Show key events only Live feed Show key events only From 38m ago 18. 50 Bannon to face trial on contempt of Congress charge Steve Bannon, former president Donald Trump’s one-time campaign manager and senior White House strategist, will face trial on contempt of Congress charges, a federal judge has ruled. BREAKING: Judge Carl Nichols DENIES Steve Bannon’s motion to dismiss the indictment against him for contempt of Congress.
Trial set for July 18. Story to come. — Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) June 15, 2022 Bannon was indicted for the offense last year after he refused to cooperate with a subpoena from the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection.
He pled not guilty to the charges, which are rarely used and punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Following the ruling, Bannon vowed to call the committee members to testify at his trial. BANNON used the post-ruling avail to say he expects his lawyer to call members of the Jan.
6 select committee to testify at his trial. That seems…highly unlikely. pic.
twitter. com/ZG46vPUjrW — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) June 15, 2022 Steve Bannon pleads not guilty to criminal contempt of Congress Read more 14m ago 19. 13 Federal Reserve makes biggest rate increase since 1994 Dominic Rushe The Federal Reserve has announced its largest increase rate increase in almost 30 years as it looks to tame inflation by reducing demand.
Dominic Rushe explains what the central bank’s decision means: With soaring inflation and the shadow of recession hanging over the United States, the Federal Reserve announced a 0. 75 percentage-point increase in interest rates on Wednesday – the largest hike since 1994. In a statement after a two-day meeting, the Fed said “overall economic activity appears to have picked up after edging down in the first quarter”.
But it warned that “inflation remains elevated”, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia had created “additional upward pressure on inflation and [is] weighing on global economic activity. In addition, Covid-related lockdowns in China are likely to exacerbate supply-chain disruptions. ” It added: “The committee is highly attentive to inflation risks.
” Federal Reserve announces biggest interest rate hike since 1994 Read more Updated at 19. 15 BST 38m ago 18. 50 Bannon to face trial on contempt of Congress charge Steve Bannon, former president Donald Trump’s one-time campaign manager and senior White House strategist, will face trial on contempt of Congress charges, a federal judge has ruled.
BREAKING: Judge Carl Nichols DENIES Steve Bannon’s motion to dismiss the indictment against him for contempt of Congress. Trial set for July 18. Story to come.
— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) June 15, 2022 Bannon was indicted for the offense last year after he refused to cooperate with a subpoena from the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. He pled not guilty to the charges, which are rarely used and punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Following the ruling, Bannon vowed to call the committee members to testify at his trial.
BANNON used the post-ruling avail to say he expects his lawyer to call members of the Jan. 6 select committee to testify at his trial. That seems…highly unlikely.
pic. twitter. com/ZG46vPUjrW — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) June 15, 2022 Steve Bannon pleads not guilty to criminal contempt of Congress Read more 55m ago 18.
33 Joanna Walters Joe Biden’s optimism persists. In fact, he has “never been more optimistic about our future”, he often tells the public. Today on Twitter is no exception and it’s because of America’s trade unions, the perseverance and revival of which was a strong theme during his 2020 election campaign to restore a Democrat to the White House after Donald Trump’s corrosive one-term presidency.
Wall Street didn’t build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions built the middle class.
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 15, 2022 Biden was in Philly yesterday with organizers, and is still aglow about it. It was great to be with AFL-CIO yesterday in Philadelphia. These folks are a big reason why I’ve never been more optimistic about our future.
Unions have never let this country down, and we’re going to keep building a better America – together. pic. twitter.
com/NT1Jqmcd5h — President Biden (@POTUS) June 15, 2022 1h ago 18. 11 Biden pledges in call with Ukraine’s Zelenskiy that US “will not waver” in war support, announces more military aid Joanna Walters Joe Biden has freshly reaffirmed American commitment to Ukraine’s efforts against the Russian invasion as US and NATO allies meet in Europe amid talk of cracks opening in the west’s resolve. The US president announced more aid for Ukraine, $1bn more in military aid and $225m in humanitarian assistance, and back up his defense secretary, Lloyd Austin , who said in Brussels earlier today that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was at a “pivotal” moment and America and its allies “cannot afford to let up and lose steam”.
Joe Biden alighting from Marine One at the White House yesterday. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock Biden said in a statement just released by the White House that he had spoken with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy this morning: . css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.
5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;} To discuss Russia’s brutal and ongoing war against Ukraine. I reaffirmed my commitment that the United States will stand by Ukraine as it defends its democracy and support its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression. He announced more funding for “additional artillery and coastal defense weapons, as well as ammunition for the artillery and advanced rocket systems that the Ukrainians need to support their defensive operations in the Donbas,” the heart of Ukraine’s industrial east where Russia has focused its bombardment to increasingly powerful effect in recent weeks.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attends the Ukraine Defense Contact group meeting ahead of a NATO defense ministers’ meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. NATO defense ministers, attending a two-day meeting starting Wednesday, will discuss beefing up weapons supplies to Ukraine. Austin is backed by the US and Ukrainian flags.
Photograph: Yves Herman/AP The pledge came amid clear signs that Zelenskiy is hardening his determination to try to beat back Russia in the east, against the odds , amid fierce combat, and has been urging the west for more weaponry . Biden added: . css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.
5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;} We also discussed Secretary Austin’s efforts in Brussels today to coordinate additional international support for the Ukrainian armed forces. We also remain committed to supporting the Ukrainian people whose lives have been ripped apart by this war. .
. . The bravery, resilience, and determination of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire the world.
And the United States, together with our allies and partners, will not waver in our commitment to the Ukrainian people as they fight for their freedom. The New York Times has reported western unity “seems to be fraying among some Western allies”, with those further east close to Russia hardening their resolve while countries such as Italy, France and Germany were wary of stagnation in Ukraine (and stagflation at home, among other fears), but without a clear path to resolution. Meanwhile, the US continues, for now, to bolster Ukraine’s resistance.
Zelenskiy address on 13th June describing situation in eastern Ukraine Photograph: Reuters 2h ago 17. 32 Midday summary The day thus far has been busy, with the supreme court releasing a slew of decisions in cases that touched on the farthest reaches of federal law . In the Senate, signs emerged that the bipartisan compromise on gun control was facing obstacles that could delay its passage .
Here’s a rundown of the day’s events: The Biden administration is set to announce another $1 billion in weapons for Ukraine as it tries to defend cities in the east from Russia’s advance. The justice department has brought federal hate crimes charges against the alleged shooter at a Buffalo supermarket who killed 10 Black people in a racist attack. Questions continue to swirl over the actions of Republican House representative Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, after the January 6 committee released video evidence of a man who accompanied the lawmaker on a tour taking photos of Capitol hallways and a security checkpoint the day before the insurrection.
A special election in Texas ended with bad news for the Democrats when voters sent a Republican to represent their district for the first time. 2h ago 17. 13 June is Pride Month, and President Joe Biden’s administration announced today he had signed an executive order that would counter “legislative attacks” against LGBTQ+ children and adults.
“President Biden believes that no one should face discrimination because of who they are or whom they love. Since President Biden took office, he has championed the rights of LGBTQI+ Americans and people around the world, accelerating the march towards full equality,” the White House said. Among the provisions of Biden’s executive order detailed by the White House: Addressing discriminatory legislative attacks against LGBTQI+ children and families, directing key agencies to protect families and children; Preventing so-called “conversion therapy” with a historic initiative to protect children from the harmful practice; Safeguarding health care, and programs designed to prevent youth suicide; Supporting LGBTQI+ children and families by launching a new initiative to protect foster youth, prevent homelessness, and improve access to federal programs; and Taking new, additional steps to advance LGBTQI+ equality.
The provision addressing “legislative attacks” is meant to deal with the more than 300 “anti-LGBTQI+ laws” the White House said were introduced in statehouses over the past year, many of which are targeted at transgender youth. The order directs the federal health and human services department to “release new sample policies for states on how to expand access to comprehensive health care for LGBTQI+ patients. ” The education department is also directed to release “a sample school policy for achieving full inclusion” of students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.
3h ago 16. 49 Buffalo gunman charged with hate crimes, could face death penalty The alleged gunman who killed 10 people in a racist massacre at a Buffalo, New York supermarket last month could face the death penalty after prosecutors brought hate crimes charges against him. The Associated Press reports: .
css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1. 5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;} Payton Gendron already faced a mandatory life sentence without parole if convicted on state charges in the 14 May shooting which also wounded three survivors – one Black, two white. The US attorney general, Merrick Garland, was in Buffalo on Wednesday to visit families of the 10 people killed.
He was expected to address the federal charges during the visit. Gendron’s radical, racist worldview and extensive preparation for the attack at the Tops Friendly Market are laid out in documents he apparently posted online. The documents embrace a conspiracy theory about a plot to diminish white Americans’ power and “replace” them with people of color, through immigration and other means.
The posts detail months of reconnaissance, demographic research and shooting practice for a bloodbath meant to scare anyone not white and Christian into leaving the country. Gendron drove more than 200 miles from his home in a nearly all-white town near the New York-Pennsylvania border to a predominantly Black part of Buffalo. There, authorities say, he killed shoppers and workers using an AR-15-style rifle, wearing body armor and livestreaming the carnage from a helmet-mounted camera.
The 18-year-old surrendered to police as he exited the supermarket. Buffalo mass shooting suspect charged with federal hate crimes Read more 3h ago 16. 35 While Washington has publicly stated it remains committed to defending Ukraine, Bloomberg News reports that some in the White House worry the sanctions on Russia have worsened the American economy more than expected while doing little to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin.
From their story : . css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1. 5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;} Some Biden administration officials are now privately expressing concern that rather than dissuading the Kremlin as intended, the penalties are instead exacerbating inflation, worsening food insecurity and punishing ordinary Russians more than Putin or his allies.
Officials were initially impressed by the willingness of companies from BP Plc. to McDonald’s Corp. to abruptly “self-sanction,” sometimes selling assets at fire-sale prices.
But the administration was caught off-guard by the potential knock-on effects — from supply chain bottlenecks to uninsurable grain exports — due to the companies’ decisions to leave, according to people familiar with internal discussions. In some cases, companies have signaled that they are being extra-cautious or want clearer guidance from the US before continuing business with Russia. Until that happens, they are going beyond any legal requirements to ensure they don’t accidentally violate sanctions policies, according to Justine Walker, the head of global sanctions and risk at the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, an industry group.
“Because we just have so many changes at once, governments are not able to step in and give precise clarification and we are seeing many, many examples of authorities coming to different positions,” Walker said in an interview. “Companies ask, ‘Should we be applying sanctions to this entity?’ and the government will come back and say, ‘You need to make your own decision. ’” The war in Ukraine has played a role in driving inflation higher in the United States, and in particular the price of gas, which has played a major role in the Biden’s deepening unpopularity.
According to an article in Politico , the White House is growing frustrated with its ability to respond to the increase in costs across the economy: . css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1. 5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;} Prices keep rising.
And the clock keeps ticking. So the White House has started to change up its messaging on inflation, even though President Joe Biden has limited tools at his disposal to battle the crisis. The president stepped up efforts to draw contrasts with Republicans, unleashing a series of new attack lines Tuesday in a speech delivered amid a flurry of sobering headlines on rising costs and interest rates.
“America still has a choice to make. A choice between a government by the few, for the few,” Biden said at an AFL-CIO union convention in Philadelphia. “Or a government for all of us – a democracy for all of us, an economy where all of us have a fair shot.
” But with the midterms rapidly approaching, voters’ patience appears likely to run out – and the president and party in power stand poised to pay the political price. “The political environment is brutal for Democrats. There are few more economic issues more politically painful than high food and high gas prices and we are heading into high stakes midterms,” said Dan Pfeiffer, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama.
3h ago 16. 18 Biden administration set to announce $1 bn in new Ukraine aid The White House will today unveil another $1 billion in weapons for Ukraine amid an intensifying fight against Russia in the country’s east, Reuters reports. The aid will include “anti-ship rocket systems, artillery rockets, and rounds for howitzers,” the agency reported, citing people familiar with the deal.
The new weaponry would be announced amid an intense battle for the city of Sievierodonetsk. Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine ‘still holds’ Sievierodonetsk’s industrial area, mayor says, as UN warns thousands are trapped – live Read more The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Washington is dedicated to continuing to help Ukraine defend itself, and is not pushing Kyiv to negotiate with Russia: . css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.
5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;} “We’re not going to tell the Ukrainians how to negotiate, what to negotiate and when to negotiate,” said Colin H. Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy. “They’re going to set those terms for themselves.
” 3h ago 16. 02 The supreme court has concluded its issuance of opinions for the day without releasing decisions on cases affecting abortion and gun rights, the government’s ability to enforce regulations or the “remain in Mexico” policy. The court did however dismiss an attempt to revive the “public charge” policy briefly implemented under Trump that allowed the government to deny visas and green cards to immigrants that received public benefits .
Sixth and FINAL Supreme Court ruling of the day: The court dismisses a dispute over the Trump-era “public charge” immigration policy — meaning SCOTUS opts not to weigh in on the merits. This would seem to dash red states’ attempt to revive the policy. — SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 15, 2022 The day’s other opinions dealt with complex aspects of federal law, as SCOTUSblog outlines : Fourth opinion of the day: A 9-0 ruling on international child custody disputes under the Hague Convention.
The decision appears to make it more likely that district courts will NOT order a child returned to his or her home country if the child might face a risk of harm there. — SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 15, 2022 The Supreme Court rules that a lawsuit in California alleging wage violations by a cruise company must proceed in individualized arbitration, rather than in court under the state’s Private Attorneys General Act (which allows a single worker to sue on behalf of all other workers). — SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 15, 2022 The supreme court has not announced its next opinion issuance day, but more decisions are likely to be released before the month is done.
4h ago 15. 45 Gun control compromise faces hold-up in Senate Passage of the gun control compromise agreed to by Republicans and Democrats is being held up by a series of issues with the measure’s phrasing and funding, a top Senate negotiator said today. The deal reached over the weekend seems to have momentum, with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell yesterday saying he would support it , raising the odds it would win enough votes from his party’s lawmaker to pass the evenly divided chamber.
But John Cornyn, a Republican senator from Texas who was the party’s lead negotiator on the compromise, outlined issues with the proposal: New – Sen. John Cornyn, chief GOP negotiator, told a group of us that there are two issues that have not been ironed out and he expressed concern that it could delay their efforts to finalize the guns bill text this week. — Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 15, 2022 “We’re meeting again today,” Cornyn said.
“I’m starting to get a little concerned, though, that there are a couple of issues that need to be settled before we can reach an agreement. ” — Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 15, 2022 Cornyn: “One of the issues has to do is whether the funds that we will vote for will be available to states that don’t have red flag laws, but do have crisis intervention programs and things like mental health courts, veterans courts, assisted outpatient treatment programs. ” — Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 15, 2022 More Cornyn: “I just don’t think anything that funds 19 states for their programs but ignores other states that have chosen not to have a red flag law but rather have other ways to address the same problem is going to fly.
” — Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 15, 2022 The other issue: “Well, the other issue has to do with the way that nontraditional relationships are handled in terms of domestic violence and misdemeanors. We got to come up with a good definition of what that actually means. ” — Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 15, 2022 Cornyn: “What this does is it would add a category to, a bar for people being able to purchase a firearm if they fall in that category.
So it’s got to be clear and it’s got to be something that can be actually applied because we’re talking about pretty serious consequences” — Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 15, 2022 Updated at 15. 57 BST 4h ago 15. 24 The supreme court decisions released today have so far dealt with two complicated subjects of federal law: Medicare reimbursement and regulations over gambling on Native American lands.
In a complex dispute over Medicare reimbursement, the Supreme Court unanimously sides with hospitals in their challenge to a 2018 federal regulation that slashed the reimbursement rates for some of the prescription drugs that hospitals dispense in outpatient settings. — SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 15, 2022 Opinion #3 of the day (and still more to come): The Supreme Court sides with Native American tribes in a dispute with Texas about what types of gambling on reservations the state can control. — SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 15, 2022 The court is not done releasing rulings for the day, with the next one scheduled for 10:30 am eastern time.
4h ago 15. 07 The supreme court has begun releasing its latest batch of opinions, starting with the case of a veteran challenging the denial of his disability claim in 1977. Here’s how they ruled, from SCOTUSblog : In a complex case involving statutory interpretation & administrative law, the Supreme Court rules against a veteran who sought to challenge a 1977 denial of a disability claim.
SCOTUS says he can’t reopen that denial even though it was based on an invalid agency interpretation. — SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 15, 2022 Here’s the opinion from Amy Coney Barrett in George v. McDonough: https://t.
co/FcXhX18hGu . The vote is 6-3, with Breyer, Sotomayor, and Gorsuch dissenting. — SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 15, 2022 Updated at 15.
12 BST 4h ago 15. 00 The January 6 committee has released a video that further details its evidence surrounding the actions of members of a tour group led by House Republican Barry Loudermilk the day before the insurrection. The video shows people who attended the tour taking pictures of the Capitol’s hallways and a security checkpoint on January 5, 2021.
One of the attendees attended the rally the following day, though the video doesn’t show whether the entered the building: Updated at 15. 04 BST 5h ago 14. 42 The troubles facing House representative Barry Loudermilk don’t appear to have ended.
While the Capitol Police said yesterday there was “no evidence” the Georgia Republican gave Trump supporters a tour of the Capitol the day before the January 6 insurrection, Punchbowl News reports the committee investigating the attack has found new evidence that raises questions about the lawmaker’s actions. Citing sources, Punchbowl said that the committee has footage of Loudermilk on January 6, 2021 outside the Capitol with a man who took part in the tour with the lawmaker the day before and went on to yell threats at lawmakers during the insurrection. The committee is now debating what to do with the video, according to the report: .
css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1. 5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;} The individual in question has been interviewed by select committee investigators, the sources added. It doesn’t appear that he’s been charged with any wrongdoing stemming from the insurrection.
What to do with this evidence has been debated inside the select committee. It was discussed during an intense huddle on the House floor Tuesday involving Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.
), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif. ), Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla. ), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.
) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif. ). Thompson is chair of the select committee.
The panel is considering releasing the footage publicly, using it in a hearing or sending a letter to Loudermilk laying out their evidence. The select committee declined to comment on the matter Tuesday night. 5h ago 14.
25 Victoria Bekiempis A special election in south Texas last night ended with bad news for Democrats when the district chose a Republican to represent it in the House of Representatives for the first time. But as Victoria Bekiempis reports, the victor Mayra Flores will face a stiffer challenge in November, when she must stand for her seat once more. A south Texas congressional district will be represented by a Republican for the first time following a special election Tuesday.
The election of Mayra Flores , who bested her Democrat competitor in a 51%-43% vote , comes as Republicans continue to make inroads among Latino voters in south Texas. Flores, reportedly the first Latina Republican to serve Texas in Congress, is expected to face a more challenging race in November, however. Her victory was to replace Democrat Filemon Vela, who retired before his term ended – meaning she was elected to serve out the remainder.
During November’s general election, voters will determine who will serve as the district’s permanent congressional representative starting in 2022. Flores, who is running for this seat in the general election, will face off against Democratic nominee Vicente Gonzalez. Mayra Flores wins special election to turn Texas House seat Republican Read more 5h ago 14.
10 You don’t necessarily need to win an election to wield power in Washington. Today, two institutions composed of political appointees will make decisions that could have massive impacts on Americans. At 2 pm eastern time, the Federal Reserve, which is by law mandated to fight inflation, will almost certainly raise interest rates again.
Less certain is the size of the increase. Many believe the Fed will up rates by 0. 75 percent for the first time since 1994, though they could also opt for a more modest 0.
5 percent increase . Such hikes work to dampen demand from consumers, which is a factor in the country’s decades-high inflation rate. But high rates can slow economic growth, and with the Fed committed to continue hiking until it feels inflation is under control, economists increasingly worry the country will enter a recession, perhaps next year.
But first comes the 10 am eastern time release of decisions from the supreme court. The justices have a number of cases before them, but there’s no telling which ones they’ll release. Tensions around the court are high following last month’s unprecedented leak of their draft opinion on abortion that would overturn the right nationwide.
But the court’s conservative majority may also decide to expand the right to carry a concealed weapon, weaken the government’s power to regulate and block the Biden administration from ending the “remain in Mexico” policy put in place during former president Donald Trump’s term. Of course, elections are a factor in how both of these institutions behave. The supreme court justices and the leaders of the Federal Reserve are both appointed by presidents, who only get into the White House if they have the votes.
6h ago 13. 54 Abortion, gun decisions loom as supreme court releases more opinions Good morning, US politics blog readers. Today begins with the release of another batch of decisions from the supreme court, and while there’s no telling which of the many cases pending before them they’ll release opinions on, the court’s conservative majority is thought to be ready to restrict abortion rights , expand the ability to carry a concealed weapon and maybe curb the government’s power to regulate emissions .
Here’s what else is going on today: Washington will digest the outcome of primary elections in Nevada, South Carolina, Maine and North Dakota as well as a special election in Texas that showed former president Donald Trump’s power over Republicans is uneven, but Democrats have reason to be worried about the November midterms. The Federal Reserve will at 2pm ET release the decision of its latest policy meeting, and could announce the biggest interest rate increase in decades to fight runaway inflation. Speaking of inflation, President Joe Biden has sent letters pressing major refiners to increase output and warning he may invoke emergency powers if they don’t.
Average gas prices have hit record highs in the United States, worsening the president’s popularity . The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear testimony about gun violence from a 19-year-old from Chicago, and others . On a lighter note, today is the 30th anniversary of Vice-President Dan Quayle misspelling “potato” during a spelling bee at an elementary school.
Topics US politics US politics live Republicans Democrats US supreme court House of Representatives US Senate Joe Biden Reuse this content.
From: theguardian
URL: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2022/jun/15/abortion-gun-control-decisions-supreme-court-latest-jan-6-hearings
