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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has come under fire over an explosive whistleblower complaint and allegations that she is protecting the Trump family — and that she even planted a mole to obstruct the investigation, according to an analyst Thursday. Salon's Jesselyn Radack described multiple problems and conflicts of interest that have surfaced around Gabbard's alleged mismanagement of the complaint, which are tied to claims that President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner influenced the president over Iran. The complaint itself was apparently "locked in a safe," according to a Wall Street Journal report last month."We don’t know the substance of the intelligence report underlying the whistleblower complaint, but the government claims it is 'exquisitely' classified, which raises an immediate problem: That’s not a real classification level," Radack wrote. "The report apparently involves an intelligence service intercepting a conversation between two foreign nationals about Iran and Jared Kushner’s influence on his father-in-law, the president. At the time, the Trump administration was considering a strike on Iran, which in fact occurred at the end of June 2025."Gabbard reportedly delayed investigating the complaint amid "ongoing rumors concerning the state of her relationship with Trump, which has appeared to be in constant flux," Radack explained. "Instead of providing guidance, Gabbard — the former champion of whistleblowers — apparently sat on the complaint for eight months and stonewalled the whistleblower and their lawyer," Radack wrote. She also reportedly made potentially "sinister" moves, "rather than innocent, bureaucratic snafus." "And worse, during this delay, she reportedly planted a mole in the ICIG’s office to snitch about the situation directly to her — obviously compromising the office’s independence," Radack wrote. Gabbard has appeared to be acting as a protector of the Trump family — instead of focusing on national intelligence concerns. "We don’t know why Gabbard continues to aggressively obstruct this whistleblower complaint," Radack added. "It sounds like she’s more concerned with protecting Jared Kushner, and perhaps Trump himself, than the public she’s supposed to serve. But we do know this: The ICWPA system for intelligence community whistleblowers depends on the knowledge, trust, credibility and good faith of the director of national intelligence. It’s a fatal flaw to make that person an intermediary, much less a gatekeeper, on a whistleblower’s path to congressional oversight."

US president is ‘truly uninformed’ for spreading claims of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa tells New York TimesSouth Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has called Donald Trump’s policy of allowing white Afrikaners to apply for refugee status in the US “racist”, saying the US president was “truly uninformed” in a rare instance of direct criticism.Ramaphosa told the New York Times that last year’s Oval Office meeting with the US leader, when Trump turned down the lights and played a video that he falsely claimed showed there was a “white genocide” in South Africa, was a “spectacle” and an “ambush”. Continue reading...

Early results may be released from Friday after first election since gen z protests forced Nepal’s then-PM to quitNearly six months after a wave of unprecedented gen Z-led protests forced Nepal’s then prime minister to quit, people have voted in a general election that is shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown between the entrenched old guard and a powerful youth movement.“The voting process has been concluded peacefully and enthusiastically,” said the chief election commissioner, Ram Prasad Bhandari. It appeared the turnout was only about 60%, according to initial estimates, the lowest in more than two decades. Continue reading...

British former champion hits out at former colonial rulers‘I’m hoping countries unite and take Africa back’Lewis Hamilton has called for a movement to “take Africa back”, claiming the continent is being “controlled” by European powers. On the eve of the new Formula One season in Melbourne, the seven-time champion outlined his ambition to compete in a grand prix on African soil.But the 41-year-old, F1’s first black race driver, did not stop there. He suggested former colonial rulers still exerted undue power in the region and called for action to reverse that influence. “I’ve got roots from a few different places there, like Togo and Benin,” he said. “I’m really proud of that part of the world. Continue reading...

A veteran court watcher warned on Wednesday that the Supreme Court is about to "gravely disappoint" Americans. Former Solicitor General of the United States Donald B. Verrilli Jr. discussed the Supreme Court's recent ruling in the tariffs case on a new episode of the "Amicus" podcast with Dahlia Lithwick. He argued that the case provided temporary relief for those concerned that the court was about to sign away a wholesale transfer of power from Congress to the presidency. Even so, there are still some outstanding issues that should give Americans reasons for concern, he argued. "If you actually think about it, what Justice Amy Coney Barrett said, what Justice Neil Gorsuch said, what Justice Elena Kagan said in her concurrence, and what the chief justice said? There was a common core to it, which was: 'Use your common sense, man,'" Verrilli Jr. said. In late February, the Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump's tariff regime was unconstitutional because it was not approved by Congress. Courts are now wrestling with the question of how to return the tariffs that were collected to the businesses that paid them. While that case was a brief win, Verilli Jr. noted that there are still many cases concerning presidential power that are being decided by unsigned opinions — also known as the shadow docket — which he described as "quite distressing." "Nevertheless, I look at the course of our history, and I feel that there’s reason to keep the faith," Verilli Jr. said.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) lashed out at several of her Republican colleagues for opposing a motion that would require Congress to release information on payouts that silence victims of congressional sex scandals.During a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) moved to release information about payouts for sexual misconduct. Boebert spoke out in support of Mace's motion in committee after a majority of Republicans in the full House voted down a similar effort."And I want to thank Congresswoman Nancy Mace for introducing this privileged motion," the Colorado Republican said. "I think at this point, this is something that should be introduced on a weekly basis. I am absolutely disgusted that we could even get to 50 members of Congress who want immediate transparency. Don't we all campaign on transparency? Don't we all go out and tell the American voters that we are leaders and that we are going to get justice for them, that we are going to do right by them?""And then we hire their daughters to come work for us," she continued. "And your tax dollars, millions and millions of dollars, has been used in this slush fund as hush money to silence victims who have been sexually harassed, sexually abused by members of Congress."Boebert noted that attention had been focused on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but the misconduct was "happening right here in our nation's capital.""And to every member who voted to send this to committee, where you know this was sent to die on the House floor just moments ago," she remarked. "I hope you have a darn good reason to tell your constituents why you were not going to stand up for the victims.""And I'm glad that we are doing something about it here in the Oversight Committee," the lawmaker added. "And to the members who voted against this, go home and tell your daughters what you did today! Go home and tell your daughters what happens in the workplace, no matter where it is, in your hometown, in your nation's capital, and tell them what you did to help continue to cover up decades of corruption!"

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt directly attacked CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday during the first press briefing since the United States and its ally Israel launched military strikes against Iran. Leavitt had made several comments criticizing media coverage of the Trump administration and went after reporters at the White House, specifically Collins and CNN. The Trump administration has presented several different objectives since launching its military operation five days ago — with Cabinet members and even President Donald Trump giving conflicting information over what prompted the attacks and led to the regional conflict that has now left six American troops dead. "Is it the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. service members?" Collins asked Leavitt. "No, it's the position of this administration that the press in this room and the press across this country should report on the success of Operation Epic Fury and the damage it is doing to the rogue Iranian regime that has threatened the lives of every single American in this room," Leavitt said. "If the Iranian regime had their choice, they would kill every single person in this room, and so we can all be very grateful that we have an administration, that we have men and women in our armed forces who are willing to sacrifice their own lives for the rest of us in this room and for every American across the country, and for every troop that is based in the Middle East."Collins pushed back on what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said earlier Wednesday. When Leavitt started to clash with her, things became personal. "But Secretary Hegseth was complaining that it was front-page news about these six service members who were killed," Collins said. "That's not what the secretary said, and that's not what he meant, and you know it!" Leavitt said, appearing visibly upset by Collins' statement. "You are being disingenuous. There is not — we've never had a secretary of defense who cares more..." Collins then interjected and read the statement directly from Hegseth, who had claimed that the press had purposefully tried to speak badly about Trump."The press only wants to make the president look bad," Leavitt said. As you know, the press, the deaths of U.S. service members under every president. The press does only want to make the president look bad. That's a fact. Especially, you know, listen to me, especially you, and especially CNN, and the secretary of defense cares deeply about our warfighters and our men and women in uniform. He travels all across this country to meet with them, to connect with them. And your network has hardly ever probably reported on that." Collins responded again to Leavitt's attacks — pointing out that covering the slain military members was not an attempt to attack Trump."That's not making the president look bad, that's showcasing that," Collins said. "And I just told you that the president of the United States will be attending their dignified transfer. So please. So, please," Leavitt said. "We expect you to cover that as you should, Kaitlan. But you and your network know that you take every single thing this administration says and tries to use it to make the president look bad. That is an objective fact."Collins pushed back again. "I don't think covering troop deaths is trying to make the president look bad," Collins said."If you're trying to argue right now that CNN's overwhelming coverage is not negative of President Donald Trump, I think the American people would tend to agree, and your ratings would tend to disagree with that as well," Leavitt said.

Frigate goes down off Sri Lanka as Washington and Israel step up their offensive and promise to hit ‘deeper’ targets in IranMiddle East crisis – live updatesA torpedo fired by a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the south coast of Sri Lanka as the Trump administration followed through on its threats to destroy Tehran’s military and political leadership.At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack on the Iris Dena. The frigate was sailing in international waters as it returned from a naval exercise organised by India in the Bay of Bengal. The torpedo strike prompted questions from former US officials about whether Washington’s aim of eliminating all of Iran’s military breached international law. Continue reading...