Public health expert: RFK Jr.'s MAHA report is "unconscionable"
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Fox News
a minute ago
- Fox News
Trump warns he may bypass Congress with national emergency to keep DC police control beyond 30 days
President Donald Trump said he may declare a national emergency to maintain control of Washington, D.C.'s police force if Congress doesn't work with him to extend the current federalization plan. Trump made the statement during a press conference at the Kennedy Center in Washington, arguing he can maintain control over the Metropolitan Police Department indefinitely if he declares a national emergency. Under the current structure, the federal government took control over the MPD for a 30-day period on Monday. "Your federalization of the police has a 30-day limit unless Congress acts to extend it. Are you talking to Congress about extending it, or do you believe 30 days is sufficient?" a reporter asked. "Well, if it's a national emergency, we can do it without Congress. But we expect to be before Congress very quickly. And again, we think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously. So we're going to need a crime bill. That we're going to be putting in, and it's going to pertain initially to DC. We're going to use it as a very positive example." Trump went on to confirm that his administration would be seeking "long-term extensions" to the 30-day limit. "You can't have 30 days," he said. "We're going to do this very quickly, but we're going to want extensions. I don't want to call a national emergency, but if I have to I will." Trump announced his D.C. crime and homelessness crackdown last week, calling in the National Guard and federal law enforcement in addition to federalizing the MPD. Law enforcement has arrested more than 100 people since Aug. 7, which includes 43 who were arrested Tuesday, a White House official told Fox Digital Wednesday morning. The arrests are part of Trump's March executive order, which established the Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force, ahead of Trump's Monday announcement federalizing the D.C. police department. "President Trump's bold leadership is quickly making our nation's capital safer," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox Digital. "In less than one week, over 100 violent criminals have already been arrested and taken off of the streets in Washington, D.C. President Trump is delivering on his campaign promise to clean up this city and restore American Greatness to our cherished capital." The White House says those living in homeless encampments in the nation's capital will have two choices in the coming days: accept treatment at a homeless shelter, or go to jail. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered the message during a Tuesday press conference. "Seventy homeless encampments have been removed by the U.S. Park Police," Leavitt said, adding that the Metropolitan Police Department would be joining the Park Police in the effort. "There are only two homeless encampments remaining in D.C. federal parks under the National Park Service's jurisdiction, and the removal of those two remaining camps is scheduled for this week." Leavitt added that those who refuse homeless shelters and care could be faced with jail time.
CBS News
a minute ago
- CBS News
Staffing shortages at VA health systems are on the rise, watchdog finds
Health care staffing shortages at the Department of Veterans Affairs are on the rise, according to a new watchdog report. In the report, out Tuesday, the VA's Office of Inspector General, or OIG, found Veterans Health Administration facilities reported 4,434 staffing shortages this fiscal year, which is a 50% increase from fiscal year 2024. Almost all — 94% — of facilities reported severe shortages for medical officers, while 79% of facilities reported severe shortages for nurses, according to the report. The report's data comes from questionnaires sent to 139 VHA facilities, comparing 2025 responses to 2018-2024 responses. The 2025 questionnaires were distributed via email on March 26 with a required completion date of April 9. Data on staffing shortages at VA facilities has been collected annually for over a decade, and the report notes that this is the eighth report to identify severe occupational staffing shortages at the facility level. The report notes that the OIG did not independently verify VHA data for accuracy or completeness. It also says that due to the timing of the questionnaire, any impact on staffing from OPM's Deferred Resignation Program and VA's workforce reshaping efforts — which are expected to lead to further staffing shortages — were not fully reflected. In response to the report, Pete Kasperowicz, press secretary for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said it is "not based on actual VA health care facility vacancies and therefore is not a reliable indicator of staffing shortages." "The report simply lists occupations facilities feel are difficult for which to recruit and retain, so the results are completely subjective, not standardized and unreliable," he said in an emailed statement to CBS News on Wednesday. "VA's department-wide vacancy rates for doctors and nurses are 14% and 10%, respectively. These are lower than most other health care systems, in line with normal VA historical averages and much lower than the respective 19% and 20% physician and nurse vacancy rates VA saw at times during the Biden Administration." CBS News has reached out to the OIG's office seeking a response to Kasperowicz's statement. Others criticized the Trump administration after the findings. Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, said, "Under this administration, we've seen policy after policy that makes it harder for public servants to do their jobs and ultimately harder for veterans to get the care they've earned." "We also know from recent jobs reports that applications to work at the VA are plummeting. How do skyrocketing staffing shortages and declining applicant pools make it more 'efficient' for veterans to access the care and services they deserve? The answer is: they don't," Warner said in a statement. "If the administration is serious about honoring our veterans, it needs to stop undermining the VA workforce and start recruiting and retaining the skilled professionals who care for our heroes." Among the VHA facilities surveyed this year, at least 20% reported severe staffing shortages for more than 40 occupations — marking the highest number of job shortages reported since 2018, according to the report. Severe staffing shortages were also reported for psychologists at 57% of VHA facilities. For non-clinical positions, the highest reported shortage was for police officers, which about 58% of facilities reported.
CBS News
3 minutes ago
- CBS News
Naperville District 203 teacher strike looming amid contract dispute
A strike threat is looming as students in Naperville return to school this week. Naperville District 203's teachers union, the NUEA, announced its members voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike on Tuesday. While this does not mean the strike is imminent, it puts pressure on the district to reach a deal after its contract expired on June 30. The union and the district have been bargaining since February. Students return to school on Thursday. Union President Ross Berkley assured parents there will be "plenty of notice" if teachers decide to strike, ensuring parents can make childcare arrangements. See Berkley's full statement below: "Listen, no one wants to go on strike. In fact, it's the last thing we want to do. We'd much rather be in our classrooms with our students than out on the picket line. But we're also willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure our students have the best education possible," NUEA President Ross Berkley said. "If we do go on strike, we also want to reassure parents and our community that we will give plenty of notice before, so arrangements for childcare can be made."
