Page 4 - Trump Govt

Vance calls Trump's sweeping new law a working families' tax cut in Georgia

Vice President JD Vance pitched President Donald Trump's sweeping new law as a working families' tax cut during a visit Thursday to a refrigeration facility in swing-state Georgia, a preview of the midterm message that Republicans are expected to campaign on next year. In his third trip to promote Trump's tax cuts and spending bill, Vance cited its tax cut extensions as well as tax breaks on overtime and tips that he said rewards you instead of punishes you for working hard. If you're working hard, the government ought to leave you alone, Vance said in his visit to Alta Refrigeration, an industrial refrigeration manufacturing facility in Peachtree City, in metro Atlanta. Less than 20 miles to the northeast, Democratic Sen Jon Ossoff was also talking about the tax law but noting provisions that cut Medicaid and food stamps by $1.2 trillion. He pointed to reports this week from Evans Memorial Hospital, a rural hospital in Claxton, Georgia, where the facility's CEO is blaming the law

Judge denies DOJ request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration's request to unseal grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking case, joining two other judges who declined to release similar records from investigations into the late financier's sexual abuse of young women and girls. Judge Richard Berman, who presided over the 2019 case, ruled a week after another Manhattan federal judge turned down the government's request to release transcripts from the grand jury that indicted Epstein's longtime confidante Ghislaine Maxwell. Barring reversal on appeal, Berman's decision appears to foreclose the possibility of federal courts releasing Epstein-related grand jury testimony. A federal judge in Florida declined to release grand jury documents from an investigation there in 2005 and 2007, though some material from a state case against Epstein was made public last year. The rulings were a resounding repudiation of the Justice Department's effort to unlock the records, a

Trump govt revokes security clearances of 37 current, former govt officials

The Trump administration has ordered the revocation of the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials, including some who worked on the intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorised to discuss it by name. A memo from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which was seen by The Associated Press, accuses the targeted individuals of having engaged in the politicisation or weaponisation of intelligence to advance personal or partisan gain. It's the latest action of retribution by the Trump administration against national security officials he perceives as having been against him. It comes as his government has launched a sweeping effort to cast doubt on the legitimacy of intelligence community findings that Russia interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election.

Trump's 'Golden Dome' still shrouded in mystery, even for its builders

Golden Dome will include existing systems, accelerated development of advanced technology, and ultimately new components such as space-based interceptors, according to Trump

White House plans increase in law enforcement as Trump eyes DC takeover

The threat - and the move to follow through on it - is the latest step by Trump and his administration toward taking over running the city

Trump fired America's economic data collector. History shows the perils.

Economists say that reliable, independently produced statistics are critical to good decision making in both the public and private sector

Trump child savings a/cs back door for privatising Social Security: Bessent

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the Trump administration was committed to protecting Social Security hours after he said in an interview that a new children's savings program President Donald Trump signed into law is a back door for privatising Social Security. Bessent said Wednesday evening that the accounts created under Trump's tax break-and-spending cut law will supplement the sanctity of Social Security's guaranteed payments. This is not an either-or question: our Administration is committed to protecting Social Security and to making sure seniors have more money, Bessent said in a post on X. Bessent's remarks about privatising Social Security, which he made at a forum hosted by Breitbart News, were striking after Trump's repeated promises on the campaign trail and in office that he would not touch Social Security. It also reignited an issue that has dogged Republicans for years. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Democrats quickly

Trump aide meets Imran Khan's sons, calls for end to political prosecutions

Grenell posted a photo with Imran Khan's elder son Sulaiman Isa and his second son Kasim Khan, writing that he loved hanging out with them

Trump's push to reclaim $9 bn in foreign aid, media funds gets Senate nod

President Donald Trump's request to cancel about USD 9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting spending is nearing passage in the Senate, an action that would have a tiny impact on the nation's rising debt but could have major ramifications for future spending fights in Congress. Spending bills generally need bipartisan support to advance in the Senate. But the legislation before the Senate gives Republicans the opportunity to undo some of the previously approved spending without Democratic support. The measure contains Trump's efforts to target the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and roll back some of the humanitarian and economic assistance the US provides internationally. The Trump administration is promising more rescission packages to come if the first effort is successful. Democrats say doing so upends a legislative process that typically requires lawmakers from both parties to work together to fund the nation's priorities. The move to claw back a sliver of federal

Senate panel blames Secret Service failures in Trump rally shooting attempt

The findings were released on the one-year mark of the shooting, which jolted the 2024 presidential campaign

Trump says he's considering 'taking away' Rosie O'Donnell's US citizenship

President Donald Trump says he is considering taking away the US citizenship of a longtime rival, actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell, despite a decades-old Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits such an action by the government. Because of the fact that Rosie O'Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship, Trump wrote in a social media post on Saturday. He added that O'Donnell, who moved to Ireland in January, should stay in Ireland if they want her. The two have criticized each other publicly for years, an often bitter back-and-forth that predates Trump's involvement in politics. In recent days, O'Donnell on social media denounced Trump and recent moves by his administration, including the signing of a massive GOP-backed tax breaks and spending cuts plan. It's just the latest threat by Trump to revoke the citizenship of people with whom he has publicly disagreed, most recently his former adviser

DOJ said to fire more prosecutors, staff involved in Trump prosecutions

The Justice Department has fired additional lawyers and support staff who worked on special counsel Jack Smith's prosecutions of President Donald Trump, according to two people familiar with the matter. The overall number of terminations was not immediately clear but they cut across both the classified documents and election interference prosecutions brought by Smith, and included a handful of prosecutors who were detailed to the probe as well as Justice Department support staff and other non-lawyer personnel who aided them, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel moves that have not been publicly announced. The firings are part of a broader wave of terminations that have roiled the department for months and that have targeted staff who worked on cases involving Trump and his supporters. In January, the Justice Department said that it had fired more than a dozen prosecutors who worked on prosecutions of Trump, and last month fired at least three ...

Head Start will be cut off for immigrants without legal status: Trump govt

The Trump administration will restrict immigrants in the country illegally from enrolling in Head Start, a federally funded preschool program, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday. The move is part of a broad effort to limit access to federal benefits for immigrants who lack legal status. People in the country illegally are largely ineligible for federal public benefits such as food stamps, student loans and financial aid for higher education. But for decades they have been able to access some community-level programs such as Head Start and community health centers. HHS said it will reclassify those programs as federal public benefits, excluding immigrants in the country illegally from accessing them. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the changes were part of a larger effort to protect American citizens' interests. For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans' tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration, Kennedy said in a ...

House Democrats decry health cuts in GOP tax law at Louisiana town hall

Democrats used a Louisiana town hall Thursday night to preview one of their main strategies for attempting to retake the U.S. House next year, ripping into the health care changes in the just-passed Republican tax and spending bill. The House's Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, said the event was the first stop on a nationwide tour to educate voters about the bill's potential impacts. He described the legislation as an unprecedented assault on health care from a group of people who promised not to touch Medicaid. And during the first chance they got, they do the exact opposite, Jeffries told a crowd of several hundred at Xavier University in New Orleans. Shame on them. The gathering of some of the top House Democrats comes at a crucial time for the party. It is seeking a pathway back to power in Washington but is grappling for a message that will resonate with the working class voters who have migrated toward Republicans in recent elections. Democratic leaders believe the bill, .

Supreme Court clears way for Trump's plans to downsize federal workforce

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump's plans to downsize the federal workforce despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. The justices overrode lower court orders that temporarily froze the cuts, which have been led by the Department of Government Efficiency. The court said in an unsigned order that no specific cuts were in front of the justices, only an executive order issued by Trump and an administration directive for agencies to undertake job reductions. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only dissenting vote, accusing her colleagues of a demonstrated enthusiasm for greenlighting this President's legally dubious actions in an emergency posture. Trump has repeatedly said voters gave him a mandate to remake the federal government, and he tapped billionaire ally Elon Musk to lead the charge through DOGE. Musk recently left his role. Tens of thousand

Trump says Israel agreed to 60-day Gaza truce, warns Hamas to accept deal

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and warned Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. Trump announced the development as he prepares to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House next Monday. The US leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war in Gaza. My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War, Trump wrote, saying the Qataris and Egyptians would deliver the final proposal. I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better -- IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE, he said. Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer was in Washington on Tuesda

Trump signs executive order ending US sanctions on Syria: White House

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday ending US sanctions on Syria, following through on his promise to do so. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the move was designed to promote and support the country's path to stability and peace". Sanctions will remain in place on ousted former president Bashar Assad, his top aides and family. The executive order is meant to end the country's isolation from the international financial system, setting the stage for global commerce and galvanising investments from its neighbours in the region, as well as from the United States", Treasury's acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brad Smith, told reporters on a call Monday to preview the administration's action. The White House posted the text of the order on X after the signing, which was not open to the press. The US granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions in May, which was a first step toward fulfilling the Republican ...

White House puts Pak's military elite back on top with Trump-Munir meet

Munir and Pakistan's civilian leaders praised Trump for helping secure an India-Pakistan ceasefire and even nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, thanking him repeatedly for his role

SoftBank pitches $1 trillion AI, robotics hub in US to TSMC, Trump team

SoftBank officials are keen to have the Taiwanese maker of Nvidia Corp.'s advanced AI chips play a prominent role in the project

Top Trump officials visit Alaska oil field amid push to expand drilling

President Donald Trump wants to double the amount of oil coursing through Alaska's vast pipeline system and build a massive natural gas project as its "big, beautiful twin," a top administration official said Monday while touring a prolific oil field near the Arctic Ocean. The remarks by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright came as he and two other Trump Cabinet members Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin visited Prudhoe Bay as part of a multiday trip aimed at highlighting Trump's push to expand oil and gas drilling, mining and logging in the state that drew criticism from environmentalists. During the trip, Burgum's agency also announced plans to repeal Biden-era restrictions on future leasing and industrial development in portions of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska that are designated as special for their wildlife, subsistence or other values. The petroleum reserve is west of Prudhoe Bay and Deadhorse, the industrial ...