pop jop/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) Russian military personnel are operating out of an air base in Niger that is still hosting a small number of American troops, two U.S. officials tell ABC News.One of the officials said the Russian trainers arrived several weeks ago at Niger s "Airport 101" near the capital of Niamey, and do not present an immediate security concern to U.S. troops.The Russian forces are operating out of a hangar at a location far away from U.S. forces and not on any property owned or being used by the United States, the officials said Thursday."The Russians are housed in a separate compound and do not have access to US forces, spaces, or equipment," one official said.Still, the development first reported by Reuters speaks to U.S. concerns that Russia is aggressively trying to gain a foothold in West Africa, and specifically Niger where U.S. troops have been asked to leave after building a remote $150 million counterterrorism drone base in Agadez
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) A group of bipartisan members of Congress are demanding answers from Formula 1 owner Liberty Media over why a U.S.-based team backed by racing legend Mario Andretti was excluded from the most prestigious motor racing series in the world.The FIA, which is Formula 1 s governing body, initially accepted Andretti Global s push to join the grid. However, Formula One Management (FOM), the commercial rights holder of the sport, denied Andretti s planned entry in the sport, stating the team could not be competitive in time for upcoming races. F1 cited several competitive concerns, and stated that "the presence of an 11th team would not, in and of itself, provide value to the championship."In a letter to Liberty president and CEO Greg Maffei, the 12 U.S. representatives said they have "concerns with the apparent anti-competitive actions that could prevent two American companies, Andretti Global and General Motors (GM), from producing and
Thinkstock Images/Getty Images(NEW YORK) Protests have broken out at colleges and universities across the country in connection with the war in Gaza.Many pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for their colleges to divest of funds from Israeli military operations, while some Jewish students on the campuses have called the protests antisemitic and said they are scared for their safety.The student protests some of which have turned into around-the-clock encampments have erupted throughout the nation following arrests and student removals at Columbia University in New York City. Students at schools including Yale University, New York University, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California and more have launched protests.Here s how the news is developing:May 01, 6:57 PM These were not peaceful protesters : Columbia official addresses 202 arrestsIn a press briefing Wednesday, Ben Chang, a Columbia University spokesperson, addressed the over 200
Clemons-Hopkins, Smart - Max/Beth DubberMax s Emmy-winning comedy Hacks returns for a third season on Thursday two years after season 2 began.The third season sees Deborah Vance, played by Jean Smart, "riding high off the success of her standup special" while her former writer, Hannah Einbinder s Ava, "pursues new opportunities back in Los Angeles," according to the streamer.The third season was delayed first because of a health issue from which Smart recovered and then Hollywood s summer of strikes.Co-star Carl Clemons-Hopkins, who plays Deborah s driven business manager Marcus, was confident the cast and crew would sync after all the stops, but tells ABC Audio he wondered if the viewers would hang on. "The concern for me came with, Will the audience still be there? Will they still ride as hard for it? "The wait for fans will be worth it, he says. The actor says the show "does an acutely brilliant job of bringing soft landings to hard conversation
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) The Federal Reserve decided to hold its benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday, postponing highly anticipated rate cuts as elevated inflation continues to burden U.S. households.The announcement arrives days after new government data showed that the economy is cooling off.The slowdown has coincided with a months-long stretch of stubborn inflation, putting pressure on the Fed to keep interest rates high despite a risk of hindering economic activity with expensive borrowing costs."The economic outlook is uncertain, and the Committee remains highly attentive to inflation risks," the Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed s decision-making body on interest rates, said in a statement on Wednesday.Due in part to a lack of recent progress in lowering inflation, the FOMC said it does not anticipate cutting interest rates until it retains confidence that inflation is moving sustainably downward."So far the data has not given us tha