SINCERETALK

Rep. Keith Self (R‑Texas) said Monday President Donald Trump’s "Big, Beautiful Bill," which Republicans are aiming to pass by the president’s self‑imposed July 4 deadline, was “fiscally criminal.” In a post on the social platform X, Self wrote: "The House was clear: no new deficit spending. The Senate isn’t listening—their version adds over $1T to the deficit, completely ignoring the House framework. This isn’t just reckless—it’s fiscally criminal." The Texas Republican's post highlighted a statement from the House Freedom Caucus's X account that said: "The House budget framework was clear: no new deficit spending in the One Big Beautiful Bill. The Senate’s version adds $651 billion to the deficit — and that’s before interest costs, which nearly double the total." READ MORE: 'I cannot remain quiet': Officer defies orders to denounce Trump policy in scathing op-ed It added: "That’s not fiscal responsibility. It’s not what we agr...

President Donald Trump has quietly withdrawn his lawsuit against prominent Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register . The lawsuit, initiated in December 2024 under Iowa's Consumer Fraud Act, accused Selzer and the newspaper of “brazen election interference” after her final pre‑election poll showed former Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump by three points in deep‑red Iowa — a poll that ultimately missed the mark by approximately 16 points, as Trump won the state by 13 points. According to a Monday court filing, the dispute has officially ended without a settlement. Selzer’s legal team confirmed to several media outlets that the case was dropped but declined to mention any compensation or agreement. READ MORE: 'I cannot remain quiet': Officer defies orders to denounce Trump policy in scathing op-ed The pollster was represented pro bono by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which criticized the lawsuit as a strategic, basel...

The pace of talks to resolve the war in Ukraine depends on Kyiv’s position, the effectiveness of US mediation, and the situation on the ground, said the Kremlin. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/Ee1TN2y via sinceretalk

South African Aldrich Potgieter sank a birdie putt from just inside 18 feet on the fifth playoff hole to win the Rocket Classic for his first PGA Tour title. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/S5TKH3h via sinceretalk

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday the 12-day war with Iran had created opportunities for Israel, and the first was the return of hostages held in Gaza by Palestinian militants who attacked Israel. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/OF4p0Yo via sinceretalk

Beyond Borders: Uniting for Reproductive Justice through safe abortion access is a limited podcast series hosted by Kaunda Selisho. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/ywiY9fJ via sinceretalk

The spirit of the music genre promotes love and affection, fighting the scourge of violence against women and girls. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/EGzFDRJ via sinceretalk

News24 emerged as the standout winner at the 2025 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards, with investigative journalist Kyle Cowan taking home the prestigious Journalist of the Year award for his groundbreaking work on the Murray murders. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/fx6CYAe via sinceretalk

A cache of pictures and videos show the cosy ties between Deputy President Paul Mashatile and the inner circle behind the new lottery operator, Sizekhaya Holdings. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/jPfseJo via sinceretalk

On Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a 6-3 decision on party lines stripping lower courts of the power to issue nationwide injunctions. But some opponents of President Donald Trump's administration view the decision as an opportunity to exploit what may be a significant loophole. The majority opinion — which was authored by Trump-appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett — ruled that lower courts could not unilaterally prevent Trump's executive order overturning birthright citizenship for the American-born children of undocumented immigrants. Trump celebrated the decision in a Friday press conference , praising Barrett in particular. While the Court didn't decide on the issue of citizenship guaranteed in the first sentence of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution itself, Barrett's opinion stripped federal district and circuit courts of the power to block executive orders from going into effect nationwide. According to a recent analysis...

The leaders of a deep-red state's legislature are now publicly railing against President Donald Trump's major domestic policy package, arguing its provisions would be uniquely harmful to their constituents. In a Friday op-ed for the New York Times , Alaska House Speaker Bryce Edgmon (I) and Alaska state senator Catherine Giessel (R) — who is the majority leader for the Alaska Senate Bipartisan Coalition – detailed the numerous reasons why the Republican budget bill is particularly disastrous for the Last Frontier. The two began the op-ed by pointing out that the current version of the bill's cuts to Medicaid would throw approximately 40,000 Alaskans off of their health insurance plans, and its cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) would mean "thousands of families will go hungry." They also called attention to the provision in the bill that would put states partially on the hook for funding food stamps for the first time...

President Donald Trump's mercurial nature could be best explained by one question he constantly asks everyone in his orbit. And how he governs over the remainder of his second term may very well be up to how his favorite question gets answered at any given time. The New York Times' Carlos Lozada wrote Friday on Trump's propensity to gauge feedback from those in his inner circle by asking: "How's it playing?" According to Lozada, that was the first question Trump asked deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino while being treated at a Pennsylvania hospital following an attempt on his life in July of 2024. And it was the top question after Israel carried out its first strikes on Iranian nuclear sites earlier this month. "There is nothing wrong with a president gauging public reaction to or support for administration policies or actions. The people are his constituents, after all," Lozada wrote. "But in the case of Trump, 'How’s it playing?' ...

On Friday, multiple significant Supreme Court decisions are expected to be announced. And one of them may end up radically changing what constitutes U.S. citizenship. In a Thursday segment on MSNBC's "The Weeknight," co-host Michael Steele reminded viewers that the Supreme Court will be announcing its ruling pertaining to President Donald Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship via executive order. The Court will specifically be weighing in on whether federal judges have the ability to issue nationwide injunctions while litigation plays out in the judiciary, meaning that some children born in the United States could temporarily be denied citizenship while the courts decide what to do. "I don't think anyone should be surprised by anything this court decides tomorrow," Steele said. "This is where we are now. And I think it will be a fundamental moment for a lot of Americans, particularly if the Court decides ... to extend itself beyond the...

In a rare admission of uncertainty, Republican senators are privately conceding that President Donald Trump’s "Big, Beautiful Bill" may “fall apart” before the self-imposed July 4 deadline, Semafor reported Thursday. Trump is reportedly banking on his signature hardball tactics in trying to secure passage of the legislation by Independence Day. However, GOP lawmakers say that strategy is faltering in the Senate amid mounting procedural hurdles and internal dissent, per the report. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) told Semafor: “I like the president, I respect him, I certainly respect how difficult his job is. I don’t want to make it more difficult. But we can’t keep mortgaging our kids’ future. And he understands that about me." READ MORE: (Opinion) Trump's reckless boast has just been thoroughly debunked Sen. Johnson is currently against the bill and is said to have banded with two fellow conservative senators as a bloc: “We all have to be a yes before any of us ar...

President Donald Trump is once again threatening to sue media outlets. This time, over reporting on an internal Pentagon report undermining his initial claims about the airstrikes he ordered on Iran last weekend. The New York Times is now warning Trump against legal action. While Trump claimed the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities "obliterated" them, the leaked report estimated that Iran's nuclear program may have only suffered a setback of three to six months, as Iranian officials were able to anticipate an attack on the three facilities in question and take preventative measures. According to the Times , Trump's personal attorney Alejandro Brito sent the Times a letter this week disputing the claims in the report and insisting that the operation was a "historic and resounding military success" and that Trump "unequivocally eliminated Iran’s nuclear capabilities and brought peace to the region." He also said the Times ' article ...

During an appearance on MSNBC’s "Deadline: White House," New York University professor and authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben‑Ghiat cautioned that President Donald Trump is exhibiting a “megalomaniac drive” rooted in ego and reinforced through a circle of loyalists in the wake of recent military action. Ben‑Ghiat told host Nicolle Wallace that it was evident Trump had entered “the zone” before ordering the strike. “In part, it’s about his ego. And I’ve actually been very worried. Before the strike took place, I saw him getting into… call it… being in the zone,” she said. She contextualized this behavior within patterns typical of “strongman” leaders who, when sensing vulnerability, surround themselves with ally support. READ MORE: (Opinion) Trump's reckless boast has just been thoroughly debunked “When a strongman has had some setbacks and is feeling threatened, and yet has surrounded himself by loyalists… it’s very interesting that we’re now at 23 members of the a...

A new media campaign is aiming to call attention to President Donald Trump's treatment of veterans and their families, and is centering the voices of military families who have been directly impacted by his policies. In a Wednesday segment on MSNBC , Sarah Longwell — who is publisher of anti-Trump conservative news outlet The Bulwark — discussed her latest effort to give veterans a platform to speak out about Trump, dubbed "Home of the Brave." Wallace opined that the second Trump administration has exhibited a "wanton disregard" for military veterans and their service, and described Longwell's project as "encouraging all of these people impacted to speak out about the damage Donald Trump has done to them." Longwell told Wallace she felt the need to launch the project after witnessing the capitulation of various American institutions like elite universities, law firms and media companies, and wanted to give veterans an opportunity to demonstrat...

Here are the Daily Lotto numbers. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/UKIZdpX via sinceretalk

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was recently put between a rock and a hard place when asked to pick a side in the ongoing spat between President Donald Trump and a member of the House Republican Conference. NBC News reported Tuesday that Johnson took a somewhat neutral position when asked whether he supported Trump's demand that a Republican run against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) in retaliation for Massie's pattern of voting against Trump's legislative agenda. The Louisiana Republican called that the "hardest question I had this morning" during an impromptu press gaggle. "I’m a leader of my party here, and the speaker leads the incumbent protection program," Johnson said. "I got to make sure everybody gets re-elected." READ MORE: More than a dozen Republicans say they 'cannot support' Trump's bill due to this provision However, the speaker was quick to add that he "certainly understands the president’s frustration a...

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) expressed doubt about President Donald Trump’s hopeful stance on the ceasefire he negotiated between Israel and Iran. Graham told Fox News on Tuesday that he “was not so sure” it would amount to much. Graham, who is one of the biggest supporters of Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, told America Reports that the ceasefire holds little significance if Iran continues uranium enrichment. Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. intelligence informed CNN initial assessments indicate the recent Saturday bombing did not obliterate the nuclear sites . READ MORE: 'Really America?' Social media erupts after US denies entry to tourist over JD Vance meme “I am not so sure we have solved the problem yet,” Graham stated, in remarks highlighted by the Daily Beast. He added that he would feel optimistic only once Iran formally affirms “Israel’s right to exist as a nation” and recognizes “the Jewish people’s right to live in peace." “When they s...

Several members of Congress have quietly cashed in on Palantir Technologies, as the company’s government contracts —particularly with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — have surged. In a piece for The Bulwark published Tuesday , journalist Joe Perticone dubbed the company “one of the hottest and most lucrative stock picks on Capitol Hill." According to recent financial disclosures, the author noted, at least six lawmakers purchased Palantir stock in early 2025, timing their buys just before the company secured multi‑million‑dollar deals with ICE and other federal agencies. READ MORE: 'Really America?' Social media erupts after US denies entry to tourist over JD Vance meme Among those listed are Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Gilbert Cisneros (D-Calif.), James Comer (R-Ky.) and others serving on committees related to homeland security or national defense. Greene is said to have bought $1,000–$15,000 of Palantir shares on Apr...

One top Senate Republican is embracing a unique strategy in response to the growing divide between the foreign policy hawk wing of the GOP and the party's MAGA faction: Marginalizing the insurgency. That's according to a Tuesday article by Axios' Stef W. Knight and Hans Nichols, who wrote that Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is telling his Republican colleagues to brush off criticism from MAGA influencers. Citing two unnamed sources, Knight and Nichols wrote that Cotton told senators that when MAGA voices like former Fox News host Tucker Carlson criticize President Donald Trump's foreign policy in Iran, Cotton said senators should feel free to treat them "like they treat MSNBC hosts — ignore them." Cotton reportedly made the remarks during a Senate Republican lunch event on Tuesday, and reminded his colleagues that Republican support for Trump's airstrikes on Iran last weekend remains strong. And while the Arkansas Republica...

The Senate parliamentarian ruled last week that a GOP proposal to shift a portion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) costs to states violates the chamber’s Byrd rule, forcing Republicans to revise the measure. Following the decision, which came after a bipartisan meeting with Senate Agriculture Committee staff, GOP lawmakers are now amending President Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" to give states more time between receiving payment data and when they must begin contributing to SNAP, Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) said Monday, per a report by Politico. Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture releases states’ payment error rates each June. The Politico report notes that under the original version of the legislation, states would have been required to begin sharing costs just four months later, in October 2028. READ MORE: Florida enacts law allowing the super-rich — including Ivanka Trump — dodge $10 million ...

On Monday, President Donald Trump suddenly declared a "ceasefire" had been reached between Israel and Iran in what he asked the media to call the "12-day war." But one senior Iranian official says Trump is lying. CNN reported Monday evening — shortly after Trump posted about the supposed ceasefire on his Truth Social account — that an unnamed top official in the Iranian government said they never received a ceasefire proposal from Israel or the United States. The source also described Trump's post as "a deception" that seemed designed to convince Iran to let down its guard. "At this very moment, the enemy is committing aggression against Iran, and Iran is on the verge of intensifying its retaliatory strikes, with no ear to listen to the lies of its enemies," the source told CNN. READ MORE: Florida enacts law allowing the super-rich — including Ivanka Trump — dodge $10 million fee Trump's post about a ceasefire came just hours aft...

In the aftermath of the United States' strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend, Christian Zionism took center stage as conservative Texas pastors rallied, framing the military action as a Biblical mandate rather than mere geopolitics, the Houston Chronicle reported Monday. Pastor Jack Graham of Plano’s Prestonwood Baptist Church led the chorus, praising President Donald Trump’s strike and declaring he was “so grateful for his moral clarity and his commitment to keep America safe and protect it.” The Chronicle further reported that Graham told his congregation of 50,000 that “peace comes through strength” and warned, “You cannot allow the primary sponsor of terrorism in the world to have a nuclear weapon.” READ MORE: 'Uber-Karen' Karoline Leavitt isn't as 'stupid' as critics think she is: analysis On Sunday morning, Graham took to social media , writing: "As we gather in churches across America and around the world today, let us pray wit...

The US struck three nuclear sites in Iran, joining Israel’s bombing campaign after days of speculation over Washington’s involvement in the conflict. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/ngIY5BD via sinceretalk

This is The Lead, a daily News24 podcast hosted by broadcaster Graeme Raubenheimer, showcasing the best of our journalists’ in-depth reporting. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/zWFj35V via sinceretalk

Sizekhaya Holdings, which landed the lucrative licence to operate South Africa’s national lottery for eight years, has links to Deputy President Paul Mashatile. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/KAQEL6W via sinceretalk

Damaging waves and winds are expected to persist in the Eastern Cape, while light rain is forecast for the Western Cape, according to the South African Weather Service. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/7jzukT6 via sinceretalk

Late on Saturday night, local time, the United States carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear enrichment sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, marking its open participation in the conflict between Iran and Israel. The US says it fired 30 submarine-launched missiles at the sites in Natanz and Isfahan, as well as dropping more than a dozen “bunker buster” bombs at Fordow and Natanz. The kind of bomb in question is the extremely destructive GBU-57 Massive Ordance Penetrator, or MOP, which weighs around 13.5 tonnes . The attacks raise a lot of questions. What are these enormous bombs? Why did the US feel it had to get involved in the conflict? And, going forward, what does it mean for Iran’s nuclear ambitions? What are ‘bunker busters’, and why are they used? Bunker busters are weapons designed to destroy heavily protected facilities such as bunkers deep underground, beyond the reach of normal bombs. Bunker busters are designed to bury themselves into the ground before detona...

Australia coach Joe Schmidt is confident the Wallabies can be competitive against the British and Irish Lions, but he will be wary of a side wounded by defeat to Argentina in a Dublin warm-up. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/e2czxfg via sinceretalk

US forces struck Iran’s three main nuclear sites, President Donald Trump said late on Saturday, and he warned Tehran it would face more attacks if it did not agree to peace. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/5xBnWk0 via sinceretalk

One of President Donald Trump's Cabinet appointees may be on her way out, according to a Friday report in the New York Times . The Times' Julian E. Barnes, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan are reporting that Trump recently "berated" Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and telling her that he's been "disappointed" in her "judgment," following a video she posted condemning the United States' bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Two unnamed sources who were reportedly briefed on the conversation told the Times that Trump believed Gabbard was using her office to pursue her own political ambitions. "He told Ms. Gabbard that he believed she was using her time working for him to set herself up for higher office," Barnes, Haberman and Swan wrote. "Mr. Trump told Ms. Gabbard that if she wanted to run for president, she should not be in the administration, one of the people briefed on the meeting sai...

First Lady Melania Trump’s renovation of Jackie Kennedy’s iconic Rose Garden during Donald Trump’s first term drew widespread criticism. Now, President Trump is renovating that space once again—this time transforming it into a Mar-a-Lago-style patio—sparking a fresh wave of backlash from critics. President Trump defended what Newsweek described as “bulldozing” part of the Rose Garden, saying the change was intended to make the space more accessible for women wearing high heels, according to The Daily Beast . The renovations also involve removing several trees, including a saucer magnolia reportedly planted to honor President John F. Kennedy. “It’s supposed to have events,” Trump said of the Rose Garden. “Every event you have it’s soaking wet,” he complained. “The women with the high heels, it’s just too much… the grass, it doesn’t work. We use it for press conferences. It doesn’t work.” READ MORE: Trump Starts Weekend Early After Griping Workers Get Too Many Days Off The White...

Michigan state senator Mallory McMorrow (D) strongly criticized Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem Thursday ahead of Noem’s visit to Michigan. “Kristi Noem is headed to Michigan to fearmonger about border security with... Canada,” Mallory said on the social platform X. “The Trump administration's mass deportation boondoggle is nothing but security theater that actually make us LESS safe,” she added. McMorrow continued: “All to the tune of an additional $1 TRILLION in your taxpayer dollars.” READ MORE: 'So nervous': Senator points out 'noticeable' reason defense sec is 'so afraid of Trump' In a video attached to her X post, the Michigan lawmaker said immigrants are being arrested even when they show up to their court hearings and try to follow the legal pathway to immigration. She called Noem's immigration actions "ineffective security theater." McMorrow accused the Trump administration of going after people ...

MSNBC host and former George W. Bush communications director Nicolle Wallace is openly wondering what prompted SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly (a former primetime host on Fox News and then NBC) to transition from a successful mainstream journalist to a "really angry" right-wing pundit. The Daily Beast reported Thursday that Wallace joined journalist Kara Swisher's podcast and spoke about Kelly after the former Fox host attacked her earlier this month. Wallace was initially complimentary of Kelly, saying that she was "one of the best to ever do cable" and that her prediction about independent media like podcasts eventually rivaling mainstream media turned out to be correct. "I watched her every night at 9 o’clock," Wallace said. "I don’t watch her anymore, but I thought her observations about where the industry was heading were right." READ MORE: 'Still waiting': Trump gets brutally mocked for 'fake deadlines' after 'two w...

President Donald Trump has apparently approved attack plans against Iran though has so far stopped short of officially giving the order, according to the Wall Street Journal . And one columnist thinks whether the president of the United States gets the nation involved in another foreign war could be decided by Trump's self-esteem. In a recent op-ed for USA TODAY , columnist Rex Huppke posited that Trump's recent actions could be attributed to the world's most powerful man having a crisis of self-confidence. Huppke argued that the commander-in-chief's deployment of U.S. military personnel to the nation's second-most populous city ended in an anticlimactic fashion, and his sparsely attended military parade didn't move the needle either. According to the columnist, a new foreign war is just part of "the quest to quench this man’s insecurity," opining that even being among other foreign leaders at the G7 summit in the Canadian Rockies didn't do en...