Category: US politics

The Trump administration has announced new oil drilling operations off the coasts of California and Florida, marking the first such expansion in these regions in decades. This move, intended to boost U.S. oil production, has drawn criticism from those who warn it could harm coastal communities and ecosystems.
The oil industry has actively pursued access to new offshore areas, including Southern California and off the coast of Florida, arguing it would enhance U.S. energy security and create jobs. Federal regulations have prohibited drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, which includes offshore Florida and parts of Alabama, since 1995 due to concerns about oil spills. In California, despite existing offshore rigs, no new federal leasing has been permitted since the mid-1980s.
Since taking office for a second time in January, Trump has systematically reversed policies aimed at slowing climate change, instead pursuing what he calls U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Trump, who..

There may be more leftovers this Thanksgiving as about one in eight American adults say they are taking Ozempic or a similar drug, known to curb appetites.
Morgan Williams, 29-year-old Nebraska mom, usually goes for the green bean casserole on Turkey Day. But since she began taking a GLP-1 drug to manage her Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, she noticed her appetite wasn’t what it used to be, she told USA Today.
“I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings,” Williams, 29, says. “So I will just grab the dish and not eat it. It will still be on my plate when I throw everything away.”
Since she began taking the medication in April, she has lost 70 pounds, she told the outlet. Her symptoms have subsided and a side effect has emerged.
“I get full a lot faster, and big holiday portions feel kind of overwhelming now,” Williams said. “I used to go back for seconds, but now I’m satisfied after just a few bites, so the holiday season will definitely be different than past years.”
open image in gal..

CloseSenate approves Jeffrey Epstein files bill after near-unanimous House voteThe bill to force the Justice Department to release files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is still awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature after clearing Congress.
The Senate sent the legislation to the president’s desk Wednesday morning, CNN reported, and Trump has promised to sign it. But it’s unclear when that will actually happen. There are no more public events expected Wednesday, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins wrote on X.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump delivered a rambling speech at a U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center in which he blasted his political opponents, windmills and eggs.
The president suggested that his daughter Tiffany Trump's graduation was canceled not for Covid but her last name, and later professed to be “all for climate change.”
After the House voted 427-1 to approve the Epstein Transparency Act Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer quickly..

Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University, has resigned from the board of OpenAI after a tranche of emails between him and the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were released.
Harvard University has launched an urgent investigation into the emails and his alleged ties with Epstein, whom he contacted as recently as 2019. Summers' resignation came after it was revealed that he repeatedly contacted Epstein from November 2018 to July 2019, asking the disgraced financier for relationship advice.
Epstein was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.
A few days ago, Summers, who also served as former President Bill Clinton’s treasury secretary and former President Barack Obama’s director of the National Economic Council, stepped back from all upcoming public engagements.
“In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI,” Summers said in a statement. “I am grateful for the ..

The U.S. Senate moved rapidly to pass the legislation to compel the Justice Department to release files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, just a couple of hours after the House of Representatives almost unanimously passed the legislation.
The Senate did not add amendments, despite overtures from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had initially opposed the initial vote in the House until President Donald Trump made a last-minute about-face to say he would sign the legislation.
“When a bill passes the House for 27 to one and the president said he'll sign it into law, I'm not sure that there's going to be a need for an amendment or desire for an amendment process,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told The Independent after the House held its vote.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) requested unanimous consent for the legislation to deem it passed as soon as it came to the Senate floor, sending it to Trump’s desk.
“The American people have ..

Rapper Nicki Minaj has publicly backed President Donald Trump’s allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria, saying at a United Nations event on Tuesday, organised by the U.S., that she intends to highlight “the deadly threat.”
President Trump has previously claimed Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria and reportedly instructed the Pentagon to prepare for potential military action in the West African nation.
However, experts and local residents offer a more nuanced perspective, noting that while some attacks do target Christians, the widespread violence that has long plagued the country affects everyone indiscriminately, regardless of their background or belief.
open image in galleryMinaj spoke at the event, which came after she replied to Trump's social media post about Nigeria earlier this month (AFP via Getty Images)The Trinidadian-born artist thanked President Trump for his leadership and for called for urgent action “to defend Christians in Nigeria, to..

CloseCroaky Trump says he hurt his voice yelling at peoplePresident Donald Trump has confirmed that he would sign a bill compelling the Justice Department to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Trump said he would sign the legislation while speaking to reporters during a White House FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force meeting in the Oval Office. The House is expected to vote on the bill as soon as Tuesday, but it could still face hurdles in the Senate.
The president’s voice was also hoarse throughout the event, prompting one reporter to ask him about it.
“I feel great,” Trump replied. “I was shouting at people because they were stupid about something having to do with trade in a country, and I straightened it out, but I blew my stack at these people.”
Trump was later pressed on which country it was, but he declined to answer.
The event comes after Trump said that House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, in a stunning reversal of his former position. Before Trump’s endors..

A couple in New Jersey has had a seriously lucky year after hitting lottery jackpots twice in 2025.
The couple won $3 million in a scratch-off ticket less than six months after they won another $1 million prize from the New Jersey Lottery.
They told the New Jersey Lottery that the game they won — Jackpot Millions — was one of several they bought from an Exxon station in Fischer Bay.
The husband said he and his wife have had a competition to see who can win the most from scratch-offs.
“With our kids, we can't really get out of the house,” the husband said. “So at the beginning of the month, we get some tickets. When the kids go to bed, we scratch a few off. We like to make it a bit of a competition — who can win the most. It seems we at least always break even.”
A New Jersey couple won a $3 million jackpot less than six months after they won a $1 million jackpot (New Jersey Lottery)He said he knew before he'd even finished scratching that he'd won big, and handed the ..

The NBA is reportedly asking players and several teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, to hand over their cellphones and documents as part of a massive investigation into illegal sports betting.
The league has hired an outside law firm, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, following pressure from Congress after the Department of Justice brought charges against Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former player and coach Damon Jones in two separate cases, according to The Athletic.
One case involves allegations of illegal sports betting while the second deals with what federal prosecutors are calling a years-long scheme to swindle millions of dollars from high rollers in allegedly rigged poker games.
Investigators from the firm are expected to probe the Lakers players, including star player LeBron James, a former teammate and trainee of Jones, who gave him special access to the team, according to the report.
Lakers assistant trainer Mike ..