Wed, January 8, 2025

by: BBC

Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch clash over a national inquiry into grooming gangs

Talking about why she thinks a new national inquiry is needed into grooming gangs, Kemi Badenoch said the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA), which concluded in October 2022, "wasn't about the rape gang scandal". She said: "in its 468 pages it mentioned Rotherham just once".

by: Richmond

Water-less, but not grumbling, Virginia legislators meet briefly

Some joked about not showering as others shrugged and just said stuff happens. Virginia legislators pledged to finish their work on time despite a delay caused by Richmond's water crisis.

by: Sky

MPs vote against new national inquiry into grooming gangs

The vote was largely symbolic - aimed at putting pressure on Labour after comments by Elon Musk brought grooming gangs back into the spotlight.

by: Reuters

Canada's main opposition leader Poilievre rides wave of anti-Trudeau discontent

Justin Trudeau's successor as Liberal leader and Canada's prime minister will soon face a bruising election against a sharp-tongued populist riding a wave of anti-Trudeau sentiment.

by: i

Trump and 'toxic' borrowing costs could force Reeves to hike taxes or cut spending

Rachel Reeves is under mounting pressure over a spike in the UK's borrowing costs which is likely to force her to come back for further tax rises or spending cuts. Economists said that the Chancellor was facing a "toxic combination" of circumstances including flatlining growth, high interest rates and geopolitical tensions.

by: PBS

Trump asks the Supreme Court to block Friday's sentencing in his New York hush money case

Trump's lawyers turned to the nation's highest court Wednesday after New York courts refused to postpone the sentencing by the judge who presided over Trump's trial and conviction in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

by: MSN

DOGE, looking to slash federal spending, is hiring full-time, salaried employees

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's Department of Government Efficiency, a nongovernmental advisory group created to slash the federal government's budget, is looking to hire "a very small number" of full-time,

by: MSN

Maddow Blog | When Trump directs veiled threats at a NATO ally, it's a problem

Donald Trump's veiled threats toward a NATO ally aren't just ridiculous, they also expose a scam at the heart of his MAGA vision.

by: MSN

Pennington County gets new county commissioners

A new year means new faces in various roles, that includes new county commissioners. Ron Weifenbach and Jerry Derr were sworn in as Pennington County Commissioners on Tuesday. Seventh Circuit Court Judge Heidi Linngren swore the commissioners in for district two and four.

by: MSN

Trump Echoes Putin's Propaganda, Shifts Blame For Ukraine Invasion Onto NATO and Biden

Donald Trump has sharply criticized President Joe Biden for mishandling tensions between Russia, Ukraine, and NATO, accusing the U.S. leader of sparking the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump argued that Biden's push for Ukraine to join NATO,

by: MSN

How Justin Trudeau captured the zeitgeist, and how he lost it

TORONTO — In his early days as prime minister, Justin Trudeau was "cool." In the year that followed his majority sweep into power, he appeared in the pages of Vogue, on the cover of a Marvel comic book and on "The Daily Show,

by: MSN

Wednesday briefing: Los Angeles fires; Trump's Greenland and Gulf of Mexico comments; Meta fact checks; winter storm; and more

Firefighters are struggling to contain wildfires in Los Angeles. Donald Trump declined to rule out military or economic force to expand the U.S. Meta will stop fact-checking on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.

by: MSN

Labour MSP tells UK Government 'it's not too late' to compensate Waspi women for pension changes

Monica Lennon told the Record people remained "upset and angry" at the decision taken by Keir Starmer's Government.

by: MSN

Elon Musk seeks to install himself as global dictator - and 'so far it's working': expert

Elon Musk is building a framework to dominate the global political order with himself standing above nation states, according to an expert analysis. The tech mogul and the world's richest man injected hundreds of millions of dollars into Donald Trump's re-election campaign and is said to be sitting by his side as something like an unelected

by: MSN

Bracing for Trump, Mexico aims to roll out a 'panic app' for Mexican nationals being deported

Bracing for Trump and his threatened migrant roundups, Mexico aims to roll out a 'panic app' for Mexican nationals facing deportation from the United States.

by: MSN

As Maryland lawmakers start new session, a budget crisis looms large

The Maryland General Assembly kicks off the 2025 legislative session on Wednesday where lawmakers will confront a $3 billion budget shortfall.

by: MSN

Court decision on Cuomo ethics commission under scrutiny, appeal

Andrew Cuomo faced off on Tuesday before the state's top court. The Court of Appeals hearing concerned Cuomo's lawsuit against the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG). The New York State Legislature created the 11-member commission to handle concerns about corruption among state officials and lobbyists.

by: MSN

Iran Readying Nuclear Attack On Israel? New Units at Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant | Watch

Iran has announced plans to expand the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant with the construction of two new units, aiming to generate 20,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity over the next 17 years. This move is part of a broader strategy to increase energy production,

by: MSN

Government should be 'ashamed' of policies on Gaza, former cabinet minister says

Conservative MP Kit Malthouse suggested Foreign Office ministers should resign and said that policies are arguably underpinned by 'inherent racism'.

by: MSN

Trump does not rule out using military force to take control of Panama Canal and Greenland

President-elect Donald Trump said during a wide-ranging press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday he wanted to see the country's debt limit addressed while cutting spending and would not rule out military force to expand U.

by: MSN

ActionSA and EFF slam ArcelorMittal layoffs, highlight policy and governance failures

As ArcelorMittal shuts down operations in Newcastle and Vereeniging, ActionSA and EFF accuse the government of failing to address critical industrial challenges, leading to widespread job losses and economic decline.

by: MSN

Trump's threats to Greenland, Canada and Panama explain everything about America First

Donald Trump's imperialist designs on Greenland, Canada and Panama often sound like the ramblings of a chaos agent who views geopolitics and global trade like a real estate shark chasing new leads.

by: MSN

NATO, Gaza and Greenland: Key takeaways from Trump's news conference

As was the case during Trump's first term, many suggest that it's highly debatable how serious many of the outlandish ideas he put forward might prove. But that hasn't stopp

by: MSN

IPS dissolution, budget and other issues to watch in the 2025 Indiana legislature

The Indiana General Assembly reconvenes today to start the 2025 legislative session. Why it matters: Lawmakers will write the state's next two-year budget, with tighter constraints than recent years.

by: MSN

Colleges prepare for new legal and political terrain under Trump

Colleges and universities are preparing for new legal and political territory as President-elect Trump returns to office. Concerns for international students, GOP attacks on higher education and increased protests on campus are just some of the worries on administrators' minds.

by: MSN

Elon Musk's dangerous influence on our politics - The Irish News view

There has been enormous and entirely justifiable alarm over Elon Musk's attempts to place himself at the centre of political developments not only in the US but also increasingly in Europe. Musk, the deeply contentious figure regarded as the world's richest person,

by: MSN

TikTok's fate divides Trump and fellow Republicans as Supreme Court action looms

While President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to block a looming U.S. ban on TikTok in a major case being argued on Friday that pits free speech rights against national security concerns over the Chinese-owned short-video app,

by: MSN

Jean-Marie Le Pen's legacy of provocation and hate speech

Jean-Marie Le Pen's political career was marked by misconduct and provocations, which were met by widespread condemnation in France. FRANCE 24's Charli James and our colleagues at France 2 take a look at some of his most notorious moments.

by: MSN

Venezuelan migrants long for home as Maduro nears start of new term

Venezuelan migrant Mariangela Lozano longs for her homeland, but ahead of Friday's planned inauguration for President Nicolas Maduro's third term, she has begrudgingly opted to remain in Mexico and brave her meager living conditions.

by: MSN

Pope chooses woman as Vatican prefect

A large out-of-control wildfire is threatening many homes and lives in Los Angeles.

by: MSN

Donald Trump won't rule out invading allies to seize land in Panama and Greenland

The future US president told reporters he wouldn't rule out using military force to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland, making the bizarre claim that 'people really don't even know if Denmark has any legal right to it' despite Greenland being part of Denmark since 1814.

by: MSN

New faces, familiar issues mark day one of 2025 Pa. legislative session

A new year means the start of a new legislative session in Harrisburg. Lawmakers returned to the State Capitol for the first time in 2025 to be sworn in.

by: MSN

Cecilia Sala heading home after being released by Iran

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been released by Iran and is on her way back to Italy, the premier's office said on Wednesday. "The aeroplane bringing the journalist Cecilia Sala back home took off a few minutes ago from Tehran,

by: MSN

Trump is considering a national economic emergency declaration to allow for new tariff program, sources say

President-elect Donald Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal justification for a large swathe of universal tariffs on allies and adversaries, four sources familiar with the matter told CNN,

by: MSN

Trump's Tariffs: President-Elect Can't Guarantee Prices (And What That Means for Your Money)

President-elect Donald Trump's promise to levy strict tariffs -- essentially, taxes and trade penalties -- upon America's trade partners has made many economists, as well as everyday Americans,

by: MSN

Akron City Council debate continues over nearly $700,000 proposal to audit police use of force policy

The proposed audit comes after multiple high profile officer-involved shootings over the last few years, including the deaths of Jayland Walker and Jazmir Tucker.

by: MSN

Jimmy Carter's Funeral: Will Schools, Colleges, NADAQ And NYSE Remain Shut On Thursday?

A national mourning to honour former President Jimmy Carter's has been announced on January 9, 2025 Federal Agencies and financial markets will remain closed. Here are latest details on NYSE, NASDAQ,

by: MSN

Risk of Israel-Turkey war in new Syria assessed by Israeli government commission

The risk of Syria becoming the stage for a direct conflict between Turkey and Israel must be seriously addressed, an Israeli government commission has warned. Turkey could even come to pose a greater threat to Israel via its presence in Syria than Iran did through its alliance with the Bashar al-Assad regime that fell a month ago,

by: MSN

Tehran releases Italian journalist Cecilia Sala from prison

Sala has been detained in Iran since 19 December, three days after she arrived in the country on a journalist visa. View on euronews

by: MSN

Poll sees fewer respondants say they have deep connection to Canada

Canadians are feeling less patriotic, at least according to an Angus Reid national survey that asked people if they have a deep emotional attachment to the country. Almost half answered no. People in Saskatchewan were even less keen on Canada.

by: MSN

Four out of ten Germans worried about political future

A new survey has found that many Germans have lost faith in their political leaders. The ruling SPD was seen as having "trust" and "competence" issues.

by: MSN

Elon Musk's attacks on Europe's leaders and embrace of its far right signals to U.S. allies their relationship is set to change

After exerting significant influence over the U.S. elections in November—using millions in PAC funding to support President-elect Donald Trump's win and a GOP majority in Congress—Musk is now making his political preferences clear in Europe.

by: Slate

Elon Musk Is Living Out His Dark George Soros Fantasy

On his way out the door, Biden almost seemed to be trolling his successor and his supporters with the honorees, who included some of the right's greatest modern villains: Hillary Clinton, Bono, and George Romney (Mitt's deceased moderate father) among them.

by: MSN

Soaring electricity bills could hobble California's green energy push: report

Soaring monthly electricity bills charged by PG&E and its utility siblings could hobble California's quest for a green energy Holty Grail, a disquieting new state report shows. PG&E, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison levy charges for monthly bills that are far higher than the national average,

by: MSN

Fahmi: Efforts underway to return Palestinians in Malaysia for medical care, govt coordinating with Egypt

He said while the process is still ongoing, the medical care they are receiving in Malaysia will continue as planned. "Regarding the recent situation at Wisma Transit involving

by: MSN

Trump won't rule out use of military force to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal

In a Mar-a-Lago news conference, President-elect Donald Trump said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declared U.S. control of both to be vital to American national security.

by: ABC

What are Linda McMahon's chances to be education secretary?

World Wresting Entertainment co-founder Linda McMahon has been getting high marks from her meetings with the Republican senators who could decide whether she'll be the next secretary of education.

by: MSN

NATO Nation's Final Warning To U.S.-backed Militia; 'YPG Has To Go,' Turkey Tells Jolani | Syria

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan warned the new Syrian rulers of a cross-border offensive into northeastern Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia if it does not disband the group. Earlier, Turkish President Erdogan too claimed that the circle is closing for the separatist organisation.

Maddow Blog | ACA enrollment reaches new heights, but Republican threats remain

The White House boasted in a written statement about the latest Affordable Care Act enrollment totals: The president and his team have every reason to boast, and it'd be a mistake to see the latest good news is some kind of accident.

The article from MSN, written by Steve Benen for MSNBC's Maddow Blog, discusses the record-breaking enrollment in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for the year, with over 20 million Americans signing up for health insurance through the ACA marketplaces. Despite this success, the article highlights ongoing threats from Republican lawmakers who continue to push for the repeal or significant alteration of the ACA. These threats include efforts to undermine the program through legal challenges, budget cuts, and policy changes that could destabilize the insurance markets. The piece underscores the political tension surrounding healthcare policy, noting that while the ACA has proven its resilience and popularity, its future remains uncertain due to persistent opposition from Republican legislators.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/maddow-blog-aca-enrollment-reaches-new-heights-but-republican-threats-remain/ar-AA1xbe85