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New York Times
17 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Top Lawyer for National Security Agency Is Fired
The top lawyer for the National Security Agency was removed from her job on Friday, according to multiple former officials, after she was criticized by conservative activists. April Falcon Doss had been appointed to the general counsel post in April 2022, during the Biden administration. The web page on the N.S.A. site that displayed her biography now redirects to an error page. On July 23, the Daily Wire, a conservative website, wrote about Ms. Doss and her former work for the Senate Intelligence Committee's Democratic staff. Later that day, Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist, amplified a social media post critical of Ms. Doss that cited the Daily Wire article. In a text message on Tuesday, Ms. Loomer said that she had 'reposted a tweet that exposed her last week and flagged it for the right people.' Ms. Doss could not be reached for comment. But an official briefed on the matter said Ms. Loomer's criticism appeared to have a role in the firing. In the spring, Trump administration officials removed Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, the N.S.A. director, and his deputy, Wendy Noble, from their jobs after Ms. Loomer complained about them. Ms. Loomer argued, without evidence, that they were disloyal to the Trump administration. And in February, Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, announced she was firing more than 100 N.S.A. employees who she said had participated in an explicit chat group on classified computers. Ms. Doss worked at the agency before becoming general counsel and has extensive experience in cybersecurity law, including writing a 2020 book, 'Cyber Privacy: Who Has Your Data and Why You Should Care.' Spokesmen for the National Security Agency did not immediately comment. The general counsel post is a civil servant job and is supposed to be apolitical. At the end of President Trump's first term, Michael Ellis, an administration loyalist, was appointed to the job amid protests from Democrats in Congress. Mr. Ellis was put on leave at the start of the Biden administration and ultimately resigned from the role. He is now the deputy director of the C.I.A.
Axios
7 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Macrons sue Candace Owens for defamation
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife filed a defamation lawsuit against ring-wing podcaster Candace Owens alleging she circulated "outlandish, defamatory, and far-fetched fictions" about the couple for profit. The big picture: The 219-page complaint, which was filed in Delaware, alleges Owens' "lies have caused tremendous damage to the Macrons," subjecting the French leader and his wife to "a campaign of global humiliation." Driving the news: Owens used the false claim that the French first lady was born a man to "promote her independent platform, gain notoriety, and make money," the 22-count suit alleges. She published a series and social media posts promoting conspiracy theories about the couple "with reckless disregard for the truth," the complaint alleges, and continued to double down despite direct outreach and retraction demands from the Macrons. "These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were false when she published them," the complaint reads. "Yet, she published them anyway. And the reason is clear: it is not the pursuit of truth, but the pursuit of fame." Catch up quick: Starting in March 2024, the suit alleges, Owens began promoting the false claim that the first lady was born a man before her departure from the Daily Wire and continued "recycling" that falsehood and spreading other conspiracies on her own podcast and social media. The lawsuit also alleges she created and sold merchandise to promote her claims. What they're saying: A spokesperson for Owens said in a statement to Axios she is "not shutting up" and will "address everything on her show today." "This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist," the spokesperson said. The French Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Zoom in: The suit points to Owens' history of platforming conspiracy theories and antisemitic tropes. "Her content is not intended to inform but to inflame and attract attention through sensationalism and conspiracy theories," it alleges. According to the complaint, the Macrons seek an unspecified amount of damages, which will be "determined at trial." What they're saying: After Owens continued platforming such claims in response to repeated retraction requests, the Macrons said in a statement that taking the matter to court was the only remaining solution. "We gave her every opportunity to back away from these claims, but she refused," their statement read. "It is our earnest hope that this lawsuit will set the record straight and end this campaign of defamation once and for all."
Boston Globe
7 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
French President Macron sues right-wing podcaster Candace Owens
A spokesperson for Owens said she 'is not shutting up' and would address the lawsuit in her show later Wednesday. Advertisement 'This is a foreign government attacking the First Amendment rights of an American independent journalist,' the spokesperson said. The French Embassy could not be reached for comment. Tom Clare, an attorney representing the Macrons, called the suit a 'clear-cut case of defamation.' The Macrons said in a statement that they 'concluded that referring the matter to a court of law was the only remaining avenue for remedy' after three retraction requests were disregarded. Owens worked for the Daily Wire and Turning Point USA before starting her own podcast. She has more than 4.4 million subscribers on YouTube.
The Hill
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Macrons file lawsuit against Candace Owens over comments about French first lady
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte are suing right-wing podcaster Candance Owens, alleging defamation and that she profited off a conspiracy theory suggesting Brigitte was born a male. In a lawsuit filed in Delaware this week, the Macrons alleged Owens 'disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favor of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers.' 'These claims are demonstrably false, and Owens knew they were false when she published them. Yet, she published them anyway,' the lawsuit reads. 'And the reason is clear: it is not the pursuit of truth, but the pursuit of fame.' A representative for Owens did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Owens has gained notoriety in recent years as a leading conservative commentator and supporter of President Trump. In June, however, she said she was 'embarrassed' that she campaigned for Trump She was a top personality at the conservative Daily Wire before a contentious falling out with the company and its leadership, which played out widely across social media, and starting her own media company. Owens has sparked outrage from Democrats and media watchdogs for years with her commentary on current events and attacked Brigitte Macron on social media as recently as last week.
The Hill
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Israel's Gaza church strike sparks moral debate. Is it losing support from its strongest US allies?
The Israel Defense Forces struck the only Catholic church in Gaza last week. The compound of the Holy Family, which belongs to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, was hit at 10:20 a.m. local time. Three civilians were killed and nine others injured, including the parish priest. The Patriarchate described the attack plainly: 'the targeting of innocent civilians.' Israel, after a torrent of international criticism including from President Trump, claimed the strike was a mistake. But no public evidence has yet supported that explanation. Churches, of course, are not difficult to identify: cross, steeple, certain features. And no credible account has emerged explaining how this specific target was mistakenly hit. Many argue that the strike may have been an intentional form of retaliation for Christian leaders' recent criticism of Israeli settler violence in a West Bank Christian town. Regardless of intent, this strike is an instantiation of a political turning point. The truth is that Israel overstepped not only the line of military proportionality, but the line that keeps even its staunchest allies — American evangelical conservatives — in its corner. That shift is visible at the top. Even Mike Huckabee, a longtime evangelical ally of Israel and U.S. ambassador to the country, has warned that Israel may be turning openly hostile toward Christians. In a pointed letter to Israel's Interior minister, he threatened visa restrictions on Israel for blocking Christian pilgrims from entering the country. Huckabee's criticism matters not just because of his stature, but that he represents millions of evangelical voters who have historically provided Israel with a powerful base of bipartisan American support. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), too, voted alongside Democrats to strip Israel of $500 million in funding hours after the bombing. Another Mike, Daily Wire commentator and essential Christian Zionist Michael Knowles, reacted to the strike and said: 'You're losing me. When you strike churches and start interfering with American interests… Now we've got a problem.' Support for Israel in the U.S. has long rested on two legs: shared strategic interests and shared moral values. The second of those legs is buckling: not just on the left, but now, visibly, among Israel's own evangelical base. The political backlash already underway clearly shows that Israel's pattern of hostility toward Christians is beginning to carry substantial consequences. Evidently, Israel's gamble with the goodwill of its strongest political base in the U.S. has failed. And there's another reason why striking a church is politically self-defeating: the West may struggle to communicate empathy for Palestinian civilians, but they brought in the beacon of American conservatism: Christianity and the church. I say this not as someone predisposed to condemn Israel. I as a Christian was broadly supportive of Israel in the weeks following Oct. 7. Not out of ideology but because, prudentially, I believed Israel's response to Hamas' attacks was warranted and necessary. But I now firmly believe government of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has crossed the proportionality line with its recent food and aid blockade and relentless bombardment of civilians. Self-evidently, Israel has gone beyond its supposed mission to eliminate Hamas and get the remaining hostages released, and now seem overshadowed by an egregiously destructive military operation. And just as Israel's moral clarity has eroded, so too has the political cover once granted by its most reliable American supporters. When Israel strikes the church in Gaza they lose Michael Knowles. When Israel starts interfering with Christian pilgrims, they lose Mike Huckabee. And if they lose the Huckabee archetype, whom they rely on, then the Israeli government is badly misplaying its hand. In any case, an indefinite war, especially one with such a catastrophic civilian toll, cannot retain public or political support in the U.S. Still, the U.S. remains Israel's closest ally. But that support depends on shared values. If those values begin to diverge, so too will the relationship. William Liang is a writer living in San Francisco. His work has appeared in the Daily Wire, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Diego Union-Tribune and more.
