All posts tagged: Government

Oprah Winfrey addresses criticism over making pair of MAGA personalities famous

Oprah Winfrey addresses criticism over making pair of MAGA personalities famous

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Oprah Winfrey has addressed her part in platforming the careers of pro-Trump doctors Dr. Phil McGraw and Dr. Mehmet Oz on her titular talk show. Winfrey’s The Oprah Winfrey Show show aired from 1986-2011. She introduced McGraw — who is no longer a licensed psychologist after letting his license lapse two decades ago — as a weekly expert and relationship strategist in 1998. Oz, who holds medical and business degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, began appearing on the program as a medical expert in 2004. Both TV doctors have since become allies of President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement. McGraw, AKA Dr. Phil, serves on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission and promotes MAGA initiatives through his conservative cable network Merit Street Media and …

CBP Workers Allegedly Used Government Databases to Spy on Exes, Crushes, and Colleagues

CBP Workers Allegedly Used Government Databases to Spy on Exes, Crushes, and Colleagues

Published by skeptic

Internal records obtained by WIRED reveal how, for years, United States Customs and Border Protection employees and contractors were accused of abusing sensitive government databases for reasons that had nothing to do with their jobs. The records contain hundreds of allegations of misuse of law enforcement databases, including federal agents querying data to look up romantic interests, monitor family members, expose various personal information and, in some cases, provide intelligence to suspected smugglers or drug-trafficking organizations. Acquired through Freedom of Information Act requests to CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, the records reveal the breadth of alleged database abuse by CBP employees spanning more than a decade. As immigration and border authorities expand their surveillance through facial recognition, license plate readers, mobile-device searches, and commercially purchased location information generated by ordinary apps, the sheer range of these records, which date from 2009 through 2022, highlights how US residents can be—and have been—targeted by federal government employees with access to highly sensitive data and powerful tools. In …

The White House Is Going to Expand Its AI Policy

The White House Is Going to Expand Its AI Policy

Published by skeptic

White House officials are almost certain to revise the Trump administration’s new artificial intelligence guidelines and expand its oversight of AI models, according to people familiar with the matter. The White House announced this month that it had developed an AI framework, where the most powerful models created by US labs would be tested for safety by the federal government before they could be released publicly. The administration has not made the framework public, and reportedly has no plans to do so. The AI framework currently deals only with so-called closed models developed by the likes of Anthropic and OpenAI. But the framework is expected in the coming months to cover open models, too, a White House official tells Inner Loop. In short, as soon as open models reach the same “frontier” capabilities as Anthropic’s Mythos-class models and OpenAI’s GPT-5.6, they will be added to the framework and subject to prerelease testing, the White House official says. The move reflects the White House’s evolving approach to oversight and regulation of the AI sector that has …

Apple Hires Airline Exec as Vice President of Government Affairs

Apple Hires Airline Exec as Vice President of Government Affairs

Published by skeptic

Apple hired former American Airlines executive vice president Nick Gatten as its new vice president of government affairs, reports Bloomberg. Gatten will take on some of the duties of senior vice president of government affairs Katherine Adams, who is retiring at the end of 2026. Gatten will report to Apple senior vice president and general counsel Jennifer Newstead, with Adams to remain available in an advisory role until October 1. Bloomberg says Gatten is a Republican that Apple felt would be able to align with the Trump administration. He previously worked at Fannie Mae where he managed a team that interfaced with Republican members of Congress, and he also oversaw government affairs at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and American Airlines. Gatten will work closely with Tim Cook in his new role. Cook plans to step down as Apple CEO on September 1, with hardware chief John Ternus to take over. Cook will remain on as executive chairman, engaging with policymakers and governments worldwide. Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding …

White House construction project to cost almost bn | Construction News

White House construction project to cost almost $1bn | Construction News

Published by Sam Flores

The White House defended reports it planned to spend nearly a $1bn on controversial construction projects. Published On 12 Aug 202612 Aug 2026 The Trump administration has responded to controversy over construction and expansion projects at the White House by saying the work was “long-overdue and necessary” and “inextricably tied to the security of the President, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets”. US President Donald Trump’s administration has long insisted construction is being funded by private donors and is necessary for security reasons. But on Wednesday, The Washington Post cited documents it obtained that showed the administration was planning to spend nearly $1bn on the construction work, which includes a large new ballroom to replace much of the White House’s East Wing. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list White House spokesman Davis Ingle, in a statement to Al Jazeera, cited recent security incidents, including attempted attacks on the president and events around the 250th anniversary of US independence, as reasons for the work. Ingle said the work was being …

FEMA’s ‘Shadow Administrator’ Was Paid by a DOGE Member’s Startup for Months

FEMA’s ‘Shadow Administrator’ Was Paid by a DOGE Member’s Startup for Months

Published by skeptic

Voorhies testified that though she was not part of DOGE, she was working alongside the DOGE team at DHS. Part of that work involved analyzing documents that Schutt and the other DOGE FEMA members collected, such as “financial statements” and “organizational charts.” After her time as an SGE ran out in the fall of 2025, though, she spoke to Schutt and Lewandowski about how she could continue working with DHS, she said. The solution, as she explained in her deposition: Voorhies would be brought on as a subcontractor to another subcontractor, owned by Schutt. In her deposition, Voorhies said that in September 2025, she started LV Consulting, a company where she was the only employee. In October, this company began serving as a subcontractor to AnchorCode Technologies, which was owned by Schutt and was itself already serving as a subcontractor to another company, IMGE. IMGE was the “prime” contractor—the company with the direct contract with DHS. As subcontractors, AnchorCode and LV Consulting did not have direct contracts with DHS and do not appear in the …

Wilkie escalates gambling reform fight with anti-corruption referral targeting Labor government

Wilkie escalates gambling reform fight with anti-corruption referral targeting Labor government

Published by skeptic

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has taken the fight over gambling reform to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, asking it to examine whether industry influence improperly shaped federal government policy. Today I have referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission my concern that individuals in the Federal Government, when formulating gambling policy, have been improperly influenced by individuals in the private sector. #auspol #politas pic.twitter.com/Phf9CVJJos — Andrew Wilkie MP (@WilkieMP) August 12, 2026 In a letter dated Wednesday (August 12), Wilkie said he was concerned “individuals in the Federal Government, when formulating gambling reform policy, have been improperly influenced by individuals in the private sector, most obviously but not exclusively through donations, gifts, hospitality and personal relationships.” He argued the policy that emerged was “so clearly at odds with research, public opinion and the public interest” that putting it into effect “could be characterised, in my opinion, as serious corruption in the Commonwealth public sector.” pic.twitter.com/wOCxA4oQQJ — Andrew Wilkie MP (@WilkieMP) August 12, 2026 The independent MP pointed to reporting published by The Sydney Morning Herald and The …

Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad and Atef Najib to death | Military

Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad and Atef Najib to death | Military

Published by Sam Flores

Syria’s ex-president Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad and cousin Atef Najib have been sentenced to death after a court in Damascus convicted them of crimes against humanity during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war. Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Saleh explains the latest developments. Published On 11 Aug 202611 Aug 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Source link

Barack Obama launches new podcast about books that have shaped him. How many have you read?

Barack Obama launches new podcast about books that have shaped him. How many have you read?

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Barack Obama is set to host a new podcast about six books that he says have shaped his worldview, including works by Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and British spy novelist John le Carré. A Great Book with Barack Obama will launch exclusively on Audible on 24 September, with the former US president discussing one of his chosen titles in each of the six episodes alongside a guest. The guests are yet to be announced. The series is a collaboration between Audible and Higher Ground, the media company founded by Obama and his wife Michelle. The books Obama has chosen are The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren, and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré. …