Former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> has reportedly decided to sue the CEOs of social media giants Facebook, Twitter and Google.

Trump has decided to launch a class-action lawsuit against Facebook CEO&nbsp;Mark Zuckerberg, Google chief Sundar Pichai&nbsp;and Twitter CEO&nbsp;Jack Dorsey after the social media platforms banned the former president, Axios reported on Wednesday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-drank-bleach-to-cure-covid-claims-man-behind-magic-cure-393147" hreflang="en">'Donald Trump drank bleach to cure Covid', claims man behind 'magic cure'</a>

A little after the report, Trump announced his plans to sue the three CEOs. "Today, in conjunction with the America First Policy Institute, I'm filing as the lead class representative, a major class-action lawsuit against the big tech giants including Facebook, Google and Twitter as well as their CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg Sundar Pichai and Jack Dorsey -- three real nice guys," he said in a press conference&nbsp;at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Trump explained that he has decided to sue the three CEOs as their social media platforms have become "enforcers of illegal, unconstitutional censorship".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-told-chief-of-staff-hitler-did-good-things-book-396485" hreflang="en">Trump told Chief of Staff, 'Hitler did good things': Book</a>

The former reality TV star was banned from various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and a few others. The decision was taken as a response to Donald Trump’s posts on social media platforms on January 06 when the Capitol riot took place.Facebook and Twitter were one of the first ones to suspend and ban Trump’s account as the officials believed that Trump was responsible for motivating his supporters to attack the Capitol building on January 06.

Since his ban from social media, the infamous President has tried launching his own blog, which was shut down within a month. After that, his aide has launched a social media app, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/donald-trumps-team-launches-twitter-like-social-media-platform-gettr-395473">GETTR</a>, which resembles Twitter.

Former US President Donald Trump has reportedly decided to sue the CEOs of social media giants Facebook, Twitter and Google. Trump has decided to launch a class-action lawsuit against Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google chief Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey after the social media platforms banned the former president, Axios reported on Wednesday.

Former US President Donald Trump has reportedly decided to sue the CEOs of social media giants Facebook, Twitter and Google. Trump has decided to launch a class-action lawsuit against Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google chief Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey after the social media platforms banned the former president, Axios reported on Wednesday. Also read | 'Donald Trump drank bleach to cure Covid', claims man behind 'magic cure' A little after the report, Trump announced his plans to sue the three CEOs. "Today, in conjunction with the America First Policy Institute, I'm filing as the lead class representative, a major class-action lawsuit against the big tech giants including Facebook, Google and Twitter as well as their CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg Sundar Pichai and Jack Dorsey -- three real nice guys," he said in a press conference at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Trump explained that he has decided to sue the three CEOs as their social media platforms have become "enforcers of illegal, unconstitutional censorship". Also read | Trump told Chief of Staff, 'Hitler did good things': Book The former reality TV star was banned from various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and a few others. The decision was taken as a response to Donald Trump’s posts on social media platforms on January 06 when the Capitol riot took place.Facebook and Twitter were one of the first ones to suspend and ban Trump’s account as the officials believed that Trump was responsible for motivating his supporters to attack the Capitol building on January 06. Since his ban from social media, the infamous President has tried launching his own blog, which was shut down within a month. After that, his aide has launched a social media app, GETTR, which resembles Twitter.

'Three real nice guys': Donald Trump to sue Facebook, Google and Twitter CEO

The former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> has left the White House but he still manages to stay in the spotlight. This time, it is yet another book controversy.

In a recent revelation, Trump once told his then-chief of staff, John Kelly, that "Hitler did a lot of good things".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-was-scared-biden-would-be-replaced-with-hillary-clinton-or-michelle-obama-book-claims-390209">Trump was scared Biden would be replaced with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama, book claims</a>

Since leaving the White House, Trump has been having a hard time deflecting the troubles coming his way in form of statements made by him and recorded by some journalist or writer.

This shocking statement has been recorded by Michael Bender of the Wall Street Journal in his new book titled, 'Frankly, We Did Win This Election'.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-children-cost-taxpayers-140000-in-a-month-383882" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-children-cost-taxpayers-140000-in-a-month-383882&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwinlfzX5NDxAhU3wjgGHQ_9CA8QFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Ewxu8XxS-dpYftcqyr2J2" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-children-cost-taxpayers-140000-in-a-month-383882" target="_blank">Donald&nbsp;Trump's&nbsp;'children' cost taxpayers $140,000 in a month</a>

The incident, reportedly, took place while Trump was on a visit to Europe to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the first world war. During a few relaxing moments, Kelly was explaining to Trump "which countries were on which side during the conflict" and "connected the dots from the first world war to the second world war and all of Hitler’s atrocities".

This was when Trump insisted that Hitler "did a lot of good things". As per sources, quoted by Bender, Kelly was quick to dismiss Trump’s statements and he "told the president that he was wrong, but Trump was undeterred". Trump, reportedly, justified his statement by stressing Germany’s economic recovery during the 1930s under Hitler’s rule.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-drank-bleach-to-cure-covid-claims-man-behind-magic-cure-393147" hreflang="en">'Donald Trump drank bleach to cure Covid', claims man behind 'magic cure'</a>

"Kelly pushed back again," Bender writes, "and argued that the German people would have been better off poor than subjected to the Nazi genocide."

As per the book, Kelly stood his ground opposing Trump and told the former reality TV star "you cannot ever say anything supportive of&nbsp;Adolf Hitler. You just can't."

This incident took place at the same time when Trump had landed himself in trouble by allegedly calling US troops who died in the war "losers" and "suckers".

Trump has, however, denied all claims. The book, meanwhile, is due to release on July 13, 2021. Media organisation, the Guardian, has obtained a copy of the book in advance.

The former US President Donald Trump has left the White House but he still manages to stay in the spotlight. This time, it is yet another book controversy. In a recent revelation, Trump once told his then-chief of staff, John Kelly, that "Hitler did a lot of good things".

The former US President Donald Trump has left the White House but he still manages to stay in the spotlight. This time, it is yet another book controversy. In a recent revelation, Trump once told his then-chief of staff, John Kelly, that "Hitler did a lot of good things". Also read | Trump was scared Biden would be replaced with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama, book claims Since leaving the White House, Trump has been having a hard time deflecting the troubles coming his way in form of statements made by him and recorded by some journalist or writer. This shocking statement has been recorded by Michael Bender of the Wall Street Journal in his new book titled, 'Frankly, We Did Win This Election'. Also read | Donald Trump's 'children' cost taxpayers $140,000 in a month The incident, reportedly, took place while Trump was on a visit to Europe to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the first world war. During a few relaxing moments, Kelly was explaining to Trump "which countries were on which side during the conflict" and "connected the dots from the first world war to the second world war and all of Hitler’s atrocities". This was when Trump insisted that Hitler "did a lot of good things". As per sources, quoted by Bender, Kelly was quick to dismiss Trump’s statements and he "told the president that he was wrong, but Trump was undeterred". Trump, reportedly, justified his statement by stressing Germany’s economic recovery during the 1930s under Hitler’s rule. Also read | 'Donald Trump drank bleach to cure Covid', claims man behind 'magic cure' "Kelly pushed back again," Bender writes, "and argued that the German people would have been better off poor than subjected to the Nazi genocide." As per the book, Kelly stood his ground opposing Trump and told the former reality TV star "you cannot ever say anything supportive of Adolf Hitler. You just can't." This incident took place at the same time when Trump had landed himself in trouble by allegedly calling US troops who died in the war "losers" and "suckers". Trump has, however, denied all claims. The book, meanwhile, is due to release on July 13, 2021. Media organisation, the Guardian, has obtained a copy of the book in advance.

Trump told Chief of Staff, 'Hitler did good things': Book

Donald Trump’s former White House physician, Ronny Jackson, has urged for a cognitive test for US president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> to determine his mental health.<o:p></o:p>

"The far left and the mainstream media were demanding that be the new standard for anybody who's going to lead our country and be our Commander-in-Chief and our head of state," Jackson said in an interview at Fox News. "I'm just saying I agree with them at this point—we need to get it done."<o:p></o:p>

Jackson had appeared on the channel to discuss the President’s cognitive abilities after former US President Donald Trump has made repetitive claims that Biden was unfit to lead the country.<o:p></o:p>

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">ex-Trump aide</a> believes there is something ‘concerning’ happening with Biden which needs to be addressed on priority for the well-being of the President and the nation.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ex-white-house-physician-urges-cognitive-test-for-biden-395925">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ex-white-house-physician-urges-cognitive-test-for-biden-395925/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"I think he's demonstrating every single day that there is something going on," Jackson said. "You don't need to be a physician to look at this behaviour and see there's something concerning happening."<o:p></o:p>

"You can go back – there's 40 years of tape of this man – he's always made gaffes and stuff but these are different, he's confused, he's disoriented," Jackson added. "He's just not ageing gracefully at this point."<o:p></o:p>

The cognitive test being talked about is Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). It is a 30-point test that helps evaluate memory impairment.

<o:p>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-mixes-up-syria-and-libya-at-g7-news-conference-391509">Biden mixes up Syria and Libya at G7 news conference</a></o:p>

Trump had taken the test in 2018 after critics had questioned his ability to run the country. Interestingly, Trump had managed to score a perfect score of 30 out of 30. <o:p></o:p>

Jackson appreciated Trump for taking the test in 2018 and said the former reality TV star has set a precedent which all future presidents should follow.<o:p></o:p>

Biden’s team has announced that the leader will be taking his presidential physical later this year, but whether MoCA will be a part of that evaluation is still unclear.<o:p></o:p>

"I'm just asking them when you do the physical exam include the cognitive assessment," Jackson said. "As far as I'm concerned the standard precedent has been set and they need to follow and do the same."<o:p></o:p>

Trump has not left this opportunity to belittle his opponent. He recently boasted about his perfect score and challenged Biden to achieve the same.<o:p></o:p>

"He will get the first two. There are 35 questions and the first two or three are pretty easy. They are the animals. This is a lion, a giraffe. When he gets to around 20, he's gonna have a little hard time. I think he's gonna have a hard time with the first few, actually," Trump was quoted saying.<o:p></o:p>

Donald Trump’s former White House physician, Ronny Jackson, has urged for a cognitive test for US president Joe Biden to determine his mental health. "The far left and the mainstream media were demanding that be the new standard for anybody who's going to lead our country and be our Commander-in-Chief and our head of state," Jackson said in an interview at Fox News.

Donald Trump’s former White House physician, Ronny Jackson, has urged for a cognitive test for US president Joe Biden to determine his mental health. "The far left and the mainstream media were demanding that be the new standard for anybody who's going to lead our country and be our Commander-in-Chief and our head of state," Jackson said in an interview at Fox News. "I'm just saying I agree with them at this point—we need to get it done." Jackson had appeared on the channel to discuss the President’s cognitive abilities after former US President Donald Trump has made repetitive claims that Biden was unfit to lead the country. The ex-Trump aide believes there is something ‘concerning’ happening with Biden which needs to be addressed on priority for the well-being of the President and the nation. WATCH | "I think he's demonstrating every single day that there is something going on," Jackson said. "You don't need to be a physician to look at this behaviour and see there's something concerning happening." "You can go back – there's 40 years of tape of this man – he's always made gaffes and stuff but these are different, he's confused, he's disoriented," Jackson added. "He's just not ageing gracefully at this point." The cognitive test being talked about is Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). It is a 30-point test that helps evaluate memory impairment. Also read | Biden mixes up Syria and Libya at G7 news conference Trump had taken the test in 2018 after critics had questioned his ability to run the country. Interestingly, Trump had managed to score a perfect score of 30 out of 30. Jackson appreciated Trump for taking the test in 2018 and said the former reality TV star has set a precedent which all future presidents should follow. Biden’s team has announced that the leader will be taking his presidential physical later this year, but whether MoCA will be a part of that evaluation is still unclear. "I'm just asking them when you do the physical exam include the cognitive assessment," Jackson said. "As far as I'm concerned the standard precedent has been set and they need to follow and do the same." Trump has not left this opportunity to belittle his opponent. He recently boasted about his perfect score and challenged Biden to achieve the same. "He will get the first two. There are 35 questions and the first two or three are pretty easy. They are the animals. This is a lion, a giraffe. When he gets to around 20, he's gonna have a little hard time. I think he's gonna have a hard time with the first few, actually," Trump was quoted saying.

'Something concerning': Ex-Trump doctor urges Biden to take cognitive test

Several verified profile pages on Gettr, Jason Miller's new social networking platform, were reportedly hacked and defiled. Miller was once an adviser to former President Trump.&nbsp;

Within hours of its opening on Sunday, the social media site Gettr had over half a million registrations.&nbsp;

"The problem was detected and sealed in a matter of minutes, and all the intruder was able to accomplish was to change a few user names," Miller said in an emailed statement.

Gettr, a Twitter-style platform with posts and trending topics, describes itself as "a non-bias social network for individuals all over the world" via the Google and Apple app stores.&nbsp;

A writer for Salon posted screenshots on Twitter of several Gettr profiles, including those of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Miller himself, that were altered to read "JubaBaghdad was here, follow me in Twitter :)".

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Jason Miller's new right-wing social media site "Gettr" was hacked this morning. <a href="https://t.co/cncddw9RZ9">pic.twitter.com/cncddw9RZ9</a>
— Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZTPetrizzo/status/1411697118079860741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Asked about security on the new social media said, Miller, said the situation had been "rectified."

Following his ban from Facebook and Twitter in January following the Capitol building insurgency, Trump announced his intention to start his own social media site. 
 
On his website, he created a blog called "From the Desk of Donald J Trump" in May, but it was shut down and archived in June.

At the time, Miller had stated that the website was not meant to be Trump's social media platform.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Several verified profile pages on Gettr, Jason Miller's new social networking platform, were reportedly hacked and defiled. Miller was once an adviser to former President Trump.

Several verified profile pages on Gettr, Jason Miller's new social networking platform, were reportedly hacked and defiled. Miller was once an adviser to former President Trump. Within hours of its opening on Sunday, the social media site Gettr had over half a million registrations. "The problem was detected and sealed in a matter of minutes, and all the intruder was able to accomplish was to change a few user names," Miller said in an emailed statement. Gettr, a Twitter-style platform with posts and trending topics, describes itself as "a non-bias social network for individuals all over the world" via the Google and Apple app stores. A writer for Salon posted screenshots on Twitter of several Gettr profiles, including those of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Miller himself, that were altered to read "JubaBaghdad was here, follow me in Twitter :)". Jason Miller's new right-wing social media site "Gettr" was hacked this morning. pic.twitter.com/cncddw9RZ9 — Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) July 4, 2021 × Asked about security on the new social media said, Miller, said the situation had been "rectified." Following his ban from Facebook and Twitter in January following the Capitol building insurgency, Trump announced his intention to start his own social media site. On his website, he created a blog called "From the Desk of Donald J Trump" in May, but it was shut down and archived in June. At the time, Miller had stated that the website was not meant to be Trump's social media platform. (With inputs from agencies)

Gettr, social media app created by a former Trump aide, hacked

Former US President, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, was a fan of&nbsp;Twitter until he was banned from it. However, keeping in mind the love for the social media platform, his team has now launched a similar platform.

Donald Trump’s former senior advisor Jason Miller has launched a Twitter-style platform, GETTR, to promote free speech and "non-bias" content.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-organizations-cfo-allen-weisselberg-surrenders-to-face-charges-395213" hreflang="en">Trump Organization's CFO Allen Weisselberg surrenders to face charges</a>

On the Google and Apple app stores, GETTR describes itself as a “non-bias social network for people all over the world".

While the platform has been launched keeping in mind the former president’s love for social media, Trump has not yet signed up for GETTR.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-york-prosecutors-give-donald-trump-24-hours-deadline-on-legal-action-report-394470" hreflang="en">New York prosecutors give Donald Trump 24-hour deadline on legal action: Report</a>

"As of this moment President Trump is not on the platform, I do have 'realDonaldTrump' reserved," Miller said. In a local interview. "Mr President, if you're watching, go ahead and hop on this weekend."

Miller says he launched this platform to promote a cancel-free environment. "Independent from social media monopolies, independent from cancel culture; embracing free speech—our [July 4] launch…is very much intentional," he said.

The app has been appearing in the Top 10 charts since its launch on Android and iOS.

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And #3 on social media apps! <a href="https://t.co/URUomRfTY4">pic.twitter.com/URUomRfTY4</a>
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonMillerinDC/status/1411099141657276416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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However, the app is not quite positively popular. Apparently, the content on GETTR has been promoting racism, sexual violence, homophobia&nbsp;and more.

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went briefly to gettr to see how things were developing and these were the hashtags on the first get i saw <a href="https://t.co/xsFMjhGOzH">pic.twitter.com/xsFMjhGOzH</a>
— consent manufacturers union (@Theophite) <a href="https://twitter.com/Theophite/status/1411160821279772677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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btw i dont support anything on GETTR 
 
just using it to meme around 👍
— Frezzi 🏳️‍⚧️ (@Frezzi54) <a href="https://twitter.com/Frezzi54/status/1411167734000455681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Ok can we all stop talking about gettr it’s getting annoying lmao
— Ecolo Voyager 🛸 (@EternalEcolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/EternalEcolo/status/1411184736140087297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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If you download GETTR, I’m just gonna sit here and assume you’re racist and/or homophobic <a href="https://t.co/7EV7q2NgYK">pic.twitter.com/7EV7q2NgYK</a>
— chris 💍💕🏳️‍🌈 (@cwcomfychomps) <a href="https://twitter.com/cwcomfychomps/status/1411160387517562880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Former US President, Donald Trump, was a fan of Twitter until he was banned from it. However, keeping in mind the love for the social media platform, his team has now launched a similar platform.

Former US President, Donald Trump, was a fan of Twitter until he was banned from it. However, keeping in mind the love for the social media platform, his team has now launched a similar platform. Donald Trump’s former senior advisor Jason Miller has launched a Twitter-style platform, GETTR, to promote free speech and "non-bias" content. Also read | Trump Organization's CFO Allen Weisselberg surrenders to face charges On the Google and Apple app stores, GETTR describes itself as a “non-bias social network for people all over the world". While the platform has been launched keeping in mind the former president’s love for social media, Trump has not yet signed up for GETTR. Also read | New York prosecutors give Donald Trump 24-hour deadline on legal action: Report "As of this moment President Trump is not on the platform, I do have 'realDonaldTrump' reserved," Miller said. In a local interview. "Mr President, if you're watching, go ahead and hop on this weekend." Miller says he launched this platform to promote a cancel-free environment. "Independent from social media monopolies, independent from cancel culture; embracing free speech—our [July 4] launch…is very much intentional," he said. The app has been appearing in the Top 10 charts since its launch on Android and iOS. And #3 on social media apps! pic.twitter.com/URUomRfTY4 — Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) July 2, 2021 × However, the app is not quite positively popular. Apparently, the content on GETTR has been promoting racism, sexual violence, homophobia and more. went briefly to gettr to see how things were developing and these were the hashtags on the first get i saw pic.twitter.com/xsFMjhGOzH — consent manufacturers union (@Theophite) July 3, 2021 × btw i dont support anything on GETTR just using it to meme around 👍 — Frezzi 🏳️‍⚧️ (@Frezzi54) July 3, 2021 × Ok can we all stop talking about gettr it’s getting annoying lmao — Ecolo Voyager 🛸 (@EternalEcolo) July 3, 2021 × If you download GETTR, I’m just gonna sit here and assume you’re racist and/or homophobic pic.twitter.com/7EV7q2NgYK — chris 💍💕🏳️‍🌈 (@cwcomfychomps) July 3, 2021 ×

Donald Trump's team launches Twitter-like social media platform GETTR

The former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> held a rally in Sarasota, Florida where he once again questioned the results of US election 2020.

Trump once again questioned the authority and capability of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden?page=1">Joe Bide</a>n to run the country. "I got far more votes than any other sitting President of our country, be it Obama, or anybody," Trump roared in the crowd. "I don't know if it's Joe Biden? Does anybody know who it is (running our country)?"

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/place-of-hate-donald-trumps-team-launches-twitter-like-social-media-platform-gettr-395473" hreflang="en">'Place of hate': Donald Trump's team launches Twitter-like social media platform GETTR</a>

The appearance came at a time when the Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer, Allen Weisselberg, have pleaded not guilty to criminal charges with regard to tax fraud.

However, once again, without any proof, Trump has accused the prosecutors of being politically motivated in their investigations. "The Republican party should not allow this to happen. It’s a radical left disgrace to our country, and nobody should stand for it – not even Democrats. Republicans must fight back. This will rip our country apart!," he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-orders-investigation-into-ransomware-attack-that-targetted-1000-businesses-395642" hreflang="en">Joe Biden orders investigation into ransomware attack that targetted 1,000 businesses</a>

His campaign rally coincided with the Fourth of July weekend and was supposed to feature fireworks as part of the Independence Day celebrations.

While there are no elections scheduled in the US in the next year, Trump is gearing for his re-run in 2024 and claims that "it’s not that I want to. The country needs it. We have to take care of this country. It isn’t fun, fighting constantly, fighting always," he said in an interview in local media channel, Fox News.

The former US President Donald Trump held a rally in Sarasota, Florida where he once again questioned the results of US election 2020. Trump once again questioned the authority and capability of Joe Biden to run the country.

The former US President Donald Trump held a rally in Sarasota, Florida where he once again questioned the results of US election 2020. Trump once again questioned the authority and capability of Joe Biden to run the country. "I got far more votes than any other sitting President of our country, be it Obama, or anybody," Trump roared in the crowd. "I don't know if it's Joe Biden? Does anybody know who it is (running our country)?" Also read | 'Place of hate': Donald Trump's team launches Twitter-like social media platform GETTR The appearance came at a time when the Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer, Allen Weisselberg, have pleaded not guilty to criminal charges with regard to tax fraud. However, once again, without any proof, Trump has accused the prosecutors of being politically motivated in their investigations. "The Republican party should not allow this to happen. It’s a radical left disgrace to our country, and nobody should stand for it – not even Democrats. Republicans must fight back. This will rip our country apart!," he said. Also read | Joe Biden orders investigation into ransomware attack that targetted 1,000 businesses His campaign rally coincided with the Fourth of July weekend and was supposed to feature fireworks as part of the Independence Day celebrations. While there are no elections scheduled in the US in the next year, Trump is gearing for his re-run in 2024 and claims that "it’s not that I want to. The country needs it. We have to take care of this country. It isn’t fun, fighting constantly, fighting always," he said in an interview in local media channel, Fox News.

Donald Trump holds rally in Florida; questions Biden's presidency

Former US President Donald Trump's company and its long-time Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Allen Weisselberg, have been charged with a 15-year alleged tax scheme that marked the first criminal case against Trump's namesake organisation.

Trump organisation, CFO charged with a 15-year tax scheme

In a bid to reclaim the spotlight, Donald Trump visited the border wall in Mexico. The Former US President wants to return to the political mainstream. But, legal scrutiny of his businesses could push him back into political oblivion.

Gravitas: Donald Trump visits the wall he built

House Speaker Nancy&nbsp;Pelosi&nbsp;on Thursday appointed a fierce critic of Donald Trump from within his party to a select committee investigating the January 6 US Capitol insurrection, in a move challenging other Republicans to join the fact-finding probe.

Congresswoman Liz Cheney, recently booted from Republican leadership because she refused to tone down her public criticism of Trump, said she was honored to have been picked to serve on the panel.

"What happened on January 6th can never happen again," Cheney said in a statement, referring to the deadly riot that occurred when a pro-Trump mob broke through police lines, threatened lawmakers and ransacked parts of the Capitol.

"Those who are responsible for the attack need to be held accountable and this select committee will fulfill that responsibility in&nbsp;a professional, expeditious and non-partisan manner," she said.

Cheney was one of two Republicans who voted Wednesday to establish the panel, complete with subpoena power, weeks after Senate Republicans blocked an independent and bipartisan 9/11-style national commission.

The House's top Republican Kevin McCarthy said it was "shocking" and "unprecedented" for Cheney to accept the committee post from the Democratic speaker.&nbsp;

But he insisted he had not threatened her with removal from her standard committee assignments.

McCarthy also warned that the process had become too politicized.

Pelosi&nbsp;assigned Bennie Thompson to head the select committee, one of seven Democrats she named to the 13-member panel.&nbsp;

It was not clear whether McCarthy would name any Republicans.

"We had hoped that they would choose them expeditiously," the speaker said.

Pelosi's office said the committee will investigate the facts and causes of the "terrorist mob attack" on the Capitol, and will report its finding and recommendations for preventing future attacks.

Republicans who oppose the panel have pointed to the more than 500 people arrested for their part in the unrest, and said those court cases will help shed sufficient light on what happened.

Pelosi&nbsp;and Thompson said they could not provide a timeline for the committee's final report, but it could be completed in 2022, the year of closely watched midterm elections.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday appointed a fierce critic of Donald Trump from within his party to a select committee investigating the January 6 US Capitol insurrection, in a move challenging other Republicans to join the fact-finding probe.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday appointed a fierce critic of Donald Trump from within his party to a select committee investigating the January 6 US Capitol insurrection, in a move challenging other Republicans to join the fact-finding probe. Congresswoman Liz Cheney, recently booted from Republican leadership because she refused to tone down her public criticism of Trump, said she was honored to have been picked to serve on the panel. "What happened on January 6th can never happen again," Cheney said in a statement, referring to the deadly riot that occurred when a pro-Trump mob broke through police lines, threatened lawmakers and ransacked parts of the Capitol. "Those who are responsible for the attack need to be held accountable and this select committee will fulfill that responsibility in a professional, expeditious and non-partisan manner," she said. Cheney was one of two Republicans who voted Wednesday to establish the panel, complete with subpoena power, weeks after Senate Republicans blocked an independent and bipartisan 9/11-style national commission. The House's top Republican Kevin McCarthy said it was "shocking" and "unprecedented" for Cheney to accept the committee post from the Democratic speaker. But he insisted he had not threatened her with removal from her standard committee assignments. McCarthy also warned that the process had become too politicized. Pelosi assigned Bennie Thompson to head the select committee, one of seven Democrats she named to the 13-member panel. It was not clear whether McCarthy would name any Republicans. "We had hoped that they would choose them expeditiously," the speaker said. Pelosi's office said the committee will investigate the facts and causes of the "terrorist mob attack" on the Capitol, and will report its finding and recommendations for preventing future attacks. Republicans who oppose the panel have pointed to the more than 500 people arrested for their part in the unrest, and said those court cases will help shed sufficient light on what happened. Pelosi and Thompson said they could not provide a timeline for the committee's final report, but it could be completed in 2022, the year of closely watched midterm elections.

Pelosi picks Republican Trump critic for Jan 6 panel

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday he would hand over power to whoever wins next year's presidential election cleanly - but not if there is any fraud.

His comments will do little to dispel the concerns of his critics, who fear that the far-right former army captain will not accept any election loss in next year's vote. Bolsonaro is almost certain to face his political nemesis, former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Polls show Lula ahead.

"I'll hand over the presidential sash to whoever wins the election cleanly," Bolsonaro said in a weekly address via social media. "Not with fraud."

Since his 2018 election victory, Bolsonaro has made baseless allegations of voter fraud in Brazil, which critics say could lay the groundwork to challenge upcoming elections in the same vein as his political idol, former US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

Bolsonaro backed Trump's claims of a stolen election last year, which culminated in a deadly January&nbsp;6 assault on the Capitol building in Washington by Trump supporters.

In recent months, Bolsonaro has been touting a bill for printed ballots rather than Brazil's modern computer voting. He has said the printed ballots will be easier to audit, and are thus more likely to avoid fraud. Few experts agree, and the bill has yet to gain much traction in Congress.

On Thursday, Bolsonaro said he was "alerting" people about the possibility of problems if the current electronic system remains in place.

"The people won't accept it," he said.

Bolsonaro also said his government was in talks about extending an emergency coronavirus aid package for two or three more months.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday he would hand over power to whoever wins next year's presidential election cleanly - but not if there is any fraud.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday he would hand over power to whoever wins next year's presidential election cleanly - but not if there is any fraud. His comments will do little to dispel the concerns of his critics, who fear that the far-right former army captain will not accept any election loss in next year's vote. Bolsonaro is almost certain to face his political nemesis, former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Polls show Lula ahead. "I'll hand over the presidential sash to whoever wins the election cleanly," Bolsonaro said in a weekly address via social media. "Not with fraud." Since his 2018 election victory, Bolsonaro has made baseless allegations of voter fraud in Brazil, which critics say could lay the groundwork to challenge upcoming elections in the same vein as his political idol, former US President Donald Trump. Bolsonaro backed Trump's claims of a stolen election last year, which culminated in a deadly January 6 assault on the Capitol building in Washington by Trump supporters. In recent months, Bolsonaro has been touting a bill for printed ballots rather than Brazil's modern computer voting. He has said the printed ballots will be easier to audit, and are thus more likely to avoid fraud. Few experts agree, and the bill has yet to gain much traction in Congress. On Thursday, Bolsonaro said he was "alerting" people about the possibility of problems if the current electronic system remains in place. "The people won't accept it," he said. Bolsonaro also said his government was in talks about extending an emergency coronavirus aid package for two or three more months.

Brazil's Bolsonaro says he won't hand over presidency if there is vote fraud

Former US president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-york-prosecutors-give-donald-trump-24-hours-deadline-on-legal-action-report-394470">Donald Trump's </a>chief financial officer(CFO) Allen Weisselberg surrendered to New York authorities on Thursday over reported tax-related offences.

The Trump organization's CFO's surrender comes as Manhattan district attorney conducted large scale investigation into the company's business dealings.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-donald-trumps-grand-political-return-in-ohio-394566/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Reports say the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/donald-trump-joins-video-platform-rumble-ahead-of-ohio-rally-394198">Trump</a> Organization is also expected to be charged even as the former president had indicated he may fight the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-president-donald-trump-attacks-fauci-hints-at-re-run-in-2024-election-390165">2024 US elections</a>.

The charges are set to brought by the district attorney&nbsp;Cyrus Vance who has been working with investigators from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The Trump Organization in a statement said Vance was using Weisselberg "as a pawn in a scorched earth attempt to harm the former president."

However, Trump himself is not expected to be charged, according to reports even as the former president called the investigation a "witch hunt".

"The district attorney is bringing a criminal prosecution involving employee benefits that neither the IRS nor any other district attorney would ever think of bringing," the Trump Organization said.

"This is not justice. This is politics," it added.

The charges against Weisselberg reportedly includes whether he and other executives at the Trump Organisation avoided paying taxes on perks in rent-free apartments and leased cars.

Reports say Weisselberg is set to plead not guilty with the exact charges set to be announced.

(With inputs from Agencies)

 
&nbsp;

Former US president Donald Trump's chief financial officer(CFO) Allen Weisselberg surrendered to New York authorities on Thursday over reported tax-related offences.

Former US president Donald Trump's chief financial officer(CFO) Allen Weisselberg surrendered to New York authorities on Thursday over reported tax-related offences. The Trump organization's CFO's surrender comes as Manhattan district attorney conducted large scale investigation into the company's business dealings. Watch: Reports say the Trump Organization is also expected to be charged even as the former president had indicated he may fight the 2024 US elections. The charges are set to brought by the district attorney Cyrus Vance who has been working with investigators from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James. The Trump Organization in a statement said Vance was using Weisselberg "as a pawn in a scorched earth attempt to harm the former president." However, Trump himself is not expected to be charged, according to reports even as the former president called the investigation a "witch hunt". "The district attorney is bringing a criminal prosecution involving employee benefits that neither the IRS nor any other district attorney would ever think of bringing," the Trump Organization said. "This is not justice. This is politics," it added. The charges against Weisselberg reportedly includes whether he and other executives at the Trump Organisation avoided paying taxes on perks in rent-free apartments and leased cars. Reports say Weisselberg is set to plead not guilty with the exact charges set to be announced. (With inputs from Agencies)

Trump Organization's CFO Allen Weisselberg surrenders to face charges

Former US President Donald Trump visited the US-Mexico border on Wednesday, where he unleashed a wave of attacks on President Joe Biden and denounce an immigration crisis.

Former US President Trump visits the US-Mexico border, pushes anti-immigrant rhetoric

Donald Trump is back. The former U.S. President made a grand return at a rally in Ohio. There were flags, songs & cheers along with a promise of coming back to power in 2024

Gravitas: Donald Trump's grand political return in Ohio

Prosecutors in New York have reportedly set a deadline of 24 hours for former US President Donald Trump to make any last arguments with respect to a case against his family business. A report by the Washington Post on Sunday claimed that criminal charges could be filed against Trump and this could be his last chance to respond.

Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance and New York attorney general Letitia James are considering filing criminal charges against Donald Trump’s company as an entity. The deadline makes the potential of charges more grave than anticipated.&nbsp;

It was reported on Friday that Vance could announce the criminal charges against the Trump Organization and its lead financial officer Allen Weisselberg in less than a week.

These charges would be the first to be put forward against Trump and his business dealings&nbsp;by Cyrus Vance.

According to The Guardian, an indictment against the Trump Organization could cause the company to go bankrupt by undermining its relationships with banks and other business partners. According to Vance’s office, they’re currently looking into “possible extensive and protracted criminal conduct” at the Trump Organization.

These investigations are looking into tax and insurance fraud, along with claims of falsification of business records.

Even in the absence of any charges, Vance’s investigation could work as a roadblock in Trump’s hopes of becoming president again.

The former US president has been largely silent after being banned on Twitter on Facebook for his role in inciting the Capitol riots.

As part of the investigation, James is assessing whether the Trump Organization inflated the values of some properties in a bid to get better terms on loans. In addition, James is investigating whether the value of these properties was lowered to obtain property tax breaks.

Prosecutors in New York have reportedly set a deadline of 24 hours for former US President Donald Trump to make any last arguments with respect to a case against his family business.

Prosecutors in New York have reportedly set a deadline of 24 hours for former US President Donald Trump to make any last arguments with respect to a case against his family business. A report by the Washington Post on Sunday claimed that criminal charges could be filed against Trump and this could be his last chance to respond. Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance and New York attorney general Letitia James are considering filing criminal charges against Donald Trump’s company as an entity. The deadline makes the potential of charges more grave than anticipated. It was reported on Friday that Vance could announce the criminal charges against the Trump Organization and its lead financial officer Allen Weisselberg in less than a week. These charges would be the first to be put forward against Trump and his business dealings by Cyrus Vance. According to The Guardian, an indictment against the Trump Organization could cause the company to go bankrupt by undermining its relationships with banks and other business partners. According to Vance’s office, they’re currently looking into “possible extensive and protracted criminal conduct” at the Trump Organization. These investigations are looking into tax and insurance fraud, along with claims of falsification of business records. Even in the absence of any charges, Vance’s investigation could work as a roadblock in Trump’s hopes of becoming president again. The former US president has been largely silent after being banned on Twitter on Facebook for his role in inciting the Capitol riots. As part of the investigation, James is assessing whether the Trump Organization inflated the values of some properties in a bid to get better terms on loans. In addition, James is investigating whether the value of these properties was lowered to obtain property tax breaks.

New York prosecutors give Donald Trump 24-hour deadline on legal action: Report

Vice President Kamala&nbsp;Harris&nbsp;visited a border patrol facility near the US-Mexico border on Friday, aiming to counter claims from Republicans she has been slow to visit the region as part of her role addressing the root causes of immigration.

The trip&nbsp;comes a few days before Donald Trump visits the border, on June 30, in a bid to contrast his tough stance on immigration with successor Biden's more humane approach.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-vice-president-to-visit-us-mexico-border-under-immigration-scrutiny-393931/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"The vice president's trip to Guatemala and Mexico earlier this year was about the root causes, and this border visit is about the effects," her spokesperson Symone Sanders, told reporters on Thursday. "Both trips will inform the administration's root causes strategy."

Harris&nbsp;was accompanied in El Paso by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin and Democratic Representative from Texas Veronica Escobar, who called the El Paso area the new "Ellis Island," a reference to the famed area in New York Harbor that processed millions of immigrants as they entered the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Hundreds of thousands of migrants, many fleeing poverty and violence in Central America, have attempted to cross into the United States in recent months, prompting scathing criticism from Republicans that President Joe Biden's more humane approach to immigration was provoking rather than preventing a crisis.

Those numbers were boosted by a coronavirus pandemic-related ban on seeking asylum, which encouraged repeated attempts to cross the border because getting caught carried no legal consequences.

Biden tasked&nbsp;Harris&nbsp;earlier this year with overseeing efforts to address what the administration describes as root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

The vice president traveled to Guatemala and Mexico in early June to address the issue, but caught flak from critics for comments that appeared to downplay the border crisis.&nbsp;

She was also criticized for not stopping at the border for a firsthand look at the situation during her international mission.

Harris&nbsp;continues to address the root causes of illegal immigration "and work in coordination to get the situation under control," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

"This trip to the border on Friday will be a part of this effort."

Harris advisers have been careful to emphasize that her main focus related to immigration is addressing the root causes of migration.

She has been seeking economic and humanitarian solutions to improve conditions for residents of Central and North American countries who flee to the US. Her aides framed her trip to the border as part of an effort to better understand how to solve the problem.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited a border patrol facility near the US-Mexico border on Friday, aiming to counter claims from Republicans she has been slow to visit the region as part of her role addressing the root causes of immigration.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited a border patrol facility near the US-Mexico border on Friday, aiming to counter claims from Republicans she has been slow to visit the region as part of her role addressing the root causes of immigration. The trip comes a few days before Donald Trump visits the border, on June 30, in a bid to contrast his tough stance on immigration with successor Biden's more humane approach. "The vice president's trip to Guatemala and Mexico earlier this year was about the root causes, and this border visit is about the effects," her spokesperson Symone Sanders, told reporters on Thursday. "Both trips will inform the administration's root causes strategy." Harris was accompanied in El Paso by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin and Democratic Representative from Texas Veronica Escobar, who called the El Paso area the new "Ellis Island," a reference to the famed area in New York Harbor that processed millions of immigrants as they entered the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Hundreds of thousands of migrants, many fleeing poverty and violence in Central America, have attempted to cross into the United States in recent months, prompting scathing criticism from Republicans that President Joe Biden's more humane approach to immigration was provoking rather than preventing a crisis. Those numbers were boosted by a coronavirus pandemic-related ban on seeking asylum, which encouraged repeated attempts to cross the border because getting caught carried no legal consequences. Biden tasked Harris earlier this year with overseeing efforts to address what the administration describes as root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The vice president traveled to Guatemala and Mexico in early June to address the issue, but caught flak from critics for comments that appeared to downplay the border crisis. She was also criticized for not stopping at the border for a firsthand look at the situation during her international mission. Harris continues to address the root causes of illegal immigration "and work in coordination to get the situation under control," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. "This trip to the border on Friday will be a part of this effort." Harris advisers have been careful to emphasize that her main focus related to immigration is addressing the root causes of migration. She has been seeking economic and humanitarian solutions to improve conditions for residents of Central and North American countries who flee to the US. Her aides framed her trip to the border as part of an effort to better understand how to solve the problem.

US Vice President Kamala Harris visits US-Mexico border after facing criticism for absence

According to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal, the COVID-19 pandemic might’ve caused the worst decline in US life expectancy, that too while disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic Americans. &nbsp;

The research collaboration between Woolf and researchers at the University of Colorado and the Urban Institute in Washington DC shows that in the most precipitous decline since World War-II, the pandemic caused American life expectancy to decline by 1.87 years which is around 8.5 times worse than the decline in 16 peer nations.

This decline is expected to worsen the gap in Life expectancy for the US compared to&nbsp;the other developed nations, some of which have experienced a rise even amid the pandemic. According to the researchers, this might be due to the disjointed American response to the pandemic.

The study’s lead author, Dr Steven Woolf says that “When the pandemic came, my naive assumption was that it would not have a big impact on the pre-existing gap between the US and peer countries."

“It was a global pandemic, and I assumed that every country would take a hit. What I did not anticipate was how badly the US would fare in the pandemic, and the enormous death toll that the US would experience,” said Woolf, director emeritus of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center on Society and Health.

Even with the ongoing vaccination efforts, more people are losing their life. Since 2020, in the US more than 600,000 people have died.

Figures show that with higher rates of infection and death, a disproportionate ratio of suffering is witnessed among racial and ethnic minorities and low-income people.

According to the authors, this research, “draws attention to the root causes of racial inequities in health, wealth and wellbeing. Foremost among these root causes is systemic racism”.

They add that, “extensive research has shown that systems of power in the US structure opportunity and assign value in ways that unfairly disadvantage Black, Hispanic, Asian, and indigenous populations, and unfairly advantage White people.”

According to the research compared to a decline of 1.36 years from the life of a white man, Black and Hispanic individuals lose 3.25 and 3.88 years respectively.

This dramatic decline has erased a decade worth of progress, in eliminating the racial gap in life expectancy. Now on par with their life expectancy in 1988, Black men in America can expect to live 67.73 years.

Even as this research presents these eye-opening facts and figures, it still falls short of a complete picture of the discrepancies that exist between America’s white population and its ethnic groups. As the National Researchers Center for Health Statistics does not collect data for native Americans, Pacific islanders or Asian people, the research was unable to estimate the pandemic’s impacts on the life expectancy of these groups.

Over the last year, researchers and experts have linked the longstanding and complex like unequal opportunities for people of colour and underinvestment in public health&nbsp;to the US’s extraordinary death toll. The botched effort under Donald Trump during the pandemic has also greatly contributed to the divide.

Authors note that an unknown yet considerable proportion of people infected with COVID-19 may have “long-haul” symptoms.

“The pandemic will have short and long term effects on the social determinants of health, changing living conditions in many communities, and altering life course trajectories across age groups,” wrote the authors. “Fully understanding the health consequences of these changes poses a daunting but important challenge for future research”.

The US government response to the pandemic under former president Donald Trump was also widely seen as botched with a too slow realisation of the pandemic’s seriousness and the promotion of unfounded conspiracy theories.

According to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal, the COVID-19 pandemic might’ve caused the worst decline in US life expectancy, that too while disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic Americans.

According to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal, the COVID-19 pandemic might’ve caused the worst decline in US life expectancy, that too while disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic Americans. The research collaboration between Woolf and researchers at the University of Colorado and the Urban Institute in Washington DC shows that in the most precipitous decline since World War-II, the pandemic caused American life expectancy to decline by 1.87 years which is around 8.5 times worse than the decline in 16 peer nations. This decline is expected to worsen the gap in Life expectancy for the US compared to the other developed nations, some of which have experienced a rise even amid the pandemic. According to the researchers, this might be due to the disjointed American response to the pandemic. The study’s lead author, Dr Steven Woolf says that “When the pandemic came, my naive assumption was that it would not have a big impact on the pre-existing gap between the US and peer countries." “It was a global pandemic, and I assumed that every country would take a hit. What I did not anticipate was how badly the US would fare in the pandemic, and the enormous death toll that the US would experience,” said Woolf, director emeritus of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center on Society and Health. Even with the ongoing vaccination efforts, more people are losing their life. Since 2020, in the US more than 600,000 people have died. Figures show that with higher rates of infection and death, a disproportionate ratio of suffering is witnessed among racial and ethnic minorities and low-income people. According to the authors, this research, “draws attention to the root causes of racial inequities in health, wealth and wellbeing. Foremost among these root causes is systemic racism”. They add that, “extensive research has shown that systems of power in the US structure opportunity and assign value in ways that unfairly disadvantage Black, Hispanic, Asian, and indigenous populations, and unfairly advantage White people.” According to the research compared to a decline of 1.36 years from the life of a white man, Black and Hispanic individuals lose 3.25 and 3.88 years respectively. This dramatic decline has erased a decade worth of progress, in eliminating the racial gap in life expectancy. Now on par with their life expectancy in 1988, Black men in America can expect to live 67.73 years. Even as this research presents these eye-opening facts and figures, it still falls short of a complete picture of the discrepancies that exist between America’s white population and its ethnic groups. As the National Researchers Center for Health Statistics does not collect data for native Americans, Pacific islanders or Asian people, the research was unable to estimate the pandemic’s impacts on the life expectancy of these groups. Over the last year, researchers and experts have linked the longstanding and complex like unequal opportunities for people of colour and underinvestment in public health to the US’s extraordinary death toll. The botched effort under Donald Trump during the pandemic has also greatly contributed to the divide. Authors note that an unknown yet considerable proportion of people infected with COVID-19 may have “long-haul” symptoms. “The pandemic will have short and long term effects on the social determinants of health, changing living conditions in many communities, and altering life course trajectories across age groups,” wrote the authors. “Fully understanding the health consequences of these changes poses a daunting but important challenge for future research”. The US government response to the pandemic under former president Donald Trump was also widely seen as botched with a too slow realisation of the pandemic’s seriousness and the promotion of unfounded conspiracy theories.

Study shows pandemic's disproportionate impact on US people of colour, decrease in life expectancy

An appeals court in New York has suspended Trump ally Rudy Giuliani's law license. Giuliani will not be able to practice as a lawyer in New York. The suspension has been slapped because there was "uncontroverted evidence" that he made false statements in courts as he helped Donald Trump in his attempts to overturn US Presidential election 2020.

An Attorney Disciplinary Committee said that false statement like Giuliani's "damage the proper functioning of a free society"

The five-justice Appellate Division in Manhattan found "uncontroverted" evidence that Giuliani made "demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public" in trying to overturn the election, which Democrat Joe Biden won.

"These false statements were made to improperly bolster (Giuliani's) narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client," the court said. "We conclude that respondent's conduct immediately threatens the public interest and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law."

Rudy Giuliani was in former US President Donald Trump's inner circle as he challenged the legitimacy of election results without presenting evidence. In the aftermath of 2020 election results, Trump made continuous allegations that the elections were rigged. In spite of courts across the US rejecting the claims, Trump continued his conspiracy theories. The claim was eventually thrown out by Supreme Court as well.

In all this period, Rudy Giuliani continued to be important part of Trump's legal team and strategy.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

An appeals court in New York has suspended Trump ally Rudy Giuliani's law license. Giuliani will not be able to practice as a lawyer in New York. The suspension has been slapped because there was "uncontroverted evidence" that he made false statements in courts as he helped Donald Trump in his attempts to overturn US Presidential election 2020.

An appeals court in New York has suspended Trump ally Rudy Giuliani's law license. Giuliani will not be able to practice as a lawyer in New York. The suspension has been slapped because there was "uncontroverted evidence" that he made false statements in courts as he helped Donald Trump in his attempts to overturn US Presidential election 2020. An Attorney Disciplinary Committee said that false statement like Giuliani's "damage the proper functioning of a free society" The five-justice Appellate Division in Manhattan found "uncontroverted" evidence that Giuliani made "demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public" in trying to overturn the election, which Democrat Joe Biden won. "These false statements were made to improperly bolster (Giuliani's) narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client," the court said. "We conclude that respondent's conduct immediately threatens the public interest and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law." Rudy Giuliani was in former US President Donald Trump's inner circle as he challenged the legitimacy of election results without presenting evidence. In the aftermath of 2020 election results, Trump made continuous allegations that the elections were rigged. In spite of courts across the US rejecting the claims, Trump continued his conspiracy theories. The claim was eventually thrown out by Supreme Court as well. In all this period, Rudy Giuliani continued to be important part of Trump's legal team and strategy. (With inputs from agencies)

Staunch Trump ally Rudy Giuliani's law license suspended

“I just want to find 11,780 votes.”

That’s what former President Donald Trump told Georgia’s top elections official long after he had clearly lost re-election. Mr. Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 U.S. election failed. But his tactics, as Anne Applebaum recently observed in The Atlantic, have inspired anti-democratic politicians around the world. Nowhere is that more clear than in Peru.

On June 6, Peru held its most polarized presidential runoff election in 30 years. The election pitted Keiko Fujimori, a daughter of the former dictator Alberto Fujimori, against Pedro Castillo, a leftist provincial teacher and union leader. Ms. Fujimori, who leads her party, Fuerza Popular (Popular Force), has long been implicated in corrupt and authoritarian practices, and Mr. Castillo’s party, Perú Libre (Free Peru), is openly Marxist. Both candidates have dubious democratic credentials.

Ms. Fujimori framed her campaign as a fight against communism, telling voters that Mr. Castillo would convert Peru into another Venezuela — a strategy that won over many middle-class voters in Lima and other coastal cities. Meanwhile, Mr. Castillo appealed to poor voters in rural areas who felt ignored by the Lima-centered political elite and were deeply dissatisfied with the status quo.

With 100 percent of votes counted, Mr. Castillo won by a razor-thin margin of about 44,000 votes out of nearly 19 million. But Ms. Fujimori has refused to accept defeat, baselessly claiming the election was fraudulent. Peru’s electoral authorities have found no evidence of fraud, and there is no reason to doubt their independence. International observers and election experts have also concluded that the election was clean. Nevertheless, the Fujimori camp has begun what amounts to an electoral coup attempt, pushing Peru’s democracy to the brink of collapse.

Rather than find votes for herself, like Mr. Trump sought to do, Ms. Fujimori is trying to make her opponent’s votes disappear. A team of lawyers sent to hunt for irregularities in Mr. Castillo’s rural strongholds uncovered 802 election records each containing 200 to 300 votes, which they sought to have annulled based on minor technical irregularities. In total, Ms. Fujimori seeks to wipe out more than 200,000 of her rival’s votes in his strongholds based on dubious criteria not applied elsewhere in the country.

The claims are preposterous. If there were systemic fraud, it would have been uncovered on Election Day. It would have required organization and coordination, of which no evidence has been found. Peruvian polling places are patrolled by electoral and law enforcement officials, international observers and, crucially, thousands of citizens and partisan representatives who would have circulated evidence of any fraud on social media.

This hasn’t deterred Ms. Fujimori. Baseless claims of fraud have flooded social media and are ceaselessly repeated on television channels, which are overwhelmingly in her favor. Fujimori supporters are even harassing electoral authorities by organizing demonstrations outside their offices. Many are calling for the entire election to be annulled.

The strategy is clear: Ms. Fujimori has initiated a Trump-like disinformation campaign aimed at delegitimizing the election and creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. In an increasingly polarized climate, these tactics could lead to violence and even military intervention.

Talk of a coup is not mere speculation. Last Thursday, hundreds of retired military officers sent a letter to leaders of Peru’s armed forces declaring without evidence the election fraudulent and demanding that the military not recognize Mr. Castillo as president.

Overturning the election would be a colossal mistake. If the candidate representing long-marginalized voters is illegitimately denied victory, it could set off widespread social protest, creating a governability crisis like those in neighboring Chile and Colombia. Under such circumstances, the only way Ms. Fujimori — or anyone else — could govern would be through repression.

Why is this happening? Ms. Fujimori’s campaign is backed by nearly the entire Lima establishment, including business leaders and major media outlets, as well as much of the middle class. These groups fear that Mr. Castillo will take Peru down a path toward Venezuela. But they also fear Mr. Castillo because he is not one of them. In a country marked by vast social, racial and regional inequality, Mr. Castillo is an outsider whose ascent, for many privileged Peruvians, feels threatening.

Some of the elite’s fears are understandable. During the 1980s, failed statist economic policies and a brutal Maoist insurgency plunged Peru into hyperinflation and terrible violence. Some of Mr. Castillo’s allies are indeed radical leftists, and his original economic program was improvised and outlandish.

But these fears are also exaggerated. Mr. Castillo is hardly a strongman. He lacks experience or a solid party base, and he is nowhere near as popular as Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez, Bolivia’s Evo Morales or other populists-turned-autocrats. His party holds only 37 of 130 seats in the new Congress, a majority of which are filled by right-of-center politicians. Mr. Castillo has few allies in the judiciary or the military, and he is opposed by a powerful business elite and much of the media. In the face of such opposition, a radical strategy would almost certainly fail.

Fear of Mr. Castillo exceeds the bounds of reason. It has transformed legitimate opponents of Mr. Castillo into dangerous opponents of democracy.

It is time to stop the insanity. Rather than sacrifice democracy on the altar of anti-leftism, Peru’s elites should use democratic politics to moderate or block Mr. Castillo’s more extreme proposals. Given Mr. Castillo’s weakness, it should not be difficult.

For his part, Mr. Castillo must recognize that he was elected not because of his radical ideas but despite them. Peruvians considered him the lesser of two evils. To govern, he must build bridges to center-left and even centrist forces. If he does not, his presidency — and Peru’s democracy — will be imperiled.

The Biden administration knows the danger of efforts to overturn a legitimate election result. For this reason, it recently praised the election as a “model for democracy in the region.” The international community should not remain silent in the face of Peru’s slow-moving coup. The world’s beleaguered democracies need our support.

“I just want to find 11,780 votes.” That’s what former President Donald Trump told Georgia’s top elections official long after he had clearly lost re-election. Mr.

“I just want to find 11,780 votes.” That’s what former President Donald Trump told Georgia’s top elections official long after he had clearly lost re-election. Mr. Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 U.S. election failed. But his tactics, as Anne Applebaum recently observed in The Atlantic, have inspired anti-democratic politicians around the world. Nowhere is that more clear than in Peru. On June 6, Peru held its most polarized presidential runoff election in 30 years. The election pitted Keiko Fujimori, a daughter of the former dictator Alberto Fujimori, against Pedro Castillo, a leftist provincial teacher and union leader. Ms. Fujimori, who leads her party, Fuerza Popular (Popular Force), has long been implicated in corrupt and authoritarian practices, and Mr. Castillo’s party, Perú Libre (Free Peru), is openly Marxist. Both candidates have dubious democratic credentials. Ms. Fujimori framed her campaign as a fight against communism, telling voters that Mr. Castillo would convert Peru into another Venezuela — a strategy that won over many middle-class voters in Lima and other coastal cities. Meanwhile, Mr. Castillo appealed to poor voters in rural areas who felt ignored by the Lima-centered political elite and were deeply dissatisfied with the status quo. With 100 percent of votes counted, Mr. Castillo won by a razor-thin margin of about 44,000 votes out of nearly 19 million. But Ms. Fujimori has refused to accept defeat, baselessly claiming the election was fraudulent. Peru’s electoral authorities have found no evidence of fraud, and there is no reason to doubt their independence. International observers and election experts have also concluded that the election was clean. Nevertheless, the Fujimori camp has begun what amounts to an electoral coup attempt, pushing Peru’s democracy to the brink of collapse. Rather than find votes for herself, like Mr. Trump sought to do, Ms. Fujimori is trying to make her opponent’s votes disappear. A team of lawyers sent to hunt for irregularities in Mr. Castillo’s rural strongholds uncovered 802 election records each containing 200 to 300 votes, which they sought to have annulled based on minor technical irregularities. In total, Ms. Fujimori seeks to wipe out more than 200,000 of her rival’s votes in his strongholds based on dubious criteria not applied elsewhere in the country. The claims are preposterous. If there were systemic fraud, it would have been uncovered on Election Day. It would have required organization and coordination, of which no evidence has been found. Peruvian polling places are patrolled by electoral and law enforcement officials, international observers and, crucially, thousands of citizens and partisan representatives who would have circulated evidence of any fraud on social media. This hasn’t deterred Ms. Fujimori. Baseless claims of fraud have flooded social media and are ceaselessly repeated on television channels, which are overwhelmingly in her favor. Fujimori supporters are even harassing electoral authorities by organizing demonstrations outside their offices. Many are calling for the entire election to be annulled. The strategy is clear: Ms. Fujimori has initiated a Trump-like disinformation campaign aimed at delegitimizing the election and creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. In an increasingly polarized climate, these tactics could lead to violence and even military intervention. Talk of a coup is not mere speculation. Last Thursday, hundreds of retired military officers sent a letter to leaders of Peru’s armed forces declaring without evidence the election fraudulent and demanding that the military not recognize Mr. Castillo as president. Overturning the election would be a colossal mistake. If the candidate representing long-marginalized voters is illegitimately denied victory, it could set off widespread social protest, creating a governability crisis like those in neighboring Chile and Colombia. Under such circumstances, the only way Ms. Fujimori — or anyone else — could govern would be through repression. Why is this happening? Ms. Fujimori’s campaign is backed by nearly the entire Lima establishment, including business leaders and major media outlets, as well as much of the middle class. These groups fear that Mr. Castillo will take Peru down a path toward Venezuela. But they also fear Mr. Castillo because he is not one of them. In a country marked by vast social, racial and regional inequality, Mr. Castillo is an outsider whose ascent, for many privileged Peruvians, feels threatening. Some of the elite’s fears are understandable. During the 1980s, failed statist economic policies and a brutal Maoist insurgency plunged Peru into hyperinflation and terrible violence. Some of Mr. Castillo’s allies are indeed radical leftists, and his original economic program was improvised and outlandish. But these fears are also exaggerated. Mr. Castillo is hardly a strongman. He lacks experience or a solid party base, and he is nowhere near as popular as Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez, Bolivia’s Evo Morales or other populists-turned-autocrats. His party holds only 37 of 130 seats in the new Congress, a majority of which are filled by right-of-center politicians. Mr. Castillo has few allies in the judiciary or the military, and he is opposed by a powerful business elite and much of the media. In the face of such opposition, a radical strategy would almost certainly fail. Fear of Mr. Castillo exceeds the bounds of reason. It has transformed legitimate opponents of Mr. Castillo into dangerous opponents of democracy. It is time to stop the insanity. Rather than sacrifice democracy on the altar of anti-leftism, Peru’s elites should use democratic politics to moderate or block Mr. Castillo’s more extreme proposals. Given Mr. Castillo’s weakness, it should not be difficult. For his part, Mr. Castillo must recognize that he was elected not because of his radical ideas but despite them. Peruvians considered him the lesser of two evils. To govern, he must build bridges to center-left and even centrist forces. If he does not, his presidency — and Peru’s democracy — will be imperiled. The Biden administration knows the danger of efforts to overturn a legitimate election result. For this reason, it recently praised the election as a “model for democracy in the region.” The international community should not remain silent in the face of Peru’s slow-moving coup. The world’s beleaguered democracies need our support.

Trumpian tactics threaten to undo democracy in Peru

UN Human Rights Council members hit out at China's record in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet on the second day of its 47th session. As US troops continued to pull out from Afghanistan, the Taliban on Tuesday captured a key&nbsp;border crossing with Tajikistan even as the Pentagon had said a day earlier that it could delay the pullout due to the militant group's continued attacks.

Cuban government announced on Tuesday that&nbsp;its&nbsp;Abdala&nbsp;coronavirus vaccine has shown 92.28 per cent efficacy in the last stage of clinical trials.&nbsp;The government had said earlier announced that its vaccine&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cuba-encouraged-by-early-efficacy-results-of-homegrown-covid-19-vaccine-392671">Soberana 2</a>&nbsp;had achieved 62 per cent efficacy with two or three doses.&nbsp;Meanwhile,&nbsp;Europe's top court on Tuesday said that Google's YouTube and other online platforms are not liable for copyright-infringing works uploaded by users onto their platforms under certain conditions.

Click on headlines to read more

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-human-rights-council-members-question-chinas-record-in-xinjiang-hong-kong-tibet-393172">UN Human Rights Council members question China's record in Xinjiang, Hong Kong &amp; Tibet</a>

<img alt="China" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="86e43aec-c6f7-47f8-bec0-0915009531df" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/444.jpg" />

Canadian ambassador Leslie Norton highlighted the deteriorating "fundamental freedoms in&nbsp;Hong Kong" under the national security law and the human rights situation in Tibet.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-captures-afghanistans-main-border-crossing-with-tajikistan-393160">Taliban captures Afghanistan's main border crossing with Tajikistan</a>

<img alt="Taliban" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="255f3c63-bf6d-4cc0-be43-00cbf1047822" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Talib1_1.jpg" />

The&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;has already claimed to have annexed at least 50 districts since it launched a major offensive last month as the US announced it was pulling out of the country by September 11.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/abdala-vaccine-9228-effective-against-covid-19-says-cuba-393134">Abdala vaccine 92.28% effective against COVID-19, says Cuba</a>

<img alt="Abdala vaccine" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="711e371f-1032-4824-92d4-c2483679b602" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Abdala1.jpg" />

Cuban government had said earlier announced that its vaccine&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cuba-encouraged-by-early-efficacy-results-of-homegrown-covid-19-vaccine-392671">Soberana 2</a>&nbsp;had achieved 62 per cent efficacy with two or three doses.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/eu-top-court-hands-win-to-youtube-in-user-copyright-fight-393109">EU top court hands win to YouTube in user copyright fight</a>

<img alt="YouTube" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="04bb15a2-8f81-4b2e-8328-1a3a7a0f3f4e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/YoU.jpg" />

The case marks the latest development in a long-running battle between Europe's $1 trillion creative industry and online platforms, with the former seeking compensation or action from the latter for unauthorised works that are uploaded.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/people-without-vaccines-will-have-lack-of-job-options-warns-russias-kremlin-393174">People without vaccines will have lack of job options, warns Russia's Kremlin</a>

<img alt="Coronavirus vaccine" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7e302d4c-4344-4c8a-973d-7d505d0b384e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/jabs1.jpg" />

This warning has come a little after the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, warned an alarming increase in number of coronavirus cases in a few regions of Russia

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-drank-bleach-to-cure-covid-claims-man-behind-magic-cure-393147">'Donald Trump drank bleach to cure Covid', claims man behind 'magic cure'</a>

<img alt="Donald Trump" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="15fcffd2-929c-4795-8a24-d6f26560a2af" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Donald1_1.jpg" />

Trump had made the&nbsp;comments on bleach in April when the coronavirus was not only widely spreading across the nation.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/crypto-mining-how-does-digital-currency-manufacturing-affect-environment-393162">Crypto mining: How does digital currency manufacturing affect environment?</a>

<h1><img alt="Crypto currency" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="841412b9-ef13-43c3-abf3-694fdb7a085c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Cryto1.jpg" /></h1>

Elon Musk’s Tesla recently stopped the new payment method as he feared crypto mining was negatively affecting the environment.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-the-worlds-happiest-country-is-seeking-migrants-393152">Why the 'world's happiest country' is seeking migrants</a>

<img alt="Finland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="75e63db6-03f7-4939-a085-55105c5a5bd7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Finland1.jpg" />

&nbsp;

In 2009, Finland had 17 per cent of its&nbsp;population aged over 65 which was one the highest in the world.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolsonaro-asks-journalist-to-shut-up-for-urging-him-to-keep-mask-on-393127">Bolsonaro asks journalist to 'shut up' for urging him to keep mask on</a>

<img alt="Bolsonaro" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e4834416-1988-407a-8c11-aab313b97ddc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Boli1.jpg" />

"Shut your mouth! You are creeps! You practice rogue journalism, which doesn't help at all. You destroy the Brazilian family, destroy the Brazilian religion!" Bolsonaro lashed out at the reporter after a military ceremony in Guaratingueta, in the state of Sao Paulo.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/drinking-coffee-regularly-decreases-chances-of-chronic-liver-diseases-study-393155">Drinking coffee regularly decreases chances of chronic liver diseases: Study</a> 
&nbsp;

<img alt="Coffee beans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="05460c95-c25f-4090-af78-00764d7cecb3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Coff1.jpg" />

It was also observed that regular coffee drinkers had 49 per cent less chance of dying from chronic liver disease, than non-coffee consumers.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

UN Human Rights Council members hit out at China's record in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet on the second day of its 47th session. As US troops continued to pull out from Afghanistan, the Taliban on Tuesday captured a key border crossing with Tajikistan even as the Pentagon had said a day earlier that it could delay the pullout due to the militant group's continued attacks.

UN Human Rights Council members hit out at China's record in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet on the second day of its 47th session. As US troops continued to pull out from Afghanistan, the Taliban on Tuesday captured a key border crossing with Tajikistan even as the Pentagon had said a day earlier that it could delay the pullout due to the militant group's continued attacks. Cuban government announced on Tuesday that its Abdala coronavirus vaccine has shown 92.28 per cent efficacy in the last stage of clinical trials. The government had said earlier announced that its vaccine Soberana 2 had achieved 62 per cent efficacy with two or three doses. Meanwhile, Europe's top court on Tuesday said that Google's YouTube and other online platforms are not liable for copyright-infringing works uploaded by users onto their platforms under certain conditions. Click on headlines to read more UN Human Rights Council members question China's record in Xinjiang, Hong Kong & Tibet Canadian ambassador Leslie Norton highlighted the deteriorating "fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong" under the national security law and the human rights situation in Tibet. Taliban captures Afghanistan's main border crossing with Tajikistan The Taliban has already claimed to have annexed at least 50 districts since it launched a major offensive last month as the US announced it was pulling out of the country by September 11. Abdala vaccine 92.28% effective against COVID-19, says Cuba Cuban government had said earlier announced that its vaccine Soberana 2 had achieved 62 per cent efficacy with two or three doses. EU top court hands win to YouTube in user copyright fight The case marks the latest development in a long-running battle between Europe's $1 trillion creative industry and online platforms, with the former seeking compensation or action from the latter for unauthorised works that are uploaded. People without vaccines will have lack of job options, warns Russia's Kremlin This warning has come a little after the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, warned an alarming increase in number of coronavirus cases in a few regions of Russia 'Donald Trump drank bleach to cure Covid', claims man behind 'magic cure' Trump had made the comments on bleach in April when the coronavirus was not only widely spreading across the nation. Crypto mining: How does digital currency manufacturing affect environment? Elon Musk’s Tesla recently stopped the new payment method as he feared crypto mining was negatively affecting the environment. Why the 'world's happiest country' is seeking migrants In 2009, Finland had 17 per cent of its population aged over 65 which was one the highest in the world. Bolsonaro asks journalist to 'shut up' for urging him to keep mask on "Shut your mouth! You are creeps! You practice rogue journalism, which doesn't help at all. You destroy the Brazilian family, destroy the Brazilian religion!" Bolsonaro lashed out at the reporter after a military ceremony in Guaratingueta, in the state of Sao Paulo. Drinking coffee regularly decreases chances of chronic liver diseases: Study It was also observed that regular coffee drinkers had 49 per cent less chance of dying from chronic liver disease, than non-coffee consumers.

Top 10 world news: UN Human Rights Council hits out at China, Taliban captures border crossing with Tajikistan & more

When the coronavirus broke out and took over the world, former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> talked about how drinking industrial bleach might be a solution to the deadly virus.

At that time, everyone believed it was simply a careless statement by the former reality TV star, which was not a one-time thing. However, the leader of a church has now claimed that he had supplied industrial bleach to Trump, before he made that comment.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-about-guantanamo-donald-trump-wanted-to-import-covid-patients-new-book-claims-393024" hreflang="en">'What about Guantánamo?': Donald Trump wanted to import Covid patients, new book claims</a>

Mark Grenon is a self-appointed "archbishop" of the Genesis II "church".

He is currently locked up for the crime of selling bleach as a Covid cure. Grenon recently appeared in a 90-minute interview in which he claims he supplied the "magic cure" to the Trump family.

"We were able to give through a contact with Trump’s family – a family member – the bottles in my book," Grenon said.

"And he mentioned it on TV: 'I found this disinfectant’."

Earlier, Grenon had claimed that he had approached the twice-impeached president to promote the advantages of chlorine dioxide against the deadly coronavirus. However, now he claims that he not only supplied it to the Trump family but Donald Trump himself consumed the "magic cure".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-has-suffered-a-lot-due-to-covid-says-donald-trump-demands-china-to-pay-10-trillion-392316" hreflang="en">India has suffered a lot due to Covid, says Donald Trump; demands China to pay $10 trillion</a>

While the medical community ridiculed the idea and warned everyone against consuming the harmful chemicals, Grenon was seen repeating his false claims in the interview.

"We tried it with Covid – six drops every two hours for the first and second day. Boom! Gone, negative. You’re feeling great from feeling like you’re going to die – it works great," he said, without any medical proof.

Trump had made the&nbsp;comments on bleach in April when the coronavirus was not only widely spreading across the nation, but was also taking thousands of lives and plunging the country into years-long recession.

The FDA warned people against consuming MMS or bleach and stated that drinking disinfectant will be life-threatening.

When the coronavirus broke out and took over the world, former US President Donald Trump talked about how drinking industrial bleach might be a solution to the deadly virus.

When the coronavirus broke out and took over the world, former US President Donald Trump talked about how drinking industrial bleach might be a solution to the deadly virus. At that time, everyone believed it was simply a careless statement by the former reality TV star, which was not a one-time thing. However, the leader of a church has now claimed that he had supplied industrial bleach to Trump, before he made that comment. Also read | 'What about Guantánamo?': Donald Trump wanted to import Covid patients, new book claims Mark Grenon is a self-appointed "archbishop" of the Genesis II "church". He is currently locked up for the crime of selling bleach as a Covid cure. Grenon recently appeared in a 90-minute interview in which he claims he supplied the "magic cure" to the Trump family. "We were able to give through a contact with Trump’s family – a family member – the bottles in my book," Grenon said. "And he mentioned it on TV: 'I found this disinfectant’." Earlier, Grenon had claimed that he had approached the twice-impeached president to promote the advantages of chlorine dioxide against the deadly coronavirus. However, now he claims that he not only supplied it to the Trump family but Donald Trump himself consumed the "magic cure". Also read | India has suffered a lot due to Covid, says Donald Trump; demands China to pay $10 trillion While the medical community ridiculed the idea and warned everyone against consuming the harmful chemicals, Grenon was seen repeating his false claims in the interview. "We tried it with Covid – six drops every two hours for the first and second day. Boom! Gone, negative. You’re feeling great from feeling like you’re going to die – it works great," he said, without any medical proof. Trump had made the comments on bleach in April when the coronavirus was not only widely spreading across the nation, but was also taking thousands of lives and plunging the country into years-long recession. The FDA warned people against consuming MMS or bleach and stated that drinking disinfectant will be life-threatening.

'Donald Trump drank bleach to cure Covid', claims man behind 'magic cure'

Former US President, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, took ‘isolation’ a little too seriously as he proposed shipping off Covid patients to "an island", a new book claims.

Two Washington Post reporters have revealed shocking details of how the former President handled the coronavirus pandemic from within the White House while running the country.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-has-suffered-a-lot-due-to-covid-says-donald-trump-demands-china-to-pay-10-trillion-392316" hreflang="en">India has suffered a lot due to Covid, says Donald Trump; demands China to pay $10 trillion</a>

In the book titled, 'Nightmare Scenario: Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic That Changed History', by Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta, the former TV reality star proposed shipping off all Covid patients to Guantánamo.

Reportedly, during a meeting in the White House Situation Room in February 2020, Donald Trump asked his consultants, "Don't we have an island that we own? What about Guantánamo?"

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-president-donald-trump-attacks-fauci-hints-at-re-run-in-2024-election-390165" hreflang="en">'Our president': Donald Trump attacks Fauci, hints at re-run in 2024 election</a>

Trump’s aides immediately blocked the idea, but it was difficult for him to understand the reason and he defended his argument with, "We import goods. We are not going to import a virus".

The book also alleged that Trump was against the testing of coronavirus solely because he believed it negatively affected his chances of winning the US election 2020. "I'm going to lose the election because of testing!," he yelled at his health secretary Alex Azar. "What idiot had the federal government do testing?"

However, the twice impeached president did not have any answer when Azar replied, "Uh, do you mean Jared?", referring to Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and his chief advisor who had started and taken control of testing in the country.

As per the book, Trump also believed that it was "gross incompetence to let [federal health agency] CDC develop a test" against the deadly coronavirus.

Former US President, Donald Trump, took ‘isolation’ a little too seriously as he proposed shipping off Covid patients to "an island", a new book claims. Two Washington Post reporters have revealed shocking details of how the former President handled the coronavirus pandemic from within the White House while running the country.

Former US President, Donald Trump, took ‘isolation’ a little too seriously as he proposed shipping off Covid patients to "an island", a new book claims. Two Washington Post reporters have revealed shocking details of how the former President handled the coronavirus pandemic from within the White House while running the country. Also read | India has suffered a lot due to Covid, says Donald Trump; demands China to pay $10 trillion In the book titled, 'Nightmare Scenario: Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic That Changed History', by Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta, the former TV reality star proposed shipping off all Covid patients to Guantánamo. Reportedly, during a meeting in the White House Situation Room in February 2020, Donald Trump asked his consultants, "Don't we have an island that we own? What about Guantánamo?" Also read | 'Our president': Donald Trump attacks Fauci, hints at re-run in 2024 election Trump’s aides immediately blocked the idea, but it was difficult for him to understand the reason and he defended his argument with, "We import goods. We are not going to import a virus". The book also alleged that Trump was against the testing of coronavirus solely because he believed it negatively affected his chances of winning the US election 2020. "I'm going to lose the election because of testing!," he yelled at his health secretary Alex Azar. "What idiot had the federal government do testing?" However, the twice impeached president did not have any answer when Azar replied, "Uh, do you mean Jared?", referring to Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and his chief advisor who had started and taken control of testing in the country. As per the book, Trump also believed that it was "gross incompetence to let [federal health agency] CDC develop a test" against the deadly coronavirus.

'What about Guantánamo?': Donald Trump wanted to send Covid patients to offshore prison, new book claims

After voicing concerns for the US, former president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> has now claimed said that India is "devastated" by the coronavirus pandemic and China should pay compensation.

"Look at what's going on in India now. You know, they used to say, look how well India was doing, because they were always looking for an excuse — look how well India is doing," Trump was quoted by news agencies as saying. "The fact [is] that India has just been devastated now, and virtually, every country has been devastated."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-president-donald-trump-attacks-fauci-hints-at-re-run-in-2024-election-390165" hreflang="en">'Our president': Donald Trump attacks Fauci, hints at re-run in 2024 election</a>

The former reality TV star and twice-impeached president lashed out at China for spreading the deadly coronavirus all over the world. He alleged, once again, that the virus was lab-made in China’s Wuhan city, and claimed China should, therefore, pay a compensation of $10 trillion to the US alone.

Trump said he felt the compensation amount should be much higher than what he is demanding, but added "there’s only so much they can pay".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-hits-out-at-biden-for-bowing-down-to-china-urges-him-to-put-america-first-389769" hreflang="en">Trump hits out at Biden for 'bowing down' to China, urges him to 'put America first'</a>

"Look, countries have been destroyed over what they did, and whether by accident or not. And I would hope that it was an accident. I hope that it was through incompetence or an accident," he said talking about the destruction the pandemic has caused all over the world, including India.

"But, when you look, whether it was by an accident, whether it was -- whatever it is, this -- you look at these countries. They will never ever be the same. Our country was hit so hard. But other countries were hit much harder."

"I think that's one of the reasons that I feel it's very important to find out where it came from, how it came. I think I know. I mean, I feel certain about it. But certainly, China should help. Right now, their economy and our economy are the two economies that are coming back the fastest," he added.

India has been struggling with a deadly second wave of the coronavirus pandemic which took thousands of lives in the country within a span of a few months and led to state-wise lockdowns.

The country has, now, started its path to recovery as the cases plunged down to 62,480 on Friday morning.

After voicing concerns for the US, former president Donald Trump has now claimed said that India is "devastated" by the coronavirus pandemic and China should pay compensation.

After voicing concerns for the US, former president Donald Trump has now claimed said that India is "devastated" by the coronavirus pandemic and China should pay compensation. "Look at what's going on in India now. You know, they used to say, look how well India was doing, because they were always looking for an excuse — look how well India is doing," Trump was quoted by news agencies as saying. "The fact [is] that India has just been devastated now, and virtually, every country has been devastated." Also read | 'Our president': Donald Trump attacks Fauci, hints at re-run in 2024 election The former reality TV star and twice-impeached president lashed out at China for spreading the deadly coronavirus all over the world. He alleged, once again, that the virus was lab-made in China’s Wuhan city, and claimed China should, therefore, pay a compensation of $10 trillion to the US alone. Trump said he felt the compensation amount should be much higher than what he is demanding, but added "there’s only so much they can pay". Also read | Trump hits out at Biden for 'bowing down' to China, urges him to 'put America first' "Look, countries have been destroyed over what they did, and whether by accident or not. And I would hope that it was an accident. I hope that it was through incompetence or an accident," he said talking about the destruction the pandemic has caused all over the world, including India. "But, when you look, whether it was by an accident, whether it was -- whatever it is, this -- you look at these countries. They will never ever be the same. Our country was hit so hard. But other countries were hit much harder." "I think that's one of the reasons that I feel it's very important to find out where it came from, how it came. I think I know. I mean, I feel certain about it. But certainly, China should help. Right now, their economy and our economy are the two economies that are coming back the fastest," he added. India has been struggling with a deadly second wave of the coronavirus pandemic which took thousands of lives in the country within a span of a few months and led to state-wise lockdowns. The country has, now, started its path to recovery as the cases plunged down to 62,480 on Friday morning.

India has suffered a lot due to Covid, says Donald Trump; demands China to pay $10 trillion

As the US President Joe Biden met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a historic summit in Geneva, Osama Bin Laden’s niece waved a "Trump won" flag.

Videos on social media showed &nbsp;34-year-old Noor bin Laden standing in a boat in Geneva Lake, Switzerland with a blue flag supporting former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump.</a>

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— Noor Bin Ladin (@NoorBinLadin) <a href="https://twitter.com/NoorBinLadin/status/1404864935650369537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The niece of the 9/11 mastermind believes the former president won the US election 2020, not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, and wants the former reality TV star to return to the White House.

She claimed the local police confiscated her signboards. "You're going to arrest me? If I don’t give you the signs, you’re going to arrest me?" she was seen asking the police officers in the video. "Donald Trump won the 2020 election, and we’re not allowed here in Switzerland?"

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/read-watch-blow-by-blow-account-of-biden-putin-summit-391919" hreflang="en">Read &amp; Watch: Blow-by-blow account of Biden-Putin summit</a>

Noor Bin laden claims to be a staunch supporter of Trump since his early days in politics in 2015 and admire “this man’s resolve". She also believes the re-election of Trump is "vital for the future of not only America, but Western civilisation as a whole."

As the US President Joe Biden met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a historic summit in Geneva, Osama Bin Laden’s niece waved a "Trump won" flag. Videos on social media showed 34-year-old Noor bin Laden standing in a boat in Geneva Lake, Switzerland with a blue flag supporting former US President Donald Trump.

As the US President Joe Biden met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a historic summit in Geneva, Osama Bin Laden’s niece waved a "Trump won" flag. Videos on social media showed 34-year-old Noor bin Laden standing in a boat in Geneva Lake, Switzerland with a blue flag supporting former US President Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/TXk0acVQqi — Noor Bin Ladin (@NoorBinLadin) June 15, 2021 × The niece of the 9/11 mastermind believes the former president won the US election 2020, not Joe Biden, and wants the former reality TV star to return to the White House. She claimed the local police confiscated her signboards. "You're going to arrest me? If I don’t give you the signs, you’re going to arrest me?" she was seen asking the police officers in the video. "Donald Trump won the 2020 election, and we’re not allowed here in Switzerland?" Also read | Read & Watch: Blow-by-blow account of Biden-Putin summit Noor Bin laden claims to be a staunch supporter of Trump since his early days in politics in 2015 and admire “this man’s resolve". She also believes the re-election of Trump is "vital for the future of not only America, but Western civilisation as a whole."

Osama Bin Laden's niece voices support for Trump during Biden-Putin summit

During the last weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump and his allies pressured the Justice Department to investigate unsubstantiated claims of widespread 2020 election fraud, despite his former attorney general declaring there was no evidence of it, newly released emails show.

The House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee, which obtained the records as part of an investigation, outlined a series of overtures made by the Republican former president, then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and an outside private attorney, Kurt Olsen, pushing the department to act on Trump's claims.

The department ultimately did not join the effort and numerous courts rejected lawsuits seeking to overturn election results in various states.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-tear-gas-explosives-and-gunfire-trump-supporters-storm-capitol-clash-with-police-354961">In pics-Tear gas, explosives and gunfire: Trump supporters storm Capitol, clash with police</a>

Congress also is investigating the deadly January&nbsp;6 assault on the US&nbsp;Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters trying to stop the formal certification of Democratic President Joe Biden's election victory.

"These documents show that President Trump tried to corrupt our nation's chief law enforcement agency in a brazen attempt to overturn an election that he lost," said Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat.

These overtures were separate from the revelations that the Trump-era Justice Department secretly sought the phone records of at least two Democratic lawmakers, a move that led Biden's Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday to vow to strengthen policies aiming to protect the department from political influence.

The department under outgoing Attorney General William Barr, who left his post on December&nbsp;23, and his short-term replacement Jeffrey Rosen decided not to act on the false claims of voting fraud. Biden took office on January&nbsp;21.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-election-2020-key-moments-of-donald-trumps-presidential-tenure-335800">US election 2020: Key moments of Donald Trump's presidential tenure</a>

The emails showed that Meadows asked Justice Department officials to investigate an unfounded conspiracy theory called "Italygate" alleging that US&nbsp;electoral data was changed in Italian facilities with the knowledge of the CIA.

On January&nbsp;1, Meadows sent Rosen a link to a YouTube video detailing the theory. Rosen forwarded the email to then-acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, who replied: "Pure insanity."

The documents also showed that Trump pressured Rosen when he was deputy attorney general to have the Justice Department take up the election fraud claims.

The emails showed Rosen declined to arrange a meeting between Justice Department officials and Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani about his false claims that the November election was stolen from Trump. Meadows had asked Rosen to help arrange the proposed meeting with Giuliani, the emails showed.

"I flatly refused, said I would not be giving any special treatment to Giuliani or any of his 'witnesses,' and re-affirmed yet again that I will not talk to Giuliani about any of this," Rosen wrote to a Justice Department colleague on January&nbsp;1.

Giuliani had played a prominent role in promoting Trump's false election claims.

Trump, through an assistant, sent Rosen a December&nbsp;14 email with documents purporting to show evidence of election fraud in northern Michigan,&nbsp;a debunked allegation that a federal judge had already rejected.

Two weeks later, on December&nbsp;29, Trump's White House assistant emailed Rosen, who by then was the acting attorney general, and other Justice Department lawyers a draft legal brief that they were urged to file at the US&nbsp;Supreme Court.

The department never filed the brief. Emails released by the House committee showed that Olsen, a Maryland lawyer involved in writing Trump's draft brief, repeatedly tried to meet with Rosen but was unsuccessful.

The draft brief backed by Trump argued that changes made by the states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania to voting procedures amid the COVID-19 pandemic to expand mail-in voting were unlawful. Biden won all those states

Similar arguments were made in a lawsuit filed by Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas and a Trump ally. The US&nbsp;Supreme Court rejected that long-shot lawsuit in December.

The document release comes ahead of the House Oversight committee’s hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray and General Charles Flynn, brother of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who has also voiced Trump’s election conspiracy theories.

During the last weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump and his allies pressured the Justice Department to investigate unsubstantiated claims of widespread 2020 election fraud, despite his former attorney general declaring there was no evidence of it, newly released emails show.

During the last weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump and his allies pressured the Justice Department to investigate unsubstantiated claims of widespread 2020 election fraud, despite his former attorney general declaring there was no evidence of it, newly released emails show. The House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee, which obtained the records as part of an investigation, outlined a series of overtures made by the Republican former president, then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and an outside private attorney, Kurt Olsen, pushing the department to act on Trump's claims. The department ultimately did not join the effort and numerous courts rejected lawsuits seeking to overturn election results in various states. In pics-Tear gas, explosives and gunfire: Trump supporters storm Capitol, clash with police Congress also is investigating the deadly January 6 assault on the US Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters trying to stop the formal certification of Democratic President Joe Biden's election victory. "These documents show that President Trump tried to corrupt our nation's chief law enforcement agency in a brazen attempt to overturn an election that he lost," said Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat. These overtures were separate from the revelations that the Trump-era Justice Department secretly sought the phone records of at least two Democratic lawmakers, a move that led Biden's Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday to vow to strengthen policies aiming to protect the department from political influence. The department under outgoing Attorney General William Barr, who left his post on December 23, and his short-term replacement Jeffrey Rosen decided not to act on the false claims of voting fraud. Biden took office on January 21. Also see| US election 2020: Key moments of Donald Trump's presidential tenure The emails showed that Meadows asked Justice Department officials to investigate an unfounded conspiracy theory called "Italygate" alleging that US electoral data was changed in Italian facilities with the knowledge of the CIA. On January 1, Meadows sent Rosen a link to a YouTube video detailing the theory. Rosen forwarded the email to then-acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, who replied: "Pure insanity." The documents also showed that Trump pressured Rosen when he was deputy attorney general to have the Justice Department take up the election fraud claims. The emails showed Rosen declined to arrange a meeting between Justice Department officials and Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani about his false claims that the November election was stolen from Trump. Meadows had asked Rosen to help arrange the proposed meeting with Giuliani, the emails showed. "I flatly refused, said I would not be giving any special treatment to Giuliani or any of his 'witnesses,' and re-affirmed yet again that I will not talk to Giuliani about any of this," Rosen wrote to a Justice Department colleague on January 1. Giuliani had played a prominent role in promoting Trump's false election claims. Trump, through an assistant, sent Rosen a December 14 email with documents purporting to show evidence of election fraud in northern Michigan, a debunked allegation that a federal judge had already rejected. Two weeks later, on December 29, Trump's White House assistant emailed Rosen, who by then was the acting attorney general, and other Justice Department lawyers a draft legal brief that they were urged to file at the US Supreme Court. The department never filed the brief. Emails released by the House committee showed that Olsen, a Maryland lawyer involved in writing Trump's draft brief, repeatedly tried to meet with Rosen but was unsuccessful. The draft brief backed by Trump argued that changes made by the states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania to voting procedures amid the COVID-19 pandemic to expand mail-in voting were unlawful. Biden won all those states Similar arguments were made in a lawsuit filed by Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas and a Trump ally. The US Supreme Court rejected that long-shot lawsuit in December. The document release comes ahead of the House Oversight committee’s hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray and General Charles Flynn, brother of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who has also voiced Trump’s election conspiracy theories.

Newly released emails show Trump pressured DOJ to overturn election results

Sen. Christopher S. Murphy concedes that political rhetoric in the nation’s capital can sometimes stray into hysteria, but when it comes to the precarious state of American democracy, he insisted he was not exaggerating the nation’s tilt toward authoritarianism.

“Democrats are always at risk of being hyperbolic,” said Murphy, D-Conn. “I don’t think there’s a risk when it comes to the current state of democratic norms.”

After the norm-shattering presidency of Donald Trump, the violence-inducing bombast over a stolen election, the pressuring of state vote counters, the Capitol riot and the flood of voter curtailment laws rapidly being enacted in Republican-run states, Washington has found itself in an anguished state.

Almost daily, Democrats warn that Republicans are pursuing racist, Jim Crow-inspired voter suppression efforts to disenfranchise tens of millions of citizens, mainly people of colour, in a cynical effort to grab power. Metal detectors sit outside the House chamber to prevent lawmakers — particularly Republicans who have boasted of their intention to carry guns everywhere — from bringing weaponry to the floor. Democrats regard their Republican colleagues with suspicion, believing that some of them collaborated with the rioters on Jan. 6.

Republican lawmakers have systematically downplayed or dismissed the dangers, with some breezing over the attack on the Capitol as a largely peaceful protest, and many saying the state voting law changes are to restore “integrity” to the process, even as they give credence to Trump’s false claims of rampant fraud in the 2020 election.

They shrug off Democrats’ warnings of grave danger as the overheated language of politics as usual.

“I haven’t understood for four or five years why we are so quick to spin into a place where part of the country is sure that we no longer have the strength to move forward, as we always have in the past,” said Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of Republican leadership, noting that the passions of Republican voters today match those of Democratic voters after Trump’s triumph. “Four years ago, there were people in the so-called resistance showing up in all of my offices every week, some of whom were chaining themselves to the door.”

For Democrats, the evidence of looming catastrophe mounts daily. Fourteen states, including politically competitive ones like Florida and Georgia, have enacted 22 laws to curtail early and mail-in ballots, limit polling places and empower partisans to police polling, then oversee the vote tally. Others are likely to follow, including Texas, with its huge share of House seats and electoral votes.

Because Republicans control the legislatures of many states where the 2020 census will force redistricting, the party is already in a strong position to erase the Democrats’ razor-thin majority in the House. Even moderate voting-law changes could bolster Republicans’ chances for the net gain of one vote they need to take back the Senate.

And in the nightmare outcome promulgated by some academics, Republicans have put themselves in a position to dictate the outcome of the 2024 presidential election if the voting is close in swing states.

“Statutory changes in large key electoral battleground states are dangerously politicizing the process of electoral administration, with Republican-controlled legislatures giving themselves the power to override electoral outcomes on unproven allegations,” 188 scholars said in a statement expressing concern about the erosion of democracy.

Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who lectured on American politics at Bowdoin College before going to the Senate, put the moment in historical context. He called American democracy “a 240-year experiment that runs against the tide of human history,” and that tide usually leads from and back to authoritarianism.

He said he feared the empowerment of state legislatures to decide election results more than the troubling curtailments of the franchise.

“This is an incredibly dangerous moment, and I don’t think it’s being sufficiently realized as such,” he said.

Republicans contend that much of this is overblown, though some concede the charges sting. Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., said Democrats were playing a hateful race card to promote voting-rights legislation that is so extreme it would cement Democratic control of Congress for decades.

“I hope that damage isn’t being done,” he added, “but it is always very dangerous to falsely play the race card and let’s face it, that’s what’s being done here.”

Toomey, who voted to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial, said he understood why, in the middle of a deadly pandemic, states sharply liberalized voting rules in 2020, extending mail-in voting, allowing mailed ballots to be counted days after Election Day and setting up ballot drop boxes, curbside polls and weeks of early voting.

But he added that Democrats should understand why state election officials wanted to course correct now that the coronavirus was ebbing.

“Every state needs to strike a balance between two competing values: making it as easy as possible to cast legitimate votes, but also the other, which is equally important: having everybody confident about the authenticity of the votes,” Toomey said.

Trump’s lies about a stolen election, he added, “were more likely to resonate because you had this system that went so far the other way.”

Some other Republicans embrace the notion that they are trying to use their prerogatives as a minority party to safeguard their own power. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said the endeavour was the essence of America’s system of representative democracy, distinguishing it from direct democracy, where the majority rules and is free to trample the rights of the minority unimpeded.

“The idea of democracy and majority rule really is what goes against our history and what the country stands for,” Paul said. “The Jim Crow laws came out of democracy. That’s what you get when a majority ignores the rights of others.”

Democrats and their allies push back hard on those arguments. King said the only reason voters lacked confidence in the voting system was that Republicans — especially Trump — told them for months that it was rigged, despite all evidence to the contrary, and now continued to insist that there were abuses in the process that must be fixed.

“That’s like pleading for mercy as an orphan after you killed both your parents,” he said.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in no way could some of the new state voting laws be seen as a necessary course correction. “Not being able to serve somebody water who’s waiting in line? I mean, come on,” he said. “There are elements that are in most of these proposals where you look at it and you say, ‘That violates the common-sense test.’”

Missteps by Democrats have fortified Republicans’ attempts to downplay the dangers. Some of them, including President Joe Biden, have mischaracterized Georgia’s voting law, handing Republicans ammunition to say that Democrats were willfully distorting what was happening at the state level.

The state’s 98-page voting law, passed after the narrow victories for Biden and two Democratic candidates for Senate, would make absentee voting harder and create restrictions and complications for millions of voters, many of them people of colour.

But Biden falsely claimed that the law — which he labelled “un-American” and “sick” — had slapped new restrictions on early voting to bar people from voting after 5 p.m. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, said the Georgia law had ended early voting on Sunday. It didn’t.

And the sweep — critics say overreach — of the Democrats’ answer to Republican voter laws, the For the People Act, has undermined Democratic claims that the fate of the republic relies on its passage. Even some Democrats are uncomfortable with the act’s breadth, including the advancement of statehood for the District of Columbia with its assurance of two more senators, almost certainly Democratic; it's public financing of elections; its nullification of most voter identification laws; and its mandatory prescriptions for early and mail-in voting.

“They want to put a thumb on the scale of future elections,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Wednesday. “They want to take power away from the voters and the states, and give themselves every partisan advantage that they can.”

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who could conceivably be a partner in Democratic efforts to expand voting rights, called the legislation a “fundamentally unserious” bill.

Republican leaders have sought to take the current argument from the lofty heights of history to the nitty-gritty of legislation. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, pointed to the success of bipartisan efforts such as passage of a bill to combat hate crimes against Asian Americans, approval of a broad China competition measure and current talks to forge compromises on infrastructure and criminal justice as proof that Democratic catastrophizing over the state of American governance was overblown.

But Democrats are not assuaged.

“Not to diminish the importance of the work we’ve done here, but democracy itself is what we’re talking about,” said Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii. “And to point at other bills that don’t have to do with the fair administration of elections is just an attempt to distract while all these state legislatures move systematically toward disenfranchising voters who have historically leaned Democrat.”

King said he had had serious conversations with Republican colleagues about the precarious state of American democracy. Authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban and Adolf Hitler have come to power by-election, and stayed in power by warping or obliterating democratic norms.

But, he acknowledged, he has yet to get serious engagement, largely because his colleagues fear the wrath of Trump and his supporters.

“I get the feeling they hope this whole thing will go away,” he said. “They make arguments, but you have the feeling their hearts aren’t in it.”

Sen. Christopher S. Murphy concedes that political rhetoric in the nation’s capital can sometimes stray into hysteria, but when it comes to the precarious state of American democracy, he insisted he was not exaggerating the nation’s tilt toward authoritarianism.

Sen. Christopher S. Murphy concedes that political rhetoric in the nation’s capital can sometimes stray into hysteria, but when it comes to the precarious state of American democracy, he insisted he was not exaggerating the nation’s tilt toward authoritarianism. “Democrats are always at risk of being hyperbolic,” said Murphy, D-Conn. “I don’t think there’s a risk when it comes to the current state of democratic norms.” After the norm-shattering presidency of Donald Trump, the violence-inducing bombast over a stolen election, the pressuring of state vote counters, the Capitol riot and the flood of voter curtailment laws rapidly being enacted in Republican-run states, Washington has found itself in an anguished state. Almost daily, Democrats warn that Republicans are pursuing racist, Jim Crow-inspired voter suppression efforts to disenfranchise tens of millions of citizens, mainly people of colour, in a cynical effort to grab power. Metal detectors sit outside the House chamber to prevent lawmakers — particularly Republicans who have boasted of their intention to carry guns everywhere — from bringing weaponry to the floor. Democrats regard their Republican colleagues with suspicion, believing that some of them collaborated with the rioters on Jan. 6. Republican lawmakers have systematically downplayed or dismissed the dangers, with some breezing over the attack on the Capitol as a largely peaceful protest, and many saying the state voting law changes are to restore “integrity” to the process, even as they give credence to Trump’s false claims of rampant fraud in the 2020 election. They shrug off Democrats’ warnings of grave danger as the overheated language of politics as usual. “I haven’t understood for four or five years why we are so quick to spin into a place where part of the country is sure that we no longer have the strength to move forward, as we always have in the past,” said Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of Republican leadership, noting that the passions of Republican voters today match those of Democratic voters after Trump’s triumph. “Four years ago, there were people in the so-called resistance showing up in all of my offices every week, some of whom were chaining themselves to the door.” For Democrats, the evidence of looming catastrophe mounts daily. Fourteen states, including politically competitive ones like Florida and Georgia, have enacted 22 laws to curtail early and mail-in ballots, limit polling places and empower partisans to police polling, then oversee the vote tally. Others are likely to follow, including Texas, with its huge share of House seats and electoral votes. Because Republicans control the legislatures of many states where the 2020 census will force redistricting, the party is already in a strong position to erase the Democrats’ razor-thin majority in the House. Even moderate voting-law changes could bolster Republicans’ chances for the net gain of one vote they need to take back the Senate. And in the nightmare outcome promulgated by some academics, Republicans have put themselves in a position to dictate the outcome of the 2024 presidential election if the voting is close in swing states. “Statutory changes in large key electoral battleground states are dangerously politicizing the process of electoral administration, with Republican-controlled legislatures giving themselves the power to override electoral outcomes on unproven allegations,” 188 scholars said in a statement expressing concern about the erosion of democracy. Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who lectured on American politics at Bowdoin College before going to the Senate, put the moment in historical context. He called American democracy “a 240-year experiment that runs against the tide of human history,” and that tide usually leads from and back to authoritarianism. He said he feared the empowerment of state legislatures to decide election results more than the troubling curtailments of the franchise. “This is an incredibly dangerous moment, and I don’t think it’s being sufficiently realized as such,” he said. Republicans contend that much of this is overblown, though some concede the charges sting. Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., said Democrats were playing a hateful race card to promote voting-rights legislation that is so extreme it would cement Democratic control of Congress for decades. “I hope that damage isn’t being done,” he added, “but it is always very dangerous to falsely play the race card and let’s face it, that’s what’s being done here.” Toomey, who voted to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial, said he understood why, in the middle of a deadly pandemic, states sharply liberalized voting rules in 2020, extending mail-in voting, allowing mailed ballots to be counted days after Election Day and setting up ballot drop boxes, curbside polls and weeks of early voting. But he added that Democrats should understand why state election officials wanted to course correct now that the coronavirus was ebbing. “Every state needs to strike a balance between two competing values: making it as easy as possible to cast legitimate votes, but also the other, which is equally important: having everybody confident about the authenticity of the votes,” Toomey said. Trump’s lies about a stolen election, he added, “were more likely to resonate because you had this system that went so far the other way.” Some other Republicans embrace the notion that they are trying to use their prerogatives as a minority party to safeguard their own power. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said the endeavour was the essence of America’s system of representative democracy, distinguishing it from direct democracy, where the majority rules and is free to trample the rights of the minority unimpeded. “The idea of democracy and majority rule really is what goes against our history and what the country stands for,” Paul said. “The Jim Crow laws came out of democracy. That’s what you get when a majority ignores the rights of others.” Democrats and their allies push back hard on those arguments. King said the only reason voters lacked confidence in the voting system was that Republicans — especially Trump — told them for months that it was rigged, despite all evidence to the contrary, and now continued to insist that there were abuses in the process that must be fixed. “That’s like pleading for mercy as an orphan after you killed both your parents,” he said. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in no way could some of the new state voting laws be seen as a necessary course correction. “Not being able to serve somebody water who’s waiting in line? I mean, come on,” he said. “There are elements that are in most of these proposals where you look at it and you say, ‘That violates the common-sense test.’” Missteps by Democrats have fortified Republicans’ attempts to downplay the dangers. Some of them, including President Joe Biden, have mischaracterized Georgia’s voting law, handing Republicans ammunition to say that Democrats were willfully distorting what was happening at the state level. The state’s 98-page voting law, passed after the narrow victories for Biden and two Democratic candidates for Senate, would make absentee voting harder and create restrictions and complications for millions of voters, many of them people of colour. But Biden falsely claimed that the law — which he labelled “un-American” and “sick” — had slapped new restrictions on early voting to bar people from voting after 5 p.m. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, said the Georgia law had ended early voting on Sunday. It didn’t. And the sweep — critics say overreach — of the Democrats’ answer to Republican voter laws, the For the People Act, has undermined Democratic claims that the fate of the republic relies on its passage. Even some Democrats are uncomfortable with the act’s breadth, including the advancement of statehood for the District of Columbia with its assurance of two more senators, almost certainly Democratic; it's public financing of elections; its nullification of most voter identification laws; and its mandatory prescriptions for early and mail-in voting. “They want to put a thumb on the scale of future elections,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Wednesday. “They want to take power away from the voters and the states, and give themselves every partisan advantage that they can.” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who could conceivably be a partner in Democratic efforts to expand voting rights, called the legislation a “fundamentally unserious” bill. Republican leaders have sought to take the current argument from the lofty heights of history to the nitty-gritty of legislation. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, pointed to the success of bipartisan efforts such as passage of a bill to combat hate crimes against Asian Americans, approval of a broad China competition measure and current talks to forge compromises on infrastructure and criminal justice as proof that Democratic catastrophizing over the state of American governance was overblown. But Democrats are not assuaged. “Not to diminish the importance of the work we’ve done here, but democracy itself is what we’re talking about,” said Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii. “And to point at other bills that don’t have to do with the fair administration of elections is just an attempt to distract while all these state legislatures move systematically toward disenfranchising voters who have historically leaned Democrat.” King said he had had serious conversations with Republican colleagues about the precarious state of American democracy. Authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban and Adolf Hitler have come to power by-election, and stayed in power by warping or obliterating democratic norms. But, he acknowledged, he has yet to get serious engagement, largely because his colleagues fear the wrath of Trump and his supporters. “I get the feeling they hope this whole thing will go away,” he said. “They make arguments, but you have the feeling their hearts aren’t in it.”

In Congress, Republicans shrug at warnings of Democracy in peril

The Justice Department subpoenaed Apple for information in February 2018 about an account that belonged to Donald McGahn, former President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a> White House counsel at the time, and barred the company from telling him about it, according to two people briefed on the matter.

Apple told McGahn about the subpoena last month, said one of the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. McGahn’s wife also received a similar notice from Apple, the person said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/everyone-should-ban-them-trump-hails-nigerias-twitter-ban-390424" hreflang="en">'Everyone should ban them': Trump hails Nigeria's Twitter ban</a>

It is not clear what FBI agents were investigating, whether McGahn was their specific focus or whether he was swept up in a larger net because he had communicated with someone who was under scrutiny. As the top lawyer for the 2016 Trump campaign and then the White House counsel, McGahn was in contact with numerous people who may have drawn attention either as part of the Russia investigation or a later leak inquiry.

Still, the disclosure that agents had collected data of a sitting White House counsel, which they kept secret for years, is extraordinary.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/directionless-and-poor-management-senate-report-highlights-faulty-leadership-during-capitol-riots-390235" hreflang="en">Directionless and poor management: Senate report highlights faulty leadership during Capitol riots</a>

And it comes amid a political backlash after revelations that the Trump administration secretly seized the personal data of reporters and Democrats in Congress from phone and tech companies while investigating leaks.

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill on Sunday ratcheted up pressure on the Justice Department and former officials to provide a fuller accounting of events. They called on the head of the Justice Department’s national security division, John Demers, and the former deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, to testify before Congress along with former attorneys general Jeff Sessions and William Barr.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-was-scared-biden-would-be-replaced-with-hillary-clinton-or-michelle-obama-book-claims-390209" hreflang="en">Trump was scared Biden would be replaced with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama, book claims</a>

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment, as did a lawyer for McGahn. An Apple representative did not respond to a request for comment.

Apple told McGahn that it had complied with the subpoena in a timely fashion but declined to tell him what it had provided the government, according to a person briefed on the matter. Under Justice Department policy, gag orders for subpoenas may be renewed for up to a year at a time, suggesting that prosecutors went to court several times to prevent Apple from notifying the McGahns earlier.

In investigations, agents sometimes compile a large list of phone numbers and email addresses that were in contact with a subject, and seek to identify all those people by using subpoenas to communications companies for any account information like names, computer addresses and credit card numbers associated with them.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-president-donald-trump-attacks-fauci-hints-at-re-run-in-2024-election-390165" hreflang="en">'Our president': Donald Trump attacks Fauci, hints at re-run in 2024 election</a>

Apple told the McGahns that it had received the subpoena Feb. 23, 2018, according to a person briefed on the matter.

Under federal law, prosecutors generally need to obtain permission from a federal judge in order to compel a company like Apple to delay notifying people that their personal information has been subpoenaed, said Paul Rosen, a former federal prosecutor and a partner at Crowell and Moring.

“There is a lot here we don’t know, including the facts and circumstances surrounding the request for the delay and what was presented to the judge,” Rosen said. But, he added, prosecutors typically need to prove that either notifying the person “would endanger someone’s safety, risk the destruction of evidence or intimidation of witnesses, or seriously jeopardize an investigation.”

The subpoena was issued by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia, the other person familiar with the matter said.

It is not clear why prosecutors obtained the subpoena. But several notable developments were unfolding around that time.

The federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia was the center of one part of the Russia inquiry led by the special counsel, Robert Mueller, that focused on Paul Manafort, a former chair of the 2016 Trump presidential campaign.

Because McGahn had been the top lawyer for the Trump campaign in 2016, it is possible that at some earlier point he had been among those in contact with someone whose account the Mueller team was scrutinizing in early 2018.

Notably, Manafort had been hit with new fraud charges unsealed the day before the subpoena. Subsequent developments revealed that Mueller’s investigators were closely scrutinizing some of his communications accounts in the following days.

On the other hand, the Manafort case was largely handled in the District of Columbia, where he faced separate charges. Still, the Mueller team was also working with federal prosecutors in Virginia during that period on an unregistered foreign agent case related to Turkey and a business partner of Michael Flynn’s, Trump’s former national security adviser who had also advised him during the 2016 campaign.

It was also around that time that McGahn was involved in another matter related to the Russia investigation, one that included a leak.

In late January 2018, The New York Times reported, based on confidential sourcing, that Trump had ordered McGahn the previous June to have the Justice Department remove Mueller, but McGahn had refused to do so and threatened to resign. The Washington Post confirmed that account soon after in a follow-up article.

The Mueller report — and McGahn in private testimony before the House Judiciary Committee this month — described Trump’s anger at McGahn after the Times article and how he had tried to persuade McGahn to make a statement falsely denying it. Trump told aides that McGahn was a “liar” and a “leaker,” according to former Trump administration officials. In his testimony, McGahn said that he had been a source for the Post’s follow-up to clarify a nuance — to whom he had conveyed his intentions to resign — but he had not been a source for the original Times article.

There are reasons to doubt that McGahn was the target of any Justice Department leak investigation stemming from that episode, however. Information about Trump’s orders to dismiss Mueller, for example, would not appear to be a classified national security secret of the sort that it can be a crime to disclose.

&nbsp;

The Justice Department subpoenaed Apple for information in February 2018 about an account that belonged to Donald McGahn, former President Donald Trump’s White House counsel at the time, and barred the company from telling him about it, according to two people briefed on the matter.

The Justice Department subpoenaed Apple for information in February 2018 about an account that belonged to Donald McGahn, former President Donald Trump’s White House counsel at the time, and barred the company from telling him about it, according to two people briefed on the matter. Apple told McGahn about the subpoena last month, said one of the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. McGahn’s wife also received a similar notice from Apple, the person said. Also read | 'Everyone should ban them': Trump hails Nigeria's Twitter ban It is not clear what FBI agents were investigating, whether McGahn was their specific focus or whether he was swept up in a larger net because he had communicated with someone who was under scrutiny. As the top lawyer for the 2016 Trump campaign and then the White House counsel, McGahn was in contact with numerous people who may have drawn attention either as part of the Russia investigation or a later leak inquiry. Still, the disclosure that agents had collected data of a sitting White House counsel, which they kept secret for years, is extraordinary. Also read | Directionless and poor management: Senate report highlights faulty leadership during Capitol riots And it comes amid a political backlash after revelations that the Trump administration secretly seized the personal data of reporters and Democrats in Congress from phone and tech companies while investigating leaks. Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill on Sunday ratcheted up pressure on the Justice Department and former officials to provide a fuller accounting of events. They called on the head of the Justice Department’s national security division, John Demers, and the former deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, to testify before Congress along with former attorneys general Jeff Sessions and William Barr. Also read | Trump was scared Biden would be replaced with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama, book claims A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment, as did a lawyer for McGahn. An Apple representative did not respond to a request for comment. Apple told McGahn that it had complied with the subpoena in a timely fashion but declined to tell him what it had provided the government, according to a person briefed on the matter. Under Justice Department policy, gag orders for subpoenas may be renewed for up to a year at a time, suggesting that prosecutors went to court several times to prevent Apple from notifying the McGahns earlier. In investigations, agents sometimes compile a large list of phone numbers and email addresses that were in contact with a subject, and seek to identify all those people by using subpoenas to communications companies for any account information like names, computer addresses and credit card numbers associated with them. Also read | 'Our president': Donald Trump attacks Fauci, hints at re-run in 2024 election Apple told the McGahns that it had received the subpoena Feb. 23, 2018, according to a person briefed on the matter. Under federal law, prosecutors generally need to obtain permission from a federal judge in order to compel a company like Apple to delay notifying people that their personal information has been subpoenaed, said Paul Rosen, a former federal prosecutor and a partner at Crowell and Moring. “There is a lot here we don’t know, including the facts and circumstances surrounding the request for the delay and what was presented to the judge,” Rosen said. But, he added, prosecutors typically need to prove that either notifying the person “would endanger someone’s safety, risk the destruction of evidence or intimidation of witnesses, or seriously jeopardize an investigation.” The subpoena was issued by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia, the other person familiar with the matter said. It is not clear why prosecutors obtained the subpoena. But several notable developments were unfolding around that time. The federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia was the center of one part of the Russia inquiry led by the special counsel, Robert Mueller, that focused on Paul Manafort, a former chair of the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. Because McGahn had been the top lawyer for the Trump campaign in 2016, it is possible that at some earlier point he had been among those in contact with someone whose account the Mueller team was scrutinizing in early 2018. Notably, Manafort had been hit with new fraud charges unsealed the day before the subpoena. Subsequent developments revealed that Mueller’s investigators were closely scrutinizing some of his communications accounts in the following days. On the other hand, the Manafort case was largely handled in the District of Columbia, where he faced separate charges. Still, the Mueller team was also working with federal prosecutors in Virginia during that period on an unregistered foreign agent case related to Turkey and a business partner of Michael Flynn’s, Trump’s former national security adviser who had also advised him during the 2016 campaign. It was also around that time that McGahn was involved in another matter related to the Russia investigation, one that included a leak. In late January 2018, The New York Times reported, based on confidential sourcing, that Trump had ordered McGahn the previous June to have the Justice Department remove Mueller, but McGahn had refused to do so and threatened to resign. The Washington Post confirmed that account soon after in a follow-up article. The Mueller report — and McGahn in private testimony before the House Judiciary Committee this month — described Trump’s anger at McGahn after the Times article and how he had tried to persuade McGahn to make a statement falsely denying it. Trump told aides that McGahn was a “liar” and a “leaker,” according to former Trump administration officials. In his testimony, McGahn said that he had been a source for the Post’s follow-up to clarify a nuance — to whom he had conveyed his intentions to resign — but he had not been a source for the original Times article. There are reasons to doubt that McGahn was the target of any Justice Department leak investigation stemming from that episode, however. Information about Trump’s orders to dismiss Mueller, for example, would not appear to be a classified national security secret of the sort that it can be a crime to disclose.

Apple is said to have turned over data on Trump’s White House counsel in 2018

The US Justice Department under former President Donald Trump subpoenaed Apple Inc for data from the accounts of at least two Democrats on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in an attempt to find out who was behind leaks of classified information, the New York Times reported on Thursday. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-washington-post-cnn-alleges-trump-of-spying-on-reporters-386653">Also read | After Washington Post, CNN alleges Trump of spying on reporters</a> 
 
The records of at least a dozen people tied to the committee were seized in&nbsp;2017&nbsp;and early&nbsp;2018, including those of Representative Adam Schiff, then the panel’s top Democrat and now its chairman, the Times said.

The paper cited unnamed committee officials and two other people briefed on the inquiry for the report. 
 
Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-secretly-obtained-phone-records-of-reporters-reports-383613">Trump administration secretly obtained phone records of reporters: Reports</a>

Prosecutors under Jeff Sessions, the first attorney general in Trump`s Republican administration, were seeking to find the sources behind media reports about contacts between Trump associates and Russia, the Times said.

"Ultimately, the data and other evidence did not tie the committee to the leaks, and investigators debated whether they had hit a dead-end and some even discussed closing the inquiry," the paper said.

Apple turned over only metadata and account information, not photos, emails or other content, the Times said.

The Justice Department also seized Apple data from the accounts of committee aides and family members, the Times said. It did not name any other member of the House besides Schiff.

William Barr, attorney general in Trump`s latter years in office, revived the investigation, it said.

Schiff said in a statement to Reuters that the Justice Department had informed the committee last month that the investigation was closed.

"I believe more answers are needed, which is why I believe the Inspector General should investigate this and other cases that suggest the weaponization of law enforcement by a corrupt president," Schiff said.

In a statement to Reuters, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, called the news "harrowing" and said she supported Schiff`s call for an investigation.

The Times said the Justice Department "secured a gag order on Apple that expired this year, according to a person familiar with the inquiry, so lawmakers did not know they were being investigated until Apple informed them last month."

The Justice Department and Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The US Justice Department under former President Donald Trump subpoenaed Apple Inc for data from the accounts of at least two Democrats on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in an attempt to find out who was behind leaks of classified information, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The US Justice Department under former President Donald Trump subpoenaed Apple Inc for data from the accounts of at least two Democrats on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in an attempt to find out who was behind leaks of classified information, the New York Times reported on Thursday. Also read | After Washington Post, CNN alleges Trump of spying on reporters The records of at least a dozen people tied to the committee were seized in 2017 and early 2018, including those of Representative Adam Schiff, then the panel’s top Democrat and now its chairman, the Times said. The paper cited unnamed committee officials and two other people briefed on the inquiry for the report. Also read | Trump administration secretly obtained phone records of reporters: Reports Prosecutors under Jeff Sessions, the first attorney general in Trump`s Republican administration, were seeking to find the sources behind media reports about contacts between Trump associates and Russia, the Times said. "Ultimately, the data and other evidence did not tie the committee to the leaks, and investigators debated whether they had hit a dead-end and some even discussed closing the inquiry," the paper said. Apple turned over only metadata and account information, not photos, emails or other content, the Times said. The Justice Department also seized Apple data from the accounts of committee aides and family members, the Times said. It did not name any other member of the House besides Schiff. William Barr, attorney general in Trump`s latter years in office, revived the investigation, it said. Schiff said in a statement to Reuters that the Justice Department had informed the committee last month that the investigation was closed. "I believe more answers are needed, which is why I believe the Inspector General should investigate this and other cases that suggest the weaponization of law enforcement by a corrupt president," Schiff said. In a statement to Reuters, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, called the news "harrowing" and said she supported Schiff`s call for an investigation. The Times said the Justice Department "secured a gag order on Apple that expired this year, according to a person familiar with the inquiry, so lawmakers did not know they were being investigated until Apple informed them last month." The Justice Department and Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Trump officials seized Apple data of two Democratic lawmakers: New York Times

According to a Pew Research Center survey of 12 nations, the United States' image abroad has improved sharply since President Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump. More than 16,000 adults from 16 countries expressed confidence in Biden.

Survey: US' global image improves sharply under Biden compared to Trump

The Biden administration intends to revive federal environmental protections for millions of streams, marshes and other bodies of water across the country that had been eliminated by former President Donald Trump in his quest to please homebuilders, farmers and ranchers.

The Environmental Protection Agency made the announcement Wednesday after it said it had found that the changes under Trump caused “significant environmental degradation.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/restoring-environmental-rules-rolled-back-by-trump-could-take-years-358684">Restoring environmental rules rolled back by Trump could take years</a>

The problem is particularly glaring in arid states such as New Mexico and Arizona, where nearly every one of more than 1,500 streams lost environmental protections under the Trump rules, said Michael Regan, administrator of the EPA. More than 300 development projects were able to go forward without regard to whether they were polluting streams or waterways under the changes made by Trump, the EPA said.

It marked the latest in a series of decisions by President Joe Biden to restore environmental protections that Trump had weakened or repealed, and it sets the stage for a regulatory and legal battle over an issue that has pitted environmental groups against agricultural interests for decades.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-using-last-days-to-lock-in-policies-and-make-bidens-task-more-difficult-344719">Trump using last days to lock in policies and make Biden’s task more difficult</a>

The effort also will be a test for Regan, who came to Washington with a reputation as a consensus builder who could find common ground between industry and environmentalists. In a statement Wednesday, Regan said the agency is “committed to establishing a durable definition of ‘waters of the United States’” and added that he intends to draw “from the lessons learned” from the Obama and Trump administrations.

By starting early to revise the policy, the Biden administration stands a greater chance of defending it against the legal challenges that are expected to come, said Richard Revesz, a professor of environmental law at New York University. “That makes it much more likely it will stick,” Revesz said.

Republicans on Wednesday criticized the move and vowed to fight it, saying Trump’s policy had protected farmers and removed what many felt were onerous cleanup burdens. “It’s a shame the Biden administration wants to undo the good work of the Trump administration,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said, adding that his state was “well-positioned in the event of overreach” to fight the Biden EPA’s plan. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, called it a “gut punch” to her state. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., dubbed it a “Biden administration power grab.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-secretly-seized-phone-records-of-times-reporters-389303">Trump administration secretly seized phone records of Times reporters</a>&nbsp;

The original measure, known as the Waters of the United States rule, dates to the Obama administration and extended the range of bodies of water that were subject to the 1972 Clean Water Act, an issue that had for decades lacked clarity.

The Obama administration protected about 60 per cent of the nation’s waterways, including large bodies of water such as the Chesapeake Bay, Mississippi River and Puget Sound, and smaller headwaters, wetlands, seasonal streams and streams that run temporarily underground. It limited the discharge of pollutants such as fertilizers, pesticides and industrial chemicals into those waters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-revokes-trumps-ban-on-chinese-apps-tiktok-wechat-orders-criteria-based-decision-390430">Biden revokes Trump's ban on Chinese apps TikTok, WeChat; orders 'criteria-based decision'</a>

Trump repealed the policy in 2019, calling it “one of the most ridiculous regulations of all,” and claimed that his repeal caused farmers to weep in gratitude. One year later, his EPA finalized the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which removed protections for more than half of the nation’s wetlands and hundreds of thousands of miles of upland streams by narrowing the definition of what constitutes a “water of the United States.”

In doing so, Trump framed the change as the rightful return of power from the federal government to landowners and states. In a statement on Wednesday, Chuck Fowke, chairman of the National Association of Homebuilders, expressed concern that changes to the water rule will “add unnecessary requirements” that will hurt housing affordability.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-was-scared-biden-would-be-replaced-with-hillary-clinton-or-michelle-obama-book-claims-390209">Trump was scared Biden would be replaced with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama, book claims</a>

Tuesday’s announcement does not start the process of revising the regulation. That will come when the EPA officially promulgates a proposed new rule, possibly later this year. Wednesday’s action was a legal move in which the Department of Justice and Department of the Army formally requested repeal of the Trump-era rule.

“Communities deserve to have our nation’s waters protected,” Jaime Pinkham, acting assistant Army secretary for civil work, said in a statement. He said the Trump-era rule resulted in a significant drop in determinations of waters that would otherwise have been afforded protection.

Environmental groups and Democrats in Congress praised the announcement and pressed the administration to work quickly to unravel the Trump policy. “Every day the ‘Dirty Water’ rule remains in effect, it causes irreparable harm to our health, to our environment, and to our economies,” Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-administration-moves-to-unkink-supply-chain-bottlenecks-390215">Biden administration moves to unkink supply chain bottlenecks</a>

However, some legal experts said that by moving to repeal Trump’s measure and start over again, rather than building on the previous rule, the Biden administration might only prolong the back and forth that has gone on for years. “It could perpetuate this place we are in, in which each administration throws out what the last administration does, and that is not good for anyone who is interested in this issue,” said Kevin Minoli who served as a lawyer at the EPA in the Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump administrations.

Regan has years of experience working with Republicans on the clean water rule, which was a major issue in North Carolina where he served as head of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality before leading the EPA.

When he testified before lawmakers in April, Regan vowed not to return to what many Republicans felt was the Obama administration’s overly expansive definition of a federal waterway. “We’ve learned lessons from both, we’ve seen complexities in both, and we’ve determined both rules necessarily did not listen to the will of the people,” he said. “We don’t have any intention of going back to the original Obama Waters of the US&nbsp;verbatim.”

The Biden administration’s decision to restore the federal protections is one in a string of reversals it is making to Trump-era environmental decisions, which were themselves reversals of Obama administration actions. The Trump administration repealed or weakened more than 100 environmental rules or laws, loosening or eliminating rules on climate change, clean air, chemical pollution, coal mining, oil drilling and endangered species protections.

The Biden administration intends to revive federal environmental protections for millions of streams, marshes and other bodies of water across the country that had been eliminated by former President Donald Trump in his quest to please homebuilders, farmers and ranchers.

The Biden administration intends to revive federal environmental protections for millions of streams, marshes and other bodies of water across the country that had been eliminated by former President Donald Trump in his quest to please homebuilders, farmers and ranchers. The Environmental Protection Agency made the announcement Wednesday after it said it had found that the changes under Trump caused “significant environmental degradation.” Also read | Restoring environmental rules rolled back by Trump could take years The problem is particularly glaring in arid states such as New Mexico and Arizona, where nearly every one of more than 1,500 streams lost environmental protections under the Trump rules, said Michael Regan, administrator of the EPA. More than 300 development projects were able to go forward without regard to whether they were polluting streams or waterways under the changes made by Trump, the EPA said. It marked the latest in a series of decisions by President Joe Biden to restore environmental protections that Trump had weakened or repealed, and it sets the stage for a regulatory and legal battle over an issue that has pitted environmental groups against agricultural interests for decades. Also read | Trump using last days to lock in policies and make Biden’s task more difficult The effort also will be a test for Regan, who came to Washington with a reputation as a consensus builder who could find common ground between industry and environmentalists. In a statement Wednesday, Regan said the agency is “committed to establishing a durable definition of ‘waters of the United States’” and added that he intends to draw “from the lessons learned” from the Obama and Trump administrations. By starting early to revise the policy, the Biden administration stands a greater chance of defending it against the legal challenges that are expected to come, said Richard Revesz, a professor of environmental law at New York University. “That makes it much more likely it will stick,” Revesz said. Republicans on Wednesday criticized the move and vowed to fight it, saying Trump’s policy had protected farmers and removed what many felt were onerous cleanup burdens. “It’s a shame the Biden administration wants to undo the good work of the Trump administration,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said, adding that his state was “well-positioned in the event of overreach” to fight the Biden EPA’s plan. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, called it a “gut punch” to her state. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., dubbed it a “Biden administration power grab.” Also read | Trump administration secretly seized phone records of Times reporters The original measure, known as the Waters of the United States rule, dates to the Obama administration and extended the range of bodies of water that were subject to the 1972 Clean Water Act, an issue that had for decades lacked clarity. The Obama administration protected about 60 per cent of the nation’s waterways, including large bodies of water such as the Chesapeake Bay, Mississippi River and Puget Sound, and smaller headwaters, wetlands, seasonal streams and streams that run temporarily underground. It limited the discharge of pollutants such as fertilizers, pesticides and industrial chemicals into those waters. Also read | Biden revokes Trump's ban on Chinese apps TikTok, WeChat; orders 'criteria-based decision' Trump repealed the policy in 2019, calling it “one of the most ridiculous regulations of all,” and claimed that his repeal caused farmers to weep in gratitude. One year later, his EPA finalized the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which removed protections for more than half of the nation’s wetlands and hundreds of thousands of miles of upland streams by narrowing the definition of what constitutes a “water of the United States.” In doing so, Trump framed the change as the rightful return of power from the federal government to landowners and states. In a statement on Wednesday, Chuck Fowke, chairman of the National Association of Homebuilders, expressed concern that changes to the water rule will “add unnecessary requirements” that will hurt housing affordability. Also read | Trump was scared Biden would be replaced with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama, book claims Tuesday’s announcement does not start the process of revising the regulation. That will come when the EPA officially promulgates a proposed new rule, possibly later this year. Wednesday’s action was a legal move in which the Department of Justice and Department of the Army formally requested repeal of the Trump-era rule. “Communities deserve to have our nation’s waters protected,” Jaime Pinkham, acting assistant Army secretary for civil work, said in a statement. He said the Trump-era rule resulted in a significant drop in determinations of waters that would otherwise have been afforded protection. Environmental groups and Democrats in Congress praised the announcement and pressed the administration to work quickly to unravel the Trump policy. “Every day the ‘Dirty Water’ rule remains in effect, it causes irreparable harm to our health, to our environment, and to our economies,” Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a statement. Also read | Biden administration moves to unkink supply chain bottlenecks However, some legal experts said that by moving to repeal Trump’s measure and start over again, rather than building on the previous rule, the Biden administration might only prolong the back and forth that has gone on for years. “It could perpetuate this place we are in, in which each administration throws out what the last administration does, and that is not good for anyone who is interested in this issue,” said Kevin Minoli who served as a lawyer at the EPA in the Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump administrations. Regan has years of experience working with Republicans on the clean water rule, which was a major issue in North Carolina where he served as head of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality before leading the EPA. When he testified before lawmakers in April, Regan vowed not to return to what many Republicans felt was the Obama administration’s overly expansive definition of a federal waterway. “We’ve learned lessons from both, we’ve seen complexities in both, and we’ve determined both rules necessarily did not listen to the will of the people,” he said. “We don’t have any intention of going back to the original Obama Waters of the US verbatim.” The Biden administration’s decision to restore the federal protections is one in a string of reversals it is making to Trump-era environmental decisions, which were themselves reversals of Obama administration actions. The Trump administration repealed or weakened more than 100 environmental rules or laws, loosening or eliminating rules on climate change, clean air, chemical pollution, coal mining, oil drilling and endangered species protections.

Biden administration to restore clean-water protections ended by Trump

The Biden administration's move reflects the ongoing concern that Americans' personal data could be exposed by popular apps tied to China, a chief U.S. economic and political rival.

US President Joe Biden revokes Trump orders attempting to ban TikTok

Once a lover of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/twitter?page=1">Twitter</a>, the former US President, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, is not leaving any stone unturned to voice his newfound hatred for the platform now.

Almost a week after Nigeria banned the social media platform in the country, Trump has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unpatriotic-nigeria-government-orders-media-houses-to-stop-using-twitter-389980" hreflang="en">'Unpatriotic': Nigeria government orders media houses to stop using Twitter</a>

"Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their president," Trump said.

Twitter was banned 'indefinitely' a few days after the platform suspended President Muhammadu Buhari’s account following an&nbsp;'abusive' civil war tweet.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nigeria-bans-twitter-indefinitely-after-muhammadu-buharis-account-suspension-389533" hreflang="en">Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension</a>

While all other world leaders chose to remain quiet on the matter, Trump came in support of the Nigerian President.

"Who are they to dictate good and evil, if they themselves are evil," the former reality TV star said in a statement.

In addition to lending support to Nigeria, Trump urged other countries to ban Twitter and Facebook too for not allowing "free and open speech".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-president-donald-trump-attacks-fauci-hints-at-re-run-in-2024-election-390165" hreflang="en">'Our president': Donald Trump attacks Fauci, hints at re-run in 2024 election</a>

His hatred for the platforms is a result of him being banned from Twitter and Facebook due to his role in the US Capitol riots.

This has come a few days after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/insult-to-75-million-voters-donald-trump-banned-for-two-years-from-facebook-389539">Facebook extended his ban to at least two years</a>. The former social media enthusiast also claimed that he wanted to ban the social media platform, Facebook, during his time at the White House. However, he claims, the Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, “kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was”.

Once a lover of Twitter, the former US President, Donald Trump, is not leaving any stone unturned to voice his newfound hatred for the platform now. Almost a week after Nigeria banned the social media platform in the country, Trump has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision.

Once a lover of Twitter, the former US President, Donald Trump, is not leaving any stone unturned to voice his newfound hatred for the platform now. Almost a week after Nigeria banned the social media platform in the country, Trump has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision. Also read | 'Unpatriotic': Nigeria government orders media houses to stop using Twitter "Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their president," Trump said. Twitter was banned 'indefinitely' a few days after the platform suspended President Muhammadu Buhari’s account following an 'abusive' civil war tweet. Also read | Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension While all other world leaders chose to remain quiet on the matter, Trump came in support of the Nigerian President. "Who are they to dictate good and evil, if they themselves are evil," the former reality TV star said in a statement. In addition to lending support to Nigeria, Trump urged other countries to ban Twitter and Facebook too for not allowing "free and open speech". Also read | 'Our president': Donald Trump attacks Fauci, hints at re-run in 2024 election His hatred for the platforms is a result of him being banned from Twitter and Facebook due to his role in the US Capitol riots. This has come a few days after Facebook extended his ban to at least two years. The former social media enthusiast also claimed that he wanted to ban the social media platform, Facebook, during his time at the White House. However, he claims, the Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, “kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was”.

'Everyone should ban them': Trump hails Nigeria's Twitter ban

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