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International Business Times
a day ago
- Health
- International Business Times
DJ Daniel: Heartbreaking New Diagnosis for Teen Cancer Survivor Who Won President Trump's Heart and Was Sworn in as Honorary Secret Service Agent
Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel's family has shared heartbreaking news about a new diagnosis, just months after the brain cancer survivor won the hearts of millions of Americans by being sworn in as an honorary Secret Service agent by President Donald Trump. His family revealed that he has developed more tumors and is fighting a hard battle for survival. DJ, who was given just five months to live after being diagnosed with terminal brain and spine cancer in 2018, has "three new tumors," his father, Theodis Daniel, told Fox 7 Austin last week. DJ gained global attention earlier this year when Trump singled him out him during the State of the Union address and honored him as an honorary Secret Service member. Fighting for His Life "It's rough, there isn't a class that can teach you how to deal with it. You're hearing that your child has a nasty disease," the heartbroken father said. "We're just going around showing people, hey, you do care for one another. Let's give compassion and let's try to join and help each other get through things," he added. The young boy has been on a mission to be sworn into as many law enforcement agencies as he can, while he and his family work to spread awareness about his illness. He's now close to reaching his goal of being officially sworn in by 1,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide — a feat that could earn him a spot in the Guinness World Records. He already holds several records, such as receiving the highest number of "keys to the city" and having the most official "proclamation days" in his honor. The county sheriff's office marked his 1,351st swearing-in ceremony, with his remarkable journey also taking him to six other countries where he was honored in similar fashion. Mission Continues Despite Life-Threatening Disease After being honored by the Secret Service, DJ got calls from law enforcement agencies all over the nation, including a call from Deputy Jeffrey Combs of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office in Texas. "I saw Theodis pick his son up. I felt that unconditional love, and I just knew I had to find DJ, so it all worked out," he told FOX 7 last week. The teenager has remained cheerful and positive — at the Williamson County ceremony, he playfully rubbed the deputies' bald heads for good luck, according to reports. He showed the same lively spirit during another recent swearing-in held in Polk County, Florida. "I'll keep going until my gas tank runs out, and that's when God calls you home," Daniel told officers. "The craziest thing is on my 11th brain surgery, God told me I was one of his angels and I'm doing God's work. "On my 12th brain surgery, he gave me my wings, but he told me I'm going to take these back until you graduate the school called life."
a day ago
- Politics
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's next move: Energizing Democrats in South Carolina and California
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will seek to energize activists at Democratic state conventions in South Carolina and California on Saturday, as the party's 2024 vice presidential nominee works to keep up the high national profile he gained when Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate. Walz, a former schoolteacher who went to Congress and then became his state's governor, will keynote the South Carolina gathering in Columbia, traditionally a showcase for national-level Democrats and White House hopefuls. Another leader who often appears on those lists, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, spoke Friday night at the party's fundraising dinner. South Carolina held the first Democratic presidential primary of the 2024 campaign, and the party hopes for a repeat as first in line in 2028. But the national party organizations haven't settled their 2028 calendars yet, and party officials in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada are also vying to go first. 'From the classroom to the governor's office, Tim Walz leads with compassion and common sense,' the South Carolina party posted on social media earlier this month when it announced his appearance. 'He's proof that you can govern with both heart and backbone, and he's bringing that message to South Carolina.' Walz, who's on a long list of potential 2028 candidates who have been traveling to early-voting states, will also be a featured speaker as California Democrats gather in Anaheim on Saturday. 'We're fired up to welcome Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to the Convention stage in Anaheim,' state chair Rusty Hicks said in a statement. 'He's a former teacher, a veteran, and a trailblazer who's spent his career fighting for working families and standing up for the values we all share — fairness, dignity, and opportunity for all.' Democrats have been debating since Harris lost to President Donald Trump in November over which direction the party should take. That self-examination reflects deep frustrations among Democratic voters that their leaders are failing to put up enough resistance against Trump, who has taken a much more aggressive approach to his second term in the White House. Walz hasn't officially said if he'll seek a third term in 2026, but acknowledges he's thinking about it. He said in a recent interview with KSTP-TV that he would probably wait to decide until July, after he calls a special session of the closely divided Minnesota Legislature to finish work on the state's next budget. Those negotiations have gone slowly despite his frequent meetings with legislative leaders. He's given mixed signals on a 2028 presidential run while keeping up his attacks on Trump. He told The New Yorker Radio Hour for an interview that aired in March that he would 'certainly consider that' if circumstances were right. He told CNN's 'State of the Union' last month that he was 'not thinking about running in 2028.' But he hasn't ruled it out, either, and has signaled possible interest in other ways. Following the Democratic ticket's defeat in November, Walz returned to the road in March when he went to Iowa to launch a series of town halls in competitive congressional districts represented by Republicans, after House Speaker Mike Johnson advised GOP representatives to avoid holding town halls because of protests at them. Walz's gubernatorial campaign organization, which has been actively raising money, has used his travels in 'Support Tim on the Road' fundraising pitches. 'For the past few weeks, I've been showing up where Republicans won't,' he wrote in one recent message. 'I've hosted town halls in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Texas to hear from people the GOP is neglecting.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump pardons former Republican politicians Grimm, Rowland
May 29 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued several more pardons, including those for his political allies: former U.S. House member Michael Grimm of New York and ex-Connecticut Gov. John Rowland. Trump has largely circumvented the process run through the Department of Justice. Trump's new pardon attorney Ed Martin last week reviewed commutation applications for the president to consider, a source told CNN. A pardon ends the legal consequences of a criminal conviction and a commutation reduces the sentence. Grimm, a member of the U.S. House from 2011-2015, served seven months in prison after being convicted of tax evasion in 2014. He attempted to win back his House seat in 2018 but lost in the Republican primary. Grimm, 55, who worked for Newsmax from 2022-2024, was paralyzed in a fall from a horse during a polo competition last year. After the State of the Union in 2014, Grimm threatened to break a reporter in half "like a boy" when questioned about his campaign finances. He also threatened to throw the reporter off a balcony at the Capitol. Rowland, a Republican governor in Connecticut from 1996-2004, was convicted twice in federal criminal cases. He resigned as governor after the first offense of election fraud and obstruction of justice. Then, he was sentenced to a 30-month prison term in 2015 for his illegal involvement in two congressional campaigns. Also pardoned was another Republican, Jeremy Hutchinson, a former Arkansas state senator, who was sentenced to 46 months in prison for accepting election bribes and tax fraud in 2014. Hutchinson is the son of former Sen. Tim Hutchinson and nephew of former Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Imaad Zuberi, who donated $900,000 to Trump's first inaugural committee and was also a donor on fundraising committees for Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, had his sentence commuted on Wednesday. In 2021, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for falsifying records to conceal work as a foreign agent while lobbying high-level U.S. government officials and obstructing a federal investigation of the inaugural fund. Trump also Wednesday commuted the sentences of eight others, a White House official said. Larry Hoover, the co-founder of Chicago's Gangster Disciples street gang, was serving six life prison sentences in the federal supermax facility in Florence, Colo., after a 1997 conviction. He ran a criminal enterprise from jail. Hoover, who is now 74, had been seeking a commutation under the First Step Act, which Trump signed into law in 2018. U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber denied Hoover's request, calling him "one of the most notorious criminals in Illinois history." But he won't get out of a prison yet because he is also serving a sentence of up to 200 years on Illinois state murder charges. Trump can't give clemency to those convicted on state charges. An entertainer and a former athlete were also pardoned. Rapper Kentrell Gaulden, who goes by NBA YoungBoy, was convicted in a federal gun crimes case last year. He was released from prison and won't need to serve probation. Charles "Duke" Tanner, a former professional boxer, was sentenced to life in prison for drug conspiracy in 2006. Trump commuted his sentence during his first term.
UPI
3 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Trump pardons former Republican politicians Grimm, Rowland
Republican House candidate Michael Grimm speaks after conceding the race on June 26, 2018, in New York City. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump pardoned him. Fle photo by Dennis Van Tine/UPI | License Photo May 29 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued several more pardons, including those for his political allies: former U.S. House member Michael Grimm of New York and ex-Connecticut Gov. John Rowland. Trump has largely circumvented the process run through the Department of Justice. Trump's new pardon attorney Ed Martin last week reviewed commutation applications for the president to consider, a source told CNN. A pardon ends the legal consequences of a criminal conviction and a commutation reduces the sentence. Grimm, a member of the U.S. House from 2011-2015, served seven months in prison after being convicted of tax evasion in 2014. He attempted to win back his House seat in 2018 but lost in the Republican primary. Grimm, 55, who worked for Newsmax from 2022-2024, was paralyzed in a fall from a horse during a polo competition last year. After the State of the Union in 2014, Grimm threatened to break a reporter in half "like a boy" when questioned about his campaign finances. He also threatened to throw the reporter off a balcony at the Capitol. Rowland, a Republican governor in Connecticut from 1996-2004, was convicted twice in federal criminal cases. He resigned as governor after the first offense of election fraud and obstruction of justice. Then, he was sentenced to a 30-month prison term in 2015 for his illegal involvement in two congressional campaigns. Also pardoned was another Republican, Jeremy Hutchinson, a former Arkansas state senator, who was sentenced to 46 months in prison for accepting election bribes and tax fraud in 2014. Hutchinson is the son of former Sen. Tim Hutchinson and nephew of former Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Imaad Zuberi, who donated $900,000 to Trump's first inaugural committee and was also a donor on fundraising committees for Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, had his sentence commuted on Wednesday. In 2021, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for falsifying records to conceal work as a foreign agent while lobbying high-level U.S. government officials and obstructing a federal investigation of the inaugural fund. Trump also Wednesday commuted the sentences of eight others, a White House official said. Larry Hoover, the co-founder of Chicago's Gangster Disciples street gang, was serving six life prison sentences in the federal supermax facility in Florence, Colo., after a 1997 conviction. He ran a criminal enterprise from jail. Hoover, who is now 74, had been seeking a commutation under the First Step Act, which Trump signed into law in 2018. U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber denied Hoover's request, calling him "one of the most notorious criminals in Illinois history." But he won't get out of a prison yet because he is also serving a sentence of up to 200 years on Illinois state murder charges. Trump can't give clemency to those convicted on state charges. An entertainer and a former athlete were also pardoned. Rapper Kentrell Gaulden, who goes by NBA YoungBoy, was convicted in a federal gun crimes case last year. He was released from prison and won't need to serve probation. Charles "Duke" Tanner, a former professional boxer, was sentenced to life in prison for drug conspiracy in 2006. Trump commuted his sentence during his first term.
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Elon Musk has surprising message on Big Beautiful Bill income tax cuts
It looks like the honeymoon phase between U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk may be ending. Their relationship had a rocky start to say the least. Musk served on three different Trump advisory councils during his first term in office. However, after Trump announced that he was pulling America out of the Paris Climate Accords, Musk resigned in protest. Musk met with Trump for the first time in the Oval Office in early 2020, according to a Politico report from earlier this year, just days before a global pandemic would shut the world down. Related: SALT income tax deduction takes critical step forward Trump had received notice that Musk was planning to build Tesla's next Gigafactory in Mexico instead of Texas and invited Musk to meet with him and his team to discuss his decision. Musk reportedly called Trump "moron" behind his back during the meeting and insulted the decor of the White House. According to a second-hand telling in the Politico story, Musk compared it unfavorably to Chinese presidential palaces, saying, "I was just in China and man, their palaces just make the White House kind of look more like an outhouse." Meanwhile, Trump was even less impressed. As he was gearing up to run for president in 2022, Trump posted a picture of that very Oval Office meeting with an extremely disparaging caption, basically calling Musk someone who wouldn't survive without government then, Elon Musk has undergone an extreme political reawakening. His politics have shifted to the right, leading him to spend an estimated $300 million to help elect a president whose climate policy is entirely antithetical to Musk's belief system just a few short years ago. Musk's efforts during the campaign landed him an unofficial role in the president's cabinet as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency. This department aims to lower the deficit by rooting out government fraud, waste, and abuse. Trump showered DOGE and Musk with vociferous praise during his State of the Union address for the savings he and his team found, and Musk has been a staple at Trump's cabinet meetings. Related: White House adviser claps back after Elon Musk takes shot However, Musk's latest comments about the presidential budget currently making its way through Congress are raising eyebrows. "I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don't know if it could be both," Musk told CBS News this week. "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing. I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it could be both." Trump has called his budgetary proposal the "big beautiful bill." But while he campaigned heavily on balancing the federal budget, his first crack at it does anything but. The bill includes a slate of tax cuts, including increases to the Social Security income tax deduction and breaks for tips and overtime, as well as a revamped State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. According to the Tax Foundation, the bill would increase the country's 10-year budget deficit by $2.6 trillion while reducing federal tax revenue by $4.1 trillion. In essence, it increases spending while taking in less income than the government already does. While balancing the federal budget is obviously a sticking point for Musk, this isn't the first time this year he has found himself contradicting the administration. Cracks in Musk's relationship with Trump began appearing once again in April while the administration was rolling out its tariff plan. Musk took a shot at Peter Navarro, Trump's trade advisor, on X. This attack came after a somber Musk, a stark departure from the exuberant, childlike energy he displays on the political stage, was seen on video saying that he advised the President against tariffs. More Tesla: Analyst sets eye-popping Tesla stock price targetFund manager has shocking Elon Musk and Tesla predictionLeaked Tesla policy should infuriate Tesla loyalists Navarro responded by telling Musk to keep his nose out of the administration's business. "Elon, when he is in his DOGE lane, is great... Elon sells cars, and he is in Texas assembling cars that have big parts from Mexico, China. The batteries come from Japan or China... and he is simply protecting his own interests, as any businessperson will do. We're [the Trump Administration] more concerned about Detroit building Cadillacs with American engines. Despite this tension, DOGE has undoubtedly been a positive for Musk and his business empire. DOGE's government cuts have largely benefited Elon Musk and his business empire, according to a Congressional report from the minority staff of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn). The report claims Musk's status as a "senior advisor to the President" shields him from the scrutiny that an official cabinet member vetted by Congress would receive. Related: DOGE cuts are already saving Elon Musk billions The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
