Author: Press Room

President Donald Trump told reporters that he would speak to Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te on Wednesday, downplaying the significance of such a conversation by adding, “I speak to everybody.” Trump’s comment follows a visit to communist China just a week ago in which he claimed to have a positive personal relationship with genocidal dictator Xi Jinping. While the Chinese government attempted to describe Taiwan as an issue of significance in their conversations, the White House’s descriptions of the visit suggest that topics such as economic cooperation, the ongoing war with Iran, and Chinese students in American universities took priority…

Michigan Senate Republican leader Aric Nesbitt asked the Justice Department on Monday to investigate Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) over her potential role in a $20 million state fraud scheme.  Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced 16 felony charges against Fay Beydoun earlier in May. He is accused of misusing $20 million in grant funding that was meant to start a business accelerator. Nesbitt, who is running for governor, said Beydoun was a political donor and close ally of Whitmer who also allegedly has a close relationship with Nessel. Nesbitt said, “Michigan deserves a governor who works for everyone in this…

Rep. Andrew Clyde said in an interview Thursday he supports the DOJ’s new, $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund — and isn’t ruling out seeking money from the account for himself. The Georgia Republican said the goal of the fund is to “make whole” anyone who has been unfairly targeted by the government, including people who rioted at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Pressed on whether he would personally pursue compensation, he reiterated that the fund is for “anyone” who has been the victim of government weaponization. Clyde has, in the past, argued he’s been targeted by the IRS, and was…

Walmart absorbed virtually all of the surge in fuel costs in its most recent quarter rather than passing them on to shoppers, taking a direct hit to profits while keeping prices on store shelves largely stable — a dynamic that challenges the conventional wisdom that an energy shock inevitably translates into broader consumer price increases. The world’s largest retailer said higher fuel costs in its distribution and fulfillment network knocked 250 basis points off operating income in the first quarter ended May 1, a headwind of roughly $175 million. Yet prices at Walmart stores rose just 1.2 percent during the…

President Trump called out Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich over her RINO fiancé Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) during a Q&A with reporters this week. “Her husband votes against me all the time. Can you imagine? I don’t know what’s with him. You better ask him what’s with him,” Trump said, presumably gesturing toward Heinrich in the press huddle. “Her husband — she’s married to a certain congressman, he likes voting against Trump. You know what happens with that? Doesn’t work out well. I don’t know why he does,” Trump added. Trump is referring to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who proposed to Heinrich last…

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche struggled Thursday to quash GOP concerns over a newly announced $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. Blanche met privately with Senate Republicans as the administration and GOP leaders try to defuse a controversy that is complicating their push to quickly advance an immigration enforcement bill. GOP leaders believe they have enough members who would support a proposal targeting the fund that it would ultimately be added into the filibuster-skirting bill, as POLITICO first reported Wednesday. Asked if the briefing changed her mind, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a critic of the fund, told reporters, “No.” Sens. Bill Cassidy…

The US intends to build up an icebreaker fleet larger than Russia’s, as the current gap in Moscow’s favor is “ridiculous,” President Donald Trump has said.Speaking to US Coast Guard graduates in New London, Connecticut, on Wednesday, Trump highlighted an agreement signed with Finland earlier this year to build 11 icebreakers.“We’re going to learn the craft and we’re going to have so many icebreakers,” Trump said. “You know, Russia has 48 and we have one very old one, that’s ridiculous.”He claimed the US would eventually operate 55 such ships, overtaking Russia and strengthening the American presence in the Arctic.The agreement…

The White House has reported postponed President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order addressing AI and cybersecurity concerns planned for today that was to be attended by the leading lights of the artificial intelligence industry. Axios reports that the White House has postponed Trump’s signing of an executive order on AI planned for this afternoon, with a wide range of tech CEOs invited to attend. No reason for the delay has been given, and a new signing date has not been shared publicly. Business Standard previously reported that President Donald Trump was expected to sign an executive order on artificial intelligence…

Sir Keir Starmer’s government said that it will not release further documents on the vetting of disgraced Lord Mandelson until next month and even then will be significantly redacted, sparking accusations of a potential “cover-up”. Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones told lawmakers this week that Parliament will have to wait to review government files relating to the hiring of Labour veteran Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington, despite his close ties with convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. The decision, which was made despite the government being aware that Mandelson had continued the relationship even after Epstein’s child…

Enterprise software giant Intuit is eliminating approximately 3,000 positions, representing 17 percent of its workforce, as the company redirects resources toward integrating AI capabilities into its product lineup. TechCrunch reports that Intuit, the company behind widely used financial software products including TurboTax, QuickBooks, and Credit Karma, announced significant workforce reductions as part of a strategic reorganization focused on AI development. The layoffs were communicated to staff through an internal memo from CEO Sasan Goodarzi. The memo indicated that the job cuts are designed to reduce organizational complexity by simplifying the company’s corporate structure while enabling greater focus on AI initiatives. As…