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New York Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Riley Gaines, husband Louis Barker announce pregnancy: ‘God is SO good all the time'
Twelve-time NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines and husband Louis Barker are expecting their first child together. Gaines confirmed the news to Fox News Digital Saturday, adding the couple will welcome a baby girl in September. 'Surprise! we're 26 weeks pregnant,' she said in a post on Instagram. 'God is SO good all the time.' The host of OutKick's 'Gaines for Girls' podcast married Barker in 2022, and they celebrated their three-year wedding anniversary May 22. Gaines has been a staunch advocate for female athletes during the debate about transgender athletes participating in girls and women's sports. She most recently sparred with seven-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles over a Minnesota softball team that won a state championship behind the performance of a trans player. In response to Gaines' criticism of a social media post praising the championship team, Biles posted a message calling Gaines 'truly sick' for her stance on trans athletes. She even launched a personal attack on Gaines' physical appearance. 'You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,' Biles said, referencing Gaines competing against former UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA championships. 4 Riley Gaines and husband Louis Barker are expecting their first child together. @rileygbarker / Instagram 4 The couple celebrated their three-year wedding anniversary on May 22. @rileygbarker / Instagram 'You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!' The post went viral on social media, with Biles adding in another post, 'bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.' Gaines addressed the body-shaming remark during a speech at Turning Point USA's Young Women's Leadership Summit in Texas on Saturday, where she first announced her pregnancy. 4 The couple attended CMA Fest in Nashville last week. @rileygbarker / Instagram 4 Gaines joined President Trump onstage during the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas. Yuki Iwamura for NYPost 'How many men do you know that have this,' Gaines said as she showed her bump and shared sonograms on stage. Barker also joined Gaines on stage to speak about the exciting news of the new edition to their family. 'The next generation that our little girl is going to be a part of, that is who you all are fighting for and who Turning Point is fighting for. And so from a father-to-be, thank you, keep fighting… and thank you,' he said. Biles later issued an apology to Gaines and said she was 'not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women's sports.' Gaines responded by accepting the apology and inviting the Olympian to join the effort 'to support fair sports and a future for female athletes.'
Newsweek
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Steve Bannon Questions Israel Reliance on US: 'They Want Us To Go on Offense'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has accused the Israeli government of trying to draw the United States into a war with Iran, saying they "want us to go on offense" against Tehran. Bannon, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump who served in the first Trump administration from January to August 2017, made the claim on his War Room podcast on Friday. Newsweek contacted Bannon for comment via an email to the podcast on Saturday outside regular office hours. Why It Matters On June 13, the Israeli military launched a series of air strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, nuclear scientists and senior government figures. The Israeli government says it launched the attack because it believed Tehran was trying to acquire a nuclear weapon, something Iran strongly denies. Trump told reporters that he knew about the attacks in advance, and the strikes have divided American conservatives. While some support Israel's action, others warn that the U.S. could be pulled into another Middle Eastern war. What To Know Referring to Israel on his podcast, Bannon said: "If you're going to go alone, you can take care of your deal or not. You don't need us. Decide to go alone. Decide to reject it—'No, we don't need you. We're going to go it alone.' And they go it alone last about six hours. Not only do they want defense, they want us to go on offense. "Don't believe me. Tucker Carlson's got a tweet up. I will not repeat the names on this show at this time. I have not verified that." Following the Israeli strikes, Carlson criticized a number of American conservatives who he said were "calling Donald Trump today to demand air strikes." The former Fox News commentator branded the callers as "warmongers." A U.S. military official told Newsweek that American forces helped defend Israel from a retaliatory Iranian missile attack on Friday, but there are no reports of U.S. strikes taking place against Iran itself. Steve Bannon at the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on February 20. Steve Bannon at the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on February 20. Andrew Harnik/GETTY On his podcast, Bannon also said: "If you're going to do it, do it. Go for it. You make your own decision. You decided: 'We got to do it. We've got to do it now. They've got 15 nuclear weapons.' Then go for it. "But then why do we have to come and air defense. And please don't use 'oh, because we have things in Tel Aviv.' Then get them the hell out of Tel Aviv. And if you're an American citizen over there, give them a shot. Get out or stick. If you stick, that's fine. This is how we get sucked in." The Israeli military has said Iran had enough fission material to construct 15 nuclear bombs "within days" before it struck. However, Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons and insists its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. On Friday, a number of Iranian rockets struck cities in Israel, including Tel Aviv, while others were intercepted by air defense. Simultaneously, Israeli jets continued to pound military and nuclear-linked targets in Iran. According to the Israeli government, three people were killed in the Iranian attacks. Iran's representative to the United Nations said on Friday that 78 people died in Israeli strikes. What People Are Saying Shashank Joshi, the defense editor at The Economist, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Iran's strategy has been to keep conflict at bay by using proxies & militias as a buffer. When the proxy-militia system collapsed over the last 18 months, thanks in large part to post-Oct 7 dynamics, it left Iran extraordinarily vulnerable. The result is now playing out over Iran." Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, wrote on X: "I applaud President Trump for urging Iran back to the negotiating table, in order to end the regime's nuclear ambitions through diplomacy, avoiding further bloodshed. However, if Iran refuses this offer, I strongly believe it is in America's national security interest to go all-in to help Israel finish the job." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether U.S. forces will join the Israeli military campaign against Iran. If they do, the move will likely prove controversial among conservatives—with critics arguing that it contradicts the administration's "America First" agenda.
Newsweek
11-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Steve Bannon Trashes Trump Admin's DOGE Effort—'Delivered Zero'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Steve Bannon called out the Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to reduce waste, fraud and abuse, saying that the White House task force that was helmed by Elon Musk "delivered zero." Newsweek has reached out to Bannon for comment via text message on Wednesday. Why It Matters In late-May, the billionaire tech CEO Musk announced he would be stepping down after his "scheduled time as a Special Government Employee" came to an end after five months of work as one of the most high-profile figures in the second Trump administration. His task force sought to champion mass cuts across the federal government, which led to mass layoffs and restructuring. DOGE faces ongoing legal challenges over some of its sweeping initiatives, including accessing sensitive data and mass termination of employees. Musk and President Donald Trump last week clashed publicly in a heated exchange on social media. The dispute began over Musk's criticism of a Trump-backed spending bill and escalated into threats over federal contracts and allegations involving Trump's ties to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Bannon, who has always been critical of Musk and his connections to the Chinese Communist Party, called for Musk to be deported to South Africa amid the rift with Trump. Steve Bannon at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on February 21, 2025. Steve Bannon at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on February 21, 2025. Annabelle Gordon - CNP/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images What To Know As DOGE head, Musk oversaw large-scale federal workforce reductions, citing a mandate to eliminate inefficiency. Bannon, a longtime Trump ally who previously served as White House chief strategist, said during Wednesday's episode of his War Room podcast: "I hate to say, fanboys, but DOGE delivered zero. Nothing on waste, fraud, abuse." He added that "they had some recommendations on programmatic, but people have been on that for years on PBS, on NPR, on USAID. Where is the fraud? Nothing—one of the reasons the president is so disappointed." Earlier this year, DOGE helped dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), responsible for more than six decades of humanitarian aid and development work, with Musk calling it a "criminal organization." On May 1, Trump signed an executive order to cut federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The Trump administration claims that the broadcasters have become purveyors of "left-wing propaganda" and accuses them of violating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's mandate to remain nonpartisan. Bannon previously said that DOGE's reported "savings" came from funds already approved by Congress for federal programs, not from uncovering fraud in large agencies like the Defense Department. According to the DOGE website, the task force has saved $180 billion, amounting to $1,118 per taxpayer. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump, in a February Truth Social post: "DOGE: BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE BEING FOUND. CAMPAIGN PROMISE. IMPORTANT FOR AMERICA!!!" Elon Musk, in a May 28 post on X, formerly Twitter: "The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." House Speaker Mike Johnson, reacted to Musk's comments on the spending bill, on X: "@ElonMusk and the entire @DOGE team have done INCREDIBLE work exposing waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government - from the insanity of USAID's spending to finding over 12 million people on Social Security who were over 120 years old. The House is eager and ready to act on DOGE's findings so we can deliver even more cuts to big government that President Trump wants and the American people demand." Republican Representative Pat Harrigan of North Carolina, on X on Wednesday: "Thank you for your service, @ElonMusk, and for everything you've done to expose waste, defend free speech, and challenge the broken machinery of Washington. DOGE set a new standard for what focused, impactful public service should be. I'll do my part to make sure it leads to real, lasting change." What Happens Next With Musk no longer at DOGE, oversight of the task force has shifted to Cabinet departments and their secretaries.
Indianapolis Star
11-06-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Secretary of State Diego Morales gets flak for overseas travel. Is he breaking any rules?
Indiana lawmakers seemed to be sending a signal to Secretary of State Diego Morales with a new addition to the two-year budget they crafted this session: Tell us more about your world travel. Morales' 10-day trip to India had recently made headlines. Some legislators and naysayers questioned why the secretary of state needed an "economic development" sojourn and wanted to know who paid for it. But this new law requiring annual travel reports from statewide elected officials wouldn't even have applied to that trip, since taxpayer dollars allegedly weren't involved. Nor to Morales's recent "personal" trip to Hungary, during which he spoke at a Conservative Political Action Conference. Nor for his other trip to Hungary, in 2023. Nor does there seem to be any other state rule or law that requires Morales to share where he went, who paid for it, and how much it cost, given the specific circumstances of these trips. Morales can travel the world on a mystery dime, and there's little in Indiana law to compel him to share the details. "To me, he's getting while the getting's good," said Julia Vaughn, executive director of Common Cause Indiana. His wanderlust, however legal it may be, may have in part earned him some early competition in next year's Republican state convention, where delegates choose the next secretary of state. Both Knox County Clerk Dave Shelton, who ran against Morales in 2022, and 2024 gubernatorial candidate Jamie Reitenour have said in recent weeks that they intend to run. Morales himself announced his reelection campaign in a five-minute video in early May. Morales has defended this travel on the airways and social media and said his international speaking engagements fall well within his job description. "There are people that will say that I shouldn't be doing stuff like this or that it's not part of the job. I disagree respectfully," he told Fort Wayne radio station WOWO. "We charter new businesses every day in the office, and we want to let everyone know that Indiana is the top state to start a business." "I'm not choosing to take these trips over other things," he continued. "I do it all. I'm going 100 miles per hour." His potential challengers next year have other ammunition unrelated to travel. He's currently under investigation by the Marion County Election Board for potentially violating election law by allegedly using footage from an official visit in that campaign announcement video. He's caught flak for giving a lucrative job to a brother-in-law, and was in India during his agency's budget request presentation to senators this year, during which his stand-in fielded rigorous questioning about the office's no-bid contracts. That followed a 2022 campaign season during which questions about his voting history, professional background and allegations of sexual assault came to light. If Morales were a member of Congress ― as he tried to become in 2018 ― Hoosiers would be able to find out a lot of information every time he hit the road. U.S. representatives and senators have to file travel reports for all "travel-related expenses reimbursed by non-government sources," known as "gift travel," as well as expenses related to all "official foreign travel." Their annual financial disclosure forms require great detail, including all sources and amounts of income and liabilities. Further, U.S. senators have to get approval 30 days in advance from the Select Committee on Ethics for privately sponsored trips. These requirements would likely have covered Morales's trip to India, which he said was initially sponsored by a private entity, as well as his second Hungary trip, for which he said CPAC Hungary covered his costs. But in Indiana, reporting requirements are far more lax. Statewide elected officials file annual financial disclosure forms on their own, without the assistance of their offices. In Indiana law, the definition of reportable "gifts" is anything worth more than $100 that they receive from a person who does business with the office-holder or their agency. The state budget's new language only applies to trips funded by state taxdollars and done in an "official" capacity. These rules let Morales off the hook for his two most recent trips. CPAC doesn't do business with his office, a spokesperson said. Same goes for the private sponsor of the India trip, Morales said on the radio, so disclosing that identity "never came up." Still, in light of public scrutiny, Morales said in the radio interview he decided to personally reimburse that private sponsor ― "because that's the right thing to do." The private funding sources for each of these trips exempts them from disclosure under the new state budget language. And even if that wasn't the case, Morales also billed the Hungary trip as "personal time," though he happened to also accept an invitation to speak in his official capacity at CPAC Hungary. "He's tourist Diego over in Hungary… but then he's public official Diego at the same time because they needed him," Vaughn said. "It's infuriating that there's this space in Indiana law that allows him to get away with this." His public speaking gigs likely fall through the cracks of campaign finance law, too, because Morales appears at such events as secretary of state and not as a secretary of state candidate ― even though he is now both of these things at once. The law doesn't necessarily account for activity that looks and feels like campaigning, even if it's not labeled as such ― like networking at CPAC Hungary with other high-profile conservative political figures, said Gregory Shufeldt, political science professor at the University of Indianapolis. This is where the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law can come into play, he said. "Even if there isn't a quid pro quo ― or it doesn't break the law ― the appearance of corruption can have the same disastrous effects on public confidence, support for institutions, and political efficacy," he said. Morales sees these trips differently. He told the Fort Wayne radio station that even while visiting family in Hungary, he would never turn down an opportunity to represent the state of Indiana, especially at a conservative conference. "I always enjoy these opportunities that allow me to showcase Indiana and let companies across the world know, we are open for business," he said. He also committed to never using taxpayer dollars for overseas travel. In India, accompanied again by his wife, Morales spoke at two tech conferences. He said a private business that doesn't work with his agency, but "saw the benefit of Indiana being represented in these conferences," paid for the travel arrangements. In response to many calls to disclose the funder's identity, Morales said he asked if he could, but the benefactor was "afraid of being targeted by the liberal media or the crazy left." More: Secretary of State Diego Morales faces criticism for 10-day India trip. Here's why he was there So Morales said he personally reimbursed the funder. In a statement to IndyStar, an office spokesperson said he did this "in an effort to be transparent and in respect of the business wanting to be anonymous." "Secretary Morales maintains the utmost commitment to transparency," the office said. But for observers, this action only made appearances worse. "The fact that he's working overtime to keep the original funder secret just makes it more suspicious," Vaughn said. "It's just not believable that somebody out of the goodness of their heart finances a trip like this." Even if everything is above board, speaking in an official capacity in Hungary, a country the European Union no longer considers a democracy, might not be a good look for Indiana's top election official, Shufeldt said. Morales' office did not respond to IndyStar's question about the appropriateness of networking in Hungary or whether he sought formal or informal ethics opinions on any of the international trips. "If nothing else, this is tone deaf and flouting the rules," Shufeldt said. "Whether he has broken any rules or not ― which speaks to how poor Indiana's campaign finance laws are, how perhaps toothless these new reforms passed by the IGA are or will be ― Morales has been subject to consistent controversies and bad press based on his own poor judgment. This is just another example."
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump sends in troops in make-or-break moment for his immigration crackdown
Donald Trump's first presidency ended with city centres turned to blackened ghost towns. They looked not unlike Los Angeles on Sunday morning, where rioters had left graffiti and the ashes of burned cars in protest Five years ago it was a different cause. The US endured a long, hot summer of riots after police murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, kneeling on his neck as he protested that he could not breathe. 'Looks so familiar,' Matt Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Conference and a confidant of the US president, posted on social media. 'It's almost as if we saw the same tactics with a different radical topic and diff logo wear.' In 2020, Mr Trump threatened to take matters into his own hands if the country's governors did not stamp out violence, promising to deploy armed forces to quell the violence. Several states took heed and used their own authority to deploy their National Guard forces. This time around, as his immigration service takes a new, tougher tack in rounding up illegal immigrants, the president has not waited. With Los Angeles on fire, and protests growing in New York, he issued his presidential memorandum on Saturday night, in an effort to snuff out the violence before it could spread further. 'In the wake of this violence, California's feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens,' is how Karoline Leavitt, Mr Trump's press secretary announced it. 'That is why President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.' One of the difficulties in 2020 was navigating the legal limits on presidents deploying troops on their own soil. Then Mr Trump floated using the nuclear option and invoking the Insurrection Act. It was last used in 1992, when George HW Bush used it to send troops into Los Angeles to control rioting at the request of California's governor after four white police officers were acquitted of beating up Rodney King, a black motorist. Using it without the consent of the state governor brings a whole other level of political jeopardy. Trump 2.0 has had time to find alternative tools. For four years his lawyers and advisers have planned for their return to power, legal-proofing policies that came unstuck in the courts first time round. So on Saturday night, they apparently used a different course of action and a little-known provision with Title 10 of the US Code on Armed Forces. It allows the deployment of National Guard forces if 'there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States.' It has not been used since 1965. The stakes this time are high. Mr Trump's opponents have struggled to cope with his 'flood the zone' strategy, unleashing executive orders, presidential proclamations and Truth Social posts at a torrential rate. The result is that Democrats in Congress and on the street have failed to coalesce into a united opposition. That could be changing with raids on factories, food trucks and the parking lots where foreign workers congregate to pick up a day's work on building sites. They offer a focal point in an already febrile debate over immigration, the freedom to protest, and the limits of presidential power. Los Angeles was calm overnight on Saturday, but more protests are expected on Sunday afternoon. Immigration groups in New York also have events lined up on Sunday and Monday. Against that backdrop, Mr Trump and his government of loyalists is gambling that sending in troops will end the trouble before it can spread and prevent months of riots, not create an even bigger conflagration. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
