The United Kingdom and New Zealand have struck a free trade agreement that will reduce tariffs on bulldozers, wine, buses and clothing. The draft deal, which follows 16 months of negotiations, is the latest to be brokered by the United Kingdom after its departure from the European Union. The agreement is not expected to deliver…… MORE
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday he was “troubled” by a video showing two unmasked NYPD officers removing a masked commuter from a subway station this week, and he said he expects discipline for the officers involved. “I didn’t like what I saw one bit,” de Blasio said in a news conference about…… MORE
An Italian DJ claims he suffered a number of injuries following an alleged altercation with MMA fighter Conor McGregor. Francesco Facchinetti said McGregor launched an unprovoked attack at the St. Regis Hotel in Rome on Saturday, leaving him with injuries to his face and neck. On Tuesday Facchinetti told CNN he decided to press charges…… MORE
With Texas Republicans bolstering their congressional majorities in new maps they approved this week, Senate Republicans in Washington, DC, on Wednesday blocked yet another voting rights bill that would crack down on those kinds of gerrymanders. The maps that Texas state legislators approved this week under the once-a-decade redistricting process would consolidate the power of…… MORE
A new report published Wednesday warns of the severe impact of climate change on human health, and says the prognosis is only getting worse. Droughts will hurt food production, rising temperatures will encourage the spread of dangerous pathogens such as malaria and cholera and current climate trends indicate a “code red” for future health, the…… MORE
President Joe Biden made a pitch for his unfinished economic agenda as negotiations heat up in Congress, broadly touting its provisions as Democrats pare back the sweeping legislation to expand the social safety net in efforts to get it passed. The remarks began in a personal tone, with Biden describing his father’s work in Scranton…… MORE
The vast majority of House Republicans are expected to oppose an effort to hold Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena, brushing aside concerns about weakening the institution’s future oversight authority and rejecting accusations that they’re trying to block Democrats from getting to the bottom of the January 6…… MORE
Special counsel John Durham gave a glimpse on Wednesday of his extensive use of a federal grand jury to bring a false statement charge against former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann. In a new court filing, Durham says he issued subpoenas to 15 people and entities in the course of his investigation, including political…… MORE
Rahm Emanuel, the Biden administration’s nominee to be ambassador to Japan, made clear Wednesday that he believes a core part of the envoy job is about countering China. Emanuel appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday along with two other nominees for ambassadorships in Asia — Nicholas Burns to become the US envoy to…… MORE
Attorney General Merrick Garland — whose nomination was premised on insulating the Justice Department from politics — faces a decision that puts him at the center of a partisan firestorm, with the House’s coming request that the department pursue criminal contempt against Steve Bannon for his refusal to cooperate in lawmakers’ insurrection probe. It’s a…… MORE
