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Fox News' Brian Kilmeade gripes that Laura Loomer shouldn't have ‘credibility to pick' who serves in Trump admin

Fox News' Brian Kilmeade gripes that Laura Loomer shouldn't have ‘credibility to pick' who serves in Trump admin

Independent09-05-2025
Fox & Friends co-anchor Brian Kilmeade appeared uneasy with the prospect that far-right extremist Laura Loomer has the ear of Donald Trump these days, explicitly saying on Friday that he doesn't feel that Loomer should have 'the credibility to pick who is on' the president's staff.
Kilmeade's concern with the level of influence Loomer holds over the White House comes as the 'proud Islamophobe' appears to be taking credit for the president pulling the nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as surgeon general, which she described as another 'scalp' she had claimed.
Nesheiwat, a former Fox News pundit, had recently seen her nomination as surgeon general come under scrutiny over reports that she embellished her medical credentials. At the same time, though, Nesheiwat had also been targeted by Loomer – a virulent anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist – for promoting the Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic.
Just a day before Nesheiwat was scheduled to appear before a Senate confirmation hearing, Trump announced that he was withdrawing her nomination and replacing her with 'wellness influencer' Casey Means, a close ally of HHS chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump boasted has 'impeccable 'MAHA' credentials.' Means, who claims she now practices 'functional medicine,' currently doesn't have an active medical license.
During Friday's broadcast of the president's favorite morning talk show, Kilmeade appeared to be sending Trump a message that he shouldn't be relying on Loomer to make decisions on who should or shouldn't be serving in the administration.
Discussing Fox News anchor Bret Baier's interview with Kennedy and other HHS officials, which featured the HHS secretary dodging a question on his former running mate's claims that someone is 'controlling his decisions,' Kilmeade then brought up Trump switching up his pick for the nation's top doctor.
'I guess the surgeon general is not there yet,' he declared. 'Casey Means, she's gonna get the job, she's gonna fit right in. Dr. Nesheiwat is gonna be joining that team, and I think she is, I don't know, for some reason she was pulled from surgeon general.'
Adding that he's glad his former Fox News colleague is still 'gonna be involved,' Kilmeade then said he hoped Nesheiwat's nomination 'wasn't pulled because of Laura Loomer' as she 'seems to be taking a bow of getting a scalp and pushing somebody away from the Trump administration.'
In the end, the Trump-boosting Fox host wanted it known that he didn't believe that Loomer should be someone the administration, or the president himself, takes seriously.
'I just don't think she should be having the credibility to pick who's on staff,' he concluded.
Besides Nesheiwat, whom Loomer had targeted for urging people to get vaccinated during the coronavirus pandemic, the self-described 'investigative journalist' had also recently pushed the White House to clear house at the National Security Council following the Signalgate scandal. Shortly after she visited the Oval Office, in which she presented her research showing several staffers were 'disloyal' to Trump, a 'bloodbath' took place on the council and multiple members were fired.
While national security adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong were initially spared, Loomer took credit for their 'scalps' after the president removed both from their roles earlier this month. Waltz, who created the infamous Signal chat that mistakenly added The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg and included sensitive war plans being shared, has since been nominated to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations.
Though Loomer crowed about Nesheiwat being withdrawn as the surgeon general nominee, she has also loudly complained about Means being named in her place.
'How is the top doctor in the U.S. supposed to give medical guidance and advice to the nation when she doesn't even have an active medical license in the state where she allegedly practiced medicine?' Loomer griped on X. 'Does Casey Means even have an active medical license in any state?? This is so embarrassing for the Trump administration.'
She added: 'It is worth noting that Casey Means doesn't have a surgical residency, and isn't a surgeon. The term Surgeon General is interesting given the fact that there is no requirement to be a Surgeon to be Surgeon General. Turns out you can be a social media influencer and become Surgeon General.'
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Ukraine believes Putin has just ‘one card left to play' in ceasefire talks – and it gives Kyiv an upper hand
Ukraine believes Putin has just ‘one card left to play' in ceasefire talks – and it gives Kyiv an upper hand

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  • The Independent

Ukraine believes Putin has just ‘one card left to play' in ceasefire talks – and it gives Kyiv an upper hand

Vladimir Putin has 'only one card' left to play - to prolong the killing in Ukraine, according to a senior source in Volodymyr Zelensky's presidential office as Europe conducts top level talks ahead of the Alaska summit this week. Zelensky has not been invited to Friday's meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. And there are deep concerns that the US president will emerge from the encounter taking an even harder line on Ukraine. Europe's leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, have been corralling US officials and White House insiders, and are meeting virtually with the Oval Office to persuade Trump to use the leverage he has over Putin to get him to agree a ceasefire. 'The main thing for Putin is to try to trade land for ceasefires,' the source close to Zelensky told The Independent. 'The ability to kill and to prolong war is the only card Putin has. So, he's trying to play this card.' In February, Trump lost his temper with Zelensky, yelling at him that he didn't 'have the cards' in the conflict with Russia during an infamous press conference in the Oval Office. Now, Ukraine insists, it's Putin who has the weaker hand. Europe's leaders are trying to reinforce that message to Trump so that he feels confident threatening further economic sanctions against countries that import Russian oil - and even to renew arms shipments to Ukraine - to get Putin to suspend military operations. 'Trump does want to finish the killings, it's true, and he has the power to do it. So the question is for him how to do the right thing,' the Ukrainian presidential advisor said. So far Putin has said any ceasefire would have to come on the condition that Ukraine agrees to cede four provinces - Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - to Russia along with the Crimea. He also wants Ukraine not to use any pause in the fighting to rearm. Ukraine has long agreed to a minimum 30-day unconditional ceasefire and insists that it is willing to discuss grounds for peace. As speculation mounts over what Friday's summit will achieve, Trump has already indicated that he agrees with Russia and that Ukraine should be prepared to agree 'land swaps' of Ukrainian territory. Europe, the UK and Ukraine have ruled out such concessions – especially as part of any deal struck between Russia and America without Ukraine present. Despite the fanfare over the meeting in Anchorage, the US actually has less power, and therefore influence over the outcome of talks, as a result of forcing Kyiv and Europe into taking on more of the burden of the defence of Ukraine. Trump cut all military aid to Ukraine earlier this year. The total US military spend there is €114 billion, which is dwarfed by the EU and UK's current pledged contribution standing at €250 billion. Ukraine's Nato allies now have to buy US weapons to supply Kyiv, but there are now signs that the US could ban that revenue stream. Russia has seen its second largest oil client, India, hit with a total of 50 per cent US tariffs. Twenty five per cent of that was imposed to get Putin to respond to Trump's ceasefire proposals. And if the US decided to open the taps of free military aid again it could tip the tactical balance rapidly in Ukraine's favour. The UK and Europe want Trump to spell this out to Putin. 'Zelensky supports the ceasefire,' the Ukrainian source said. 'The problem is that Putin rejects it and the majority of Ukrainians want to see peace, it's true, but at the same time the majority of Ukrainians reject Russian claims on the territory.'

How Trump smashed Washington's economy
How Trump smashed Washington's economy

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David is one of thousands of workers in Washington suddenly on the brink of unemployment. He earns more than $80,000 (£59,000) per year but has cut back on spending to save $600 per month. 'I've changed where I buy groceries,' says the 35-year-old. 'If someone's making plans to go out for dinner or go out for drinks, I avoid it.' In preparation for losing his job and potentially leaving the city for good, he recently handed in his notice on his $2,100-per-month rental contract. He is one of many making radical changes after Donald Trump's administration took an axe to the US capital's economy by slashing federal government jobs, funding and grants. The impact of these cuts has so far been delayed as laid-off employees worked through notice periods and severance packages. But unemployment is now beginning to surge, with city residents spending less and the property market coming under pressure. To strengthen his grip on Washington, the US president on Monday took a controversial step to deploy the National Guard as part of a crime purge, claiming the city has become 'overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals'. 'I will make our capital great again!' Trump declared. But away from the drama of the president's announcement, David's situation is emblematic of the fact that the city is teetering on the edge of a recession triggered by Trump's crackdown. In the last financial year, Washington's real GDP rose by 1.5pc. This is expected to fall to 0.9pc in 2025, according to Washington's office of the chief financial officer (Ofco), with a further 1.9pc drop the following year. After Trump re-entered the White House in January, it was Elon Musk who was tasked with slashing $1tn from the federal budget, brandishing a red chainsaw as he got to work. To date, the department of government efficiency (Doge), led by the Tesla billionaire before his falling out with Trump, has claimed savings of $199bn by pursuing mass sackings and offering voluntary redundancy to more than 154,000 federal employees. A strict hiring freeze has also been enforced, which allows only one replacement federal employee for every four that leave. It has also terminated billions of dollars' worth of government grants and contracts, such as all of those with the US agency for international development (USAID). Washington is bearing the biggest brunt of these cuts, with the federal government making up for a quarter (188,400) of all jobs in the city. Since December, the number of federal government workers claiming unemployment insurance in Washington has risen nearly 12 times over to hit 1,502 in July. Excluding short-lived surges during two government shutdowns, this was the highest level on record since 1993. As cuts continue, this number is only going to rise. The district's chief financial officer in February forecast 40,000 federal job losses by 2029. This means that more than a fifth of jobs (21pc) in the city's biggest employment sector will be lost. However, the government extends well beyond the Washington jobs market. A further 170,500 people are employed in professional and business services, which includes government contractors. Another 68,500 work in related services, such as many of the civic organisations that receive government funding. Lucy Dadayan, of the Urban Institute, says: 'The budget cuts aren't just affecting federal workers; there are cuts to grants for non-profits, for research funding, for local government, for health and education programmes. 'And all these cuts, both in jobs and spending have ripple effects that are leading to lay-offs in higher education and hospitals and think tanks and NGOs. 'That's important because a lot of them are heavily clustered in and around DC, and we are starting to see the impact of this in jobs and spending.' Data from Ofco show that Washington recorded a net year-on-year loss of 6,100 jobs in June. Of these, 4,700 were cut from federal government employment, while a further 2,200 disappeared from professional and business services. 'Usually we don't get drops as big as this unless it's a recession,' says Fitzroy Lee, the district's chief economist. Take David as an example. He is not employed by the federal government, but works in international development, a sector heavily reliant on foreign aid. A barrage of federal cuts has meant this sector is now suffering a major downturn, with David's contract soon set to expire. He beat nearly 100 applicants to land his current role and has two master's degrees. But in the last eight months, David has applied for 30 positions and has had no luck. 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I married the man of my dreams 42 hours after meeting – then he beat me for four hours and plunged a knife into me
I married the man of my dreams 42 hours after meeting – then he beat me for four hours and plunged a knife into me

The Sun

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  • The Sun

I married the man of my dreams 42 hours after meeting – then he beat me for four hours and plunged a knife into me

SWIPING through the dating app, Kasey Wolfe's heart fluttered as she spotted a message from a handsome stranger. His name was Charles Bates and he was almost seven years Kasey's junior. 7 7 Typically dating older men, Bates wasn't Kasey's normal type and the 41-year-old hesitated before she agreed to go on a first date. Just 42 hours later, the couple were married in a whirlwind romance. But in the months that followed Kasey, who lives in Kentucky, desperately wished she had listened to her early niggles. Jealous Bates, now 35, became increasingly violent over their relationship before eventually leaving Kasey fighting for her life in a brutal four-hour attack. 'Enough time has passed for me now to look back and see how crazy it was to marry a man just 42 hours after he messaged me on a dating site,' she says. 'Having to ask Charles his surname when we collected our marriage licence should have been a red flag, but I ignored it." But Kasey could have never anticipated Bates' violent side - he had been highly affectionate from his very first message. 'His first message said 'You're absolutely gorgeous. I have to meet you',' Kasey recalls. 'Because of his age I joked about getting his dad's number but he pleaded with me to give him a chance and I wavered. 'But after what I had been through I deserved some happiness and agreed.' Just a few years earlier Kasey had been a lorry driver, before she was diagnosed with the auto-immune condition Lupus. The blood disorder complication led to a pulmonary embolism in her lungs and repeated deep vein thrombosis in her legs. 'I'd had to give up a job I loved,' she says. 'I'd always been big but the weight crept on and I hit 29st, I was on oxygen and I needed a walker. 'So I was lonely and vulnerable when I met Charles.' In September 2014, Bates struck up a conversation and after they chatted for hours the pair agreed to meet for lunch the following day. 'He told me he'd never felt this way about anyone and my heart skipped a beat,' Kasey says. 'After lunch I said I had to get home to clean my flat and Charles offered to come and help. 'He was so persistent I let him come back and he really did help. 7 7 'There's nothing sexier than a man who does the dishes.' The pair ended up in bed together and the following morning Bates cooked Kasey breakfast before making an unexpected suggestion. 'He told me we should get married that day and I couldn't think of a good reason not to,' Kasey says. 'I couldn't get through to my parents beforehand but I reached my brother Tommy who called me a 'dumb a**.'' At 3pm on that Monday morning Kasey said 'I do' to Charles Bates, less than two days after they had their first conversation. 'I put the news on Facebook and my mum called me yelling,' Kasey says. 'The whole family thought I'd gone crazy but I reassured them that when they met Charles they would realise it was true love.' Kasey says that their first 20 days of marriage were blissful. 'He was sweet and attentive and neither my health nor my weight bothered him,' she recalls. 'He told me he loved me the way I was and encouraged me to eat what I wanted. 'On one occasion he brought me ten waffles after I told him how much I like them.' On their 21st day of marriage, Kasey went to use Bates' phone while he was out where she made a shocking discovery. 'I spotted another Facebook profile and it said he was in a relationship with a woman called Jessica,' she says. 'I called her number and told her I was his wife. 'She told me he was his girlfriend and that they'd been together two weeks and were planning to get married and have kids. 'That hurt, I couldn't have kids and Charles knew that. 'Jessica hadn't known about me and said she didn't want Charles if he was married.' Kasey called Bates and minutes later he came home in the hope of salvaging their relationship. 'He threw himself on his knees, begging forgiveness but I told him it was over,' Kasey says. Kasey called a lawyer in the hope of annulling the marriage but because they had consummated their vows they couldn't. She says: 'My middle brother Koty was getting married. 'I didn't want to go to the wedding single and hear 'told you so' from everyone. 'Charles was heartbroken at the thought of losing me so I gave him another chance.' Life remained blissful for a while, but when the pair had been married eight months thing took a dark turn when Bates first hit Kasey. 'I had giggled just as we were getting intimate,' Kasey says. 'Charles thought I was giggling at him and punched me in the right jaw. 'Afterwards, he told me that he'd never do it again claiming that our finances were stressing him. 'Our finances were bad because he kept getting fired or quitting factory jobs. 'I was beginning to regret marrying him.' While Kasey warned that should Bates hit her again the relationship would be over, it didn't take long for things to turn violent again. Five months later, in October 2015 Bates arrived home from work early after quitting another job. 'He screamed at me for not doing any cleaning,' Kasey says. 'I ignored him as I was still on oxygen and using the walker so hadn't been able to do much. 'Charles clipped me on the back of the head and flipped our coffee table over. 'He accused me of cheating because I was scrolling on my phone. 'The accusation was so ridiculous, something snapped in me.' Kasey calmly requested a divorce but Bates wasn't quite as calm. 'He told me we would have to split everything in half before snapping a picture in half and throwing it at me,' she recalls. 'When I didn't react, he got even angrier and suddenly punched me in the face, it exploded in pain. 'He'd been doing maintenance work on our home and there were 2x6 lengths of timber stacked in the living room. 'He slammed one across my head, then my neck, ear and side. 'I screamed for help, nobody came.' Bates continued to rain punches down on Kasey's face in a horrific attack that she claims lasted for hours. 'He hit me so hard and for so long he wore himself out and had to rest,' she says. 'Then he yelled at me before starting up again. Kasey was trapped on the couch with her dachshund-corgi cross Yoda. 'Charles went into the kitchen and returned with a 12-inch carving knife,' she recalls. 'I thought he didn't have it in him to stab me to death but he's stupid enough to end up beating me to death. Domestic abuse - how to get help DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence. Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship: Emotional abuse - Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse - gaslighting - being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to Threats and intimidation - Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you Physical abuse - This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten. Sexual abuse - Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent. If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers: Remember, you are not alone. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime. Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse. 'I told him that if he continued I'd die and for a moment he paused, then just got a smaller knife. 'He thrust it into my right side and slashed at my body, my weight saved me as the blade only went in an inch.' It was then that Bates grabbed Yoda, putting the knife to the dog's throat. 'I loved that little dog, It was the last straw,' Kasey says. 'I'd been beaten and abused for four-and-half hours.' Kasey launched herself at Bates, using her weight to her advantage and removing the knife out of his hands. 'He'd recently had surgery to repair tendons in his right arm and knee and I put all my weight on them,' Kasey says. 'He screamed that I broke his leg and his arm. 'I told him that if he drove us both to the hospital I would lie for him.' Kasey drifted in and out of consciousness as they made the journey to the hospital. 'Charles told me to say I was jumped by a group of men but the ER nurses suspected the story,' she says. 'When the nurses told him to go and make a call to the police, I confessed everything.' Police arrested Bates at the hospital. Kasey had been left with a fractured nose and eye sockets, a minor stab wound, lacerations, and numerous bruises. Bates was held in custody and charged with serious domestic violence assault, unlawful imprisonment, and other charges. 'I told the prosecutor that I was OK with lesser charges if he got mental health treatment,' she says. I'd been beaten and abused for four-and-half hours Kasey Wolfe In May 2016, after seven months in custody, Bates admitted lower-level assault, threats, unlawful imprisonment, and wanton endangerment. He was released on 10 years' probation, five years closely supervised. In September he stopped going to probation appointments. For three-and-half years he dodged the authorities before he was caught in January 2020. He'd broken probation but was released after just six days. Covid hit in March that year, closing the courts, and then Bates was diagnosed with testicular cancer. No further action was taken against him. Kasey has since channelled her anger into becoming a campaigner against domestic violence. 'I've been interviewed on a podcast, given a speech at a rally and help victims flee violent men,' she says. 'Though I've lost weight, at 26 stone I'm still big enough to make most men think twice when I turn up and help an abused partner flee. 'Enough time has passed that I can even see the funny side about our speedy marriage, and my dream is to be a stand-up comedian, using my own love life as inspiration. 'Through comedy I'll ridicule those inadequate men like Charles who beat women.'

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