Page 4 - Donald Trump Administration

FCC orders early review of ABC's broadcast licence after Jimmy Kimmel row

The US Federal Communications Commission has ordered an early review of American Broadcasting Company's (ABC) local station broadcast licences, after US President Donald Trump called for firing of the network's late night host Jimmy Kimmel. The early review of broadcast licences is considered as an extraordinary move against the network whose programming has often angered the president. "Disney's ABC is hereby directed to file license renewals for all of their licensed TV stations within 30 days - in other words, by May 28, 2026," the FCC order published Tuesday read. The FCC review covers eight channels of the network and is related to an ongoing investigation into the network's diversity initiatives. However, the order came a day after Trump and First Lady Melania called for the firing of Kimmel for his "expectant widow" remarks on his show last week. Trump sought to link Kimmel's remarks with the attempted storming of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturd

Trump not happy with Iran's latest proposal to end war: US official

White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said Washington "will not negotiate through the press" and reiterated that its red lines remain unchanged as it pursues an end to the conflict

Trumps ask ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel, again, after joke about first lady

Donald and Melania Trump both called for ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel on Monday after a joke last week in which the late-night comic described the first lady as having "the glow of an expectant widow." The remark about the president's wife was part of a routine on Thursday's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" where the host pretended to deliver a comedy routine at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. That event two nights later was cut short when a man armed with guns and knives tried to enter the Washington ballroom where the Trumps and much of the nation's political leadership had gathered. "People like Kimmel shouldn't have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate," Melania Trump said in a social media post later echoed by her husband. There was no immediate comment from ABC. Trump has long been on receiving end of Kimmel's routines ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kimmel has long targeted the president in his comedy,

US DOJ to allow firing squads for executions to ramp up capital punishment

The Justice Department will adopt firing squads as a permitted method of execution as the Trump administration moves to ramp up and expedite capital punishment cases, officials said Friday. The Justice Department is also reauthorising the use of single-drug lethal injections with pentobarbital that were used to carry out 13 executions during the first Trump administration - more than under any president in modern history. The Biden administration had removed pentobarbital from the federal protocol over concerns about the potential for unnecessary pain and suffering. The moves were announced as part of a broader push to step up federal executions after a moratorium under the Biden administration. Only three defendants remain on federal death row after Democratic President Joe Biden converted 37 of their sentences to life in prison, though the Trump administration has so far authorised seeking death sentences against 44 defendants. "The prior administration failed in its duty to prot

Trump lists out 'naughty and nice' Nato allies over support during Iran war

Implementation of such a list could result in punitive measures against certain alliance members, including the strategic relocation of US personnel or restriction of American defence technology sales

US Navy Secretary John Phelan exits abruptly in latest Pentagon shake-up

Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his job, the Pentagon abruptly announced Wednesday, the first head of a military service to depart during President Donald Trump's second term but just the latest top defense leader to step down or be ousted. No reason was given for the unexpected departure of the Navy's top civilian official, coming as the sea service has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and is targeting ships linked to Tehran around the world during a tenuous ceasefire in the war. Another Trump loyalist is taking over as acting head of the Navy: Undersecretary Hung Cao, a 25-year Navy combat veteran who ran unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate and House in Virginia. Phelan's departure is the latest in a series of shakeups of top leadership at the Pentagon, coming just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Army's top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George. Hegseth also has fired several other top generals, admirals and defense leaders since taking office ..

US extends waiver allowing India, others to buy Russian oil till May 16

The waiver comes despite earlier US reluctance, as war-linked supply disruptions and Strait of Hormuz curbs push oil prices higher and test Western efforts to restrict Russia's revenues

Bid to ease tensions: Trump announces Israel-Lebanon talks, first in 34 yrs

The announcement signals a potential diplomatic breakthrough in a region marked by an increase in hostility and intermittent conflict between Israel and Lebanon

US 'squeezing economic life' out of Iran, won't allow nukes: Trump aide

Miller emphasised that US President Donald Trump remains committed to pursuing peace but will not compromise on preventing Iran from developing nuclear capabilities

Trump admin to preserve billions in hydrogen funds pegged for termination

US is set to retain nearly $5 bn in hydrogen hub funding, and revive carbon capture projects backed by major energy firms, signalling continued support for clean energy despite earlier proposed cuts

Immigrants must prioritise US interests after gaining citizenship: Vance

Immigrants who acquire US citizenship should think of themselves as Americans and not the country where they came from, US Vice President J D Vance said here. Addressing students at the University of Georgia on Tuesday, Vance said he is married to the daughter of Indian immigrants, who have greatly contributed to the US, but his father-in-law never asked him to do anything specifically in the interest of his country of origin. "When you become an American citizen, whether your family is nine generations of lineage in the United States or whether your family has zero generations of lineage in the United States, one of the responsibilities that we must expect of citizens is that you have to think about the best interest of the country, and not the country you came from beforehand and not of any sort of any any group that you came from," Vance said in response to a question from a student of Indian-origin. The student complained of fraud in the H1-B visa system and said her parents wer

Trump's tariff rates could be restored to original levels by July: Bessent

Trump is seeking to restore his tariff wall using different authorities after the high court ruled that his use of emergency powers to impose those earlier duties was unconstitutional

First Israel-Lebanon talks productive, aim to start formal negotiations: US

The State Department says the first high-level meeting between Israel and Lebanon in decades was "productive" and will continue with the aim of launching direct negotiations. In a statement released after the two-hour session in Washington between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon to the United States, the department said, "All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue." Israel has been fighting Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and demands that the group, which opposed the talks and was not represented, be disarmed.

Vance-led talks with Iran helped build goodwill despite no breakthrough

US Vice President JD Vance-led talks for peace with Iran may have been unsuccessful, but the 21-hour-long discussions helped build goodwill with the new leadership in Tehran, according to a media report. The Washington Post, quoting unnamed US officials, reported that the measure of goodwill established during the talks in Islamabad has made Washington believe that Iran may accept their terms to end the deadly and costly war. It said that President Donald Trump's announcement of a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could force Iran to agree to a deal. "A US official with knowledge of the negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks, said Vance was keenly aware going into the negotiations of the mistrust and risk of misunderstanding between the United States and Iran," the report said. The official said Vance and the US negotiators had developed rapport and became warmer with each other. Trump appeared to share the assessment. "We had a ve

JD Vance emerges as Trump's Iran 'closer' in high-risk diplomatic test

US Vice President JD Vance will be accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner

US to automatically register eligible men for military draft by December

The US plans to auto-enrol eligible men aged 18-26 into the military draft database, ending the current self-registration process and using federal data to identify those required to register

'US forces to remain around Iran': Trump warns of action if deal violated

'All US ships, aircraft and military personnel, with ammunition and weaponry, will remain in place in and around Iran until such time as the real agreement reached is fully complied with,' Trump wrote

US Congress absent, Republicans mum as Trump swings on conflict with Iran

In a week in which Trump has veered from threatening to wipe out Iranian civilisation to declaring ceasefire, US Congress is out of session and lawmakers with power to declare war are in the dark

RFK Jr announces new podcast to expose 'lies' that have made Americans sick

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr is launching a new podcast that he says will begin "a new era of radical transparency in government," according to a teaser video first obtained by The Associated Press. The show, titled 'The Secretary Kennedy Podcast', will launch next week and feature Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine crusader who has reshaped the country's health policy, in conversation with doctors, scientists and agency staff, US Department of Health and Human Services officials told the AP ahead of the launch. In the teaser video, in a slick HHS-branded studio with ominous music playing in the background, Kennedy bills it as a new way to expose corruption and lies that have made Americans sick. "We're going to name the names of the forces that obstruct the paths to public health," Kennedy says in the nearly 90-second clip. Joining the Trump administration last year gave Kennedy a new platform for his views, some of which contradict the overwhelming consensus of scientist

Ceasefire with Iran under political compulsions: former US NSA John Bolton

Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has cautioned that the US-Israel conflict with Iran could deepen further if the temporary ceasefire, reached "under political compulsions" by President Donald Trump, does not hold through. In an interview with PTI Videos, Bolton said Trump pushed for a ceasefire because of the political implications of rising gas prices in the US, the plunge in his popularity among the masses, and because an extended conflict with Iran could result in a severe setback for the US. "Well, I think a deeper, more lasting conflict is entirely possible. The real issue is Trump. He's been so concerned about the price at the pump of gasoline, the political implications for him. His popularity has gone down noticeably He may not care about all these broader considerations," Bolton said. "He (Trump) looks out after himself and that may be what dominates his thinking. And if so, I think that could result in a severe setback for the United States," Bolton said to