Adam Smith

Former Republican presidential candidate and United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley will join public relations firm Edelman.Why it matters: It's a surprising move for a once-rumored vice presidential contender and someone who Trump has said will be on his team "in some form" should he win the election. The intrigue: Even though Haley endorsed Trump after the assassination attempt on him at a rally in July, this move signals Haley is pursuing other options. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Edelman would not say whether this role precludes her from participating in political activity ahead of the election.Context: Haley will serve as vice chair within EGA, the firm's global public affairs consultancy. She will report to U.S. CEO Kirsty Graham and is expected to begin this month, according to the firm. What they're saying: Haley acknowledged in a statement that corporate reputation, business and politics have become more entangled."In a time of growing complexities in business, policy, and politics —brands need to anticipate what's coming next. Whether managing a crisis or celebrating a success, industry leaders must be ready to communicate clearly and share their vision forward."The big picture: Communication and CEO advisories have long hired former diplomats, political strategists and government employees to help clients navigate global and regulatory issues.Now, corporations need help managing hyper-politicized initiatives like diversity, equity and inclusion and sustainability. State of play: In response, several public relation firms are staffing up with public affairs professionals and politicians. Edelman has also hired Max Baucus, a former U.S. senator and ambassador to China, as a senior adviser within EGA.Meanwhile, the Weber Shandwick Collective has brought on former State Department officials Stephen F. Smith and Michael Turner, along with Biden-Harris alum Ashley Etienne as senior advisers.And Bully Pulpit International hired Senate alum Scott Mulhauser and U.S. Treasury alum Adam Hodge to lead its tax policy practice group.What to watch: As the 2024 elections near and polls continue to fluctuate, advisory firms might begin to tap former Republican operatives to give them an advantage should there be a shift in power in Washington. More on Axios: Nikki Haley says she'll vote for Trump in NovemberTrump "sure" Nikki Haley will be on his team "in some form"

Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for Season 2 of its political thriller “The Diplomat.” The trailer gives us our first look at Allison Janney as Vice President Grace Penn and answers one of the biggest questions fans had at the end of Season 1. “A deadly explosion in the heart of London shatters U.S. [...]

Buckeyes romp in season opener

Check out the top 4 freshmen who stole the spotlight in Week 1!

Some new faces in college football you should get familiar with

Witnesses to Trump's execution spree are dismayed by Democrats' decision to remove death penalty opposition from their party platform.The post Democrats Abandoned Their Anti-Death Penalty Stance. Those on Federal Death Row May Pay the Price. appeared first on The Intercept.

Local journalism is meant to be a two-way street. Let's keep talking, Montana.

The opening day of the Democratic National Convention on Monday will feature its first-ever panel on Palestinian rights, a result of persistent grassroots organizing against U.S. support for Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip—a war that a majority of Democratic voters believe is genocidal.The co-founders of the Uncommitted National Movement—which urged voters to mark "uncommitted" on their Democratic primary ballots earlier this year to protest the Biden administration's support for Israel's bombardment of Gaza—announced the panel in a statement on Monday, calling it an "important step toward recognizing the rightful place of human rights advocates for Palestinian rights within the Democratic Party.""With this panel and throughout our engagement at the DNC, we will use our platform to communicate the cries of the majority of Democratic voters who want an end to the unconditional flow of U.S. weapons that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is using to kill Palestinian families," said Layla Elabed—the sister of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)—and Abbas Alawieh."We thank DNC leadership for working with us on this historic panel, and we remain hopeful that they and the Harris campaign will honor our request for Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan and a Palestinian-American to be granted speaking time from the convention stage," they continued. "Our focus remains on policy change. Vice President Harris has an opportunity to unite the party against [Republican nominee Donald] Trump this week by turning the page toward a human rights policy that saves lives and helps us re-engage key voters for whom Gaza is a top issue.""We will keep pushing for our party's leadership to break away from its current financing of Israel's horrific assault on Gaza and military rule over Palestinians," Elabed and Alawieh added.The last time the DNC featured discussion of Palestinian rights was in 1988, during a policy debate that included Arab American Institute founder James Zogby, who will take part in Monday's six-member "Democrats for Palestinian Rights" panel."What's happening today is that it's not a candidate-led effort, it's a people-led effort," Zogby said in an MSNBC appearance on Sunday, contrasting the current Palestinian rights push with the 1988 effort spearheaded by Jesse Jackson.Palestinian rights advocates "have elected their own delegates," Zogby noted, referring to the dozens of "uncommitted" delegates who will be in attendance at the Democratic convention in Chicago, where tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to rally in the streets in opposition to the Biden administration's ongoing military support for Israel."They're not Jackson delegates, they're uncommitted delegates. They're not Bernie delegates, they're uncommitted," Zogby continued. "I think Kamala Harris has to read the room."In recent weeks, Palestinian rights advocates have been pressuring Harris, the Democratic nominee, to substantively break with the Biden administration on Gaza by endorsing an arms embargo against Israel—a position backed by a majority of American voters.Harris has expressed an openness to dialogue with Palestinian rights advocates but has yet to accept their concrete demands.Monday's panel will also feature Haj-Hassan, a pediatric intensive care surgeon who recently served in Gaza; Hala Hijazi, a Democratic organizer who has had several family members killed in Gaza by Israel's military; Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison; and former U.S. Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), a Jewish progressive who was unseated in the 2022 midterms by an AIPAC-backed candidate.On top of the efforts of panel participants, "uncommitted" delegates, and outside demonstrators, a roughly 60-member group called "Delegates Against Genocide" plans to "exercise its freedom of speech rights during main events" at the four-day convention, Reutersreported Sunday.The delegate group is urging a "no" vote on the Democratic Party's 2024 platform over its "failure to demand a permanent and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza enforced by a U.S. arms embargo on Israel." The proposed platform expresses support for an immediate and "durable" cease-fire agreement and voices opposition to the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements."We must take a stand for justice, both domestically and internationally," Nadia Ahmad, a DNC delegate from Florida, said in a statement. "A 'no' vote on the platform sends a clear message that we, as Democrats, will not support policies that enable genocide, war crimes, and human rights abuses."

How she would approach America's relationships in the world

A team of NPR reporters and editors reviewed the transcript of last Thursday's news conference and found at least 162 misstatements, exaggerations and outright lies in 64 minutes.

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union said Saturday it plans to challenge the plea deal reversal in court.

Nearly 10% of all alleged child sex crimes in one Maryland county involved illegal immigrants from Central America, according to a new report.

Vice President Kamala Harris, as senator, called for Democrats to reject Trump's requests for additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) beds and Border Patrol agents.

WASHINGTON — When Israel’s prime minister delivers a controversial address to Congress on Wednesday, it won’t be with the usual backdrop for such an occasion.

READFIELD — Maranacook Community Middle School recently announced its fourth quarter honor roll students for the 2023-24 academic year. Eighth grade — High honors: Maddie Bailey, Lucy Coryell, Jaden Emmons, Josephine Flannery, Jackson Foth, Lydia Garofalo, RJ Haldane, Caroline Harper, Joshua Herzing, Mesh Jarius, Alex LaBelle, Meka MacDonald, Ellida Martin, Megan Parker, Annalise Roderick, Jonathan [...]

President Biden announces he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.

President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race - a road that his campaign had been going down for several weeks

Joe Biden's poor debate performance against Donald Trump led to chaos in the Democratic party as the president faced increasing calls for him to step out of the election race

A total of 37 Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to drop out following a rocky debate performance and two gaffe-filled public appearances.

A total of 36 Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to drop out following a rocky debate performance and two gaffe-filled public appearances.

Former President Donald Trump's political hopes may be in danger in a solidly Republican state with a significant haul of Electoral College votes if current polling trends stay consistent.Newsweek recently reported that in Florida, the election may start to shift in President Joe Biden's favor, who now enjoys a plurality of women voters' support in the Sunshine State. A FOX 13/Insider Advantage poll of 800 Floridians between July 15 and July 16 found that 47% of female respondents preferred Biden, while 44% preferred Trump.Trump's lead in Florida with male voters, however, remains significant: He leads Biden by a 57-38 margin among men. Still, on women on average have outpaced men in voter turnout among almost every racial demographic, meaning women could narrowly decide who wins Florida's 30 electoral votes in November.The poll of Florida voters also found that Biden is the strongest candidate to face Trump in November. While some Democrats are pushing him to pull out of the race, the likeliest option to replace him at the top of the ticket is Vice President Kamala Harris.ALSO READ: 'It was insane to me': Undecided voters express shock after watching Trump RNC speechThat poll found that Trump's slight lead over Biden with Florida voters grows to double digits if Harris is instead the nominee. Trump also regains the lead with women voters if Harris is on the ballot instead of Biden.Despite Florida having a Republican-dominated legislature, and electing far-right Republican Governor Ron DeSantis to two terms, the Sunshine State remains competitive in federal elections. In 2020, Biden won Florida's female voters over, with 51% to Trump's 48%. Trump won with male voters by a 54-45 margin, and carried the state with a three-point advantage.However, 2024 may be an even tighter race in Florida given that voters will have the opportunity to cast a ballot on abortion rights. So far, abortion rights have succeeded in every state ballot question since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in 2022. Abortion was even a winning issue in ruby-red states like Kansas, Kentucky and Montana in the 2022 midterms, and won another major victory in Ohio last year.Should Floridians turn out in large numbers for the abortion ballot initiative, it's likely that women will lead the charge given they'll be able to have a direct say in their own reproductive rights. This could influence not only the presidential race, but also a very competitive U.S. Senate race. Rep. Debbie Murcasel-Powell (D-Florida) is within striking distance of Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) in the latest polls from June, trailing him by just two points last month.The GOP likely knows its weak spot with women voters when it comes to abortion rights, as no speakers at the recent Republican National Convention once mentioned abortion during the four-day event. A Pew Research survey from May additionally found that nearly two-thirds of both men and women believe the procedure should be legal in most cases. Click here to read Newsweek's full report.

MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump and a fraternity of fellow felons played starring roles at this week’s Republican National Convention.There was former Trump adviser Peter Navarro, fresh out of federal prison, delivering a prime-time speech.There was former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, prowling the Fiserv Forum convention floor with official credentials.Paul Manafort attends the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)More than a dozen Republican convention delegates are indicted “fake electors” charged with attempting to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.And even Kid Rock — who performed a pro-Trump anthem minutes before the former president delivered his lengthy nomination acceptance speech Thursday — has been charged with several crimes over the years stemming from physical altercations.Musician Kid Rock performs on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Republicans, who used the convention to fashion themselves the party of law and order and rule law, largely dismissed their GOP brethren’s legal troubles as witch hunts, abuse of federal power and the Democrat-driven product of conservatives’ new favorite term — “lawfare.”But unlike most unelected delegates at the Republican National Convention, some veteran Republican lawyers admitted to Raw Story that Trump and his top advisors actually stepped over the legal line.“I mean, when you don’t reply to a subpoena, you don’t reply to a subpoena,” former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) — who has a law degree from Penn State Dickinson Law — told Raw Story on the convention floor Thursday. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (L) speaks with Ohio governor Mike DeWine at the Fiserv Forum during preparations for the Republican National Convention (RNC) on July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wis. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)Other Republican lawyers turned lawmakers are surprised the Supreme Court recently granted Trump — along with other presidents — sweeping immunity from being prosecuted for anything they claim as an ‘official duty, such as commanding Department of Justice officials to overturn the will of the American people.“He’s the luckiest man I've ever met,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) told Raw Story as he was entering the convention Thursday. “And he was very lucky on Saturday. Thank God.”Before coming to Congress, McCaul served as both deputy attorney general of Texas and a federal prosecutor with the Department of Justice. He’s still mystified by some recent rulings, including Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision — which is being appealed — that Special Counsel Jack Smith is illegitimate. “I didn't see some of these recent legal wins coming,” McCaul said. “I'm a federal prosecutor, I was worried about some of these [cases].” ALSO READ: Associated Press issues warning about iconic Trump assassination attempt photoSmith is prosecuting Trump for retaining boxes and boxes of sensitive classified documents after leaving the White House“Do you think a president should still take classified documents with him?” Raw Story asked former Rep. John Duncan Jr. (R-TN). “No. I don't think he should,” Duncan, who previously served as a criminal court judge, said. ‘Yeah?” Raw Story pressed. “But not illegal?”“Yeah. Yeah,” Duncan — who recently argued in an op-ed that roughly 90% of classified documents are ‘too much’ — told Raw Story. “Technology moves so fast, I can tell you any files that Trump had for three and a half years, it's out of date. So I think it's a bunch of hullabaloo over nothing.” EXCLUSIVE: Trump ‘secretary of retribution’ won't discuss his ‘target list’ at RNCIndeed, the Republican lawyers Raw Story talked to at the GOP convention wouldn’t have necessarily prosecuted Trump and his former team — including Navarro, Steve Bannon and Roger Stone — had it been up to them. But they indicated the various cases are far from baseless. They’re outliers in an arena that gave recently released convict Navarro a standing ovation Wednesday evening.. “Donald Trump's gonna be our next president. Joe Biden's gonna be out of the White House. Peter Navarro's outta jail,” Connecticut delegate Jeff Santopietro told Raw Story after having Navarro sign a copy of his book Thursday. “Listen, first of all, I'm buying it to support him, but I understand it's a good read. And I think that he deserves to get a break in life, because Joe Biden and the government really screwed the guy.” Former director of the U.S. Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)“Lawfare” may feel like new rhetoric on the right, but it’s become a deeply held conviction to many Republicans. “It smells like there's two sets of rules and there's not in the world,” Santopietro said. “There's a set of rules for the Bidens and there set of rules for everybody else. If you have an ‘R’ behind the end of your name, or you’re associated with Donald Trump, you end up getting federal officers after you.” “What’d you make of the New York case against Trump?” Raw Story asked, referring to the case that led to Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, stemming from Trump’s hush money payment to former porn actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 president election. Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for September.“It’s bulls–t,” Santopietro said. “In plain English it was all bulls–t. Matter of fact ... that’s a persecution. That wasn't a legal case at all.” “They should throw that whole case out and say they're sorry and move on. Cause when he's in the White House, January 21st,” Santopietro started before stopping himself. “There’s no payback. But you know what? They deserve everything they get.” New York Republicans agree. “Shame on us for basically having a prior president of the United States from your home state, you disown him the day he becomes president, not the day he no longer is president, from your own home state. Who does that? Foolishness,” Tommy — who declined to offer his last name — told Raw Story through his thick Brooklyn accent. “You disown the guy the day he has the authority to make your lives better in your home state out of the other 50 states? Something's not mentally right.” Republican lawyers see the line Trump and his advisers crossed, but that doesn’t mean they disagree with the party’s unelected base. “The problem is, [former Obama administration Attorney General] Eric Holder didn’t reply to a subpoena and he’s walking around a free man. He was never prosecuted. Again, it’s the old double standard,” Santorum said. “I think Americans are hopefully getting tired of it and they’d like to have both parties play by the same rules.” “What do you make of these court cases coming down in Trump's favor?” Raw Story asked. “The Democrats found a bunch of spurious claims against him. I mean the New York case, he’ll win that on appeal, be cause it was a bogus charge,” Santorum said. “They have frivolous charges. This is lawfare...they don’t care about winning, they care about damaging politically.” When asked about the substance of the cases against Trump and his team, McCaul demurred. “For this crowd, it just validates what they've been thinking, ‘It's all rigged,’” McCaul told Raw Story. “But what about your crowd of legal scholars?” Raw Story pressed. “Hey man,” McCaul said. “I know he's winning.”

President Joe Biden now is weighing whether to bow to the mounting pressure to exit the presidential race. He insists he's staying in, but his decision will be based not just on this fraught moment but on his long history...

Increasingly more Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to drop out following a rocky debate performance and two gaffe-filled public appearances.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., joined the growing group of Democrats calling on Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. He is the second Democratic senator to do so.

Increasingly more Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to drop out following a rocky debate performance and two gaffe-filled public appearances.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy roasted Rep. Matt Gaetz on live television Thursday morning, going so far as to suggest the MAGA firebrand who orchestrated his ouster was taking drugs. "I don't know if he's on something, but I hope he gets the help that he needs," McCarthy told CNN's Manu Raju. "He looks very unhinged."Tensions mounted between the two rivals during this week's Republican National Convention after Gaetz (R-FL) heckled McCarthy (R-CA) in the middle of an interview with Raju's CNN colleague Kaitlan Collins. Gaetz had to be pulled away by bystanders as he taunted McCarthy, "If you took that stage, you would get booed off of it!"Days later, a seething McCarthy replied, "I hope that young women get the justice they deserve when it comes to him."ALSO READ: Trump and God: Religion raises the stakes at Republican convention"You're referring to the House Ethics committee investigation that is ongoing?" Raju asked. "Yeah, with his partner in jail because they paid under age women for sex and drugs," McCarthy replied.McCarthy was referring to Gaetz' former associate and friend Joel Greenberg who was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony sex trafficking charges. The Justice Department investigated Gaetz but opted not to present charges. Greenberg is now reportedly cooperating with an Ethics committee investigation into Gaetz, who denies wrongdoing. On Thursday, McCarthy doubled down on an oft-repeated accusation, which Gaetz denies, that the Florida lawmaker orchestrated the House speakership ouster. ALSO READ: Do presidents’ popularity increase after assassination attempts? History has an answerMcCarthy contends Gaetz retaliated when McCarthy refused to kill another Ethics committee investigation into Gaetz years earlier. "That's what the whole motion to vacate was about," McCarthy said. "He wanted to leverage me to try to do that, and if I didn't, he wanted to do a motion to vacate."Raju then showed McCarthy images of Gaetz' RNC speech — which spurred much debate about the limits of botox — and asked how the retired congressmen felt about Gaetz' elevated position with former President Donald Trump. "Are you concerned he's getting the platform here?" Raju asked. "Well, no, I have concerns with his actions with young women," McCarthy said. "It doesn't matter which party you're in, but if you take those types of actions, I just don't think that's safe."McCarthy suggested he was not the only one to take umbrage with Gaetz's behavior. "You see him in Congress, do you think anybody else wants to be around him?" asked McCarthy. "Do you think people want to associate? No, everybody knows his challenges."Watch the video below or click here.

US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, dismissed the former president's classified documents case on the grounds that special counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed.