Trump says Democratic rival Schiff should be 'brought to justice' for alleged fraud

Trump says Democratic rival Schiff should be 'brought to justice' for alleged fraud

By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday a top antagonist, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, should be "brought to justice" for alleged mortgage fraud, in a move the California Democrat said amounted to political persecution. Schiff, a leading player in Trump's first impeachment in 2020, denied wrongdoing. "This is just Donald Trump's latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies," he wrote on social media. Trump said a U.S. housing finance agency, Fannie Mae, had concluded that the senator had engaged in a "sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud" for declaring a house he owned in Maryland as his primary residence to get a lower mortgage rate. "Mortgage Fraud is very serious, and CROOKED Adam Schiff (now a Senator) needs to be brought to justice," he said on his Truth Social platform. The New York Post reported the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae, had sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. Officials at the DOJ, Fannie Mae, and FHFA declined to comment. Schiff, like some other members of Congress, owns a residence in the Washington area as well as in his home state, and a spokesperson said lenders who provided mortgages for both homes were aware that he used both of them year-round. Schiff has been a top Trump target since 2019, when he led the House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into whether Trump withheld aid to Ukraine to pressure that country to investigate Democrat Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Trump was impeached in the Democratic-led House, but the Republican-controlled Senate did not convict him. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone and Rod Nickel)

byMario Satorik

in

July 15, 2025

Trump says Democratic rival Schiff should be 'brought to justice' for alleged fraud

Trump says Democratic rival Schiff should be 'brought to justice' for alleged fraud By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Pres...

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Republicans press leaders of Georgetown, Berkeley and CUNY on antisemitism complaints

Republicans press leaders of Georgetown, Berkeley and CUNY on antisemitism complaints

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Tuesday grilled the leaders of Georgetown University, the City University of New York and the University of California, Berkeley in the latest hearing on antisemitism in higher education, accusing the schools of failing to respond adequately to allegations of bias or discrimination. In their appearance before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the three university leaders said that they had taken disciplinary action where appropriate and stressed the importance of protecting free speech. UC Berkeley ChancellorRich Lyonspushed back on the suggestion that antisemitism was more present on college campuses than anywhere else. "If somebody is expressing pro-Palestinian beliefs, that's not necessarily antisemitic," he said. The hearing was the ninth in a series Republicans have held to scrutinize university leadership over allegations of antisemitism on campuses after a wave of protests following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. Widely criticizedtestimony before the committeeby the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University in 2023 contributed to their resignations. At Tuesday's hearing, Democrats blasted Republican committee members for their focus on antisemitism while not speaking out on thedismantling of the Education Department, which is tasked with investigating antisemitism and other civil rights violations in schools. "They have turned this hearing room into a kangaroo court, where they spend our time litigating a predetermined outcome to do nothing, actually, to help Jewish students, just make public theater out of legitimate pain," Rep.Mark Takano, D-CA. Republicans said the university leaders have allowed campus antisemitism to run unchecked. "Universities can choose to hire antisemitic faculty, welcome students with a history of antisemitism, accept certain foreign funding, and let the behavior of antisemitic unions go unchecked," Michigan Rep.Tim Walberg, committee chair, said in his opening statements. "But we will see today they do so at their own risk." The hearing was periodically interrupted by protesters, who shouted pro-Palestinian slogans before being removed by Capitol police. Rep. Randy Fine, R-FL, berated the college presidents and said they were responsible because of the attitudes they had permitted on their campuses. Republicans pressed the three college leaders on whether they had disciplined or fired faculty and employees for behavior they said was antisemitic. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., pressed CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez on the employment of a law professor who worked on the legal defense ofMahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist theTrumpadministration attempted to deport over his role in protests at Columbia University. Stefanik pushed Matos Rodríguez to answer whether the professor should be fired. Without responding directly, Matos Rodríguez defended CUNY and said antisemitism had no place at the school. He said any student or employee who broke CUNY rules would be investigated. University leaders also emphasized the importance of free speech on campuses for students and faculty. Interim Georgetown President Richard Groves said that as a Jesuit university, fostering interfaith dialogue and understanding was a key part of the school's mission. He said the university has not experienced any encampments or physical violence since the Hamas attack in October 2023. "Given our Jesuit values, we expose students to different viewpoints on the Middle East," Groves said. "In addition to speakers on Gaza, we've hosted IDF soldiers, families of Israeli and Palestinians who've lost their lives. U.S. families of U.S. hostages in Gaza. Georgetown is not perfect, and as events evolve, we've had to clarify rules of student behavior." ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, alistof supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

byMario Satorik

in

July 15, 2025

Republicans press leaders of Georgetown, Berkeley and CUNY on antisemitism complaints

Republicans press leaders of Georgetown, Berkeley and CUNY on antisemitism complaints WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Tuesday grilled...

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Open Championship tee times: Defending champ Schauffele, Scheffler groups out early

Open Championship tee times: Defending champ Schauffele, Scheffler groups out early

The 153rd Open Championship begins at 1:35 a.m. ET Thursday morning at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. Below are the scheduled pairings for the opening round and viewing options. Thursday's featured groups (All times ET) 4:58 a.m. -- Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Jon Rahm 5:09 a.m. -- Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler 9:48 a.m. -- Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose 9:59 a.m. -- Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland 10:10 a.m. -- Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood First round tee times (All times ET; (a) amateur) 1:35 a.m. -- Padraig Harrington, Nicolai Hojgaard, Tom McKibbin 1:46 a.m. -- Louis Oosthuizen, Guido Migliozzi, K.J. Choi 1:57 a.m. -- Cameron Smith, Marco Penge, Justin Hastings (a) 2:08 a.m. -- Jason Day, Taylor Pendrith, Jacob Skov Olesen 2:19 a.m. -- Phil Mickelson, Daniel van Tonder, Ryan Peake 2:30 a.m. -- Max Greyserman, Byeong Hun An, Niklas Norgaard 2:41 a.m. -- Jordan Smith, Haotong Li, Dustin Johnson 2:52 a.m. -- Darren Clarke, Davis Riley, Lucas Herbert 3:03 a.m. -- Kevin Yu, Julien Guerrier, Mikiya Akutsu 3:14 a.m. -- Thomas Detry, Chris Gotterup, Lee Westwood 3:25 a.m. -- Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Young, Mackenzie Hughes 3:36 a.m. -- Thorbjorn Olesen, Matthew Jordan, Filip Jakubcik (a) 3:47 a.m. -- Henrik Stenson, Stephan Jaeger, Sebastian Soderberg 4:03 a.m. -- Kristoffer Reitan, Martin Couvra, Adrien Saddier 4:14 a.m. -- Takumi Kanaya, Justin Walters, Bryan Newman (a) 4:25 a.m. -- Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Fox, Matt Fitzpatrick 4:36 a.m. -- Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Akshay Bhatia 4:47 a.m. -- Sam Burns, Aldrich Potgieter, Brooks Koepka 4:58 a.m. -- Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Jon Rahm 5:09 a.m. -- Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler 5:20 a.m. -- Corey Conners, Wyndham Clark, Tom Hoge 5:31 a.m. -- Denny McCarthy, Nico Echavarria, Patrick Reed 5:42 a.m. -- Matt Schmid, Ryggs Johnston, Richard Teder (a) 5:53 a.m. -- Dylan Naidoo, Darren Fichardt, John Axelsen 6:04 a.m. -- Justin Suh, Oliver Lindell, Jesper Sandborg 6:15 a.m. -- Sadom Kaewkanjana, Riki Kawamoto, Sampson Zheng 6:26 a.m. -- Stewart Cink, Matteo Manassero, Marc Leishman 6:47 a.m. -- Francesco Molinari, Jesper Svensson, Connor Graham (a) 6:58 a.m. -- Zach Johnson, Daniel Hillier, Daniel Brown 7:09 a.m. -- Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Ethan Fang (a) 7:20 a.m. -- Laurie Canter, Elvis Smylie, Sergio Garcia 7:31 a.m. -- Andrew Novak, Matthieu Pavpn, Matt Wallace 7:42 a.m. -- Davis Thompson, Dean Burmester, Rikuya Hoshino 7:53 a.m. -- Si Woo Kim, Shugo Imahira, Sebastian Cave (a) 8:04 a.m. -- Michael Kim, Bud Cauley, John Parry 8:15 a.m. -- Matt McCarty, Shaun Norris, Angel Hidalgo 8:26 a.m. -- Keegan Bradley, Sungjae Im, Daniel Berger 8:37 a.m. -- Rasmus Hojgaard, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Romain Langasque 8:48 a.m. -- Aaron Rai, Sahith Theegala, Harry Hall 9:04 a.m. -- Justin Leonard, Thriston Lawrence, Antoine Rozner 9:15 a.m. -- J.T. Poston, Chris Kirk, Carlos Ortiz 9:26 a.m. -- Brian Harman, Maverick McNealy, Joaquin Niemann 9:37 a.m. -- Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee 9:48 a.m. -- Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose 9:59 a.m. -- Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland 10:10 a.m. -- Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood 10:21 a.m. -- Harris English, Nick Taylor, Tony Finau 10:32 a.m. -- Lucas Glover, Johnattan Vegas, Tom Kim 10:43 a.m. -- Brian Campbell, John Catlin, Frazer Jones (a) 10:54 a.m. -- Nathan Kimsey, Jason Kokrak, Cameron Adam (a) 11:04 a.m. -- Daniel Young, Curtis Luck, Curtis Knipes 11:16 a.m. -- Younghan Song, George Bloor, O.J. Farrell How to watch The Open Championship (All times ET) 1:30-4 a.m.: Stream on Peacock 4 a.m-3:30 p.m.: USA Network, NBC Sports app, Peacock, Fubo 3:30-6 p.m.: Golf Channel --Field Level Media

byMario Satorik

in

July 15, 2025

Open Championship tee times: Defending champ Schauffele, Scheffler groups out early

Open Championship tee times: Defending champ Schauffele, Scheffler groups out early The 153rd Open Championship begins at 1:35 a.m. ET Thurs...

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Rays playoff games would be at minor league park, MLB commissioner says

Rays playoff games would be at minor league park, MLB commissioner says

TheTampa Bay Rayswill host any 2025 MLB playoff games at their temporary home of George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledged Tuesday, July 15. Speaking to reporters in Atlanta on the afternoon of the All-Star Game, Manfred acknowledged concerns that have been raised aboutthe stadium's capacity of just over 11,000being far smaller than any other potential playoff site. But he cut off speculation that the Rays could move to a larger park in another location for the postseason. "Our rule has always been that people play in their home stadiums during the World Series. And I'm not of a mind to change that rule,"Manfred told the Tampa Bay Times. "I understand it's a unique situation. It's different, but that's where they're playing. That's where they're going to play their games." RAYS SALE:Owner Stuart Sternberg agrees to $1.7 billion deal, per report According toa report last month in The Athletic, there would be few issues with the Rays hosting a wild card or divisional playoff game at Steinbrenner Field. However, if the team reached the AL championship series or the World Series, the scarcity of seats would create a number of problems for MLB. The league office holds thousands of tickets for the LCS and World Series in reserve for a variety of participants and stakeholders. The reduced gate receipts would cut significantly into the players' share of the postseason revenue. And the networks broadcasting the games wouldn't have the usual amount of space and access needed to provide expanded coverage. With a record of 50-47 at the All-Star break, the Rays are in fourth place in the AL East division, 5 ½ games behind theToronto Blue Jays. They are fourth in the AL wild-card race, 1 ½ games behind theSeattle Marinersfor the AL's third and final wild-card berth. Manfred said construction is on track to have Tropicana Field ready for the Rays' 2026 season opener. He added that contingencies are in place, however, if the stadium is not ready by opening day. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Rays playoff games won't move out of Tampa, MLB commissioner says

byMario Satorik

in

July 15, 2025

Rays playoff games would be at minor league park, MLB commissioner says

Rays playoff games would be at minor league park, MLB commissioner says TheTampa Bay Rayswill host any 2025 MLB playoff games at their tempo...

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Trump adviser Michael Waltz defends Signal use, says he stayed on White House payroll

Trump adviser Michael Waltz defends Signal use, says he stayed on White House payroll

WASHINGTON – Former Trump national security adviserMichael Waltztold senators during a contentious confirmation hearing that "no classified" information was discussed in a controversial Signal chat he started for top U.S. officials in the lead up to military strikes. He told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a July 15 hearing on his nomination to be United Nations ambassador, the next role he's been tapped for, thatBiden-era guidancefrom the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA,advised senior officialsto use the platform for personal and professional communication. "The use of Signal was not only authorized... It's still authorized and highly recommended," Waltz said. He also testified that he was "not fired" from the White House.Waltz confirmed that he remained onthe payroll after Trump took him out of his role as national security adviser. Defense SecretaryPete Hegseth sharedthe details of a strike on Houthi militants in Yemen before the operation happened in a conversation on thecommercially available encrypted app.Unbeknownst to him, Waltz accidentally added a journalist to the chain. The scandal prompted multiple internal investigations. At the hearing, Waltz said a White House investigation ended without any disciplinary action. The former Trump adviser said his understanding was that a Defense Department investigation had not yet concluded. "There was no classified information exchanged," Waltz said in response to questions from Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware. Coons said during the exchange that he was hoping to hear "some sense of regret" from Waltz over "sharing what was very sensitive, timely information about a military strike on a commercially available app." Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said he'd seen nothing to suggest that Waltz had personally shared classified information in the chat. But he noted that unfinished Defense Department probes have not reached that conclusion. Later in the hearing, Sen. Cory Booker said he was "really disappointed" in Waltz's testimony. "What's been troubling to me about your nomination from the beginning is your failure just to stand up and take accountability for mistakes that you made." "But I heard you just blame Biden: I've seen you not only fail to stand up but lie," Booker told Waltz, reading aloud Waltz's previous statements. Confirmation hearing:Former Trump adviser Mike Waltz faces 'Signalgate' grilling in Senate hearing for UN post Waltz previously took"full responsibility"for the episode, which he blamed on a phone malfunction. He said in an interview with Fox News that the contact information for Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, had inadvertently been "sucked in" to his phone and that he'd saved Goldberg's contact information under someone else's name in his phone. He also called Goldberg "scum." "At a moment where our national security was clearly compromised, you denied, you deflected, and then you demeaned and degraded those people who objectively told the truth and criticized your actions," Booker said, telling Waltz he was someone "who lacks in integrity." He said Waltz's response to the blunder showed "profound cowardice," and he could not support his nomination. Booker used nearly all of his allotted time to address criticisms of Waltz, leaving the former Republican congressman without an immediate opportunity to respond. But moments later, in response to another senator's question, Waltz said he appreciated the men and women he'd led in combat, "And I think the last thing they would call me is a coward." Waltz is a former Green Beret and Florida representative who resigned from Congress to join the Trump administration. He served as national security adviser for roughly three months. Trump reshuffled his team and named Secretary of State Marco Rubio acting national security adviser on May 1. In a clash with Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, at his United Nations hearing, Waltz argued Trump did not dismiss him. "I was not fired. The president never said that, nor did the vice president. I was kept on as an adviser, transitioning a number of important activities," he said. After Waltzinadvertently invitedGoldberg to a sensitive group chat,Trump firedscoresof staff membersand restructured theNational Security Council. In a floor speech on the day of the hearing, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer hammered Waltz for the Signal debacle and said the former Trump national security adviser was "part of the crack team that has grossly mismanaged our national security during the opening months of this administration." "Waltz must acknowledge these failings and prove he's ready to collaborate with our partners and go toe to toe with our adversaries at the UN," Schumer said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump adviser Michael Waltz defends Signal use in Senate hearing

byMario Satorik

in

July 15, 2025

Trump adviser Michael Waltz defends Signal use, says he stayed on White House payroll

Trump adviser Michael Waltz defends Signal use, says he stayed on White House payroll WASHINGTON – Former Trump national security adviserMic...

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Crypto week legislation hits snag in US Congress, some stocks fall

Crypto week legislation hits snag in US Congress, some stocks fall

By Chris Prentice WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The fate of long-awaited cryptocurrency legislation in the U.S. Congress was cast into doubt Tuesday, as a procedural vote to consider the measures was shot down by lawmakers from both parties, and shares of some companies in the sector fell. House Republicans had billed this week as "Crypto week," and were keen to advance numerous pieces of legislation aimed at providing clarity to the digital asset industry and long-sought legitimacy to the sector. But those efforts hit an early snag on Tuesday, when several conservative Republicans joined with Democrats in blocking a procedural vote to allow consideration of three crypto bills as part of a dispute over how the measures should be packaged and considered. Shortly after the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he planned to continue discussing the matter with members and hoped to vote on it again shortly. Shares of crypto-related stocks including Circle Internet and Coinbase Global dropped on the news but then pared losses. Circle Internet fell over 4% while Coinbase was down 1.5%. The House was attempting to pass a series of crypto-related bills, most notably a bill that would establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a constant value, usually a 1:1 dollar peg, are commonly used by crypto traders to move funds between tokens. Their use has grown rapidly in recent years, and proponents say they could be used to send payments instantly. That bill -- and another the House is considering that would define when a crypto token is a commodity -- would be a huge win for the crypto industry. The House also was set to consider a bill that would prohibit the U.S. from issuing a central bank digital currency. Republicans say there is a risk this could give the government too much control over Americans' personal finances. That bill has not been considered in the Senate and the Federal Reserve has not indicated a desire to develop a central bank digital currency. (Reporting by Chris Prentice and Caroline Valetkevitch; editing by Pete Schroeder and David Gregorio)

byMario Satorik

in

July 15, 2025

Crypto week legislation hits snag in US Congress, some stocks fall

Crypto week legislation hits snag in US Congress, some stocks fall By Chris Prentice WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The fate of long-awaited cryptoc...

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Trump considers changing US 'soccer' to 'football' in hosting World Cup

Trump considers changing US 'soccer' to 'football' in hosting World Cup

WASHINGTON –President Donald Trumpis talking about putting his foot down. While watching theFIFA Club World Cup final match July 13,he told streaming channel DAZN TVhe was considering issuing an executive order to change the name of the sport in the U.S. from "soccer" to "football," as it called around the rest of the world. "I think we can do that, I think I could do that,"Trump said with a laugh for the interviewpublished July 14. "They call it 'football,' but I guess we call it 'soccer,' but that change could be made very easily," Trump added. "But it's great to watch." Trump is no stranger to name changes, having already ordered the government to change theGulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and then pressured private mapmakers to follow suit. The sport is widely called football in Europe and around much of the world, while the United States, Canada and Australia refer to it as soccer. Pointedly calling the sport soccer has long been a prominent symbol of defiance for American national teams and their supporters.U.S. fans chanted "it's called soccer"at a game against England during the World Cup in 2022. Trump, a former owner of the New Jersey Generals in the U.S. Football League in the 1980s, has promoted the sport that might formerly be known as soccer because theUnited States will co-host the World Cupwith Mexico and Canada next year. The championship will be played in the same place, New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, where Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0. Trump wasseated at the game next to Gianni Infantino, the president of the Federation Internationale de Football Association. Fans booed Trump when he appeared briefly on the jumbotron during the national anthem and when he posed with match referees during the trophy ceremony. Trump handed Chelsea their trophyand stood in the middle of the players for their team photo and celebration. "I knew he was going to be there, but I didn't know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy, so I was a bit confused," said Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer, who scored two goals during the match. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump considers changing the name 'soccer' to 'football'

byMario Satorik

in

July 15, 2025

Trump considers changing US 'soccer' to 'football' in hosting World Cup

Trump considers changing US 'soccer' to 'football' in hosting World Cup WASHINGTON –President Donald Trumpis talking about p...

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