Trump Proves the ‘Restrainers' Wrong—Again
Opponents of aiding Ukraine who call themselves 'restrainers' objected to our support for Israel's military campaign against Iran and fiercely opposed U.S. military action to destroy Iran's nuclear program. They argued that these operations would impair the president's hand to deal with China and inevitably cause uncontrolled escalation. Neither has happened, as China is weakened when Russia and Iran are weakened.
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Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's secluded hideout hits the market
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988. Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's former New Hampshire mansion has been listed for $2.5 million nearly five years to the day after the FBI tracked her to the property ahead of her arrest and conviction on sex trafficking charges, according to a new report. The 156-acre mountaintop property sold for $1.1 million in 2019, according to -- purportedly to a limited liability company with ties to Maxwell. She is currently appealing a 20-year prison sentence in connection with the Epstein case. He died in a federal jail cell in 2019 while awaiting his own trial. Ghislaine Maxwell Follows Prison Fitness Routine, Video Shows, As Doj's Jeffrey Epstein Memo Draws Heat The property includes a luxe main home that features a fieldstone fireplace, a sun room with its own wood-burning stove, and floor-to-ceiling windows. There's also a converted barn and freestanding garage. Read On The Fox News App The 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals denied Ghislaine's latest appeal in December. She has filed a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking a review at the highest level. Epstein Victims Numbered Over 1,000 – Far More Than Previously Known, Federal Investigators Say Maxwell's appeal centers on a 2007 non-prosecution agreement between Epstein and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida, which stated that "the United States also agrees that it will not institute any criminal charges against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein." Maxwell is serving her sentence at FCI Tallahasee, where exclusive photos published by Fox News Digital over the weekend show she is keeping up a jailhouse fitness routine as she vies for her freedom. Jeffrey Epstein Madam Ghislaine Maxwell's Former London Townhouse, Linked To Prince Andrew Photo, For Sale Epstein's plea deal came from a controversial child trafficking case in the early 2000s, details of which did not emerge for more than a decade. He received a punishment of 13 months for soliciting prostitution from a minor in Palm Beach, Florida. The deal gained intense scrutiny years later after the Miami Herald uncovered details about the crime – so concerning that Florida lawmakers years later passed a bill that allows for the release of secret grand jury files in certain cases. Watch On Fox Nation: The Final Hours Of Jeffrey Epstein Authorities arrested him in 2019 to answer for more crimes – but he died in a New York City jail just a month later, in what was officially ruled a suicide by hanging. The following summer, the FBI arrested Maxwell in the New Hampshire hideout. Her former London townhouse also went up for sale recently – for nearly $4 million. It's in the UK city's upscale Belgravia neighborhood, across the street from the Nag's Head Pub and near the upscale Pantechnicon complex. In a U.S. lawsuit, Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre alleged she met the British Prince Andrew at a London nightclub called Tramp before he forced her to have sex inside the home. She died of suicide earlier this article source: Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's secluded hideout hits the market
Boston Globe
17 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
A Senate vote this week will test the popularity of DOGE spending cuts
The House has already approved Trump's request on a mostly party line 214-212 vote. The Senate has little time to spare to beat the deadline for the president's signature. Another House vote will be needed if senators amend the legislation, adding more uncertainty to the outcome. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Here's a closer look at this week's debate. Advertisement Public media on the chopping block Trump has asked lawmakers to rescind nearly $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which represents the full amount it's due to receive during the next two budget years. The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense. The corporation distributes more than two-thirds of the money to more than 1,500 locally operated public television and radio stations, with much of the remainder assigned to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System to support national programming. The potential fallout from the cuts for local pubic media stations has generated concerns on both sides of the political aisle. Advertisement Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said he's worried about how the rescissions will hit radio stations that broadcast to Native Americans in his state. He said the vast majority of their funding comes from the federal government. 'They're not political in nature,' Rounds said of the stations. 'It's the only way of really communicating in the very rural areas of our state, and a lot of other states as well.' Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., said that for the tribal radio stations in her state, 'almost to a number, they're saying that they will go under if public broadcasting funds are no longer available to them.' To justify the spending cuts, the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have cited certain activities they disagree with to portray a wide range of a program's funding as wasteful. In recent testimony, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought criticized programming aimed at fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. He said NPR aired a 2022 program entitled 'What 'Queer Ducks' can teach teenagers about sexuality in the animal kingdom.' He also cited a special town hall that CNN held in 2020 with 'Sesame Street' about combatting racism. Targeting humanitarian aid As part of the package, Trump has asked lawmakers to rescind about $8.3 billion in foreign aid programs that aim to fight famine and disease and promote global stability. Among the targets: — $900 million to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases and strengthen detections systems to prevent wider epidemics. — $800 million for a program that provides emergency shelter, water and sanitation and family reunification for those forced to flee their own country. — $4.15 billion for two programs designed to boost the economies and democratic institutions in developing and strategically important countries. Advertisement — $496 million to provide humanitarian assistance such as food, water and health care for countries hit by natural disasters and conflicts. Some of the health cuts are aimed at a program known as PEPFAR, which President George W. Bush, a Republican, began to combat HIV/AIDS in developing countries. The program is credited with saving 26 million lives and has broad bipartisan support. On PEPFAR, Vought told senators 'these cuts are surgical and specifically preserve life-saving assistance.' But many lawmakers are wary, saying they've seen no details about where specifically the administration will cut. The administration also said some cuts, such as eliminating funding for UNICEF, would encourage international organizations to be more efficient and seek contributions from other nations, 'putting American taxpayers first.' U.S. leaders have often argued that aiding other nations through 'soft power' is not just the right thing to do but also the smart thing. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told Vought there is 'plenty of absolute nonsense masquerading as American aid that shouldn't receive another bit of taxpayer funding,' but he called the administration's attempt to root it out 'unnecessarily chaotic.' 'In critical corners of the globe, instead of creating efficiencies, you've created vacuums for adversaries like China to fill,' McConnell told Vought. Trump weighs in The president has issued a warning on his social media site directly aimed at individual Senate Republicans who may be considering voting against the cuts. He said it was important that all Republicans adhere to the bill and in particular defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 'Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement,' he said. Advertisement For individual Republicans seeking reelection, the prospect of Trump working to defeat them is reason for pause and could be a sign the package is teetering. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., opted to announce he would not seek reelection recently after the president called for a primary challenger to the senator when he voted not to advance Trump's massive tax and spending cut bill. Getting around a filibuster Spending bills before the 100-member Senate almost always need some bipartisan buy-in to pass. That's because the bills need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and advance. But this week's effort is different. Congress set up a process back when Republican Richard Nixon was president for speedily considering a request to claw back previously approved spending authority. Under those procedures, it takes only a simple Senate majority to advance the president's request to a final vote. It's a rarely employed maneuver. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush, a Republican, had some success with his rescissions request, though the final bill included some cuts requested by the president and many that were not. Trump proposed 38 rescissions in 2018, but the package stalled in the Senate. If senators vote to take up the bill, it sets up the potential for 10 hours of debate plus votes on scores of potentially thorny amendments in what is known as a vote-a-rama. Democrats see the president's request as an effort to erode the Senate filibuster. They warn it's absurd to expect them to work with GOP lawmakers on bipartisan spending measures if Republicans turn around a few months later and use their majority to cut the parts they don't like. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer offered a stern warning in a letter to colleagues: 'How Republicans answer this question on rescissions and other forthcoming issues will have grave implications for the Congress, the very role of the legislative branch, and, more importantly, our country,' Schumer said. Advertisement Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., took note of the warning. 'I was disappointed to see the Democrat leader in his recent Dear Colleague letter implicitly threaten to shut down the government,' Thune said. The Trump administration is likening the first rescissions package to a test case and says more could be on the way if Congress goes along.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Retired Army officer pleads guilty to sharing classified info on Russia-Ukraine war on dating site
A retired Army officer who worked as a civilian for the Air Force has pleaded guilty to conspiring to transmit classified information about Russia's war with Ukraine on a foreign online dating platform. David Slater, 64, who had top secret clearance at his job at the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, pleaded guilty to a single count before a federal magistrate judge in Omaha on Thursday. In exchange for his guilty plea, two other counts were dropped. Slater remains free pending his sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 8. Prosecutors and his lawyers agreed that he should serve between five years and 10 months and seven years and three months in prison, and the government will recommend a term at the low end of that range. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years behind bars. U.S. District Judge Brian Buescher will ultimately decide whether to accept the plea agreement and will determine Slater's sentence. 'I conspired to willfully communicate national defense information to an unauthorized person,' Slater said in a handwritten note on his petition to change his plea. Slater had access to some of the country's most closely held secrets, John Eisenberg, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a statement. 'Access to classified information comes with great responsibility," said Lesley Woods, the U.S. attorney for Nebraska, said in the same statement. "David Slater failed in his duty to protect this information by willingly sharing National Defense Information with an unknown online personality despite having years of military experience that should have caused him to be suspicious of that person's motives.' Slater retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel in 2020 and worked in a classified space at the base from around August 2021 until around April 2022. He attended briefings about the Russia-Ukraine war that were classified up to top secret, court documents say. He was arrested in March of 2024. In his plea agreement, he acknowledged that he conspired to transmit classified information that he learned from those briefings via the foreign dating website's messaging platform to an unnamed coconspirator, who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine. The information, classified as secret, pertained to military targets and Russian military capabilities, according to the plea agreement. 'Defendant knew and had reason to believe that such information could be used to the injury of the United States or the advantage of a foreign nation,' the agreement states. According to the original indictment, the coconspirator regularly asked Slater for classified information. She called him, 'my secret informant love!' in one message. She closed another by saying, 'You are my secret agent. With love.' In another, she wrote, 'Dave, I hope tomorrow NATO will prepare a very pleasant 'surprise' for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin! Will you tell me?" Court documents don't identify the coconspirator, or say whether she was working for Ukraine or Russia. They also don't identify the dating platform. Amy Donato, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office in Omaha, said Monday that she couldn't provide that information. Slater's attorney, Stuart Dornan, didn't immediately return a call seeking further details.
