On the morning after the House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, making him the third president to be charged with committing high crimes and misdemeanors, a former secretary of defense said he's worried that if the U.S doesn't stand strong for its principles, foreign adversaries may cross a line.
"I don't know how much terrorists pay attention to [impeachment proceedings] but to the extent, internal turmoil and, obviously, division in our country suggests to others that we will not stand strong with friends, we won't stand strong for our interests our principles… that's dangerous," former Obama administration Secretary of Defense Ash Carter told Cheddar Thursday. That invites leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin, North Korea's Kim Jong Un, or China's Xi Jinping "to walk across the line," he said.
Carter, who spent 37 years inside the Pentagon, said what keeps him up at night is that "we're not keeping a position in the world where our friends will stick with us and our enemies, or potential enemies, know they better not mess around with us."
When asked if the president was a threat to national security, Carter said "I certainly would not advise him to sit alone with Vladimir Putin," referencing Trump's affinity for meeting with his Russian counterpart privately, which has happened more than 15 times since he assumed the office in 2017. "[Putin] is, first and foremost, a KGB guy. You always have to remember that's the mindset. So, he's very good at manipulation. And I do worry about any president, but especially President Trump does seem susceptible, when he gets in a room with someone, to want to please them."
New Zealand acknowledged it has an aging Boeing 757 so prone to breakdowns they had sent an empty backup to ensure Prime Minister Chris Hipkins didn't get stranded in China, where he is leading a trade delegation.
Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride announced Monday she's running for the U.S. House of Representatives. Already the first openly transgender state senator elected in the country, she'd be the first transgender member of Congress if she wins in November.
U.S. states could face some hurdles as they experiment with road usage charging programs aimed at one day replacing motor fuel taxes, which are generating less each year, in part due to fuel efficiency and the rise of electric cars.
The defiance of restrictions in North Dakota on what bathrooms transgender students can use in public schools and universities shows that it's not exactly clear how bathroom laws will play out in local communities after being enacted in at least 10 states with Republican-controlled legislatures.
The Supreme Court on Monday left in place an appellate ruling barring a North Carolina public charter school from requiring girls to wear skirts to school.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding almost $1.7 billion in grants for buying zero- and low-emission buses, with the money going to transit projects in 46 states and territories.
Vice President Kamala Harris said Supreme Court conservatives caused a healthcare crisis in America and blasted abortion bans in Republican-led states.
