Page 88 - Donald Trump

Trump uses govt shutdown to target federal workers, halt key projects

President Donald Trump has seized on the government shutdown as an opportunity to reshape the federal workforce and punish detractors, by threatening mass firings of workers and suggesting irreversible cuts to programmes important to Democrats. Rather than simply furlough employees, as is usually done during any lapse of funds, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said layoffs were imminent. The Office of Management and Budget announced it was putting on hold roughly USD 18 billion of infrastructure funds for New York's subway and Hudson Tunnel projects in the hometown of the Democratic leaders of the US House and Senate. Trump has marvelled over the handiwork of his budget director. He can trim the budget to a level that you couldn't do any other way, the president said at the start of the week of OMB Director Russ Vought, who was also a chief architect of the Project 2025 conservative policy book. So they're taking a risk by having a shutdown, Trump said during an event

Trump vows to protect Qatar against any attack, weeks after Israel's strike

The move came weeks after Israel launched a military strike in Qatar's capital, Doha, targeting top Hamas leaders and sending shockwaves across the Gulf countries

Trump admin puts 100% pharma tariffs on hold but uncertainty looms

The Trump administration has clarified that while these tariffs might not be enforced immediately, they are still in play and can be implemented in the near future

White House proposes new rules for colleges to gain funding advantage

The "Compact for Academic Excellence" offers universities federal loans, grants, research funding, scholar visas, and tax benefits if they follow new Trump administration rules

Trump admin asks judge to pause Harvard funding case amid govt shutdown

Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that Harvard grant terminations were unlawful over antisemitism claims, but final judgment is pending with a status report due by Oct 3

Supreme Court lets Lisa Cook remain as Federal Reserve governor for now

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Lisa Cook to remain as a Federal Reserve governor for now, declining to act on the Trump administration's effort to immediately remove her from the central bank. In a brief unsigned order, the high court said it would hear arguments in January over Republican President Donald Trump's effort to force Cook off the Fed board. The court will consider whether to block a lower-court ruling in Cook's favour while her challenge to her firing by Trump continues. The high-court order was a rare instance of Trump not quickly getting everything he wants from the justices in an emergency appeal. Separately, the justices are hearing arguments in December in a separate but related legal fight over Trump's actions to fire members of the boards that oversee other independent federal agencies. The case concerns whether Trump can fire those officials at will. But a second issue in the case could bear directly on Cook's fate: whether federal judges have the ...

Trump admin puts on hold $18 bn in funding for New York City infra projects

President Donald Trump's administration, citing the government shutdown, said Wednesday it was putting a hold on roughly USD 18 billion to fund a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey and an extension of the city's Second Avenue subway. The White House budget director, Russ Vought, said on X that the step was taken due to the Republican administration's belief the spending was based on unconstitutional diversity, equity and inclusion principles. In a statement, Trump's Transportation Department said it had been reviewing whether any unconstitutional practices were occurring in the two massive infrastructure projects but that the shutdown, which began Wednesday, had forced it to furlough the staffers conducting the review. The suspension of funds is likely meant to target Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, whom the White House is blaming for the impasse. He said the funding freeze would harm commuters. Obstructing these projec

Prolonged US govt shutdown could impact travel plans amid flight delays

If a US government shutdown goes on long enough, it could throw a wrench in travel plans, potentially leading to longer airport wait times, flight delays and even cancellations. The shutdown began Wednesday after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to reach a deal to continue funding government services and operations. That means a vast majority of employees who keep US airports and air travel running are working without pay until the government reopens. The longer a shutdown drags on, the more likely we are to see longer TSA lines, flight delays and cancellations, national parks in disrepair and unnecessary delays in modernising travel infrastructure," Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the US Travel Association, warned in a statement. Here's what to know about the shutdown and its potential impacts on your travel plans: Flying during a shutdown Travellers can still fly despite the lapse in funding, but during a prolonged shutdown, travellers should plan ahead for potenti

Trump to meet Xi Jinping in four weeks, vows support for US soybean farmers

Trump says US soybean farmers are being hurt as China isn't buying for "negotiating" reasons and vows to use tariff revenue to support them

Senate vote fails to end shutdown as Democrats push for healthcare funding

A vote to end the government shutdown hours after it began failed on Wednesday, as Democrats in the Senate held firm to the party's demands to fund health care subsidies that President Donald Trump and Republicans refuse to provide. The tally showed cracks in the Democrats' resolve but offered no breakthrough. Blame was being cast on all sides on the first day of the shutdown. The White House and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep programs and services open, throwing the country into a new cycle of uncertainty. Roughly 750,000 federal workers were expected to be furloughed, with some potentially fired by Trump's Republican administration. Many offices will be shuttered, perhaps permanently, as the president vows to "do things that are irreversible" to punish Democrats. Trump's deportation agenda is expected to run full speed ahead, while education, environmental and other services sputter. The economic fallout is expected to ripple nationwide. I certainly pray they will

Israel orders Palestinians to leave Gaza City or be deemed militants

Around 400,000 Palestinians have fled famine-stricken Gaza City since Israel launched a major offensive last month aimed at occupying it, but hundreds of thousands remain

Trump signs order pledging to defend Qatar in wake of Israel's strike

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order vowing to use all measures including US military action to defend the energy-rich nation of Qatar though it remains unclear just what weight the pledge will carry. The text of the order, available Wednesday on the White House's website but dated Monday, appears to be another measure by Trump to assure the Qataris following Israel's surprise attack on the country targeting Hamas leaders as they weighed accepting a ceasefire with Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip. The order cites the two countries' close cooperation and shared interest, vowing to guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the state of Qatar against external attack. The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure of the state of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States, the order says. In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate

Arab and Muslim nations urge Hamas to accept Trump-backed Gaza peace plan

The proposal states that 'full aid' should be sent into Gaza and distribution handled by United Nations agencies 'without interference from the two parties'

US government shuts down: Why did it happen and who gets hit the hardest? | Trump | US news

The US has officially entered a government shutdown, the first in over six years.

US' tariffs on lumber and furniture: How it might be a big win for India | Trump tariffs | India-US

The US has announced new tariffs on timber, lumber, and wooden furniture imports starting October 14.

Who works, who waits: What the latest US government shutdown means

The US government shutdown affects over 750,000 federal employees, halting some services, delaying salaries, and raising questions about the impact on essential programmes and daily life

Hamas says it will study Trump's peace proposal before responding

Hamas said Tuesday it will discuss US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza within the militant group and with other Palestinian factions before responding. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already thrown his support behind it, but it's unclear whether Hamas will agree, or when it will give a response. The proposal demands that Hamas effectively surrender and disarm in return for an end to fighting, humanitarian aid for Palestinians and the promise of reconstruction in Gaza all desperately hoped for by the population of the devastated territory where the death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has topped 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Israeli forces killed at least 31 Palestinians in Gaza on Tuesday, local hospitals said. Meanwhile, as backing and support pour in for the proposal from the international community, Trump told reporters Tuesday that Hamas has three or four days to respond. Here's the latest: Trump says Hamas has '3 or 4 day

Close to finalising a $500 mn deal with Harvard University, says Trump

Donald Trump said Harvard will invest $500 mn in AI and trade schools as part of a potential deal, after a bitter standoff over federal funding, antisemitism and campus activism

Pak Army chief Munir said I saved lives: Trump on India-Pak conflict

Trump made these remarks days after he hosted Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House in a closed-room discussion

US government shuts down after Congress fails to cut deal on funding

The shutdown came as both Republicans and Democrats are locked in a stalemate, insisting the other would be responsible if Congress fails to extend government funding