transport

'Back on track': Biden unveils plan for first US high-speed train

BY AURELIA END WITH JULIE CHABANAS IN WASHINGTON

  • A line between San Francisco and Los Angeles is in the works, which like the LA-Las Vegas service which will receive up to approximately $3 billion.
  • Train enthusiast Joe Biden unveiled a $8.2 billion plan Friday to get America's creaking rail network back on track, including its first ever high-speed link between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. 
  • A line between San Francisco and Los Angeles is in the works, which like the LA-Las Vegas service which will receive up to approximately $3 billion.
Train enthusiast Joe Biden unveiled a $8.2 billion plan Friday to get America's creaking rail network back on track, including its first ever high-speed link between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. 
Slow, infrequent and often non-existent, trains have long been the poor relation of cars and planes in the United States.
But the US president, who used the train between his Delaware home and Washington so much as a US senator that he was nicknamed "Amtrak Joe," visited Las Vegas to announce a series of federally funded rail upgrades. 
"You have no idea how much this pleases me," Biden said at a union center in the gambling hub.
The plan would "put our nation back on track with the fastest, safest and greenest railways in the world."
Biden's administration hopes to complete the Vegas-to-LA rail link by 2028. It is designed to slash the current five-hour car journey to two hours and 40 minutes -- part of a larger ambition of doubling passenger numbers on America's railways by 2040.
Biden highlighted the fact that China, the world's second-largest economy, boasts trains that travel 220 miles an hour (350 kilometers an hour). 

 'Transformational'

The Democrat also took the chance to lash out at his likely rival in the 2024 election, Republican Donald Trump, for failing to improve US infrastructure while he was president. 
"He likes to say America's a failing nation," said Biden. "Frankly he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about." 
Major rail projects are part of the infrastructure investment plan that Biden pushed through shortly after taking office, which allocated $66 billion for passenger trains.
This is the largest sum allocated to passenger rail since the formation of Amtrak in 1971. 
The quasi-public company was set up to relieve private freight of the burden of passenger transport, and now operates inter-city rail lines across the country.
"This will be truly transformational for US passenger rail," Amtrak executive vice-president Laura Mason told AFP.
The funding will create new lines and extend existing ones, boost services, upgrade stations and build modern, faster trains.
A line between San Francisco and Los Angeles is in the works, which like the LA-Las Vegas service which will receive up to approximately $3 billion.
The shuttered line connecting New Orleans, Louisiana with Mobile, Alabama is due to reopen almost 20 years after it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

'Skeletal' network

Trains played a crucial role in expansion across the western United States in the 19th century, but today's network is "skeletal," Jim Mathews, the head of the US Rail Passengers Association, told AFP. 
Train service in the densely populated northeastern United States is relatively regular but crossing the country from east to west takes between two and two-and-a-half days. 
"You'll have to change trains in Chicago," Mathews said. "And if you want a sleeping compartment, you have to book that months in advance."
It's not just a question of repairing tracks and building new trains, but also "changing how people move, and how do we encourage mode shift out of cars, out of airplanes, onto trains," said Mason from Amtrak. 

'Real change'

The current context is favorable for train travel, Mason insisted. 
"We're seeing a real change coming out of the pandemic and how people want to move," she said, adding that passenger numbers were growing. 
Some do it for environmental concerns, while others choose train travel for its tranquility, convenience or simply "for the experience," she added.
In the waiting area at Washington's Union Station, Alan Beaubien, who lives in Florida, was in town on a business trip. 
"Once I'm in the northeast, I will always use the train," he told AFP. 
But "when you get into more the Midwest or the West, you don't have as many options," he said. 
Chukwuemeka Chuks-Okeke is another loyal Amtrak user.
"There's obviously no traffic, and I enjoy taking the train. It's relaxing," he told AFP.
jul-dk/acb

politics

US appeals court upholds most of gag order imposed on Trump

BY CHRIS LEFKOW

  • The appeals court slightly narrowed the gag order issued by the district court judge who will preside over Trump's trial for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden.
  • A US federal appeals court on Friday upheld most of a gag order imposed on former president Donald Trump in his election interference case.
  • The appeals court slightly narrowed the gag order issued by the district court judge who will preside over Trump's trial for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden.
A US federal appeals court on Friday upheld most of a gag order imposed on former president Donald Trump in his election interference case.
"We do not allow such an order lightly," said Judge Patricia Millett, who wrote the unanimous opinion issued by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.
"Mr. Trump is a former President and current candidate for the presidency, and there is a strong public interest in what he has to say," Millett said.
"But Mr. Trump is also an indicted criminal defendant, and he must stand trial in a courtroom under the same procedures that govern all other criminal defendants."
The appeals court slightly narrowed the gag order issued by the district court judge who will preside over Trump's trial for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden.
Judge Tanya Chutkan had barred Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, from publicly attacking the special counsel who brought the historic case against him, other prosecutors, court staff or potential witnesses ahead of his March trial.
The appeals court removed the gag order on Trump making comments about Jack Smith, the special counsel, but barred him from publicly attacking potential witnesses, other prosecutors, court staff or their family members.
"Mr. Trump is free to make statements criticizing the current administration, the Department of Justice, and the Special Counsel, as well as statements that this prosecution is politically motivated or that he is innocent of the charges against him," Millett said.
Trump has repeatedly called Smith "deranged" and attacked his colleagues as "thugs," while publicly accusing Chutkan of being biased against him.

'Threats and intimidation'

Arguing against the gag order, Trump's lawyers said it was unconstitutional and runs counter to First Amendment protections guaranteeing free speech.
The appeals court said it recognized the importance of the First Amendment but "many of former President Trump's public statements attacking witnesses, trial participants, and court staff pose a danger to the integrity of these criminal proceedings."
"Former President Trump's words have real-world consequences," Millett wrote. "Many of those on the receiving end of his attacks pertaining to the 2020 election have been subjected to a torrent of threats and intimidation from his supporters."
Trump condemned the appeals court ruling in a post on his Truth Social platform.
"People can speak violently and viciously against me, or attack me in any form, but I am not allowed to respond, in kind," he said. "What is becoming of our First Amendment, what is becoming of our Country?"
The 77-year-old Trump is also the target of a gag order in his current New York civil fraud trial after a flood of online abuse.
Judge Arthur Engoron slapped the gag order on Trump on October 3 after he insulted the judge's principal law clerk on Truth Social and has fined him a total of $15,000 for two violations.
Trump and his two eldest sons are accused in that case of inflating the value of their real estate assets to receive more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.
Trump additionally faces federal charges for alleged mishandling of top secret documents after he left the White House, and has been indicted for racketeering in Georgia on accusations that he tried to overturn the 2020 election results in the southern state.
cl/des

taxes

Biden faces embarrassment over son Hunter's tax charges

BY DANNY KEMP

  • As Hunter Biden, 53, said in an interview released Friday that Republicans were trying to "kill me" to destroy the Democrat's presidency, the elder Biden's approach was to stonewall questions instead.
  • President Joe Biden's silence spoke volumes on Friday after his son Hunter's legal woes deepened with lurid allegations that he avoided paying taxes while spending millions on drugs and escorts.
  • As Hunter Biden, 53, said in an interview released Friday that Republicans were trying to "kill me" to destroy the Democrat's presidency, the elder Biden's approach was to stonewall questions instead.
President Joe Biden's silence spoke volumes on Friday after his son Hunter's legal woes deepened with lurid allegations that he avoided paying taxes while spending millions on drugs and escorts.
The 81-year-old president has long defended Hunter, even though the second set of federal charges against his troubled son are a fresh embarrassment ahead of an uphill battle to be reelected in 2024.
As Hunter Biden, 53, said in an interview released Friday that Republicans were trying to "kill me" to destroy the Democrat's presidency, the elder Biden's approach was to stonewall questions instead.
Wearing his trademark aviator sunglasses, the president waved to reporters but ignored questions as he boarded his Marine One helicopter at the White House. 
The often garrulous Biden did the same thing as he boarded Air Force One for a trip to Las Vegas, where he will unveil major rail investments as he tries to convince skeptical voters that his economic renewal policies are working. 
Biden is heading for a likely rematch with Donald Trump next year, and is also fending off a Republican bid to impeach him on grounds that he benefited from his son's overseas business dealings in Ukraine and China.

'Loves his son'

The White House, however, was clear about the message.
"The president has said this before, and he will continue to say it, which is that he loves his son and supports him as he continues to rebuild his life," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard the presidential jet.
"He's proud of his son." 
Hunter Biden is a Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist, but his life has been marred by alcoholism and crack cocaine addiction.
He was indicted on multiple counts on Thursday of evading at least $1.4 million in tax between 2016 and 2020, the second time he has been charged by a special counsel investigating his personal and business dealings.
"The defendant spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle at the same time he chose not to pay his taxes," special counsel David Weiss said in the indictment.
Hunter Biden "spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes," it said.
The indictment says Hunter Biden earned more than $7 million during the period and made $1.6 million in ATM withdrawals, spent $683,212 on payments to "various women" and $188,960 on "adult entertainment".
His attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement in US media that he had paid his taxes in full.
If Hunter's "last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought," the attorney added.
The previous charges in Delaware accuse Hunter Biden of lying about his drug use when he purchased a gun.

'Trying to kill me'

In a podcast with musician Moby recorded before the charges were unveiled, Hunter Biden said he was being harassed by rightwingers who wanted to drive him back into addiction.
"They’re trying to destroy a presidency. And so it’s not about me," he told Moby, a fierce critic of Trump, in the interview released Friday.
"And their most base way what they’re trying to do, they’re trying to kill me, knowing it will be a pain greater than my father could be able to handle."
Trailing Trump in the polls and caught in two grinding wars involving US allies Israel and Ukraine, Biden could do without the fresh ammunition that the Hunter charges will give Republicans.
The charges are especially embarrassing as Biden often rails about the rich not paying enough tax.
But Biden has always steadfastly defended his son, pointing to the long history of tragedy that has dogged the family. 
Hunter Biden's mother and sister were killed in a 1972 car crash. Hunter, who was two at the time, and his older brother Beau were badly injured.
His brother died from brain cancer in 2015, aged 46.
"When Beau died I just completely unraveled. It's not an excuse, but it is the reason," he told Moby.
The family's unity was on display in November when father and son -- and grandson "Baby Beau", aged three -- were seen visiting the island of Nantucket together for the Thanksgiving holiday.
dk/dw

Canada

US, UK, Canada sanction dozens on human rights anniversary

  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that "with today's actions, the United States is addressing some of the most challenging and harmful forms of human rights abuses in the world, including those involving conflict-related sexual violence, forced labor, and transnational repression."
  • Dozens of alleged human rights abusers around the world face new sanctions Friday under a coordinated action by the United States, Britain and Canada to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that "with today's actions, the United States is addressing some of the most challenging and harmful forms of human rights abuses in the world, including those involving conflict-related sexual violence, forced labor, and transnational repression."
Dozens of alleged human rights abusers around the world face new sanctions Friday under a coordinated action by the United States, Britain and Canada to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The long list of targets ranges from human traffickers in Southeast Asia involved with "scam farm" operations, Taliban officials responsible for rights abuses in Afghanistan and leaders of gangs ravaging Haiti's population.
London said it was hitting 46 individuals and entities with asset freezes and travel bans ahead of the December 10 landmark, recognized annually as International Human Rights Day.
The United States for its part targeted 37 people in 13 countries, while Canada imposed sanctions on seven people as part of the joint action.
"We will not tolerate criminals and repressive regimes trampling on the fundamental rights and freedoms of ordinary people around the world," said UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
"I am clear that 75 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UK and our allies will continue to relentlessly pursue those who would deny people their freedom."
The landmark 30-article document, which outlines fundamental rights and freedoms for all of humanity, was adopted on December 10, 1948 during the early days of the United Nations.
The UK's list of targets include 17 members of the Belarusian judiciary, including prosecutors in charge of politically motivated cases against activists, journalists and rights defenders.
Five individuals in Iran face curbs for imposing and enforcing the country's mandatory hijab law, while nine people were targeted for trafficking people in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to work for online "scam farms."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that "with today's actions, the United States is addressing some of the most challenging and harmful forms of human rights abuses in the world, including those involving conflict-related sexual violence, forced labor, and transnational repression."
Among those facing US sanctions are a senior Taliban official who participated in the decision-making to ban women and girls from school after the group's 2021 takeover of Afghanistan.
Blinken said that in addition to the US sanctions imposed Friday, Washington would recommend UN Security Council designations for four Haitian gang leaders and five armed group chiefs in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Canada for its part included in its list four Russians responsible for LGBTQ rights violations in Chechnya as well as the leader of the junta in Myanmar.
"Our actions to promote respect for human rights are stronger and more durable when done in concert with allies committed to the international rules-based order," Blinken said of the coordinated action with Ottawa and London.
srg/phz/rox/des/md

taxes

Biden ducks questions on son Hunter's tax charges

  • The previous charges accuse Hunter Biden of lying about his drug use on a federal application when he purchased a gun.
  • US President Joe Biden kept silent Friday over new charges accusing his troubled son Hunter of avoiding tax while spending millions on an "extravagant lifestyle" including drugs and escorts.
  • The previous charges accuse Hunter Biden of lying about his drug use on a federal application when he purchased a gun.
US President Joe Biden kept silent Friday over new charges accusing his troubled son Hunter of avoiding tax while spending millions on an "extravagant lifestyle" including drugs and escorts.
Wearing sunglasses and a dark suit, the president waved to reporters but made no comment when asked if he believed his son was innocent, as he left the White House to board his Marine One helicopter for a trip to Nevada and California.
The Democrat leader, who is seeking reelection next year, will unveil major rail investments including the United States' first high-speed train, between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, before taking part in campaign receptions.
Hunter Biden was indicted on multiple counts on Thursday of evading at least $1.4 million in tax between 2016 and 2020, the second time he has been charged by a special counsel investigating his personal and business dealings.
"The defendant spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle at the same time he chose not to pay his taxes," special counsel David Weiss said in the indictment.
"The defendant spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes."
The previous charges accuse Hunter Biden of lying about his drug use on a federal application when he purchased a gun.
The new charges serve up more embarrassment for Joe Biden as he heads for a likely rematch with Donald Trump next year, and fends off a Republican bid to impeach him on grounds that he benefited from his son's overseas business dealings.
Hunter Biden, 53, is a Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist, but his life has been marred by alcoholism and crack cocaine addiction.
dk/bgs

taxes

Hunter Biden indicted on tax evasion charges

  • Hunter Biden "engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019," special counsel David Weiss said in the 56-page indictment filed in US district court in California.
  • Hunter Biden was indicted late Thursday on multiple counts of tax evasion, the second time this year President Joe Biden's troubled son has been charged by a special counsel investigating his personal and business dealings.
  • Hunter Biden "engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019," special counsel David Weiss said in the 56-page indictment filed in US district court in California.
Hunter Biden was indicted late Thursday on multiple counts of tax evasion, the second time this year President Joe Biden's troubled son has been charged by a special counsel investigating his personal and business dealings.
Hunter Biden "engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019," special counsel David Weiss said in the 56-page indictment filed in US district court in California.
Biden was charged with nine counts of failing to file and pay taxes, tax evasion and filing false tax returns, the indictment shows.
The new charges serve up more acute embarrassment for Joe Biden as he wages an uphill battle for reelection and fends off a Republican bid to impeach him on grounds that he benefitted from his son's overseas business dealings.
The previous charges accuse the younger Biden of lying about his drug use on a federal application when he purchased a gun.
The new charges mean that Hunter Biden could in theory go on trial twice next year as his father almost certainly faces Donald Trump in the race for the presidency.
President Biden has insisted he stands by his son despite his past troubled behavior.
The new indictment says Hunter Biden earned more than $7 million from 2016 to 2020 and used this money for a freewheeling lifestyle.
"The defendant spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle at the same time he chose not to pay his taxes," the indictment states.
It added: "Between 2016 and October 15, 2020, the defendant spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes."
Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty this year to three felony charges stemming from his purchase of a .38-caliber Colt Cobra revolver in 2018 when, by his own admission, he was addicted to drugs.
He is charged with illegally possessing the handgun and two counts of making false statements for claiming on forms required for the gun purchase that he was not using drugs at the time.
Republicans have opened an impeachment inquiry in Congress into what they claim is a Biden family criminal conspiracy but have provided no evidence that the president did anything wrong.
In July, a plea bargain between Hunter Biden and prosecutor Weiss -- which would have erased the gun charges while Biden pleaded guilty to two tax charges and avoided prison -- fell apart.
Hunter Biden has not been charged with any crimes related to his foreign business dealings, despite the Republican allegations.
Hunter Biden is a Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist, but his life has been marred by alcoholism and crack cocaine addiction.
bur/dw/bfm

court

Trump back in New York court for fraud trial

BY GREGORY WALTON

  • Trump, who testified on November 6 and is expected to again take the witness stand on December 11, was in court as a spectator on Thursday.
  • Former US president Donald Trump was back in court on Thursday for his New York civil trial on fraud allegations, once again condemning the process as unfair.
  • Trump, who testified on November 6 and is expected to again take the witness stand on December 11, was in court as a spectator on Thursday.
Former US president Donald Trump was back in court on Thursday for his New York civil trial on fraud allegations, once again condemning the process as unfair.
Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and his two eldest sons are accused of inflating the value of their real estate assets to receive more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.
Trump lashed out on social media ahead of the hearing, saying his "case was decided against me before it even started."
During the trial Trump has called the judge in the case, Arthur Engoron, "crazy" and "unhinged," and denounced New York state Attorney General Letitia James, who is Black, as "corrupt" and "racist."
Trump, who testified on November 6 and is expected to again take the witness stand on December 11, was in court as a spectator on Thursday.
He wore a dark blue suit with a red tie and decried the process as he made his way into court.
"This is a witch hunt and it's a very corrupt trial," he told reporters.
Inside, Trump flipped through papers while his legal team questioned a witness on the stand, accountancy professor Eli Bartov, who gave evidence to support Trump's case that he had not inflated his worth.  
Bartov said James' complaint had no merit because "accounting is rule-based... some of the allegations border on the absurd."  
"Three or four percent of companies report that they had errors in their financial reporting. Financial errors are normal. This is inevitable," Bartov said.
"If you do fraudulent misstatement, you'll do everything you can to conceal this misstatement... there is no concealment."
Bartov argued balance sheet rules meant that Trump's true value was understated because intangible assets were not included.

'Ashamed'

"There is no question that the brand value of Mr Trump is worth billions... but it's nowhere to be found on the statement of financial condition."
Bartov snapped at the attorney general's legal team when they claimed that some of his testimony was pure speculation.
"You really ought to be ashamed of yourself," he said.
Trump was joined in court by his son Eric, who is also a defendant in the trial. The former president said on social media that Eric would not testify again as he had "already testified PERFECTLY."
The former president will stand trial on March 4 in Washington in a federal case in which he is accused of seeking to upend the results of the 2020 election in a concerted effort that led to the violent January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.
Trump also faces federal charges for allegedly mishandling top secret documents after he left the White House, and has been charged with racketeering in Georgia on accusations that he tried to overturn the 2020 election results in the southern state.
gw/acb

crime

US congressman rebuked for setting off fire alarm

  • That caused Cannon House office block near the main Capitol building to be evacuated for an hour and Republicans say the former school principal, who was captured on camera, was seeking to stall the vote.
  • A Democratic congressman was censured by the House of Representatives on Thursday after deliberately setting off a fire alarm at the US Capitol complex that forced the evacuation of an office building ahead of a crucial vote.
  • That caused Cannon House office block near the main Capitol building to be evacuated for an hour and Republicans say the former school principal, who was captured on camera, was seeking to stall the vote.
A Democratic congressman was censured by the House of Representatives on Thursday after deliberately setting off a fire alarm at the US Capitol complex that forced the evacuation of an office building ahead of a crucial vote.
Jamaal Bowman had already admitted the misdemeanor in DC Superior Court in October, where he agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and write an apology to police in return for the charges being withdrawn in three months.
Three Democrats joined Republicans to pass the censure, which forced the New York congressman to stand in the well of the House while he was admonished in front of colleagues.
Bowman, 47, said he was rushing from his office to make the September 30 vote on a funding bill aimed at averting a government shutdown and pulled the alarm in an attempt open a door he couldn't get through.
That caused Cannon House office block near the main Capitol building to be evacuated for an hour and Republicans say the former school principal, who was captured on camera, was seeking to stall the vote.
"While the House was working tirelessly to avert a government shutdown, Representative Bowman was working nefariously to prevent a vote," said Michigan congresswoman Lisa McClain, who introduced the resolution.
"It is reprehensible that a member of Congress would go to such lengths to prevent House Republicans from bringing forth a vote to keep the government operating and Americans receiving their paychecks. Especially from a former schoolteacher, who without a doubt understands the function and severity of pulling a fire alarm."
Bowman, a combative progressive who is unafraid to have public rows with his opponents in the halls of Congress, has become a favorite sparring partner for Republicans.
He said in a statement at the time of his court appearance he was grateful that police "agreed I did not obstruct nor intend to obstruct any House vote or proceedings."
"I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped," he said.
The House approved the 45-day stopgap funding bill -- with a yes vote from Bowman -- shortly after the drama came to an end.
Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the House Democrats, stood by the congressman and slammed "extreme Republicans" at a news conference for "burying their heads in the sand with respect to unlawful or unacceptable conduct by their own members."
ft/des

conflict

Harvard president criticized after testimony on campus anti-Semitism

  • On Tuesday, Gay testified before the House Education Committee at a hearing dedicated to holding campus leaders accountable for anti-Semitic incidents.
  • The president of Harvard University on Wednesday faced criticism and calls for her resignation over her comments at a Capitol Hill hearing on campus anti-Semitism.
  • On Tuesday, Gay testified before the House Education Committee at a hearing dedicated to holding campus leaders accountable for anti-Semitic incidents.
The president of Harvard University on Wednesday faced criticism and calls for her resignation over her comments at a Capitol Hill hearing on campus anti-Semitism.
The deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas militants has ignited tensions on many American college campuses, with protests flaring.
At Harvard, donors have specifically called for President Claudine Gay to offer more explicit support for Israel, and condemnation of student groups who have voiced support for the Palestinian people. 
On Tuesday, Gay testified before the House Education Committee at a hearing dedicated to holding campus leaders accountable for anti-Semitic incidents.
Republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik likened student calls for a new intifada -- an Arabic word for uprising that harks back to the first Palestinian revolt against Israel in 1987 -- to inciting "genocide against the Jewish people in Israel and globally."
When Stefanik asked Gay if such calls would violate Harvard's code of conduct, the Harvard president said: "We embrace a commitment to free expression even of views that are objectionable, offensive, hateful.
"When speech crosses into conduct that violates our policies, including policies against bullying, harassment or intimidation, we take action."
Stefanik called on Gay to immediately resign, while Republican Senator Ted Cruz called the comment "disgraceful."
Prominent legal scholar Laurence Tribe, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School, said Gay's "hesitant, formulaic and bizarrely evasive answers were deeply troubling to me and many of my colleagues, students, and friends."
Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, called Gay's comments "embarrassing because she accepted Stefanik's premise that saying 'intifada' is equivalent to a call for genocide, which is ridiculous."
And Dani Dayan, chairman of Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial center, called on Gay and other university leaders to "empower and train their faculty and students to better understand the dangers of anti-Semitism."
"We invite university leadership to visit Israel and Yad Vashem during this university semester break in order to learn what past calls for the genocide of Jews has led to -- the Holocaust," Dayan said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Gay issued a brief statement clarifying her testimony.
"There are some who have confused a right to free expression with the idea that Harvard will condone calls for violence against Jewish students," she said in a statement on social media. 
"Let me be clear: Calls for violence or genocide against the Jewish community, or any religious or ethnic group are vile, they have no place at Harvard, and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held to account."
iba/sst/tjj

conflict

US Senate blocks Ukraine, Israel aid in row over immigration

BY DANNY KEMP AND FRANKIE TAGGART

  • The Louisiana Republican has also declared that any Israel aid needs to be offset with spending cuts, a policy Democrats, the White House and most Senate Republicans oppose. 
  • Republican senators blocked a White House request for $106 billion in emergency aid primarily for Ukraine and Israel Wednesday as conservatives balked at the exclusion of immigration reforms they had demanded as part of the package.
  • The Louisiana Republican has also declared that any Israel aid needs to be offset with spending cuts, a policy Democrats, the White House and most Senate Republicans oppose. 
Republican senators blocked a White House request for $106 billion in emergency aid primarily for Ukraine and Israel Wednesday as conservatives balked at the exclusion of immigration reforms they had demanded as part of the package.
The vote marked a significant defeat for President Joe Biden, who had warned Congress earlier in the day that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not stop with victory in Ukraine and could even attack a NATO nation.
The package would include roughly $60 billion to help Ukraine keep up pressure on Russia during the frigid winter months and around $10 billion for Israel in its conflict with Hamas militants, plus some aid for Taiwan.
Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate leader, had committed to holding a vote later on adding the border security measures demanded by Republicans in a bid to secure the 60 votes needed to get it over its first procedural hurdle.
But the 49-strong Republican minority in the 100-member upper chamber voted en masse against moving forward, pointing to a lack of government action on the estimated 10,000 migrants crossing from Mexico daily.   
"Everyone has been very, very clear on this to say we're standing firm. Now is the moment," Senator James Lankford, a lead Republican negotiator on immigration and border issues, told Fox Business ahead of the vote. 
"We're completely out of control at the southern border, and it's time to resolve this."
Biden has led the global coalition backing Kyiv, but support has been waning among Republicans in Congress, and the administration has warned that it will run out of money for more Ukraine aid in weeks unless lawmakers act.
The president has been under pressure from progressives to reject sweeping conservative demands on immigration -- which they say are akin to closing the border -- but he vowed in an impassioned televised address he would accept "significant compromise."

'This cannot wait'

"This cannot wait. Frankly, I think it's stunning that we've gotten to this point in the first place, where Republicans in Congress are willing to give Putin the greatest gift he could hope for," Biden said.
The Democratic leader was speaking after a video summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of G7 nations to discuss how to shore up western aid for Kyiv.
Zelensky warned the leaders that Moscow was counting on western unity to "collapse" next year and said Russia had ramped up pressure on the front lines of the war.
But the precarious prospects for the aid package had been clear since a classified Ukraine briefing for senators Tuesday that saw several Republicans walk out, angry that there was no talk of border security.
Zelensky had been due to address the meeting via videolink but canceled at the last minute.
In the Republican-led House, Speaker Mike Johnson, who voted against aid to Kyiv before he took on this job, has made clear he will not agree to sending any more money without "transformative" changes to border policy. 
The Louisiana Republican has also declared that any Israel aid needs to be offset with spending cuts, a policy Democrats, the White House and most Senate Republicans oppose. 
Centrist Democrat Joe Manchin -- often a thorn in the side of the White House -- voiced support for the security package -- but only because of Schumer's pledge that amendments on border security could be added later.
"In the greatest country on Earth, we do not have to choose between protecting our homeland and defending our allies," he said.
The State Department separately announced a stopgap $175 million tranche of new aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, including prized HIMARS rockets, shells, missiles and ammunition.
dk-ft/dw

politics

Big US banks balk at new capital rules in Senate hearing

  • Banking executives got a much more sympathetic ear from Republicans on the panel such as South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who called Basel a "nightmare proposal" that "will put so much capital on the sidelines," harming everyday Americans. jmb/des
  • Large US banks railed against new proposed capital requirements at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, joining Senate Republicans in casting the measures as crimping loans to everyday Americans.
  • Banking executives got a much more sympathetic ear from Republicans on the panel such as South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who called Basel a "nightmare proposal" that "will put so much capital on the sidelines," harming everyday Americans. jmb/des
Large US banks railed against new proposed capital requirements at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, joining Senate Republicans in casting the measures as crimping loans to everyday Americans.
"This rule will make services so uneconomical, you will likely see two outcomes: many banks will simply stop offering certain products and services, and those that do will have to charge more for them just to make it worth the service," said JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon.
The proposal, the Basel III Endgame rule developed in concert with international standards in response to the 2007-2009 financial crisis, would increase capital requirements by 20-25 percent on the largest banks, Dimon said in prepared remarks.
Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio who chaired the annual oversight hearing, voiced skepticism over the complaints.
He argued the stricter capital requirements were needed to protect the bank system from another catastrophic meltdown, or from the recent bout of instability in midsized banks in March.
"Absolutely nothing in these rules would stop your banks from making loans to working families and small businesses," Brown said.
"The reason banks might make fewer of these good loans in the future is the same reason we've been seeing less and less productive banking activity for years: it doesn't make your banks as much money as the risky stuff. You would rather fund risky trading and derivatives bets than boring, bread-and-butter small business lending."
Banking executives got a much more sympathetic ear from Republicans on the panel such as South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who called Basel a "nightmare proposal" that "will put so much capital on the sidelines," harming everyday Americans.
jmb/des

Congress

Ousted US House speaker to leave Congress at end of year

  • In a column in The Wall Street Journal announcing his resignation, McCarthy, who was elected to Congress in 2006 and whose latest two-year term had been scheduled to end in January 2025, said he would remain involved in Republican politics.
  • Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted as the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives in October, announced Wednesday that he will resign from Congress at the end of the year.
  • In a column in The Wall Street Journal announcing his resignation, McCarthy, who was elected to Congress in 2006 and whose latest two-year term had been scheduled to end in January 2025, said he would remain involved in Republican politics.
Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted as the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives in October, announced Wednesday that he will resign from Congress at the end of the year.
The departure of the 58-year-old congressman from California will leave Republicans with a slim 220-213 majority in the chamber.
McCarthy's announcement comes days after George Santos, a scandal-plagued Republican representative from New York, was expelled from the House, just the sixth member to be thrown out since Congress began deliberating in 1789.
Two months ago, McCarthy become the first speaker to be ousted in the House's 234-year history.
He was removed in a rebellion by far-right members of his Republican Party furious at his cooperation with Democrats.
The former entrepreneur sparked fury among conservatives when he passed a bipartisan stopgap funding measure backed by the White House to avert a government shutdown.
In a column in The Wall Street Journal announcing his resignation, McCarthy, who was elected to Congress in 2006 and whose latest two-year term had been scheduled to end in January 2025, said he would remain involved in Republican politics.
"I know my work is only getting started," he said. "I will continue to recruit our country's best and brightest to run for elected office.
"The Republican Party is expanding every day, and I am committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders."
Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, issued a statement thanking McCarthy for his service, calling him "a dedicated public servant and a happy warrior."
"We wouldn't have a Republican House majority without him," McDaniel said. "While I'm sad to see him go, I wish him all the best in his next chapter."
Special elections will be held in California and New York to replace McCarthy and Santos in the 435-seat House of Representatives.
cl/mlm

Trump

'Dictator' Trump warnings spook America

BY DANNY KEMP

  • The most eye-opening piece appeared in The Washington Post by conservative commentator Robert Kagan, with the headline: "A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable.
  • Could a second Donald Trump presidency slide into dictatorship?
  • The most eye-opening piece appeared in The Washington Post by conservative commentator Robert Kagan, with the headline: "A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable.
Could a second Donald Trump presidency slide into dictatorship? A sudden spate of dystopian warnings has got America talking about the possibility less than a year before the US elections.
Dark scenarios about what could happen if the twice-impeached Republican former president wins in 2024 have appeared in the space of a few days in major US media outlets that include The Washington Post, The New York Times and the Atlantic.
Grim predictions also came from top Republican Trump critic Liz Cheney, who said that the country is "sleepwalking into dictatorship" and that she is weighing a third-party presidential run of her own to try to stop him.
Together, they paint a bleak picture of an angrier yet more disciplined Trump than during his first spell in the White House, one who would wreak vengeance on his perceived enemies and possibly try to stay in power beyond the two-term US limit.
Trump, 77, responded to the warnings in typical style by laughing them off -- with an edge.
"He says, you're not going to be a dictator, are you? I said no, no, no -- other than day one," Trump said when asked in a televised Fox News townhall on Tuesday if he would abuse power or seek retribution.
"We're closing the border and we're drilling, drilling, drilling (for oil). After that I'm not a dictator."

 'Day one'

President Joe Biden, who is behind Trump in the polls ahead of a likely replay of their bitter 2020 contest, said the warnings backed his own claims to be defending democracy.
"If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I'd be running. But we cannot let him win," the 81-year-old Democrat told a campaign event in Massachusetts.
Biden cited Trump's own increasingly violent language on the campaign trail, saying his rival's description of his opponents as "vermin" echoed the language used in Nazi Germany. 
The most eye-opening piece appeared in The Washington Post by conservative commentator Robert Kagan, with the headline: "A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending."
Comparing him to the power-grabbing Roman emperor Julius Caesar, the lengthy article says neither the US Constitution nor the Supreme Court could prevent Trump being "president for life" if he wanted.
Kagan wrote that if Trump survives the trials he faces over trying to upend the 2020 election and cling to power illegally, and wins the next election, he will in effect feel he is above the law and can get away with anything.
The New York Times analyzed the ways that a "second term could unleash a darker President Trump" than in his chaotic first presidency from 2017-2021. 
Trump has "spoken admiringly of autocrats for decades" and would likely follow their example by packing the civil service with loyalists and using the Justice Department to crack down on opponents, it said. 
In scenes reminiscent of a dystopian movie, it said Trump would also set up migrant detention camps and use the military against protesters under the US Insurrection Act.
The Atlantic magazine meanwhile is dedicating its entire January-February 2024 issue to what a Trump presidency would look like, with an editor's note titled simply: "A Warning." 

'Dangerous moment'

Some of the most dire forebodings have come from Cheney, the former Republican lawmaker and daughter of ex-vice president Dick Cheney, whose opposition to Trump made her a pariah in the party. 
"It's a very dangerous moment," she told NBC on Sunday. 
There was "no question" Trump would try to stay in office beyond 2028, she said, adding that the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol by supporters trying to overturn Biden's election win was merely a "practice run." 
For his critics, Trump's autocratic side has long been in plain sight.
Trump already faces trial for conspiring to upend the 2020 election result, with prosecutors saying on Tuesday that evidence shows he was determined to "remain in power at any cost."
His language has turned more extreme in recent months, during which he described migrants as "poisoning the blood of our country" and suggested his former military chief should face death for treason.
But in the looking-glass world of Trump and his allies, he is always the victim.
"Joe Biden is the real dictator," Trump said in a picture posted on his conservative Truth Social network.
dk

conflict

US senators square off at Ukraine briefing after Zelensky pulls out

BY FRANKIE TAGGART

  • "Republicans are just walking out of the briefing because the people there are not willing to actually discuss what it takes to get a deal done," Romney said.
  • Several Republican senators walked out of a classified briefing on Ukraine Tuesday as it descended into a row over the border crisis, after President Volodymyr Zelensky unexpectedly canceled a videolink appearance to appeal for continued US funding. 
  • "Republicans are just walking out of the briefing because the people there are not willing to actually discuss what it takes to get a deal done," Romney said.
Several Republican senators walked out of a classified briefing on Ukraine Tuesday as it descended into a row over the border crisis, after President Volodymyr Zelensky unexpectedly canceled a videolink appearance to appeal for continued US funding. 
Zelensky had been due to update the senators on the latest developments in the conflict with Russia and press for them to support a procedural vote expected Wednesday on an emergency aid package that includes more than $60 billion for Kyiv.
The cash has been held up for weeks by a dispute in Congress, as the White House has warned that existing funds will run out by the end of the year and that Russia's President Vladimir Putin could win the war if lawmakers fail to act.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Zelensky had been prevented from taking part by a "last minute" hiccup, but he pressed ahead with the briefing anyway -- only for the proceedings to turn into a war of words.
Utah's Mitt Romney left early, confirming that "a number" of his Republican colleagues had followed suit, angry that they heard nothing on their demand that Ukraine aid be coupled with action on the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border.  
"The briefers were saying things we've all known, we can read about in any newspaper, had been said publicly," Romney told reporters.
"There's nothing new in what they're describing, and Republicans are saying that there's support for Ukraine, but there has to be security of our border."
Congress is more divided over backing for Ukraine than it has been at any time during the nearly two-year conflict, with the country fast exhausting the military aid provided by the United States so far.
Senate Republicans are making their support for extra Ukraine funding contingent on President Joe Biden's Democrats accepting reforms of the asylum system and tightened border security -- measures the Democrats have already rejected.
"Republicans are just walking out of the briefing because the people there are not willing to actually discuss what it takes to get a deal done," Romney said.
As day turned to evening, Biden voiced deepening frustration.
"The failure to support Ukraine is just absolutely crazy. It's against US interests," Biden said. "It's just wrong."

'Everything has been said'

Schumer was quoted by Fox News as saying the briefing had been "immediately hijacked" by Republicans choosing to make a speech on border security rather than asking questions about Ukraine.
One member was "screaming" an admonishment at briefers about not having visited the border, Schumer reportedly said.
The Democrat has teed up a vote Wednesday on clearing the first procedural hurdle for addressing Biden's $106 billion aid request for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
But it needs 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, and the 49-strong Republican minority looks likely to defeat the package as it leaves out their immigration reforms.
"The number one most immediate threat to our national security is an open border," Kansas Republican Roger Marshall said outside the briefing room. 
"Look, everything has been said about Ukraine that can be said. And what's not being said is what's so critical here."
Even if the two sides manage to hammer out a deal in the Senate, it will be a much tougher sell for the Republican-led House, where conservatives have been more skeptical about funding Ukraine, and just as keen to leverage the issue to secure border reforms.
House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed publicly for the first time in a letter to the White House Tuesday that his party will not pass Ukraine aid unless Congress enacts "transformative change to our nation's border security laws."
But Democrats reacted angrily to what they see as an attempt by Republicans to leverage the conflict to secure domestic priorities.
"I have lots of domestic issues I care about too. I'm not holding Ukraine hostage to the resolution of health care or gun violence," Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut told reporters.
"They made a choice to put Ukraine funding in jeopardy and they will all have to live with that choice when Vladimir Putin marches into Kyiv and through into Europe."
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the situation in Ukraine is indeed dire.
"We can hold ourselves responsible for Ukraine's defeat if we don't manage to get this funding to Ukraine," she said Tuesday as she began a three-day trip to Mexico.
"Ukraine is just running out of money," Yellen said.
ft/dw/md/tjj/dw

conflict

US facing growing Middle East crisis tied to Israel-Hamas war

BY W.G. DUNLOP

  • The United States has shifted significant military assets to the Middle East since October 7, but that does not necessarily undermine efforts in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • Washington is facing an increasingly complex and dangerous crisis resulting from the Israel-Hamas war, which has sparked repeated militant attacks and drawn US military attention and assets back to the Middle East.
  • The United States has shifted significant military assets to the Middle East since October 7, but that does not necessarily undermine efforts in the Asia-Pacific region.
Washington is facing an increasingly complex and dangerous crisis resulting from the Israel-Hamas war, which has sparked repeated militant attacks and drawn US military attention and assets back to the Middle East.
The United States has deployed two aircraft carriers and other forces in a bid to deter a devastating region-wide conflict. But the current violence in the Middle East -- while not rising to that level -- still carries significant danger.
Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen raised the stakes over the weekend by striking commercial vessels in the Red Sea, while a US Navy destroyer shot down several inbound drones as it operated in the area and responded to distress calls.
"Without question there's been escalation," but all parties, especially the United States, "are trying to manage these clashes in ways that do not explode into a regional war," said Jeffrey Feltman, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and former US assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs.
However, "I think we should be deeply, deeply worried that step-by-step escalation, while perhaps no party intends it to turn into a regional conflagration, could lead us there," he said.

'Have their cake'

The Huthis said they targeted two of the three ships that were hit in the Red Sea on Sunday, claiming they were Israeli vessels and that such attacks would continue "until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops."
The US Navy shot down three drones launched from Yemen the same day -- the targets of which were unclear -- and others as well as missiles during the past six weeks, while the Huthis downed an American drone last month.
Feltman said the Huthis and Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has repeatedly traded fire with Israel since the outbreak of the war with Hamas on October 7, "are basically trying to have their cake and eat it too."
"They're trying to say that they are part of the resistance, that they are standing in solidarity with the beleaguered Palestinian population in Gaza," but "they're doing it in a way, I think, that they believe will prevent a full-scale war," he said.
The latest round of conflict between Israel and Hamas began when the Palestinian militant group carried out a shock cross-border attack that Israeli officials say killed 1,200 people.
Israel responded with a relentless land and air campaign that the Hamas-run government in Gaza says has left more than 16,200 people dead.
In addition to the attacks launched from Yemen and Lebanon, US troops in Iraq and Syria have been targeted by rockets and drones on dozens of occasions since mid-October, with the militants who claimed responsibility repeatedly citing the situation in Gaza.
Washington has blamed Iran-backed groups for the attacks and has carried out multiple strikes against those forces as well as sites in the region it said were linked to Tehran.

'Testing limits'

The US military fought a bloody war in Iraq from 2003 to 2011, later provided support to local forces in that country and Syria as they battled the Islamic State jihadist group, and has carried out numerous raids and strikes against militants in the region over the years.
But Washington is seeking to move on from the counterinsurgency-centric "War on Terror" conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan to put greater focus on countering China, which it has identified as its most consequential challenge.
The United States has shifted significant military assets to the Middle East since October 7, but that does not necessarily undermine efforts in the Asia-Pacific region.
"While a long-term focus on the Middle East would detract from readiness in East Asia, near-term responses are unlikely to provoke a near-term crisis in East Asia," said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Additionally, "the demonstrated ability to deploy quickly to defend allies and interests is watched carefully in Asia, among allies and adversaries alike," he said.
Alterman said the situation in the Middle East could potentially "go in a bad direction," but that he does not see the conflict as being out of control at this point.
"The United States remains the preponderant power," he said, while America's adversaries are "carefully testing limits."
wd/tjj

politics

Senate Republican ends block on most US military nominees

BY W.G. DUNLOP

  • The Senate usually approves military nominations quickly through unanimous consent, but Tuberville blocked that option for months in opposition to Pentagon efforts to assist troops who must travel in order to receive reproductive health care that is unavailable where they are stationed.
  • US Senator Tommy Tuberville, who blocked the approval of hundreds of military appointments to protest Pentagon abortion access policies, announced Tuesday he was backing down and lifting his hold on most nominations.
  • The Senate usually approves military nominations quickly through unanimous consent, but Tuberville blocked that option for months in opposition to Pentagon efforts to assist troops who must travel in order to receive reproductive health care that is unavailable where they are stationed.
US Senator Tommy Tuberville, who blocked the approval of hundreds of military appointments to protest Pentagon abortion access policies, announced Tuesday he was backing down and lifting his hold on most nominations.
The announcement by Tuberville brings the long-running saga -- which lasted some 10 months and left numerous key military positions unfilled -- closer to a resolution, but some top officers are still affected.
"I'm releasing everybody," the Republican lawmaker from conservative-leaning Alabama told reporters, adding: "I still got a hold on, I think, 11 four-star generals. Everybody else is completely released from me."
US President Joe Biden commended the Senate for quickly taking action to approve the nomination of "425 highly-qualified, patriotic military leaders" following the senator's announcement, while describing Tuberville's hold as politically motivated and saying it undermined military readiness and morale.
"These confirmations are long overdue, and should never have been held up in the first place," Biden said in a statement, adding: "Those who serve this nation deserve better."
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also welcomed the confirmation of the 425 officers, saying the holds "have already dragged on needlessly for months."
"We also look forward to the Senate's confirmation of the remainder of our highly qualified and apolitical military leaders," he said in a statement.
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told journalists that "we'll continue to stay engaged with Senator Tuberville and the Senate directly to urge that all the holds on all our general and flag officer nominations be lifted."

'Critical organizations'

Ryder said the four-star nominees who are still affected include officers selected to lead the US Northern Command, Cyber Command and Space Command.
These are "clearly vital and critical organizations, all of which require experienced senior leaders in those positions," he said.
The Senate usually approves military nominations quickly through unanimous consent, but Tuberville blocked that option for months in opposition to Pentagon efforts to assist troops who must travel in order to receive reproductive health care that is unavailable where they are stationed.
The Defense Department launched the policies this year in response to the 2022 Supreme Court decision striking down the nationwide right to abortion.
They allow service members to take administrative absences to receive "non-covered reproductive health care," and established travel allowances to help them cover costs.
Because of Tuberville's actions, the Senate could only approve military nominations individually -- a procedure used in the cases of some key officers such as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the senator's hold -- but which takes far longer.
US defense officials had repeatedly warned that the delay in approving the nominations posed risks to American security and military readiness, and that it also impacted family members who could not plan for things such as jobs and schools due to the uncertainty.
cjc-mlm-wd/md

politics

Trump was determined to stay in power 'at any cost': prosecutors

BY CHRIS LEFKOW

  • "The Government will offer proof of this refusal as intrinsic evidence of the defendant's criminal conspiracies because it shows his plan to remain in power at any cost -- even in the face of potential violence," prosecutors said.
  • Federal prosecutors unveiled plans on Tuesday to introduce evidence at Donald Trump's trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election that shows he was determined to "remain in power at any cost."
  • "The Government will offer proof of this refusal as intrinsic evidence of the defendant's criminal conspiracies because it shows his plan to remain in power at any cost -- even in the face of potential violence," prosecutors said.
Federal prosecutors unveiled plans on Tuesday to introduce evidence at Donald Trump's trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election that shows he was determined to "remain in power at any cost."
Special counsel Jack Smith's office, in a court filing, said the former US president had a history of "sowing mistrust" in election results and had repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
"The Government will offer proof of this refusal as intrinsic evidence of the defendant's criminal conspiracies because it shows his plan to remain in power at any cost -- even in the face of potential violence," prosecutors said.
Trump was indicted in August for seeking to upend the results of the November 2020 election won by Biden in a concerted effort that led to the violent January 6, 2021 attack by his supporters on the US Capitol.
The twice-impeached former president is also accused of seeking to disenfranchise American voters with his repeated false claims he won the election.
Judge Tanya Chutkan has set March 4, 2024 for the start of the trial, which could interfere with Trump's campaign to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Prosecutors, in the court filing, outlined some of the strategy and evidence they plan to use at the unprecedented criminal trial of a former president. 
"The Government will introduce a number of public statements by the defendant... claiming that there would be fraud in the 2020 presidential election," they said.
"These statements sowed mistrust in the results of the presidential election and laid the foundation for the defendant's criminal efforts."
The remarks included a November 2012 tweet in which Trump made "baseless claims" that voting machines had switched votes from Republican nominee Mitt Romney to Democratic president Barack Obama.
During his 2016 presidential campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump also "claimed repeatedly, with no basis, that there was widespread voter fraud," prosecutors said.
The false claims illustrate Trump's "motive, intent, and plan to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election results and illegitimately retain power."

'Embrace' of January 6 rioters

Prosecutors also more closely tied Trump to the events of January 6, when his supporters stormed Congress in a bid to block Biden's election victory.
"The defendant has openly and proudly supported individuals who criminally participated in obstructing the congressional certification that day, including by suggesting that he will pardon them if re-elected," they said.
Trump's lawyers have repeatedly sought to delay the trial until after the November 2024 election including with a claim that Trump enjoys "absolute immunity" and cannot be prosecuted for actions he took while in the White House.
Judge Chutkan rejected the immunity claim last week.
"Whatever immunities a sitting President may enjoy, the United States has only one Chief Executive at a time, and that position does not confer a lifelong 'get-out-of-jail-free' pass," she said.
Trump and his sons Eric and Don Jr are currently facing a civil fraud trial in New York, accused of inflating the value of their real estate assets to receive more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.
Trump also faces federal charges for alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left office and has been charged with racketeering in Georgia for trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the southern state.
cl/mlm

conflict

In rare Israel rebuke, US restricts visas on extremist settlers

BY SHAUN TANDON

  • - Wave of violence - Hamas militants stormed out of Gaza into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
  • The United States said Tuesday it would refuse visas for extremist Israeli settlers behind a wave of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, as it also asked Israel to do more to spare civilians in Gaza.
  • - Wave of violence - Hamas militants stormed out of Gaza into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
The United States said Tuesday it would refuse visas for extremist Israeli settlers behind a wave of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, as it also asked Israel to do more to spare civilians in Gaza.
The visa measures amount to a rare concrete repercussion by the United States against Israelis in the nearly two-month-old war, in which President Joe Biden has nudged the US ally privately but also promised strong support.
"We have underscored to the Israeli government the need to do more to hold accountable extremist settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. 
"As President Biden has repeatedly said, those attacks are unacceptable," he said. 
Blinken said the United States would refuse entry to anyone involved in "undermining peace, security or stability in the West Bank" or who takes actions that "unduly restrict civilians' access to essential services and basic necessities."
"Instability in the West Bank both harms the Israeli and Palestinian people and threatens Israel's national security interests. Those responsible for it must be held accountable," Blinken said.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that dozens of settlers, who were not publicly named, would be affected. The visa ban also applies to their immediate family members.
Restrictions on entering the United States will not apply to extremist settlers who are US citizens.

Wave of violence

Hamas militants stormed out of Gaza into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and has carried out air strikes and a ground offensive that have killed around 15,900 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Even though Hamas does not control the West Bank, some 250 Palestinians have been killed there by Israeli soldiers and settlers since October 7, according to a Palestinian government tally.
The Palestinian Authority holds limited autonomy in the West Bank where Palestinians have complained of impunity over attacks and harassment carried out by settlers, some of whom have been serving in the Israeli military as forces are shifted to Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in a coalition with far-right parties that strongly support Jewish settlement of lands seized in 1967, construction that is considered illegal under international law.
Blinken visited both Israel and the West Bank last week just as a pause ended between Hamas and Israel.
The State Department said that Israel has shown "improvement" in targeting its strikes in Gaza as it voiced concern about a repeat of the widespread bombing at the start of the war.
"We will continue to monitor what's happening and will continue to press them to do everything they can to minimize civilian harm," said Miller, the State Department spokesman.
The United States has also promised more than $100 million in humanitarian aid to the Palestinians but has faced strong criticism in much of the Arab world for its diplomatic and military support of Israel. 
J Street, the left-leaning pro-Israel US group that is frequently critical of Netanyahu, praised the visa restrictions as an "important first step."
It said that the Biden administration should specifically restrict two far-right ministers in Netanyahu's cabinet, Minister for National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Before entering politics, Ben-Gvir hung a portrait in his living room of Baruch Goldstein, the US-born settler who killed 29 Palestinian worshippers at a mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron.
The Biden administration has returned to the traditional US and international position of opposing settlements, although until now its stance has largely been rhetorical.
Previous president Donald Trump switched course, with Blinken's predecessor Mike Pompeo dropping objections to settlements and visiting one late in his term.
sct/md

ExxonMobil

US antitrust regulators probe ExxonMobil's Pioneer deal

  • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lodged a second request for "additional information and documentary materials" with both companies on Monday, Pioneer said in the filing.
  • US antitrust officials are seeking additional information related to ExxonMobil's megadeal to acquire Pioneer Natural Resources for about $60 billion, according to a securities filing Tuesday.
  • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lodged a second request for "additional information and documentary materials" with both companies on Monday, Pioneer said in the filing.
US antitrust officials are seeking additional information related to ExxonMobil's megadeal to acquire Pioneer Natural Resources for about $60 billion, according to a securities filing Tuesday.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lodged a second request for "additional information and documentary materials" with both companies on Monday, Pioneer said in the filing.
"Pioneer and ExxonMobil continue to work constructively with the FTC in its review of the merger and continue to expect that the merger will be completed in the first half of 2024, subject to the fulfillment of the closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approval of Pioneer's stockholders," the filing said.
The takeover, announced October 11, ExxonMobil's biggest since the late 1990s acquisition of Mobil by Exxon, will enable greater economies of scale in the Permian Basin -- a fast-growing petroleum region in the southwestern United States.
ExxonMobil has emphasized plans to escalate investment in the region, boosting oil and gas output -- a stated aim of President Joe Biden, who has criticized ExxonMobil and rival giant Chevron over hefty stock buybacks that reward shareholders at a time when consumers are paying relatively high gasoline prices.
However, the Biden administration has also adopted a tough line on mergers. 
Experts have expected scrutiny of the deal given ExxonMobil's size, but have noted that antitrust enforcement typically centers on gasoline-producing refineries, which are not a part of Pioneer's assets.
jmb/caw

Belarus

US sanctions Belarus Red Cross chief over Ukraine child deportations

  • The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the head of the Belarus Red Cross, Dzmitry Shautsou, had been sanctioned for assisting the Russian president's Children's Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, who has been accused of enacting the deportations.
  • The United States unveiled sanctions on Tuesday against the head of the Belarus Red Cross, accusing him of being complicit in the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
  • The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the head of the Belarus Red Cross, Dzmitry Shautsou, had been sanctioned for assisting the Russian president's Children's Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, who has been accused of enacting the deportations.
The United States unveiled sanctions on Tuesday against the head of the Belarus Red Cross, accusing him of being complicit in the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Since its invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Russia has been accused of forcibly deporting thousands of Ukrainian children -- with Belarus's support -- from schools, hospitals and orphanages in parts of the country controlled by its forces.
Moscow has not denied transferring thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia, but claims it did so for their own protection. 
The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the head of the Belarus Red Cross, Dzmitry Shautsou, had been sanctioned for assisting the Russian president's Children's Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, who has been accused of enacting the deportations.
Lvova-Belova is the subject of a recent arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for "the war crime" of the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia.

Belarus Red Cross suspended

In July, Shautsou received fierce international criticism when he claimed that the Belarus Red Cross had been involved in bringing Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied areas of the country to Belarus. 
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called on the Belarus Red Cross to sack Shautsou, and suspended the chapter as a member when it failed to do so. 
Shautsou was among the 11 entities and eight individuals sanctioned by the US Treasury Department on Tuesday in a bid to ramp up the pressure on the Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko.  
The Treasury's actions reaffirm its efforts to hold Lukashenko, "his family, and his regime accountable for their anti-democratic actions and human rights abuses, both in Belarus and around the world," the Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in a statement. 
da/caw