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Since being elected president, Donald Trump has tweeted about “ratings” exactly 100 times, according to the Trump Twitter Archive.

POSTED JANUARY 24, 2020 1:27 PM

Prosecutors in Florida believe a 60-year-old man building a “dungeon” under his home is the so-called pillowcase rapist, who authorities say broke into women’s houses and concealed his face with pillows and towels in as many as 40 assaults in the state since the 1980s.Robert Koehler was arrested on 18 January after authorities say they tied his DNA to samples collected from a 1983 case. The sample also matched DNA collected from several other cases between 1981 and 1986, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

POSTED JANUARY 24, 2020 11:19 AM

Department issues statement following secretary of state’s extraordinary attack on journalist Mary Louise KellyUS secretary of state Mike Pompeo launched an extraordinary attack on a respected NPR journalist on Saturday, a day after reports emerged of him swearing at and trying to humiliate her by asking her to identify Ukraine on a map.In a sharply-worded statement issued by the state department, Pompeo accused the reporter, Mary Louise Kelly, of lying to him and being part of an “unhinged” media conspiracy “in a quest to hurt President Trump and this administration”.The bizarre final line of the brief statement – “It is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine” – appears to suggest that Pompeo believes Kelly identified a different country when he asked her to point out Ukraine on an unmarked map produced by aides.The claim contradicts the experienced foreign correspondent and radio host’s own recollection of the encounter, in which she said she had no trouble identifying Ukraine, after which Pompeo put the map away and insisted: “People will hear about this.”The release of the statement further suggests that the politician, who has a notoriously short fuse, was stung by media coverage of the aftermath of his interview with Kelly, which ended prematurely when Pompeo refused to answer questions about Ukraine.Kelly said Pompeo then called her into a separate room and attempted to browbeat her, asking “Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?” and launching into a foul-mouthed tirade.The state department statement, however, seeks to shift blame to Kelly.“It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency,” it said, claiming Kelly had lied to Pompeo twice, first in setting up the interview and secondly by breaching an apparent agreement to keep the contents of the post-interview conversation off the record.“It is no wonder the American people distrust many in the media when they consistently demonstrate their agenda and their absence of integrity,” it read.NPR has stood by its reporter. “Pompeo proceeded to shout his displeasure at being questioned about Ukraine,” the organization said in a statement. “He used repeated expletives.”In an interview with NPR on Friday, Kelly said Pompeo had shouted at her “for about the same amount of time as the interview itself”.In response to Pompeo’s statement NPR’s senior vice-president for news, Nancy Barnes, said: “Mary Louise Kelly has always conducted herself with the utmost integrity, and we stand behind this report.”

POSTED JANUARY 25, 2020 12:57 PM

President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani showed up on the president’s favorite morning program on Friday—and apparently didn’t want to leave.A day after Giuliani claimed on Twitter that he was about to go public with evidence that will reveal the “Biden Family Enterprise made millions by selling public office” when Joe Biden was vice president, the former New York City mayor sat down on Fox & Friends’ curvy couch for what can generously be described as an unhinged, rambling, off-the-rails performance.Giuliani, whose involvement in the Ukraine scandal is at the heart of the president’s impeachment, continually left the hosts of the Fox News slack-jawed as he prattled on and bulldozed right through their efforts to keep him from incriminating and implicating himself.For example, as he claimed he would provide “compelling” evidence later in the day on a podcast to support his wild assertions about the Bidens that seemingly ensnare the entire Obama administration AND Hillary Clinton, co-host Brian Kilmeade wanted to make sure “the State Department and the White House know everything you were doing."Elsewhere in the interview, which was aired in front of a live studio audience, the one-time America’s Mayor dismissed text messages and call logs with shady businessman Lev Parnas and other figures associated with Ukraine, oddly boasting, “How about all those phone records that show that I am a very hard-working lawyer?”Finally, after Giuliani once again repeated his Biden-related conspiracies, co-host Steve Doocy stepped in to wrap up the segment.“I know you could go clear through noon when your podcast starts. Give it up for Rudy Giuliani,” Doocy exclaimed to cheers from the audience. “We’re going to be watching.”The Trump lawyer, however, wasn’t budging, instead saying that he’d only shown the “tip of the iceberg” while rambling on some more.“Rudy, we’re done,” Doocy begged, prompting Kilmeade to add, “We have got to go. The president wants you to continue this investigation?”“Would you like me to give up?” Giuliani replied, before adding, “Would you like me to say OK, Biden can keep his 8 million that he got in bribes. He can keep all the bribes that they got.”Again, Doocy tried to give the signal that the interview was over, telling Giuliani that “we’re waiting for noon” for the podcast. Giuliani, meanwhile, ignored Doocy while asking Kilmeade if he should “give it up” while grabbing his head and awkwardly leaning off the couch.The ex-mayor would continue to steamroll over Doocy’s efforts to go to commercial break so he could get yet another last word in, finally giving it up after Doocy’s fifth attempt to end the interview.Stephen Colbert Grills CNN’s Chris Cuomo on His ‘Friend’ Kellyanne ConwayRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

POSTED JANUARY 24, 2020 11:20 AM

(Bloomberg) -- Elizabeth Warren brushed off concerns expressed in a viral clip of a so-called “angry dad” who argued that her student loan forgiveness plan rewards irresponsible behavior.In a clip shared on an anonymous pro-Trump Twitter account Tuesday and amplified by conservative media, an unnamed man tells Warren that he gave up vacations and saved money for his daughter’s education so that she wouldn’t have debt. “We did the right thing and we get screwed,” he said of her plan.Asked about the clip in an interview on “CBS This Morning,” Warren responded that younger Americans are getting “crushed” by student loan debt, which is roughly $1.5 trillion.”Look, we build a future going forward by making it better,” she said. “By that same logic what would we have done? Not started Social Security because we didn’t start it last week for you or last month for you?”(Disclaimer: Michael Bloomberg is also seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. He is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)This post is part of Campaign Update, our live coverage from the 2020 campaign trail.  To contact the author of this story: Ryan Beckwith in Washington at rbeckwith3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Ros KrasnyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

POSTED JANUARY 24, 2020 10:37 AM

Iran’s brand is thinning among the Shi’a and Suleimani’s departure creates breathing room for the Shi’a in the region.

POSTED JANUARY 24, 2020 10:52 AM

Republicans are more split than one might imagine: While 42% trust the Senate to do a fair trial, 33% do not.

POSTED JANUARY 24, 2020 1:59 PM

The charity, SOS Chrétiens d'Orient, said the four — three French citizens and an Iraqi — failed to show up for a scheduled meeting Tuesday afternoon and have not been heard from since. All four had prior experience in crisis zones and were staying at a hotel that regularly hosts international guests. The four went missing during a time of heightened tensions in Iraq after a U.S. drone strike on Baghdad airport that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and a senior Iraqi militia commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

POSTED JANUARY 24, 2020 2:49 PM

The plane, with around 230 people, will carry diplomats from the U.S. consulate as well as U.S. citizens and their families, the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the operation. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said that on Thursday, the State Department had ordered the departure of family members and all U.S. government employees at its Wuhan consulate, but declined to comment on the report that other U.S. citizens would be evacuated from the city.

POSTED JANUARY 25, 2020 7:01 AM

Rep. Adam Schiff received praise for his performance during President Trump's impeachment trial — including from some Republicans.

POSTED JANUARY 24, 2020 5:59 PM