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News.com.au
4 minutes ago
- News.com.au
US House panel subpoenas Clintons in Epstein probe
The US House Oversight Committee on Tuesday subpoenaed former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for testimony on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to letters posted on its website. The Clintons were among multiple former Democratic and Republican government officials -- as well as the Justice Department -- targeted by investigators in a major escalation of the controversy surrounding the investigation into the disgraced financier, who died in 2019 awaiting trial for sex trafficking. The White House has been facing increasingly intense demands to be more transparent after the Justice Department angered Trump supporters -- many of whom believe Epstein was murdered in a cover-up -- when it confirmed last month that he had died by suicide and that his case was effectively closed. The department also said Epstein had no secret "client list" -- rebuffing conspiracy theories held by Trump's far-right supporters about supposedly high-level Democratic complicity. Trump has urged his supporters to drop demands for the Epstein files, but Democrats in the Republican-led Congress -- with some support from majority lawmakers -- have also been seeking a floor vote to force their release. "By your own admission, you flew on Jeffrey Epstein's private plane four separate times in 2002 and 2003," Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer wrote to former president Clinton. "During one of these trips, you were even pictured receiving a 'massage' from one of Mr. Epstein's victims. The White House has been seeking to redirect public attention from uproar over its handling of the affair with a series of headline-grabbing announcements including baselsss claims that former president Barack Obama headed a "treasonous conspiracy" against Trump. Epstein was a financier and friend to numerous high-profile people -- for years, including Trump -- who was convicted of sex crimes and then imprisoned pending trial for allegedly trafficking underage girls. His 2019 prison cell death supercharged a conspiracy theory long promoted by many Trump supporters that Epstein had run an international pedophile ring and that elites wanted to make sure he never revealed their secrets. After Trump returned to power in January, his administration promised to release Epstein case files. - Past relationship - Several of Trump's most effective promoters over the years -- including new FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino -- made careers of fanning the rumors about Epstein. But when Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on July 7 that she had nothing to release, Republicans were furious -- and Trump has attempted to control the scandal ever since. Yet it has dominated headlines through the summer, showing just how hard it is for 79-year-old Trump to maintain his usual mastery of driving news agendas -- even within his fervently loyal "MAGA" base. Things got even more complicated for him after a Wall Street Journal report that Trump had written a lewd birthday letter to Epstein in 2003. Trump denies this and has sued the Journal. The Journal then dropped a separate story, saying Bondi had informed Trump in May that his name appeared several times in the Epstein files, even if there was no indication of wrongdoing. The president recently raised further questions about his past relationship with Epstein when he told reporters he fell out with his former friend after Epstein "stole" female employees from the spa at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Other officials targeted by the panel include former FBI director James Comey, former special counsel Robert Mueller and ex-attorney generals Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Bill Barr, Jeff Sessions, and Alberto Gonzales. Their depositions will take place between mid-August and mid-October. Comer also issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for records related to Epstein -- including its communications with Trump's predecessor Joe Biden and his officials. Lawmakers have also been seeking testimony from Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for her role in his alleged crimes -- although her cooperation is considered unlikely. ft/mlm
The Advertiser
32 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Titan submersible disaster was preventable: Coast Guard
The tour operator responsible for the Titan submersible, which fatally imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic, "leveraged intimidation tactics" to "evade regulatory scrutiny," a US Coast Guard investigation report concludes. The disappearance of the Titan off Canada in June 2023 led to a search that grabbed worldwide attention. The incident resulted in the deaths of five people - including British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood. The chief executive of tour operator OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, were also killed in the incident. On Tuesday, the US Coast Guard published a 335-page report in which it identified eight "primary causal factors" that led to the fatal implosion. The report said the implosion was "preventable". The report said OceanGate had a "toxic workplace environment" and used the "looming threat of being fired" to prevent staff from coming forward with safety concerns. It added that analysis revealed a "disturbing pattern of misrepresentation and reckless disregard for safety". The report criticised OceanGate's design and testing processes and the continued use of the Titan submersible despite "a series of incidents that compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components". The tour operator's former director of engineering was reported by the US Coast Guard to have said the first hull used on the Titan submersible was akin to a "high school project". According to the report, a contractor hired by OceanGate in 2022 voiced "numerous safety concerns" to a company director, before being told: "You have a bad attitude, you don't have an explorer mindset, you know, we're innovative and we're cowboys, and a lot of people can't handle that". Authored by lead investigator Thomas Whalen and marine board chairman Jason Neubauer, the report said that for several years preceding the incident, OceanGate "leveraged intimidation tactics," allowances for scientific operations, and "the company's favourable reputation to evade regulatory scrutiny". "By strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion and oversight challenges, OceanGate was ultimately able to operate Titan completely outside of the established deep-sea protocols, which had historically contributed to a strong safety record for commercial submersibles," the report said. "The lack of both third-party oversight and experienced OceanGate employees on staff during their 2023 Titan operations allowed OceanGate's chief executive officer to completely ignore vital inspections, data analyses, and preventative maintenance procedures, culminating in a catastrophic event." The submersible disaster has led to lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of the developing private deep-sea expedition industry. with AP The tour operator responsible for the Titan submersible, which fatally imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic, "leveraged intimidation tactics" to "evade regulatory scrutiny," a US Coast Guard investigation report concludes. The disappearance of the Titan off Canada in June 2023 led to a search that grabbed worldwide attention. The incident resulted in the deaths of five people - including British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood. The chief executive of tour operator OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, were also killed in the incident. On Tuesday, the US Coast Guard published a 335-page report in which it identified eight "primary causal factors" that led to the fatal implosion. The report said the implosion was "preventable". The report said OceanGate had a "toxic workplace environment" and used the "looming threat of being fired" to prevent staff from coming forward with safety concerns. It added that analysis revealed a "disturbing pattern of misrepresentation and reckless disregard for safety". The report criticised OceanGate's design and testing processes and the continued use of the Titan submersible despite "a series of incidents that compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components". The tour operator's former director of engineering was reported by the US Coast Guard to have said the first hull used on the Titan submersible was akin to a "high school project". According to the report, a contractor hired by OceanGate in 2022 voiced "numerous safety concerns" to a company director, before being told: "You have a bad attitude, you don't have an explorer mindset, you know, we're innovative and we're cowboys, and a lot of people can't handle that". Authored by lead investigator Thomas Whalen and marine board chairman Jason Neubauer, the report said that for several years preceding the incident, OceanGate "leveraged intimidation tactics," allowances for scientific operations, and "the company's favourable reputation to evade regulatory scrutiny". "By strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion and oversight challenges, OceanGate was ultimately able to operate Titan completely outside of the established deep-sea protocols, which had historically contributed to a strong safety record for commercial submersibles," the report said. "The lack of both third-party oversight and experienced OceanGate employees on staff during their 2023 Titan operations allowed OceanGate's chief executive officer to completely ignore vital inspections, data analyses, and preventative maintenance procedures, culminating in a catastrophic event." The submersible disaster has led to lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of the developing private deep-sea expedition industry. with AP The tour operator responsible for the Titan submersible, which fatally imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic, "leveraged intimidation tactics" to "evade regulatory scrutiny," a US Coast Guard investigation report concludes. The disappearance of the Titan off Canada in June 2023 led to a search that grabbed worldwide attention. The incident resulted in the deaths of five people - including British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood. The chief executive of tour operator OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, were also killed in the incident. On Tuesday, the US Coast Guard published a 335-page report in which it identified eight "primary causal factors" that led to the fatal implosion. The report said the implosion was "preventable". The report said OceanGate had a "toxic workplace environment" and used the "looming threat of being fired" to prevent staff from coming forward with safety concerns. It added that analysis revealed a "disturbing pattern of misrepresentation and reckless disregard for safety". The report criticised OceanGate's design and testing processes and the continued use of the Titan submersible despite "a series of incidents that compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components". The tour operator's former director of engineering was reported by the US Coast Guard to have said the first hull used on the Titan submersible was akin to a "high school project". According to the report, a contractor hired by OceanGate in 2022 voiced "numerous safety concerns" to a company director, before being told: "You have a bad attitude, you don't have an explorer mindset, you know, we're innovative and we're cowboys, and a lot of people can't handle that". Authored by lead investigator Thomas Whalen and marine board chairman Jason Neubauer, the report said that for several years preceding the incident, OceanGate "leveraged intimidation tactics," allowances for scientific operations, and "the company's favourable reputation to evade regulatory scrutiny". "By strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion and oversight challenges, OceanGate was ultimately able to operate Titan completely outside of the established deep-sea protocols, which had historically contributed to a strong safety record for commercial submersibles," the report said. "The lack of both third-party oversight and experienced OceanGate employees on staff during their 2023 Titan operations allowed OceanGate's chief executive officer to completely ignore vital inspections, data analyses, and preventative maintenance procedures, culminating in a catastrophic event." The submersible disaster has led to lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of the developing private deep-sea expedition industry. with AP The tour operator responsible for the Titan submersible, which fatally imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic, "leveraged intimidation tactics" to "evade regulatory scrutiny," a US Coast Guard investigation report concludes. The disappearance of the Titan off Canada in June 2023 led to a search that grabbed worldwide attention. The incident resulted in the deaths of five people - including British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood. The chief executive of tour operator OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, were also killed in the incident. On Tuesday, the US Coast Guard published a 335-page report in which it identified eight "primary causal factors" that led to the fatal implosion. The report said the implosion was "preventable". The report said OceanGate had a "toxic workplace environment" and used the "looming threat of being fired" to prevent staff from coming forward with safety concerns. It added that analysis revealed a "disturbing pattern of misrepresentation and reckless disregard for safety". The report criticised OceanGate's design and testing processes and the continued use of the Titan submersible despite "a series of incidents that compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components". The tour operator's former director of engineering was reported by the US Coast Guard to have said the first hull used on the Titan submersible was akin to a "high school project". According to the report, a contractor hired by OceanGate in 2022 voiced "numerous safety concerns" to a company director, before being told: "You have a bad attitude, you don't have an explorer mindset, you know, we're innovative and we're cowboys, and a lot of people can't handle that". Authored by lead investigator Thomas Whalen and marine board chairman Jason Neubauer, the report said that for several years preceding the incident, OceanGate "leveraged intimidation tactics," allowances for scientific operations, and "the company's favourable reputation to evade regulatory scrutiny". "By strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion and oversight challenges, OceanGate was ultimately able to operate Titan completely outside of the established deep-sea protocols, which had historically contributed to a strong safety record for commercial submersibles," the report said. "The lack of both third-party oversight and experienced OceanGate employees on staff during their 2023 Titan operations allowed OceanGate's chief executive officer to completely ignore vital inspections, data analyses, and preventative maintenance procedures, culminating in a catastrophic event." The submersible disaster has led to lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of the developing private deep-sea expedition industry. with AP
The Advertiser
32 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Lohan and Lee Curtis hit red carpet for 'freaky' film
Hollywood stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have graced an Australian red carpet for the premiere of Disney's Freakier Friday. The sequel comes more than two decades after the body-swap comedy Freaky Friday became a global hit. Lee Curtis and Lohan reunite as Tess and Anna Coleman, years after the pair first endured an identity crisis in the 2003 film. Anna has a daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter of her own, and is navigating the challenges of merging families when the story gets freakier. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, the movie is based on the novel by American composer and screenwriter Mary Rodgers, published in 1972. The original film earned Disney $US160 million ($A248 million) worldwide, well surpassing its production budget of about $US26 million ($A40 million). The sequel marks Lohan's return to Hollywood after she was absent for most of the 2010s before her appearance in Falling For Christmas in 2022. A social media post announcing her return with Lee Curtis in Freakier attracted more than one million likes. Lohan rose to fame in her role as identical twins in the 1998 film The Parent Trap. Freakquel co-star Lee-Curtis is an actor, producer, and children's author, best known for her breakout role in the 1978 rendition of Halloween and its six sequels. Lohan and Lee Curtis attended the Australian premiere at Bondi Junction in Sydney on Tuesday, following multiple appearances at premieres across the world including London, New York and Mexico City. The film will be released in Australian cinemas on Thursday. Hollywood stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have graced an Australian red carpet for the premiere of Disney's Freakier Friday. The sequel comes more than two decades after the body-swap comedy Freaky Friday became a global hit. Lee Curtis and Lohan reunite as Tess and Anna Coleman, years after the pair first endured an identity crisis in the 2003 film. Anna has a daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter of her own, and is navigating the challenges of merging families when the story gets freakier. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, the movie is based on the novel by American composer and screenwriter Mary Rodgers, published in 1972. The original film earned Disney $US160 million ($A248 million) worldwide, well surpassing its production budget of about $US26 million ($A40 million). The sequel marks Lohan's return to Hollywood after she was absent for most of the 2010s before her appearance in Falling For Christmas in 2022. A social media post announcing her return with Lee Curtis in Freakier attracted more than one million likes. Lohan rose to fame in her role as identical twins in the 1998 film The Parent Trap. Freakquel co-star Lee-Curtis is an actor, producer, and children's author, best known for her breakout role in the 1978 rendition of Halloween and its six sequels. Lohan and Lee Curtis attended the Australian premiere at Bondi Junction in Sydney on Tuesday, following multiple appearances at premieres across the world including London, New York and Mexico City. The film will be released in Australian cinemas on Thursday. Hollywood stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have graced an Australian red carpet for the premiere of Disney's Freakier Friday. The sequel comes more than two decades after the body-swap comedy Freaky Friday became a global hit. Lee Curtis and Lohan reunite as Tess and Anna Coleman, years after the pair first endured an identity crisis in the 2003 film. Anna has a daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter of her own, and is navigating the challenges of merging families when the story gets freakier. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, the movie is based on the novel by American composer and screenwriter Mary Rodgers, published in 1972. The original film earned Disney $US160 million ($A248 million) worldwide, well surpassing its production budget of about $US26 million ($A40 million). The sequel marks Lohan's return to Hollywood after she was absent for most of the 2010s before her appearance in Falling For Christmas in 2022. A social media post announcing her return with Lee Curtis in Freakier attracted more than one million likes. Lohan rose to fame in her role as identical twins in the 1998 film The Parent Trap. Freakquel co-star Lee-Curtis is an actor, producer, and children's author, best known for her breakout role in the 1978 rendition of Halloween and its six sequels. Lohan and Lee Curtis attended the Australian premiere at Bondi Junction in Sydney on Tuesday, following multiple appearances at premieres across the world including London, New York and Mexico City. The film will be released in Australian cinemas on Thursday. Hollywood stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have graced an Australian red carpet for the premiere of Disney's Freakier Friday. The sequel comes more than two decades after the body-swap comedy Freaky Friday became a global hit. Lee Curtis and Lohan reunite as Tess and Anna Coleman, years after the pair first endured an identity crisis in the 2003 film. Anna has a daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter of her own, and is navigating the challenges of merging families when the story gets freakier. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, the movie is based on the novel by American composer and screenwriter Mary Rodgers, published in 1972. The original film earned Disney $US160 million ($A248 million) worldwide, well surpassing its production budget of about $US26 million ($A40 million). The sequel marks Lohan's return to Hollywood after she was absent for most of the 2010s before her appearance in Falling For Christmas in 2022. A social media post announcing her return with Lee Curtis in Freakier attracted more than one million likes. Lohan rose to fame in her role as identical twins in the 1998 film The Parent Trap. Freakquel co-star Lee-Curtis is an actor, producer, and children's author, best known for her breakout role in the 1978 rendition of Halloween and its six sequels. Lohan and Lee Curtis attended the Australian premiere at Bondi Junction in Sydney on Tuesday, following multiple appearances at premieres across the world including London, New York and Mexico City. The film will be released in Australian cinemas on Thursday.
