Latest news with #oversight
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Readers sound off on investigating Biden, Puerto Rico's power and the AI revolution
Edgewater, N.J.: The president came into office promising to eradicate waste, fraud and abuse of 'hard-earned taxpayer resources,' but because he was bought with a recent non-campaign contribution, he offered Paul Walczak a full pardon, exonerating Walczak from repaying the $4.4 million he stole from all of us (after ripping off his hard-working staff of the $10 million he withheld from their pay for taxes and FICA, which he spent lavishly on himself). Just like the Founding Fathers envisioned, right? This isn't draining the swamp, it's refreshing it. For the last four years, Rep. James Comer and his House Oversight Committee abdicated any opportunity to solve problems for us so they could engage instead in nonstop revenge-and-retribution investigations of our last president. Almost nightly, he appeared on news programs leering with insinuation about all the dirty deeds of the 'Biden crime family' they were examining, yet in the end, they found nothing. Now that the crimes and self-enrichment are right in front of them, Comer and his oversight-and-accountability clowns can't believe their eyes? Nope, they're still investigating former President Joe Biden, which I guess is what all those working-class voters they claim to have brought into their tent really wanted. Most disturbing is that the whole world can see that half of America is OK with these shenanigans. It's enough to warm the cockles of any U.S.A.-hating dictator's heart. Jay K. Egelberg Kew Gardens: I could do without a Biden health cover-up probe. It will be another lengthy and costly endeavor that would be redundant. Most Americans saw the decline of Biden with their own eyes. Moreover, nothing came out of the investigation into the Biden family's monetary enrichment that spanned a decade. They all walked off into the sunset, pardons in hand, with the money and gifts as well. There is, however, one value of the previous probes into the Biden presidency. They will aid history in recording him as a corrupt and ineffectual president. And finally, I hope nobody is considering building him a library. Phil Serpico New Rochelle, N.Y.: Something to think about: Did you ever wonder what it would be like with Kamala Harris as our president? Or even Biden! Do you ever wonder what Russia and China are planning in the next few years? China has more ships than us. Between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, they outnumber our military. Did you ever figure that all those countries were ripping us off with tariffs and we did squat? Thank God I can go to sleep knowing that Trump is watching over my wife and family as well as the rest of America. There has never been a better president. I can hardly wait. Go MAGA. Dom Mastropolo Brooklyn: Yes, Puerto Rico's power grid is a mess, but the money to repair it has already been allocated ('U.S. shifting $365M for Puerto Rico solar to fixing power grid,' May 27). Investment in solar power and battery storage is a much quicker way to safeguard vulnerable hospitals, health clinics and public housing than throwing another modest amount toward fixing the grid. I think Trump swiped the funding for renewable power for strictly political reasons the same way he tried to halt the fully approved and 30% complete Empire Wind project. May Puerto Rico have an advocate as successful as Gov. Hochul to save its solar power the way she saved our wind project. Samantha Gore Brooklyn: The Democrats love to call Trump Hitler. He has a daughter who converted to Judaism. He has Jewish grandchildren. He is an unabashed supporter of Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu. He moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem despite the howls from the left. He brokered the Abraham Accords, a feat for which any politician not named Trump would have gotten the Nobel Peace Prize. Frank Congiusta Manhattan: As I watch Scott Stringer on TV calling Trump a 'schmuck' — he also says a few other words — I am not a fan of Trump and what he is doing, but the only schmuck I see is Stringer. I would not let him walk my dog, never mind run for mayor. There is a bar I used to drink at many years ago on Delancey St., and some of the people I knew, Benny and Myer, would call Stringer a 'putz.' Dennis Dunleavy Manhattan: Yes, there was a liberation! A real one, 80 years ago: the liberation of Paris, where everyone sang the praises of America. Then this country deservedly won the plaudits of the new free world. Remember, my compatriots, when it was indeed a glorious thing to be an American — when the U.S.A. saved instead of wrecked. R. B. Brandel Astoria: Re 'Kerik dead at 69' (May 30): Working under Bernard Kerik when he was the NYC Department of Correction commissioner, he always had the officers' backs. He was as real as they come. When hard times fell upon him and those close to him remained silent, Kerik handled it like the trooper that he was. May he RIP. Aris Sakellaridis Plainview, L.I.: To Voicer Lesley Lewis Paulos: I do not take cancer lightly. My family has gone through lung and gallbladder cancer, and even my 6-year-old chihuahua died of stomach cancer. We are not finished when we are defeated, we are defeated when we quit. Never quit, stay strong. I'm a survivor, as I went through encephalitis when I was 8, with a paralyzed left arm and both legs, and went through a brain operation. I also survived a heart attack when I was 49 and a stroke recently. I'm like the Energizer Bunny — I take a licking and keep on ticking. I've overcome every obstacle in front of me. Start by doing what's necessary, then do what's possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible. Frank Mauceri White Plains, N.Y.: In my opinion, when we think about voting for the next mayor of New York City, we should remember what Andrew Cuomo did when he was governor of New York. He permitted seniors who had COVID to go back into nursing homes with healthy patients, and because of this, many seniors lost their lives even though there were other options for where they could go. In my opinion, for this reason Cuomo should not be elected the next mayor. We must remember all who died because of his actions and how their family and friends must feel about the loss of their loved ones. Joan Cocurullo Brooklyn: I'm the parent of a young athlete in Team Crate, a rising youth basketball program based in Far Rockaway, Queens. I'm reaching out with the support of the program's leadership to share a recent story of resilience, community and triumph. Over Memorial Day weekend, the Team Crate middle school girls team went undefeated in the Perimeter Sports Memorial Classic, winning all four games and bringing the championship title back to Far Rockaway. Their journey included overcoming unsportsmanlike crowd behavior and tough competition, yet they stayed composed, united and focused. What makes this story special isn't just the wins, it's what Team Crate represents: a community-powered Amateur Athletic Union program that has built a movement out of mentorship, hard work and exposure for underserved youth. Karen Valenti Swarthmore, Pa.: The coming artificial intelligence revolution is starting to unfold in real time, although experts metaphorically say it is in the first inning of a nine-inning ballgame. There's no question that its effects will be highly consequential, but does it ultimately move mankind forward, boost our wellbeing and free us to reach the peaks of self-actualization or in the end, control us and dominate us. There's no shortage of prognosticators spewing horrible, apocalyptic scenarios, as there is also no shortage of soothsayers who say AI will usher in a new golden age of untold wealth and prosperity for all. Change is constant and inexorable. It can be slowed down but not stopped. Best to prepare for it to be a highly consequential force in our economy, society and our individual lives. Ken Derow
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Democrats Slam Hegseth's Plan to Cut Weapons-Testing Office
The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee slammed Pentagon plans to slash staffing at the office that oversees tests of major weapons systems, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed the cuts would save the government $300 million. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island lamented the cuts to the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation as 'reckless and damaging to military accountability and oversight.'
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Special district oversight legislation fails, but Colorado advocates still hope for metro district reform
A bill that some hoped would create more oversight for Colorado special districts has failed, but its supporters aren't done. CBS Colorado's reporter in Douglas County, Olivia Young, has been covering the Meadows Metro Districts for months, and calls by some Coloradans for reform of the quasi-governmental structures. In March, she covered HB 25-1079, a bill that would put special district board members and their direct hires under the authority of the state's Independent Ethics Commission. But the bill was laid over in a Senate committee to a date after the session, effectively killing it. CBS The bill would have created an avenue for ethics complaints to be filed against special district board members like school districts or metro districts. This is the third year in a row the legislation has been introduced, and the third year in a row it has failed. "I'm not at all discouraged by what happened in the legislature," said John Henderson with Coloradans for Metro District Reform. "Every time folks talk about move forward another foot." Henderson has spent years advocating for oversight in Colorado's nearly 2,500 metro districts. "It's just the same old story, right? People with power who can taking much more than they should," Henderson said. He felt this bill would be a good first step, by expanding the jurisdiction of the Independent Ethics Commission to include special districts. "In metro districts, there are no ethics because there's no way to enforce them," Henderson said. The lawmaker behind the bill agrees. "I think the people of Colorado are asking for this. They're looking for a tool in order to identify these financial ethics issues and help get resolution," said Democratic state Rep. Tammy Story of Evergreen, "there are members of school communities, constituents and students and families and even educators that are very invested in the public school system, who will not have their needs met because there are some people out there who are taking advantage of the system, especially in a financial way that is not appropriate, and this would have given them a tool in order to address those situations, as well as people in special districts." Story says the bill would have cost almost $140,000, and was budgeted for after passing the House Appropriations Committee and moving to the Senate. But the bill died in the Senate Appropriations Committee. "We were anticipating that it would move out, but there was a member with a philosophical concern about the bill," Story said. Democratic state Sen. Jeff Bridges told CBS Colorado: "The measure faced significant opposition in the Senate, largely because of how it roped in public school officials. We've seen examples across the country of bills like this one leading to the harassment and abuse of folks just doing their best to create great schools for our kids. School boards and school employees across the state brought forward serious concerns about the policy, and I stood with them in support of amendments to address those concerns. Amendments that, as I understand it, bill sponsors declined." Story says frivolous complaints are dismissed and not made public, and that no amendments were declined. The Special District Association of Colorado also opposed the bill. CEO Ann Terry said, "SDA opposed HB25-1079 primarily due to the lack of statewide education regarding the State Ethics Commission's jurisdiction and insufficient resources to support additional staffing and enforcement. We're eager to collaborate with the bill sponsor to thoughtfully revise the policy goals to promote accountability without fostering unrealistic expectations that the Commission can address issues beyond its authority. It's crucial that any future efforts are based on clarity, capacity, and respect for the structure of local government, and that they are adequately funded by the general fund to ensure education and staffing are provided." "It's going to take a significant voter demand for accountability before the legislature really does something," Henderson said. But Henderson and Story aren't giving up on the bill. "When you're 71 years old, you realize that change doesn't happen overnight," Henderson said. "The folks who are willing to represent the people have a higher cause and will be successful. We will be successful." "There's another year coming, and we will keep working on this until we get this bill through," Story said. Story says she does plan to introduce this legislation again next session in Denver.
Fox News
5 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Key Biden staffers asked to testify on alleged role in mental decline ‘cover-up'
Print Close By Peter Pinedo Published May 27, 2025 House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is demanding several high-ranking staffers in former President Joe Biden's White House appear for transcribed interviews on their suspected roles working "behind the scenes" to "cover up" the former president's significant mental decline during his term. Comer, who leads the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent interview requests to four key Biden White House aides — former director of the Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden, former assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini, former senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal and former deputy director of Oval Office operations Ashley Williams. Comer said that all of these high-ranking staffers worked "behind the scenes" and "ran interference for President Biden" to avoid his worsening condition from being discovered during his time in office. BIDEN AIDE INTIMIDATED REPORTER INVESTIGATING FORMER PRESIDENT'S MENTAL DECLINE WITH 'TACIT THREAT:' BOOK The chairman has also requested a transcribed interview with Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor. Comer told Fox News last week that these "unelected bureaucrats" had an overwhelming influence over Biden and were possibly serving as "de facto" presidents in his stead. "Today, we are calling on President Biden's physician and former White House advisors to participate in transcribed interviews so we can begin to uncover the truth," Comer said in a statement. The GOP effort comes shortly after the release of "Original Sin" by CNN host Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson, which claims that the Biden White House was going all out trying to control the perception of the aging president's failing health. The book exposes the cover-up of Biden's decline and his decision to run for re-election. Tapper said during an interview with Piers Morgan on Monday that what Biden's aides did to hide his condition from the public could be "even worse" than the Watergate scandal during Richard Nixon's presidency. "It is a scandal. It is without question, and maybe even worse than Watergate in some ways," said Tapper. "The only reason we invoke Watergate is just to make clear like, it's not Watergate — this is an entirely separate scandal, maybe even worse." CREDIBILITY CRISIS: WHITE HOUSE REPORTERS SPEAK OUT ON WHETHER BIDEN'S MENTAL DECLINE WAS DELIBERATELY HIDDEN In his letters, Comer said that while the committee has been investigating the cover-up for nearly a year, "newfound details regarding President Biden's obvious decline demand renewed scrutiny of White House personnel actions and knowledge of relevant information over the course of the prior administration." Comer said the committee is seeking "to understand who made key decisions and exercised the powers of the executive branch during the Biden Administration." "The cover-up of President Biden's obvious mental decline is a historic scandal," he said. "The American people deserve to know when this decline began, how far it progressed, and who was making critical decisions on his behalf." Recalling the Oversight Committee's previous attempts to subpoena these staffers, Comer said that "the Biden White House blocked these individuals from providing testimony." Now, he said that "any continued obstruction will be met with swift and decisive action." If the staffers and physician do not honor his request, Comer said the "next step" will be issuing subpoenas, compelling them to testify. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On Tuesday, Comer floated the possibility of also issuing subpoenas to former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre as well as Hunter Biden and Jill Biden. "Obviously, we're interested in Jean Pierre. … We're also interested in Jill Biden and Hunter Biden," he said, adding that "if the trail leads us to the next step, which many believe would be perhaps Jill Biden and Hunter Biden, then we will go there." Fox News Digital reached out to Tanden, Tomasini, Bernal, Williams, O'Connor and Jean-Pierre for comment. Print Close URL
Argaam
5 days ago
- General
- Argaam
Nazaha investigates 435 suspects in administrative, criminal cases in May; 120 detained
The Anti-Corruption and Oversight Authority (Nazaha) oversaw a number of criminal and administrative cases through 2,775 inspection tours during May. Nazaha said the investigations included 435 individuals, and 120 suspects were detained—some of whom were later released on bail—for their involvement in charges related to bribery and abuse of official power. On its post on 'X' platform, the authority noted that the detainees include employees from the Ministries of Interior, Defense, Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), Transport and Logistic Services, Health, as well as the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA).
