FIFA is facing backlash after announcing it will seek outside investors to fund a newly formed commercial arm that would control operations for future World Cup tournaments.The international organization is looking to raise $4.2 billion at a $20 billion valuation to fund a newly formed commercial arm called FIFA Forward Enterprise, and among the potential investors is Thrive Eternal, an investment vehicle launched by Joshua Kushner – brother of President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, reported CNN."So is the World Cup up for sale?" said CNN's Kate Bolduan. "FIFA is apparently looking for new investors, which is sparking these big new questions, and people are not happy about it."The plan has enraged UEFA, European soccer's governing body, which is holding an emergency meeting to discuss the proposal, including a possible World Cup boycott, according to multiple reports."This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross," UEFA said in a statement, adding that "the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade" and warning there is "zero transparency as to who gains financially.""None of us are the owners of football," the statement added. "It is not FIFA's to sell."FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the plan as necessary for FIFA's "next stage of growth," saying it would create a dedicated commercial structure with value "shared more and better all around the world." Each of FIFA's 211 member federations could receive a roughly $20 million stake if they opt into the new subsidiary.The controversy adds to mounting political risk for Infantino, whose re-election bid could be complicated by his close relationship with Trump. House Judiciary Committee ranking Democrat Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has requested records from FIFA, including gifts given to Trump and visitor logs from FIFA's Miami headquarters and Trump Tower office.If Democrats win a House majority in November, they could gain subpoena power and potentially compel Infantino's testimony — with the election falling just two weeks before candidates must declare for FIFA's presidential vote next March.Raskin was pointed in his criticism of the investment plan, accusing FIFA of pursuing "a multibillion-dollar deal with Jared Kushner's brother to sell ownership stakes in the World Cup to private investors."Jared Kushner's own investment firm, Affinity Partners, has separately drawn congressional scrutiny for raising billions from foreign sovereign wealth funds while he leads U.S. diplomatic negotiations with those same governments.FIFA and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump holds the FIFA World Cup Trophy, as he makes an announcement on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as FIFA president Gianni Infantino stands next to him, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 22, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
President Donald Trump sees Senate Majority Leader John Thune as one of his “biggest headaches,” despite insisting that their relationship is “fine” publicly, according to reporting from The Atlantic. The president’s displeasure with Thune has been brewing for some time, as the senator stands squarely in the way of Trump’s voting rights–suppressing SAVE America Act. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters last week that Trump’s patience with Thune was “running out,” and Trump himself told a Georgia rally crowd to call Thune directly regarding the SAVE America Act that same day. And on Monday, Trump strangely demanded that Thune pass a “full and deep throated” SAVE America Act.“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER, where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of, including a full and deep throated SAVE AMERICA ACT, the Budget, and the ever looming Debt Ceiling disaster, 1929!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Dumocrats will do it on day one, and can’t believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership. Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!”Thune has yet to flinch, making Trump’s private comments even more believable. “If somebody can show me how we get an outcome, how we get a result, how we get an answer to this, I’m all for it.… But if we are going to be sitting here in endless quorum calls, I don’t know if that’s in anybody’s best interest,” Thune said to reporters on Monday. “We could stay here until Christmas, Democrats aren’t voting for this. I’m just telling you.… And Republicans are not getting rid of the legislative filibuster.”It’s unclear how long Thune’s resistance can last. Trump is absolutely desperate to get the SAVE America Act through, and he’ll be even more so as he approaches the end of his second (and hopefully final) term. Thune’s moderate Senate allies, such as Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, are outgoing, while the majority of the party willingly capitulates to whatever Trump demands, and will likely continue doing so.
There are plenty of things I’ve never understood about the people who’ve chosen loyalty to Donald Trump over the United States of America. I don’t have the space to list every single reason he never should’ve been allowed to run again in 2020, let alone 2024, but let's remain in the present for now. Trump is so far gone at this point, both physically and mentally, that anyone with eyes can see it for themselves. And yet, there’s an entire political party keeping its head in the sand rather than admit to what we’ve all been subjected to for the last 11 years.I truly cannot comprehend how anyone is still proudly broadcasting their support for an obviously sundowning convicted felon adjudicated rapist who has vandalized Washington, D.C. to make America look as weak as possible on the global stage on our 250th birthday. The last week alone has provided multiple examples of why any remaining Trump loyalists need to somehow recover their pre-2015 memories and remind themselves of what the American president is supposed to represent. Friday’s shambolic appearance at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner was just the latest example of what a global embarrassment Trump is, as well as how far the “legacy media” has fallen. When he wasn’t dozing off on the dais or doing a weird thing with his mouth that many people were saying is Adderall and/or cocaine related, Trump delivered another rambling speech that relied on his usual litany of bullying, bragging, and bull.A room full of journalists and other members of the media sat there and took more of his verbal abuse and lies instead of walking out on him. No one stood up and yelled “LIAR!”No one defended CNN’s Kaitlan Collins when Trump once again attacked her for not smiling, because he’s disgusting.It seemed that only Lone Wolf Blitzer was capable of telling the truth about Trump while standing right in front of him.We certainly can’t expect Jake Tapper to report on Donny Dementia’s deterioration, especially not after he begged Trump for another interview after chatting with him on CNN about Lindsey Graham’s death.Remember Lindsey Graham? Yeah, I also thought it was weird that Mitch McConnell didn’t issue a statement about his death.Anyway, the Republican Party of old would be reeling right now upon learning that their leader finally paid the woman he sexually abused and defamed the $5.6 million he’s owed her for the last three years, with interest. But their silence is their compliance, standing with an adjudicated rapist whose name appears in the Epstein Files at least 38,000 times, rather than incur his wrath in a social media post.This is how far our alleged leadership has fallen. They spend their time trying to out-bully each other on Twitter to please their molting MAGA masochist, lest he reveal whatever blackmail he has on all of them. We can blame Ronald Reagan for a lot of things when it comes to the present-day GOP. Still, I think it’s safe to say he wouldn’t have tolerated the thrice-married, philandering, five-time draft-dodging Epstein bestie Donald Trump as a candidate, let alone stood for him falling asleep behind the Resolute Desk. America is a joke on the global stage as the world watches this addled toddler fall and fail. Yet, no one stands up to the Cowardly Lyin’ fraud who bankrupted his own casinos in Atlantic City while laundering money for the Russian mob.It’s EXHAUSTING to be a thinking, caring person in a media landscape that avoids accountability out of fear of retaliation. Ooh, what’s he going to do, block you on Twitter, Peter Doocy? Even though that’s a violation of a citizen’s First Amendment rights?Oh wait, Trump doesn’t care about upholding the Constitution. Which I’ve known all along, but more specifically, since August 28, 2015, the day Trump blocked me on Twitter. Yea verily, the ultimate Twitter Badge of Honor. When Trump was first sued by the Knight-Columbia Institute in 2017 over multiple First Amendment violations on social media, it applied to anyone he blocked after he was inaugurated. But then they also decided that he should be forced to unblock anyone who’d been blocked when he was just a candidate and was still blocked. Including lil’ ol me, Dear Reader. I can’t say for sure how any of it went down, of course. But I like to imagine him sitting behind the then-empty Resolute Desk and being given a list of Twitter accounts to unblock, then begrudgingly unblocking them. “Fine,” he grumbles, going down the list, until he reaches my account. “Oh no, not that one!” Trump harrumphs, “She’s MEAN!”I’m blocked to this day, and I’m also blocked on his Instagram. That’s how petty this “POTUS*” actually is.I’m all of five feet tall, and I weigh maybe a buck five or six. If you passed me on the street, you’d clock me as a petite woman with a head of silver hair, and therefore not a threat. I like to say I’m reactive, because I don’t wake up every day wondering who I can piss off.
President Donald Trump and a who’s who of political leaders returned Tuesday to the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, better known as the National Cathedral, for the funeral of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. The service reaffirmed something many Republicans seemed ready to abandon only 18 months ago: The National Cathedral remains […]
