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The Guardian
28 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Vought says Trump may not need Congress's approval to cut federal workforce
Russell Vought, the director of the office of management and budget (OMB), on Sunday cast doubt on the constitutional obligation of the White House to ask Congress to sign off on Donald Trump's massive cuts to the federal workforce spearheaded by Elon Musk. Vought indicated the White House preferred to rely on 'executive tools' for all but a 'necessary' fraction of the cuts instead of submitting the whole package of jobs and agency slashing that took place via the so-called 'department of government efficiency' (Doge), to the congressional branch for its official approval. The White House budget director, in an interview with CNN on Sunday, also defended the widespread future cost-cutting proposed by the US president's One Big Beautiful Bill act that was passed by the House last week, which covers budget proposals for the next fiscal year starting in October. But, as Dana Bash, CNN's State of the Union host, pointed out, Doge cut 'funding and programs that Congress already passed'. And while those cuts, cited by the departing Musk as being worth $175bn, are tiny compared with the trillion or more he forecast, Vought said OMB was only going to submit about $9.4bn to Congress this week for sign-off. That amount is understood to mostly cover the crushing of the USAID agency and cuts to public broadcasting, which have prompted outrage and lawsuits. Leaders of Congress from both parties have pressed for the Trump administration to send details of all the cuts for its approval. 'Will you?' Bash asked Vought. 'We might,' Vought said, adding that the rest of the Doge cuts may not need official congressional approval. As one of the architects of Project 2025, the rightwing initiative created to guide the second Trump administration, Vought is on a quest to dismantle the federal workforce and consolidate power for the US president, and to continue the Doge cuts. Vought said that one of the executive tools the administration has is the use of 'impoundment', which involves the White House withholding specific funds allocated by Congress. Since the 1970s, a law has limited the presidency from engaging in impoundment – typically requiring the executive branch to implement what Congress signed into law. Bash said: 'I know you don't believe that that is constitutional, so are you just doing this in order to get the supreme court to rule that unconstitutional?' Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Vought said: 'We are not in love with the law.' But he also said, in response to criticism from some on Capitol Hill: 'We're not breaking the law.' Meanwhile, on the Big Beautiful bill, the Congressional budget office (CBO) and many experts say it could swell the US deficit by $3.8tn, and business tycoon Musk said it 'undermines the work the Doge team is doing'. Vought disagreed. 'I love Elon, [but] this bill doesn't increase the deficit or hurt the debt,' he said. Vought – and later on Sunday, the House speaker Mike Johnson on NBC – argued that critics' calculations don't fully account for extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts and slashing regulation. Vought also chipped in that Trump is 'the architect, the visionary, the originator of his own agenda', rather than the Heritage Foundation's blueprint for the administration, Project 2025, although he did not deny that the two have dovetailed.
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
And Just Like That there is a second Swinton on the scene with young Alexa storming the screen
The young cousin of Oscar-winning star Tilda Swinton is making a return to the small screen this week in the third season of the spin-off from US drama Sex and the City. Alexa Swinton bagged the role as the daughter of Charlotte York, played by Kristin Davis, and joined the HBO Max show And Just Like That as a 12-year-old in 2021. New York-born Alexa has Canadian, Scottish and Russian-Jewish heritage and is a distant cousin of Scots actress Tilda, known for her multiple roles including the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia. Despite her young age, 15-year-old Alexa has been active in the film scene for more than a decade – she made her first appearance as a three-year-old in the operatic, experimental movie River of Fundament. In the original Sex and the City series, Charlotte York had two daughters, Lily and Rose, with Alexa cast as the latter when the spin-off first hit the screens four years ago. In the latest instalment, her role has evolved into playing the part of a nonbinary teen, Rock. Last year, as she and her onscreen mother filmed in New York, Ms Davis posted a snap, captioned: 'A family affair #andjustlikethat.' The series has also seen the return of Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw and Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes.
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Biblical swarm invades multiple US states for the first time in 17 years... see if your hometown is at risk
Hundreds of billions of screaming insects are emerging from the ground throughout the US in a jarring sight that hasn't taken place in 17 years. The long-awaited cicada invasion is here, and the bugs have already been spotted hatching in at least three states: Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Scientists are also expecting billions more to emerge at any moment in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. This startling awakening of cicadas is referred to as Brood XIV. The insects last appeared in 2008, and now the next window in their synchronized life cycle has come again. The cicadas are hatching as the soil in these states reaches a temperature of about 64° Fahrenheit. The swarm will reach its peak in early June. Heavily infested areas with plenty of tree-covered land will likely see more than a million bugs per acre. While entomologists (scientists studying insects) say these creatures are harmless, their sheer numbers often frighten people who see these massive broods and hear their loud, shrieking mating calls. For those who can't stand the sight of them, there's an app for that, and scientists are now giving everyone the ability to track (and avoid) Brood XIV's emergence. Brood XIV, which emerge every 17 years, have a distinct look compared to annual cicadas, having black and orange coloring and red eyes. They're about one inch in length after hatching from their eggs and have a wingspan of roughly three inches when fully grown. The cicadas Americans see on a yearly basis throughout the country are typically green, brown, or gray with darker markings. Brood XIV is one of a dozen cicada broods which sprout from the ground throughout the US every 17 years. Each group is on its own schedule, with one brood emerging last year and another expected to hatch in 2029. Brood XIV is one of the most widespread hatchings throughout the US, covering 13 states with billions of insects. Only Brood X, which hatched in 2024, spreads across more states every 17 years, covering 16 states. Dr Gene Kritsky, a noted entomologist at Mount St Joseph University in Ohio, helped to develop the Cicada Safari app to track emergences. It's available on both iPhones and Android devices. 'Periodical cicadas are more than just a natural marvel,' Kritsky said in a statement in February. 'They are bugs of history and their emergences inform us about land use and climate.' To his point, these periodic cicada swarms have been written about for centuries, but not always positively. In 1634, the governor of Plymouth Colony, William Bradford, compared the sight of a cicada swarm to flies that were as big as bumblebees. He added that the brood 'soon made such a constant yelling noise' which was deafening to the American settlers. Brood XIV males produce loud, synchronized mating calls that can reach up to 100 decibels - that's as loud as a leaf blower, a rock concert or nightclub, or a chainsaw. 'It's one of the most annoying sounds ever,' one person posted on X Monday while recording the mating calls. For those who can't wait for Brood XIV to move on, they won't have to wait long. The life span of these cicadas is just two to four weeks. That means the billions and billions of fresh insects emerging throughout the US this spring will actually be dead by July. In that short window, Brood XIV cicadas will have mated, laid eggs, and died. After death, their bodies decompose and contribute nutrients to the soil. Specifically, the cicada remains add nitrogen to the soil, acting as a natural fertilizer for forests, grasslands, and even compost piles if collected. This boosts plant growth and supports local forests. The mass emergence of Brood XIV also provides local wildlife, including birds, squirrels, raccoons, reptiles, and even fish with an abundant food source. This helps certain species boost their own populations, as the animals aren't struggling to find food or avoid predators - who are also snacking on the cicada swarm. If pets consume several of the cicadas, they may experience temporary upset stomach or vomiting, but owners don't have to worry about their cat or dog eating an occasional cicada they find outside as eating them is considered harmless. That's because the insects do not bite, sting, carry diseases, or secrete any toxins that would make animals sick after ingestion. For humans, experts say the best thing to do until Brood XIV is gone is close the windows, use a white noise machine to drown out their mating calls, and cover any young trees with a fine mesh net. This will keep the cicadas from laying their eggs in your new tree, which will then become the next home of Brood XIV in 2042.
