Latest news with #CNN
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
CNN praises Trump's successes in stunning U-turn on his record: 'Much better than expected'
CNN anchor Sara Sidner stunned viewers this week by highlighting Donald Trump 's recent wins. The host - who has called out the president in the past - laid out a list of Trump-era successes now taking center stage while interviewing a skeptical congressional democrat Thursday. 'Look, here are some things that have happened. Gas prices down. Economic indicators are decent. Brand new jobs report shows that it's much better than expected, and border crossings are down,' Sidner first told Florida Rep Debbie Wasserman-Schultz during the exchange on CNN News Central. 'And now, Trump's mega-spending bill looks like it's going to be passed by Republicans.' The bill - dubbed the Big Beautiful Bill - has since been passed. Sidner went on to pose a pointed question. 'How do you Democrats fight back against the wins that Trump can tout?' Wasserman-Schultz immediately bristled, firing back: 'Well, it depends how you define wins, Sara,' before launching into a heated tirade against Trump - even pointing out that his bill goes against past promises not to touch Medicaid or Medicare. A meltdown ensued, months after CNN CEO Mark Thompson reportedly demanded a drastic tone-down in anti-Trump rhetoric from staff amid tanking ratings. Sidner appeared to abide, as Wasserman-Schultz refused to acknowledge Trump's recent wins. 'I mean, the way I can summarize this - this big, ugly bill best is, Republicans caved, Trump lied, and people will die,' Wasserman-Schultz said. 'This bill does kick 17 million people off of their health care. 'That's people who are on Medicaid, who are extremely vulnerable, like veterans and the elderly, the disabled and children.' Forecasting people going hungry due to incoming cuts to nutrition assistance, the congresswoman declared: 'This is a bill that is going to cause tremendous pain.' She maintained the bill 'is incredibly unpopular with the public' due to it stripping away things she said 'ensure that [Americans] can remain healthy and safe. 'And that their families can be cared for, and that they can have a middle class lifestyle.' The final version of the bill is set to strip funding from the federal health insurance programs over the next 10 years - a prospect progressives have painted as a means to give tax cuts to billionaires. Wasserman-Schultz, 58, made that claim as well, telling Sidner: 'This bill is all in service to taking care of the wealthiest, most fortunate Americans. 'It explodes the deficit, and it raises the debt ceiling by $5 trillion to give tax breaks to the wealthy.' The congresswoman then turned to the jobs report, which she refused to accept at face value. A stronger-than-expected 147,000 jobs was added to the US economy in June, Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Thursday revealed - statistics Wasserman-Schultz argued were misleading. 'That jobs report you just mentioned, the overwhelming majority of those jobs are actually government jobs and education jobs that look to be more like substitute teachers,' Wasserman-Schultz said, despite an almost identical amount being added to industries like health care, leisure, and hospitality 'There are really not many jobs in that jobs report that they can point to that are in the private market. She concluded by branding the report 'hollow', not addressing Trump's successes along the Southern Border. Crossings there have dropped to levels not seen in decades, numbers released Thursday showed. On Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives passed the bill late Thursday by a vote of 218 to 214 - a vote Wasserman-Schultz said was purposely being done 'in the dead of night [so] people don't know what's going on.' Sidner then asked if Democrats had a strategic response for midterms next year. She said the party will continue to call attention to rural hospitals and nursing homes closing and approved tax cuts for a group she framed as 'the wealthiest, most fortunate Americans.' 'It's an abomination, and they will pay for it at the ballot box next year when Democrats take the majority back because people are going to rebel.' Sidner, 53, then changed the subject, pivoting to Trump's promised Alligator Alcatraz in Wasserman-Schultz's home state. 'It's an outrage, an abomination. It is going to upend and waste hundreds of billions of dollars that we've already spent on Everglades restoration. 'It should be abandoned immediately,' she said. Sidner ended the segment there, not offering any opinion on the matter. Unlike Sidner, who simply reported the news, Collins played a supercut on The Source Monday that honed in on the president's repeated promises to avoid such cuts. Last week, Collins and Trump had a testy back-and-forth during a press conference at a NATO summit in the Netherlands, where Trump ripped CNN as 'fake news CNN'. They also had a heated exchange aboard Air Force One last month, after Collins floated a series of questions about the conflict between Israel and Iran. Sidner, in May, stood up against Trump as well, during a fiery exchange with Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-NC) over the president's comments defending his tariffs. 'Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30,' Trump has said - leading Sidner to take issue. 'Congressman, would your constituents think it's funny to tell them to stop buying things and to stop buying dolls for their children while the economy is in a decline?' Sidner said after Harrigan laughed off one of her questions. She also pressed the congressman on April's more lackluster job report, which June's appeared to address. 'You think the economy is good even though the GDP has actually receded for the first time in many years?' she asked, months after calling out the conservative for his complaints about Democratic rhetoric amid the ongoing threats across Springfield, Ohio, following his 'eating the pets' claims. A few weeks before, last July, Sinder chided Trump for calling Kamala Harris 'real garbage.' Trump has been at odds with CNN since his first term, repeatedly slamming its coverage since.
The Hill
38 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Carville: GOP megabill passage will be seen as ‘mass extinction event'
Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said during a recent interview that the Republican tax and spending bill, which President Trump is expected to sign on Friday, will be seen as a 'mass extinction event,' predicting that the Democratic Party will pick up more than 40 House seats in the 2026 midterms. 'And I like with the unified party, every Democrat voted against this. Every Democrat, regardless of the ideology, their ethnicity…we can all rally around this, and we can run on this single issue all the way to 2026. And Paul is right, we're going to pick up more than 40 House seats,' Carville, the former strategist for ex-President Clinton's campaign, said during a Thursday appearance on CNN's 'Anderson Cooper 360.' 'I can tell you what the poll says today, the Democrat in New Jersey is up 20 points. That's in a state that we won by two and a half or two in 2021. I mean, you know, political anthropologists are going to look back at this and it's going to be called a mass extinction event because there are a lot of them are going to be extinct,' Carville told host Anderson Cooper. The House GOP passed President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' on Thursday, sending it to the president who is expected to sign it on Friday evening. The package, which was adopted with a 218-214 vote, contains the president's major spending priorities, extending the 2017 tax cuts and also cuts to Medicaid, which some Republican members of both chambers have expressed concerns about. All but two House Republicans – Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) – voted for the package on Thursday. All Democrats voted against the bill. Trump hammered Democrats late Thursday during his rally in Des Moines, Iowa, saying he hates them for not supporting the massive package and that Republicans will be able to benefit from it politically when midterm elections come around. 'All of the things we did with the tax cuts and rebuilding our military, not one Democrat voted for us. And I think we use it in the campaign that's coming up, the midterms,' Trump told the crowd. 'But all of the things that we've given, and they wouldn't vote. Only because they hate Trump. But I hate them, too. You know that? I really do, I hate them,' the president added. 'I cannot stand them, because I really believe they hate our country, you want to know the truth.' Carville said Thursday that 'when people go to the polls voting for this, I promise you, I promise you, this thing is really, it's like 25, 26 points underwater already.' 'And we haven't even started our education program,' the longtime operative added.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Why South Korea is dealing with swarms of flying ‘lovebugs' this summer
South Korea is dealing with a fresh outbreak of lovebugs, pesky flying insects that have appeared in large numbers in and around Seoul and Incheon amid rising temperatures. Videos on social media this week showed hikers at Mount Gyeyang struggling through swarms of small black insects along popular mountain trails. One clip showed a person covered in the bugs, while another showed someone clearing thousands of dead insects from the ground. In a YouTube video, a man even collected the bugs and made them into burgers, which he appeared to eat. On Friday, the environment ministry called the situation an 'extremely severe outbreak' and sent dozens of workers to the area to respond, according to CNN. South Korea is facing an annual surge of lovebugs, first seen in 2022 and now swarming Seoul and nearby areas. Though harmless and helpful for pollination while feeding other animals, their growing numbers have led to thousands of pest control requests. #Lovebugs #SouthKorea — CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) July 4, 2025 Lovebugs, or Plecia longiforceps, are small flying insects that often stick together during flight as part of their mating behaviour, leading to their name. They are commonly found in warm regions such as southeastern China, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and parts of Central America and the southern United States. They were first found in South Korea in 2015 and are believed to have arrived from southern China, the environment ministry told CNN. Since 2022, they have been seen more often around Seoul and port areas during the summer months. Experts say climate change and rising temperatures are helping the bugs move further north into urban areas. Seoul is warming faster than many other regions, partly due to the 'urban heat island' effect — where buildings and roads trap more heat than surrounding rural areas. This creates conditions that suit the lovebugs' growth and movement. 'With climate change increasing ecological instability, we must remain vigilant throughout the summer,' said Kim Tae-o, a director at the environment ministry, speaking to CNN. Lovebugs do not bite or spread disease. However, people have complained about the insects gathering on cars, buildings, restaurant walls and even inside trains. Officials have advised using water sprays and sticky pads to manage the insects, rather than chemical pesticides. Officials in Gyeyang district say the number of lovebugs has increased sharply compared to previous years. Where the insects might go next is uncertain, but areas with warm and humid weather could attract them. 'Compared with the past two years, the number of lovebugs sharply surged last weekend at the mountain,' Gyeyang district official Wang Hyeon-jeong told CNN. The Seoul city government says the bugs pose no threat to human health. Their larvae help break down plant material and contribute to pollination, so they are considered part of the local ecosystem. However, the number of public complaints has more than doubled from over 4,000 in 2023 to more than 9,000 last year, according to city records seen by CNN. After the latest outbreak, the environment ministry said it will improve early response efforts and coordinate more closely with local governments. 'We will closely monitor the situation and work with local authorities from the early stages of any outbreak,' said Kim. Nature may also help. According to local reports, birds like sparrows and magpies are starting to eat the lovebugs, which could help reduce their numbers naturally.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Health
- Mint
AI helps couple get pregnant after 18 years of failed attempts
A couple who had been trying to have a baby for 18 years have finally conceived with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The couple, who have chosen to remain unnamed, had tried several rounds of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) across the world, but all attempts failed. The reason for their struggle was azoospermia, a rare condition where no measurable sperm is found in the male partner's semen. Normally, healthy semen contains millions of sperm cells in every millilitre. After exhausting all other options, the couple approached the Columbia University Fertility Center (CUFC), where they decided to try a new technique, CNN reported. Using the STAR (Sperm Tracking and Recovery) method, powered by AI, doctors were able to detect hidden sperm in the male partner. The fertility specialists analysed the semen sample using the STAR system and successfully found hidden sperm cells. These were then used to fertilise the wife's egg through IVF. The woman became the first person ever to conceive using this new technology. "It took me two days to believe I was actually pregnant," the woman said. "I still wake up in the morning and can't believe if this is true or not. I still don't believe I am pregnant until I see the scans." The STAR method was developed over five years by Dr Zev Williams, director of CUFC, and his team. The researchers were equally surprised when the method worked in practice. Dr Williams explained, "A patient provided a sample, and highly skilled technicians looked for two days through that sample to try to find sperm. They didn't find any. We brought it to the AI-based STAR System. In one hour, it found 44 sperm. So right then, we realised, 'Wow, this is really a game-changer. This is going to make such a big difference for patients.'" The STAR system works by placing a semen sample on a specially designed chip under a microscope. High-powered imaging is then used to scan the entire sample, capturing over eight million images in under an hour. The AI, trained to identify sperm cells, then searches through the images and locates the sperm.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- Science
- NDTV
World's Largest Mars Rock Ever Found Could Sell For $4 Million At Sotheby's
A massive Martian meteorite, believed to be the largest ever discovered on Earth, is set to go under the hammer at a Sotheby's auction later this month. The rock, officially named NWA-16788, weighs an impressive 24.67 kilograms (54.39 pounds), making it approximately 70% larger than the previous record-holder, Taoudenni 002, which was found in Mali in 2021 and weighed 14.51 kg. The rare meteorite was discovered in November 2023 by a meteorite hunter in the Agadez region of Niger, an area typically known for dinosaur fossils rather than space rocks. A sample of the meteorite was sent to the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, which confirmed its Martian origin. Experts now estimate that this one-of-a-kind specimen could sell for up to US$4 million, attracting interest from collectors and scientific institutions alike. The sale offers a unique opportunity to own a piece of Mars without leaving Earth. "NWA 16788 is covered in a reddish-brown fusion crust, giving it an unmistakable Martian hue. 'Regmaglypts', or surface depressions formed by frictional heating during rapid descent through Earth's atmosphere, are also visible on the surface of the meteorite,' the Sotheby's listing explains."NWA 16788 shows minimal terrestrial weathering, indicating that its physical and chemical makeup have not been significantly altered since its arrival in the Sahara Desert. In other words, NWA 16788 is likely a relative newcomer here on Earth, having fallen from outer space rather recently." The meteorite will go under the hammer at Sotheby's New York on July 16. For some, the fact that the meteorite is being sold rather than donated to science is cause for concern. "It would be a shame if it disappeared into the vault of an oligarch. It belongs in a museum, where it can be studied, and where it can be enjoyed by children and families and the public at large," Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at Scotland's University of Edinburgh, told CNN on Wednesday. But for Julia Cartwright, a planetary scientist and Independent Research Fellow in the Institute for Space/School of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Leicester, England, there is a balance to be struck. "Ultimately, if there was no market for searching, collecting and selling meteorites, we would not have anywhere near as many in our collections - and this drives the science!" she told CNN on Wednesday, describing a "symbiotic relationship" between researchers and collectors.
