Democrat Phillips resigns from US energy regulatory panel
WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - Willie Phillips, a Democratic commissioner on the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, resigned on Monday, opening the way for President Donald Trump to nominate another member who would give the five-member panel a Republican majority.
The resignation of Phillips, whose term had been set to go through June 30, 2026, allows Trump to nominate a Republican who would likely be easily confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate.
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Trump is focused on maximizing production of oil and gas and opening up pipelines to bring gas from Pennsylvania to the U.S. Northeast. New York politicians have blocked the Constitution Pipeline that would transport gas from Pennsylvania. It is unclear how Trump can work to get the pipeline working.
Politico reported on Monday that Phillips, who served as chair under former President Joe Biden, told the outlet that he had already been planning to resign before the White House asked him to step down. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"We will miss him here at FERC," Mark Christie, the Republican who Trump named as FERC chair on his first day in office in his second term, said in a press release. "I wish him and his family the very best for future success – and I am confident he will continue to be successful in whatever career path he chooses."
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Sky News
23 minutes ago
- Sky News
US Army 250th anniversary parade taking place in Washington
A parade marking the US Army's 250th anniversary - and President Trump's 79th birthday - is under way. You can watch the event in the livestream above. President Trump said it was going to be a "big day" and admitted: "We want to show off a little bit." Today is the first time in more than 30 years that tanks have rolled through the US capital. Officials have estimated around 200,000 people could turn out, including protesters, plus 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft. However, it appears far fewer have turned out - possibly due to the poor weather - and the president has warned any protesters who interfere "will be met with very big force". Mr Trump is watching alongside the first lady and defence secretary as troops and military hardware file past - accompanied at times by up tempo rock music. The event started half an hour early due to forecasted heavy rain, with cloud forcing the cancellation of a flypast by fighter jets. Helicopters such as Apaches, Chinooks and Black Hawks are still taking part however. Military parachutists from the Golden Knights began the parade by swooping in, and some of the soldiers are parading in historic uniforms, complete with horses and wagons. Vehicles from the Second World War era are also taking part. President Trump stood and saluted many of the passing soldiers - and even personally swore in some re-enlisted troops. The US leader is said to have got the idea for the parade after being impressed with France's Bastille Day celebrations during a visit in 2017. Metal plates have been put down on some of Washington's streets to protect the tarmac against the heaviest tanks - the 60-ton M1 Abrams. Even so, the US Army has set aside several million dollars in case of any damage. The last time such a major display took place in the US was 1991 when tanks and troops paraded to celebrate the ousting of Saddam Hussein's army from Kuwait. The event has been criticised by some for being something more associated with a dictatorial regime such as Russia or North Korea. An estimated cost as high as $45m (£33.33m) has also raised eyebrows given the administration's efforts to slash the budget of many federal departments. Among the critics is California governor Gavin Newsom, who has been trading barbs with Mr Trump since the outbreak of riots in LA. "And we all know, this Saturday, he's ordering our American heroes - the United States military - forcing them to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past," he said. The show of military might comes as more than 1,500 protests against the Trump administration, organised under the slogan 'No Kings', have been planned across the US on Saturday. Los Angeles was the scene of one demonstration, with police firing tear gas to disperse people after the formal protest ended, and US Marines stationed outside the city's federal building. Tension is high in America's second-biggest city after recent raids by immigration officers sparked unrest this week. Other large demos happened in cities including San Diego, Atlanta, Denver and Chicago. 'No Kings' organisers claimed 200,000 had turned out in New York alone - and millions across the country. The name of the protests comes from the accusation President Trump acts more like an authoritarian monarch than a democratically elected head of state.
NBC News
23 minutes ago
- NBC News
Trump presides over a military parade amid turmoil at home and abroad
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump presided over a parade Saturday celebrating the nation's military power and history, though the event was shadowed by political violence at home and escalating tensions abroad. Trump's appearance on the reviewing stand south of the White House capped a harrowing day in which a Minnesota state lawmaker and her spouse were murdered — and another Democratic legislator and his wife wounded — in what authorities called a 'politically motivated' attack. A shooting war has broken out between two longtime Middle East foes, Iran and Israel. And in a further distraction from the parade Trump has long coveted, protesters around the country rallied against the spectacle, turning out by tens of thousands in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and other cities. Animating the demonstrations was a two-word rallying cry: "No kings." The weather didn't fully cooperate, either. The winds picked up and a light drizzle commenced just as the tanks were about to roll. The parade was supposed to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, but was moved up a half hour in deference to the weather, a U.S. Secret Service official said. Army tanks, their treads squeaking against the pavement, trundled along Constitution Avenue under an intermittent drizzle. Hundreds of people were still stuck in line, even as the parade was coming to a close two hours later. Some of the planned flyovers had to be cancelled. Still, the crowd gathered on the National Mall looked up appreciatively as helicopters flew overhead in formation. The parade came on the 250 th anniversary of the Army and, as it happens, Trump's 79 th birthday. The timing sparked criticism that the parade was intended as much a celebration of one man as it was the Army. The military estimated the cost between $25 million and $40 million. "The whole idea — doing it on Trump's birthday ... We don't do this in America," Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., a member of the Armed Services Committee, said. "We do not celebrate individual leaders. We celebrate the Constitution and we celebrate the country." Trump has long pined for a military parade, having been impressed with the Bastille Day celebration he saw in Paris in 2017, the first year of his last term, a former White House official said. His staff put off the idea, citing the cost and the rarity of such spectacles. The last time the nation showed off its military hardware in this fashion came in 1991, at the end of the first Gulf War. Trump watched approvingly from a viewing stand, flanked by first lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. All were cheered by the crowd. The commander-in-chief saluted the flag during the national anthem and the troops as they marched past. If Trump hoped the parade would be a unifying moment for the country, the run-up to the event underscored America's divisions. The week began with the president deploying California National Guard troops to counter protests of immigration raids in the Los Angeles area. It ended with the shootings in Minnesota. An FBI manhunt was underway for the suspect following the attacks on the two Democratic state lawmakers and their spouses. State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in the attack. Vice President JD Vance called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — his opponent in last year's vice presidential debate — to express condolences, a source familiar with the call told NBC News. But Walz did not hear from Trump, a source close to the governor said. The crowd built slowly on the Mall in the humid afternoon hours, with rain threatening throughout. People strolled among the monuments, some wearing shirts displaying the American flag, others sporting Trump's signature 'Make America Great Again' hats. Massive video screens were erected to give the crowd a better view. Security was especially tight amid the combustible political environment. Sharpshooters took positions atop buildings along the parade route and people entering the Mall were screened for weapons. Two lonely protesters sat next to each other near the Washington Monument, clutching signs disparaging Trump. Neither gave their names, saying they feared reprisals. A man wearing a 'Dump Trump' hat who identified himself only as Mike said in an interview: 'This is a completely inappropriate use of our military. This is a $50 million boondoggle for his [Trump's] birthday. It's a complete waste of everybody's time and money and it's all to feed his ego.' A woman sitting next to him said the parade "reeks of North Korea," a dictatorship. Several in the crowd said their attendance shouldn't be viewed as support for Trump. 'Just my nation,' said Chris, who declined to give his last name. Tasha Etienne, who came from Maryland, said she was there to support her son, a soldier who was involved in some of the logistical planning. 'I'm here because he and several other men and women have sacrificed their lives with their families and all these things for the past 250 years to support this country,' Etienne said. 'That's why I'm here.' Referring to Trump, she added: 'His birthday just happens to be today.' Another attendee, Scott M., who declined to give his full last name, said he is a Democrat who supported former Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., for president in 2028. 'Not a fan [of Trump], but I also think that the presidency deserves respect, and it was going to be the 250th birthday of the Army whoever was president,' he said. 'There have been talks of having an event like this for a long time, so I just think it's good to respect and honor the Army, and not have to make it as political.'
NBC News
28 minutes ago
- NBC News
Police move to clear streets as 20,000 protest in Los Angeles
As a crowd of over 20,000 gathered in Los Angeles for the 'No Kings' protest against President Trump's immigration policies, police began clearing streets near federal buildings, deploying dispersal orders and less-lethal munitions on some overpasses.
