- Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes Attend “Today” Show Producer Jen Long’s Wedding — See the Photos! Yahoo Entertainment
- Today Show host Savannah Guthrie grins through her teeth during forced reunion with Matt Lauer at star-studded Daily Mail
- ‘Handsy’ Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes engage in ‘very dirty’ dancing at ‘Today’ producer’s wedding Page Six
- Amy Robach shares unseen photos from wedding with rival TV network – inside her close bond with the bride HELLO!
- Savannah Guthrie, who has REFUSED to be in the same room as Matt Lauer, will come face-to-face with her disgra Daily Mail
Tag Archives: Jen
90 Day Fiancé: Jen Makes a MOVE On Debbie’s Son Julian! – Entertainment Tonight
- 90 Day Fiancé: Jen Makes a MOVE On Debbie’s Son Julian! Entertainment Tonight
- 90 Day’s Yohan Seemingly Ends Marriage to Daniele: ‘I Don’t Have the Same Love for Her Anymore’ PEOPLE
- The Problem With ’90 Day Fiance: The Other Way’ Collider
- 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way’s Daniele Drops Cheating Allegations And More Claims Against Yohan Ahead Of Final Tell-All Special CinemaBlend
- 90 Day Fiance’s Daniele Gates Slams Trolls Claiming She Abuses Husband Yohan Geronimo: ‘No One Deserves This’ Yahoo Entertainment
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Jen Shah details ‘nightmare’ moments before surrendering to federal prison – Page Six
- Jen Shah details ‘nightmare’ moments before surrendering to federal prison Page Six
- Jen Shah Provides First-Person Account of Day She Reported to Prison PEOPLE
- Jen Shah Describes Anxiety She Felt as She Faced ‘Worst Fear’ Reporting to Prison in First Journal Entry Entertainment Tonight
- Jen Shah Opens Up About Saying Goodbye to Her Family, Adjusting to Life in Prison and More Diary Revelations Us Weekly
- RHOSLC’s Jen Shah reveals she suffered anxiety attack & begged ‘please help me’ before starting 6.5-year pr… The US Sun
- View Full Coverage on Google News
RHSLC Jen Shah lashes out after cast quiz her about rumored informant in federal fraud case
Jen Shah lashed out at Danna Bui-Negrete after she shared a rumor about an informant on Wednesday’s episode of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City.
The 49-year-old reality star was still maintaining her innocence in a federal fraud case against her when Danna, 35, during a group trip to San Diego spoke directly to her.
‘Supposedly they know someone that worked for you and that that your company or the work that you’re doing was very sketchy,’ Danna, 35, said. ‘And they pleaded guilty to whatever the allegations are, and now they are an informant.’
Getting angry: Jen Shah lashed out at Danna Bui-Negrete after she shared a rumor about an informant on Wednesday’s episode of The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City
Danna said the friend told her to be ‘very careful.’
‘If you want to bring it, take it to the finish line, honey,’ Jen said.
Danna said she couldn’t say who told her. Jen said if couldn’t talk about it then she shouldn’t have brought it up.
‘What you’re talking about is my life,’ Jen said. ‘So don’t bring it up because that is my life.’
Turned informant: ‘Supposedly they know someone that worked for you and that that your company or the work that you’re doing was very sketchy,’ Danna, 35, said. ‘And they pleaded guilty to whatever the allegations are, and now they are an informant’
‘Check your source!’ Jen screamed, pointing her finger at her. ‘The Constitution says you are innocent until proven guilty. Period. End of story.’
Jen got up from the table yelling.
‘Do not make up some bulls*** about what’s going on with my legal case or anything tied to it, because this is very serious to me,’ Jen said in a confessional
Very upset: Jen got up from the table yelling
Heather Gay, 40, and Meredith Marks, 51, got up from the table and left to comfort Jen who was livid.
‘I don’t even know the b**** other than she has gray hair,’ Jen said
Danna told the women still at the table that she was told Jen knew exactly what they were doing.
Support system: Heather Gay, 40, and Meredith Marks, 51, got up from the table and left to comfort Jen who was livid
‘I’m not saying that she’s guilty but there has to be something,’ Danna said.
‘If she is proven guilty, then I will probably have to sit through an awkward conversation, but I’m willing to go have a conjugal visit,’ Whitney Rose, 36, said.
‘It’s not a conjugal visit unless you are going to hook up with her,’ Lisa Barlow, 48, said.
Conjugal visit: ‘If she is proven guilty, then I will probably have to sit through an awkward conversation, but I’m willing to go have a conjugal visit,’ Whitney Rose, 36, said
Heather said to Jen she was loyal to the core.
‘Snitches get what?’ Heather said. ‘Stitches.’
Jen, Heather and Meredith returned to the table.
Came back: Jen, Heather and Meredith returned to the table
‘No matter what these ladies say about Jen, how much they trust her, how much they believe her, she is a very untrustworthy person,’ Danna said.
The episode titled Unfashionable Behavior opened during the girls trip to San Diego with Whitney and the other women trying to find out how Heather got a black eye.
‘Listen, I woke up with a horrible black eye, could not open my eye, scratches and bruises all over my body and we’re still unsure about what happened to my eye,’ Heather said. ‘There’s theories.’
Black eye: The episode titled Unfashionable Behavior opened during the girls trip to San Diego with Whitney and the other women trying to find out how Heather got a black eye
Heather looked at Jen Shah when she was talking.
When they returned from their trip, Meredith sat down with her son Brooks, 22, and her daughter Chloe, 20, and talked about her sister’s fashion fundraiser for her new foundation ADR, a metal health and addiction foundation. Whitney texted that she wouldn’t be able to make it to the fundraiser.
Catching up: When they returned from their trip, Meredith sat down with her son Brooks, 22, and her daughter Chloe, 20, and talked about her sister’s fashion fundraiser for her new foundation ADR, a metal health and addiction foundation
Heather went to visit Angie Harrington, 41, who asked her about her eye.
‘What happened? Do you have any recollection?’ Angie Asked.
‘No,’ Heather said.
Eye talk: Heather went to visit Angie Harrington, 41, who asked her about her eye
‘There’s a part of me, and tell me if I’m wrong, that feels like you are protecting somebody,’ Angie said.
Angie said she was very concerned. Heather said she would never tell her what happened.
A producer asked Heather in a confessional if she was hoping for someone else to say it.
Staying mum: Heather said she would never tell her what happened
‘I just hope it goes away,’ Heather said.
At her house, Whitney looked at her old child pictures and called her half brother Curtis on the phone.
‘Do you remember it now, now that you are going through it?’ Curtis asked.
Childhood trauma: At her house, Whitney looked at her old child pictures and called her half brother Curtis on the phone
‘Most of it, no, but some of it comes back to me,’ Whitney said. ‘When do you fully get past the point of sitting and thinking about the past?’
Jen had a Zoom session with her therapist. She told him she hadn’t been sleeping well and didn’t feel like she had control over her life.
‘I’m at a deeper and darker place and I’m dealing with another level of depression, daily anxiety that is paralyzing,’ Jen said in a confessional.
Online therapy: Jen had a Zoom session with her therapist
Jen worried about the effect her criminal case was having on her family.
Meredith helped put together the final touches for the fashion show for her sister’s charity fundraiser. Danna and Angie Katsanevas arrived. Meredith told them she was disappointed at them for telling Lisa about their private conversation about finding out about her SEC filing before they sat down to dinner.
‘I’m not mad but I’m disappointed,’ Meredith said.
Family concerns: The reality star worried about the effect her criminal case was having on her family
Lisa showed up despite the fact that she said she knew Meredith didn’t like her.
‘I’m not surprised Lisa showed up,’ Meredith said in a confessional. ‘She’s very concerned about appearances and I don’t think that it would be a good look for her to miss a charity event. It gives her an opportunity to pose for social media.’
Jen arrived and asked Sharrieff if he brought the check because she wanted to pay Angie K. for the party at her house that she claimed Jen owed her for.
Social media: Lisa Barlow showed up despite knowing that Meredith disliked her
Angie K. told Lisa that Jen reached out to Angie H. on FaceTime to make peace.
‘I’m sorry to say this but I called her bulls*** from day one,’ Danna said. ‘She’s not a good person and she’s not a good friend.’
Meredith got up and thanked everyone for coming to the charity fundraiser fashion show. She said her family had a rough year but was proud of her sister Myra and nephew Alex for starting this charity.
Day one: ‘I’m sorry to say this but I called her bulls*** from day one,’ Danna said. ‘She’s not a good person and she’s not a good friend’
After the show, Jen and Sharrieff went up to Angie K. and her husband Shawn.
‘I wanted to make sure that I took care of you guys,’ Sharrieff said. ‘It bothered my heart. I had no idea that the situation had unfolded the way it did. So I want to make certain that nothing is outstanding.’
Sharrieff handed Angie K. a check.
Paying up: After the show, Jen and Sharrieff went up to Angie K. and her husband Shawn
‘I felt like we had a debt and I didn’t understand that to be the case but I wanted to make sure we did it right. I wanted to make it right,’ Sharrief said.
The check to Angie K from Sharrieff was for $12,366.90.
‘All I know is that I’m going to run to the bank after this event and cash that check before the government freezes her account,’ Angie K. said.
Bank run: ‘All I know is that I’m going to run to the bank after this event and cash that check before the government freezes her account,’ Angie K. said
Heather went to Whitney’s house. Whitney said in a confessional that she was sad that Heather and her had been growing apart. Heather said it was a stab to her heart when she heard they were on a friendship break. Whitney asked if she really didn’t remember what happened and how she got her black eye.
‘Did someone do that to you?’ Whitney said.
‘I don’t know if you don’t remember because you were drinking,’ Whitney said. ‘You and Jen were having the best time ever, extremely intoxicated with your tops off, running around putting your boobs on people.’
Growing apart: Whitney said in a confessional that she was sad that Heather and her had been growing apart
‘Why won’t you tell me Heather?’ Whitney asked. ‘Did you black out or do you know what happened?’
‘I remember how I got it,’ Heather said. ‘And other people know how I got it too.’
Whitney wanted to know how other people knew but she didn’t.
Good questions: ‘Why won’t you tell me Heather?’ Whitney asked. ‘Did you black out or do you know what happened?’
‘I think this whole friendship break has been a really horrible, sh*t*y experience for me and I don’t think you really care,’ Heather said. ‘When you break something it’s broken and it’s never as strong as it was.’
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City will return next Wednesday on Bravo for the season finale.
A teaser showed Jen changing her plea from innocent to guilty in the final episode.
Friendship break: ‘I think this whole friendship break has been a really horrible, sh*t*y experience for me and I don’t think you really care,’ Heather said. ‘When you break something it’s broken and it’s never as strong as it was’
Jen Shah Worries “Did I F–k My Kids Up?” With Fraud Case Drama
Amid all of Jen Shah‘s ongoing legal troubles, her biggest worry is for her family.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star got emotional over fears about how the wire fraud and money laundering charges against her are affecting her husband Sharrieff Shah and son Omar, 16, on the Jan. 4 episode of the hit Bravo series.
During a virtual meeting with her therapist, Jen admitted to being stressed ahead of her federal trial in a scene filmed before she changed her plea from innocent to guilty in July 2022.
“I feel like I’m not in control,” Jen, who will be sentenced on Jan. 6 and faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, shared. “I’m at an even deeper and darker place and I’m dealing with another level of depression—daily anxiety—that is paralyzing.”
With Jen’s future up in the air, her therapist suggested she start setting up support structures within her family in the event her case results in prison time.
“I’m worried as a mom, like, have I done something where it’s affected Omar?” Jen admitted. “Basically, did I f–k my kids up?”
Jen Shah not attending ‘RHOSLC’ reunion, blasts Bravo
In not-so-Shah-mazing news, Jen Shah will not be attending the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” Season 3 reunion “under legal advice” — and she is not happy about it.
Shah — who is set to be sentenced next month for wire fraud — told her Instagram followers Friday that the decision had been reached after discussing with Bravo the topics she would and would not be able to touch upon during filming of the reunion.
“I was clear with Bravo that out of respect for the courts and a standing judicial order, I would not be in a position to discuss anything related to my legal case or sentencing,” she explained, claiming that the network “found this unsatisfactory and said they expected to discuss this ‘storyline.’”
“That expectation has no regard for me or my family’s well-being,” Shah wrote. “So under legal advice, I will not be attending reunion.”
The “Housewife,” 49, added that she needs to “focus on the most important thing” in her life right now, which is her “family.” She and husband Sharrieff share two sons: Sharrieff Jr. and Omar.
Sources familiar with the situation confirmed to Page Six that Shah “was invited” to this year’s reunion but “declined under the advice of her lawyers.”
According to the reality star, she was “informed” by Bravo in September that she was “not invited” to the reunion.
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“I was disappointed because I would have no venue to confront inaccuracies and address my storyline with cast members,” she explained.
However, “out of nowhere” on Nov. 29, she received an invitation, which she said made her feel “elated” to be able to “have a voice” during the shoot.
Bravo did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
Shah’s co-star Meredith Marks recently advocated for her friend to have a seat on Andy Cohen’s reunion couches.
“I certainly hope that Jen has the chance to have a voice,” Marks explained to Page Six’s Evan Real and Danny Murphy at the “Virtual Reali-tea” podcast live taping earlier this month.
“Obviously as the season progresses and transpires, she’s hearing things that she didn’t know about. That’s what happens to all of us. And so for her to not have a chance to address that, to me, would be very sad.”
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After the current season is done airing, fans might not see much of Shah. At BravoCon in October, Cohen insinuated that the “RHOSLC” star would no longer be on the show after she changed her plea to guilty in July.
“Once we wrapped [filming for Season 3, and] she pled guilty, I think that was kind of, unfortunately, the end of, you know, the engagement there,” he told inquiring attendees.
“But I hope to sit down with her and talk to her at some point on camera because I have a lot of questions for her.”
Shah was arrested last March during Season 2 of the series for allegedly running a nationwide telemarketing scheme that targeted hundreds of people, predominantly the elderly.
Her plea deal calls for up to 14 years in federal prison and restitution of up to $9.5 million.
She Convinced Tinder Men To Buy Nier:Automata Then Ghosted Them
There’s a dramatic scene in Nier: Automata in which a desperate, downtrodden android commands his AI companion to cease all logical functions. The AI, sensible thing that it is, warns him that there’s almost no chance this will end well. Our hero knows this, of course; he does it anyway. This leads to one of the most memorable lines in the entire critically acclaimed action game. “Why do I long for humans like this,” the android cries out, as he takes a dangerous leap of faith that ends up with someone getting hurt.
If you’ve ever gone on Tinder, you might know exactly what this is like even if you’ve never played Nier: Automata. A woman named Jen certainly does, based on her experience using dating apps. Jen, who works as a paralegal, went viral on Twitter earlier this year for, as she put it, swiping on Tinder and getting “guys to buy Nier: Automata” only to “then ghost them.”
By her count, she roped 22 men into her devious yet amazing scheme. Since it’s been a couple of years, she claims, she couldn’t show Kotaku proof that she convinced dozens of men to buy the unusually philosophical game. She did, however, have a handful of screenshots of conversations full of flirts, in which people would say that they couldn’t believe they were about to buy a video game just to impress a girl. [Editor’s note: This bar is low.] And at least some of the pictured folks appear to have genuinely played the game, as the screenshots show discussion of different endings and plot points between her and the would-be paramours.
Known for its intense post-apocalyptic and introspective storytelling, Nier: Automata is full of twists and turns, including changing perspectives, alternating genres, and multiple endings. There’s very little out there like Nier, and fewer still like Yoko Taro, its enigmatic and offbeat creator. Let me summarize his entire deal by saying that he’s best known for going around wearing a giant moon-shaped mask over his head, based on the character Emil from the original Nier.
It takes a certain type of appetite to even be open to this kind of offbeat weirdness—Snoop Dogg hawking Call of Duty or John Cena dropping into Fornite this is not. Nier fans recently proved to everyone that they’re on an entirely different level than most people when a group of modders convinced the world that their creations might have been a long-lost in-game secret, or perhaps an ARG.
No, the cryptic messages that took the gaming world by storm were “just” a bunch of hardcore Nier fans loving the hell out of their game. From the sounds of it, that’s the sort of distinctive soul that Jen, who claims her Tinder bio said that Nier was her favorite game, wanted to find: someone she could really, truly talk to about her fandom.
Part of what makes the story believable is the sheer scope of Jen’s fandom, which she calls an “obsession.” She shared a picture of a shrine she said she keeps in her room, and folks, the thing is massive. It’s got Emil all over it, in a variety of different forms. The table—which even includes a dedicated candle—would stand out in any room. Indeed, Jen said that before people go into her room for the first time, Jen has to warn them about it first.
The shrine makes sense when you consider Jen’s connection to the game, which she said came into her life during a period when she was “heavily depressed and suicidal due to being bullied and having an abusive family.” At the time, she watched a Let’s Play of the game and became obsessed with everything, from its music to its aesthetic. She still fondly remembers lines like, “A future is not given to you. It is something you must take for yourself.”
That’s an idea she took to heart on Tinder, really. Having no one local to talk to about the game, she hoped to change her luck on a dating app. Most such interactions were shallow, she admits.
“Many [Tinder matches] wouldn’t appreciate it as much [as I did], or when I wanted to talk about every detail and they just said ‘[it] was a good game [but] there isn’t that much to talk about’,” Jen said, which she took as her cue to ghost them and move on. Still, many went for it.
“It was actually insane, how many men would buy it,” she said, noting that while she did sometimes tell them outright to buy the game, she never promised anything sexual in exchange. But in an echo of the entitlement that comes with buying a woman a drink at the bar, many of these men did not see buying the game as a neutral act.
“Actually many full-on expected something from me in return for recommending a game,” she said. “Many times I had to read how they wished I’d wear 2B’s uniform for them.”
Really, the way Jen describes talking about Nier almost sounds like she used it as a shield against the constant sexualization she kept coming across on Tinder. The more men tried to get saucy, the more she talked shop about lore and the like. But eventually, that crassness was exactly what pushed her to stop trying to find a match and instead just start trying to sell Yoko Taro’s masterpiece outright. Might as well make something of it, right? As she said in her original viral tweet, “High sales mean more Taro games.”
“I think that [the crassness] made me a bit more apathetic over time… [of course] I know that was really fucked up from my part as well, but I do think Yoko Taro’s games deserve more recognition.”
It was amusing for a while, but eventually the reality of the whole thing started to hit her like the starkness of watching yourself swipe listlessly over dozens of people on the toilet past midnight.
“I stopped because i kinda realized how nonchalant I became about something so fucked up?” she said. “Like even tho some of them were like actually gross, but others might have just disliked the game or aren’t that much into analyzing and theories and such and [I] probably hurt their feelings [by] just ‘disappearing.’”
Nowadays, Jen is not only continuing to add to the shrine, she’s also found her people on Discord. Better yet, her Discord buddies “like the game genuinely and don’t just want to fuck me.” One pal even lives close to her. And besides, who needs stinky boys when the man himself is watching over your shitposts?
“Yoko Taro followed me a few years back when I made nude fan art of the two main girls of Automata,” she said. “I think that made my obsession even stronger lmao.”
Jen Psaki’s final briefing is chaos, Simon Ateba heckles
White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s final briefing with reporters quickly dissolved into chaos on Friday after one reporter repeatedly heckled over his colleagues, shouting his question about fair access in the room.
As Psaki began to take questions — and after fighting back tears as she thanked members of the administration and the press corps — Simon Ateba, the chief White House correspondent for Today News Africa, was heard yelling from the back of the press briefing room.
“Why don’t you take questions from across the room?” Ateba asked as Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller attempted to get things started with a query about the ongoing baby formula shortage.
“Why don’t you take questions from across the room? Because that’s not what you’ve done for the past 15 months,” Ateba shouted again.
Psaki was not initially fazed by Ateba’s lack of decorum, but just minutes later, the Today News Africa reporter shouted over his colleagues again.
“Jen, can I ask you a question from the back?” he was heard saying. “Jen, can I ask you a question from the back?”
As he continued to speak over reporters in the front row attempting to question Psaki, NPR’s Tamara Keith turned around to urge Ateba to stop.
“Simon, please, stop,” she said.
Ateba did not oblige and continued to shout over other reporters in the room, until Psaki finally turned to him to say, “Simon, if you can respect your colleagues and other media and reporters in here, that would be greatly appreciated.”
Psaki has been criticized in the past for strictly sticking to answering questions from reporters in the first few rows of the briefing room, often missing out on questions from outlets such as The Post, the Washington Examiner, Al Jazeera and other foreign media.
After the raucous protest, Peter Alexander of NBC News said he would voluntarily limit himself to two questions to allow more colleagues to have a turn. Front-row journalists routinely help themselves to a half-down, outraging fellow reporters who can go weeks or months without being called on.
Historically, reporters adhered to an informal norm of limiting exchanges to two questions.
Biden news today: Jen Psaki slams Greg Abbott’s migrant bus ‘publicity stunt’ as Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed to Supreme Court
Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed as first Black woman Supreme Court justice
President Joe Biden’s first Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, has been confirmed by a vote on the Senate floor. Having garnered the support of three Republican senators – Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney – she also received the support of all 50 Democrats, becoming the court’s first Black woman justice.
The vote comes after a seven-week nomination process that saw her heavily criticised by Republicans who focused on her supposed record of leniency towards sexual offenders who targeted children. That criticism was in turn widely rejected as a distortion of her past decisions.
Earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced she has tested positive for Covid-19, this just having appeared next to President Biden, Chuck Schumer, and other senior figures at a bill signing.
Ms Pelosi’s diagnosis means that three of the top 10 people in the presidential line of succession are currently known to be infected with the virus. The speaker’s team say she is currently asymptomatic.
Meanwhile, in Thursday’s White House press briefing, Jen Psaki dismissed Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s plan to bus migrants from the southern border to Washington DC as a “publicity stunt”.
Chinese scientist sentenced over 2 years prison for ‘spying’
Department of Justice sentenced over two years of prison term to a Chinese national for “conspiring to commit economic espionage”.
Xiang Haitao, 44, who was residing in Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to the charge in January 2022.
According to court documents, Xiang conspired to steal a trade secret from The Climate Corporation, an internationally based company doing business in St Louis, Missouri, for the purpose of benefitting the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
“Xiang conspired to steal an important trade secret to gain an unfair advantage for himself and the PRC,” said assistant attorney general Matthew G Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“The victim companies invested significant time and resources to develop this intellectual property. Economic espionage is a serious offense that can threaten US companies’ competitive advantage, and the National Security Division is committed to holding accountable anyone who steals trade secrets to benefit a foreign government.”
Shweta Sharma8 April 2022 05:41
Biden and Jackson celebrate moment with a selfie
The eagle-eyed will notice the photo was taken while everyone waited for Senator Rand Paul to vote.
Oliver O’Connell8 April 2022 05:30
White House dismisses Covid risk for Biden after Pelosi meet
The White House has dismissed concerns over Joe Biden being at the risk of contracting Covid after he met with speaker Nancy Pelosi, who tested positive earlier in the day on Thursday.
“The way a close contact is defined, it’s not arbitrary, it’s not something made up by the White House, it’s CDC guidelines, and how they define it is being within six feet for a cumulative total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
“They were not. All of their interactions were publicly available, I think you saw them, and that’s how that assessment is made,” Ms Psaki added.
The two were at the White House, at times in very close proximity, before Ms Pelosi tested positive during an event marking the Affordable Care Act at which former president Barack Obama was also in attendance.
President Joe Biden kisses House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., during an Affordable Care Act event in the East Room of the White House in Washington
(AP)
Shweta Sharma8 April 2022 05:03
History made: Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed as first Black woman Supreme Court Justice
Ketanji Brown Jackson made history on Thursday when the Senate voted 53 to 47 to make her the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice in the country’s history.
Vice President Kamala Harris, herself a historic first as the first Black and Asian American woman vice president, was on hand to preside over the confirmation vote. Ms Jackson’s ascent to the highest court in the land was a moment of celebration for many Democrats.
Eric Garcia reports for The Independent from Capitol Hill.
Oliver O’Connell8 April 2022 04:45
Biden federal employee Covid vaccine mandate upheld by US court
A US appeals court on Thursday reinstated president Joe Biden’s executive order mandating that federal civilian employees be vaccinated against coronavirus.
In what is seen as a rare win for the administration, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans reversed a lower court lawsuit challenging the mandate.
The appeals court has 17 active judges dominated by Republicans, including six Trump appointees.
It was after US District Judge Jeffrey Brown, who was appointed to the District Court for the Southern District of Texas by Donald Trump, had issued a nationwide injunction against the mandate in January by a 2-1 vote.
“The injunction seriously harms the public interest by impeding efforts to reduce disruptions from Covid-19 in federal workplaces,” the government’s lawyers said in their court filings.
Shweta Sharma8 April 2022 04:43
Psaki: Governor Abbott has no authority for ‘publicity stunt’ plan to bus Texas migrants to DC
White House press secretary accused Texas Gov Greg Abbott of promising an illegal “publicity stunt” on Thursday after the Republican governor vowed that he would place undocumented migrants on chartered buses to Washington DC.
Ms Psaki was asked about the governor’s announcement at her daily news briefing by Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy. In her response, she pointed out that no Texas official, including the governor, had the legal authority to forcibly move persons out of their state, enforce federal immigration law, or even take any official actions across state lines.
Oliver O’Connell8 April 2022 04:00
Video: Obama visits Joe Biden’s White House
‘I like what you’ve done with the place’: Obama visits Joe Biden’s White House
Oliver O’Connell8 April 2022 03:30
Oliver O’Connell8 April 2022 03:15
Voices: The most ridiculous questions asked of Ketanji Brown Jackson during her confirmation hearings
Andrew Feinberg recalls some of the mystifyingly absurb questions asked in Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Senate hearings, including: “Do you think we should catch and imprison more or fewer murderers?”
Oliver O’Connell8 April 2022 02:30
ICYMI: US will boycott G20 meetings if Russia allowed to attend
Ms Yellen raised questions about Russia’s future in the G20 at a US House Financial Services Committee hearing on Wednesday.
Maroosha Muzaffar reports.
Oliver O’Connell8 April 2022 01:45
Biden news today: Jen Psaki returns to podium denying career move afoot as president lauds jobs report
Jen Psaki responds to resignation rumours
President Joe Biden delivered remarks this morning hailing another successful jobs reports that sees employment return to pre-pandemic levels and unemployment to drop to a level not seen since 1969.
While inflation remains a huge concern to Americans, Mr Biden has also ordered the release of up 1 million barrels of oil per day from the strategic petroleum reserve for the next six months in a bid to control prices that have spiked since the US and its allies imposed strict sanctions on Russia after it began its war on Ukraine.
Answering questions from reporters on Thursday, Mr Biden said Russian president Vladimir Putin “seems to be self-isolated and there’s some indication that he has fired or put under house arrest some of his advisers”.
Meanwhile, new reports say that White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki will leave her post this spring to take up a job at MSNBC. It had long been speculated that Ms Psaki would be leaving the administration soon after more than a year in the role.
At Friday’s press briefing Ms Psaki refused to comment on her plans, other than to say she that if she left she would spend time with her children and would sleep.
Pressed on if she could do be an effective briefer with plans to join a media outlet Ms Psaki said she is abiding by all ethics rules and legal requirements.
Amazon workers declare victory with company’s first-ever US union
Amazon workers in New York City have declared victory following preliminary results of a union election at a Staten Island warehouse, where employees have voted to form the first union among the company’s warehouse workers in the US, a bitter defeat for one of the world’s largest companies during a historic wave of labour organising across the country.
Roughly 6,000 people work at the JFK8 warehouse, the company’s largest fulfillment center in New York.
Oliver O’Connell2 April 2022 03:45
Oliver O’Connell2 April 2022 03:00
House votes to decriminalize marijuana, but Senate unlikely to follow
Marijuana would be decriminalized at the federal level under legislation the House approved Friday as Democrats made the case for allowing states to set their own policies on pot.
The bill is unlikely to become law since it is expected to die in the Senate. That would mirror what happened when a similar House-passed measure removing marijuana from the list of federally-controlled substances went nowhere in the Senate two years ago.
Still, Friday’s vote gave lawmakers the chance to state their view on a decriminalization push that appears to have broad support with voters across the country.
Oliver O’Connell2 April 2022 02:30
Jobs report: unemployment falls to 3.6 per cent
Unemployment in the US is now at a low of 3.6 per cent, reaching a level it hasn’t sunk to since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As Andrew Feinberg reports:
According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, “total non-farm payroll” rose by 431,000 from 1 March to 31 March, with “notable” gains across “leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, retail trade, and manufacturing”.
The total number of unemployed persons in the US fell by 318,000 to a level of 6 million.
BLS said the March 2022 numbers are “little different” from those recorded in February 2020, the month before the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic sent the US and world economies reeling.
Oliver O’Connell2 April 2022 01:30
ICYMI: Democratic congressman mocks Cawthorn’s “cocaine and orgies” during marijuana debate
Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin took a potshot at his Republican colleagues on the House floor while debating legislation that would legalise marijuana at the federal level.
The phrase “cocaine-fueled orgies” is now on the congressional record.
Oliver O’Connell2 April 2022 00:30
Watch: Biden celebrates jobs, decries predecessor’s deficit
Joe Biden used his speech on the jobs report and his proposed budget to proclaim he is getting the deficit “under control” – this after the Trump administration’s “reckless policies and mismanagement”.
Oliver O’Connell1 April 2022 23:45
US secures release of reservist held by Taliban
Safi Rauf, a 27-year-old naval reservist who has been held by the Taliban since December, has been released after months of negotiations. As reported by CNN, he and his brothers co-founded a group that worked to evacuate people seeking to escape from Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul last year.
Bevan Hurley has the story.
Oliver O’Connell1 April 2022 23:00
Biden statement on UN-mediated truce in Yemen
I welcome the announcement today of a two-month truce in the Yemen conflict. This initiative is a long-awaited reprieve for the Yemeni people. It entails a halt to all military activities by any party inside Yemen and across its borders, the entry of fuel ships into Hudaydah port, and the renewal of commercial flights to and from Saan’a to agreed destinations.
These are important steps, but they are not enough. The ceasefire must be adhered to, and as I have said before, it is imperative that we end this war. After seven years of conflict, negotiators must undertake the hard and necessary work to reach political compromises that can bring about an enduring future of peace for all the people of Yemen.
I am grateful for the leadership role of Saudi Arabia and Oman in bringing this initiative to fruition before the Holy Month of Ramadan. I am also grateful for the hard work of the Yemeni Government and the confidence they have placed in UN-led mediation.
The United States of America will work to deter threats to our friends and partners as we continue to strive for de-escalation and peace throughout the region. I wish the people of Yemen a peaceful Ramadan, and assure them of our ongoing commitment to help end this terrible war.
Oliver O’Connell1 April 2022 22:40
Jen Psaki will not confirm White House resignation rumours
Following reports that she is soon to depart the White House for a career in cable news, press secretary Jen Psaki faced reporters on Friday afternoon and said she had nothing to confirm about her continued public service or what plans she may have.
Oliver O’Connell1 April 2022 22:30
Vulnerable Dems plead with Biden to delay reopening asylum
The Biden administration’s decision to end sweeping asylum limits at the border this May satisfied demands by prominent Democrats eagerly awaiting the end of a program created by Donald Trump in the name of public health.
But it creates thorny political challenges for border-region Democrats who face the likely prospect of an increase in migrants who have for two years been denied the chance to seek asylum in the United States.
In unusually harsh critiques of a president from their own party, some of the congressional Democrats with the toughest reelection prospects are warning that the administration is woefully unprepared to handle the situation.
Oliver O’Connell1 April 2022 22:00