GOP rebels back off threat to force Johnson ouster vote this week as they seek deal

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., appears to be backing off her threat to force a vote on ousting Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., this week. “We’ve had discussions in the speaker’s office and right now the ball is in Mike Johnson’s court,” Greene told reporters alongside Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on Tuesday. The pair met with … Continue reading GOP rebels back off threat to force Johnson ouster vote this week as they seek deal

Report into Dutch protections of 3 murder victims finds security services didn't always act on threat tips

A critical report into the protection of three murder victims, including a celebrated Dutch journalist gunned down in central Amsterdam, said Wednesday that security services in a “fragmented” protection system didn’t always act on tips about possible threats.

The conclusions highlighted flaws in a network involving police and prosecutors that is intended to offer protection to people facing threats ranging from stalkers to possible attacks by criminals and terrorists.

The report came following an 18-month government-commissioned investigation by the Dutch Safety Board into the slayings of crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, lawyer Derk Wiersum and the brother of a key witness in the trial of an alleged Dutch crime gang.

De Vries, who was shot on an Amsterdam street on July 21, 2021, and died nine days later acted as a confidential advisor to the witness. Wiersum, the witness’ lawyer, was gunned down on Sept. 18, 2019, outside his home in Amsterdam. The witness’ brother, identified only Reduan, was shot and killed March 29, 2018.

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The witness played a key role in the prosecution of Ridouan Taghi, who is accused by prosecutors of multiple murders in the violent Dutch criminal underworld. Judges are expected to deliver verdicts later this year in the trial of Taghi and several alleged accomplices.

The report said that “command of the surveillance and protection of the persons under threat was fragmented across national and regional organisations” and the protection service “did not receive all the information about the threat that was available to the investigation.”

It added that “signals” of possible threats from the victims “were not regarded as concrete threat information and therefore did not fit into the usual system.”

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Both Wiersum and De Vries had police surveillance at their homes. De Vries “was not willing to share his schedule to make it possible to organize surveillance for his arrivals and departures. He also made no use of the option to personally notify any high-risk moments,” the report said.

The brother of the witness “insisted on protection for members of his family. When the attack on his life took place, no specific security measures had yet been taken for him,” it added.

Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius said in a reaction to the report that the government has made investments to beef up the security apparatus in recent years.

“The increased threat, specifically from organized crime, means that the number of people and objects that are intensively monitored and secured for a long period of time — sometimes even many years — has increased considerably,” she said in a statement.

Yeşilgöz-Zegerius said that “the person to be protected is now more central, and tailor-made security measures are being developed.”

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Biden says Trump supporters not a threat to country after speech blasting 'MAGA Republicans'

President Biden on Friday said he does not consider any Donald Trump supporters to be a “threat” to the U.S., though he said the failure to condemn violence for political gains was “inappropriate.”

The president’s comments were in answer to a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy who asked if Biden considered all Trump supporters to be a threat to the country less than a day after he blasted “MAGA Republicans” in a speech Thursday.

“You keep trying to make that case. I don’t consider any Trump supporters a threat to the country,” Biden said. “I do think anyone who calls for the use of violence, refuses to acknowledge an election…changing the way you count votes, that is a threat to democracy.”

Biden on Thursday said U.S. politics was in a battle between “equality and democracy,” claiming the GOP have assaulted those principles.

“As I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise,” he said. “There’s no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans. And that is a threat to this country.”

Check back on this developing story.