Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign quietly funneled half a million dollars to Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) just weeks before her softball interview with the antisemite on MSNBC. Federal Election Commission records reveal that Harris’s campaign made two payments of $250,000 to NAN on Sept. 5 and Oct. 1, just days before her Oct. 20 sit-down with Sharpton on PoliticsNation. During the interview, Sharpton lavished Harris with praise, at one point comparing her to trailblazing politician Shirley Chisholm. Sharpton, a longtime Harris ally, has used hateful language against Jews and white people, referring to Jews as “diamond merchants” and deriding “white interlopers.” The financial transactions are part of Harris’s broader $5.4 million “outreach” strategy, directed almost exclusively toward Black and Latino activist groups in a scramble to shore up minority support—a demographic that had notably shifted away from her by Election Day. Despite the funding spree, Harris’s support among Black men and Latino men fell drastically, with over one-fifth of Black men and 54% of Latino men voting for President-elect Donald Trump, according to exit polls by Edison Research. The cash influx into Sharpton’s NAN is only part of Harris’s lavish spending, which included an estimated $1 million to Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and a six-figure investment in a custom-built set for her appearance on a podcast. All told, Harris raised nearly $1 billion as of October 16, with a spending spree that ultimately left her campaign $20 million in debt. Here is a reminder from YWN: Lest you forget, the deadly Crown Heights antisemitic riots in 1991 are widely blamed on Sharpton’s race baiting, and he later protested in front of Jewish-owned stores in Harlem that were eventually burned to the ground. YWN will remind our readers that Al Sharpton wasn’t always an unrepentant MSNBC star, and first-in-line to agitate a racial situation anywhere in the country. Thirty years ago a tragic car accident in Crown Heights Brooklyn escalated into a pogrom against the Jewish people. The media usually gives it a politically correct description: “violence between the area’s Blacks and Jews.” But the violence was not two-sided. The Crown Heights riot was an attack on the Jews by the neighborhood’s Caribbean community, fueled in large part by Al Sharpton, the “Reverend” who does not believe in the commandment about “bearing false witness.” Sharpton called Jews “diamond merchants” during the aftermath of the Crown Heights riots, which took place in Brooklyn in 1991. Sharpton, who led protests that led to the riots, said at the time “If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house.” On the third day following the tragic Crown Heights car accident, Sharpton joined Sonny Carson and led a march. The marchers proceeded through Crown Heights, carrying anti-semitic signs and an Israeli flag was burned. Rioters threw bricks and bottles at police; shots were fired at police and police cars were pelted and overturned, including the Police Commissioner’s car. Riots escalated to the extent that a detachment of 200 police officers was overwhelmed and had to retreat for their safety. On August 22, over 1,800 police officers, including mounted and motorcycle units, had been dispatched to stop the attacks on people and property. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress and presidential candidate, to serve as director of national intelligence, continuing to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities complimentary to his own, rather than long-term professionals in their requisite fields. “As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican!” Trump said in a statement. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!” Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider, compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Gabbard hasn’t worked directly in the intelligence community, outside of House committees, including two years on the Homeland Security Committee. Like others Trump has selected for his agency leadership, she has been among his most popular political surrogates, often drawing thunderous responses from crowds as she stumped for him in the campaign’s closing months. Trump also announced he will nominate loyalist Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to be his attorney general. President-elect Donald Trump also named Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state on Wednesday, setting up a onetime critic who evolved into one of the president-elect’s fiercest defenders to become the nation’s top diplomat. The conservative lawmaker is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump’s running mate this summer. On Capitol Hill, Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has pushed for taking a harder line against China and has targeted social media app TikTok because its parent company is Chinese. He and other lawmakers contend that Beijing could demand access to the data of users whenever it wants. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. Trump made the announcement while flying back back to Florida from Washington after meeting with President Joe Biden. The selection is the culmination of a long, complicated history between the two men. During their tense competition for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, Rubio was especially blunt in his criticism of Trump, calling him a “con artist” and “the most vulgar person to ever aspire to the presidency.” Trump responded by branding Rubio as “little Marco,” a nickname that stuck with the senator for years. But like many Republicans who sought to maintain their relevance in the Trump era, Rubio shifted his rhetoric. As speculation intensified that Trump might pick him as his running mate, Rubio sought to play down the tension from 2016, suggesting the heated tone simply reflected the intensity of a campaign. “That is like asking a boxer why they punched somebody in the face in the third round,” Rubio told CNN when asked about his […]
Janet Rapp strode briskly down a paved path through the city zoo, waving at friends and stopping briefly to greet emus she knows by name. The 71-year-old retiree starts each morning this way with a walking club. “I’m obsessed,” she said. Not only does it ease her joint pain, “it just gives me energy … And then it calms me, too.” Medical experts agree that walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness and prevent disease. While it’s not the only sort of exercise people should do, it’s a great first step toward a healthy life. “You don’t need equipment and you don’t need a gym membership,” said Dr. Sarah Eby, a sports medicine physician with Mass General Brigham. “And the benefits are so vast.” What can walking do for you? Walking can help meet the U.S. surgeon general’s recommendation that adults get at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity every week. This helps lowers the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and many types of cancer. Walking also improves blood sugar levels, is good for bone health and can help you lose weight loss and sleep better, added Julie Schmied, a nurse practitioner with Norton Healthcare, which runs the free Get Healthy Walking Club. Another advantage? It’s a low-impact exercise that puts less pressure on joints as it strengthens your heart and lungs. James Blankenship, 68, said joining the walking club at the Louisville Zoo last year helped him bounce back after a heart attack and triple bypass in 2022. “My cardiologist says I’m doing great,” he said. For all its benefits, however, walking “is not enough for overall health and well-being” because it doesn’t provide resistance training that builds muscle strength and endurance, said Anita Gust, who teaches exercise science at the University of Minnesota Crookston. That’s especially important for women’s bone health as they age. Experts recommend adding such activities at least twice weekly – using weights, gym equipment or your own body as resistance — and doing exercises that improve flexibility like yoga or stretching. Do you really need 10,000 steps a day? Nearly everyone has heard about this walking goal, which dates back to a 1960s marketing campaign in Japan. But experts stress that it’s just a guideline. The average American walks about 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day and it’s fine to gradually work up to 10,000, Shmied said. Setting a time goal can also be useful. Shmied suggests breaking the recommended 150 minutes per week into 30 minutes a day, or 10 minutes three times a day, for five days. During inclement weather, people can walk in malls or on treadmills. As they become seasoned walkers, they can speed up the pace or challenge themselves with hills while still keeping the activity level moderate. “If you can talk but not sing,” Eby said, “that’s what we consider moderate-intensity exercise.” How do you stay motivated? Walking with friends – including dogs – is one way. Walking clubs have popped up across the nation. In 2022, New York personal trainer Brianna Joye Kohn, 31, started City Girls Who Walk with a TikTok post inviting others to walk with her. “We had 250 girls show up,” she said. Since then, the group has walked every Sunday for around 40 minutes, with some […]
Multiple Iranian sources said that Tehran is postponing its plans to attack Israel – in the wake of the victory of President-elect Donald Trump over Kamala Harris last week, Sky News in Arabic reported on Wednesday. After Israel attacked Iran on October 26, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed that Iran would retaliate with a “severe response.” The Islamic Republic even named the attack Operation True Promise 3 – as it would be its third direct attack on Israel – and this time, it was reportedly scheming to launch the attack from Iraq to strike the Jewish state with more powerful warheads from a closer range. The sources claimed: “The Iranian response against Israel is postponed until negotiations with President Trump begin.” The report added that the decision was made following a warning message conveyed to Iran via Baghdad. Apart from the “Trump effect,” the IDF’s attack on Iran on October 26 reportedly destroyed most of its air defenses, leaving it extremely vulnerable to a counterattack. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
A Canadian teen is hospitalized in critical condition with what is believed to be bird flu, a British Columbia health official said Tuesday. It’s not clear how the teenager picked up the virus, which has been detected recently in wild birds and poultry in the province, said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer. The teen is not known to have any contact with infected animals, she said. Officials have released few details about the patient. Henry said the teen was healthy before developing symptoms more than a week ago — initially eye redness, cough and fever — and has been hospitalized with a respiratory illness since Friday in Vancouver. Initial testing indicated the infection is from bird flu. Officials believe it is the Type A H5N1 bird flu but are awaiting confirmation. H5N1 has been spreading widely in the U.S. among wild birds, poultry, cows and a number of other animals. This year, 46 people in the U.S. — mostly farmworkers — have tested positive with mostly mild symptoms. In Canada, testing has been done on about three dozen people who were in contact with the teen. None of them have evidence of infection, Henry said. Officials are trying to figure out how the teen was infected, although Henry said that may never be determined. In British Columbia, the virus has been detected in poultry, wild birds and some small animals, mostly when birds are migrating through the area. The Canadian case was in the Fraser Valley area in southern British Columbia. (AP)
Republicans have elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as the next Senate majority leader, completing a momentous shift in their leadership that elevates a top deputy of Mitch McConnell into a key position as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. Thune, 63, is in his fourth Senate term and has promised to work closely with Trump, despite differences the two have had over the years, and will be a crucial part of the incoming president’s efforts to push through his policy agenda. In a statement, Thune said he was “extremely honored to have earned the support of my colleagues.” “This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work starts today,” he said. Thune beat out two other competitors, Sens. John Cornyn and Rick Scott, by gaining majority support from GOP senators in a secret ballot vote in two rounds of voting. Scott was eliminated on the first round and the final vote between Thune and Cornyn was 29-24, according to several people who requested anonymity to discuss the private meeting. Republicans are replacing McConnell, the longest serving Senate party leader, as they prepare to take majority control of the Senate with the 53 seats they won in last week’s elections. Much of the campaign centered around the candidates’ relationship with Trump. Thune has worked to smooth his over after breaking publicly with Trump over the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he called “inexcusable.” In recent months, Thune has realigned with Trump, visiting him in his Florida home, and the two have been consulting on how to implement the incoming president’s agenda. Thune told The Associated Press over the summer that he views their potential relationship as a professional one. If they both win their elections, Thune said, “we’ve got a job to do.” As he made his case, Thune also made clear that he would listen to Trump’s demands. When Trump posted on X Sunday that the new leader “must agree” to allow him to appoint Cabinet members and others when the Senate is on recess, avoiding confirmation votes, Thune responded that the Senate must “quickly and decisively” act to get nominees in place and that “all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments.” Well liked and a respected communicator, Thune has been perceived as a front-runner for much of the year. Like McConnell, he hails from the Republican Party’s more traditional wing. He is a former chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and has held the Republican whip position — no. 2 in party leadership — since 2019. He took over for McConnell for several weeks last year when he was on a medical leave, a move that was widely seen as an audition of sorts as speculation surrounded McConnell’s future. Thune’s win is all the more extraordinary because of his 2004 election to the Senate – defeating then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle after arguing during the campaign that Daschle had lost his South Dakota roots during his years in Democratic leadership. Twenty years later, Thune will become majority leader himself. As he geared up to run for leader, Thune spent much of the year campaigning for his colleagues. According to his aides, he raised more than $31 million to elect Senate Republicans […]
The IDF has released the names of five soldiers from the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion who lost their lives in combat operations against Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon. The soldiers were identified as: Captain Itay Marcovich, 22, from Kokhav Ya’ir, served as a Platoon Commander. Staff Sergeant Sraya Elbom, 21, from Mehola, was a Squad Commander. Staff Sergeant Dror Hen, 20, from Gan Haim, served as a Squad Sergeant. Staff Sergeant Nir Gofer, 20, from Dimona, was a soldier in the battalion. Sergeant Shalev Itzhak Sagron, 21, from Sderot, also served as a soldier in the battalion. At least one other soldier who was killed will have his name published later, the IDF said. The troops were engaged in a battalion-level mission within a building complex when they came under heavy fire from terrorists using small arms and anti-tank missiles. In addition to the deaths, at least one other soldier suffered moderate injuries during the ambush. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
On Tuesday afternoon around 12:30 PM, the NYPD 71st Precinct’s Detective Squad reached out to Crown Heights Shomrim, seeking assistance with a suspected mailbox theft case. The precinct flagged multiple vehicles suspected of involvement in recent USPS mailbox thefts in the area. Upon receiving the request, Crown Heights Shomrim’s operations team coordinated with their rapid response units to locate the suspects. Within three hours, they successfully identified the primary vehicle linked to the thefts. Detectives were alerted to the vehicle’s location, swiftly intercepting it and apprehending the driver. During the arrest, authorities recovered multiple packages, stolen mail, a USPS jacket, and a master key used for opening mailboxes. Later in the day, Shomrim identified a second vehicle connected to the case. While considered suspicious, it was not directly involved in the thefts. After pinpointing its location, Shomrim provided the information to detectives, who conducted an investigation. The occupants of the vehicle were interviewed and released. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Two employees have died following an explosion at a Louisville, Kentucky, factory that caused a partial collapse of the building and blew out windows in nearby homes and businesses, the company said Wednesday. The explosion occurred Tuesday afternoon at Givaudan Sense Colour, which produces colorings for food and drinks. “We are grieving with the families, friends, and loved ones of those that were lost and injured during this very difficult time,” the company said in a statement. Firefighters rescued and evacuated many people from the building, including some with life-threatening injuries, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement Tuesday night. Greenberg said officials have accounted for everyone who was working at the plant at the time. It was earlier reported that at least 11 employees were taken to hospitals. The cause was under investigation. Greenberg said officials spoke to employees inside the plant and they “initially conveyed that everything was normal activity when the explosion occurred.” The company said that it was in the early stages of investigating the cause and it is cooperating with authorities. “We appreciate their heroic response and send our thanks to those in the community who have shown their support throughout the day,” the company said. Patrick Livers lives in a neighborhood immediately across the railroad tracks from the plant. He was at work when his mother, who had picked up his children from school and was bringing them home, called to say his home had been damaged by the explosion. “I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ Then she showed me the video. I was like, ‘Oh you’ve got to be kidding me,” he said. Livers said no one was home at the time. He said the explosion blew out windows up and down his street. “The house is still standing. It’s just structural damage. If it was on a wall, it’s on the floor,” he said. “All the neighbors’ windows busted out, doors blown in. It looked like a small tornado went off inside the house.” Steve Parobek was at work when the blast blew out the kitchen window in his apartment a block from the plant. He arrived home and found his cat safe and used two pizza boxes and some duct tape to cover his window as temperatures dropped steadily Tuesday night. The Louisville Fire Department was leading the investigation as of Tuesday night with help from state and federal partners. A reconstruction team from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was headed to Louisville to help determine the cause of the explosion. In April 2003, an explosion at the same location killed a worker at a caramel-coloring plant owned by D.D. Williamson & Co. Givaudan acquired the plant from D.D. Williamson in 2021. Federal investigators determined a pressure relief valve on a tank had been removed when the company moved the tank to its Louisville plant in 1989. The tank exploded because there was no relief valve, according to a report from the Chemical Safety Board. (AP)
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Residents in Southfield, Michigan, woke up Wednesday morning to find antisemitic flyers littered across lawns in largely Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods. The disturbing incident has prompted an investigation by local police, who are working to identify those responsible for distributing the hateful material. The flyers, enclosed in plastic bags weighed down with sand, contained offensive messages and imagery rooted in classic antisemitic tropes. Among the materials were references to “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion,” a widely debunked and virulently antisemitic text that falsely claims a Jewish plot to control the world. Another flyer targeted the Jewish community with baseless accusations linking it to the rise in transgender issues, adding further layers of misinformation and bigotry. These types of targeted antisemitic leaflets are unfortunately not new to Jewish communities. Over the past few years, Jewish neighborhoods across the United States have faced similar harassment, as hate groups and individuals attempt to intimidate and spread their dangerous ideology. Southfield police are actively investigating the incident, urging anyone with information to come forward. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In the first seriously contested Senate Republican leadership election in decades, three senators are vying to replace longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell when he steps down from the post at the beginning of next year and Republicans take back the Senate majority. South Dakota Sen. John Thune, Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Florida Sen. Rick Scott have been furiously campaigning to win their colleagues’ support in the secret-ballot election Wednesday. All three are trying to convince their colleagues that they have the ear of President-elect Donald Trump and will be the best person to implement his agenda. They are also trying to differentiate themselves from McConnell, saying they will give rank-and-file senators more power and be more communicative. It’s not clear who will win, or if there will be multiple rounds of votes before a winner is chosen. A look at the three candidates: SEN. JOHN THUNE Thune, 63, defeated then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004 after arguing during the campaign that Daschle had lost his South Dakota roots during his years in Democratic leadership. Now Thune is running to become majority leader himself. Well liked and a respected communicator, Thune has been perceived as a front-runner for much of the year. He is currently the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, and took over for McConnell for a few weeks last year when he was on a medical leave. He is also a former chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. As he geared up to run for leader, Thune spent much of the year campaigning for his colleagues. According to his aides, he raised more than $31 million to elect Senate Republicans this cycle, including a $4 million transfer from his own campaign accounts to the Senate’s main campaign arm. One potential liability for Thune has been his previously rocky relationship with Trump. Thune was highly critical of the then-president as he tried to overturn his election defeat in 2020 and after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Trump’s supporters. Thune said then that Trump’s efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power were “inexcusable.” This year, though, Thune and Trump have talked frequently on the phone and Thune visited the then-GOP candidate at his home in Florida. Thune told The Associated Press over the summer that he views their potential relationship as a professional one. If they both win their elections, Thune said, “we’ve got a job to do.” SEN. JOHN CORNYN Like Thune, Cornyn is a popular and respected member of the Senate GOP conference. A former Texas attorney general and member of the state Supreme Court, much of his work has been on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was also McConnell’s No. 2, the job Thune now holds, for six years before he was term-limited out of the job. Cornyn, 72, has also spent much of the year courting his colleagues one by one and fundraising for them around the country. He has long been one of the best fundraisers in the Senate, and his aides say he has raised more than $400 million for party candidates during his 22 years in office. In 2022, after a gunman stormed a Texas elementary school and killed 19 children and two teachers, Cornyn was tapped by McConnell to lead the GOP in negotiating gun legislation with Democrats. The bill, passed that summer, stepped up […]
Donald Trump made a victor’s return to Washington on Wednesday, visiting the White House for an Oval Office meeting with Democratic President Joe Biden and committing to a smooth transition of power as the Republican president-elect moves quickly to build out his new administration. “Donald, congratulations,” Biden said, greeting Trump with a handshake and adding that he looked “forward to a smooth transition.” Trump made a similar pledge and expressed thanks to Biden for the invitation — one that Trump himself had not extended to Biden after losing the 2020 election. “Thank you very much,” Trump said. “Politics is tough. And it’s, in many cases, not a very nice world. But it is a nice world today and I appreciate it very much.” Trump, flying from Florida, arrived at a military base near the Capitol, meeting up with billionaire Elon Musk for a morning session with House Republicans as Trump prepares for a potentially unified Republican government and sweep of power. Back in Washington for the first time since his election victory, Trump told the GOP lawmakers, “It’s nice to win.” Trump received a standing ovation from House Republicans, many of whom took cellphone videos of him as ran through their party’s victories up and down the ballot, in what would be, under the constitutional limits, his final presidential election. “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say he’s good we got to figure something else,” Trump said to laughter from the lawmakers. It’s a stunning return to the U.S. seat of government for the former president, who departed nearly four years ago a diminished, politically defeated leader after the Jan. 6, 2021 incident on the Capitol but is preparing to come back to power with what he and his GOP allies see as a mandate for governance. “He is the comeback king,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., before Trump’s arrival. “We owe him a great debt of gratitude.” The private meetings, including his sit-down with Biden, put in stark relief the former president’s comeback. Trump’s reemergence comes amid Republican congressional leadership elections, with the potential for him to place his imprint on the outcome. Trump endorsed Johnson’s return to the speaker’s office with the president-elect saying he is with Johnson all the way, according to a person familiar with the remarks but not authorized to publicly discuss the private meeting. Musk has been spending much of his time at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate, and participating in discussions as the incoming Trump administration prepares to transition from Biden’s. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, was named by Trump to a government efficiency advisory role. Musk, Some close to Trump and his team now see Musk as the second most influential figure in Trump’s immediate orbit, after Susie Wiles, the campaign manager who is Trump’s incoming chief of staff. Johnson has said Republicans are “ready to deliver on Trump’s ”America First” agenda. After his election win in 2016, Trump met with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office and called it “a great honor.” But he soon was back to heaping insults on Obama, including accusing his predecessor — without evidence — of having wire-tapped him during the 2016 campaign. Biden insists that he’ll do everything he can to make the transition to the next Trump administration go smoothly. […]
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Speaker Mike Johnson is beginning the hard fight for his gavel, a weeks-long campaign that starts Wednesday during internal House Republican leadership elections and will establish the new power centers in Congress for a Washington dominated by President-elect Donald Trump. Johnson and his leadership team are all working behind the scenes to shore up support to stay on the job. While Johnson has no serious challenger, he faces dissent within his ranks, particularly from hard-right conservatives and the Freedom Caucus withholding their votes as leverage to extract promises ahead. The speaker is expected to host Trump ahead of voting, presenting a unified front. “This leadership will hit the ground running to deliver President Trump’s agenda,” Johnson said Tuesday on the Capitol steps as lawmakers returned to Washington. It’s been a remarkable political journey for Johnson, the accidental speaker who rose as a last, best choice to replace ousted former speaker Kevin McCarthy more than a year ago and quickly set course by positioning himself alongside Trump and leading Republicans during the elections. As Johnson tells it, Trump is the “coach” and he is the “quarterback” as their GOP team prepares to run the plays in the new year. Johnson has embraced Trump’s agenda of mass deportations, tax cuts, gutting the federal workforce and a more muscular U.S. image abroad. Together they have been working on what the speaker calls an “ambitious” 100-days agenda hoping to avoid what he called the mistakes of Trump’s first term when Congress was unprepared and wasted “precious time.” “We will be ready on day one,” Johnson said. While Johnson expects to lead the House in unified government, with Trump in the White House and Republicans having seized the Senate majority, the House is expected to remain narrowly split, even as House control remains undecided with final races particularly in California still too early to call. But the problems that come with a slim House majority and plagued Johnson’s first year as speaker when his own ranks routinely revolted over his plans are likely to spill into the new year, with a potential fresh round of chaotic governing. Johnson needs just a simple majority in Wednesday’s closed-door voting to win the GOP nomination to become speaker. But he will need majority support of the full House, 218 votes, to actually take hold of the gavel on Jan. 3, when the new Congress convenes and conducts the election for its speaker. It took McCarthy some 15 rounds of voting in a weeklong election to win the gavel in 2023. Trump has made Johnson’s problems more complicated by tapping House Republicans for his administration, reducing the numbers further. Some Republicans want the House leadership elections postponed until control of the House is fully decided. Still, with Trump in the White House, the speaker may enjoy a period of goodwill from his own ranks as Republicans are eager to disrupt the norms of governing and institutionalize Trump’s second-term agenda. “His challenge is what it’s always been,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the Freedom Caucus, said of Johnson. But he said, “With Trump in charge, it’ll be easier for him to deliver.” Conservatives have been discussing whether to field their own candidate as a signal to Johnson as they push their own priorities, using the same tactic they […]
Donald Trump’s election win is clouding the outlook for mortgage rates even before he gets back to the White House. The president-elect campaigned on a promise to make homeownership more affordable by lowering mortgage rates through policies aimed at knocking out inflation. But his proposed economic agenda could potentially set the stage for mortgage rates to move higher, some economists and analysts say. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including moves in the yield for U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds, which lenders use as a guide to price home loans. Treasury yields rose in recent weeks even after the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate, which influences rates on all types of loans including mortgages. Investors appeared to question how far the Fed should cut rates given the strength of the economy. Then yields surged further immediately after Trump’s victory, sending the average rate on a 30-year mortgage up to 6.79%, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. “Given what we’re seeing in bond markets, investors are expecting higher rates under a Trump administration and are starting to position in that direction already,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “So, if overall rates are higher, that would tend to also mean that mortgage rates would move higher, too.” Trump says he wants to impose tariffs on foreign goods, lower tax rates and lighten regulations, policies that could rev up the economy, but also fuel inflation and increase U.S. government debt — and, say some economists, lead to higher interest rates and in turn higher mortgage rates. “Trump’s fiscal policies can be expected to lead to rising and more unpredictable mortgage rates through the end of this year and into 2025,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist with Bright MLS, who no longer forecasts the average rate on a 30-year home loan to dip below 6% next year. Homebuilding sector analysts at Raymond James and Associates see mortgage rates remaining “higher for longer,” given the outcome of the election. They also said in a research note last week that first-time homebuyers “are likely to face even greater affordability challenges this spring,” typically the peak sales season of the year for homebuilders. Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, reducing their purchasing power at a time when home prices remain near record highs despite a housing market sales slump dating back to 2022. Elevated mortgage rates and high prices have kept homeownership out of reach for many first-time buyers. They accounted for just 24% of all homes purchased between July 2023 and last June, a historic low going back to 1981, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Prior to 2008, the share of first-time buyers had historically been 40%. As more Americans are priced out of homeownership or have to delay buying a home, they’re missing out on potential gains from home equity growth, which have historically been a strong driver of personal wealth. What’s more, higher mortgage rates can discourage current homeowners from selling. While the average rate on a 30-year home loan has come down from a 23-year high of nearly 8% last year, it remains too high for many potential sellers. More than four in five homeowners with a mortgage have an existing rate below 6%, according to Realtor.com. […]
The Federal Aviation Administration prohibited U.S. airlines from flying to Haiti for 30 days after gangs shot three planes and the United Nations also Tuesday temporarily suspended flights to Port-au-Prince, limiting humanitarian aid coming into the country. Bullets hit a Spirit Airlines plane when it was about to land in the capital Monday, injuring a flight attendant and forcing the airport to shut down. Photos and videos obtained by The Associated Press show bullet holes dotting the interior of a plane. On Tuesday, JetBlue and American Airlines announced that postflight inspections found their planes also had been shot Monday while departing Port-au-Prince. American suspended flights to the capital until Feb. 12. The shootings were part of a wave of violence that erupted as the country plagued by gang violence swore in its new prime minister after a politically tumultuous process. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the agency documented 20 armed clashes and more roadblocks affecting humanitarian operation during the violence Monday. The Port-au-Prince airport will remain closed until Nov. 18, and Dujarric said the U.N. will divert flights to the country’s second airport in the northern, more peaceful, city of Cap Haïtien. Slashed access to the epicenter of the violence, Port-au-Prince, is likely to be devastating as gangs choking the life out of the capital have pushed Haiti to the brink of famine. Dujarric warned that cutting off flights would mean “limiting the flow of humanitarian aid and humanitarian personnel into the country.” Already, a convoy of 20 trucks filled with food and medical supplies in the south had been postponed and an operation providing cash assistance to a thousand people in the Carrefour area where violence broke out had to be canceled. “We are doing all we can to ensure the continuation of operations amidst this challenging environment,” he said. “We call for an end to the escalating violence, to allow for safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access.” On Tuesday, life in much of Haiti’s capital was frozen after the wave of violence. Heavily armed police in armored cars outside the airport checked trucks used for public transportation passing by. Schools were closed, as were banks and government offices. Streets, where just a day before gangs and police were locked in a fierce firefight, were eerily empty, with few driving by other than a motorcycle with a man who had been shot clinging to the back. The sounds of heavy gunfire still echoed through the streets in the afternoon — a reminder that despite political maneuvering by Haiti’s elites and a strong push by the international community to restore peace, the country’s toxic slate of gangs kept its firm hold on much of the Caribbean nation. The United Nations estimates that gangs control 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. A U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police to quell gang violence struggles with a lack of funding and personnel, prompting calls for a U.N. peacekeeping mission. President Luis Abinader in the Dominican Republic, which shares a border with Haiti, was the first leader on the island to condemn the violence, describing the shooting a “terrorist act”. On Tuesday, a transitional council established in April to restore democratic order to Haiti also condemned the violence. “This cowardly crime, which threatens Haiti’s sovereignty and security, aims to isolate our country on the international […]
A police constable in his thirties, serving in southwest England, has been arrested on suspicion of supporting Hamas. The arrest, carried out by counterterrorism officers, reportedly concerns online activity linked to the proscribed terrorist organization. Counter Terrorism Policing South West (CTPSW) officers detained the officer in Gloucestershire on Tuesday and conducted a search of his residence and vehicle in the Gloucester area. The officer is now held in a custody facility outside the county while investigators analyze digital devices seized during the operation. Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson of Gloucestershire Police acknowledged the community’s likely concern, saying, “The arrest of a serving officer on suspicion of such a serious offence will no doubt cause our communities concern, as it does everyone who works for Gloucestershire Police. The arrest has been made to allow for a prompt and effective investigation to take place, and we must not draw any conclusions at this stage.” Under the UK’s Terrorism Act, supporting a proscribed group is a criminal offense. Hamas was designated a terrorist organization by the UK in 2021. The UK government has shown heightened vigilance over expressions of support for Hamas. Jonathan Hall KC, the UK’s independent terrorism reviewer, cautioned that public displays at pro-Palestinian rallies could risk “glorifying terrorism,” potentially constituting a serious offense. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has also underscored the government’s intention to enforce the law against Hamas support, with members of the Conservative government calling for intensified police patrols and a strict stance against perceived endorsements of Hamas activities. In a related incident earlier this year, a London man was convicted for wearing a headband in support of Hamas during a pro-Palestinian rally. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A CIA official, Asif W. Rahman, has been charged with leaking classified documents allegedly revealing Israel’s potential plans to strike Iran in response to a missile attack earlier this year, the New York Times reports. Rahman was indicted last week in federal court in Virginia on two counts related to the unauthorized retention and disclosure of national defense information. He was apprehended by the FBI on Tuesday in Cambodia and transported to Guam, where he is set to appear in federal court on Thursday. The leaked documents, originally prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), contain sensitive information based on satellite images, providing intelligence on a possible Israeli response to Iranian aggression. The NGA plays a critical role in interpreting satellite data for military and clandestine operations, and the contents of these documents are considered highly classified. The documents began circulating last month on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, prompting an investigation by the FBI and intelligence agencies to trace the leak’s origin. Rahman, who worked abroad for the CIA and held a top-secret security clearance, allegedly had access to sensitive compartmentalized information, a standard clearance level for CIA operatives handling classified materials. The FBI confirmed its involvement last month, noting it was working alongside the Department of Defense and other intelligence partners to investigate the leak. The FBI has been tasked with overseeing violations of the Espionage Act, a law that criminalizes the unauthorized retention of defense information that could potentially harm U.S. security or benefit a foreign adversary. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
