Author: Press Room

While basketball legend Michael Jordan has largely distanced himself from the famous quote that “Republicans buy shoes, too” — he says it was more of an offhand joke than an actual statement of his beliefs — it remains an enduring quote in pop culture for a reason. The story stems from a 1990 North Carolina Senate race between Harvey Gantt, a black Democrat, and incumbent Jesse Helms, a Republican. Jordan was asked to endorse Gantt, and declined, apparently joking that he appreciates his Republican sneaker customers, too. Joke or not, there likely is some wisdom in Jordan’s quip. Alienating potential…

A large crowd of Venezuelans, Venezuelan-Americans, and anti-socialist supporters gathered on Tuesday at the United Nations’ Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza to protest the presence of Nicolás Maduro’s protege, and current “interim president” of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez at the General Assembly. The crowd of dozens waved Venezuelan flags, held up protest signs against Rodríguez and what is left of the illegitimate Maduro regime, and emphasized that Rodríguez and her cohort do not represent the Venezuelan people. Some in the crowd also expressed concern about an agreement Rodríguez arranged with the government of President Donald Trump to share in the development of Venezuela’s…

U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman has ordered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to install air conditioning in every state prison by 2029. “Witnesses in this case who had been incarcerated in un-air-conditioned Texas Department of Criminal Justice prisons described themselves and their fellow inmates getting sick, passing out, and reaching a level of desperation to cool off that made it ‘common’ to splash toilet water on themselves,” wrote the judge, who was nominated by Barry Obama. He said this violated the Eighth Amendment — which protects against cruel and unusual punishment. The cost to taxpayers could be as high as $1.5…

House Republicans for decades have prided themselves on their strict three-term limit for committee leaders, saying it promotes fresh blood in the party ranks.But that limit has grown less strict in recent years, and a growing number of GOP lawmakers are aching for a crackdown.Three of the 20 sitting House chairs have signaled interest in applying for a waiver to bypass the six-year term limit Republicans have had in place for more than 30 years. If each follows through, it would be the first time so many exceptions have been sought at once — and some Republicans are openly warning…

An unidentified man was arrested after shots were fired at Miami International Airport on Wednesday. Witnesses heard multiple gunshots around 4pm ET near Door 17 on the departure level. One witness saw a man dive behind a car after the gunshots were fired, NBC Miami reported. Authorities closed the departure level from doors 12 to 17 and redirected traffic to the arrivals. There were not injuries reported. NBC Miami reported: A man was taken into custody after gunshots at Miami International Airport triggered a massive law enforcement response Wednesday evening, authorities said. Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office officials said deputies responded to…

Chilean President José Antonio Kast used his first-ever address as head of state to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to condemn the socialist policies of his predecessors and promise would-be investors that a conservative Chile was worth betting on. “I have come to this forum that Chile is back. That it is not a slogan – it is the reality of a country now beginning to walk towards development,” Kast, who has been in office for about six months following the term of hardline socialist Gabriel Boric, declared. Kast was one of a host of conservative Western Hemisphere…

First Lady Melania Trump harkened back to 1980’s power dressing in a pinstripe suit for a visit to the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday morning. To ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, announcing her latest female-led business initiative, Imperia, Mrs. Trump channeled the power suits of 1980’s Yves Saint Laurent and Giorgio Armani in a dark navy double-breasted pinstripe wool blazer from Givenchy with a matching pencil midi skirt. The blazer retails for $3,550, while the skirt goes for $1,700. Mrs. Trump paired the suit with a white cotton…

Republicans appear increasingly anxious that the economic fallout from the Iran war could cost them their House and Senate majorities. They have one more chance to stage a symbolic jailbreak — and it’s not clear enough of them are ready to take the leap.The Senate will vote as soon as Thursday on another measure aimed at halting the war, giving Democrats likely their final opportunity to put their GOP colleagues on the record before leaving town until after the midterms.At least four Republicans are expected to support the Democratic-led effort: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand…

Tomahawks are arriving, hypersonic missiles are in development, and nuclear submarines are under consideration. How far will Tokyo’s military buildup go? In recent months, there’s been a distinct sense of ‘historical déjà vu’ – from Germany’s interest in long-range missiles to the development of hypersonic missile technologies in Japan. The first question that comes to mind is whether revanchism is emerging more than 80 years after the defeat of the fascists and militarists in WWII. However, this question is quite complicated, so for now, we will focus on a more practical issue: Japan’s military-technical buildup. Below, we will attempt to…

President Trump on Wednesday responded to reports that he seeks to affix his own name to Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC, the site of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865.  Trump called the story, first published by MS Now, “a ridiculous lie.” Notably, MS Now is one of the three outlets that Trump banned from the White House last week, citing the “FICTION and LIES” they report. MS Now reported on Tuesday, As President Donald Trump fights to rename the Kennedy Center after himself, administration officials are circulating a list of government sites that could have his name affixed to them…