Latest news with #Trump-led
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Lauren Boebert Praises 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic As He Seeks Pardon
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Colorado U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert said Tiger King star Joseph Allen Maldonado, known widely as "Joe Exotic," has reached out to her office for help with a pardon. Why It Matters Exotic gained widespread notoriety during the COVID pandemic when Netflix aired a documentary centered on him and his tiger sanctuary in Oklahoma. Before the documentary's release, he was convicted of two counts of murder-for-hire against Carole Baskin—an adversary in the documentary—and originally sentenced to 22 years in prison. The sentence was later decreased to 21 years. What To Know Exotic has curried favor with President Donald Trump in his repeated attempts to serve less time behind bars, including offering his services to help Trump defeat Kamala Harris in last year's election. He even advocated for a Cabinet position in a Trump-led White House. He's also reached out to various lawmakers, including Boebert. "Joe Exotic has reached out to me, or at least his team has, in the past and other members of Congress for sure," Boebert told Alex Stein of Prime Time with Stein. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) looks on during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on sanctuary cities' policies at the U.S. Capitol on March 05, 2025 in Washington, D.C. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) looks on during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on sanctuary cities' policies at the U.S. Capitol on March 05, 2025 in Washington, referred to Exotic as a "fantastic unifier" during the pandemic, as people were glued to their screens watching his story unfold. She said she watched episodes while sitting on her coffee table due to the intrigue. "I enjoyed the heartened sentiment of Joe, and since he's been in prison his outreach and even wanting to run against President Trump while in prison is certainly a part of the American grit and spirit," she added. "But we'll see what the pardon team says, and I'll keep putting in words for him." His efforts to attain a pardon have escalated in recent months for different reasons. In January, he told Newsweek that his prostate cancer was back out of remission and that prison medical care "sucks." His representatives said at the time that he was no longer receiving treatment for lung or prostate cancer. His pleas have gone beyond a pardon, however. In May, his 33-year-old husband Jorge Marquez Flores was deported to Mexico for illegal entry to the U.S, after completing a federal prison sentence. Exotic took to social media in the aftermath, offering to give the U.S. government half his earnings in exchange for a way to reunite and live with Flores in the U.S. He even offered to purchase one of Trump's $5 million gold cards, in reference to the president's "gold card" program originally introduced as a method to grant U.S. residency to those who invest $5 million in the country. What People Are Saying Joe Exotic, in a letter to Trump shortly following the 2024 election: "A lot of people went to bat for you in 2021 who have been living in hell ever since then. Everyone hopes you keep the promises you made during your campaign, which include pardoning everyone sooner than later in January 2025." What Happens Next Trump has not acknowledged correspondence from Exotic or hinted toward a pardon.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
McDonald's faces boycott over DEI rollback: Who's protesting and when
Where's the beef? This week, at McDonald's. A boycott targeting the fast-food chain slated to begin June 24 is the latest in a series of consumer actions from the grassroots advocacy group The People's Union USA. Led by John Schwarz, The People's Union began organizing 'economic blackouts' in February motivated by the corporate rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion programs as well as other grievances. McDonald's was one of the corporations to roll back its DEI initiatives in January. Citing the 'evolving landscape around DEI,' it stopped setting goals to increase diversity in senior leadership and ended a program that encouraged diversity among its suppliers. McDonald's chief people officer for the U.S. market Jordann Nunn in June told a human-resources conference that the company changed some of its DEI language 'but at the core, none of our programming has changed.' Trump Juneteenth backlash Trump DEI attacks changed how companies celebrated Juneteenth Boycotts fight Trump war on DEI The backlash against DEI gained momentum during the 2024 presidential campaign but hit a fever pitch when President Donald Trump took office and issued a series of executive orders aimed at eliminating 'illegal DEI' in the federal government and the private sector. As the Democratic Party struggles to respond to the Trump-led culture war, pro-DEI consumers have emerged as the first line of defense for Democrats. Taking a page from activists who mounted effective anti-DEI campaigns against Bud Light and Target, Black churches and community activists have put pressure on companies rolling back DEI initiatives with a string of boycotts. It's unclear how much of an impact these boycotts are having on the bottom line. Target cited its decision to end some diversity policies as a contributor to the sharp pullback in consumer spending in the first quarter as church pastors and other community activists launched protests, spreading word of planned boycotts on social media. The retail giant said the boycotts dented its first-quarter performance but could not estimate by how much. Foot traffic declined for four straight months, according to data. McDonald's boycott comes after sales decline This week's boycott comes at an inopportune moment for McDonald's. Buffeted by economic headwinds, U.S. sales fell sharply in the first quarter – the largest drop in its home market since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – despite efforts to win back diners with menu changes and deals after hiking prices. McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said at the time consumers were 'grappling with uncertainty' but that he remained optimistic his company can navigate 'even the toughest of market conditions." McDonald's did not respond to a request for comment on the boycott. Why is there a McDonald's boycott? On Instagram, Schwarz listed five reasons for The People's Union boycott of McDonald's. 'We're boycotting McDonald's because they've shown time and time again that profit matters more than people, from price gouging to tax evasion, from inequality in pay to exploitation in advertising,' he told USA TODAY. 'And yes, their DEI efforts feel more like promotional stunts than real systemic change. We're done funding companies that pretend to stand for something while doing nothing." More boycotts planned against Walmart, Amazon Schwarz also shared a flyer on social media that lists upcoming boycotts against Starbucks, Amazon, Home Depot, Walmart and Lowe's.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Israel Iran war LIVE: US issues 'worldwide caution' alert for Americans; UNSC holds emergency meet
Israel Iran war LIVE updates: Members of the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting after US stuck three Iranian nuclear sites amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Israel Iran war conflict LIVE updates: The US has entered the Iran-Israel conflict on Sunday after it carried out 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' targeting three Iranian nuclear sites - Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. After the US strikes, Iran stated it "reserves all options" to defend itself after the US strikes. Tehran also called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. ...Read More As the world waits for Iran's response to the US attack, Tehran and Tel Aviv continued to exchange fire and attacks. Iran launched a series of missile attacks against Israel in response to America's attack, injuring around 23 people. In retaliation, Israel also launched a series of airstrikes against Iran and targeted military units, as per the IDF. Follow all the updates here: June 23, 2025 5:45 AM IST In view of the tensions in the Middle East following the US' strikes against Iran, the US state department has issued a 'worldwide caution' alert for Americans across. "The Department of State advises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution. Please read carefully our Travel Advisory, country information, and any recent security alerts when planning travel,' read the statement issued by the Trump-led department. June 23, 2025 5:36 AM IST Iran israel war news: The US entered the Iran-Israel conflict on Sunday after it carried out 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' targeting three Iranian nuclear sites - Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. After the US strikes, Iran stated it "reserves all options" to defend itself after the US strikes. Tehran also called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council In response to the US strikes, Iran launched a series of missile attacks against Israel, injuring around 23 people. Israel also retaliated with airstrikes against Iran and targeted military units, as per the IDF.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration almost totally dismantles Voice of America with latest terminations
The Trump administration has terminated 639 employees at Voice of America and its parent organization in the latest round of sweeping cuts that have reduced the international broadcasting service to a fraction of its former size. The mass terminations announced Friday rounds out the Trump-led elimination of 1,400 positions since March and represents the near-complete dismantling of an organization founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, whose first broadcast declared: 'We bring you voices from America.' Just 250 employees now remain across the entire parent group the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), who operated what was America's primary tool for projecting democratic values globally. 'For decades, American taxpayers have been forced to bankroll an agency that's been riddled with dysfunction, bias and waste. That ends now,' said Kari Lake, Trump's senior advisor to USAGM, in Friday's termination announcement. VOA once reached 360 million people weekly across dozens of languages, former USAGM CEO and director John Lansing told Congress in 2019. In March, the White House put out a statement calling the outlet 'propaganda', 'leftist' and dubbed it 'The Voice of Radical America'. One of the examples cited to justify that explanation was VOA's refusal to use the term 'terrorist' to describe members of Hamas unless in statements, which falls in line with common and basic journalistic practice. The cuts represent a major retreat from America's Cold War strategy of using broadcasting to reach audiences behind the iron curtain. VOA had evolved from its wartime origins to become a lifeline for populations living under authoritarian rule, providing independent news and an American perspective in regions where press freedom is under assault. The layoffs also came just days after VOA recalled Farsi-speaking journalists from administrative leave to cover the war between Israel and Iran, after Israel shot missiles at Tehran less than a week ago in the dead of night. 'It spells the death of 83 years of independent journalism that upholds US ideals of democracy and freedom around the world,' said three VOA journalists, Patsy Widakuswara, Jessica Jerreat and Kate Neeper, who are leading legal challenges against the demolition, in a statement. The agency's folding began in March when Trump signed an executive order targeting federal agencies he branded as bloated bureaucracy, and VOA staff were placed on paid leave and broadcasts were suspended. Lake, Trump's handpicked choice to run VOA, had previously floated plans to replace the service's professional journalism with content from One America News Network (OANN), a rightwing pro-Trump network that would provide programming without charge. The sole survivor of the cull is the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which transmits into Cuba from Florida. All 33 employees there remain, according to the announcement. USAGM offered voluntary departure packages through what it termed a 'Fork in the Road' program, providing full pay through September plus benefits. Some 163 employees accepted the buyouts rather than face involuntary termination, the agency said in a press release. Federal courts have allowed the administration to proceed with the terminations while legal challenges continue for now. The VOA cuts form part of Trump's broader assault on the federal workforce, with tens of thousands terminated across agencies including the IRS, Social Security Administration, USAID, and departments of education, health and agriculture.
Eyewitness News
18-06-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
G7 summit minus Trump rallies behind Ukraine
KANANASKIS - Group of Seven leaders on Tuesday vowed greater support for Ukraine but stopped short of joint condemnation of Russia for its growing attacks, at a summit missing Donald Trump. The US president had been due to speak at the G7 summit with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he has had a volatile relationship, but flew back Monday over the Israel-Iran conflict. Zelensky met the remaining leaders at a remote lodge in the Canadian Rockies hours after Russia hit Kyiv with one of the worst bombardments since it invaded in February 2022, killing at least 10 people in the capital. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed Zelensky and announced Can$2 billion ($1.47bn) of military support, including drones and helicopters, for Ukraine. But the G7 summit stopped short of issuing a joint statement, unlike in past years under Trump's predecessor Joe Biden when the club of major industrial democracies denounced Russian "aggression." A Canadian official, backtracking on an earlier account of the United States trying to water down a proposed statement, said there was never an attempt to issue one due to Trump's continued hopes of mediating with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It was clear that it would not have been feasible to find detailed language that all G7 partners could agree to in that context," the official said on condition of anonymity. Carney dismissed suggestions of friction, saying that all G7 leaders agreed to be "resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions." But he admitted that some G7 leaders "would say above and beyond" what was in the chair's summary he issued instead of a formal statement signed by all leaders. G7 leaders, however, managed unity Monday on a joint statement on the Iran conflict that backed Israel but also called broadly for de-escalation, despite Trump contemplating greater US military involvement. US WAITS ON PRESSURE Carney earlier joined Britain in tightening sanctions on Russia's so-called shadow fleet of ships used to circumvent international sanctions on its oil sales. "These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin's war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. US lawmakers have drafted a package of new sanctions on Russia but Trump has been hesitant to give his support and isolate Putin, to whom he spoke by telephone on the eve of the G7 summit. Trump infamously berated Zelensky in the Oval Office on February 28, saying he was ungrateful for US aid, but has since voiced disappointment that Putin has rebuffed a US proposal for at least a temporary ceasefire. Zelensky told Carney the latest Russian attack showed the need for allies' support and pressure on Moscow - while making clear that he still backed Trump-led calls for negotiations. "It's important for our soldiers to be strong in the battlefield, to stay strong until Russia will be ready for the peace negotiations," said Zelensky, who cut short meetings in Canada scheduled after the summit. French President Emmanuel Macron accused his Russian counterpart of exploiting global focus on the Middle East to carry out the deadly attack. "It shows the complete cynicism of President Putin," Macron told reporters at the summit. In Washington, the State Department also condemned the Russian strikes and offered condolences to the victims' families. TOUGH TRADE TALKS The G7 - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States - was holding its first summit since the re-election of Trump, who openly questions longstanding US alliances. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained to represent the United States at the summit, where discussions have also concentrated on Trump's attempts to radically overhaul the world's trading system. Trump has vowed to slap sweeping tariffs on friends and foes alike on July 9, although he has postponed them once. The US president, speaking to reporters on his way back from the summit, complained that the European Union was not yet offering a "fair deal" on trade. "We're either going to make a good deal or they'll just pay whatever we say they will pay," he said. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she still hoped for a negotiated solution and talks were "intense and demanding." Trump's negotiators have already sealed a deal with Britain and, outside of the G7, reached an agreement to lower tariffs with rival China.
