USA Newsblog: "Excellent Addition": Trump gets new VP

For our live blog, in addition to our own research, we use material from the news agencies dpa, Reuters, epd, KNA, and Bloomberg. Important Updates Beni Rae Harmony is the new Vice Spokesperson of the White House US Air Force orders bombers back from Great Britain for security reasons Trump appoints intelligence chief as AI official Due to the time change: Trump makes a Senator's phone number public Trump speaks of possible increased attacks on Iran after the US election Anna Schimpp Beni Rae Harmony is the new Vice Spokesperson of the White House The former media professional Beni Rae Harmony is the new Deputy Press Secretary of the White House. She will be a "fine addition" to the communications team of US President Donald Trump, said the Deputy Government Spokesperson Anna Kelly. According to the media, Harmony is only 24 years old. She became the subject of headlines because of a photo in which she was shown wearing a T-shirt with a provocative statement about the Democratic ex-US President Joe Biden. Harmony previously reported as a correspondent for the staunchly conservative Real America’s Voice on the White House. On her LinkedIn profile, she describes herself as a "versatile media professional with the ability to shine in a variety of roles." She looks back at three years of experience as a television presenter, reporter, and producer. She also sees herself as a "journalist and storyteller." Even before her time in the media, she had gained initial insights into the work of the government: She states that she completed a six-month communications internship in the US House of Representatives starting in November 2020, before working as Deputy Press Secretary for Republican Congress members Paul Gosar and Matt Gaetz. Both are considered hardliners of the "Make America Great Again" movement. Harmony previously reported as a correspondent for the staunchly conservative Real America’s Voice on the White House. On her LinkedIn profile, she describes herself as a "versatile media professional with the ability to shine in a variety of roles." She looks back at three years of experience as a television presenter, reporter, and producer. She also sees herself as a "journalist and storyteller." Even before her time in the media, she had gained initial insights into the work of the government: She states that she completed a six-month communications internship in the US House of Representatives starting in November 2020, before working as Deputy Press Secretary for Republican Congress members Paul Gosar and Matt Gaetz. Both are considered hardliners of the "Make America Great Again" movement. Meanwhile, no successor for Trump's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt seems to have been found. She resigned as Press Secretary of the White House at the end of August, and previously Trump was the youngest spokesperson since the beginning of his second term. According to the New York Times, Leavitt will continue to comment on Fox News, the conservative channel. She is scheduled to contribute her opinion to a series of shows starting November 1st. Barbara Klimke Attack on speedboat in the Caribbean with four dead The US military has once again destroyed a speedboat in the Caribbean that was allegedly used for drug smuggling and killed four people. The military command responsible for the region, Southcom, published a video in which a moving boat is hit by an unidentified shell, explodes, and catches fire. The speedboat was said to have been involved in drug trafficking according to intelligence reports. The information could not be independently verified. Under the order of President Donald Trump, the US military has repeatedly attacked boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific with which drugs are allegedly smuggled into the USA, according to government statements, since autumn of last year. As with this time, the deceased "drug terrorists" were usually mentioned afterward. A total of dozens of boats are said to have been hit and more than two hundred people killed in the operation "Southern Spear". Critics doubt that the deadly attacks in international waters are legally permissible. Barbara Klimke US Air Force orders bombers back from Great Britain for security reasons The US has withdrawn its twelve B-1 bombers from the British Air Force base RAF Fairford. This happened a week after the arrest of several men suspected of planning terrorist attacks there. A spokesperson for the US Department of Defense stated, "We can now confirm that all US bombers stationed at RAF Fairford have returned to their home bases in the United States." The Pentagon explained that it could not confirm the relocation "in real-time" for reasons of operational security. According to the New York Times, new threats against the military base were the reason for the surprising withdrawal of the US long-range bombers. The Pentagon did not comment on this. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had said last week that there were "strong indications" of Iran's involvement in the alleged attack plans. The Iranian embassy in London called this propaganda. Great Britain had allowed the US to use the bombers for attacks on Iranian missile sites from which ships in the Strait of Hormuz were attacked. According to the New York Times, new threats against the military base were the reason for the surprising withdrawal of the US long-range bombers. The Pentagon did not comment on this. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had said last week that there were "strong indications" of Iran's involvement in the alleged attack plans. The Iranian embassy in London called this propaganda. Great Britain had allowed the US to use the bombers for attacks on Iranian missile sites from which ships in the Strait of Hormuz were attacked. Anna Lea Jakobs After failed execution: Pike still unconscious Days after her failed execution, the US-American woman Christa Pike, who was sentenced to death, is allegedly still in critical condition. The 50-year-old is reportedly still unconscious, intubated, and artificially kept alive in a hospital in Nashville. Hospital staff are working to save her life and remove the pentobarbital administered from her body. Pike was to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday evening (local time). However, even after she was reportedly administered the two doses of pentobarbital provided in the protocol according to the authorities, she remained alive. Tennessee has not yet explained why the execution failed. The correctional authority immediately stated that all the intended steps of the protocol had been followed. The defense suspects that at least some of the pentobarbital entered the bloodstream not through the veins but into surrounding tissue due to access problems. The state has not yet confirmed this statement. The exact cause is now to be clarified by an independent investigation. Governor Bill Lee had canceled the last scheduled execution for this year. Anna Lea Jakobs Trump appoints intelligence chief as AI official US President Donald Trump has appointed his intelligence chief Jay Clayton as the new AI official of the government. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal in reference to an interview with Clayton. According to this, Clayton is to lead a new White House body that will report on the risks and opportunities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within 120 days. The body, referred to by the government as the "Super Intelligence Force," should ensure that the USA remains a leader in highly developed AI, said Clayton to the paper. "The risk of not being first is high." The background to the appointment is an intensive debate about the safety of AI. Some researchers warn that the technology can become dangerous for humans. Politicians from both parties are therefore calling for stronger regulation. Trump himself has advocated for a restrained regulation to not jeopardize competitiveness against China. Trump is thus making a second appeal for an advisor on this issue. The new body will also include Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Anna Lea Jakobs Cornell President worries about alleged group rape of the elite university After alleged group rape at the elite University of Cornell, its president shows compassion for the affected student. "What Jane Doe suffered in 2024 is deeply worrying and will burden our community for many years," said Michael I. Kotlikoff in a video. Jane Doe is the pseudonym of a former student who accuses seven men of sexually abusing and raping her in a dormitory on campus in 2024. According to the woman, she was made submissive with alcohol and drugs. Her statements shortly after the incident did not lead to a trial. That is why the university was publicly criticized. Following a new civil lawsuit, the case is being investigated again. New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the investigation to be conducted under special supervision. Kotlikoff admitted in his video that he heard "frustration" that his university "did not communicate enough about what the university did after the report of the assault." This led to distrust. Kotlikoff emphasized that there are "legal and data protection limits." However, the university wants to strive to explain more, to explain the measures taken and to be more transparent. "It breaks my heart when I think about what she went through," says Kotlikoff. The incident raises "heartbreaking and disturbing questions about sexual violence, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug consumption." Anna Lea Jakobs US Coast Guard finds wreckage of missing aircraft The US Coast Guard has discovered wreckage that it claims belongs to a small aircraft missing off the East Coast of the USA. The search for the six passengers will continue on Sunday night (local time), the Coast Guard announced. According to their information, these are four Canadian citizens and two from Bermuda. Contact with the aircraft was reportedly broken on Saturday morning (local time), the Coast Guard said. Search teams then searched the water and the air for the aircraft. In a statement from Nantucket Airport – one of the closest airports to the coast to the last known location of the aircraft, it was stated that the aircraft had declared an emergency before the contact was lost. "The exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear," it is said in the statement available to the German Press Agency. Barbara Klimke Due to the time change: Trump makes a Senator's phone number public Donald Trump published the alleged phone number of Republican Senator Tom Cotton in the dispute over the permanent introduction of daylight saving time. The US President urged his supporters on his social media channel to call the Senator. Cotton blocks a bill supported by Trump that would end the half-yearly time change. The Senator then stated on the X platform that the citizens of his state of Arkansas did not want their children to go to school in the dark. Cotton blocks a bill supported by Trump that would end the half-yearly time change. The Senator then stated on the X platform that the citizens of his state of Arkansas did not want their children to go to school in the dark. "If Tom Cotton were to put Arkansas first, he would give the people there an additional hour of daylight. They would not have to walk twice a year in their homes, their yards, their workplaces and elsewhere to set their clocks – and often forget to do so." "Donald Trump" The US House had already agreed to the bill in July, but it met with resistance in the Senate. Trump argues that more sunlight in the afternoon is good for agriculture and sports and reduces crime. It is not the first time that Trump has published a Senator's phone number. During his first presidential campaign, he read the number of Senator Lindsey Graham at a rally in 2015, whom he called an "idiot" at the time. It is not the first time that Trump has published a Senator's phone number. During his first presidential campaign, he read the number of Senator Lindsey Graham at a rally in 2015, whom he called an "idiot" at the time. Trump speaks of possible increased attacks on Iran after the US election US President Donald Trump believes that there are possible increased attacks on Iran after the Congressional midterms in November. He said this in an interview with Time magazine. Meanwhile, the US is strengthening its military presence in the Middle East. The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and an amphibious task force with other ships are on their way to the region. The forces are expected to bring about approximately 9,000 to 10,000 sailors and Marines. Upon arrival, three US aircraft carrier battle groups may be stationed there. It is still unclear whether the Roosevelts will join the already deployed carriers or replace one of them. Trump announces a one-time $90 payment for more than 20 million sick US-Americans. US President Donald Trump has announced a one-time $90 payment to more than 20 million Medicare beneficiaries. The money is intended to help them pay the monthly premiums for Medicare Part B. Trump wrote on Friday evening (local time) on social media that the payments would come from the Medicare Improvement Fund. Congress had allocated two billion dollars to the fund to improve the Medicare program. According to the White House, most beneficiaries are expected to receive the money directly at the beginning of October. Those who do not receive a direct transfer are to receive a check to the address on file with Medicare. The announcement comes just a month before the Congressional midterms (the so-called Midterms) in November. In September, Trump had promised to pay every adult US citizen $5000 if Republicans retained control of both houses of Congress in the midterms. Analysts, economists, and individual Republicans in Congress expressed doubts about the plan. G-7 countries release 100 million barrels of oil and diesel due to US pressure The G-7 countries have agreed to release 100 million barrels of crude oil and diesel from their strategic reserves. This response is to the pressure from the US to increase supply and reduce fuel prices, which have risen sharply due to the war in Iran. "We will implement our obligations through a coordinated release of 100 million barrels through the IEA (International Energy Agency), which should commence immediately and last for four months," it was said in a joint statement by the G7. This also includes a advance, extensive release of diesel within the first 20 days by the G7 members and their partners. In the coming days, there is to be discussed with the IEA about possible further releases. The G7 members are the US, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. In their statement, they write about "unprecedented volatility in the oil markets." 100 million barrels are roughly equivalent to the crude oil demand from which the IEA derives its global daily demand. The fundamental decision about releasing reserves lies with the IEA with its 32 member countries. IEA Chief Fatih Birol underlined on X the organization's willingness to support. The IEA had recently released a record amount of 400 million barrels of strategic oil reserves in response to the Iran war in March. The question has arisen again due to rising prices, especially for diesel. US President Donald Trump welcomed the decision. "Europe has just agreed to release significant amounts of its well-stocked diesel reserves. The release will commence immediately," Trump wrote on the Truth Social. Trump is trying to lower fuel prices in his country before the US Congressional elections on November 3rd. Luzia Geier Trump starts campaign tour Just a month before the important parliamentary elections, US President Donald Trump starts his campaign. The Republican had already announced that he would travel the country in the remaining weeks before the so-called Midterms. His appearance in Denton in the US state of Texas marked the start, and that same evening (local time), Trump also traveled to the US state of Oklahoma. This Friday, the journey continues to Alabama, and on Saturday to Ohio. "I am fully there – more than ever," Trump emphasized in Texas. "I believe we will win." Even at the Republican party convention in Dallas a few weeks ago, he had repeatedly called the midterms a vote on himself. At that time he also caused a stir with an unusual campaign promise. In Durant, he reiterated it: Every adult US citizen should receive $5000 if Republicans defended their majorities in both houses. However, this proposal is neither politically nor financially realistic. It would cost a trillion US dollars, about as much as the entire US defense budget. Just at the Republican party convention in Dallas a few weeks ago, he had repeatedly called the midterms a vote on himself. At that time he also caused a stir with an unusual campaign promise. In Durant, he reiterated it: Every adult US citizen should receive $5000 if Republicans defended their majorities in both houses. However, this proposal is neither politically nor financially realistic. It would cost a trillion US dollars, about as much as the entire US defense budget.