‘Musk has bad info': Mike Johnson downplays billionaire's warnings on Trump's ‘Big, Beautiful bill'
Speaker Mike Johnson firmly sided with US President Donald Trump in his fallout with Elon Musk, dismissing Musk's criticism of the GOP tax and budget bill. Johnson said the bill isn't crafted to 'please the richest man in the world' but to help working families. Despite Musk's public pushback and threats to fund opposition, Johnson says Republican offices have received 'almost no calls,' claiming the public sees the legislation as exciting and necessary. Show more 01:55
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The Hindu
16 minutes ago
- The Hindu
U.S., China begin key trade talks in London
China and the United States began a new round of trade talks in London on Monday (June 9, 2025), Beijing's state media reported, as the world's two biggest economies seek to shore up a shaky truce after bruising tit-for-tat tariffs. The two sides are meeting in the historic Lancaster House, run by the U.K. Foreign Office, following a first round of talks in Geneva last month. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng was again heading the team in London. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported the start of the talks. Also read | Trump calls China's Xi tough, 'hard to make a deal with' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are leading the U.S. delegation, President Donald Trump said Friday. "The meeting should go very well," Mr. Trump said on his Truth Social platform. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told Fox News on Sunday: "We want China and the United States to continue moving forward with the agreement that was struck in Geneva." While the U.K. government reiterated that it was not involved in the discussions, a spokesperson said: "We are a nation that champions free trade." U.K. authorities "have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody's interests, so we welcome these talks", the spokesperson added. Rare earths The talks in London come just a few days after Mr. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping finally held their first publicly announced telephone talks since the Republican returned to the White House. Mr. Trump said Thursday's call reached a "very positive conclusion". Mr. Xi was quoted by Xinhua as saying "correcting the course of the big ship of Sino-U.S. relations requires us to steer well and set the direction". Tensions between the two nations have soared, with Mr. Trump accusing Beijing of violating a tariff de-escalation deal reached in Geneva in mid-May. "We need China to comply with their side of the deal. And so that's what the trade team will be discussing tomorrow," Ms. Leavitt said Sunday. A key issue will be Beijing's shipments of rare earths — crucial to a range of goods including electric vehicle batteries and which have been a bone of contention for some time. "Rare earth shipments from China to the US have slowed since President Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at trading group XTB. "The US wants these shipments to be reinstated, while China wants the US to rethink immigration curbs on students, restrictions on access to advanced technology including microchips, and to make it easier for Chinese tech providers to access US consumers," she added. In April, Trump introduced sweeping worldwide tariffs that targeted China most heavily. At one point, Washington hit Beijing with additional levies of 145 percent on its goods, prompting China to respond with tariffs reaching 125% on US goods. After two days of talks in Switzerland, both sides agreed to slash the eye-watering tariffs for 90 days, but key differences remain -- especially over China's rare earth export restrictions. The impact was reflected in the latest official export data released Monday in Beijing. Exports to the United States fell 12.7%in May from the previous month, with China shipping $28.8 billion worth of goods. This was down from $33 billion in April, according to Beijing's General Administration of Customs. 'Green channel' Throughout its talks with Washington, China has also launched discussions with other trading partners — including Japan and South Korea — to try to build a united front to counter Trump's tariffs. On Thursday, Beijing and Canada agreed to regularise their channels of communication after strained ties. Beijing has also proposed establishing a "green channel" to ease exports of rare earths to the European Union, and fast-tracking approval of some export licenses. China is expected to host a summit with the EU in July, marking 50 years since Beijing and Brussels established diplomatic ties. According to a spokesperson for Starmer, Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves took advantage of the talks in London to meet with her US counterpart Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Sunday.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump vs. Musk feud started in private: Shocking details emerge about tense meeting before public meltdown
Trump and Elon Musk were already fighting in private before their feud went public. A tense meeting over a NASA pick made things worse. What followed was a wave of insults, anger, and big moves from both sides. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What made Trump Mad Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How the dirty laundry got public FAQs Trump and Elon Musk had a private fight before the drama exploded in public this week. Their feud was already heating up right after Musk's strange farewell party, where he showed up with a black eye and gave a weird excuse for it, as per to White House insiders, Trump got angry just before Musk's final Oval Office meeting last week. Trump had just found out that Jared Isaacman, the guy Musk wanted to lead NASA, had donated a lot of money to Democrats in recent years, as mentioned in the report by New York though political donations are easy to find online like on OpenSecrets, Trump hadn't noticed this before and got mad when he found out. After being friendly during Musk's televised farewell, Trump got real and told Musk this wasn't okay. Trump even read some names out loud, while shaking his head. He told Musk straight up, 'This isn't good', as per tried to defend Isaacman by saying his donations showed Trump's team was open to hiring from all political sides, like Trump himself. But Trump didn't care, he basically called Isaacman a 'turncoat', meaning a that intense talk at the end of May, Isaacman's nomination was canceled. That moment pushed Musk over the edge. He got super mad at Trump. Just days later, Musk started thrashing Trump's 2025 budget and tax plan, calling it an 'abomination.' Musk also went way too far by hinting at a pedophilia accusation against Trump, as mentioned by New York Times hit back publicly, in his usual harsh style. Trump even threatened to cancel SpaceX's NASA contracts. And as a final slap, Trump decided to sell the red Tesla he had bought in March, which he had originally bought to show support for had a private argument over Musk's NASA nominee, who had donated to threatened SpaceX contracts and sold his Tesla car to show he's done with Musk.
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
Kamala Harris won the U.S elections: Bombshell report claims voting machines were tampered with before 2024
Kamala Harris won the U.S. elections: Bombshell report claims voting machines were tampered with before 2024: A new report is stirring fresh debate about the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, claiming that voting machines were secretly altered before ballots were even cast. The bombshell allegation raises a serious question: Did Kamala Harris actually win the 2024 election ? According to the investigative piece from Daily Boulder, a private lab quietly implemented sweeping changes to voting machines used in over 40% of U.S. counties ahead of the 2024 race. Those changes, the report claims, were made with no public notice, no formal testing, and no third-party oversight. What changes were made to voting machines before the 2024 election? The report centers around Pro V&V, a federally accredited lab responsible for certifying voting machines in key states like Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, and California. In early 2024, the lab reportedly approved updates to ES&S voting systems, which included: New ballot scanners Printer reconfigurations Firmware upgrades A new Electionware reporting system Instead of labeling these as major changes, Pro V&V classified them as 'de minimis,' a term typically reserved for insignificant tweaks. This classification allowed them to bypass public scrutiny and avoid triggering full-scale testing or certification processes. But watchdog group SMART Elections wasn't convinced. In their words: Live Events 'This wasn't just a glitch in some sleepy county. It was a stress test of our entire system.' Soon after the machines went live, complaints began to surface. Were votes miscounted or ignored in key counties? In Rockland County, New York, several voters testified under oath that their ballots didn't match the official results. Senate candidate Diane Sare reportedly lost votes in precinct after precinct: In one district, 9 voters claimed they voted for Sare, but only 5 votes were recorded. In another, 5 voters swore they supported her, but only 3 votes appeared. It wasn't just third-party candidates who saw odd results. In multiple Democratic-leaning areas, Kamala Harris's name was reportedly missing from the top of the ballot entirely. Voters said they couldn't even find her name to select. These same areas had high support for Democrats like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, yet Harris received zero votes—a statistical anomaly that defies traditional voting patterns. Even more shocking: Donald Trump received 750,000 more votes than Republican Senate candidates in these districts. As reported by Dissent in Bloom, a political Substack, 'That's not split-ticket voting. That's a mathematical anomaly.' Who is behind Pro V&V, and why is there no oversight? At the center of the controversy is Jack Cobb, the director of Pro V&V. While he doesn't appear in the headlines, his lab certifies the machines that millions of Americans use to vote. According to the report, once the controversy began to gain traction, Pro V&V's website went dark, leaving only a phone number and a generic email address. No public logs. No documentation. No comment. Pro V&V is certified by the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). However, once accredited, labs like Pro V&V face no real public oversight. There is no hotline, no review board, and no formal process for the public to challenge or remove them. The EAC itself has four commissioners, two of whom—Benjamin Hovland and Donald Palmer—were appointed by Donald Trump during his first presidency. Even if wrongdoing were discovered, the process to revoke a lab's accreditation is slow, murky, and entirely internal. There are no public hearings and no outside investigations. As of June 2025, Pro V&V remains fully accredited and uninvestigated. Could Kamala Harris have actually won the election? The question is no longer whispered in political corners—it's being asked outright. In May 2025, Judge Rachel Tanguay ruled that allegations raised by SMART Elections were credible enough to move forward. The case, SMART Legislation et al. v. Rockland County Board of Elections , is scheduled for hearing this fall. While the lawsuit won't change the outcome of the election—Congress already certified Trump's victory—it could set off wider probes, from state investigations to federal criminal inquiries. Political writer John Pavlovitz openly questioned the result, writing: 'Kamala Harris may have won.' During the campaign, Harris reportedly drew massive crowds, high early voting numbers, and strong poll performances in swing states. Her debate showing against Trump was widely viewed as dominant—Trump even skipped the second debate. And yet, despite that momentum, Trump won. Adding fuel to the fire, Elon Musk, who vocally supported Trump, posted cryptic tweets during the 2024 cycle, including: 'Anything can be hacked.' Later, Musk stated: 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election.' Trump himself added to the speculation, telling supporters: 'He [Musk] knows those computers better than anybody. All those computers. Those vote-counting computers. And we ended up winning Pennsylvania like in a landslide.' The upcoming court case could become a pivotal moment in election security history. The lawsuit claims that a private company quietly changed voting machines in over 40% of U.S. counties—and no one knew until after the votes were counted. The implications are serious: Could future elections be altered without oversight? Should the EAC change how it certifies and monitors voting labs? Is the public being kept in the dark about the technology behind their vote? SMART Elections warns this isn't just about one race: 'If one underfunded watchdog group can dig up this much from a quiet New York suburb, what else is rotting in the shadows of this country's ballots?'
