White House dismisses scores of National Security Council staff
The staff sent home included both career officials who were detailed to the NSC as well as some political appointees, these people said. Like others, they spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive personnel issue.
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20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Minnesota election official weighs in on Trump's vow to end mail-in voting
The Brief President Donald Trump said he plans to issue an executive order to ban mail-in ballots and voting machines before the 2026 midterm elections. Trump has claimed there was fraud in the 2020 presidential election, election officials say there has been no evidence of this. Experts said only Congress could change federal election law. (FOX 9) - President Donald Trump vowed Monday to lead what he calls "a movement" to eliminate mail-in voting. Trump said he is working with attorneys on drafting an executive order towards his goal ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Election law experts and Minnesota election officials point to the U.S. Constitution and say a president is not given the authority to change election law. The backstory Trump posted a similar message earlier on Monday on social media and said his reason for this pledge is a matter of election integrity. "We're going to start with an executive order that's being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail-in ballots because they're corrupt," said Trump. How can this be achieved? Fact check An election law expert said only Congress can change how federal elections are run. "States basically operate both the state and federal, but the U.S. government under the Constitution has some authority to be able to regulate the time, place, and manner of federal elections," said David Schultz, political science professor at Hamline University and law professor at University of St. Thomas. "Could Congress pass a law that basically bans mail-in voting for federal elections. The answer is yes. But notice what I said, is that Congress would have to a law to be able to do that. The president can't issue an executive order. Could Congress pass a law that prevents states from using mail-in ballots in their own elections, the answer is no." Local perspective Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon addressed some of Trump's remarks in a statement sent to FOX 9. "The U.S. Constitution gives states full control of the time, place, and manner of elections – subject only to action by Congress. A President has no power to grab election authority from states. "America's elections are run largely by local communities. This choice is intentional to ensure that towns, cities, and counties have full control over who represents them. The people who do the work of administering elections are our neighbors and friends, each of whom takes an oath to follow the law, prevent fraud, and conduct their work in a fair and impartial manner. These local election administrators register voters, create ballots, count ballots, and so much more. Once their work is complete on election night, they report the results to our office. Our office never touches a ballot during an election." Simon also responded to Trump's mention of voter fraud. "Every election cycle, everywhere, Minnesota included, you're going to have a very few bad apples who do the wrong thing and engage in some sort of misconduct, but man it is a microscopic level. We know that because we get all the reports, by law, from all of the prosecutors," said Simon. Simon addressed Trump's statement about the prevalence of mail-in voting. "Just about the only country in the world that uses it," said Trump. "There are dozens of countries around the world from Japan, Australia, New Zealand, most of Western Europe that use and have the option of mail in balloting," said Simon. Secretary Simon also responded to Trump's concerns about voting machines. Simon said electronic tabulating equipment gets certified by both state and federal authorities and is more accurate than hand counting. Plus, in Minnesota, paper ballots are used to check the accuracy of machine results, and paper ballots are kept for two years after every election. What they're saying Donna Bergstrom, Deputy Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota sent FOX 9 this statement. "President Trump is right to shine a spotlight on the flaws and vulnerabilities of mail-in voting. Election integrity is the foundation of our representative democracy, and Minnesotans deserve to know that their vote is secure and accurately counted. Even Democrats like Amy Klobuchar and Angie Craig have admitted Minnesota's mail system is unreliable—you can't even depend on getting your electric bill on time, so why would we turn the integrity of our elections over to that same broken system? "At the same time, we recognize that in a few remote areas of Minnesota, mail-in ballots are the only option because of the distance from polling places, and as a retired United States Marine, I know that our military members deserve access to voting and sometimes this is their only option. But those are specialized exceptions." The Source Minnesota Secretary of State, Political Science and Law professor, President Donald Trump, Republican Party of Minnesota, FOX News, and the Associated Press.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
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Tarrant County officials to vote on drastic reduction of early voting and election day sites
The Brief Tarrant County commissioners will vote on a proposal to significantly reduce the number of early voting and Election Day polling locations. The plan would cut the number of early voting sites by more than half, from 51 to 24, and Election Day locations from 349 to 214. Some commissioners and local residents are raising concerns about potential voter suppression and confusion, while the rationale for the cuts remains unclear. TARRANT COUNTY, Texas - On Tuesday, Tarrant County commissioners will consider slashing the number of election days and early voting locations. Opponents are trying to rally the opposition ahead of the vote. Local perspective FOX 4 reached out to all the Tarrant County commissioners to see if they wanted to make any comments ahead of tomorrow's meeting. The agenda came out on Friday as some say they are still reviewing the proposal. Commissioner Alisa Simmons tells FOX 4's Peyton Yager that she's been working all weekend to get this specific agenda item postponed, but she says she has been met with pushback. "How? Where? Why? How the election administrators got to this point," said Commissioner Simmons. Just some of the questions Democrat Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons is preparing to bring to Tuesday's Commissioner's Court Meeting. What we know On the agenda is a plan to reduce the number of early voting locations by half and slash more than 100 election day voting locations for the upcoming off-year election in November. If passed, the number of early voting locations would go from 51 to 24. Election day locations would be 214 compared to last year's 349. What they're saying "The contrast is stark. This is evidence of voter suppression. This tactic is in the form of impeding and limiting access to the ballot box," said Simmons. Commissioner Simmons told FOX 4 on Monday that she hasn't received a clear reason for the drastic drop. Democrat Precinct One Commissioner Roderick Miles stated on Monday, "I stand firmly against any actions, policies, or proposals that even resemble voter suppression." Republican Precinct Four Commissioner Manny Ramirez also told FOX 4 that he has several concerns and is looking forward to hearing the elections administrator's rationale or formula for the proposal. Dig deeper Last September, an effort to eliminate early voting sites at several college campuses failed in a 4 to 1 vote at a Special Commissioner Court Meeting. Republican County Judge Tim O'Hare was the lone voter in favor of arguing the college locations were too close to other polling sites, and it was a waste of money. The proposal was nixed following a four-hour fiery public comment. Commissioner Simmons is expecting the same turnout on Tuesday. "This will cause so much voter confusion. People have grown accustomed to voting at the places they live near or work near," said Simmons. What's next Neither Republican Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare's office nor Republican Commissioner Matt Krause responded to FOX 4's request for comment on Monday. Commissioners' court meets tomorrow at 10 a.m. This is still on the agenda and people can sign up for public comment. The Source Information in this article was provided from interviews and public comment obtained by FOX 4's Peyton Yager. Solve the daily Crossword
31 minutes ago
India's Modi to meet China's top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties
NEW DELHI -- NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with China's top diplomat on Tuesday in a sign of easing tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors after a yearslong standoff between the Asian powers. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who arrived in India on Monday, is scheduled to hold talks with Modi and other leaders, including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, about the disputed border in the Himalayan mountains. Reducing the number of troops on the border, and resuming some trade there, is expected to be on the agenda. The rebuilding of ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on India, a longtime ally seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the U.S. along with Australia and Japan. India and China's decades-old border dispute worsened in 2020 after a deadly clash between their troops in the Ladakh region. The chill in relations affected trade, diplomacy and air travel as both sides deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas. Some progress has been made since then. Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces along some border areas. Both countries continue to fortify their border by building roads and rail networks. In recent months, the countries have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens and visas for businesspeople. In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet. Both sides are working to restore direct flights. Last week, the spokesman for India's foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said India and China were in discussions to restart trade through three points along their 3,488-kilometer (2,167-mile) border. Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, said relations are still at an uneasy level of normalization. 'Settling the boundary issue between the two countries requires political compromise at the highest political level,' said Joshi, who also served as a member of the advisory board for India's National Security Council. He asserted that the countries are "still talking past each other when it comes to the border dispute and issues surrounding it." On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing is willing to take Wang's India visit as an opportunity to work with the Indian side to 'properly handle differences and promote the sustained, sound and stable development of China-India relations.' Mao said Wang's meeting with Modi's national security adviser will 'continue in-depth communication to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas.' The thaw between Beijing and New Delhi began last October when Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a summit of emerging economies in Russia. It was the first time the leaders had spoken in person since 2019. Modi is set to met Xi when he travels to China late this month — his first visit in seven years — to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional grouping formed by China, Russia and others to counter U.S. influence in Asia. Earlier this year, Xi called for India and China's relations to take the form of a 'dragon-elephant tango' — a dance between the emblematic animals of the countries. Last month, India's external affairs minister visited Beijing in his first trip to China since 2020. The renewed engagement comes as New Delhi's ties with Trump are fraying. Washington has imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, which includes a penalty of 25% for purchasing Russian crude oil. The tariffs take effect Aug. 27. India has shown no sign of backing down, instead signing more agreements with Russia to deepen economic cooperation. Trump's renewed engagement with India's arch rival, Pakistan, has also encouraged New Delhi's overtures to China, said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who led Indian military's Northern Command from 2014 to 2016. In June, Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief for a White House lunch and later announced an energy deal with Islamabad to jointly develop the country's oil reserves. Both followed Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the two sides traded military strikes in May. 'China is heavily invested in Pakistan and, practically speaking, you can't have any expectation that Beijing will hold back support to Islamabad," Hooda said. 'But you can't have two hostile neighbors on your borders and simultaneously deal with them also.'
