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Ex-Fox News host, prosecutor and judge was nominated after Trump's first choice, podcaster Ed Martin was blocked
Ex-Fox News host, prosecutor and judge was nominated after Trump's first choice, podcaster Ed Martin was blocked

NZ Herald

time04-08-2025

  • Politics
  • NZ Herald

Ex-Fox News host, prosecutor and judge was nominated after Trump's first choice, podcaster Ed Martin was blocked

Republicans have accused Democrats of obstruction for forcing time-consuming votes to confirm the President's picks, rather than allowing some of them to be confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent, as was common under previous administrations. Republicans in the majority spent days negotiating with Democrats to allow the Senate to confirm more nominees before senators left town, but no deal came together. 'Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country,' Trump wrote on social media. 'In a fit of rage, Trump threw in the towel, sent Republicans home and was unable to do the basic work of negotiating,' Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (Democrat-New York) told reporters. Pirro is one of a number of Fox hosts that Trump has recruited for the administration and fits the mould of many of his appointees: combative, camera-ready, and loyal enough to have sought to discredit the results of the 2020 election that he lost, the Washington Post reported previously. In the days leading up to the January 6 insurrection, Pirro had cast doubt on the credibility of Joe Biden's election victory in statements that aired on Fox. After Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, however, she walked back those comments, instead calling the attack 'deplorable, reprehensible, outright criminal'. Pirro's claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election were included in the US$2.1 billion ($3.5b) defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News, which led the broadcaster to settle the case for US$787.5 million in 2023. She is also a defendant in a similar defamation lawsuit by voting software maker Smartmatic. That case is pending. In a written response to senators' questions ahead of her confirmation that was obtained by the Washington Post, Pirro declined to offer thoughts on whether those convicted in the January 6 riot cases should have been pardoned. She sidestepped several other questions, including whether there would ever be a legal basis for someone from the executive branch of government to defy a federal court order. Pirro's confirmation to one of the nation's highest-profile prosecutor's offices was met with mixed reactions. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, described her record on issues including the January 6 riot, election denialism, and Trump's immigration policies as 'deeply troubling'. 'President Trump has been using the Justice Department to protect his allies and go after his enemies, and Ms Pirro has proven to be a willing accomplice in weaponizing the justice system,' Durbin said in a statement. 'She is not fit to be the US Attorney for our nation's capital, and I believe it's a grave mistake my Republican colleagues voted to confirm her.' 'She is simply a loyal political acolyte and sycophant of the President,' Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) said in a floor speech ahead of the confirmation vote. Attorney-General Pam Bondi called Pirro 'a warrior for law and order' in a post on X. The DC Police Union congratulated Pirro and said it looked forward to working with her 'to hold criminals accountable and reduce crime'. Pirro thanked the union in response and promised to work with police to 'clean up DC'. Deadlines are looming for dozens of Trump loyalists handpicked as interim US Attorneys, whose 120-day terms are set to expire in the coming months. The Justice Department last month deployed a complex procedural manoeuvre to keep Alina Habba, a former personal lawyer for Trump, as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, in a playbook it has used to extend the tenures of other polarising prosecutors that bypasses the Senate's role in confirming official nominees for the job. During Pirro's time as interim US Attorney, she instituted a policy of scrutinising the immigration status of all criminal defendants in the district, as part of the Trump Administration's efforts to ramp up deportations. She will also oversee a portfolio of major cases, including the shooting deaths of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, a couple who had just left a reception at the Capital Jewish Museum. Pirro said her office intends to investigate the killings as an act of terrorism and a hate crime. For decades, Trump and Pirro have fraternised in the same Republican circles in New York. On her Saturday Fox News show, Justice With Judge Jeanine, Pirro delivered strident defences of the President during his first term. In 2018, Pirro published a book titled Liars, Leakers and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy. Pirro's former husband, Albert Pirro, served as Trump's real estate lawyers before being convicted of federal tax evasion in 2000 when she was district attorney. He was sentenced to 29 months and was released from federal custody in 2002, court records show. Trump pardoned him in 2021, during his first term. In 2006, Pirro was investigated by federal prosecutors for seeking to bug the family's boat to determine whether her husband was having an affair. Pirro called the investigation a 'political witch hunt and smear campaign', and said her marital discord was not the business of the prosecutors. No charges were filed. In a statement on her confirmation, Pirro said: 'The confidence placed in me by the President and affirmed by the Senate will not be in vain. I am committed to ensuring that the nation's capital once again reflects the quality, safety, and promise of the citizens and our great country.'

Supporting the bill carries risks for Republicans in traditionally Democratic and swing states
Supporting the bill carries risks for Republicans in traditionally Democratic and swing states

NZ Herald

time04-07-2025

  • Politics
  • NZ Herald

Supporting the bill carries risks for Republicans in traditionally Democratic and swing states

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat-New York) speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol. Democrats see President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill as a path win them back one, if not both, chambers of Congress in next year's Midterm elections. Photo / Kent Nishimura, the New York Times Demoralised Democrats who have denounced President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill have landed on a silver lining. It is so unpopular with American voters, they say, that it could win them back one, if not both, chambers of Congress in next year's United States Midterm elections. Top officials

Must draw a hard line: US lawmakers want AI systems from these countries to be ‘banned' from government agencies
Must draw a hard line: US lawmakers want AI systems from these countries to be ‘banned' from government agencies

Time of India

time25-06-2025

  • Business
  • Time of India

Must draw a hard line: US lawmakers want AI systems from these countries to be ‘banned' from government agencies

Representative Image A bipartisan group of US lawmakers have proposed a bill to ban AI systems from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from federal executive agencies, a report claims. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, the legislation wants to create a permanent framework to prohibit the use of these foreign-developed AI models by US government agencies. The recently introduced bill by Representative John Moolenaar (Republican-Michigan) and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat-Illinois) would require the Federal Acquisition Security Council to establish and regularly update a list of AI models developed in these countries. What US lawmakers said about this bill In a statement to Reuters, Moolenaar said: 'The US must draw a hard line: hostile AI systems have no business operating inside our government. This legislation creates a permanent firewall to keep adversary AI out of our most sensitive networks, where the cost of compromise is simply too high.' Under the proposed law, federal agencies would be barred from purchasing or using these AI technologies unless granted a specific exemption, such as for research purposes, from the US Congress or the Office of Management and Budget, Reuters reported. The bill also includes a provision allowing technologies to be removed from the banned list if proof is provided that they are not controlled or influenced by a foreign adversary. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo This comes after a previous Reuters report cited a senior US official who claimed that DeepSeek is helping China's military and intelligence operations, and the Chinese AI company has had access to "large volumes" of Nvidia's chips. In January, DeepSeek came into the spotlight by announcing it had developed an AI model similar in capability to OpenAI's ChatGPT but at a lower cost. Since then, several US companies and government agencies have restricted its use due to data security concerns, and the Trump administration is reportedly considering a ban on its use on federal devices. The bill was co-sponsored by US Representative Ritchie Torres (Democrat-New York) and Representative Darin LaHood (Republican-Illinois). In the US Senate, it is being led by Senators Rick Scott (Republican-Florida) and Gary Peters (Democrat-Michigan), the Reuters report added. Redmi Pad 2: Know these Things Before Buying! AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now

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