Page 22 - Trump Administration

White House says America needs more electricians, not 'LGBTQ Harvard grads'

White House escalates criticism of Harvard, says federal funds should support trade schools producing electricians and plumbers, not LGBTQ graduate majors from elite institutions

Trump issues series of pardons for politicians, union leader, rapper

US President Donald Trump issued a series of pardons on Wednesday, awarding them to a former New York congressman, a Connecticut governor, a rapper known as NBA YoungBoy", a labour union leader and a onetime Army officer who flaunted safety measures during the Coronavirus pandemic. His actions mixed Trump's willingness to pardon high-profile Republicans and other supporters, donors and friends with the influence of Alice Marie Johnson, whom Trump recently named his pardon czar after he offered a pardon to her in 2020. Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight criminal counts related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation. Trump commuted her life sentence in 2018 at the urging of celebrity Kim Kardashian West, allowing for Johnson's early release. Johnson then served as the featured speaker on the final night of the 2020 Republican National Convention, and Trump subsequently pardoned her before more recently naming her as his point person for pardons. Among those receiving th

US to revoke visas of many Chinese students enrolled in 'critical fields'

The announcement added to the uncertainty for international students aiming to study in the US, who have faced intense scrutiny from the Trump administration

US court blocks Trump from imposing 'Liberation Day' tariffs on imports

The ruling came after several lawsuits were filed against Trump, arguing that he has exceeded his authority as President

Trump's student ban causing harm despite judge's block, says Harvard

Harvard sued President Donald Trump's administration on May 23, and US District Judge Allison Burroughs blocked the ban about two hours later

Vance urges crypto industry to engage in politics, touts govt's record

US Vice-President J D Vance on Wednesday praised the cryptocurrency industry and urged it to remain active in US politics and policymaking, highlighting the Trump administration's close ties to a deep-pocketed industry that's become a powerful force in Washington. Speaking at a bitcoin conference in Las Vegas, Vance urged the crypto executives and enthusiasts to keep pressure on Congress to pass pro-crypto legislation supported by the White House. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unleash innovation and use it to improve the lives of countless American citizens, Vance said in his address. But if we fail to create regulatory clarity now, we risk chasing this $3 trillion industry offshore in search of a friendly jurisdiction. Vance's speech comes after Trump promised to make the US the crypto capital of the planet when he addressed the same bitcoin conference in Nashville last year in the middle of the presidential campaign. The crypto industry, which felt unfairly attac

Judge rules Trump admin wrongly ended parole for hundreds of thousands

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Donald Trump administration wrongly ended humanitarian parole for hundreds of thousands of people allowed to live in the United States temporarily. The decision is another legal setback for President Trump's plans for mass deportation, but it may prove temporary and its immediate impact was unclear. US District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston sided with people who were already admitted to the United States but were unable to renew their short-term permits. They cover parole policies that benefited Afghans, Ukrainians, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and children from Central American countries trying to join their parents in the US, among others. Talwani, who was appointed by then-president Barack Obama, said two orders by Department of Homeland Security officials to suspend renewals pending further review were unlikely to survive a legal challenge. One of the orders gives no reasoned explanation for the actions, she wrote. Th

Judge refuses to block Trump admin from removing copyright office director

A federal judge on Wednesday refused to temporarily block the Donald Trump administration from removing and replacing the director of the US Copyright Office. US District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled from the bench that the office director, Shira Perlmutter, hasn't met her legal burden to show how removing her from the position would cause her to suffer irreparable harm. Kelly's refusal to issue a temporary restraining order isn't the final word in the lawsuit that Perlmutter filed last week. If Perlmutter decides to seek a preliminary injunction, the judge is giving her attorneys and government lawyers until Thursday afternoon to present him with a proposed schedule for arguing and deciding the matter. Perlmutter's attorneys say she is a renowned copyright expert who also has served as Register of Copyrights since the Librarian of Congress appointed her to the job in October 2020. As Register, Perlmutter is a critical advisor to Congress on matters of important legislative interest a

New US visa policy adds to rising scrutiny of international students

New US State Department guidance on visa applications is adding to scrutiny of international students that has intensified under President Donald Trump, who has leveraged control of foreign enrolment to press his demands with American colleges. In a cable sent Tuesday to US embassies and consulates, Secretary of State Marco Rubio halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students until the department releases guidelines for increased vetting of their activity on social media. Existing appointments may be kept and will proceed under current review guidelines, the cable said, but new guidance is expected in the coming days. It came days after the Trump administration moved to block Harvard University from enrolling any international students, a decision that has been put on hold by a federal judge, pending a lawsuit. Trump said on Wednesday that Harvard, whose current student population is made up of more than a quarter of international students, should limit tha

US risks future by curbing foreign students, warns Raghuram Rajan

Rajan warned that squeezing foreign students could impact job growth, noting that companies like Alphabet Inc's Google employ thousands, thanks in part to immigration-linked talent pipelines

Trump admin sues North Carolina over its voter registration records

The Trump administration accused North Carolina's election board on Tuesday of violating federal law by failing to ensure voter registration records of some applicants contained identifying numbers. The Justice Department sued in federal court also asking a judge to force board officials to create a prompt method to obtain such numbers. The department alleges that the state and the board aren't complying with the 2002 Help America Vote Act after board officials provided a statewide voter registration form that didn't make clear an applicant must provide either a driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. If an applicant lacks neither, the state must assign the person another unique number. A previous edition of the state board, in which Democrats held a majority, acknowledged the problem in late 2023 after a voter complained. The board updated the form but declined to contact people who had registered to vote since 2004 in time for the 2024 electio

Trump's campaign against law firms sees setback as judge blocks order

US President Donald Trump's campaign against the legal profession hit another setback as a federal judge struck down an executive order that sought to sanction one of the country's most prestigious law firms. The ruling on Tuesday in favour of WilmerHale marks the third time this month that a federal judge in Washington has deemed Trump's series of law firm executive orders to be unconstitutional and permanently barred their enforcement. The cornerstone of the American system of justice is an independent judiciary and an independent bar willing to tackle unpopular cases, however daunting. The Founding Fathers knew this! wrote US district judge Richard Leon. To permit the order to stand, Leon wrote, would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers". The firm applauded the ruling from Leon, an appointee of former Republican president George W Bush. The court's decision to permanently block the unlawful executive order in its entirety strongly affirms our ...

University of California next target of Donald Trump's antisemitism probe

The University of California abhors antisemitism and is working to eradicate it across the system, said Rachel Zaentz, senior director of strategic and critical communications

US govt set to get golden share in US Steel-Nippon Steel acquisition deal

The plan, which would give the government de facto veto rights on certain company decisions and appointments, is part of ongoing talks between authorities and the companies

Judge blocks Trump from retaliating against NY over congestion toll

A federal judge in New York has temporarily prevented US President Donald Trump from retaliating against the state over its Manhattan congestion toll. Judge Lewis Liman on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order blocking the federal government from withholding federal funds or taking other punitive actions against the state at least until June 9 while he weighs a lawsuit the state has filed against the federal government to keep the toll in place. The toll on drivers entering the busiest part of Manhattan was approved under former president Joe Biden, but has been strongly opposed by Trump, a native New Yorker whose namesake Trump Tower and other properties are within the congestion zone. The Republican administration rescinded federal approval in February, prompting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency overseeing the tolls, to challenge the decision. In recent months, Trump officials have issued three ultimatums to New York, even threatening to pull ...

Trump admin to cancel all federal contracts, worth $100 mn, with Harvard

This decision marks the latest in a series of efforts by the administration to significantly impact Harvard's financial stability and global standing

White House National Security Council fires many staffers after Trump order

President Donald Trump is ordering a massive overhaul of the National Security Council that will shrink its size and return many career appointees back to their home agencies, according to two US officials and one person familiar with the reorganization. The move is expected to significantly reduce the number of staff at the NSC, according to the officials, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel matter. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been serving as national security adviser since early this month following the ouster of Mike Waltz, who was nominated to serve as Trump's ambassador to the United Nations. The NSC has been in a continual state of tumult for much of the early going of Trump's second go-around in the White House. Waltz was ousted weeks after Trump said that he'd fired several NSC officials, just a day after far-right activist Laura Loomer raised concerns directly to him about staff loyalty. The White House days into the administration sidelined .

Trump signals approval of Nippon deal, US Steel to Stay in Pittsburgh

President Donald Trump said on Friday that US Steel will keep its headquarters in Pittsburgh as part of what he called a planned partnership that seemed to signal that he'll approve a bid by Japan-based Nippon Steel to buy the iconic American steelmaker. Still, Trump's statement left it vague as to whether he is approving Nippon Steel's bid after he vowed repeatedly to block it. But investors seemed to take it as a sign that he would approve it, sharply pushing up US Steel's shares. Nippon Steel's nearly USD 15 billion bid to buy US Steel was blocked by former President Joe Biden on his way out of office and, after Trump became president, subject to another national security review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Trump said in a statement that after much consideration and negotiation, US Steel will REMAIN in America, and keep its Headquarters in the Great City of Pittsburgh. What Trump called a planned partnership will create at least 70,000 jobs and ad

Trump pressures EU for unilateral tariff cuts as trade talks stumble

As the deadline for the 90-day tariff pause grows near, the Donald Trump administration and European Union fail to find consensus in trade talks

Foxconn to build $1.5 bn India plant for Apple despite Trump objections

Foxconn to invest $1.5 bn in India for iPhone parts despite Trump's pressure to shift production to the US. New Chennai plant to create 14,000 jobs and boost India's electronics sector