Former President Jimmy Carter (D) has passed away at 100 years old.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president who served one term and went on to become a globe-trotting elder statesman and humanitarian icon, has died. He was 100.
He had turned 100 in October, making him the longest-lived president in the nation’s history.
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, the former president’s son, in a Carter Center statement. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”
Surviving the former president are his children Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. His wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Smith Carter, died Nov. 19, 2023.
The Carter Center announced on Feb. 18, 2023, that the former president had begun receiving hospice care after a series of short hospital stays, choosing to “spend his remaining time at home with his family” instead of receiving additional medical intervention.
Former President Carter, a Democrat who was 52 when he entered the Oval Office.
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The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Court documents from Dominion Voting System’s ongoing defamation lawsuit against Fox News show the network’s executives and prime-time lineup privately doubted former President Donald Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud after losing reelection. However, some of them expressed fear that any fact-checkers might alienate their audience.
In a text message to his producer, Tucker Carlson said that “Sydney Powell is lying.” Behind the scenes, News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch called Rudy Giuliani’s defense of the former president “crazy stuff.”
However, the network is adamant that it never knowingly made false claims.
Months of depositions and evidence were made public Thursday.
Top network hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham in text messages referred to the voter fraud allegations made by Trump and his associates as “insane” while network leadership debated how rebuking those claims on the air might hurt the conservative media giant’s reputation with its viewers, according to the filing.
Correspondence and testimony from top talent and executives at the network were made public as part of an ongoing defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting System against Fox News and its parent company, seeking $1.6 Billion in damages, for what the voting software company says was Fox’s broadcasting of information about it that the network’s leaders knew were false.
At one point, Laura Ingraham’s producer messaged network management, saying her “BS” about the election would wind up giving him “a f*cking aneurysm.”
Around the same time, Tucker Carlson wanted Fox News’ prime-time hosts to pressure network execs to fire reporter Jacqui Heinrich for fact-checking Trump.
“Please get her fired,” Carlson messaged Sean Hannity. “Seriously… What the f*ck?”
Page 31 in the legal filing detailed Carlson’s request, which included concerns about FOX Corporation’s declining stock price:
In their group text thread, Carlson pointed Hannity to a tweet by Fox reporter Jacqui Heinrich. Heinrich was “fact checking” a tweet by Trump that mentioned Dominion and specifically mentioned Hannity’s and Dobbs’ broadcasts that evening discussing Dominion. Heinrich correctly fact-checked the tweet, pointing out that “top election infrastructure officials” said that “‘There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.’”
Carlson told Hannity: “Please get her fired. Seriously… What the fuck? I’m actually shocked. It needs to stop immediately, like tonight. It’s measurably hurting the company The stock price is down. Not a joke.” Tucker added, I just went crazy on Meade over it. Hannity said he had “already sent to Suzanne with a really?” He then added: “I’m 3 strikes. Wallace shit debate[.] Election night a disaster[.] Now this BS? Nope. Not gonna fly. Did I mention Cavuto?”
Representatives for Fox said the messages were cherry-picked out of context, saying the case boils down to freedom of the press and freedom of speech. The network added in a statement that these are “fundamental rights afforded by the Constitution and protected by New York Times v. Sullivan.”
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers deleted a post blaming President Donald Trump for the deadly airplane-helicopter collision near the Potomac and quickly apologized
The nation was stunned when an American Airlines flight with over 60 people aboard collided with a BlackHawk Army Helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport at 8:48 pm Wednesday night.
On social media, some posted tweets suggesting President Trump could be to blame by referencing recent White House announcements. In one post, Sellers posted a screenshot of a recent press release entitled “Trump’s Dangerous Freeze of Air Traffic Control Hiring” and captioned it “8 days ago.”
Sellers deleted the post and apologized for the timing of his observation, writing:
I deleted the post because timing matters. Politics at this point does not. I fucked up, I own that. I am very prayerful but I’m also very frustrated upset and disturbed with where we are as a country. I recognize, and I will do better.
The only thing that matters is rescuing the survivors, and ensuring this never happens again.
No survivors have been found or expected, authorities said Thursday at an early-morning press conference, after a late-night midair crash between a passenger plane and Army helicopter near Washington, D.C.
🚨BREAKING: DC Fire Chief John Donnelly officially just announced that there are no survivors in the DC plane crash.
President Trump: I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the… pic.twitter.com/iQSWRSY3er
Authorities have moved to recovery efforts in the crash, which President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy both said they believed was preventable.
Shortly after the crash, President Trump write on X that the strategy looked “preventable.”
The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!
The flight, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was en route from Wichita, Kan., to Washington, D.C. It collided with an Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Va.
First responders stand in solemn honor as they carry the flag-draped remains of an unidentified victim recovered after a midair collision between an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk helicopter. Officials now say they expect no survivors. pic.twitter.com/dumQdqgoHc
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon and the US Army have launched an investigation into the catastrophic midair collision
Hegseth confirmed the probe in a statement on X, emphasizing that the investigation was “launched immediately.”
He called the incident “absolutely tragic” and noted that search and rescue efforts were still ongoing. “Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families,” he added.
Latest below. Absolutely tragic. Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed “deep sorrow” about the crash in a statement.
Isom, in a video statement, said the aircraft was operated by PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines.
“First and most importantly, I’d like to express our deep sorrow about these events,” Isom said. “This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones.”
Isom noted that the company was working with local, state and federal authorities to assess the crash and respond to the situation.
“We’re cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board and its investigation and will continue to provide all the information we can,” he said.
The airline chief added that the company wants to learn everything it can about the crash but acknowledged that it “will take time.”
Members of American Airlines’ “Go team” are being deployed to aid the situation.
“I know that there are many questions in this early stage I just won’t be able to answer many, but we’ll provide additional information as it comes,” Isom added.
Marjorie Taylor Greene -Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons
MAGA Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Tuesday introduced articles of impeachment against FBI Director Christopher Wray.
In the articles of impeachment, obtained by Fox News Digital, Greene claims that, under Wray’s watch, he has facilitated “the development of a Federal police force to intimidate, harass, and entrap American citizens that are deemed enemies of the Biden regime.”
Greene highlighted instances of what she regarded as abuse of the bureau’s authority. These instances included, among others, the FBI’s “unprecedented raid” on the home of former President Donald Trump on Aug. 8, 2022, and the bureau’s creation of a “terrorist threat tag” following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier that summer.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) May 16, 2023
Greene’s introduction of articles of impeachment comes after Special Counsel John Durham released his final report on the FBI’s investigation of alleged collusion between Russia and Donald Trump in the 2016 campaign. The report concluded that the FBI and DOJ jumped too hastily into the investigation and relied too much on raw and unconfirmed intelligence.
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[Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) will endorse former President Donald Trump for the 2024 election on Friday night ahead of Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.
Scott dropped out of the GOP primary due to low support.
Trump and his allies have aggressively courted his endorsement, as The New York Times reports:
Mr. Scott was traveling to Florida on Friday so that he could fly with Mr. Trump to New Hampshire for the rally, the two people said. His endorsement of Mr. Trump is likely to spur additional discussion of Mr. Scott as a potential running mate for the former president. He is the highest-ranking elected Black Republican in the nation.
Mr. Scott arrived at his decision only recently. After ending his own campaign for president on Nov. 12, he had said he would not endorse “anytime soon.” But he came to the conclusion that Mr. Trump was the best candidate to defeat President Biden, according to one person familiar with his thinking.
A spokesman for Mr. Scott declined to comment. A spokesman for the former president did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
During the race, Mr. Trump avoided criticizing Mr. Scott, a sign that he held warmer feelings for the senator, whom he worked alongside while president. In 2020, Mr. Trump had given Mr. Scott one of the most coveted speaking roles in politics, making him a keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Former President Trump’s ex-attorney John Eastman responded to a California judge’s effort to have him disbarred over his role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election saying he’s optimistic he will win his appeal.
Eastman said in an interview on conservative network Frank Speech on Thursday that “there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge yet” before the state Supreme Court hears his case.
“If the law was faithfully followed, this case should have never been brought in the first place,” he said.
“We had a disagreement on the facts of the 2020 election. We had a disagreement on the constitutional interpretation on issues that have never been settled,” Eastman continued. “That has never been the basis of disciplinary action.”
State Bar Judge Yvette Roland found Eastman culpable in 10 of 11 charges against him.
“In view of the circumstances surrounding Eastman’s misconduct and balancing the aggravation and mitigation, the court recommends that Eastman be disbarred,” she wrote in a 128-page decision.
He also revealed he has been subpoenaed as part of a civil suit brought by a group of Capitol Police officers against Trump. The officers claim Trump is responsible for Jan. 6, and they hope to elicit financial penalties for the violence they suffered in the riots.
“I just got a subpoena served on us last week by the Capitol Police officers seeking everything, all of my communications with the president and anybody else,” he said. “They’ve completely blown through attorney-client privilege.”
While his case is under appeal, Eastman is suspended from practicing law in California.
The judge in former President Donald Trump’s federal election interference case ordered more documents to be revealed from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the former president just weeks before the 2024 election.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered on Thursday night that additional documents be made public.
The documents pertain to the appendix of exhibits in the fight over whether Trump has a level of presidential immunity that negates the charges against him.
Much of what readers are able to review is already public, including transcripts from the now-disbanded House Jan. 6 committee, press releases from various secretaries of state, the text of Trump’s rally speech and phone call with Georgia officials, and even real election certificates showing President Biden as the winner of the 2020 contest. One of the exhibits appears to review much of Trump’s then-Twitter activity from the period of the election.
Chutkan cited in the order Trump’s claim that the “asymmetric release of charged allegations and related documents during early voting creates a concerning appearance of election interference.”
According to the judge, while there is a public interest for courts to avoid involving themselves in elections, “it is in fact Defendant’s requested relief that risks undermining that public interest.”
She added that the court would continue keeping political considerations out of decisions, despite the defense’s request.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
According to a federal official, Donald Trump’s future outdoor rallies will have increased security measures.
Former President Trump will have bulletproof glass surrounding his podium for outdoor events going forward, a federal law enforcement source briefed on the planning told Fox News.
Indoor events, meanwhile, will not involve the same level of protection, the source confirmed.
The additional level of protection comes after an assassination attempt on the former president during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last month.
The president was addressing the open-air crowd, just minutes into his speech, when a gunman fired at him from the rooftop of a nearby building.
Trump managed to just barely turn his head and duck beneath the podium. A Secret Service member killed the gunman just seconds after he opened fire.
Trump was struck in the ear but avoided serious injury. One spectator in the audience was killed and two others were injured.
The security failure has brought heavy scrutiny on the Secret Service, which had been responsible for coordinating with local law enforcement.
An Arizona judge has thrown out an election lawsuit brought by state attorney general candidate Abraham Hamadeh and the Republican National Committee (RNC) that sought to challenge the state’s election results.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Randall Warner rejected the lawsuit on Wednesday, arguing the lawsuit was filed prematurely, ruling that the parties can not file a lawsuit until the results are certified, according to The Washington Examiner.
“Under these statutes there can be no election contest until after the canvass and declaration of results because, until then, no one is ‘declared elected,’” Warner wrote in his ruling. “It is undisputed that the canvass and declaration of results for the November 2022 election have not occurred.”
Hamadeh does not need to wait until the recount is complete before filing his lawsuit, Warner noted in his ruling. However, he must wait until the statewide certification is official before he can mount a challenge to the election results. Hamadeh has indicated he will refile the lawsuit after the statewide certification is complete.
The Arizona attorney general race is set to go under a recount once the state canvass is complete but one rural county is threatening to derail the process.
Two Republican supervisors in Cochise County, Arizona, voted to delay the county’s election results until Friday. The key issue is that the state is required to certify its election results by Dec. 5th.
The move has triggered legal fights from state officials as they scramble to certify election results statewide, which requires certified results from all 15 counties.
As Great America News Desk previously reported:
“The voters of Arizona demand answers and deserve transparency about the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the General Election by certain election officials,” Hamadeh said. “Pervasive errors by our election officials resulted in the disenfranchisement of countless Arizonans who had their voices silenced.”
According to Maricopa County election officials, at least 60 voting locations experienced issues with their ballot-on-demand printers. The assistant attorney general is demanding an in-depth report addressing those issues, as well as the “check-out” procedures at each polling location and each location’s official ballot report.
Hamadeh and the RNC allege that Arizona officials also wrongly disqualified provisional ballots and mis-marked early voters in the system.
Vice President Kamala Harris discussed her plan to reduce the cost of living in a town hall hosted by Oprah Winfrey on Thursday. The recently-anointed Democratic nominee stated that she would achieve this by lowering the prices of essential items.
The question posed to Harris was straightforward enough and, quite frankly, on the minds of most persuadable voters: “What will you do to lower costs?”
Here’s exactly what she said:
“Yeah. I first of all, thank you both for being here and yours is a, a story I hear around the country as I travel, and in terms of both rightly, having the right to have aspirations and dreams and ambitions for your family and working hard and finding that the American dream is for this generation and so many recently far more elusive than it’s been, and we need to deal with that. And there are a number of ways. One is bringing down the cost of everyday necessities, including groceries.”
Yesterday’s Michigan town hall has since been ridiculed by numerous MAGA celebrities.
During the 90-minute livestreamed interview, where Harris also took questions from the audience, the vice president discussed a number of key 2024 topics, such as abortion rights, immigration and gun violence.
A number of Donald Trump‘s supporters have mocked Harris for her at times lengthy responses during the event in the key swing state, with some suggesting that the vice president’s answers were a “word salad.”
This might be the worst world salad ever in the political career of Kamala Harris.
The whole time you could feel Oprah wanted her to stop.
The audience looks like they’re realizing how gone Kamala is.
During the interview, Harris told Winfrey that Americans are an “optimistic people,” adding: “Americans, by character, are people who have dreams and ambitions and aspirations. We believe in what is possible. We believe in what can be, and we believe in fighting for that.
“That’s how we came into being because the people before us understood that one of the greatest expressions for the love of our country—one of the greatest expressions of patriotism—is to fight for the ideals of who we are, which includes freedom to make decisions about your own body; freedom to be safe from gun violence; freedom to have access to the ballot box; freedom to be who you are and just be, to love who you love openly and with pride; freedom to just be.”
Reflecting on the perceived train wreck, politico and MAGA influencer Collin Rugg concluded, “After watching this and then watching the debate, I realize how much practice she had for that debate.”
“This interview is what Harris sounds like on a normal day.”
And television appearances as a presidential candidate don’t get friendlier than this…
