasn't been in his life since the parents separated.
One day, when Andy's father came to pick him up from school, a police officer stopped him. He had neither a visa nor a residency permit.
Andy -- who wore a backpack and a little cross necklace for the flight to Guatemala City -- was happy about being reunited with his father but also "a little nervous" about the trip, said Osvaldo, who did not want his full name published for fear of arrest.
"I keep thinking about my brother, about why they nabbed him. And I also worry about the child," he said.
The trip was organized by the Guatemalan-Maya Center, a nonprofit group serving "uprooted children and families" in the Miami area. 
Mariana Blanco, its director of operations, circulated among the children, checking they had everything needed for the trip.
She pointed out Franklin, 3, and his 6-year-old brother Garibaldi, both US citizens. The younger boy wore a Spider Man hoodie, a dinosaur backpack, and an anxious expression.
Like Andy, they were travelling to reunite with their deported father, because their mother works long hours in Miami and fears she too will be arrested. 

'Trampling on children's rights'

Two volunteers with the Guatemalan-Maya Center were accompanying the children on the trip.
One of them, Diego Serrato, accused the Trump administration of racism and "trampling on children's rights." 
"It's sad to see worry and fear on their little faces instead of the smiles they should have," Serrato said.
The group also included Mariela, 11, traveling to live with her mother because her father fears arrest; Alexis, 11, who had to stay for a few days with an aunt he'd never met after his father was arrested; and Enrique, 13, about to see his mother for the first time in eight years after his father ended up in an ICE lockup.
"No one should go through that, especially not a child," said Blanco.
The children, all of them Mayan, would have to adapt to life in Guatemala, where their families primarily live in impoverished rural areas, Blanco said. 
Most of the older ones would have to start working because middle school and high school in Guatemala come with expenses that their parents cannot cover, she added. 
As the group headed towards customs, Andy suddenly turned, hugged his uncle Osvaldo tightly, before rejoining the other children.
gma/eml-aem/ksb/md

health

Trump boxed in as Republican health care revolt grows

BY FRANKIE TAGGART

  • If Congress fails to act in the coming days, insurance costs are expected to spike for roughly 22 million Americans receiving enhanced ACA tax credits.
  • As millions of Americans brace for soaring health care costs, President Donald Trump is confronting an open rupture inside his own party that lawmakers fear could haunt Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.
  • If Congress fails to act in the coming days, insurance costs are expected to spike for roughly 22 million Americans receiving enhanced ACA tax credits.
As millions of Americans brace for soaring health care costs, President Donald Trump is confronting an open rupture inside his own party that lawmakers fear could haunt Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.
US patients already face among the highest medical bills in the world, spending more than twice as much on average as people in other wealthy nations, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The latest flashpoint is the year-end expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that help cash-strapped families buy health insurance -- a deadline that has laid bare a widening gulf between Trump's blue-collar coalition and establishment Republicans determined to let the aid lapse.
Fiercely opposed to anything resembling support for the ACA -- a law nicknamed "Obamacare" for its architect, Democratic former president Barack Obama -- Republican leaders insist the subsidies must end on December 31.
Trump, whose handling of health care is deeply underwater in public polling, sought to project flexibility in remarks late Thursday, offering to work with Democrats on a long-term fix.
But the overture sits uneasily alongside his longstanding opposition to Obamacare and his resistance to extending subsidies -- which Republicans argue would further entrench a law they have spent more than a decade trying to dismantle.
Tensions burst into the open earlier Thursday when four Republican senators crossed party lines to back an ultimately unsuccessful Democratic bill extending the subsidies for three years.

'Under pressure'

"I hope the message is, 'We need to do something here,'" Missouri Senator Josh Hawley said, according to The Hill, after voting to advance the Democratic proposal. "We're all under pressure."
If Congress fails to act in the coming days, insurance costs are expected to spike for roughly 22 million Americans receiving enhanced ACA tax credits.
KFF, a health policy research group, projects that they could see their monthly payments more than double, while overall marketplace premiums would rise by an average of 26 percent.
The anxiety is spilling into the House, where up to two dozen swing‑district Republicans are openly defying Speaker Mike Johnson by joining Democrats on so-called "discharge petitions" to force votes on reviving the government aid.
The rebellion reflects growing fear among frontline lawmakers that allowing premiums to spike on Trump's watch could hand Democrats a potent campaign weapon.
Johnson has made clear he opposes rank-and-file maneuvers to bypass leadership, but moderates warn that rigid party orthodoxy could cost them their seats -- and ultimately imperil Trump's already thin House majority.

Open to talks

Republican leaders, long unable to forge consensus on how America should fund treatment for its sick and infirm, released their own health care funding proposals on Friday, limited to measures they believe have broad support in the party.
Slated for a vote next week, the text excludes language extending the expiring Obamacare subsidies, though lawmakers will be allowed a vote on an amendment to keep the aid in place -- an effort party leaders expect to fail.
Democrats say they're open to talks on any initiative making health care more affordable but skeptical of Republican resolve.
For Trump, the fight carries enormous political risk. Polls show health care as his weakest issue, with his approval -- even among Republicans -- lagging as voters fault Washington for failing to rein in costs.
It is a rare policy arena in which the billionaire's grip on his party appears to be slipping.
Back an extension of a law he once vowed to repeal, or allow premiums to soar in an election year? Either path risks alienating voters, and Republicans across Capitol Hill are signaling they want clear leadership from the president.
"House Democrats remain ready, willing and able to sit down with our Republican colleagues anytime, anyplace and anywhere in order to enact a bipartisan agreement," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Friday. 
"But Republicans continue to pursue a my-way-or-the-highway approach, which has gotten them nowhere this year."
ft/des

conflict

US envoy to meet Zelensky, Europe leaders in Berlin this weekend

  • A White House official confirmed to AFP on Friday that Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff would meet with Zelensky and European leaders over the weekend to discuss the status of peace negotiations.
  • US President Donald Trump's special envoy will meet with Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders in Berlin this weekend, the White House said, as Washington presses for a plan to end Russia's war with Ukraine.
  • A White House official confirmed to AFP on Friday that Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff would meet with Zelensky and European leaders over the weekend to discuss the status of peace negotiations.
US President Donald Trump's special envoy will meet with Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders in Berlin this weekend, the White House said, as Washington presses for a plan to end Russia's war with Ukraine.
Ahead of the meetings, Zelensky warned on Saturday that Russia "still aims to destroy" Ukraine, as Kyiv said "massive" Russian strikes on energy facilities overnight had left thousands without power across the country.
Russia said it had hit Ukrainian facilities with hypersonic ballistic missiles, in what it called retaliation for Ukrainian attacks.
"It is important that everyone now sees what Russia is doing -- every step they take in terror against our people... for this is clearly not about ending the war," the Ukrainian president said on X.
"They still aim to destroy our state and inflict maximum pain on our people."
An 80-year-old woman was killed when a Russian shell hit a residential building in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, said the regional governor.
Strikes in the Black Sea port city of Odesa left some neighbourhoods without power.

US pressure

Trump has been stepping up pressure on Kyiv to reach an agreement since revealing a plan to end the war last month that was criticised as echoing Moscow's demands, including Ukraine ceding crucial territory.
The 28-point proposal has triggered a flurry of diplomacy between the United States and Ukraine's European allies, with Kyiv officials recently saying they had sent Washington a revised version.
Full details on the updated plan have not been released.
A White House official confirmed to AFP on Friday that Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff would meet with Zelensky and European leaders over the weekend to discuss the status of peace negotiations.
In his evening address late on Saturday, the Ukrainian leader confirmed that his team "are currently preparing for meetings with the American side and our European friends in the coming days".
"Most importantly, I will have meetings with representatives of President Trump, as well as meetings with our European partners and many leaders on the foundation of peace -- a political agreement to end the war," Zelensky added.

EU membership

Germany's government has said Berlin will host the leaders, including the heads of the European Union and NATO, next Monday in the hours after Zelensky attends a German-Ukrainian business forum with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The idea of a speedy accession by Ukraine into the European Union -- a move opposed by Moscow -- is included in the latest version of the US-led plan.
Europeans and Ukrainians are also asking the United States to provide them with "security guarantees" before Ukraine negotiates any territorial concessions, France said Friday.
Under the latest US plan, Ukraine would join the EU as early as January 2027, a senior official familiar with the matter told AFP on Friday on condition of anonymity.
The complicated EU accession process usually takes years and requires a unanimous vote from all 27 members of the bloc.
Some countries, notably Hungary, have consistently voiced opposition to Ukraine joining.
Kyiv has long striven for EU membership, but has struggled to eradicate endemic corruption -- a core prerequisite for joining the bloc.

'Long process'

Moscow indicated Friday it was suspicious of efforts to amend the US plan, for which it has signalled support.
"We have an impression that this version... will be worsened," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told the Kommersant business daily.
"It'll be a long process," he added.
Zelensky said Thursday Washington wanted only Ukraine, not Russia, to withdraw its troops from parts of the eastern Donetsk region, where a demilitarised "free economic zone" would be installed as a buffer between the two armies.
Russia, which has more manpower and weapons, has been grinding forward on the battlefield for months.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a key regional power-broker, said Saturday that "peace is not far away" -- but called for a halt to strikes in the Black Sea, which have rattled the key shipping route in recent weeks.
"The Black Sea should not be seen as an area of confrontation," Erdogan said, according to Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu.
"This would not benefit Russia or Ukraine. Everyone needs safe navigation in the Black Sea," he added.
Ukraine on Saturday accused Russia of striking a Turkish vessel transporting sunflower oil in the Black Sea, a day after a Russian attack triggered a fire on a Turkish-owned ship at a Ukrainian port.
Friday's attack came hours after Erdogan met Putin on the sidelines of a summit in Turkmenistan, where the Turkish leader called for a "limited ceasefire" covering attacks on ports and energy facilities, according to his office.
burs-sbk/jj

guerrilla

Colombia's ELN guerrillas place communities in lockdown citing Trump 'intervention' threats

  • The ELN, the oldest surviving guerrilla group in the Americas, controls key drug-producing regions of Colombia and vowed Friday to fight for the country's "defense" in the face of Trump's "threats of imperialist intervention."
  • Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group ordered civilians in areas under its control on Friday to stay home for three days as it carries out military exercises in response to "intervention" threats from US President Donald Trump.
  • The ELN, the oldest surviving guerrilla group in the Americas, controls key drug-producing regions of Colombia and vowed Friday to fight for the country's "defense" in the face of Trump's "threats of imperialist intervention."
Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group ordered civilians in areas under its control on Friday to stay home for three days as it carries out military exercises in response to "intervention" threats from US President Donald Trump.
The ELN, the oldest surviving guerrilla group in the Americas, controls key drug-producing regions of Colombia and vowed Friday to fight for the country's "defense" in the face of Trump's "threats of imperialist intervention."
Amid a major US pressure campaign against Venezuela, which many view as an attempt to push out strongman Nicolas Maduro, Trump on Wednesday warned that Colombia's leftist President Gustavo Petro could "be next" over his country's mass cocaine production.
"He's going to have himself some big problems if he doesn't wise up. Colombia is producing a lot of drugs," Trump told reporters, when asked if he expected to speak with frequent foe Petro.
"He better wise up, or he'll be next...I hope he's listening."
The ELN urged civilians in areas it controls to stay indoors for 72 hours starting at 6:00 am on Sunday, avoiding main roads and rivers.
"It is necessary for civilians not to mix with fighters to avoid accidents," the group said in a statement.
Petro criticized the move on social media, saying one "doesn't protest against anyone by killing peasants and taking away their freedom."
"You, gentlemen of the ELN, are declaring an armed strike not against Trump, but in favor of the drug traffickers who control you," he wrote on X.
Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez dismissed the ELN move as "nothing more than criminal coercion" and vowed the military "will be everywhere -- in every mountain, every jungle, every river" to counter its threat.
With a force of about 5,800 combatants, the ELN is present in over a fifth of Colombia's 1,100-plus municipalities, according to the Insight Crime research center.
The ELN has also taken part in failed peace negotiations with Colombia's last five governments.
While claiming to be driven by leftist, nationalist ideology, the ELN is deeply rooted in the drug trade and has become one of the region's most powerful organized crime groups.
It vies for territory and control of lucrative coca plantations and trafficking routes with dissident fighters that refused to lay down arms when the FARC guerrilla army disarmed under a 2016 peace deal.
One ELN stronghold is the Catatumbo region near the Venezuelan border -- one of the areas with the most coca crops in the world.
Colombia is the world's top cocaine producer, according to the UN.

Souring ties

Historically strong relations between Bogota and Washington have deeply soured since Trump's return to office.
Petro, who came to power in 2022 as Colombia's first-ever leftist president, has openly clashed with Trump calling him "rude and ignorant" and comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
The Colombian leader denounced the Trump administration's treatment of migrants and what he has termed the "extrajudicial executions" of nearly 90 people in strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific the US claims, without providing evidence, were ferrying drugs.
Petro has also criticized Washington's military deployment within striking distance of Venezuela, where Maduro fears he is the target of a regime-change plot under the guise of an anti-drug operation.
Washington, in turn, has accused Petro of drug trafficking and imposed sanctions.
Trump removed Bogota from a list of allies in the fight against narco trafficking, but the country has so far escaped harsher punishment.
bur-jgc/ane/des

politics

US Treasury lifts sanctions on Brazil Supreme Court justice

  • - Lobbying - Ties between the US and Brazil had soured even before the Bolsonaro trial, as Moraes oversaw efforts to regulate social media and temporarily blocked Elon Musk's X platform and accounts popular with conservative voices.
  • The US Treasury Department lifted sanctions Friday on Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw a trial of his country's jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro.
  • - Lobbying - Ties between the US and Brazil had soured even before the Bolsonaro trial, as Moraes oversaw efforts to regulate social media and temporarily blocked Elon Musk's X platform and accounts popular with conservative voices.
The US Treasury Department lifted sanctions Friday on Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw a trial of his country's jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro.
The sanctions were part of a series of punitive actions taken against Brazil by the administration of President Donald Trump, a longtime ally of Bolsonaro who had slammed the trial as a "witch hunt."
Moraes was sanctioned in July, and Washington took aim at his wife Viviane Barci de Moraes a few months later.
The sanctions against the couple and a company linked to their family were eased after efforts to repair diplomatic ties between Brazil and the United States, in a blow to Bolsonaro and his family who had lobbied hard for the measures.
A senior official from Trump's administration told AFP that "continued designation is inconsistent with US foreign policy interests."
Moraes welcomed the lifting of the sanctions.
"I believed, and I still believe...that the truth, once it reached US authorities, would prevail," Moraes said in Brasilia. "And the truth, with the efforts of President Lula and his entire team, prevailed."
After months of animosity, Trump and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held their first official meeting in October, leading to a flurry of negotiations between diplomats.
As ties improved, the Trump administration last month exempted key Brazilian exports from a 40-percent tariff that had been imposed over the trial.

Lobbying

Ties between the US and Brazil had soured even before the Bolsonaro trial, as Moraes oversaw efforts to regulate social media and temporarily blocked Elon Musk's X platform and accounts popular with conservative voices.
In imposing the sanctions earlier this year, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Moraes had "taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against US and Brazilian citizens and companies."
Bolsonaro began serving a 27-year jail term in November after his conviction for a scheme to stop Lula from taking office after 2022 elections.
His son Eduardo, a federal lawmaker, moved to the United States earlier this year after months of jetting back and forth from Brazil to lobby for sanctions against judicial officials.
He has since been charged for the crime of "coercion" for his alleged efforts to sway the outcome of the coup trial against his father.
In a statement on social media, Eduardo said the decision to lift the sanctions on Moraes was received "with regret."
He said a "lack of internal cohesion and the insufficient support for initiatives conducted abroad contributed to the worsening of the current situation."
"We are grateful for the support that President Trump has shown throughout this journey and for the attention he dedicated to the serious crisis of freedoms afflicting Brazil."
On Friday, the senior Trump administration official welcomed the passing of a bill by Brazil's chamber of deputies -- which is dominated by Bolsonaro supporters -- that could slash the former president's prison sentence considerably.
bys/mlm-fb/ksb/msp/jgc

politics

Democrats release new cache of Epstein photos

  • - Three Trump photos - There are three images of Trump in the 19 released on Friday.
  • Democratic lawmakers released a new cache of photos on Friday from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that includes images of US President Donald Trump and former president Bill Clinton.
  • - Three Trump photos - There are three images of Trump in the 19 released on Friday.
Democratic lawmakers released a new cache of photos on Friday from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that includes images of US President Donald Trump and former president Bill Clinton.
Other high-profile figures in the published pictures include former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, former Clinton treasury secretary Larry Summers, director Woody Allen and the ex-prince now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Also pictured are Microsoft's Bill Gates and the Virgin Group's Richard Branson.
Epstein's association with the individuals in the pictures was already widely known and the undated photographs do not appear to depict any unlawful conduct.
But Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said "these disturbing images raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world."
The White House accused Democrats of releasing "cherry-picked" photos from the Epstein estate "to try and create a false narrative."
"The Democrat hoax against President Trump has been repeatedly debunked," said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman.
Also among the pictures released on Friday are images of sex toys and a novelty "Trump condom" featuring a likeness of his face and the words "I'm HUUUUGE!"

Three Trump photos

There are three images of Trump in the 19 released on Friday.
In one he is standing next to six women who are wearing what appear to be traditional Hawaiian leis around their necks. Their faces have been redacted.
Another shows Trump, with Epstein close to him, talking to an unidentified blonde woman.
The third shows Trump sitting next to a blonde woman whose face has been blacked out.
The president told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that he had not seen the photos and declared their release "no big deal."
"Everybody knew this man, he was all over Palm Beach," Trump said, referring to the Florida community where his Mar-a-Lago resort is located.
"There are hundreds and hundreds of people that have photos with him. So, that's no big deal," Trump said. "I know nothing about it."
Former president Clinton is also pictured with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking a minor and other offenses, and two other unidentified people.
Epstein, a successful financier, cultivated rich and powerful friends, and frequently hosted them at his lavish Caribbean home.
He was convicted in Florida in 2008 on two sex crime counts, including solicitation of prostitution with a minor.
He served about a year in detention with unusually lenient conditions and avoided more serious charges until 2019, when he was arrested in New York and charged with sex trafficking of minors.
He died in pre-trial detention the same year and the death was ruled to be a suicide.

Epstein files

The Department of Justice has been ordered by Congress to release its files on the sprawling investigation into Epstein by December 19.
Trump fought for months to prevent release of the Epstein files but he caved last month to pressure from Congress, including from lawmakers in his Republican Party, and signed a law compelling release of the materials.
It remains to be seen how many of the extensive files will see the light of day, with authorities likely to cite the need to protect ongoing investigations.
Trump and his allies spent years pushing theories about powerful Democrats being protected over involvement with Epstein, framing the case as a potent symbol of how rich men can hide behind lawyers, money and connections.
But Trump himself was a longtime friend of Epstein, raising questions over what he knew about the notorious figure.
After starting his second presidential term in January, Trump switched from having called for publication of the Epstein files to branding the scandal a "hoax" and resisting any release.
cl/bgs/msp/mlm

sanction

US Treasury lifts sanctions on Brazil Supreme Court justice

  • The sanctions were part of a series of punitive actions taken against Brazil by the administration of President Donald Trump, a longtime ally of Bolsonaro who had slammed the trial as a "witch hunt."
  • The US Treasury Department lifted sanctions Friday on Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw a trial of his country's jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro.
  • The sanctions were part of a series of punitive actions taken against Brazil by the administration of President Donald Trump, a longtime ally of Bolsonaro who had slammed the trial as a "witch hunt."
The US Treasury Department lifted sanctions Friday on Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw a trial of his country's jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro.
The sanctions were part of a series of punitive actions taken against Brazil by the administration of President Donald Trump, a longtime ally of Bolsonaro who had slammed the trial as a "witch hunt."
Moraes was sanctioned in July and Washington took aim at his wife Viviane Barci de Moraes a few months later.
The sanctions against the couple and a company linked to their family were eased after efforts to repair diplomatic ties between Brazil and the US, in a blow to Bolsonaro and his family who had lobbied hard for the measures.
A senior official from Trump's administration told AFP that "continued designation is inconsistent with US foreign policy interests."
After months of animosity, Trump and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held their first official meeting in October, leading to a flurry of negotiations between diplomats.
As ties improved, the Trump administration last month exempted key Brazilian exports from a 40-percent tariff that had been imposed over the trial.

- Lobbying -

Ties between the US and Brazil had soured even before the Bolsonaro trial, as Moraes oversaw efforts to regulate social media platforms and temporarily blocked Elon Musk's X platform and social media accounts popular with conservative voices.
In imposing the sanctions earlier this year, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Moraes had "taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against US and Brazilian citizens and companies."
Bolsonaro began serving a 27-year jail term in November after his conviction for a scheme to stop Lula from taking office after the 2022 elections.
His son Eduardo, a federal lawmaker, moved to the United States earlier this year after months of jetting back and forth from Brazil to lobby for sanctions against judicial officials.
He has since been charged for the crime of "coercion" for his alleged efforts to sway the outcome of the coup trial against his father.
In a statement on social media, Eduardo said the decision to lift the sanctions on Moraes was received "with regret."
He said a "lack of internal cohesion and the insufficient support for initiatives conducted abroad contributed to the worsening of the current situation."
"We are grateful for the support that President Trump has shown throughout this journey and for the attention he dedicated to the serious crisis of freedoms afflicting Brazil."
On Friday, the senior Trump administration official welcomed the passing of a bill by Brazil's chamber of deputies -- which is dominated by Bolsonaro supporters -- that could slash the former president's prison sentence considerably.
bys/mlm-fb/ksb

conflict

Trump says Thailand, Cambodia have agreed to stop border clashes

  • In October, Trump backed a follow-on joint declaration between Thailand and Cambodia, touting new trade deals after they agreed to prolong their truce.
  • US President Donald Trump said Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to halt fighting along their disputed border, which has killed at least 20 people this week.
  • In October, Trump backed a follow-on joint declaration between Thailand and Cambodia, touting new trade deals after they agreed to prolong their truce.
US President Donald Trump said Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to halt fighting along their disputed border, which has killed at least 20 people this week.
The latest fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours, which stems from a long-running dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier, has also displaced around half a million on both sides.
Each side had blamed the other for reigniting the conflict.
"I had a very good conversation this morning with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, and the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet, concerning the very unfortunate reawakening of their long-running War," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
"They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim," he said, referring to a deal made in July.
"Both Countries are ready for PEACE and continued Trade with the United States of America," Trump noted, thanking Anwar for his assistance.
Earlier, Anutin had said, after his call with Trump: "It needs to be announced to the world that Cambodia is going to comply with the ceasefire."
"The one who violated the agreement needs to fix (the situation) -- not the one that got violated," Anutin said, adding that the call with Trump "went well".

'Talk among themselves'

The United States, China and Malaysia, as chair of the regional bloc ASEAN, brokered a ceasefire in July after an initial five-day spate of violence.
In October, Trump backed a follow-on joint declaration between Thailand and Cambodia, touting new trade deals after they agreed to prolong their truce.
But Thailand suspended the agreement the following month after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines at the border.
In the northeastern province of Buriram, Thai evacuee Jirasan Kongchan said peace should come through direct bilateral talks, not foreign mediation.
"I want Thailand and Cambodia to talk among themselves first, clearly and decisively," said the 50-year-old farmer.
"If Cambodia breaks the peace (agreement) again, ASEAN countries should step in, maybe impose some kind of sanctions."
Cambodian evacuee Choeun Samnang, 54, said he was "very happy" to hear Trump had called the Thai prime minister asking for the countries to abide by the joint declaration.
"I don't want to see countries at war. I want both Cambodia and Thailand to have peace," he told AFP at a shelter in Banteay Meanchey province.
At the White House on Thursday, Trump again boasted about having resolved multiple conflicts, but said that with "Thailand and Cambodia, I think I'm going to have to make a couple of phone calls...but we'll get that one back on track".
Anutin said there were "no signs" Trump would connect further trade talks with the border conflict, but that he had guaranteed Thailand would get "better benefits than other countries".
burs-sjc/sst/acb

diplomacy

Can Venezuela survive US targeting its oil tankers?

BY PATRICK FORT WITH POL-MALO LE BRIS IN LONDON

  • Since Trump threatened an export tariff of 25 percent on any country buying Venezuelan oil, the country has had to slash its black market prices by as much as 20 percent.
  • Venezuela has been sidestepping a US oil export embargo for years, selling crude at a discounted price mainly to China.
  • Since Trump threatened an export tariff of 25 percent on any country buying Venezuelan oil, the country has had to slash its black market prices by as much as 20 percent.
Venezuela has been sidestepping a US oil export embargo for years, selling crude at a discounted price mainly to China. But even this limited income stream is now under threat after the United States seized a Cuba-bound tanker. 
In one fell swoop, Venezuela lost 1.9 million barrels of oil, according to sanctioned President Nicolas Maduro, who denounced an act of "naval piracy." According to ship tracking platform MarineTraffic, it was closer to 1.1 million barrels.
The estimated value of the oil seized, and which the United States has said it intends to keep, ranges between $50 million and $100 million.
Venezuelan so-called "ghost" tankers had until now been left untouched despite a mighty US naval presence in the Caribbean Sea since September.
In a follow-up move on Thursday, the US Treasury announced sanctions on six companies it said were shipping the South American country's oil, and identified six vessels as "blocked property."
Such actions "would make the fleet operating on the black market afraid to come to Venezuela. That would increase the risk premium and therefore the discounts... (to buyers), which would be very steep," Francisco Monaldi of the Baker Institute, a Houston-based think tank, told AFP.
Maduro has claimed the massive US military deployment within striking distance of his country is part of a plan to overthrow him and "steal" Venezuela's abundant oil under the ruse of an anti-drug operation.
The targeting of ships transporting Venezuela's only valuable commodity could indeed imperil Maduro's political fortunes.
"If there are no oil exports, it will affect the foreign exchange market, the country’s imports... There could be an economic crisis," Elias Ferrer of Orinoco Research, a Venezuelan advisory firm, told AFP.
"Not just a recession, but also shortages of food and medicine, because we wouldn’t be able to import." 

 Black market

Venezuela is estimated to have oil reserves of some 303 billion barrels, according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) -- more than any other nation.
But years of mismanagement and corruption slashed production from a peak of more than three million barrels per day (bpd) in the early 2000s to an historic low of 350,000 bpd by 2020.
Back on track to reach a million bpd this year, analysts say it will be hard to boost production beyond that, given the shortage of foreign currency needed to improve infrastructure.
Caracas has been scraping by under a regime of economic sanctions and a US oil embargo in place since 2019, tightened in 2025.
It adapted, using a fleet of "ghost" tankers that sail under false flags, declare fake routes or switch off their transponders to avoid detection.
Since Trump threatened an export tariff of 25 percent on any country buying Venezuelan oil, the country has had to slash its black market prices by as much as 20 percent.
Moreover, Chevron, which operates under a special license and accounts for roughly 10 percent of Venezuelan production, is no longer allowed to transfer money to the state and therefore pays taxes and other dues in crude.

Help coming?

It is estimated that China buys 80 percent of Venezuelan production. 
To avoid sanctions, clients pay in cryptocurrency, including asset-pegged stablecoins, mainly USDT.
This has contributed to a shortage of greenbacks in Venezuela's partly dollarized economy -- and a deep gap between the official exchange rate and the black-market one.
A surge in product prices has raised fears of a return to hyperinflation in a country still smarting from a million percent rise in prices recorded in 2018 -- the peak of a four-year hyperinflationary period that pushed millions to emigrate.
"Now we’ll see to what extent countries like China, Iran, and Russia are willing to take risks to prop up Venezuela," said Ferrer.
The tanker seized by US forces this week, The Skipper, was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2022 for alleged links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, according to MarineTraffic.
Iran is one of Venezuela’s main allies along with Russia, whose President Vladimir Putin this week reaffirmed his support for Maduro but is tied down in a grinding war in Ukraine.
Ferrer pointed out that Maduro has already survived years of US sanctions and political pressure, even at a time when "oil production was at 300,000 barrels and inflation at one million percent."
pgf/lab/roc/mlr/ksb

military

Admiral leading US forces in Latin America steps down

  • The United States has amassed a huge flotilla of warships in the Caribbean as part of what Washington bills as counter-narcotics efforts, and has since September carried out strikes targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels that have left nearly 90 people dead.
  • The US admiral responsible for overseeing a major military buildup in the Caribbean and controversial strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats stepped down on Friday just a year into his tenure.
  • The United States has amassed a huge flotilla of warships in the Caribbean as part of what Washington bills as counter-narcotics efforts, and has since September carried out strikes targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels that have left nearly 90 people dead.
The US admiral responsible for overseeing a major military buildup in the Caribbean and controversial strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats stepped down on Friday just a year into his tenure.
Admiral Alvin Holsey announced in mid-October that he would leave his position as head of US Southern Command, which is responsible for American forces operating in Central and South America.
Holsey had reportedly expressed concerns about the boat strikes, but neither he nor Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth have publicly provided a reason for his early departure.
In his remarks during a ceremony marking his relinquishment of command, the admiral emphasized the importance of supporting nations that believe in democracy and human rights.
"We must always be there for like-minded partners, like-minded nations who share our values -- democracy, rule of law and human rights," Holsey said.
The United States has amassed a huge flotilla of warships in the Caribbean as part of what Washington bills as counter-narcotics efforts, and has since September carried out strikes targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels that have left nearly 90 people dead.
Trump's administration insists it is effectively at war with alleged "narco-terrorists," but experts say the strikes on the boats amount to extrajudicial killings even if they target known traffickers.
The first strike, which took place on September 2, is especially controversial, as two survivors of the initial attack were killed in a subsequent hit.
Regional tensions have flared as a result of the strikes and the military buildup, with Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro accusing Washington of using drug trafficking as a pretext for regime change in Caracas.
Now responsible for both the campaign of boat strikes and efforts to pressure Maduro is Air Force Lieutenant General Evan Pettus, who said he was "humbled" to take on the role in an acting capacity.
Since beginning his second White House term in January, President Donald Trump has overseen a purge of top military officers, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, general Charles "CQ" Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February.
Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally neutral US military.
gma/wd/acb

court

Trump 'pardons' jailed US election denier

  • Peters is jailed under state charges, making her ineligible for a presidential pardon.
  • US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would "pardon" a Colorado official jailed on charges linked to efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. 
  • Peters is jailed under state charges, making her ineligible for a presidential pardon.
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would "pardon" a Colorado official jailed on charges linked to efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. 
Tina Peters, a former official in Colorado's Mesa County, was sentenced in October 2024 for allowing an unauthorized Trump supporter to access confidential voting information several months after the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden. 
The man was seeking to prove election fraud as part of a conspiracy theory touted by Trump that the vote was rigged. 
"Democrats have been relentless in their targeting of TINA PETERS, a Patriot who simply wanted to make sure that our Elections were Fair and Honest," Trump said in a post on social media Thursday. 
"I am granting Tina a full Pardon for her attempts to expose Voter Fraud in the Rigged 2020 Presidential Election!" 
Peters is jailed under state charges, making her ineligible for a presidential pardon. She was sentenced to nine years in prison. 
Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis criticized the move saying Peters "was convicted by a jury of her peers, prosecuted by a Republican District Attorney, and found guilty of violating Colorado state laws, including criminal impersonation." 
"No President has jurisdiction over state law nor the power to pardon a person for state convictions," Polis said in a social media post Thursday. 
"This is a matter for the courts to decide, and we will abide by court orders." 
Shortly after his inauguration in January, Trump offered pardons to everybody convicted in the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021.
bur-lga/ane/fox

Congress

Democrats grill homeland security chief over immigration crackdown

  • The panel's ranking Democrat Bennie Thompson said Noem has "diverted resources from critical Homeland Security agencies and programs to carry out an extreme immigration agenda."
  • Democratic lawmakers called for US Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem's resignation Thursday as she defended the Trump administration's mass deportation program at a fiery congressional hearing.
  • The panel's ranking Democrat Bennie Thompson said Noem has "diverted resources from critical Homeland Security agencies and programs to carry out an extreme immigration agenda."
Democratic lawmakers called for US Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem's resignation Thursday as she defended the Trump administration's mass deportation program at a fiery congressional hearing.
"You promised America that you would go after the worst of the worst," Democratic Representative Seth Magaziner said.
But the vast immigration crackdown launched under Republican President Donald Trump has swept up veterans of the US military, their relatives, pregnant women, children and even some American citizens, Magaziner said.
"There are many problems with your leadership but the biggest problem is this: You don't seem to know how to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys," he told the House Homeland Security Committee hearing, which was interrupted by demonstrators on several occasions.
The panel's ranking Democrat Bennie Thompson said Noem has "diverted resources from critical Homeland Security agencies and programs to carry out an extreme immigration agenda."
"Black and brown Americans in particular, have been racially profiled, detained and locked up," Thompson said.
"So rather than sitting here and wasting your time and ours with more corruption, lies and lawlessness, I call on you to resign," he said, echoing a call Democrats have made for months as ICE has raided major cities. 
In June, after Senator Alex Padilla was tackled and cuffed at a press conference Noem held in Los Angeles, Senator Elizabeth Warren and others demanded she step down.

Noem defends tactics

In Thursday's hearing, Representative Delia C. Ramirez told Noem "your options are limited. Either you're going to resign, Trump's going to fire you, or you will be impeached." 
Ramirez, who represents the midwestern city of Chicago which has seen numerous ICE raids, also made a formal request for the House Judiciary Committee to open an investigation into Noem's "unlawful and potentially impeachable actions." 
While Democrats lambasted Noem and the Trump administration, Republicans praised her department for securing the US-Mexico border and rounding up undocumented migrants for deportation.
Noem defended the tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and accused the administration of Democrat Joe Biden of allowing "millions of people to come into our country illegally."
She denied US citizens have been detained although she said there have been occasions when they were held until their identity could be confirmed.
"We have never once detained or deported an American citizen," Noem said.
"(When) we are doing our targeted enforcement operations against criminal illegal aliens, individuals that are in that area may be detained until we verify who they are, and then they are released."
Trump ran for the White House promising to deport millions of undocumented migrants and Noem, as head of the Department of Homeland Security, oversees the operation.
cl/msp/mlm/sla/jgc

health

White House blames Trump's bandaged hand on handshakes

  • "As for the bandages on the hand, we've also given you an explanation for that," Leavitt told reporters. 
  • The White House said Thursday the high volume of handshakes by President Donald Trump explains the adhesive bandages he has worn on the back of his right hand in recent days.
  • "As for the bandages on the hand, we've also given you an explanation for that," Leavitt told reporters. 
The White House said Thursday the high volume of handshakes by President Donald Trump explains the adhesive bandages he has worn on the back of his right hand in recent days.
His spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt reiterated a response she gave months ago after the 79-year-old president was seen with a bruise on his right hand covered by a thick layer of makeup.
"As for the bandages on the hand, we've also given you an explanation for that," Leavitt told reporters. 
"In the past, the president is literally constantly shaking hands," she said.
"He's also on a daily aspirin regimen, which is something his physical examinations has said in the past as well, which can contribute to the bruise that you see," she added.
As the oldest president ever elected in the United States, Trump has fiercely defended his personal health, contrasting that with his predecessor Joe Biden, whom Trump claims was losing his faculties to the point of being unable to govern by the end of his term.
Trump posted a long message defending his health on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday night, calling investigations by news organizations into his physical fitness as equivalent to "sedition, maybe even treason."
In October, Trump underwent a medical examination, including an MRI scan, and his doctor reported the president was in excellent health.
aue/ph/jgc/msp/mlm

Trump

Kushner returns to team Trump, as ethical questions swirl

BY DANNY KEMP

  • As Trump sought a Gaza ceasefire in his second term, he turned again to his son-in-law.
  • His only official job title at the White House is son-in-law.
  • As Trump sought a Gaza ceasefire in his second term, he turned again to his son-in-law.
His only official job title at the White House is son-in-law. But Jared Kushner has staged a remarkable -- and sometimes controversial -- comeback to President Donald Trump's inner circle.
Four years after Kushner left the White House, Trump has handed the husband of his daughter Ivanka a key role in the Gaza and Ukraine peace talks.
This week, the 44-year-old also emerged as an investor in a bid by Paramount to buy Hollywood giant Warner Bros., which if successful could mean the Trump family partially owning CNN, the president's most-hated news channel.
Kushner and Ivanka served as special advisors in Trump's first term. But after his 2020 election loss they decamped to Florida and Kushner vanished into the private sector, insisting he would not return for a second administration.
Since then, Kushner has founded an investment company largely funded by the same Middle Eastern countries that he dealt with in the first Trump term -- and has become a billionaire, according to Forbes.
That has raised ethical questions about possible conflicts of interest, which Kushner has denied and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has branded "frankly despicable." 
But it has not stopped Trump, who has long mixed business and politics with family, from bringing him back in from the cold. 
"We called in Jared," Trump told the Israeli parliament in October after the Gaza ceasefire deal. "We need that brain on occasion. We gotta get Jared in here."

 'Trusted family member'

The White House said that Kushner was giving "valuable expertise" while stressing that he working as an "informal, unpaid advisor."
"President Trump has a trusted family member and talented advisor in Jared Kushner," Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to AFP, citing Kushner's "record of success" in the Middle East.
Trump and his roving global envoy, businessman Steve Witkoff, "often seek Mr. Kushner's input given his experience with complex negotiations, and Mr. Kushner has been generous in lending his valuable expertise when asked."
The slim, softly-spoken scion of a property empire -- whose father was jailed for tax evasion and later pardoned by Trump -- Kushner faced accusations of inexperience when he joined Trump's first team.
But he ended up playing a key role in Trump's signature diplomatic achievement, the Abraham Accords that saw several Muslim nations recognize Israel.
During that time Kushner, who is Jewish, built enduring relationships with Gulf states like Saudi Arabia.
As Trump sought a Gaza ceasefire in his second term, he turned again to his son-in-law.
Kushner began to be seen around the White House again, and Trump dispatched him and Witkoff to negotiate with Israel, Hamas and Middle Eastern powers.
After the Gaza deal, Kushner said his role was only temporary -- and joked that he was worried Ivanka would change the locks of their Florida mansion and not let him back in if he stayed on.
Yet the following month, Kushner turned up at the Kremlin with Witkoff to meet President Vladimir Putin. Top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Kushner "turned out to be very useful."

 Paramount bid role

Kushner's business interests hit the headlines again this week when it emerged that his private equity firm, Affinity Partners, was among the investors backing Paramount's battle with Netflix to buy Warner Bros.
It added a political twist to the story, as not only has his father-in-law said he would get "involved" in approving any deal, but Trump also appears determined to clamp down on CNN, which is part of Warner.
Kushner founded Florida-based Affinity in 2021, with much of its funding coming from foreign sources, particularly the Middle Eastern governments he'd done business with.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) gave $2 billion in 2022, the New York Times reported. The Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based Lunate Capital together gave around $1.5 billion in 2024, Kushner said in a podcast last year.
Kushner's firm now manages $5.4 billion, according to a press release in September.
A US Senate finance committee launched an inquiry last year into whether Affinity was effectively being used as a foreign influence-buying operation with the Trump family ahead of the 2024 election, saying it had won millions in fees from foreign clients without returning any profits.
Affinity Partners did not reply when contacted by AFP.
Kushner hasn't commented on the Paramount deal, but he has previously rejected any suggestions of ethical breaches, particularly regarding his Gulf ties.
"What people call conflicts of interest, Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships," he told the CBS program "60 Minutes" when it interviewed him and Witkoff in October on the Gaza deal.
dk/jgc

media

White House steps up attacks on CNN

  • "CNN = Chicken News Network," White House communications director Steven Cheung wrote on X Thursday, calling CNN cowardly for not inviting Trump advisor Stephen Miller to be interviewed "presumably because they are scared Stephen will school them."
  • The White House on Thursday intensified its attacks on CNN, the news network at the center of a financial battle that President Donald Trump is tied up in politically and through family.
  • "CNN = Chicken News Network," White House communications director Steven Cheung wrote on X Thursday, calling CNN cowardly for not inviting Trump advisor Stephen Miller to be interviewed "presumably because they are scared Stephen will school them."
The White House on Thursday intensified its attacks on CNN, the news network at the center of a financial battle that President Donald Trump is tied up in politically and through family.
Echoing the president's frequent anti-media barbs, senior members of his administration lashed out. 
"CNN = Chicken News Network," White House communications director Steven Cheung wrote on X Thursday, calling CNN cowardly for not inviting Trump advisor Stephen Miller to be interviewed "presumably because they are scared Stephen will school them."
Vice President JD Vance then shared the post, adding: "If CNN wants to be a real news network it should feature important voices from our administration."
A CNN spokesperson said Miller would be welcome back on the channel, Fox News reported Thursday.
"As a news organization, we make editorial decisions about the stories we cover and when, and that depends on the news priorities of the day. We look forward to having Stephen on again in the future as the news warrants," the CNN spokesperson was quoted as saying.
The harshest attack on CNN from the Trump administration came from an official White House account called Rapid Response 47, which went after Kaitlan Collins, one of the network's most prominent correspondents, saying she "is not a journalist. She is a mouthpiece for the Democrat Party."
On Wednesday, the president confronted another CNN journalist similarly, and said "you know you work for the Democrats, don't you? You are basically an arm of the Democrat Party."
CNN has yet to comment publicly on those allegations. In the past, the network has responded to criticism of political bias by asserting that it is committed to objective journalism and fairness.

CNN for sale

Founded in 1980 to provide global television news coverage, CNN is currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the media conglomerate at the heart of a bidding war between streaming giant Netflix and Paramount Skydance, the latter of which is led by CEO David Ellison, son of Trump ally Larry Ellison.
The president's son-in-law Jared Kushner has joined Paramount's bid through his investment firm. 
And Trump has already indicated he intends to get involved in the government's decision to approve or block a sale, which would typically involve the Justice Department.
Under Paramount's offer, CNN would fall into Ellison's hands.  
Under the Netflix deal, Warner Bros. Discovery would sell off CNN and other cable news properties separately before closing the sale of its studio and streaming operations.
The 79-year-old president said Wednesday he wants to ensure CNN gets new ownership as part of the Warner Bros. Discovery sale, seeming to favor a Paramount purchase.
"I don't think the people that are running that company right now and running CNN, which is a very dishonest group of people, I don't think that should be allowed to continue. I think CNN should be sold along with everything else," Trump said.
aue/eml/sla/msp/jgc

election

Indiana rejects Trump-backed push to erase Democratic seats

  • The president had threatened primary challenges against dissenting lawmakers, and after they bucked Trump Thursday he lambasted the state Senate's top Republican Rodric Bray and said he hopes he loses his next election.
  • The conservative US state of Indiana on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected a congressional map championed by President Donald Trump that would have wiped out two Democratic-held districts -- denting Republican hopes for a nine-seat sweep in next year's midterm elections.
  • The president had threatened primary challenges against dissenting lawmakers, and after they bucked Trump Thursday he lambasted the state Senate's top Republican Rodric Bray and said he hopes he loses his next election.
The conservative US state of Indiana on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected a congressional map championed by President Donald Trump that would have wiped out two Democratic-held districts -- denting Republican hopes for a nine-seat sweep in next year's midterm elections.
Democrats need to flip only three seats to reclaim the US House of Representatives in 2026, and the vote in the Hoosier State's senate was supposed to be the latest step in Trump's push for an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting drive aimed at cementing Republican control.
Breaking with long-standing political custom, Trump has urged Republican-run states to redraw their maps years before the next census, hoping to capitalize on Republican dominance in state legislatures and map-making bodies.
The president had spent significant political capital on the Indiana push -- but the ruling state Senate Republicans delivered him a humiliating defeat as more than half voted against the new map, bristling at pressure from the White House.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson had told reporters he had been personally calling state lawmakers to shore up support, while Trump mounted his own characteristically forceful intervention, blasting out a social-media tirade demanding a Republican gerrymander.
The president had threatened primary challenges against dissenting lawmakers, and after they bucked Trump Thursday he lambasted the state Senate's top Republican Rodric Bray and said he hopes he loses his next election.
"I'm sure he'll go down," Trump said at the White House, speaking of Bray after being asked about the failed Indiana redistricting effort. "I'll certainly support anybody that wants to go against him."
Bray, after earlier Trump criticism, had countered that Washington Republicans were misreading the situation, insisting his caucus simply did not have the votes to pass the map. 
More than a dozen Republican senators had publicly broken with the effort ahead of the vote.
Several Indiana Republicans -- including lawmakers Trump had singled out -- reported being targeted by swatting incidents or pipe-bomb threats after speaking out against the redistricting plan.
The Trump defeat in Indiana comes with Democrats pursuing their own mid-cycle gains.
California voters last month approved a Democratic-drawn map projected to add as many as five House seats -- a move seen as offsetting Texas's mid-decade redistricting, which the Supreme Court allowed to proceed despite legal challenges.
There are also efforts afoot in Virginia, while Maryland and Illinois are mulling similar action.
Beyond their five-seat gain in Texas, Republicans have secured small redistricting wins in North Carolina and Missouri, while Florida Republicans have signaled they may move to revise their map.
ft/mlm

Kirk

Charlie Kirk murder suspect appears in US court

  • In one part of the exchange, the roommate, who was not named, asked Robinson why he had killed Kirk.
  • The man accused of killing right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk appeared in person in a US court for the first time on Thursday.
  • In one part of the exchange, the roommate, who was not named, asked Robinson why he had killed Kirk.
The man accused of killing right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk appeared in person in a US court for the first time on Thursday.
Tyler Robinson looked on calmly as lawyers discussed procedural issues surrounding what is expected to be one of the most keenly watched trials in modern America.
The clean-shaven 22-year-old wore a light shirt and a tie in the Utah court. The judge ruled at an earlier hearing that he did not have to appear in court in prison garb.
Kirk was shot dead on a Utah college campus in September, sparking a wave of grief among conservatives, and threats of a clampdown on the "radical left" from President Donald Trump.
Following a massive manhunt, Robinson was arrested the day after the September 10 killing when his family persuaded him to hand himself in because they had recognized him in photographs issued by investigators.
He faces the death penalty if convicted of aggravated murder.
Authorities say Robinson shot Kirk from a rooftop across the campus of Utah Valley University because of the influential activist's views.
They have cited text message exchanges between Robinson and his roommate, whom they described as "a biological male who was transitioning genders."
In one part of the exchange, the roommate, who was not named, asked Robinson why he had killed Kirk.
"I had enough of his hatred," Robinson is alleged to have written. "Some hate can't be negotiated out."
Kirk, a father of two, used his audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for conservative talking points, including strong criticism of the transgender rights movement.
In the wake of the murder, a number of people lost their jobs after criticism from conservatives over what they posted online or said publicly about Kirk.
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel was briefly suspended from his show on the ABC network following government pressure after he said Trump's MAGA movement was trying to make political capital from the killing.
hg/msp/mlm

immigration

Salvadoran man wrongly deported from US released from ICE custody: lawyer

  • She ordered the government to release him from ICE custody immediately while his legal challenge against his deportation moves forward.
  • A Salvadoran man at the center of a row over President Donald Trump's crackdown on migrants was released from US immigration custody on Thursday after a lengthy legal battle, his lawyer said.
  • She ordered the government to release him from ICE custody immediately while his legal challenge against his deportation moves forward.
A Salvadoran man at the center of a row over President Donald Trump's crackdown on migrants was released from US immigration custody on Thursday after a lengthy legal battle, his lawyer said.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident married to an American woman, was wrongly deported in March and then returned to the United States, where he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
A federal judge ordered his release on Thursday and Abrego Garcia's lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, confirmed to AFP that he had been freed.
"He's released," Sandoval-Moshenberg said in an email.
Abrego Garcia's case has become a lightning rod for those opposed to the Trump administration's efforts to carry out mass deportations across the country.
He was among more than 200 people sent to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison in March. The Trump administration alleges he is a violent MS-13 gang member involved in smuggling other undocumented migrants, which he denies.
After his return to the United States in June, Abrego Garcia was detained again in Tennessee on human smuggling charges. He was then released under strict conditions in August, pending a trial.
But after returning to Maryland, he was detained again by ICE for deportation to one of four African countries. He declared himself instead ready to go to Costa Rica, which had been willing to take him.
In her ruling Thursday, Judge Paula Xinis concluded that Abrego Garcia has been held in ICE detention "absent a lawful removal order."
"His detention has been for the basic purpose of effectuating removal, lending further support that Abrego Garcia should be held no longer," Xinis said.
She ordered the government to release him from ICE custody immediately while his legal challenge against his deportation moves forward.
Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin accused the judge of "judicial activism."
"This order lacks any valid basis and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in the courts," she wrote on X.
Trump has made combating illegal immigration his top priority, claiming an "invasion" of the United States by "foreign criminals" and pressing for the deportation of millions of undocumented migrants. 
But his program has been hampered by numerous court rulings on the grounds that those targeted must be able to assert their rights.
sst-cl/jgc

economy

US Treasury chief seeks looser regulation at financial stability panel

  • Chaired by the Treasury secretary, it comprises representatives of top financial regulators including the Federal Reserve, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
  • US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled key changes Thursday to a high-level panel on financial stability, putting more emphasis on economic growth and reduced regulation.
  • Chaired by the Treasury secretary, it comprises representatives of top financial regulators including the Federal Reserve, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled key changes Thursday to a high-level panel on financial stability, putting more emphasis on economic growth and reduced regulation.
The panel, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), was created to identify emerging risks and avoid a repeat of the 2008 global financial crisis.
Chaired by the Treasury secretary, it comprises representatives of top financial regulators including the Federal Reserve, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
"Too often in the past, efforts to safeguard the financial system have resulted in burdensome and often duplicative regulations," Bessent told an FSOC meeting on Thursday.
"Little thought was given to the harms of overregulation," he added.
He said the FSOC is working with member agencies to consider where the US financial regulatory framework imposes "undue burdens."
Bessent said the "twin priorities of economic growth and economic security will guide the Council's future approach" when it comes to identifying priorities, assessing risks and recommending regulatory changes.
The council's annual report this year also reflects the "reorientation" of the FSOC's priorities, Bessent said.
The change aligns with a focus on deregulation under the administration of President Donald Trump.
Ahead of the FSOC meeting, however, Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, criticized the council's direction under Bessent's leadership.
"The FSOC has met less frequently than it ever has before; meanwhile, at the rare meetings when it does convene, Wall Street deregulation is a standing agenda item, and the Council is actively sabotaging its own authorities," Warren wrote in a letter to the Treasury chief dated Wednesday.
"This erosion of financial stability oversight would be troubling at any moment, but it is especially dangerous as systemic risk in the financial system appears to be intensifying," she said.
In a letter accompanying the new FSOC report, Bessent said that the council has formed new working groups.
They include one that will consider if regulation has "distorted or imposed undue costs" on equity and credit markets among others, "in ways that could negatively impact economic growth and economic security."
Another group looks into artificial intelligence to consider ways that it can boost financial system resilience.
At Thursday's meeting, Bessent also urged FSOC member agencies to ease regulations that might discourage AI experimentation in the financial services sector.
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