Page 4 - Trump Govt

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 ...

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 ...

Trump orders reopening, expansion of Alcatraz prison in California

President Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a California island. In a message on his Truth Social site Sunday evening, Trump wrote that, For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That's the way it's supposed to be. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America's most ruthless and violent Offenders," he wrote, adding: "The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. The prison was closed in 1963, and Alcatraz Island is currently .

Ex-advisers to Hegseth decry 'baseless attacks' after ouster in leak probe

Three former senior advisers to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth decried on Saturday what they called baseless attacks after each was escorted from the Pentagon in an expanding probe on information leaks. Dan Caldwell, a Hegseth aide; Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg; and Darin Selnick, Hegseth's deputy chief of staff were among four officials in Hegseth's inner circle who were ousted this past week. While the three initially had been placed on leave pending the investigation, a joint statement shared by Caldwell on X said the three were incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended. Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door. At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of leaks' to begin with, the post said. Former .

WH proposes eliminating Head Start funding as part of sweeping budget cuts

The Trump administration is asking Congress to eliminate funding for Head Start, a move that would cut early education for more than half a million of the nation's neediest children and child care for their families. The proposal is tucked in a 64-page internal draft budget document obtained by The Associated Press that seeks deep cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start. It is still in a highly preliminary phase as the White House prepares to send Congress its budget request for the 2026 fiscal year. It is not clear if the proposed cuts will be accepted by lawmakers. While Congress often ignores a president's budget request, the proposed elimination of Head Start highlights the administration's priorities as President Donald Trump seeks to overhaul education in the United States. The budget does not fund Head Start, according to the draft. It says eliminating the programme is consistent with the Trump administration's goals of returning control

DOGE targets community service programme in latest cost-cutting effort

A 30-year-old community service programme that sends young adults to work on projects across the US was the latest target of the Trump administration 's campaign to slash government spending. AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps informed volunteers Tuesday that they would exit the programme early due to programmatic circumstances beyond your control, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press. The unsigned memo to corps members said NCCC's ability to sustain programme operations was impacted by the Trump administration's priorities and President Donald Trump's executive order creating the Department of Government Efficiency. Members would be officially dismissed April 30. AmeriCorps did not respond Wednesday to an AP email seeking comment. What programme was affected and why? AmeriCorps NCCC, which completed its 30th year last year, employs more than 2,000 people ages 18 to 26 participating for a roughly 10-month service term, according to the programme's webs

Judge to order Trump officials to testify in Kilmar Garcia deportation case

A federal judge in Maryland will order sworn testimony by officials in President Donald Trump's administration to determine if they complied with her orders to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an El Salvador prison. US District Judge Paula Xinis issued her order after Trump officials continually refused to retrieve Abrego Garcia, saying they defied a clear Supreme Court order. She said the process could take two weeks and told the attorneys on both sides to cancel any vacations or appointments. The bottom line is it was a very simple directive, Xinis said of her own order. I've got nothing. I've got no real response. The afternoon hearing came a day after White House advisers repeated the claim that they lack the authority to bring back the Salvadoran national from his native country. The president of El Salvador also said Monday that he would not return Abrego Garcia, likening it to smuggling a terrorist into the United States. Here's the latest: Biden: 30 per c

Judge bars Trump from targeting firm that sued Fox News over election lies

A federal judge on Tuesday placed on hold much of Donald Trump's order forbidding the federal government from doing business with anyone who hires the law firm Susman Godfrey, making it the fourth time a judge has found the president's targeting of law firms is likely unconstitutional. The framers of our constitution would see this as a shocking abuse of power, District Court Judge Loren AliKhan said as she entered the temporary restraining order on behalf of Susman, which represented a voting machine firm that won a USD 787 billion settlement from Fox News over its airing of lies about Trump's 2020 loss. Trump's executive order cited the firm's election work as a reason it was targeted. Several other firms that have been targeted by Trump entered into settlements, promising to provide hundreds of millions of dollars worth of free legal work for the president's favored causes. Susman and at least three others have chosen to fight, and all have so far won in court. Don Verrilli, who

Judge orders release of billions from two key Biden-era initiatives

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to release billions of dollars meant to finance climate and infrastructure projects across the country. US District Judge Mary McElroy, who was appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, sided with conservation and nonprofit groups and issued a preliminary injunction until she rules on the merits of the lawsuit. The injunction is nationwide. McElroy concluded that the seven nonprofits demonstrated that the freeze was arbitrary and capricious and that the powers asserted by the federal agencies, including the White House's Office of Management and Budget, in halting the payouts were not found in federal law. Agencies do not have unlimited authority to further a President's agenda, nor do they have unfettered power to hamstring in perpetuity two statutes passed by Congress during the previous administration, she wrote. The nonprofits said that an executive order issued by Trump resulted in projects funded by

Judge blocks labour dept from enforcing key part of Trump's anti-DEI orders

A federal judge on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the U.S. Department of Labor from requiring government contractors and grant recipients to certify they do not operate any diversity, equity and inclusion programs that run afoul of anti-discrimination laws until further order from the court. Judge Matthew Kennelly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued the ruling in response to a lawsuit filed by Chicago Women in Trades, a nonprofit dedicated to training and retaining women in skilled construction trades that receives several grants from the Department of Labor. The certification provision is a key part of President Donald Trump's executive orders aimed at curbing DEI programs because contractors and grant recipients could be subjected to crippling financial penalties under the False Claims Act if they are found in violation of it. The lawsuit filed by Chicago Women in Trades argued that Trump's executive orders infringe on Fir

Federal judge allows Trump to proceed with immigrant registry rule

Judge Trevor N. McFadden of the US District Court for the District of Columbia found plaintiffs had failed to establish likelihood of standing to challenge the registry rule

Trump's pick to oversee state department personnel meets resistance

The appointment of a junior foreign service officer to serve as the senior official in the State Department's personnel office is facing opposition and concern from current and former US diplomats and their union. The American Foreign Service Association, which represents U.S. diplomats, the American Academy of Diplomacy and numerous current foreign service officers expressed concern Monday about last week's appointment, which comes amid heightened anxiety over potential widespread firings of career personnel as the Trump administration slashes federal jobs. Both organizations said the appointment of Lew Olowski, who joined the foreign service in 2021, to temporarily run the State Department's Bureau of Global Talent is an affront to the long-held standard that the post be occupied by either a current senior or retired career diplomat. The appointment of Olowski, a lawyer, has raised eyebrows among current diplomats because of his numerous pro-Trump and anti-immigrant writings in ..

Trump cuts spark deportation fears among foreign journalists in US media

After hiding in Thailand for seven years, two Cambodian journalists arrived in the United States last year on work visas, aiming to keep providing people in their Southeast Asian homeland with objective, factual news through Radio Free Asia. But Vuthy Tha and Hour Hum now say their jobs and legal status in the US are at risk after President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order gutting the government-run US Agency for Global Media. The agency funds Radio Free Asia and other outlets tasked with delivering uncensored information to parts of the world under authoritarian rule and often without a free press of their own. It fell out of sky, Vuthy, a single father of two small children, said through a translator about the Trump administration's decision, which he says threatens to upend his life. I am very regretful that our listeners cannot receive the accurate news, Hour said, also through a translator. Both men said they're worried about providing for their families and bei

Political costs of courting Trump piling up for Italian PM Giorgia Meloni

The Italian prime minister was the only European leader to attend Trump's January inauguration