Some education grants in limbo were used for ‘leftwing agenda,' Trump administration says
The administration this week withheld more than $6 billion intended for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more, saying it would review the grants to ensure they align with President Donald Trump's priorities. The freeze sent schools and summer camp providers scrambling to determine whether they can still provide programs like day camps this summer or after-hours child care this fall.
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CNBC
7 minutes ago
- CNBC
Trump to speak with Putin after U.S. pauses some weapons shipments to Ukraine
President Donald Trump said he will speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET. The call comes two days after the U.S. said it would halt some missile and ammunitions shipments to Ukraine, which continues to fight off invading Russian forces. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
San Francisco Chronicle
10 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
How Ukraine can cope with the US pause on crucial battlefield weapons
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The decision by the United States to pause some weapons shipments to Ukraine has come at a tough time for Kyiv: Russia's bigger army is making a concerted push on parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line and is intensifying long-range drone and missile attacks that increasingly hammer civilians in Ukrainian cities. Washington has been Ukraine's biggest military backer since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022. But the Trump administration has been disengaging from the war, and no end to the fighting is in sight, despite recent direct peace talks. Specific weapons needed from U.S. Amid recurring concerns in Kyiv about how much military support its allies can supply and how quickly, Ukraine has raced to build up its domestic defense industry. The country's output has gradually grown, especially in the production of more and increasingly sophisticated drones, but Ukraine needs to speedily scale up production. Crucially, some high-tech U.S. weapons are irreplaceable. They include Patriot air defense missiles, which are needed to fend off Russia's frequent ballistic missile attacks, but which cost $4 million each. That vital system is included in the pause, and many cities in Ukraine, including Kyiv, could become increasingly vulnerable. A senior Ukrainian official said Thursday that Patriot systems are 'critically necessary' for Ukraine, but U.S.-made HIMARS precision-guided missiles, also paused, are in less urgent need as other countries produce similar assets. 'Other countries that have these (Patriot) systems can only transfer them with U.S. approval. The real question now is how far the United States is willing to go in its reluctance to support Ukraine,' he told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity of the subject. The official said that Patriot missiles exist in sufficient numbers globally, and he said that accessing them requires political resolve. 'There are enough missiles out there,' he said, without providing evidence. He also stated that Ukraine has already scaled up its domestic production of 155 mm artillery shells, which were once critically short, and is now capable of producing more than is currently contracted. 'Supplies from abroad have also become more available than before,' he said. Backup plan Amid at times fraught relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been enlisting greater European help for his country's arms manufacturing plans. European countries don't have the production levels, military stockpiles or the technology to pick up all the slack left by the U.S. pause, but Zelenskyy is recruiting their help for ambitious joint investment projects. Draft legislation to help Ukrainian defense manufacturers scale up and modernize production, including building new facilities at home and abroad, will be put to a vote in the Ukrainian parliament later this month, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced this week. Zelenskyy said last month that major investments will go to the production of drones and artillery shells. 'The volume of support this year is the largest since the start of the full-scale war,' he said about commitments from foreign countries. Under Trump, there have been no new announcements of U.S. military or weapons aid to Ukraine. Between March and April, the United States allocated no new help at all, according to Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks such support. For the first time since June 2022, four months after Russia's full-scale invasion, European countries have surpassed the U.S. in total military aid, totaling 72 billion euros ($85 billion) compared with 65 billion euros ($77 billion) from the U.S., the institute said last month. Big battlefield problem Without Patriot missiles, as well as the AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile and shorter-range Stinger missiles that are also included in the pause, Ukrainian cities likely will take a bashing as more Russian missiles pierce air defenses. On the front line, Ukrainian troops haven't recently voiced complaints about ammunition shortages, as they have in the past. They have always said that during the war, they have never had as much ammunition to as their disposal as Russian forces. The army faces a different problem: It's desperately short-handed. It's turning to drones to compensate for its manpower shortage, and analysts say the front isn't about to collapse. 'This is war — and in war, steady deliveries are always crucial,' he said. ___ Barry Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. ___
Newsweek
12 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Petition Against Donald Trump's Executive Order Passes 100K Signatures
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A petition opposing President Donald Trump's attempt to restrict birthright citizenship has garnered over 100,000 signatures. The MoveOn petition is calling on Congress to reject any federal court ruling or legislation that overturns birthright citizenship after the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that judges lack the authority to issue nationwide injunctions blocking Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship from taking effect. If Congress votes on the order, they "must resoundingly reject this brazen attack on our Constitution and its discriminatory agenda that threatens the very fabric of America," the petition states. Why It Matters Birthright citizenship automatically makes anyone born in the United States an American citizen. The right was enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution soon after the Civil War. Trump signed an executive order to deny birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily shortly on his first day back in office on January 20. Three federal judges issued nationwide injunctions blocking the order from taking effect, prompting the Trump administration to file an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court to narrow the scope of the orders. The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that individual federal judges lack the authority to grant nationwide injunctions. The outcome was a win for the president, who has complained about judges hindering his agenda. However, the court's conservative majority stopped short of allowing Trump's executive order to take immediate effect nationwide, leaving its fate unclear. Demonstrators hold up an anti-Trump sign outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025. Demonstrators hold up an anti-Trump sign outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025. Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images What To Know The Supreme Court "gave the green light for Trump to end birthright citizenship," the MoveOn petition states. "By allowing Trump's EO to end birthright citizenship to be decided by the federal courts in select parts of the country, SCOTUS has greenlit creating a two-tiered system of citizenship." It adds that ultimately federal courts "will have to rule on birthright citizenship, and if they rule to overturn it, it will be up to Congress to block these unconstitutional grabs at our rights." It urges people to add their names to "protect birthright citizenship and demand that Congress, state and local elected leadership, and the courts fight back against this blatantly unconstitutional executive order!" As of Thursday morning, the petition has more than 110,800 signatures. What People Are Saying MoveOn spokesperson Britt Jacovich said in a statement provided to Newsweek: "This is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to undermine core American freedoms and target specific communities, who are the fabric and lifeblood of our country. While the Supreme Court bends to the will of Trump, Congress still has the power to protect the people who have called our country home for their entire lives." The MoveOn petition states: "Congress must take action and refuse to concede to Trump's assault on our Constitution. Re-litigating the question of who gets to be a citizen is just another attempt by Trump to divide us and further advance a discriminatory America." President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social after the Supreme Court's ruling: "GIANT WIN in the United States Supreme Court! Even the Birthright Citizenship Hoax has been, indirectly, hit hard. It had to do with the babies of slaves (same year!), not the SCAMMING of our Immigration process." What Happens Next The Supreme Court's ruling sends cases challenging Trump's birthright citizenship order back to the lower courts, where judges will have to decide how to tailor their orders to comply with the High Court's ruling. The executive order remains blocked for at least 30 days, giving lower courts and parties time to determine next steps, but it could result in a patchwork of rules that may differ between the 22 states that sued over the order and the rest of the country. The order still faces challenges, as within hours of the ruling, two class-action suits were filed in Maryland and New Hampshire seeking to block Trump's order. While the Supreme Court did not address the merits of Trump's bid to enforce his executive order on birthright citizenship, Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters that the Trump administration is "very confident" that the Court will ultimately side with it on the merits of the case.
