AI
Thursday, February 06, 2025 6:48:56 PM
Trump is badly abusing USA power - Live updates: Trump signs executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court
By Riley Stuart By Hanan Dervisevic By Jessica Riga
3h ago
US President Donald Trump is signing another raft of executive orders,
including one to sanction the International Criminal Court.
Follow our blog for live updates.
Live updates
Hanan Dervisevic is here with you
6m ago
Senate Democrats hold all-night protest
By Riley Stuart in Washington DC
I promised to catch you up on this, and I am a man of my word.
So, there's a lot of confirmation hearings going on at the moment. They're essentially checks and balances, where an incomming president's nominees for key government roles (Secretary of State, Secretary of Defence etc) get grilled by lawmakers.
The Republicans (that's the party Donald Trump represents) has the majority in the Senate, so theoretically these should be quite straightforward, so long as everyone in the party supports President Trump's nominations. That doesn't always happen though and some are facing some hurdles to get appointed (like RFK Junior in the health portfolio.
Anyway, I'm waffling.
The Democrats are still pushing back where they can, though. And there was a classic example of this on Wednesday night, local time, when they ensured debate went all night.
They were allowed to speak for 30 hours and as you can imagine, most debates don't go their full allotted time, but the Democrats ensured this one did.
Russell Vought. (Reuters: Kaylee Greenlee Bea)
The nominee was for Russell Vought, who President Trump wants to lead the White House budget office.
Mr Vought is the co-author of something called Project 2025. It's an ultraconservative policy platform released last year by Washington-based right-wing think tank the Heritage Foundation.
Amongst other things, Project 2025 outlined a plan to put independent institutions like the Department of Justice and FBI under direct control of the President.
Vought served in President Trump's first administration, and is expected to be confirmed to lead the White House budget office, which is responsible for administring the $US 6.75 trillion ($10.75 trillion) federal budget.
Democrats have no hope of stopping the appointment, but the party's leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said they would speak for the full 30 hours anyway.
"We want Americans, every hour, whether it's 8pm or 3am, to hear how bad Russell Vought is and the danger he poses to them in their daily lives," he said.
16m ago
Destruction in Gaza 'beyond my worst fears', UN staff member says
By Hanan Dervisevic
During a visit to Gaza, the United Nations chief of humanitarian affairs Tom Fletcher said the scale of devastation was "beyond my worst fears".
"But since Gaza Ceasefire took hold, humanitarians are mobilising massive lifesaving aid — food, water, tents, medicine — for the survivors. We must be supported to continue," he posted on X.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-07/donald-trump-live-blog-icc-sanction/104908034
By Riley Stuart By Hanan Dervisevic By Jessica Riga
3h ago
US President Donald Trump is signing another raft of executive orders,
including one to sanction the International Criminal Court.
Follow our blog for live updates.
Live updates
Hanan Dervisevic is here with you
6m ago
Senate Democrats hold all-night protest
By Riley Stuart in Washington DC
I promised to catch you up on this, and I am a man of my word.
So, there's a lot of confirmation hearings going on at the moment. They're essentially checks and balances, where an incomming president's nominees for key government roles (Secretary of State, Secretary of Defence etc) get grilled by lawmakers.
The Republicans (that's the party Donald Trump represents) has the majority in the Senate, so theoretically these should be quite straightforward, so long as everyone in the party supports President Trump's nominations. That doesn't always happen though and some are facing some hurdles to get appointed (like RFK Junior in the health portfolio.
Anyway, I'm waffling.
The Democrats are still pushing back where they can, though. And there was a classic example of this on Wednesday night, local time, when they ensured debate went all night.
They were allowed to speak for 30 hours and as you can imagine, most debates don't go their full allotted time, but the Democrats ensured this one did.
Russell Vought. (Reuters: Kaylee Greenlee Bea)
The nominee was for Russell Vought, who President Trump wants to lead the White House budget office.
Mr Vought is the co-author of something called Project 2025. It's an ultraconservative policy platform released last year by Washington-based right-wing think tank the Heritage Foundation.
Amongst other things, Project 2025 outlined a plan to put independent institutions like the Department of Justice and FBI under direct control of the President.
Vought served in President Trump's first administration, and is expected to be confirmed to lead the White House budget office, which is responsible for administring the $US 6.75 trillion ($10.75 trillion) federal budget.
Democrats have no hope of stopping the appointment, but the party's leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said they would speak for the full 30 hours anyway.
"We want Americans, every hour, whether it's 8pm or 3am, to hear how bad Russell Vought is and the danger he poses to them in their daily lives," he said.
16m ago
Destruction in Gaza 'beyond my worst fears', UN staff member says
By Hanan Dervisevic
During a visit to Gaza, the United Nations chief of humanitarian affairs Tom Fletcher said the scale of devastation was "beyond my worst fears".
"But since Gaza Ceasefire took hold, humanitarians are mobilising massive lifesaving aid — food, water, tents, medicine — for the survivors. We must be supported to continue," he posted on X.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-07/donald-trump-live-blog-icc-sanction/104908034
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
Discover What Traders Are Watching
Explore small cap ideas before they hit the headlines.
