Trump team to stop family-planning funding as it reviews whether it's being used for DEI programs
A Health and Human Services spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal, which reported on the plan, that the department was reviewing grants to make sure they complied with the crackdown on DEI.
The freeze to the Title X program could impact as much as $120 million worth of grants to a network of roughly 4,000 clinics providing free and discounted pregnancy testing, contraception, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment, and evaluations and testing for infertility.
Planned Parenthood, whose affiliates could lose roughly $20 million if the paused grants are ultimately cut, reacted with alarm.
'The Trump-Vance-Musk administration wants to shut down Planned Parenthood health centers by any means necessary, and they'll end people's access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more to do it,' Planned Parenthood Federation of America CEO Alex McGill Johnson told the newspaper.
Elsewhere, the administration is reportedly weighing cuts to the Centers for Disease Control's HIV-prevention program.
Trump has also resurrected federal rules barring funds from being spent on abortions in the U.S. and abroad, and has pardoned anti-abortion activists.
His nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration has called for a review of a rule that allowed patients to get an abortion pill without seeing a healthcare provider in person.
The president has said he wants policymaking around abortion to be handled by the states, rather than the federal government.
The White House emphasis on making deep cuts to federal spending has also impacted U.S.-backed health work abroad.
The attempted funding freeze to the U.S. Agency for International Development has been estimated to put contraception access in jeopardy for one million women a week.
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Telegraph
20 minutes ago
- Telegraph
West Virginia sending hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington DC
Hundreds of West Virginia National Guard members will be deployed across the nation's capital as part of the Trump administration's effort to overhaul policing in the District of Columbia through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness. Republican Governor Patrick Morrisey announced Saturday that he was sending a contingent of 300 to 400 members. 'West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation's capital,' Morrisey said. The move comes as federal agents and National Guard troops begin to appear across the heavily Democratic city after Trump's executive order on Monday, federalising local police forces and activating about 800 DC National Guard troops. By adding outside troops to join those already assigned to Washington, President Donald Trump is exercising even tighter control over the city. It's a power play that the president has justified as an emergency response to crime and homelessness, even though district officials have noted that violent crime is lower than it was during Trump's first term in office. A protest against Trump's intervention drew scores to Dupont Circle on Saturday afternoon before a march to the White House, about 1.5 miles away. Demonstrators assembled behind a banner that said 'No fascist takeover of DC', and some in the crowd held signs that said 'No military occupation'. Trump was at his Virginia golf club after Friday's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Morgan Taylor, one of the organisers who coordinated Saturday's protest, said they were hoping to spark enough backlash to Trump's actions that the administration would be forced to pull back on its crime and immigration agenda. 'It's hot, but I'm glad to be here. It's good to see all these people out here,' she said. 'I can't believe that this is happening in this country at this time.' She added, 'Any act of getting in the streets, any act of making noise, any act of showing a sense of community, taking care of one another, is an act of resistance.' The West Virginia activation also suggests the administration sees the need for additional manpower, after the president personally played down the need for Washington to hire more police officers. Maj Gen James Seward, West Virginia's adjutant general, said in a statement that members of the state's National Guard 'stand ready to support our partners in the National Capital Region' and that the Guard's 'unique capabilities and preparedness make it an invaluable partner in this important undertaking'. Federal agents have appeared in some of the city's most highly trafficked neighbourhoods, garnering a mix of praise, pushback and alarm from local residents and leaders across the country. City leaders, who are obliged to cooperate with the president's order under the federal laws that direct the district's local governance, have sought to work with the administration, though they have bristled at the scope of the president's takeover. On Friday, the administration reversed course on an order that aimed to place the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as an 'emergency police commissioner' after the district's top lawyer sued to contest. After a court hearing, Trump's attorney general, Pam Bondi, issued a memo that directed the Metropolitan Police Department to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement regardless of any city law. District officials say they are evaluating how to best comply. In his order on Monday, Trump declared an emergency due to the 'city government's failure to maintain public order'. He said that impeded the 'federal government's ability to operate efficiently to address the nation's broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence'. In a letter to city residents, Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, wrote that 'our limited self-government has never faced the type of test we are facing right now'. She added that if Washingtonians stick together, 'we will show the entire nation what it looks like to fight for American democracy — even when we don't have full access to it'.
Scottish Sun
29 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Ukraine will be forced to surrender eastern territory & forget about joining Nato under Trump and Putin's peace terms
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STRICKEN Ukraine will be forced to surrender large swathes of its eastern territory and forget about ever joining Nato under peace terms haggled by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The war-torn country's desire to join the European Union is also in doubt after the two superpower presidents held controversial talks in Alaska on Friday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Alaska to end the conflict in Ukraine 8 Ukraine will be forced to surrender large swathes of its eastern territory under peace terms haggled by the leaders Credit: AFP 8 Zelensky has called for an end to the conflict on social media Credit: Getty Ukraine would be outlawed from joining the Western defence alliance, but have its redrawn borders underwritten by its US and European allies, in the terms suggested by the White House. Allies have offered 'ironclad' security assurances to protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression if a peace deal can be forged. But it would stop short of Nato Article 5 status, which sees members of the alliance leap to the aid of any member that is attacked. Ukraine's desire to join Nato has been blamed as a root cause of President Putin's invasion. READ MORE ON UKRAINE PUT IT THERE Trump and Putin locked in face to face talks after US leader's show of force He has insisted 'Nyet' — Russian for 'No' — over the proposal. But the future security of Ukraine is the number one condition of its president, Volodymyr Zelensky. British and other European troops could be committed to police the peace, with President Trump finally conceding the Americans would play a vital role in the future defence of Ukraine. Last night, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly stated: 'The good news is that America is ready to participate in such security guarantees and is not leaving it to the Europeans alone.' And PM Sir Keir Starmer said Trump's 'leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing' should be commended. Calls for an immediate ceasefire were dropped by world leaders yesterday, after Trump announced he was instead pursuing a more lasting 'peace deal'. Trump-Putin latest- Don says 'no deal' on Ukraine war & holds call with Zelensky after saying it's now 'up to him' Plans haggled at Friday's face-to-face summit are being circulated by the Americans after the US President and the Kremlin tyrant met for talks in Anchorage, Alaska, lasting more than three hours. The Sun has been told a surrender deal would see Ukraine forced to reject Nato membership and other 'multinational deals'. Negotiations would also begin about ceding control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine which are, in part, occupied by Russian troops. There was confusion last night over whether the talks would focus on territory currently held by the Kremlin invaders, or whether the wider regions were on the table. Yesterday, EU leaders insisted: 'Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and Nato.' However, that does not rule out Zelensky deciding to withdraw Ukraine's stated aim to join both alliances as part of the wider deal. He will fly to Washington DC on Monday to meet with President Trump at the White House — six months after their disastrous Oval Office bust up, which saw the leader of the free world savage Zelensky live on TV. 8 Battered Ukraine will be outlawed from joining NATO Credit: Reuters Russia has long claimed Donetsk and Luhansk are more loyal to Moscow than Kyiv, while Zelensky has publicly ruled out giving up the land. However, he is under massive pressure to concede and end the bloody three-and-a-half year conflict, which has seen more than a million deaths. European leaders were locked in talks with the White House this weekend, as the world scrambled to catch up with what Trump had offered Putin to end the war. Last night, UK government sources said the PM was playing a key role in selling the terms of the deal to wider Western allies in a series of calls following the talks between the Americans and Russians. I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal. This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more Sir Keir Starmer's statement Trump yesterday insisted it is time for Zelensky to choose whether to agree with the terms of the deal — as the pair prepared to meet tomorrow. The White House has also offered to play host to a trilateral summit between the Russians and Ukrainians if the deal is within reach. Speaking following Friday's talks, where he met with his Russian counterpart for the first time in six years, President Trump insisted it was 'a great and very successful day in Alaska!' He wrote on his Truth Social website: 'The meeting with President Vladimir Putin went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelensky and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of Nato. 8 PM Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Trump's 'leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing' should be commended Credit: Getty 8 France's Emmanuel Macron and Italy's Giorgia Meloni, said: 'We are clear Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity' Credit: Getty 'It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up. 'President Zelensky will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. 'Potentially, millions of people's lives will be saved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Last night, Putin also welcomed progress made at the talks, after leaving the summit without taking questions from hundreds of assembled journalists. In a televised address released by the Kremlin, he said: 'The conversation was very frank, substantive, and, in my opinion, brings us closer to the necessary decisions.' He added: 'We have not had direct negotiations of this kind at this level for a long time. We had the opportunity to calmly and in detail reiterate our position.' We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and NATO European statement In a long statement, Zelensky welcomed the offer of security guarantees outlined by Trump, in a tentative sign he may be willing to sign up to the terms. He wrote: 'A real peace must be achieved, one that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions. Killings must stop as soon as possible, the fire must cease both on the battlefield and in the sky, as well as against our port infrastructure. 'All Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians must be released, and the children abducted by Russia must be returned. 'Thousands of our people remain in captivity — they all must be brought home. Pressure on Russia must be maintained while the aggression and occupation continue.' He went on: 'In my conversation with President Trump, I said that sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war. Sanctions are an effective tool. 'Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with involvement of Europe and the US. 'All issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine's participation, and no issue, particularly territorial ones, can be decided without Ukraine. I thank our partners who are helping.' Yesterday, the PM was taking part in a round of behind the scenes diplomacy, speaking to the White House and European capitals. He heaped praise on Trump, saying his 'efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia's illegal war in Ukraine'. He went on: 'His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.' But the PM warned: 'While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelensky. 8 Negotiations would begin about ceding control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Eastern Ukraine, pictured a soldier loading artillery Credit: Getty 'The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him. I spoke to President Zelensky, President Trump and other European partners, and we all stand ready to support this next phase. I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal. 'In the meantime, until he stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people. 'Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue for as long as it takes.' In a joint statement, Sir Keir and European leaders, including France's Emmanuel Macron and Italy's Giorgia Meloni, said: 'We are clear Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. 'No limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and Nato." 8 Italian leader Giorgia Meloni made a joint statement with Macron Credit: The Mega Agency
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Putin has laid cunning trap that makes Zelensky's White House visit a minefield… Russian leader knows the peace he wants
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AT first sight, Friday's summit meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin came to no clear conclusion. But the Russian leader has cunningly laid a trap, hoping that Volodymyr Zelensky is the one to say 'No' to President Trump's peace plan. 6 Russian leader Vladimir Putin has cunningly laid a trap Credit: Reuters 6 He is hoping that Zelensky is the one to say 'No' to President Trump's peace plan Credit: AP 6 Putin got what he wanted when Trump treated him as an equal partner Credit: AFP Since Alaska, Trump has shifted from demanding an immediate ceasefire to calling for immediate and full peace agreement. This is what Putin wants — to bounce Zelensky into a take-it-or-leave-it deal. But what would peace be like? To be sure, Putin knows what he means by peace — Ukraine surrenders to his key demands. Kyiv gives up a swathe of territory to Russia. It abandons any hope of integrating into Western institutions such as Nato or the EU. And it disarms so it cannot repeat the tough fight it has put up since February 2022, in case Russia decides to re-invade. In the meantime, sanctions on Russia are lifted and the Kremlin gets back its $300billion assets frozen in the West. A fast-tracked peace deal means Ukraine agreeing to complicated things such as who gets what territory, to what kind of country it will be internally. Putin wants to keep the Crimea peninsula plus the four southern regions which his army occupies. He might swap a slither of land for the tiny bit of Russia's Kursk region which Ukraine's army holds, but he will never give up Crimea. Crimea is a floating aircraft carrier and naval base which would give the Kremlin dominance of the Black Sea. Its surrounding waters hold huge oil and gas reserves which can only be exploited once the fighting stops. Trump-Putin latest- Don says 'no deal' on Ukraine war & holds call with Zelensky after saying it's now 'up to him' Seizing Crimea without a shot in 2014 was a huge boost to Putin's prestige at home. Similarly, the western part of the Donetsk region is a fortress which blocks any future Russian grab into the heart of Ukraine. Putin is prepared, apparently, to make superficial concessions in other places to get the Ukrainians out of that key strategic area. Although it sounds like a swap, in reality Putin is prepared to give up his claim to places he doesn't fully control such as the cities of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — though not the nuclear power station there — in return for Zelensky handing over places in Donetsk which the Ukrainian army still holds. Annexing this key region would be an achievement he's been unable to achieve in years of fighting. Putin also wants to reverse many of the changes Ukrainians voted for in the past ten years. Most of all, he wants Zelensky out of office. As the hero of Ukraine's resistance, he is Putin's biggest bugbear. 6 6 That makes Zelensky's visit to Washington tomorrow such a minefield for him. Zelensky needs to avoid the kind of Oval Office ambush he faced in February when he had a shouting match with US leaders. To be fair, Trump looks likely to offer Ukraine carrots to make any concessions to Russia easier to swallow. Already, Washington has got the Ukrainians to agree to an economic partnership worth up to $500billion to develop the country's mineral and rare earth resources. Trump sold that deal by saying it would be worthwhile for Ukraine to share 50 per cent of the profits with America because Putin wouldn't reinvade if US companies' assets were in the line of fire. Well, that didn't stop him in 2022. Putin and Zelensky both know Trump is a man in a hurry Mark Almond But that selling point goes to the heart of what Ukraine sees as an acceptable peace settlement. Zelensky wants the US to guarantee any agreement with Russia will be kept. It has to be a cast-iron guarantee like Nato's promise to defend each member's territory if it is attacked. Ukrainians remember how Bill Clinton and John Major persuaded them to hand over the Soviet nuclear missiles on their territory to Russia in 1994 in return for a guarantee of their borders. We know what that piece of paper was worth. Keir Starmer and his European partners say they are a 'coalition of the willing' ready to put troops on the ground to enforce any deal that Trump and Putin concoct. 6 But without US involvement that force would be a paper tiger. Think back to how pathetic the European peacekeepers were in the Balkans in the 1990s until the US cavalry came over the horizon to stop the wars in ex-Yugoslavia. Trump knows his voters are bitterly opposed to US boots on the ground in foreign danger zones. Putin and Zelensky both know Trump is a man in a hurry. Got what he wanted They are at war but it is the President who wants a deal most urgently. Trump sees himself as a peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Prize. To be fair he has knocked heads together between smaller, weaker states like Armenia and Azerbaijan. But Putin's Russia sees itself as a global superpower. Putin got what he wanted on Friday when Trump treated him as an equal partner. The devil will be in the details of any peace deal. Putin is a master of detail. Trump is a master of ceremonies, lavishing attention on the media image of signing deals. Zelensky has to tread very carefully. A weekend is a very short time to prepare a peace to end three brutal years of war. Meeting 'a big win for Vlad' By Michael Hamilton VLADIMIR Putin will feel emboldened after the summit in the US, a former top military intelligence officer is warning. Colonel Philip Ingram said he feared Kremlin's tyrant had come out on top after the Alaska talks. The security and terror analyst added: 'This is a big win for Putin. His body language afterwards showed he had achieved more than Trump. 'Donald Trump was treating this as a business transaction, and wanted a quick victory. 'But Putin is tickling the fish and playing a longer game.' He warned it would be alarming to Ukraine but stressed that, importantly, the US had not made any concessions.
