Tue, December 17, 2024

by: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Federal politics live: Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveils mid-year budget update, deficits $21.8bn billion deeper than expected

Treasurer Jim Chalmers will unveil the mid-year budget update today, which is expected to confirm the budget is headed back into years of deficits after two consecutive surpluses. Follow all the updates in our live blog.

by: MSNBC

Indiana congresswoman says she will spurn GOP caucus to help Elon Musk's DOGE group

I do not need to be involved in circuses," Rep. Victoria Spartz wrote on social media, suggesting she'll be prioritizing the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

by: National Post

Freeland defended by Liberal MPs, as Trudeau's feminist reputation is questioned

Trudeau has been largely out of public view grappling with the fallout from Freeland's bombshell decision to resign from his cabinet the same day she was set to present the Liberals' fall fiscal update on Monday, saying she was doing so after the prime minister told her last Friday that he no longer wanted her in the role.

by: USA Today

Elon Musk and SpaceX face federal reviews over security, NYT reports

The New York Times reported that Musk and SpaceX had violated federal reporting protocols by not fully reporting his contacts with foreign leaders.

by: CNN

Trump formally clinches Electoral College victory

Over 530 presidential electors will meet in all 50 states and DC to cast their votes for president and vice president. After the meetings, the official votes will be sent to Congress to count on January 6,

by: The Australian Financial Review

A decade of deficits and a modest $5.5b election war chest

The budget is not estimated to return to surplus for at least a decade, and cumulative deficits over the next four years will be almost $22 billion larger than forecast in May.

by: The Age

Review finds entrenched union issues on government construction sites

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Builders will be contractually required to report and stamp out criminal behaviour on government worksites as part of a plan to tackle entrenched cultural issues with unions. A new alliance ...

by: The Daily Mirror

'Government betrays WASPI women by rejecting recommendation to cough up cash'

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and PM Keir Starmer turned their backs on 3.5 million women by rejecting ombudsman's recommendation to pay them compensation

by: The Australian Financial Review

Labor lifts company takeover fees and bolsters phoenixing crackdown

Jim Chalmers' midyear budget update has increased fees for company takeovers and provided funding to boost penalties for dodgy behaviour.

by: The New York Times

The Trump Factor Further Shakes Up Canada's Politics

The president-elect's threat to impose major tariffs on Canadian goods and other pointed comments have tapped into a treacherous moment in domestic politics.

by: Sky

Nigel Farage meets Elon Musk and JD Vance at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort

The Reform UK leader also reveals he met vice president-elect JD Vance on Monday. The meeting with Musk comes amid reports the tech tycoon is considering donating £78m to Mr Farage's party.

by: Jewish Insider

Elon Musk praises Tucker Carlson interview with Jeffrey Sachs featuring antisemitic conspiracy theories

In the interview, Sachs blames 'the Israel lobby' for American foreign policy, and defends ousted Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad

by: Daily Express

Pensioners blast Labour government over latest winter fuel payment snub

EXCLUSIVE: They say Keir Starmer's party is 'devoid of Christmas cheer' amid concerns that ministers have changed their attitude towards the elderly

by: The Globe and Mail

The country isn't bankrupt. But the Trudeau government is completely spent

Canada has hit the point of intellectual bankruptcy from which a government, having run out of higher purpose, is merely chasing after survival

by: Modern Healthcare

Telehealth and doctors win, PBMs lose as government funding deal nears

The last-minute agreement to keep government funded until March likely also includes hospital-at-home provisions and more.

by: NJ.com

N.J. needs to 'calm down' about drones, Gov. Murphy says. Sightings are down.

Murphy also said drone sighting reports in the state were "down meaningfully" of late — to just 12 on Saturday night and one on Sunday night. That's a drop from 49 last Sunday. Murphy did note there was "bad weather" this weekend, with rainy, foggy conditions that could have affecting sightings.

by: MSN

'Total dumpster fire': Republican destroys speaker's 'garbage' CR to keep government open

MAGA U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) is blasting Mike Johnson over the Speaker's bipartisan legislation to keep the government running past the Friday midnight deadline and through the middle of March,

by: MSN

Town leader on Cape Cod apologizes for comment caught on hot mic

A United Airlines pilot was reunited with the woman who donated bone marrow to him eight years ago. The pilot learned right before takeoff that his donor was onboard his flight and called her a "true hero." TODAY's Hoda Kotb shares this Morning Boost.

by: MSN

'People deserve answers': Growing frustration over mysterious drone sightings

The White House says there are no signs that the drone activity around New Jersey and New York is a threat to public safety. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., joins Chris Jansing to share what his constituents are saying and what his concerns are.

by: MSN

Trump Accuses Biden Admin of Withholding Drone Info, Alleges Biden Is Selling Off Border Wall Materials

President-elect Donald Trump accused the Biden administration of withholding information about drones, causing public concern. He also announced a $100 billion SoftBank investment in U.S. AI and emerging technologies,

by: MSN

Decision on women hit by pension age rise condemned

Plaid and the Welsh Lib Dems attack refusal of payouts for women over state pension age changes.

by: MSN

After Palestine bag, Priyanka Gandhi carries 'stand with Bangladesh' bag: Why is it controversial?

Priyanka Gandhi, sported a stylish tote bag, walking straight into Parliament and a big controversy at the same time.

by: The New York Times

Elon Musk Met With Nigel Farage at Mar-a-Lago

The British politician shared an image on social media that showed him at Donald Trump's Florida resort with the tech billionaire.

by: Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nevada electors cast votes for Trump, Vance in 2024 election

Nevada's Republican electors — two of whom were labeled 'fake electors' based on actions after the 2020 election — legitimately cast electoral votes for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice

by: MSN

Biden administration says expanding LNG exports could increase emissions and drive up prices

Almost a year after pausing new permits on LNG export terminals, the Biden administration released a report Tuesday warning of serious environmental and economic risks to increasing exports of the commodity.

by: MSN

RFK Jr.'s nomination could be a tough pill to swallow for these Republicans and Democrats. Here's why.

From his stances on vaccines to industrial farming and abortion, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be a tough pill to swallow for GOP senators.

by: MSN

Ending use of WhatsApp is 'clear admission' Government was wrong, claim Tories

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced the Scottish Government will stop using mobile messaging applications by the spring.

by: MSN

Big gaps remain between Israel and Hamas in Gaza deal talks

Despite optimistic public statements, a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal is not imminent, three Israeli officials tell Axios. Why it matters: The U.S., Israel and the Egyptian and Qatari mediators are trying to reach a deal before President-elect Trump's ...

by: MSN

Nelson Mandela Bay council scraps punitive water tariffs - after two floods and a petition

The impact of the tariffs was harsh, and was unnecessarily prolonged by the [metro] government, costing families dearly at a time of a cost-of-living crisis," said Van der Westhuyzen, from the DA. "This outcome proves that when the people of Nelson ...

by: MSN

India's Foreign Policy Is Failing, Both At Home And Abroad

Syria is the latest in a series of Indian foreign policy disasters. But can the government's clear lack of vision on that front explain the flagrant haplessness of the Indian state on the global stage?

by: briefly

Papa Penny Claims Government Is Destroying Jacob Zuma's Legacy Because of Jealousy, Mzansi Laughs

Papa Penny claimed government are destroying everything Jacob Zuma put together during his presidency because of jealousy, but South Africans found it laughable.

by: MSN

Justin Trudeau Political Crisis: Canada's Prime Minister Faces Calls To Resign As Government In Chaos Over Trump's Tariff Threats

President-elect Donald Trump's election win in November has shaken up politics in the United States and clearly impacted other countries, including neighboring Canada. Trump's threat to place a massive tariff on goods from Canada has complicated an already shaky political situation for the country's prime minister,

by: MSN

The Future of Syria's Kurds

As Syrians celebrate the end of the tyrannical regime of Bashar al-Assad, the war-weary Syrian state faces a combustible set of challenges to its political, security, and territorial governance. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS),

by: MSN

New Orleans wants to end federal oversight of its police. Critics aren't convinced

The city of New Orleans and the U.S. Justice Department are pushing to end more than a decade of police oversight that was ordered in response to a long history of mistreatment of African Americans and notorious corruption,

by: MSN

Trump Eyes Ukraine Peace Talks, Says Kyiv May Need To Cede Land For Resolution

President-elect Donald Trump expressed intentions to resolve the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East quickly during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. Trump warned Hamas to release Israeli hostages before his inauguration,

by: MSN

Kendall faces MP criticism and calls to reconsider Waspi compensation decision

Liz Kendall has faced calls from Labour MPs to reconsider the Government's decision not to award financial compensation to women affected by state pension age reforms. Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth) told the Work and Pensions Secretary that he was "appalled" by the rejection of an independent ombudsman's suggestion to provide financial redress.

by: Slate

The Supreme Court Has the Chance to Take Up a "DEFCON 1 Legal Scandal"

A federal appeals court panel has referred to the arrangement as a " dodgy side hustle " and an "utterly bonkers" violation of the right to a fair trial. Other federal judges have called it a " DEFCON 1 legal scandal ."

by: ABC

Ocasio-Cortez loses bid to be top Democrat on House Oversight Committee

Va., fended off a challenge from progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to become the House Oversight Committee's top-ranked Democrat.

by: The New York Times

For Years, U.S. Collected Tips About Austin Tice's Disappearance in Syria

Nongovernmental workers and journalists have scoured prisons for clues about his fate in the absence of an official American presence in the country.

by: MSN

'Election-interfering fiction': Trump sues pollster and newspaper over Kamala Harris report that showed 'false' poll lead before voting started

Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register over reporting done ahead of the 2024 election on one of Selzer's "false" polls, the suit says. The post 'Election-interfering fiction': Trump sues pollster and newspaper over Kamala Harris report that showed 'false' poll lead before voting started first appeared on Law & Crime.

by: MSN

Syria is in big trouble. Watch out, Christians and Muslims

HTS ruling over Syria will prove to be as devastating for the Syrian people as the Taliban retaking Afghanistan.

by: MSN

Harris campaign head admits talking to NYT and Washington Post is pointless: 'Those readers are already with us'

Harris campaign head admits talking to NYT and Washington Post is pointless: 'Those readers are already with us' - Alternative media, such as podcasts and streams, became a popular venue for the candi

by: MSN

Mike Johnson's dealmaking with Democrats stirs anger among Republicans as negotiators inch closer to government funding plan

House Speaker Mike Johnson's late-December dealmaking with Democrats is stirring intense anger across his GOP conference, just days before a government spending deadline and weeks before the pivotal vote the Louisiana Republican needs to win to keep his gavel.

by: MSN

TikTok's long-shot strategy to escape US ban is down to SCOTUS and Trump

TikTok is making two emergency appeals to save its social media app from a countrywide ban — one before the Supreme Court and the other to President-elect Donald Trump. Neither is guaranteed to work.

by: MSN

America's future depends on a thriving free press, and it's time we take it back

Many people vilify journalism as the enemy. Regardless of political affiliations, we pledge allegiance to one shared country, and the future of that country is linked to the future of a free press. So what are we to do in this pivotal moment?

by: Reuters

Morning Bid: Bonds agitated as Fed meets, G7 politics rumble

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan As the Fed meets for the last time this year, there's little doubt in futures markets that it will cut another quarter point off its policy rate.

by: The Financial Times

Poland auctions butter reserve as soaring prices spread to politics

Government's strategic reserves agency to sell 1,000 tonnes in frozen 25kg blocks of unsalted milk-based spread

by: MSN

House Republicans accuse Liz Cheney of Jan. 6 witness tampering and seek FBI investigation

Gay Trump donor & former Democrat Bill White tapped as Belgium ambassador

Donald Trump announced his selection of Bill White — a gay businessperson and Republican donor who dropped Hillary Clinton the night she lost the 2016 election — as Ambassador to Belgium. White, 57, along with his husband,

Bill White, a prominent gay Republican donor and former Democrat, has been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. White, who previously ran for mayor of Houston as a Democrat, has since become a significant financial backer of Republican causes, notably contributing to Donald Trump's 2020 campaign. His political journey reflects a shift from Democratic to Republican affiliations, highlighted by his support for GOP candidates and his role in the Log Cabin Republicans, an organization advocating for conservative gay rights. His nomination comes at a time when the U.S. seeks to strengthen its diplomatic ties with Belgium, a key NATO ally, amidst various global challenges. If confirmed, White would join a small but growing list of openly gay ambassadors, showcasing a diversity in U.S. diplomatic representation.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/gay-trump-donor-former-democrat-bill-white-tapped-as-belgium-ambassador/ar-AA1w2PQI