Author: PolitCens

NEW YORK — In an extraordinary turn, a judge Friday set President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case for Jan. 10 — just 10 days before he’s due to return to the White House — but indicated he wouldn’t be jailed. 

The development nevertheless leaves Trump on course to be the first president to take office convicted of felony crimes. 

Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial, signaled in a written decision that he’d sentence the former and future president to what’s known as a conditional discharge, in which a case is closed without jail time, a fine or probation. 

Merchan rejected Trump’s push to dismiss the verdict and throw out the case on presidential immunity grounds and because of his impending return to the White House. The judge said he found “no legal impediment to sentencing” Trump and that it was “incumbent” on him to sentence Trump prior to his swearing in on Jan. 20. 

“Only by bringing finality to this matter” will the interests of justice be served, Merchan wrote. 

Trump was convicted in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records. They involved an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of Trump’s first campaign in 2016. The payout was made to keep her from publicizing claims she’d had sex with the married Trump years earlier. He says that her story is false and that he did nothing wrong. 

After Trump’s Nov. 5 election, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. 

Trump’s lawyers urged Merchan to toss it. They said it would otherwise pose unconstitutional “disruptions” to the incoming president’s ability to run the country. 

Prosecutors acknowledged there should be some accommodation for his upcoming presidency, but they insisted the conviction should stand. 

They suggested various options, such as freezing the case during his term or guaranteeing him a no-jail sentence. They also proposed closing the case while formally noting both his conviction and his undecided appeal — a novel idea drawn from what some state courts do when criminal defendants die while appealing their cases. 

Merchan ruled that Trump’s current status as president-elect does not afford him the same kind of immunity granted to a sitting president and does not require that the verdict be set aside, and the case dismissed — a notion the judge described as “drastic” and “rare.” 

Doing that “would undermine the Rule of Law in immeasurable ways,” Merchan wrote. He opined that it wouldn’t address the Supreme Court’s concerns about presidential immunity, either. 

Trump takes office Jan. 20 as the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. 

His conviction left the 78-year-old facing the possibility of punishment ranging from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison. 

The case centered on how Trump accounted for reimbursing his personal attorney for the Daniels’ payment. 

The lawyer, Michael Cohen, fronted the money. He later recouped it through a series of payments that Trump’s company logged as legal expenses. Trump, by then in the White House, signed most of the checks himself. 

Prosecutors said the designation was meant to cloak the true purpose of the payments and help cover up a broader effort to keep voters from hearing unflattering claims about the Republican during his first campaign. 

Trump said that Cohen was legitimately paid for legal services, and that Daniels’ story was suppressed to avoid embarrassing Trump’s family, not to influence the electorate. 

Trump was a private citizen — campaigning for president, but neither elected nor sworn in — when Cohen paid Daniels in October 2016. He was president when Cohen was reimbursed, and Cohen testified that they discussed the repayment arrangement in the Oval Office. 

Trump, a Republican, has decried the verdict as the “rigged, disgraceful” result of a “witch hunt” pursued by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat. 

Before Trump’s November election, his lawyers sought to reverse his conviction for a different reason: a U.S. Supreme Court decision in July that gave presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution. That request was still pending when the election raised new issues. 

While urging Merchan to nix the conviction, Trump also sought to move the case to federal court, where he could also assert immunity. A federal judge repeatedly said no, but Trump appealed. 

The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial.

Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases. One pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss; the other alleged he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. 

A separate, state-level election interference case in Georgia is largely on hold.
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washington — Law enforcement and security agencies in and around Washington are bringing in reinforcements as they prepare to secure three high-profile events in the nation’s capital, following the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans and the Cybertruck bombing in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.

The first event will occur Monday, when Congress meets to certify results of the presidential election four years to the day since the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

The second will be the state funeral for the late President Jimmy Carter, starting with a ceremony and procession on Tuesday before wrapping up on Thursday.

The last high-profile event will come Jan. 20, when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated.

“That has never happened before. We have three [National Special Security Events] over a 15-day period,” Matt McCool, U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office special agent in charge, told reporters Friday.

“But what I will tell you is we’re flexible. We’re adaptable. We’ve been working on these events for, in some cases, years,” he said. “So, we’re going to be prepared.”

Despite concerns stemming from the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas bombing, security officials are confident so far that the Washington events will proceed safely.

“We are not tracking any credible or specific threats associated with these events,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge at the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

The law enforcement and security agencies, however, are not taking any chances, acknowledging that the city and the region are operating in a heightened threat environment.

The Secret Service said Friday that it was bringing in agents from across the country to boost staffing levels, which were already the highest they have been in three years.

Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department said it has added to its ranks almost 4,000 officers from departments across the country.

The capital’s National Guard Bureau confirmed it also has approved requests for additional support, including the provision of 500 guardsmen for the Jan. 6 election certification and liaison officers for the state funeral.

An additional request for 7,800 National Guard soldiers and airmen to assist with security for the Trump inauguration is pending.

Increased security measures, including barriers and fencing, are already up in parts of Washington and around the Capitol, but more are coming.

“A multitude of seen and unseen security measures will operate in tandem to ensure a comprehensive and seamless security plan comes to fruition,” McCool said, adding that the measures will include the use of aerial drones.

“The Secret Service will use drones as part of our comprehensive security plan,” McCool said. “Do not be alarmed if you see these assets during the upcoming events or training in the days ahead.”

The Metropolitan Police Department said its increased security measures would go into effect starting Sunday, with the deployment of specialized officers around the city to respond to any emergencies.

The U.S. Capitol Police, whose 2,400 officers and civilian employees are responsible for protecting the Capitol and members of Congress, also said they were more prepared to handle contingencies than they were four years ago, when rioters upset with the outcome of the 2020 presidential election stormed the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to flee and injuring police officers.

About 1,560 people have been charged with federal crimes in the riot. So far, about 979 have pleaded guilty, while another 210 have been convicted.

“Our nation’s capital is prepared to ensure that the legislative process will proceed without disruption, and our government will have a peaceful transfer of power,” said Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, noting that the force has implemented more than 100 recommendations made following the 2021 riot.

Officials in Washington are also bracing for potential protests, saying several planned demonstrations have already gotten required permits.

“We are committed to upholding the right to peacefully assemble and protest here in our city,” said Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith.

“We welcome visitors to come and experience what this incredible city has to offer, but those who are intentional on unlawful activity should know that there will be consequences,” Smith said. “However, as I’ve stated before, when we have special events, and I want to be very clear, that we will not tolerate any violence, rioting, destruction of property, or any behavior that threatens the safety and security of our city.”
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The U.S. Homeland Security Department and the FBI are warning federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to be vigilant for potential copycat incidents inspired by the New Year’s Eve truck-ramming attack in New Orleans that killed at least 14 people.

In a joint intelligence bulletin released Friday and obtained by VOA and other news organizations, federal authorities warned the nation’s 18,000 law-enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for “potential copycat or retaliatory attacks inspired by this attack and other recent, lethal vehicle-ramming incidents across the globe.”

The bulletin said such attacks “are likely to remain attractive for aspiring attackers given vehicles’ ease of acquisition and the low skill threshold necessary to conduct an attack.”

The federal bulletin noted that since 2014, the Islamic State terror group has been promoting the use of vehicles in terror attacks, followed by attacks with secondary weapons, as a method to cause mass casualty incidents.

The joint bulletin advised law enforcement agencies to look for danger signs, such as fraudulent documents or credit cards used to rent vehicles, or signs of “pre-operational surveillance,” such as automobiles parked in odd locations or suspicious activity near an event location.

The FBI released three photos Friday of the now deceased suspect in the attack, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, taken from surveillance video about an hour before the deadly Bourbon Street attack. They also released a photograph of a blue ice chest that was found near the scene containing an improvised explosive device.

The photos were released along with a statement soliciting information from any member of the public who might have passed Jabbar on the street or saw the cooler like the one in the photo.

The White House announced Friday that President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to New Orleans on Monday to visit with families and community members affected by the attack, as well as meet with officials on the ground.

In a briefing Thursday with reporters, FBI officials said they believe Jabbar, who was killed at the scene in a shootout with police, acted alone in the New Year’s attack and was inspired by the Islamic State terror group.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia, with the agency’s counterterrorism division, said they concluded Jabbar had no accomplices following hundreds of interviews and reviews of the attacker’s calls, social media accounts and electronic devices.

Officials reopened Bourbon Street on Thursday afternoon. The attack occurred on Wednesday at 3:15 a.m.

On Tuesday evening, just hours before the attack, Jabbar posted five videos to his Facebook account, apparently addressed to his family and recorded while he was driving, in which he aligned himself with the Islamic State terror group. The FBI said an Islamic State flag also was found in the vehicle after the attack.

“This was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act,” Raia said.

Jabbar had originally planned to hurt his relatives and friends but worried about how that would be interpreted by the media, Raia said. “He was 100% inspired by ISIS.”

The attack occurred at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon streets in the city’s lively French Quarter. The historic tourist destination filled with bars and music is also known for its large New Year’s Eve celebrations.   

After the vehicle crashed, the driver got out of the truck and shot at responding officers, police said. Officers returned fire, killing the driver, according to police. Two officers were wounded but are in stable condition, the police said.   

“This is not just an act of terrorism. This is evil,” New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters at a news conference Wednesday. 

Investigators found weapons and an explosive device in the vehicle, the FBI said, along with other explosive devices found in the French Quarter. The vehicle appeared to have been rented, the FBI said. 

President-elect Donald Trump condemned the attack in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.  

“Our hearts are with all the innocent victims and their loved ones. The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!” he said.

In the same post, Trump also falsely suggested that the suspect was an immigrant.

VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin and VOA reporter Liam Scott contributed to this report. Some information for this story came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
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WASHINGTON/LONDON — Alcoholic drinks should carry a warning about cancer risks on their label, the U.S. surgeon general said Friday in a move that could signal a shift toward more aggressive tobacco-style regulation for the sector. 

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colon and liver cancer, but most U.S. consumers remain unaware of this. 

Murthy also called for the guidelines on alcohol consumption limits to be reassessed so that people can weigh the cancer risk when deciding whether or how much to drink. U.S. dietary guidelines currently recommend two or fewer drinks per day for men and one drink or less per day for women. 

“Alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity,” Murthy’s office said in a statement accompanying the new report, adding the type of alcohol consumed does not matter. 

His advisory sent shares in alcohol companies including Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Anheuser-Busch and Heineken down, in some cases over 3%. 

Alcohol producers and industry associations did not immediately share comments. 

It is unclear when or if the surgeon general’s suggestions will be adopted. U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is entering its final two weeks. Murthy could be succeeded by Janette Nesheiwat, a director of a New York chain of urgent care clinics and President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the role. 

Trump, whose brother died from alcoholism and who does not drink himself, has long warned about the risks of drinking. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, has been open about his past struggles with heroin and alcohol, and says that he attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. 

The decision to update the label will ultimately be made by Congress. 

Small print 

Murthy’s advisory harks back to early U.S. surgeon general action on tobacco, starting with a 1964 report that concluded smoking could cause cancer. The report kicked off decades of increasingly strict regulations, starting with U.S. laws on warning labels one year later and still ongoing today. 

Alcoholic drinks in the U.S. already carry warnings on their packaging, including that drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause birth defects and that it can impair judgment when operating machinery. These appear in small print on the back of the packaging. This label has not changed since its inception in 1988. 

Murthy’s recommendations call for an update to these existing labels, rather than new cigarette-style warnings that are today displayed prominently on the front of every packet. 

Analysts, however, pointed out that cigarette warning labels did little to curb smoking and ingrained habits are hard to change. 

“Warning labels won’t be an immediate deathblow to alcohol makers, but it will compound the long-term threats to the industry,” said Blake Droesch, analyst with eMarketer. 

In the U.S., among the largest markets for many western producers, companies face growing competition from alternatives like cannabis and the threat of lower volumes as some consumers, especially younger ones, drink less than previous generations. 

Beer makers especially have, however, enjoyed benefits from a shift toward healthier lifestyles, with low- or no-alcohol products enjoying rapid growth. Heineken’s 0.0 version, for example, grew double digits in 16 markets last year. 

The advisory said alcohol is responsible for 100,000 U.S. cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths each year, more than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash deaths. 

The new report recommends health care providers should encourage alcohol screening and treatment referrals as needed, and efforts to increase general awareness should be expanded.
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Washington — U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday followed through on his pledge to block Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel, citing concerns the deal could hurt national security.

The move, long expected, cuts off a critical lifeline of capital for the beleaguered American icon, which has said it would have to idle key mills without the nearly $3 billion in promised investment from the Japanese firm.

It also represents the final chapter in a high-profile national security review, led by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, CFIUS, which vets investment for national security risks and had until December 23 to approve, extend the timeline or recommend Biden block the deal.

The proposed tie-up has faced high-level opposition within the United States since it was announced a year ago, with both Biden and his incoming successor Donald Trump taking aim at it as they sought to woo union voters in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where U.S. Steel is headquartered. Trump and Biden both asserted the company should remain American-owned.

The merger appeared to be on the fast-track to be blocked after the companies received an August 31 letter from CFIUS, seen by Reuters, arguing the deal could hurt the supply of steel needed for critical transportation, construction and agriculture projects.

But Nippon Steel countered that its investments, made by a company from an allied nation, would in fact shore up U.S. Steel’s output, and it won a 90-day review extension. That extension gave CFIUS until after the November election to make a decision, fueling hope among supporters that a calmer political climate could help the deal’s approval.

But hopes were shattered in December when CFIUS set the stage for Biden to block it in a 29-page letter by raising allegedly unresolved national security risks, Reuters exclusively reported.

 
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WASHINGTON — The 119th U.S. Congress will come into session Friday. After a contentious government funding battle last month, though, Republican Party control of both houses of Congress and presidency faces challenges.

The Senate enters the new session as Republicans take the majority from Democrats and Senator Mitch McConnell steps away from party leadership for the first time in 18 years. Republican Senator John Thune has already been selected to lead the Senate as majority leader.

Republicans will hold a 53-47 seat majority, well below the 60 votes needed to advance most legislation.

In the House, where Republicans hold a narrow 219-215 majority, the focus will be on votes for speaker. Current Speaker Mike Johnson’s position is in jeopardy after his deal last month with Democrats to keep the government funded and open.

It would take only as few as two Republicans to vote against Johnson to put his speakership in jeopardy.  Democrats are expected to nominate Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for the speakership but are likely to fall short by a few votes.

President-elect Donald Trump posted his support for Johnson on social media Monday, saying the speaker was “a good, hard-working, religious man.”

But Republican representatives Chip Roy and Thomas Massie have already stated their doubts about his leadership and Trump ally and adviser Steve Bannon has called on Republicans to remove Johnson from leadership.

“Mr. Johnson caught a lot of fire from his GOP colleagues. And he has an extraordinarily limited margin for his majority, just a handful of people,” Kevin Kosar, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told VOA via Zoom.

Two years ago, at the start of another Congress, Republican Kevin McCarthy faced similar challenges to his bid for the speakership. He was finally elected on the 15th round of voting.

If Johnson, or another Republican, is unable to garner enough votes for the speakership the chamber could be without a leader in time for the official certification of Trump’s electoral victory on Jan. 6. Whoever does lead the House will, at least temporarily, hold an even tighter majority after Trump takes office on Jan. 20, as he has picked two House Republicans to join his administration.

Traditionally, the first 100 days of a new presidency and Congress are a time for an ambitious legislative agenda.

“He’s going to hit tariffs very hard. He’s going to focus on the border, and executive orders related to immigration and immigrants, particularly from Mexico and Muslim countries. And then he’s going to work on any compromises he can to get through the legislative agenda on things affecting the economy, groceries, as he likes to call it,” Casey Burgat, a professor at The George Washington University in Washington, told VOA via Zoom.

Some information for this story came from Reuters. 
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NEW ORLEANS — Less than 48 hours after Wednesday morning’s attack on their city’s iconic French Quarter neighborhood, New Orleanians are trying to find a way forward.

It’s something they have had to do countless times in the Crescent City’s 307-year history. In the past two decades alone, residents and businesses have come back from a series of disasters including a record-breaking oil spill, the public health catastrophe of being one of the nation’s first coronavirus hotspots and, of course, Hurricanes Ida and Katrina.

This latest disaster — labeled a terrorist attack by the FBI — hit the city at 3:15 a.m. on New Year’s Day when 42-year-old U.S. citizen Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed a white pickup truck through three blocks of Bourbon Street, killing 14 and seriously injuring many more.

As the city mourns, local restaurateur Ralph Brennan believes his fellow residents will react in their unique New Orleans way: with defiance in the face of a challenge and love for their shared home.

“We’ve been through this before with COVID and Katrina,” he said. One of Brennan’s restaurants, Red Fish Grill, was at ground zero of Wednesday’s attack. It was allowed to reopen with the rest of Bourbon Street on Thursday afternoon.

“Every time there is a disaster,” Brennan continued, “it is our goal to come back as quickly as possible. We want to show the world that New Orleans is safe, and that this tragedy is just a blip in the history of one of the most special cities on the planet.”

Processing grief

Go to the corner of Canal and Bourbon streets and the first thing you’ll notice are reporters, police officers, traffic barriers and caution tape. Look closer, and you’ll see a city cautiously determining how to proceed. A jazz trumpeter plays the national anthem nearby. Employees from a neighborhood restaurant hand out free meals to first responders. Visitors pass by on their way to the Sugar Bowl, postponed to Thursday because of the attack.

But it’s not just downtown. In every corner of New Orleans, residents are wrestling with trauma.

Tom Ramsey is a former chef in the city who now supports mass-catering efforts following disasters and along the U.S.-Mexico border. He woke up on Wednesday morning to dozens of missed calls and text messages asking if he was OK.

“I didn’t know what they were talking about until I checked the news and saw what happened,” Ramsey said.

His first reaction was to contact everyone he knew was in the French Quarter that night. Anything, he said, not to let the news sink in.

“Then, eventually, everyone was accounted for,” Ramsey said. “I looked at my wife, I put my face in my hands, and I cried — the kind of crying where my chest was heaving, and I was making sounds. I hadn’t felt the kind of grief I felt for New Orleans in that moment since I was in New York on 9/11.”

Ongoing trauma

Mental health experts like Erin Stevens, executive director of Ellie Mental Health Louisiana in New Orleans, said she is worried that residents with so much past trauma may have difficulty dealing with this event.

“When you have already experienced significant trauma, it can cause you to feel new and future stressors more intensely,” she said. I’m especially worried about people who are isolated — who don’t have a support system.”

However, Stevens says if handled correctly, past trauma can equip you to handle future stressors more effectively, because resilience is something that is built.

Some New Orleanians seem to have taken lessons from past challenges. For example, several mental health professionals have decided to help their community by offering free mental health services. And Allison Bullach, a local photographer, is offering free headshots to anyone who gives blood to support the attack’s victims.

“I think we just want to find our way to help,” Bullach told VOA, “and I had read that donating blood for victims was a major need.”

“I’m only one person,” she continued, “but if I can find a way to encourage three or four or five more people to help, then I should do it.”

The show must go on?

The past year has been a massive one for New Orleans tourism. In addition to a successful Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, 2024 visitor numbers were bolstered thanks to a three-day stop by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

Early 2025 looked to be equally promising. The Sugar Bowl, Super Bowl LIX, and Carnival season culminating in Mardi Gras are all big news for a local economy so heavily reliant on tourism.

As a result, the timing of the attack is a worry for Crescent City businesses.

“Of course, it hurts to have to close during one of our busiest times of the year,” said Brennan, owner of Red Fish Grill. “We understand why it was necessary, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.”

“But where I got really worried,” he added, “is how this impacts tourism moving forward for Carnival season and the Super Bowl. New Orleans businesses depend on tourism from these big events.”

For some businesses, however, every day matters. Coming off a challenging December, that is definitely the case for Tara Francolini, owner of Francolini’s, a popular sandwich shop.

“More than anything, I want to give our staff a day to grieve for their city,” she told VOA. “But the losses we suffered in December were tremendous, and we need … steady business so we can do basic things like pay our bills and our employees. I’m worried that staying open diminishes the atrocities that the families of the victims are feeling, and it all makes me feel like an awful human being.”

Resilience, a loaded word

On Wednesday night, less than 24 hours after the attack, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry ate dinner in the French Quarter, steps from Bourbon Street. He posted a photo from outside the restaurant, a message to would-be visitors that this “resilient city,” as he and so many others call it, was safe and “open for business.”

The word “resilient” seems to be attached to the city any time there is a disaster. Many residents identify with it, proof that they can bounce back from anything.

Increasingly, however, some say the term is allowing leaders off the hook for their failings. One such critic is Andrew Stephens, owner of Sports Drink, a coffee shop in New Orleans’ Irish Channel neighborhood.

“They call us resilient after they shirk their responsibilities to the public,” Stephens said, “It’s pandering. I don’t want us to be resilient. I want us to be safe.”
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WASHINGTON — The federal courts will not refer allegations that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas may have violated ethics laws to the Justice Department, the judiciary’s policymaking body said Thursday.

Thomas has agreed to follow updated requirements on reporting trips and gifts, including clearer guidelines on hospitality from friends, the U.S. Judicial Conference wrote to Democratic senators who had called for an investigation into undisclosed acceptance of luxury trips.

Thomas has previously said he wasn’t required to disclose the many trips he and his wife took that were paid for by wealthy benefactors like Republican megadonor Harlan Crow because they are close personal friends. The court didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

The Supreme Court adopted its first code of ethics in 2023 in the face of sustained criticism, though the new code still lacks a means of enforcement.

It’s unclear whether the law allows the U.S. Judicial Conference to make a criminal referral regarding a Supreme Court justice, U.S. District Judge Robert Conrad wrote. He serves as secretary for the conference, which sets policy for the federal court system and is led by Chief Justice John Roberts.

A referral in this case isn’t necessary, Conrad said, because two Democratic senators called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel over the summer. No such appointment has been publicly made.

The group Fix the Court said the financial disclosure law is clear and should apply to justices. “The Conference’s letters further underscore the need for Congress to create a new and transparent mechanism to investigate the justices for ethics violations since the Conference is unwilling to act upon the one method we had presumed existed to do that,” Executive Director Gabe Roth said in a statement.

Conrad also sent a similar response to a separate complaint from a conservative legal group, the Center for Renewing America, in regard to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s reports on the source of her husband’s consulting income. Jackson has since amended her disclosures and agreed to updated reporting requirements, Conrad wrote.
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Washington — A U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday the Federal Communications Commission did not have legal authority to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules.

The decision is a blow to the outgoing Biden administration that had made restoring the open internet rules a priority. President Joe Biden signed a 2021 executive order encouraging the FCC to reinstate the rules.

A three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the FCC lacked authority to reinstate the rules initially implemented in 2015 by the agency under Democratic former President Barack Obama, but then repealed by the commission in 2017 under Republican former President Donald Trump.

Net-neutrality rules require internet service providers to treat internet data and users equally rather than restricting access, slowing speeds or blocking content for certain users. The rules also forbid special arrangements in which ISPs give improved network speeds or access to favored users.

The court cited the Supreme Court’s June decision in a case known as Loper Bright to overturn a 1984 precedent that had given deference to government agencies in interpreting laws they administer, in the latest decision to curb the authority of federal agencies. “Applying Loper Bright means we can end the FCC’s vacillations,” the court ruled.

The decision leaves in place state neutrality rules adopted by California and others but may end more than 20 years of efforts to give federal regulators sweeping oversight over the internet.

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel called on Congress to act after the decision. “Consumers across the country have told us again and again that they want an internet that is fast, open, and fair. With this decision it is clear that Congress now needs to heed their call, take up the charge for net neutrality, and put open internet principles in federal law,” Rosenworcel said in a statement.

The FCC voted in April along party lines to reassume regulatory oversight of broadband internet and reinstate open internet rules. Industry groups filed suit and successfully convinced the court to temporarily block the rules as they considered the case.

Incoming FCC Chair Brendan Carr voted against the reinstatement last year. He did not immediately comment on Thursday.

Former FCC Chair Ajit Pai said the court ruling should mean the end of efforts to reinstate the rules, and a focus shift to “what actually matters to American consumers – like improving Internet access and promoting online innovation.”

The Trump administration is unlikely to appeal the decision but net-neutrality advocates could seek review by the Supreme Court.

The rules would have given the FCC new tools to crack down on Chinese telecom companies and the ability to monitor internet service outages.

A group representing companies including Amazon.com AMZN.O, Apple AAPL.O, Alphabet GOOGL.O and Meta Platforms META.O had backed the FCC net-neutrality rules, while USTelecom, an industry group whose members include AT&T T.N and Verizon VZ.N, last year called reinstating net neutrality “entirely counterproductive, unnecessary, and an anti-consumer regulatory distraction.”
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President-elect Donald Trump threatened recently to retake the Panama Canal because of what he called “exorbitant” rates and China’s influence. What threats could China pose to the U.S. if it were able to exert strategic control over the canal?

Click here for the full story in Mandarin.
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LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The person who authorities believe died in the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel was an active-duty U.S. Army soldier, three U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. 

Two law enforcement officials identified the man inside the futuristic-looking pickup truck as Matthew Livelsberger. The law enforcement officials spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation. 

Three U.S. officials said Livelsberger was an active-duty Army member, who spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to Army special forces command. The officials also spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details of his service. 

The truck explosion came hours after a driver, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people before being shot to death by police. That crash was being investigated as a terrorist attack and police believe the driver was not acting alone. 

Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran, also spent time at Fort Bragg but one official said so far there is no overlap in their assignments there.
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U.S. President Joe Biden is set to award the nation’s second highest civilian honor to 20 people at a White House ceremony Thursday.

The recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal include Congressman Bennie Thompson and former Congresswoman Elizabeth Cheney, who led a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob seeking to disrupt the certification of Biden’s 2020 election win over Donald Trump.

Trump, who won the 2024 election for a new term starting later this month, has said Thompson and Cheney should be jailed.

A White House statement about Thursday’s honorees said Cheney, a Republican, “raised her voice—and reached across the aisle—to defend our Nation and the ideals we stand for: Freedom. Dignity. And decency.”

The statement said Thompson was “at the forefront of defending the rule of law with unwavering integrity and a steadfast commitment to truth.”

Created in 1969, the Presidential Citizens Medal honors citizens “who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.”

“President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others,” the White House said.  “The country is better because of their dedication and sacrifice.”

Also being honored Thursday are Mary Bonauto and Evan Wolfson, who worked to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States.

Frank Butler is another medal recipient, with the White House highlighting his effort to set standards for the use of tourniquets and saying he “transformed battlefield trauma care for the United States military and saved countless lives.”

Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi is being honored for her successful legal challenge against the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Biden is honoring Eleanor Smeal for her work in leading women’s rights protests and fighting for equal pay for women.

Medals are being awarded to a former congresswoman, Carolyn McCarthy, and a group of former U.S. senators: Bill Bradley, Chris Dodd, Nancy Kassebaum and Ted Kaufman.

Other honorees include Diane Carlson Evans, founder of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation, war correspondent Joseph Galloway, civil rights advocate Louis Redding and photographer Bobby Sager.

Judge Collins Seitz, Fulbright University Vietnam founder Thomas Vallely, breast cancer research advocate Frances Visco and Savannah College of Art and Design founder Paula Wallace are also receiving the Presidential Citizens Medal.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press
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TOKYO — Asian shares mostly slipped Thursday, as the region’s main stock market in Tokyo stayed closed for the New Year’s holidays. 

Investors remained cautious amid worries about what incoming U.S. President Donald Trump might mean for policy changes, while the political uncertainty in South Korea added to a wait-and-see mood. 

Australia’s S&P/ASx 200 rose 0.4% in early trading to 8,193.90. South Korea’s Kospi declined nearly 0.1% to 2,397.54. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 1.3% to 19,807.19, while the Shanghai Composite lost 0.8% to 3,325.56. 

Wall Street trading was closed on Wednesday for the New Year’s Day holiday. 

On Thursday, investors will get an updated snapshot of U.S. construction spending for November, while U.S. manufacturing numbers for December will be released Friday. 

Markets pause to mourn Carter

The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will close their equity and options markets on January 9 in observance of a National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter, continuing a longtime Wall Street tradition of mourning the nation’s leaders. The 39th U.S. president and global humanitarian died on Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100 years old. 

U.S. stock indexes closed mostly lower Tuesday as the market delivered a downbeat finish on the final day of another milestone-shattering year on Wall Street. 

The S&P 500 gave up an early gain to finish down 0.4%. The benchmark index, which set 57 record highs in 2024, racked up a 23.3% gain for the year. This was its second straight year with a gain of more than 20%. The last time the index had as big a back-to-back annual gain was 1998. 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.9%. 

Big Tech stocks led this year’s rally, pushing the Nasdaq to a yearly gain of 28.6%. The Dow, which is far less heavily weighted with tech, rose 12.9% for the year. 

All told, the S&P 500 fell 25.31 points to 5,881.63 on Tuesday. The Dow lost 29.51 points to close at 42,544.22, and the Nasdaq slid 175.99 points to finish at 19,310.79. 

Growth helps drive US market

U.S. markets’ stellar run was driven by a growing economy, solid consumer spending and a strong jobs market. 

Skyrocketing prices for companies in the artificial-intelligence business, such as Nvidia and Super Micro Computer, helped lift the market to new heights. 

After three interest rate cuts in 2024, the Fed has signaled a more cautious approach heading into 2025 with inflation remaining sticky as the country prepares for Trump to transition into the White House. Trump’s threats to hike tariffs on imported goods have raised anxiety that inflation could be reignited as companies pass along the cost of tariffs. 

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude rose 36 cents to $72.08 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added 34 cents to $74.98 a barrel. 

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar inched down to 157.28 Japanese yen from 157.24 yen. The euro cost $1.0373, up from $1.0361. 
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The FBI said late Wednesday authorities were conducting search warrants in New Orleans, Louisiana, and states outside Louisiana as they investigate the attack in which a driver crashed a pickup truck into a crowd and opened fire, killing at least 15 people and injuring at least 30.

Investigators were still working late Wednesday to gather evidence at the scene of the early morning New Year’s Day attack on New Orleans’ popular Bourbon Street.

So far, the FBI has identified the suspect as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar. The agency said it was investigating the attack as an act of terrorism, and that authorities do not believe the driver acted alone.

“The killer was an American citizen born in Texas,” U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday night. “He served in the United States Army in active duty for many years. He also served in the Army Reserve until a few years ago.”

Hours earlier, the suspect indicated in videos posted on social media that the attack was inspired by the Islamic State terror group. The FBI said an Islamic State flag was found in the vehicle after the attack.

Biden said law enforcement and the intelligence community were searching for any potential “connections, associations or co-conspirators.”

“So many people around the world love New Orleans because of its history, its culture, and above all, its people,” Biden said. “So, I know while this person committed a terrible assault on the city, the spirit of our New Orleans will never, never, never be defeated. It always will shine forth.”

Early morning attack

The attack occurred at 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon streets in the city’s lively French Quarter. The historic tourist destination filled with bars and music is also known for its large New Year’s Eve celebrations.

After the vehicle crashed, the driver got out of the car and opened fire on responding officers, police said. Officers returned fire, killing the suspect, according to police. Two officers were wounded but are in stable condition, police said.

“This is not just an act of terrorism. This is evil,” New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters at a press conference earlier Wednesday.

Investigators found weapons and a potential explosive device in the vehicle, the FBI said, along with the other potential explosive devices found in the French Quarter. The vehicle appeared to have been rented, the FBI said.

“My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities,” Biden said in a statement on the social media platform X.

President-elect Donald Trump condemned the attack in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

“Our hearts are with all the innocent victims and their loved ones,” Trump said. “The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!”

In a statement on X, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry urged people to stay away from the site of the attack, calling the incident “a horrific act of violence.”

Crowds were also out partying in New Orleans because the city was set to host college football’s Sugar Bowl game Wednesday night. Officials confirmed that the game would be postponed until Thursday night.

Additionally, New Orleans is set to host the NFL’s Super Bowl on February 9.

VOA national security correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. Some information in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
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Quantum computing is emerging as a revolutionary technology capable of solving complex problems that traditional computers cannot address. The U.S. leads in quantum innovation, driven by companies like Google and IBM, robust government funding and top-tier research institutions. China, however, has rapidly advanced through massive state-led investments, dominating global quantum patents and establishing specialized research centers. 

Click here for the full story in Mandarin.
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The Tournament of Roses Parade is an annual New Year’s Day tradition with lavishly decorated floats brightening the streets of Los Angeles. Genia Dulot shows us a float highlighting efforts to give military veterans second careers in computer coding and cybersecurity.
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las vegas — One person died and seven others were injured Wednesday when a Tesla Cybertruck that appeared to be carrying fireworks caught fire and exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel, authorities said.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and Clark County Fire Department officials told a news conference that a person died inside the futuristic-looking pickup truck, and they were working to get the body out. Seven people nearby had minor injuries, and several were taken to a hospital.

The fire in the valet area of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas was reported at 8:40 a.m., a county spokeswoman said in a statement.

According to a law enforcement official, the truck was rented via the Turo app and appeared to have a load of fireworks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Law enforcement officials have not ruled out terrorism as a possible motive, a person familiar with the matter said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation.

“I know you have a lot of questions,” Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Las Vegas office, told reporters. “We don’t have a lot of answers.”

President Joe Biden was briefed on the explosion. The truck explosion came hours after a driver rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 10 people before he was shot to death by police.

“The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote in a statement on X, adding: “We’ve never seen anything like this.”

In Las Vegas, witness Ana Bruce, visiting from Brazil, said she heard three explosions.

“The first one where we saw the fire, the second one, I guess, was the battery or something like that, and the third was the big one that smoked the entire area and was the moment when everyone was told to evacuate and stay away,” Bruce said.

The 64-story hotel is just off the Las Vegas Strip and across the street from the Fashion Show Las Vegas shopping mall.

Eric Trump, a son of the president-elect and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, posted about the fire on the social media platform X. He praised the fire department and local law enforcement “for their swift response and professionalism.”
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