POLITICS NEWS
Showing 12 articles
AP
Saban Testifies in Support of Bill to Regulate College Athlete Payments","description":"Former Alabama coach Nick Saban joins bipartisan effort to overhaul student‑athlete compensation and transfers.","summary":"During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Nick Saban and other college sports figures backed a bill that caps athlete payments, limits free transfers, and restricts mid‑season coach departures. The proposal, introduced by Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, seeks to bring stability to college athletics amid criticism from major conferences.","image":"","text":"<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban and other college sports figures testified Wednesday in support of a bipartisan bill aimed at overhauling a system where players can increasingly earn millions of dollars while moving freely between schools.</p><p>The leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee held the hearing as they push legislation unveiled last week that supporters hope can break the congressional gridlock over how to regulate college athletics.</p><p>The bill, introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R‑Texas, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D‑Wash., would regulate payments to athletes, limit them to one “free” transfer during their careers and create a “Lane Kiffin Rule” restricting coaches from leaving programs during the season. Cruz touted the proposal as “the last, best hope we have to save college sports.”</p><p>“If you had the biggest, baddest Ferrari that you could ever have and it was going 150 miles an hour toward the Grand Canyon, somebody needs to tap the brakes. And I think that’s what we all need to do here,” Saban said in his opening remarks.</p><p>Notably absent from the witness list, which included Notre Dame’s athletic director and the commissioner of the PAC‑12 conference, was any representative from the Southeast Conference, where Saban won seven national championships between Alabama and Louisiana State University.</p><p>The SEC and the Big Ten, the two most powerful conferences in college sports, oppose the bill, arguing it “leaves critical issues unresolved.”</p><p>Cantwell said the legislation is intended to restore competition to college athletics by ensuring success is determined by how universities “build a team, and not because they have a billionaire in their back pocket.”</p><p>She also addressed the conferences’ opposition directly, suggesting they fear “that somebody’s going to come in and rearrange the deck chairs of those conferences, steal the eyeball schools, and then basically leave everybody with everything else.”</p>
AP
CBS News Fires Veteran 60 Minutes Correspondent Scott Pelley Over Strained Relations","description":"After accusing editor‑in‑chief Bari Weiss of undermining the show and alleging the new producer lacked qualifications, longtime 60 Minutes anchor Scott Pelley was dismissed, deepening turmoil at the flagship news program.","summary":"Scott Pelley, the iconic 60 Minutes correspondent, was fired by CBS News following a heated staff meeting where he accused the network’s leadership of threatening the program’s integrity. The move, coming days after a leadership overhaul, highlights the conflict between Pelley, new executive producer Nick Bilton, and editor‑in‑chief Bari Weiss.","image":"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/cd33d6d\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3600x2400+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F6c%2Fe7%2Fb553edb5b6448206b538498b3370%2F8c9c8f390853414fbe6839e426ea0b66","text":"<p>CBS News fired longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley on Tuesday, a day after he reportedly said Editor‑in‑Chief Bari Weiss was “murdering the show” and accused its new producer of having “slender qualifications” for the job.</p><p>The move deepened the turmoil at the nation’s most influential TV news program days after a leadership overhaul.</p><p>Pelley, 68, criticized management Monday during a fiery staff meeting with Nick Bilton, the program’s new executive producer installed by Weiss last week, according to a detailed report on the Status website.</p><p>In a termination notice obtained Tuesday night by The Associated Press, Bilton, a technology journalist and filmmaker with no traditional broadcast news experience, accused Pelley of carrying out an “ambush” against him.</p><p>“Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt,” the letter states.</p><p>Pelley said in his statement that “60 Minutes” has lost its DNA under new management. He accused them of asking him to “inject falsehoods and bias” into his work, without sharing specific details.</p><p>Pelley’s statement also claimed his colleagues “stood for fairness against the forces of political bias.” He further accused CEO David Ellison of casting aside the show’s reputation “apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration.”</p><p>In the dismissal letter Tuesday, Bilton said Pelley’s “performative display of hostility” demonstrated that he has “no interest in contributing to the future success of the show.”</p><p>Since Weiss took over the network’s news operation last October, it has traveled a bumpy road. Pelley’s termination came just five days after Weiss, who has become a polarizing figure in the media world, told staff that it was time for a “new approach” at the top‑rated newsmagazine.</p><p>In the memo, Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski said their goal for “60 Minutes” was “building a show that thrives in the 21st century.” That could include extending the show beyond a 60‑minute broadcast.</p><p>“60 Minutes” first aired in 1968 and is the longest‑running prime‑time show in TV history. Its investigative journalism and probing interviews have given it the reputation of uncompromising journalism—precisely the trait that Pelley said was under assault.</p><p>Pelley started working for CBS in 1989. He was its chief White House Correspondent from 1997 to 1999, during Bill Clinton’s presidency, and anchored “CBS Evening News” from 2011 to 2017. He has won 51 Emmy Awards, according to his CBS bio.</p>
AP
Santos Under Investigation After Betting He Would Not Attend State of the Union","description":"The prediction‑market platform Kalshi flagged suspicious bets by former Rep. George Santos, who had boasted he would attend President Trump’s State of the Union yet then placed a wager that he wouldn’t. This action prompted referrals to the U.S. Justice Department and the CFTC, sparking a fresh probe into potential insider trading.","summary":"Former congressman George Santos is under federal investigation after betting he would not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, after publicly announcing his intention to be there. Kalshi, an online prediction market, detected suspicious trades and reported them to the Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, both of which are cracking down on insider trading in prediction platforms. Santos has declined to comment on the matter, and the DOJ and CFTC have not yet issued a statement. The case follows his recent 7‑year prison sentence for fraud and identity theft, and the Trump‑approved clemency he received before his expulsion from Congress.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/4bc062b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5151x3434+0+0/resize/1440x960!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F97%2Fbb%2F1d94341e19d95c13fcd921d0857a%2F04b42ab3edb74f57b307389b93f45f31","text":"<p>In a move that drew federal scrutiny, former U.S.\u2019 Representative George Santos was flagged by the prediction‑market platform Kalshi for betting that he would not attend President Donald Trump\u2019s State of the Union address, despite repeatedly announcing he would be there. After noting Santos\u2019 public statements, Kalshi detected what it deemed suspicious trades—bets that the former congressman would be absent from the speech—and promptly referred the activity to the U.S. Justice Department and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, regulatory bodies that are tightening oversight of insider trading in such markets.</p>\n<p>Santos had publicly boasted that he would attend Trump\u2019s February 24 speech, even mentioning the event on his social media channels and on his podcast. Minutes into the speech, he posted on X that he had been delayed at the airport, and his followers quickly accused him of running a new scheme. In the days that followed, Kalshi placed the odds for Santos attending at nearly 75%, before him tipping that he would not participate.</p>\n<p>Kalshi and its rival Polymarket have both said they are reporting suspicious trades to federal regulators, and several investigations have led to criminal charges. A recent high‑profile case saw a U.S. soldier charged for using classified information to profit more than $400,000 on the Polymarket platform when predicting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture.</p>\n<p>In April, the Senate approved a bipartisan resolution aimed at preventing its members from using prediction markets, a move that follows growing concern over the vulnerability of these platforms to insider trading. While the DOJ and CFTC have not yet issued a public response, Santos declined to comment on the investigation, leaving the outcome uncertain. His legal woes—spanning fraud, identity theft, and a 7‑year prison sentence—had already ended when former President Trump granted him clemency bestowing a brief, controversial release before his expulsion from the House.</p>
AP
Trump Takes Center Stage for America’s 250th Anniversary","description":"After performers withdrew from the national concert series, former President Donald Trump declared himself the headlining act of the Great American State Fair, underscoring his intent to dominate the country’s 250th celebration and hinting at his approach to the forthcoming World Cup.","summary":"The article reports that Trump assumed the headline role of the Great American State Fair following the cancellation of the intended concert series. It examines how the president's penchant for hosting events extends from private rallies to presidential initiatives, and how his style may shape America's bid to host the 2026 World Cup.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/fc72892/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4535x3023+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F69%2F19%2F180862c0fcd10a7899071cf8bb32%2F5237373024674d20888ae9afa79553a0","text":"<div style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;line-height:1.6;color:#000;max-width:800px;margin:auto;padding:20px;\">\n<p>WASHINGTON (AP) – When nearly all the scheduled musical performers pulled out of a concert series marking America’s 250th anniversary—fearing the event had become too closely tied to President Donald Trump—he responded by making it official.</p>\n<p>Trump announced he’d now be the headlining act of the Great American State Fair.</p>\n<p>That put to rest any possible scenario where a president who has built his personal and political persona on seizing the spotlight might cede the stage to avoid shadowing a national celebration bigger than himself. It also offered a peek into how the president is likely to approach hosting the upcoming World Cup.</p>\n<p>From his reality shows before becoming a politician, to hours spent entertaining at events, to proudly showing off his various properties and efforts to overhaul the White House, the president revels hosting. Last year he even joked about leaving the presidency to do it full time on TV.</p>\n<p>The president has an outsized personality. There’s a predictability to the way in which the president frames his actions—any actions around any event associated with him—and that’s just part of who he is.</p>\n<p>Exhibit A is the fair, which begins June 25 and was supposed to feature concerts but will now be kicked off by a Trump rally. That will follow a UFC bout at the White House on June 14. Trump is a longtime cage match fan and the event marks his 80th birthday, but the president has sought to bill it as part of the anniversary festivities.</p>\n<h2 style=\"margin-top:40px;font-size:1.2em;\">Past presidents hosted their own spectacular celebrations</h2>\n<p>Andrew Jackson opened the White House for an 1829 Inauguration Day bash that was so unruly that staff eventually dispersed the crowd by moving tubs of whiskey and ice cream to the lawn. Franklin D. Roosevelt mixed pre‑dinner cocktails for friends and aides at White House gatherings he playfully dubbed “The Children’s Hour.” Audrey Hepburn was among the luminaries Ronald Reagan hosted at the White House.</p>\n<p>Trump frequently held first‑term dinners with business leaders but has more fully embraced the role since returning to the White House. He built a patio area similar to one at his Mar‑a‑Lago estate and travels often to Florida and his properties in Bedminster, New Jersey, and Sterling, Virginia to headline fundraisers and swanky gatherings.</p>\n<p>Asked if Trump might oversell events meant to unite the country, White House spokesman Davis Ingle cited the president’s efforts to lead extensive renovations at the White House and around Washington. He said the “historic beautification” gives the city “the glory it deserves during our nation’s historic semiquincentennial celebration.”</p>\n<p>Still, Trump has found unprecedented ways to inject himself into the anniversary.</p>\n<p>The State Department issues passports with the president’s picture and officials have designed a new $250 bill with his likeness. The Trump Organization, now run by the president’s children, applied to trademark “Trump 250” logos and other merchandise. The U.S. Mint is producing a 24‑karat gold commemorative coin with Trump’s face.</p>\n<h2 style=\"margin-top:40px;font-size:1.2em;\">Duelling anniversary planners and revisionist history</h2>\n<p>Congress charged a national organization, America250, with planning commemorative events. Ahead of the 2024 election, the group drafted a memo asking the incoming president to mobilize federal agencies and welcome presidential involvement in initiatives. The group’s chair said they had a supportive relationship with the president’s planners, but the organization is separate from Freedom 250, a mix of public and private partners the Trump administration set up to fund and prepare anniversary events—creating confusion.</p>\n<p>America250 aims to inspire Americans to reflect on the past, strengthen love of country, and renew commitment to democracy. The push to coordinate local events is counter to the executive order Trump signed last year to “Restore truth and sanity to American history.” Naftali said the president’s brand of history is closer to propaganda and cheerleading.</p>\n<h2 style=\"margin-top:40px;font-size:1.2em;\">World Cup: another platform for Trump to host</h2>\n<p>Trump also set up a federal World Cup task force and leads it. He collected a peace prize from the governing body FIFA and said he’d be on stage to present the tournament’s golden trophy to the winning team. He oversaw the tournament’s draw at the Kennedy Center and sought to rename for his benefit, sparking legal challenges.</p>\n<p>After headline the Kennedy Center Honors in December, Trump posted on social media, “Would you like me to leave the presidency in order to make “hosting” a full‑time job?” Naftali noted, “It’s undiluted Donald Trump.”</p>\n</div>
AP
Trump Administration Targets Racial Equity Programs in Schools","description":"The federal government’s new stance on school diversity programs is threatening funding and reopening old civil‑rights lawsuits, putting programs that help students of color under fire.","summary":"Civil‑rights laws that once pushed for school desegregation and equal opportunity are being re‑interpreted by the Trump administration as discriminatory against white students. The Justice and Education Departments are threatening federal funds, launching investigations, and abandoning court‑ordered desegregation plans. The article examines the impact on Chicago Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified’s Black Student Achievement Plan, and the legal battles surrounding school diversity programs.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/d0c9f2f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5658x3772+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F09%2F55%2Ffbf231d8c1dee9be1d7a88786c77%2Fdac6ee67612244598aa142223e07c899","text":"<h1>Trump Administration Targets Racial Equity Programs in Schools</h1>\n<p>For generations, federal civil‑rights laws were designed to remedy historic discrimination against Black students and other people of color. The Justice Department pressured schools to desegregate, while the Education Department promoted equal opportunity and held schools accountable for racial bias.</p>\n<p>Under President Donald Trump, the same efforts to address deep‑rooted inequities are being labeled as discriminatory against white students. Programs that have survived legal scrutiny are now deemed \"illegal DEI\" (diversity, equity and inclusion) by the White House. Schools that fail to comply risk losing federal funding and, in some cases, have lost grants outright.</p>\n<p>Civil‑rights attorneys describe the administration’s actions as a complete inversion of the legal history that once protected students of color.</p>\n<p>Michael Pillera, director of educational equity issues at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said, \"It’s literally flipping the purpose of civil‑rights law on its head, not just harming Black students and students of color, but entire school communities. It’s unmoored from the actual history of this country and untethered to the reality of life here.\"</p>\n<p>Investigations and litigation have spread wide. The Justice Department is probing programs to increase the number of teachers of color in Rhode Island and Iowa, and grants intended to train teachers or recruit school mental‑health workers were halted when diversity was mentioned in recruitment paperwork.</p>\n<p>The Education Department has issued statements that federal programs must follow every law that prohibits discrimination based on race. A spokesperson, Amelia Joy, told reporters: \"Serving student needs and following the law are not irreconcilable mandates. Advocates and educators have no reason to stress if they abide by the law.\"</p>\n<p>In Chicago, the Department withheld more than $20 million from the district when it refused to terminate its Black Student Success Program. That program is designed to increase access to advanced coursework for Black students and reduce overly harsh discipline.</p>\n<h2>Los Angeles Unified School District Faces New Pressure</h2>\n<p>Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) created a Black Student Achievement Plan after student activism following the 2020 murder of George Floyd. The program provides extra teachers, counselors and a curriculum in Black history. Initially, schools were chosen partially on Black enrollment numbers. In 2023, the conservative group Defending Education filed a complaint alleging discrimination against non‑Black students.</p>\n<p>LAUSD said it would no longer use Black enrollment as a criterion and would instead focus on metrics such as high absenteeism and low test scores, claiming that all students would still benefit. However, the Office for Civil Rights launched a new investigation after Defending Education re‑filed the complaint.</p>\n<p>Senior legal fellow Sarah Parshall Perry told a reporter that the re‑filing came after district leaders admitted that the program had not materially changed, despite the new criteria. “Our goal is not to make LAUnified a target, but to ensure that when people say they’re eliminating racially discriminatory aspects of programs, they’re actually doing so,” she said.</p>\n<p>Test data shows the Black Student Achievement Plan is working: Black students in the district outperformed the California average in recent state testing.</p>\n<h2>Justice Department Targets Other Programs</h2>\n<p>The Justice and Education Departments have been re‑interpreting historic civil‑rights rulings. Court‑ordered desegregation plans are described as outdated. The Trump administration also ceased funding for some magnet schools designed to be more diverse.</p>\n<p>They cited a broad interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action—originally limited to college admissions—to suggest any racial difference is unconstitutional. The Department’s guidance was struck down last year, but schools fear a similar crackdown and may preemptively end equity programs to avoid federal scrutiny.</p>\n<p>In Los Angeles, the Justice Department sought to end a different racial‑equity program: a designation for “Predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or Other Non‑Anglo” schools. The program, known as PHBAO, gives smaller class sizes and extra parent‑teacher conferences when 70% or more students are students of color. The group 1776 Project Foundation challenged the designation in January, and the Justice Department joined the lawsuit in February.</p>\n<p>An assistant U.S. attorney stated: \"LAUSD’s desegregation program has outlived its usefulness to the point of being unconstitutional.\" Attorney Mark Rosenbaum, who previously represented students of color in desegregation cases, disputed that assessment, noting that opponents of desegregation always claimed they would replace the program with equal resources for all students—a goal still unmet.</p>\n<p>These federal actions raise concerns among educators and student advocates. They fear that the pressure on programs will undermine progress toward racial equity in schools, stalling efforts to close achievement gaps.\n</p>
AP
Trump Signs AI Executive Order, Aims to Shield National Security While Boosting Innovation","description":"Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order for AI oversight, setting a month‑long review window for high‑risk AI models before launch. The directive focuses on national security and collaboration with industry leaders.","summary":"Trump’s new order establishes federal oversight of advanced AI systems, allowing a month‑long security vetting and collaboration with tech firms such as Anthropic, OpenAI and Google. Following earlier reluctance to sign a prior version over concerns about the U.S. maintaining its AI edge, the policy seeks to safeguard critical infrastructure while fostering secure innovation.","image":"https://www.worldvoice.news/images/ai-executive-order.jpg","text":"<p style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:12px;\">President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that sets up a month‑long federal review of advanced AI systems before they are released to the public.</p><p style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:12px;\">The directive gives the federal government the authority to work with trusted partners such as Anthropic, OpenAI and Google, giving them early access to frontier models to help secure innovation and strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure.</p><p style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:12px;\">Trump had declined to sign a similar order earlier this year after the president’s comments that the policy might erode America’s lead in AI. He canceled a ceremony with tech leaders last month because he did not like the earlier draft’s language. The new order, however, is aimed at protecting national security while ensuring the United States stays at the forefront of AI development.</p>
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