Page 32 - Donald Trump Administration

Leaving top Trump admin post? President may have ambassadorship for you

Diplomacy may be soft power, but in President Donald Trump's administration, it is also lately a soft landing. National security adviser Mike Waltz was nominated as United Nations ambassador after he mistakenly added a journalist to a Signal chat discussing military plans. Trump tapped IRS Commissioner Billy Long to be his ambassador to Iceland after Long contradicted the administration's messaging in his less than two months in the job. And Trump last weekend named State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce as deputy representative to the UN after she struggled to gel with Secretary of State Marco Rubio's close-knit team. The new appointments can be viewed as consolation prizes for leaving a high-profile post in the Trump administration following rocky tenures. But they also reflect the degree to which Trump is trying to keep his loyalists close, even if their earlier placements in the administration were ill-fitting. Breaking with the reality TV show that helped make Trump a ...

Trump tariff impact: US kids to see higher price tag on Christmas toys

Majority of US retail firms put their orders on hold due to uncertainty in tariff situation

Alaska's Russian ties in spotlight as Trump, Putin meet in the 49th state

When US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska on Friday, it will be the latest chapter in the 49th state's long history with Russia and with international tensions. Siberian fur traders arrived from across the Bering Sea in the first part of the 18th century, and the imprint of Russian settlement in Alaska remains. The oldest building in Anchorage is a Russian Orthodox church, and many Alaska Natives have Russian surnames. The nations are so close Alaska's Little Diomede Island in the Bering Strait is less than 5 kilometres from Russia's Big Diomede that former Gov. Sarah Palin was right during the 2008 presidential race when she said, You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, though the comment prompted jokes that that was the extent of her foreign policy experience. Alaska has been US territory since 1867, and it has since been the location of the only World War II battle on North American soil, a focus of Cold War tensions and t

US July budget deficit up 20% Y-o-Y despite record Trump tariff income

The US budget deficit in July climbed 20 per cent this fiscal year compared to the last despite the US taking in record income from President Donald Trump's tariffs, according to Treasury Department data released Tuesday. The US saw a 273 per cent increase - or USD21 billion - in customs revenue in July over the same period last year, the data showed. A Treasury official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the data said overall increased spending is in part due to a mix of expenditures, including growing interest payments on the public debt and cost-of-living increases to Social Security payouts, among other costs. This comes as the federal government's gross national debt creeps up to the USD37 trillion mark. Even as Trump talks about America becoming rich because of his import tax hikes, federal spending keeps outpacing the revenues collected by the government. That financial picture might change as companies exhaust their pre-tariff inventories, forcing them to ...

Trump admin calls out human rights records of countries accepting deportees

The Trump administration on Tuesday released human rights reports for countries worldwide, which eliminate mentions of discrimination faced by LGBTQ people, reduce a previous focus on reproductive rights and criticise restrictions on political speech by US allies in Europe that American officials believe target right-wing politicians. The reports, which cover 2024 before President Donald Trump took office, reflect his administration's focus on free speech and protecting the lives of the unborn. However, the reports also offer a glimpse into the administration's view of dire human rights conditions in some countries that have agreed to accept migrants deported from the United States under Trump's immigration crackdown. This year's reports were streamlined for better utility and accessibility in the field and by partners, the State Department said. The congressionally mandated reports in the past have been frequently used for reference and cited by lawmakers, policymakers, academic ..

Baloch rebel group on US terror list: What Uncle Sam sees in Balochistan

The US designation of the Balochistan Liberation Army as a 'foreign terror group' signals growing ties with Pakistan. But there's more that Trump administration is eyeing in the region

US tariff hikes slash diamond jobs in Gujarat, hit Rajasthan gems trade

Nearly 100,000 workers in Saurashtra lose jobs; Rajasthan's gems and jewellery sector also braces for slowdown as Donald Trump's 50% tariffs hit Indian industries

Trump's DC police takeover echoes historic racist urban crime narratives

President Donald Trump has taken control of the District of Columbia's law enforcement and ordered National Guard troops to deploy onto the streets of the nation's capital, arguing the extraordinary moves are in response to an urgent public safety crisis. Even as district officials questioned the claims underlying his emergency declaration, the president promised a "historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse." His rhetoric echoed that used by conservative politicians going back decades who have denounced American cities, especially those with majority non-white populations or led by progressive politicians, as lawless or crime-ridden and in need of outside intervention. This is liberation day in D.C., and we're going to take our capital back, Trump promised Monday. Trump's action echoes uncomfortable historical chapters But for many residents, the prospect of federal troops surging into the district's neighbourhoods represent

Trump says he'll quickly know if Putin seeks Ukraine peace deal in talks

President Donald Trump said Monday that he expected to determine mere moments into his meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin this week whether it would be possible to work out a deal to halt the war in Ukraine. At the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made, Trump said at a White House press conference that he called to announce plans for a federal takeover of Washington's police force to help combat crime. He said he thought Friday's sitdown with Putin in Alaska would be "really a feel-out meeting". Trump added that it'll be good, but it might be bad and predicted he may say, "lots of luck, keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal. Putin wants to lock in Russia's gains since invading Ukraine in February 2022 as Trump presses for a ceasefire that has remained out of reach. Trump's eagerness to reach a deal has raised fears in Ukraine and Europe about such an agreement favouring Russia, without sufficient .

Trump meets Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan days after calling for his resignation

US President Donald Trump meets Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan days after calling for his resignation over alleged China links amid US chip industry scrutiny

Trump's tax law squeezes poor, boosts income for wealthy, says CBO

Earners in the middle of the distribution will see their annual resources grow by about $800 to $1,200 on average, according to the analysis

Trump takes control of DC Police, deploys National Guard in historic move

In a first since DC's 1973 Home Rule Act, Trump invokes emergency powers to federalise policing and send troops into the capital's streets

Trump's tariffs add $150 billion to US revenue, but where will it go

Donald Trump's tariffs have generated $150 billion in revenue, but questions remain on how it will be used amid deficit and debt concerns

Trump-Putin Alaska summit to tackle Ukraine war, tariffs and global trade

Trump announces historic Alaska summit with Putin to discuss Ukraine, tariffs, and trade; here's what to expect from the meeting

Trump admin moves to dismiss Harvard's lawsuit over ban on foreign students

The dispute involves Harvard's certification with the Student Exchange and Visitor Program - a requirement for any university to enroll international students

Trump admin threatens to seize millions in valuable Harvard patents

Harvard has until Sept. 5 to prove it's complying with the requirements, including whether it showed a preference for US manufacturing, or risk forfeiting its patents

Trump admin weighs military action against Latin American drug cartels

A pending US-Mexico security deal will enable joint monitoring of criminal groups and enhance coordination between security forces along the shared border

Trump removes Billy Long as IRS commissioner in less than 2 months

President Donald Trump has removed former US Rep Billy Long as IRS commissioner less than two months after his confirmation, a White House official said Friday. The official, who was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not give a reason for the dismissal. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will serve as acting commissioner, the official said. The Senate confirmed Long on a 53-44 vote despite Democrats' concerns about the Republican's past work for a firm that pitched a fraud-ridden coronavirus pandemic-era tax break and about campaign contributions he received after Trump nominated him. While in Congress, where he served from 2011 to 2023, Long sponsored legislation to get rid of the IRS. A former auctioneer, Long has no background in tax administration.

Trump admin seeks $1 bn settlement from UCLA, says White House official

The Trump administration is seeking a $1 billion settlement from the University of California, Los Angeles, a White House official said Friday. The person was not authorised to speak publicly about the request and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Trump administration has suspended $584 million in federal grants, the university said this week. In recent weeks, the Department of Justice has accused UCLA of antisemitism. UCLA is the first public university whose federal grants have been targeted by the administration over allegations of civil rights violations related to antisemitism and affirmative action. The Trump administration has frozen or paused federal funding over similar allegations against private colleges. The new UC president, James B Milliken, said in a statement Friday that it had received notice from the Department of Justice and is reviewing it. Earlier this week, we offered to engage in good faith dialogue with the Department to protect the University and its .

Donald Trump to meet Putin in Alaska on Aug 15 to discuss Ukraine war

President Donald Trump on Friday said he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Alaska. He announced the meeting in a post on social meeting and said more details would follow. Earlier, Trump had said that he will meet very shortly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, a potential major milestone after expressing weeks of frustration that more was not being done to quell the fighting. Speaking to reporters at the White House after announcing a framework aimed at ending decades of conflict elsewhere in the world between Armenia and Azerbaijan Trump had refused to say exactly when or where he would meet with Putin, but that he planned to announce a location soon. He also suggested that his meeting with the Russian leader could come before any sit-down discussion involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We're going to have a meeting with Russia, start off with Russia. And we'll announce a location. I think the