AURN News

Arizona Republican Paul Gosar has aligned with Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie on a bill to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson. The alliance, announced through a news release by Rep. Gosar, signals a growing shift within the party as he becomes the third member to support the ousting motion.

No immediate steps have been taken yet to bring the matter to a vote. The earliest Greene could attempt to push forward with the action is Saturday, with the House adjourning until then. 

The drive to oust Johnson stems from dissatisfaction among some Republican conservatives, including Rep. Chip Roy, who are critical of Johnson relying on Democrats' support to pass needed legislation, particularly concerning foreign aid, which they feel undermines GOP positions like border security.

Roy, vocal about his displeasure, has yet to declare outright support for the motion to vacate the speakership.

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U.S. Senator and Florida Governor Bob Graham has passed away at 87, leaving behind a legacy marked by service. Graham is recognized for his critical role as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee post-9/11 and as a staunch critic of the Iraq War. The family confirmed his death in a statement highlighting his impactful roles as a devout family man and a visionary public servant.

President Joe Biden, reflecting on Graham's nearly 50 years of public service, praised his contributions to national security, environmental protection, and public education. Biden also noted Graham's instrumental role in co-sponsoring the Violence Against Women Act and his ongoing commitment to Everglades conservation.

Graham's political journey began in the Florida House of Representatives in 1966, taking him to the governorship, and three terms in the U.S. Senate. He leaves behind his wife Adele, 65, their four daughters, grandchildren, and a legacy of service and bipartisan relations.

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The United States vetoed a resolution that would have allowed Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations. The move blocked Palestine's bid despite receiving strong support with 12 votes in favor, two abstentions from the U.K. and Switzerland, and significant backing from U.S. allies like France, Japan, and South Korea.

The resolution aimed to escalate Palestine's status to the 194th member of the U.N. General Assembly, a body where no veto power exists and approval is almost guaranteed, given existing recognition from about 140 countries.

Despite the setback, Palestinian determination remained strong. Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour voiced his resolution, emphasizing the inevitability of a Palestinian state seen not as a distant dream, but a near reality.

The U.S. said it vetoed it, not as a rejection of Palestinian statehood, but as a stance that statehood should emerge from direct talks between the involved parties. U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood highlighted unresolved issues like Hamas' influence in Gaza, arguing that these complicate Palestine's state qualifications.

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Cheyney University, originally known as the African Institute, was established on April 19, 1837. Billing itself as the oldest African-American institution of higher learning in the nation, its founding was enabled by Richard Humphreys, a Quaker philanthropist who generously donated $10,000 — a tenth of his estate — to establish a school for individuals of African descent.

Offering degrees in over 30 disciplines and a master’s degree in education, the university boasts an impressive roster of alumni, including Ed Bradley, the late 60 Minutes television journalist, and civil rights leader Bayard Rustin.

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A lawsuit has been filed after a video surfaced showing jail guards at the Appling County Jail in Georgia watching as one of their own choked Tremar Harris, a 37-year-old Black man, while he was restrained. 

The incident, which occurred in January 2022, involved guard William Rentz using a chain to choke Harris. According to the suit, Rentz can be heard yelling, "Gonna put you back in the cotton field with the other boys," while Harris was immobilized in a chair.

The suit, championed by civil rights attorney Harry Daniels, targets the officers present who failed to intervene during this brutal act. The footage revealed not only the violent assault but also the guards' refusal to stop or report the incident, prompting calls for a Department of Justice investigation.

The inaction of the guards, identified as Daydan Brannon, Cannon Mcleod, and Ansley Fennell, raises severe questions about the culture within the facility, particularly towards Black inmates.

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(AURN News) - Every time you head to the grocery store or to the gas pump, you’re reminded just how expensive everything has gotten. American consumers already grappling with stubbornly high prices received more discouraging news this week from the nation's top monetary policymaker.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank's fight against soaring inflation is not going as well as officials had hoped. In remarks given Tuesday at the International Research Forum on Monetary Policy in Washington, D.C., Powell acknowledged that "recent readings on both job gains and inflation have come in higher than expected."

The Fed has implemented a series of interest rate hikes in an effort to cool the economy and rein in price increases, most recently choosing to hold rates at their current levels. There were even suggestions among economists that we may see rate decreases at some point this year. 

“While we have seen considerable progress in lowering inflation, the job of sustainably restoring 2% inflation is not yet done,” Powell cautioned.

"My baseline outlook continues to be that inflation will decline further, with the policy rate held steady at its current level, and that the labor market will remain strong, with labor demand and supply continuing to rebalance," Powell said.

"Of course, the outlook is still quite uncertain, and if incoming data suggest that inflation is more persistent than I currently expect it to be, it will be appropriate to hold in place the current restrictive stance of policy for longer."

Translation: be prepared to continue paying higher prices for the time being.

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On April 18, 1977, author and historian Alex Haley received the Pulitzer Prize in journalism for his groundbreaking novel "Roots: The Saga of an American Family." The narrative delved into generations of his family's lineage, tracing back to Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African sold into slavery in the American South.

"Roots" garnered significant acclaim, spending 20 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. Concurrently, it was adapted into an immensely successful miniseries, captivating more viewers than any other program in television history at that time.

Alongside "Roots," Haley conducted interviews with numerous notable African-Americans, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Miles Davis, and Malcolm X, for a series featured in Playboy magazine. Additionally, he authored the bestseller "The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley."

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Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas will not face a Senate impeachment trial. On Wednesday, the Senate dismissed two articles of impeachment against him, accusing Mayorkas of violating immigration laws and lying to Congress about border security. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized these articles as "the least legitimate and most politicized."

"The charges brought against Secretary Mayorkas failed to meet the high, the high standard of high crimes and misdemeanors," Schumer added. 

Democrats moved to end the process, arguing that a continuation would be a harmful precedent. Republican efforts to delay or modify the dismissals were defeated along party lines.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz: "The majority leader's position is asking members of this Senate to vote on political expediency to avoid listening to arguments. The only rational way to resolve this question is actually to debate it."

Senator Schumer responded: "In our previous consent request, we gave your side a chance for debate in public, where it should be. And your side objected."

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On Tuesday, the Supreme Court delved into another pivotal case that could significantly impact former President Donald Trump as well as numerous January 6th Capitol riot defendants. The focus is on whether the obstruction of an official proceeding charge, typically carrying a severe penalty of up to 20 years, applies to those who interrupted the certification of the 2020 election results.

Arguments presented yesterday include those from Joseph Fischer, a former officer indicted for his participation in the Capitol breach. His defense team claims the law was never intended to address acts like his, but rather the destruction of evidence. On the other side, the government argues that the statute should encompass all efforts to corruptly block official federal proceedings, including violent riots.

As the court deliberates, there's significant attention on Justice Clarence Thomas, who has chosen not to recuse himself despite widespread criticism and apparent conflicts of interest related to his wife Ginni Thomas' activities and involvement on January 6th. Next week, the justices will also review claims about Trump's absolute immunity from prosecution.

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(AURN News) — Love the deals you get on Temu? Well, according to one congressman, the app may be spying on you. In a letter to President Joe Biden, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) has raised the alarm over the popular shopping app, alleging that the Chinese-owned platform may be "harvesting vast amounts of personal information from American consumers."

The senator's letter cites concerns that Temu's data-gathering practices could be "even more dangerous than TikTok's," pointing to a lawsuit that claims the app can access "everything on your phone." Cotton urged the Biden administration to address Temu's alleged ties to the Chinese government, as well as potential violations of U.S. laws and regulations.

"As with TikTok and other invasive Chinese apps, Temu has no place in America," Cotton wrote in the letter, referencing the ongoing debate over the video-sharing platform's national security risks.

This latest controversy comes amid a broader push to scrutinize Chinese-owned apps over privacy and spying concerns. Google Play recently removed Temu's parent company Pinduoduo's (PDD) app due to the discovery of harmful malware that could access users' biometric data and information about their Wi-Fi networks.

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