Kenya confirms first Ebola case as virus 'surges' in DR Congo province Health minister says 28 contacts identified after death of citizen who arrived from DRC on SaturdayKenya has reported its first-ever Ebola death, the health minister announced on Tuesday, as the disease continues to spread rapidly through the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the outbreak was announced in May.This is the 17th outbreak of the highly infectious, often deadly disease in the DRC. As of 2 October, 4,082 people had died out of 8,463 confirmed cases in the country since the emergence of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is still no vaccine nor specific treatment. Continue reading...
Tigray rebel groups 'forcibly recruiting boys as young as 15' as fighting spreads Civilians try to flee as men and boys rounded up on streets by new alliance as Ethiopia conflict erupts againAs renewed fighting has threatened a fresh humanitarian crisis in the northern region of Ethiopia, reports are emerging that a new alliance of armed groups in Tigray has been forcibly recruiting men and boys to its ranks.Renewed conflict erupted on 23 September between Ethiopia's federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which rules the region, shattering the fragile Pretoria peace agreement signed between the two sides in November 2022. Continue reading...
Guardian readers fund life-changing surgery for Somali boy injured in US airstrike After Guardian investigation uncovered drone strike that killed 12 civilians and injured many more, seven-year-old Abdiqadir Salah underwent vital operation in MogadishuOn the rickshaw ride to the hospital, Marian Haji Abdi Guled felt a mixture of joy and apprehension: the day they had been waiting for had finally arrived.Almost a year earlier, her then seven-year-old son, Abdiqadir Salah, had been seriously injured, alongside his two siblings, in what a Guardian investigation found was a US drone strike on the village of Jamaame in Somalia that killed at least 12 civilians, including eight children. Continue reading...
Skull fractures suggest servants of Egypt's ancient kings were sacrificed Study of remains taken from royal cemetery at Umm el-Qa'ab appears to confirm early Egyptologist's theoryCourt officials and craftspeople serving early Egyptian kings may have been sacrificed when their ruler died, according to research that found fractures in several ancient skulls.The royal cemetery of Umm el-Qa'ab near Abydos features the tombs and enclosures of the First Dynasty rulers of Egypt, and dates as far back as 3,000BC. Continue reading...
Egyptian journalist faces terrorism charges after entire newsroom detained Calls for release of six Matsadaash staff after one is charged, while whereabouts of other five remain unknownAn Egyptian journalist has been charged with joining a terrorist group, days after an entire newsroom was detained in what rights groups have said is a crackdown on press freedoms.Last week, authorities arrested six journalists from the independent fact-checking and investigative platform Matsadaash - literally meaning "don't believe" - accusing them in a statement of being unlicensed and publishing false news on behalf of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Continue reading...
Flávio Bolsonaro's advance in Brazil's election is grim jolt for climate campaigners Inquest under way into why President Lula's success in curbing Amazon deforestation has not led to success at polls More fire, more ash, more crime, more death. And a globally important ecosystem driven ever more rapidly towards a point of no return. That is the prospect for the Amazon rainforest for at least the next four years if Flávio Bolsonaro holds on to the lead he established this week in the first round of Brazil's presidential election.This appears to be of far more concern to the outside world than to voters in Latin America's biggest, richest and most biodiverse nation. Continue reading...
The Presidential Unit Citation, the highest honor a unit can receive that is typically reserved for significant achievement in combat, was bestowed upon the Lincoln and accompanying ships for "40 days of combat operations and an ironclad maritime blockade against Iran in support of Operation Epic Fury," Hegseth said, referring to the Trump administration's code name for the Iran war.
The carrier endured a record 265 uninterrupted days at sea, and its extended deployment drew national attention following reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products. After more than 10 months deployed, the Lincoln's crew got a stop in Thailand early last month on the way back from the Middle East.
Pentagon chief visits the crew and acknowledges long time at sea
Hegseth, who flew out to the ship before its arrival Thursday in San Diego, acknowledged to the crew that "I'm the only thing standing between you and home" and that his intention was "once they pull up to the dock, we're getting out of the way."
Long deployments can tax service members who are away from their families for extended periods while facing threats, and can add wear to the aircraft carriers, which have been used for President Donald Trump's military operations in the Middle East and South America.
The Lincoln is the second carrier that has endured an unusually long and arduous deployment to support the war against Iran and the second to receive the top unit award afterward.
Hegseth in May met the crew of the USS Gerald R. Ford during its return from a 326-day deployment - the longest for an aircraft carrier in the past 50 years and a record in the post-Vietnam War era.
As for the Lincoln, it departed San Diego in late November, arrived in the Middle East in January and now will be back in its home port.
Hegseth said Wednesday that Trump "tracked your activities from day one and couldn't be more proud of what you executed."
Issues had been reported aboard the USS Lincoln
The Navy initially played down early reports of supply problems on Lincoln and Trump said its lengthy deployment was "not nearly long enough," Navy leaders, however, eventually acknowledged there were some issues aboard.
In August, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the Lincoln maintained adequate food supplies, but because combat operations limited resupply opportunities, meal options were reduced from two to one for a short time. He said in a letter to a Democratic lawmaker seeking information that four nutritionally balanced meals were served daily.
Navy officials also said that while combat operations led to delays in scheduled resupply shipments, they prioritized the delivery of hygiene products and established a rotation to streamline distribution to different squadrons.
More recently, the service told lawmakers that eight sailors attempted suicide while on the long deployment. Experts say that number is low in a strike group of 6,000 sailors over 10 months.
Hegseth pushed back against what he said were efforts to turn the "Lincoln into some sort of a symbol, a symbol of dysfunction or a symbol of low morale or a symbol of a failed mission."
He said that "what makes the U.S. military and the U.S. Navy and all these sailors different is that you adapt and that you're resilient and you overcome - you finish the mission nonetheless."
Aircraft carriers have been key to Iran war operations
According to the award that Hegseth read to the crew, the Lincoln and the strike group executed 3,693 combat missions, delivered 1.37 million pounds of ordnance, launched 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles, shot down 77 one-way attack drones, sank 64 Iranian warships, destroyed 21 anti-ship cruise missiles and defended against four fast attack craft and explosive-carrying ships.
There are now two aircraft carriers assigned to the Middle East. The USS George Washington, though usually based in Asia, relieved the Lincoln in August.
The other aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, has been deployed for about six months, but it pulled into Phuket, Thailand, for a port visit several days ago.
U.S. officials have said a third aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and thousands of troops aboard it and accompanying ships could join the Washington and the Bush as early as the end of October.This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/hegseth-visits-long-deployed-uss-201924924.html
Weeks before Election Day, the FEC can't enforce campaign finance law Weeks before Election Day, the FEC can't enforce campaign finance lawIn July, Reps. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, and Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, had a request for the Federal Election Commission: help make sure artificial intelligence chatbots do not feed voters false information about the 2026 midterm elections. The lawmakers, writing to the FEC as well as the Justice and Homeland Security departments, urged the agencies to coordinate on "AI-driven threats to election integrity" and to press AI companies on their safeguards. Their concerns come as a quarter of likely voters use AI tools daily and at least 38% have gotten information about candidates or voting from AI search summaries, according to a September survey released by the American Association of Political Consultants Foundation.But later that month, FEC Commissioner Shana Broussard, a Democrat, wrote back with a blunt answer: the agency couldn't help. With only two of its six commissioner seats filled, the FEC "cannot proceed," she wrote, according to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.Broussard signed the letter as an individual commissioner. Without a quorum - the four members needed out of a total of six - she could not under federal law even speak for the agency. With Election Day just four weeks away, the exchange offers a window into how little the FEC can do as campaigns enter their final stretch. Without a quorum, agency staffers are limited to collecting and publishing campaign finance reports, answering questions from candidates about the law and fielding new complaints.But the agency charged with policing how campaigns raise and spend money can't open investigations, issue fines, write rules or give candidates formal legal guidance. It hasn't been able to fulfill any of these duties since May 2025.Since then, the FEC has not voted to resolve a single enforcement case or approved a dollar in new civil penalties, both of which require four commissioners. In the 12 months before that, it closed 180 cases and imposed about $1 million in civil penalties, according to agency records.Meanwhile, the FEC's backlog of enforcement cases has doubled in a year, from 154 to 307, agency data show. (The FEC declined to comment for this story.)Lawler and Gottheimer were not alone: the FEC's two remaining commissioners gave similar answers to a number of other lawmakers who asked it to investigate or issue guidance this year, the documents show.One was Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, who asked the FEC in April whether she could use campaign funds to pay for childcare while she voted and attended committee hearings. The Capitol's daycare center only allows parents to pay for full-time care, she said. "Please advise on what I can do," she wrote in an email. An FEC official replied the next day that the commission could not issue advisory opinions until a quorum is restored. Luna said in an interview that she reached out to the White House to convey the importance of the FEC regaining a quorum, so questions like hers can be answered."Until the FEC meets, we're going to be operating in a gray area, which is why we need them to get a quorum to get a yes or no," Luna told CBS News. "Obviously, we don't want to get in trouble."For those less worried about getting in trouble, the standstill has had the opposite effect, said Adav Noti, a former top lawyer for the FEC. The agency rarely acts quickly on complaints even with a full commission, he said, but the perception that anything goes has led to "more boundary-pushing than we would otherwise see."Noti is now executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit group that seeks to strengthen campaign finance enforcement. Last month, it filed a complaint alleging President Trump illegally controls MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC that supports Republican candidates. The complaint cited Mr. Trump's remarks in September from the Oval Office that MAGA Inc.'s war chest is "my money that I control." And, this week, the president said MAGA Inc. funds would begin to pay for Trump-focused TV ads that his administration has been running, after public scrutiny over them being funded by taxpayers.Unlike candidates, super PACs like MAGA Inc. can raise unlimited sums from donors, but federal law bars officeholders from controlling them or directing how that money is spent."Since there is just absolutely no enforcement mechanism right now, there's sort of blanket impunity for lawbreaking," Noti said. (A spokesperson for MAGA Inc. denied any impropriety and said in a statement that it complies with the law.)Conservatives are frustrated, too. "It is very disconcerting that the FEC is incapable of carrying out any enforcement actions," said Paul Kamenar, a lawyer at the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit. Earlier this year, the group accused Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, of illegally using campaign money to pay a psychiatrist. That complaint is also stalled. (Ocasio-Cortez's office and campaign did not respond to requests for comment.)
"We are hobbled"
The Federal Election Commission began to unravel as Mr. Trump returned to the White House. Sean Cooksey, a Republican commissioner, resigned in January 2025 to join the White House as a top lawyer for Vice President JD Vance. Weeks later, Mr. Trump removed Democratic FEC Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub, who had served on the commission since 2002 and claimed the firing was illegal. Mr. Trump has asserted sweeping power to remove officials at independent agencies like the FEC, which Congress set up to operate at arm's length from the White House.By the end of April, Republican Commissioner Allen Dickerson had resigned, leaving the FEC one member short of a quorum. And in October of last year, Republican Trey Trainor stepped down too, leaving only two commissioners, both Democrats. For the first time since it was created in 1974 after the Watergate scandal, the FEC had no members from one of the two major parties."Other people report that we're hobbled, and I hate to agree with it, but we are hobbled," Broussard said at the time. Mr. Trump nominated two Republicans to the commission in February. But nearly eight months later, the Senate has not held a hearing on either nominee.The paralysis has left lawmakers in both parties without answers.Rep. Mike Levin, a California Democrat, asked the FEC earlier this year to investigate allegations that Hungary's government funneled money to the Conservative Political Action Conference. Without four commissioners, Broussard replied, complaints "cannot proceed through the enforcement process." In June, Broussard and Democratic Commissioner Dara Lindenbaum gave Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican, the same answer on a separate request.Requests for guidance fared no better. When Rep. Mike Thompson, a California Democrat, wrote to the FEC this year to see if it would consider guidance on whether trading on prediction markets like Kalshi by candidates and PACs could count as a contribution or expenditure that must be reported under campaign finance law, Broussard replied that the FEC "is currently unable to commence rulemakings or to issue advisory opinions."Thompson said in a statement to CBS News that such markets "can be easily manipulated by wealthy special interests" and that Congress and the FEC "should be tackling this emerging issue now."Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, was sent a similar answer. Last year, her chief counsel asked the FEC whether campaign money could be used for defense lawyers "if the senator is sued for something that happens in the course of her official employment," emails show.A spokesperson for Slotkin said the inquiry was a question about how campaign funds could interact with Senate-sanctioned liability insurance, and that no lawsuit was anticipated.
Record spending
The lack of a quorum is colliding with the most expensive election on record.Political ad spending is projected to reach $11.6 billion this cycle, up by $400 million from 2024 even though that cycle included an expensive presidential contest, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.Much of it is hard to trace. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been routed through political groups that do not disclose their donors, including pop-up super PACs that form and spend late in races, CBS News has reported.Candidates and their allies are still filing FEC complaints against each other, even though the agency cannot act on them. In Texas, Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico's campaign accused Republican Ken Paxton of illegally spending dark money; the groups involved say they follow the law. Conservative critics have accused independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn in Nebraska of misusing PAC and campaign money, which his campaign called politically motivated.With no commission to issue guidance, campaigns and spenders are left to decide for themselves what the law allows, said Craig Holman, Public Citizen's lobbyist on ethics and campaign finance rules."We've got no one that can judge the merits of what's going on, enforce the law and provide guidance to candidates and political committees that seriously want it," Holman said. "So everyone knows you can do whatever you want this time around."This article originally appeared on CBS News at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fec-midterm-elections-quorum-campaign-finance-rules/
Democrats allege Trump allies benefited from a $1.7 billion Balkan gas deal Democrats allege Trump allies benefited from a $1.7 billion Balkan gas dealLondon - The involvement of a small American firm linked to associates of President Trump in an energy project in Bosnia and Herzegovina worth more than $1.5 billion has raised questions about how the White House could be using its leverage in the fragile Balkan state.U.S. lawmakers accuse the Trump administration of lifting sanctions on Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik in an effort to enrich and empower allies of Mr. Trump, and of undermining longstanding U.S. foreign policy interests in the region in the process.On Sunday, Mr. Trump was hailed by Dodik after his Serb nationalist party won one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's three presidency seats, which are split between Bosnia's Muslim minority, known as Bosniaks, as well as Serb and Croat ethnic groups under the country's complex power-sharing electoral system. "If it had not been for Donald Trump's magnificent victory … we would probably be political corpses today," Dodik told supporters in a speech, in which he also thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support.
Company with links to Trump poised to build gas pipeline
AAFS Infrastructure & Energy, a company incorporated in the U.S. last year and headed by President Trump's former personal attorney Jesse Binnall and Joseph Flynn, the brother of Trump ally General Michael Flynn, is close to securing a contract to develop the Southern Interconnection Gas Pipeline. The pipeline project has been discussed by Bosnian officials for years, but long opposed by Dodik, who has close ties with the Kremlin. But Dodik, whose party has veto power in Bosnia's parliament, said he would not stand in the way of the proposal following the announcement of AAFS' involvement last April. Six months earlier, the Trump administration lifted sanctions against Dodik that were imposed by the U.S. Treasury almost a decade ago.The pipeline would connect Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia's gas network, allowing Bosnia to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its neighbors. The project, which is valued at around $1.7 billion according to the Croatian government, would help make Bosnia and Herzegovina less reliant on Russian gas imports.On its website, AAFS describes itself as a company focused on "energy security, project structuring, capital alignment, and long-term regional infrastructure development." The company does not appear to have demonstrable experience in any similar energy projects.The secessionist leader Dodik, who until recently served as the president of Bosnia's self-governing, Serb-run territory called Republika Srpska, has long been accused of undermining the U.S. brokered Dayton Accords, which ended the bloody sectarian violence between Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia in the 1990s. The sanctions, which included asset freezes and visa bans, were imposed by the Obama administration in 2017. The Biden administration then imposed further sanctions in 2022, accusing Dodik of corruption, including the charge that he had handed government contracts to close business associates in Republika Srpska.A congressional report published last month by House Democrats, titled "Pay for Play in the Balkans," alleges that those two decisions - the removal of sanctions on Dodik and his decision to not oppose the pipeline - are directly linked. "The Trump administration has used its diplomatic influence and connections with shady characters like Michael Flynn … to facilitate the concession contract for the SIC [Southern Interconnection Gas pipeline] to AAFS Infrastructure and Energy LLC, a company owned and operated by Michael Flynn's brother Joseph Flynn and Trump-affiliated lawyer and political activist Jesse Binnall," the report alleges. AAFS Infrastructure and Energy LLC did not respond to a CBS News request for comment.Foreign agent registration filings (FARA) cited in the report and reviewed by CBS News show that Michael Flynn, President Trump's former national security adviser, last worked as a paid lobbyist for Republika Srpska in October 2025, the month during which the sanctions against Dodik were lifted.Those same filings show that Flynn was paid $100,000 for that work by RRB Strategies, a lobbying firm run by Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor who was convicted in 2011 of 18 counts of corruption and spent nearly eight years in a federal prison before being pardoned by President Trump last year.Flynn provided strategic advice and counsel, analysis and information research, and introductions to the Republika Srpska government, according to the FARA filings. Blagoyevich's firm originally signed a contract to "provide communications and public affairs support on behalf of the Republic of Srpska" in March 2025, separate FARA filings reviewed by CBS News show.CBS News sought comment from email aliases associated with Flynn and Blagojevich, but did not receive any response by the time of publication. On Nov. 13, 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo said in a social media post that Chargé d'Affaires John Ginkel had met Bosnian Prime Minister Nermin Niksic to discuss the gas pipeline project and "to support the importation of U.S. gas through Croatia to consumers in Bosnia and Herzegovina."One week later, the embassy announced a preliminary agreement for an "American company to develop, build, and manage the pipeline."Four days after that, on Nov. 24, AAFS Infrastructure & Energy was incorporated in the state of Wyoming.In January, the U.S Embassy in Sarajevo posted again confirming that a meeting had taken place between AAFS leadership, including Joseph Flynn and Binnall, and top Bosnian officials.AAFS was then granted the status of lead investor and operator on the proposed natural gas pipeline in legislation passed by Bosnia's parliament in April.Later that month, the Croatian and Bosnian governments signed a contract to construct the pipeline with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright in attendance for the signing ceremony. At a news conference with Bosnia's energy minister on April 2, Binnall hailed the pipeline project as a "priority" for the Trump administration.The White House declined to comment on the pipeline project last week, but an administration official said the sanctions against Dodik were lifted to prevent instability in the Balkans. "This is yet another example of President Trump's pragmatic, farseeing foreign policy that has prevented disasters on perennial issues that his predecessors so often stumbled into," a White House official told CBS News on Friday, without elaborating on the type of disasters the Trump administration was preventing.A State Department letter published as part of the House Democrat-authored congressional report said the decision to delist Dodik had helped ensure peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The official who wrote the letter, Paul Guaglianone, said lifting sanctions against Dodik had led to Bosnian Serb separatists rolling back policies that would have destabilized Bosnia's government.The lifting of sanctions "advanced U.S. interests in [Bosnia and Herzegovina] and the Western Balkans. On October 18, the Republika Srpska National Assembly (RSNA) withdrew most of the anti-Dayton legislation it had passed in recent years," the letter read. That legislation had included laws that would have blocked Bosnia's national police and judiciary from having any authority in Republika Srpska.Political scientist and Balkans foreign policy expert Jasmin Mujanović told CBS News the legislation in question had already been struck down prior to the lifting of the sanctions against Dodik, and he was skeptical of the Trump administration's justifications for the move."This package of omnibus secessionist laws that the Serb nationalist authorities and the RS [Republika Srpska] entity in Bosnia had unlawfully voted through in the local assembly had already been struck down by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia Herzegovina," he said."If the argument is that the Trump administration nevertheless managed to get Dodik and his people to withdraw the laws, it's still unclear what the significance of that is, or for that matter, why, given that the laws are moot," he said, adding that it would "result in sanctions relief for an entire regime."This article originally appeared on CBS News at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-us-bosnia-herzegovina-sanctions-dodik-maga-firm-gas-pipeline/
Trump wants to turn his West Palm Beach golf course into the new Camp David Trump wants to turn his West Palm Beach golf course into the new Camp DavidMuch of President Donald Trump's second term has focused on changes to the nation's capital. But his ambitions to remake the physical architecture of the presidency transcend Washington: Trump wants to transform his West Palm Beach golf club into a presidential retreat modeled after Camp David.Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. The plan calls for a parcel of the private club to be designated a permanent, official sanctuary for foreign leaders and future U.S. presidents, designed to host international summits and house presidents when they take vacations in Florida, according to a proposal presented to Palm Beach County officials by Trump International Golf Club's legal counsel. Future presidents would also be offered comped memberships to the Trump club. "Just as Camp David, Windsor Castle, or the Elysee Palace are known worldwide, so too will the Presidential Golf Course in Palm Beach County," Harvey Oyer, a lawyer representing the Trump course, wrote to the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners in a letter last month. Oyer asked the county, which owns the property the course is on, to provide a piece of the land to the federal government, and he promised Trump would pay for the construction of a presidential residence and facilities on that land. Oyer told The Washington Post that a name has yet not been selected for the presidential golf course. "It would further cement Palm Beach County as one of the most recognizable brands and destinations in the world," Oyer said. A spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment. A White House official with knowledge of the proposed plans said in a text message the facilities would provide amenities of a "world-class property." "The property is minutes away from the Donald J. Trump International Airport, does not have buildings looming, does not have houses along the course, has great security features, is close to law enforcement, and happens to be a highly rated golf course. These are features that are necessary for any presidential retreat," said the White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview plans. In the letter, which was first reported by the Palm Beach Post, Oyer said the construction would not be completed before Trump leaves office, so the project would be "a gift" to Trump's successors and the county would benefit from high-power traffic in the area. The county is seriously considering the proposal and is seeking more information, Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo told The Washington Post. In a meeting last week, Trump representatives assured county officials that, under the proposal, Trump's company would continue to make lease payments for the golf course and would agree to build the presidential retreat on a connected piece of land that would have a separate entrance from the private club, Abruzzo said. Trump's club would continue to operate under the Trump family company and would probably benefit from more business if it becomes a site of long-lasting presidential importance. The county is in contact with the General Services Administration, the agency that manages federal properties, and the county will be selecting a parcel of the land for the proposal, Abruzzo said. "My understanding is that President Trump views this as a lasting contribution to the presidency and to those who will hold the office after him," Abruzzo said. Though presidents already have a retreat at Camp David, Trump has visited the complex less frequently than many of his predecessors, preferring to spend his weekends and holidays at his own properties. He once commented that Camp David's rustic charm would wear off after half an hour. Previous presidents have left their own marks on the woodsy Maryland retreat. Franklin D. Roosevelt established the getaway for federal workers as a presidential compound and dubbed it Shangri-La, though Dwight D. Eisenhower later named it after his father and grandson. Marjorie Merriweather Post, who was once the wealthiest woman in the United States, also had hoped to create a presidential retreat in the South. She gifted her Palm Beach estate - better known as Mar-a-Lago - to the federal government upon her death in 1973, with the intention that it be turned into a Winter White House. But the National Park Service returned the property to her estate due to high maintenance costs, and Trump bought the property in 1985. Trump International Golf Club opened in 1999 after Trump settled a lawsuit with the county regarding airplanes flying over Mar-a-Lago and the county agreed to lend him the land. Near the golf course, state officials have branded the Palm Beach airport and the road along it with Trump's name. Trump's influence over Palm Beach and its image would be further cemented if the golf club becomes a presidential retreat. The wealthy strip of South Florida has undergone a MAGA transformation with Trump's base flocking to Mar-a-Lago for political events and networking. The nearby golf club has become a go-to destination for Trump spotting. Trump reported an income of nearly $37 million last year from the golf course in his latest financial disclosure. Although Trump had mocked former president Barack Obama for golfing during his presidency, Trump has frequently golfed since he has been in office. One online tracker calculated that Trump has spent at least 137 days in his second term golfing. Rick Reilly, a former Sports Illustrated columnist who wrote "Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump," has golfed with Trump and said the president is less interested in the sport than the attention he gains at his own clubs. Reilly described how Trump always plays first in his golfing party and speeds on his golf cart to the next hole, wrapping up his game in less time than is typical, before heading to the clubhouse, where he makes the rounds, talking to his members and fans. If the Palm Beach club were a destination for foreign leaders, they would be part of the display of influence. "I suppose he wants to make a power play with these people and show them who is the king of America," Reilly said. Don Van Natta Jr., an ESPN senior writer who wrote "First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters From Taft to Bush," a book on the history of presidents who golfed, said 17 of the past 20 presidents have golfed. The first avid golfer in the Oval Office was William Howard Taft, and the last president who didn't golf was Jimmy Carter. "There is a long history of presidents playing golf," Van Natta said. "It's an escape where they can, as President [Bill] Clinton told me for my book, to be out in nature, and it's an escape hatch from the pressures of the Oval Office." CORRECTION: A photo caption with a previous version of this article and on the homepage omitted the year that President Donald Trump arrived at Trump International Golf Club to watch the Super Bowl. It was in 2017. Related ContentThis article originally appeared on Washington Post at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-wants-turn-west-palm-090000951.html
Fuel industry warns truck stops not to sell red dye diesel after Trump lifts restrictions Fuel industry warns truck stops not to sell red dye diesel after Trump lifts restrictionsTruck stops nationwide were warned to "proceed with caution" Tuesday by a major industry group after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to promote the use of "red dye" diesel fuel.Red dye diesel is exempt from federal excise taxes because it is intended for farm equipment and other off-road uses.The order, signed before farmers in Nebraska on Monday night, aims to bring down fuel prices by "temporarily" allowing highway use of red dye diesel fuel, according to a White House statement. U.S. voters are deeply frustrated by the high price of gas, and the Trump administration is under intense pressure to bring down fuel costs before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.Monday's order instructs Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to "defer certain diesel fuel tax payment obligations and to provide penalty relief to the extent permitted by law." It does not waive the federal taxes, because only Congress can eliminate a tax.Following Trump's directive, the Energy Marketers of America warned gas stations to "proceed with caution.""Whether relief is available, whom it covers, and on what conditions depend on Treasury determinations and guidance not yet issued," the group said. "Deferral is not forgiveness."Moreover, the order does not "resolve EPA or state restrictions" on the dyed variety of diesel fuel, the EMA said. A White House official emphasized that federal agencies have wide discretion over enforcement actions, telling NBC News that the IRS would announce its determination soon as to whether it will enforce the deferred diesel tax.But other trucking and gas industry groups sounded a note of caution similar to the EMA's."The White House appears to be trying to encourage the supply chain to move toward selling dyed fuel in non-traditional ways," the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America and the National Association of Truck Stop Owners said in a note to their members."We do not expect most reputable diesel retailers and fuel marketers to do this," they said. "First, the tax is still owed, so there's limited upside." In addition, "the logistical challenges outweigh any visible upside: Residual dye lingers in tanks and fuel systems."For most fuel sellers, "the liability and customer risk outweigh any temporary, uncertain benefit."White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers disputed that characterization of the executive order. "President Trump's executive action will quickly cut diesel costs and put money directly back into the pockets of American truckers, saving them over $100 every time they refill at the gas pump," she told NBC News. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, she said, will "coordinate with states, industry leadership, and labor organizations to ensure access to dyed diesel."Despite an executive order promoting red dye diesel, trucking and fuel industry groups are warning their members it may not be worth the risk. (Clayton Steward / Bloomberg via Getty)A group representing independent long-haul truckers also suggested Trump's move would provide little benefit to its members."Allowing the wider use of red-dyed diesel will provide minimal relief. Market stability is essential to bring down costs for the long haul," said Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.Since the war with Iran began, the price of diesel has surged from $3.76 per gallon to $6.32 as of Tuesday, a nearly 70% increase.The Iran conflict is not the only conflict contributing to diesel's skyrocketing price. A recent escalation of the Ukraine-Russia war has included strikes by Ukrainian drones on Russian refineries. Russia, traditionally one of the world's large diesel exporters, has responded to the attacks by imposing a diesel export ban through at least the end of October.Trump has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russia's diesel infrastructure."Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia," Trump told reporters in early September. "There are plenty of other targets. Don't hit diesel fuel, because that's hurting the world."Oil prices also remain sharply elevated since the beginning of the year. Brent crude oil, which traded Tuesday night above $101 per barrel, is up more than 66% since the start of the year.This article was originally published on NBCNews.comThis article originally appeared on NBC News at https://www.nbcnews.com/business/energy/fuel-industry-warns-red-dye-diesel-trump-order-rcna601979
"Seven hours for the seven hours she endured," a coalition of Cornell student groups said in an Instagram post announcing the demonstration. "Seven hours of solidarity. Seven hours demanding change."
About 80 students gathered in a campus dining hall named for Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison on Wednesday afternoon, according to NBC News. The protest was part of "Zero Day," which organizers described as an "economic blackout calling on students to disrupt business as usual by not attending class or spending on campus." A Cornell University student sits with a sign during a campus-wide sit-in on Oct. 7.
Ryan Murphy via Getty Images
The sit-in comes two days after thousands of people took part in a campus rally protesting Cornell's handling of Jane Doe's allegations. Demonstrators held signs accusing the school of protecting the alleged rapists and demanding accountability.
"We are known as the rape school," Saya Taylor, a Cornell sophomore, said at the rally. "We can be known as leading a nationwide reform movement.
"Jane Doe deserved a campus that supported her," Taylor said. "Jane Doe deserved an administration that delivered a fair and proper judicial process. Jane Doe deserved a police department that would actually follow up on her case. Instead, she was silenced."
Jane Doe fileda civil lawsuit on Sept. 16 against the school, seven current and former Chi Phi fraternity members, the Tri-Delta Alpha Beta sorority where she lived, and a local bar where she said she was served alcohol on the night of the alleged incident.
Two of the seven fraternity members named in the suit are still enrolled at Cornell, according to school officials.
Here are other developments in a case that has rocked the Ivy League institution.
A no-confidence vote and a new investigation
Cornell students participate in a protest over the university's handling of the "Jane Doe" case on Oct. 5.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Late Monday, the Cornell University faculty introduced a resolution declaring it has no confidence in the administration's ability to address the "ongoing crisis of sexual assault" on campus.According to NBC News, the proposal is expected to be considered by the Faculty Senate on Oct. 14.
"The goal is to really force systemic change," Faculty Senator Paul Ortiz said in a statement to NBC. "Women need to feel safe."
On Monday night, Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff and Ryan Lombardi, the school's vice president for student and campus life, met with the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, which pressed them on their response to Jane Doe's allegations.
He added: "This passion, if appropriately channeled, can help us as a community address this issue."
On Tuesday, Cornell's board of trustees announced it has retained former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, a partner at law firm King & Spalding, to lead an independent review of how the university responds to sexual assault on campus.
"As part of that broader mandate, Yates and her team will conduct a detailed review of the University's response to the allegations involving Jane Doe and members of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024, including whether Cornell followed its policies and procedures in responding to the matter," the board of trusteessaid in a statement.
Phone calls between Jane Doe and accused frat brothers
The Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., on Oct. 1.
Matt Rourke/AP
Earlier this week, a phone call between Jane Doe and one of the accused fraternity members, recorded weeks after the alleged incident, was released by ABC News. During the call, Jane Doe said she was "10 shots deep" when she arrived at the Chi Phi fraternity house and was now struggling to remember what had caused "so much damage on my body and brain."
"The only way for me to heal is to know what happened," she said. "That's why I'm trying to just piece it together, you know, like I'm just like confused."
The fraternity member told her that she consented to having a threesome with him and another fraternity brother. He also insisted that Jane Doe had told him she had not been drinking when she showed up.
"You did tell me you were sober, by the way," he said. "You said you hadn't been anywhere."
"That is not true. I never would have said that," she replied.
At one point during the Nov. 7, 2024, call, Jane Doe told him, "If I wanted to take this somewhere, what y'all did would be classified as gang rape."
The fraternity member then suggested that their memory of what transpired may be inaccurate.
"I have racked my brain for this mystery," he said. "You know, it's possible that both of us, like, remember this, and it's not true."
Jane Doe pushed back: "No, because I remember looking up and being like, 'That is too many people.'"
Fraternity members told police that sex was 'consensual'
A student wears a Jane Doe name tag during a rally at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., on Oct. 5.
Lauren Petracca/Reuters
ABC News obtained video of Cornell police questioning members of the Chi Phi fraternity not involved in the alleged assault in which they told officers that they had heard the sex was consensual.
"What people were saying was that there was like multiple consenting adults in this room," one fraternity member told police.
Another told investigators that "the general rumor that was going around was that it was a ... consensual thing."
The officer appeared to question why the fraternity members were using the term "consensual."
"Dude. I was a college kid," the officer said. "In college, I wouldn't have been like, 'Oh, that was a sick consensual act last night.'"
ABC also reported this week that a day after a campus-wide alert notified students of the reported rape at Chi Phi, Cornell's police department received an anonymous tip from a caller who said that the fraternity's leadership asked a potential witness to stay quiet because "the reputation of all involved and the frat would be ruined" if details were made public.
According to the report, one female student also told Cornell investigators that the fraternity "held a meeting essentially to get all of the men on the same page about what happened."
Other calls and text messages obtained by the network suggested that some of the fraternity members attempted to contain the allegations in the weeks that followed.
"When was the last time you spoke to [Jane Doe]?" the fraternity's president wrote in the messages to the member who invited Jane Doe to the house.
"Yesterday ... what's the plan of action?" he replied. "Should I call [Jane Doe]? I don't think she would have reported this."
Jane Doe, who was 20 at the time of the alleged 2024 rape, reported the incident to Cornell University police on Nov. 8, 2024.
All of the men identified in Jane Doe's civil suit have denied any wrongdoing, according to the New York Times. None has been charged with a crime. And Chi Phi remains banned from campus.
Bar denies serving Jane Doe
Students participate in the march and protest at Cornell University on Oct. 5.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
In court papers filed on Monday, the owners of Moonies Bar and Nightclub denied that they "sold, furnished or assisted in procuring alcoholic beverages to any person under [the] legal drinking age" or "any visibly intoxicated person."
They also said they "neither knew nor should have known any assault would occur," and had no obligation to protect Jane Doe from "sudden criminal acts of third parties off premises."
New York governor appoints James as special prosecutor
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said late last week that she had lost faith in Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten and appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as the special prosecutor to oversee the criminal investigation.
"This young woman had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable," the governor said. "And then at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her."
Jane Doe has received 'multiple threats,' lawyer says
Meanwhile, Jane Doe's lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, said that his client has received "multiple threats" in recent days.
"There are people out there trying to track her down," Giuffra said on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday. "They said we're gonna shut you up. You're gonna still get hurt by us. You're gonna pull this lawsuit out or we're gonna do something to hurt you even more."
In an appearance on CNN on Tuesday night, Giuffra said his client had received a phone call threatening the lives of her and her family.
"I am absolutely appalled that this has gone so far," he said.This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/article/cornell-rape-case-latest-students-begin-7-hour-sit-in-for-jane-doe-as-protests-over-universitys-response-to-sexual-assault-allegations-continue-on-campus-171906056.html
"If it had not been for Donald Trump's magnificent victory … we would probably be political corpses today," Dodik told supporters in a speech, in which he also thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support.
Those same filings show that Flynn was paid $100,000 for that work by RRB Strategies, a lobbying firm run by Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor who 
In January, the U.S Embassy in Sarajevo 
The White House declined to comment on the pipeline project last week, but an administration official said the sanctions against Dodik were lifted to prevent instability in the Balkans. "This is yet another example of President Trump's pragmatic, farseeing foreign policy that has prevented disasters on perennial issues that his predecessors so often stumbled into," a White House official told CBS News on Friday, without elaborating on the type of disasters the Trump administration was preventing.A State Department letter published as part of the House Democrat-authored congressional report said the decision to delist Dodik had helped ensure peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The official who wrote the letter, Paul Guaglianone, said lifting sanctions against Dodik had led to Bosnian Serb separatists rolling back policies that would have destabilized Bosnia's government.The lifting of sanctions "advanced U.S. interests in [Bosnia and Herzegovina] and the Western Balkans. On October 18, the Republika Srpska National Assembly (RSNA) withdrew most of the anti-Dayton legislation it had passed in recent years," the letter read. That legislation had included laws that would have blocked Bosnia's national police and judiciary from having any authority in Republika Srpska.Political scientist and Balkans foreign policy expert Jasmin Mujanović told CBS News the legislation in question had already been struck down prior to the lifting of the sanctions against Dodik, and he was skeptical of the Trump administration's justifications for the move."This package of omnibus secessionist laws that the Serb nationalist authorities and the RS [Republika Srpska] entity in Bosnia had unlawfully voted through in the local assembly had already been struck down by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia Herzegovina," he said."If the argument is that the Trump administration nevertheless managed to get Dodik and his people to withdraw the laws, it's still unclear what the significance of that is, or for that matter, why, given that the laws are moot," he said, adding that it would "result in sanctions relief for an entire regime."This article originally appeared on CBS News at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-us-bosnia-herzegovina-sanctions-dodik-maga-firm-gas-pipeline/
