Page 40 - Trump Administration

Senate struggle over Medicaid cuts threatens progress on Trump's big bill

One key unsettled issue stalling progress on President Donald Trump's big bill in Congress is particularly daunting: How to cut billions from health care without harming Americans or the hospitals and others that provide care? Republicans are struggling to devise a solution to the health care problem their package has created. Already, estimates say 10.9 million more people would be without health coverage under the House-passed version of the bill. GOP senators have proposed steeper reductions, which some say go too far. The Senate cuts in Medicaid are far deeper than the House cuts, and I think that's problematic, said GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Senators have been meeting behind closed doors and with Trump administration officials as they rush to finish up the big bill ahead of the president's Fourth of July deadline. Much of the package, with its tax breaks and bolstered border security spending, is essentially drafted. But the size and scope of healthcare cuts are among t

Judge blocks Trump admin from withholding funds for EV charger infra

US District Judge Tana Lin ruled that states are likely to succeed in their lawsuit claiming the federal government illegally withheld billions meant for EV charging station infrastructure

Donald Trump to meet Nato allies amid doubts over US defence commitment

President Donald Trump on Wednesday will meet with members of a NATO alliance that he has worked to bend to his will over the years and whose members are rattled by his latest comments casting doubt on the US commitment to its mutual defence guarantees. Trump's comments en route to the Netherlands that his fidelity to Article 5 depends on your definition" are likely to draw a spotlight at the NATO summit, as will the new and fragile Iran-Israel ceasefire that Trump helped broker after the US unloaded airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. At the same time, the alliance is poised to enact one of Trump's chief priorities for NATO: a pledge by its member countries to increase, sometimes significantly, how much they spend on their defence. NATO was broke, and I said, You're going to have to pay,' Trump said Tuesday. And we did a whole thing, and now they're paying a lot. Then I said, You're going to have to lift it to 4 or 5 per cent, and 5 per cent is better. Spending 5 per cent of

Lawsuit challenges billions of dollars in Trump admin's funding cuts

Attorneys general from more than 20 states and Washington, DC, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging billions of dollars in funding cuts made by the Trump administration that would fund everything from crime prevention to food security to scientific research. The lawsuit filed in Boston is asking a judge to limit the Trump administration from relying on an obscure clause in the federal regulation to cut grants that don't align with its priorities. Since January, the lawsuit argues that the administration has used that clause to cancel entire programmes and thousands of grants that had been previously awarded to states and grantees. Defendants' decision to invoke the Clause to terminate grants based on changed agency priorities is unlawful several times over, the plaintiffs argued. The rulemaking history of the Clause makes plain that the (Office of Management and Budget) intended for the Clause to permit terminations in only limited circumstances and provides no support for a

Court orders Trump admin to return man wrongly deported to El Salvador

The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the return of Jordin Alexander Melgar-Salmeron, deported to El Salvador on May 7 due to administrative errors, saying he must be brought back as soon as pos

Trump administration postpones classified briefings for lawmakers on Iran

The Trump administration on Tuesday postponed classified briefings for Senate and House members as lawmakers look for more answers about President Donald Trump's directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a ceasefire agreement. The Senate briefing has been rescheduled for Thursday so that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio can attend, according to multiple people with knowledge of the scheduling change who would only discuss it on the condition of anonymity. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La, said on social media that the House briefing will now be held on Friday, "details to follow." Trump proclaimed on social media that Israel and Iran had agreed that there will be an "Official END" of their conflict. That tentative truce briefly faltered Tuesday when Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, but Trump later declared it was "in effect!" The separ

US House shelves impeachment bid against Trump over Iran strikes

The US House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to set aside an effort to impeach President Donald Trump on a sole charge of abuse of power after he launched military strikes on Iran without first seeking authorisation from Congress The sudden action forced by a lone Democrat, Rep. Al Green of Texas, brought little debate and split his party. Most Democrats joined the Republican majority to table the measure, for now. But dozens of Democrats backed Green's effort. The tally was 344-79. I take no delight in what I'm doing, Green said ahead of the vote. I do this because no one person should have the power to take over 300 million people to walk without consulting with the Congress of the United States of America, he said. I do this because I understand that the Constitution is going to be meaningful or it's going to be meaningless. The effort, while not the first rumblings of actions to impeach Trump since he started his second term at the White House in January, shows the unease many ...

Trump admin to provide $30 mn to Israeli group distributing food in Gaza

The Trump administration is providing USD30 million to an Israeli-backed group distributing food in Gaza, a US official said Tuesday. The request is the first known US government funding for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid distribution efforts amid the Israel-Hamas war. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic issue involving a controversial aid programme, confirmed that the US authorised the funding. The Associated Press reported Saturday that the American-led group had asked the Trump administration for the initial funding so it can continue its aid operation, which has been criticised by the UN, humanitarian groups and others.

Republican tax bill to ease rules on gun silencers, some rifles, shotguns

The massive tax and spending cuts package that President Donald Trump wants on his desk by July 4 would loosen regulations on gun silencers and certain types of rifles and shotguns, advancing a longtime priority of the gun industry as Republican leaders in the House and Senate try to win enough votes to pass the bill. The guns provision was first requested in the House by Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Republican gun store owner who had initially opposed the larger tax package. The House bill would remove silencers called suppressors by the gun industry from a 1930s law that regulates firearms that are considered the most dangerous, eliminating a $200 tax while removing a layer of background checks. The Senate kept the provision on silencers in its version of the bill and expanded upon it, adding short-barreled, or sawed-off, rifles and shotguns. Republicans who have long supported the changes, along with the gun industry, say the tax infringes on Second Amendment rights. They say .

Republicans hold hearing on Biden's mental fitness as Democrats boycott

Nearly six months after Joe Biden left the White House, Senate Republicans are still scrutinising his presidency, kicking off the first in what's expected to be a series of congressional hearings this year on his mental fitness in office. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee brought in three witnesses Wednesday none of whom served in Biden's administration to scrutinise his time in office, arguing that Biden, his staff and the media must be held accountable. Democrats boycotted the hearing and criticized Republicans for arm chair diagnosing Biden when the committee could be looking into serious matters. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who co-chaired the hearing, said that they will aim to shine a light on exactly what went on in the White House during Biden's presidency. We simply cannot ignore what transpired because President Biden is no longer in office, Cornyn said. A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment on the hearing. It was the first in what could be several ...

Alleged murderer of lawmaker could face death penalty, rarity for Minnesota

The man charged with killing a prominent Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another could face something that is a rarity for Minnesota but could become more common under the Trump administration: the death penalty. Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911, and the state's last execution was a botched hanging in 1906. But federal prosecutors announced charges against Vance Boelter on Monday that can carry the death penalty. It's not unheard of for state and federal prosecutors to both pursue criminal cases for the same offense, especially in high-profile matters. In this case federal authorities essentially grabbed the lead from the state prosecutor, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. Boelter had been scheduled to make his first court appearance on state charges Monday, but instead marshals took him from the county jail to the US courthouse in St Paul, where he appeared on the more serious federal charges. Boelter is accused of fatally shooting former Democratic House Speak

Trump turning US into electric vehicle laggard with rollback of policies

Trump ordered the elimination of subsidies and other measures boosting electric vehicles during his first day back in the White House in January

Hegseth faces more grilling from Congress as Iran-Israel conflict escalates

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is returning to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for the last in a series of often combative hearings before lawmakers, who have pressed him on everything from a ban on transgender troops to his use of a Signal chat to share sensitive military plans. The questions which also have touched on his firings of top military leaders and even some of his inner circle of advisers may be dominated by the escalation of airstrikes between Iran and Israel that threaten a potentially devastating regional war. But he is still expected to face sharp questions about his chaotic tenure, his opposition to women in combat jobs and efforts to shift funding from troop housing to border security. The US has shifted significant numbers of refuelling tanker and fighter aircraft to position them to be able to respond if needed to the conflict, such as possible evacuations or airstrikes. Hegseth said this week that was done to protect U.S. personnel and airbases. We are postured ...

Trump administration gives 36 countries new deadline to avoid travel ban

A diplomatic cable instructed embassies to assess if host nations will improve travel documentation, vetting process, and cooperate on resolving the status of their citizens living illegally in the US

Trump policies driving firms to explore markets beyond US: McKinsey chief

To counteract the impact of tariffs, McKinsey is increasingly working with clients to cut costs, adopt more 'frugality' when it comes to capital expenditures

Trump admin blocked from cutting health funding for four municipalities

A federal court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from clawing back millions in public health funding from four Democrat-led municipalities in GOP-governed states. It's the second such federal ruling to reinstate public health funding for several states. US District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday sought by district attorneys in Harris County, Texas, home to Houston, and three cities: Columbus, Ohio, Nashville, Tennessee, and Kansas City, Missouri. The decision means the federal government must reinstate funding to the four municipalities until the case is fully litigated. Their lawsuit, filed in late April, alleged $11 billion in cuts to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention programs had already been approved by Congress and are being unconstitutionally withheld. They also argued that the administration's actions violate Department of Health and Human Services regulations. The cities and counties argued t

Trump directs ICE to expand deportations in Democratic-run cities

US President Donald Trump on Sunday directed federal immigration officials to prioritise deportations from Democratic-run cities after large protests erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities against the Trump administration's immigration policies. Trump in a social media posting called on ICE officials "to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History". He added that to reach the goal, officials "must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America's largest cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside". Trump's declaration comes after weeks of increased enforcement, and after Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump's immigration policies, said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five ...

As Trump heads to G7 summit, world leaders show they're not intimidated

President Donald Trump has long bet that he can scare allies into submission a gamble that is increasingly being tested ahead of the Group of Seven summit beginning Monday in Canada. He's threatened stiff tariffs in the belief that other nations would crumple. He's mused about taking over Canada and Greenland. He's suggested he will not honour NATO's obligations to defend partners under attack. And he's used Oval Office meetings to try to intimidate the leaders of Ukraine and South Africa. But many world leaders see fewer reasons to be cowed by Trump, even as they recognise the risks if he followed through on his threats. They believe he will ultimately back down since many of his plans could inflict harm on the US or that he can simply be charmed and flattered into cooperating. Many leaders still seem intimidated by Trump, but increasingly they are catching on to his pattern of bullying, said Jeremy Shapiro, research director at the European Council on Foreign Relations. In pl

US governors divided along party lines about troops deployed to protests

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling President Donald Trump's military intervention at protests over federal immigration policy in Los Angeles an assault on democracy and has sued to try to stop it. Meanwhile, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is putting the National Guard on standby in areas in his state where demonstrations are planned. The divergent approaches illustrate the ways the two parties are trying to navigate national politics and the role of executive power in enforcing immigration policies. In his live TV address this week, Newsom said that Trump's move escalated the situation and for political gain. All 22 other Democratic governors signed a statement sent by the Democratic Governors Association on Sunday backing Newsom, calling the Guard deployment and threats to send in Marines an alarming abuse of power that "undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement.

With Trump as ally, El Salvador's President ramps up crackdown on dissent

Days before his arrest outside his daughter's house in the outskirts of San Salvador, constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya called Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele a dictator and a despot on live TV. This week, lawyer Jaime Quintanilla stood outside a detention facility in El Salvador's capital with a box of food and clothes for his client, unsure if Anaya would ever be released. The Saturday arrest of Anaya, a fierce critic of Bukele, marks the latest move in what watchdogs describe as a wave of crackdown on dissent by the Central American leader. They say Bukele is emboldened by his alliance with US President Donald Trump, who has not only praised him but avoided criticising actions human rights defenders, international authorities and legal experts deem authoritarian. Authorities in El Salvador have targeted outspoken lawyers like Anaya, journalists investigating Bukele's alleged deals with gangs and human rights defenders calling for the end of a three-year state of emergency, .