Congress braces for Trump's tariff blitz
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In today's edition … Supreme Court hears first reproductive health case of Trump's second term … but first …
Breaking overnight: Democratic-backed candidate Susan Crawford is the projected winner of Wisconsin's Supreme Court election last night. Republican House candidates Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis are projected to win their respective House races in Florida. More on those races:
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UPI
6 minutes ago
- UPI
In letter, more than 300 scientists rebuke Trump research cuts, NIH director
June 9 (UPI) -- Hundreds of scientists via the National Institute of Health signed a published letter in protest to NIH leadership and recent cuts by the Trump administration. "We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political moment over human safety and faithful stewardship of public resources," more than 300 scientists wrote Monday to NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya in a so-called "Bethesda Declaration" published by Stand Up For Science in rebuke to Trump administration research funding cuts and staff layoffs. They added in the letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and members of Congress overseeing NIH that they "dissent" to Trump's policies that "undermine" the NIH mission, "waste" public resources and harm "the health of Americans and people across the globe." In the open letter, they said the current endeavor to "Make America Healthy Again" referred to "some undefined time in the past." "Keeping NIH at the forefront of biomedical research requires our stalwart commitment to continuous improvement," the letter's writers said, adding that the life-and-death nature of NIH work "demands that changes be thoughtful and vetted." According to the letter, the Trump administration terminated at least 2,100 NIH research grants since January, totaling around $9.5 billion and contracts representing some $2.6 billion in new research. "We urge you as NIH Director to restore grants delayed or terminated for political reasons so that life-saving science can continue," the letter added in part. "This undercuts long-standing NIH policies designed to maximize return on investment by working with grantees to address concerns and complete studies," it said. It further accused the White House of creating a "culture of fear and suppression" among NIH researchers. Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor and health researcher, called the agency the "crown jewel of American biomedical sciences" and said he had the "utmost respect" for its scientists and mission during his confirmation hearing in March. On Tuesday, Bhattacharya is scheduled to testify before the Senate's Appropriations Committee on Trump's 2026 NIH budget proposal which seeks to cut roughly 40% of NIH's $48 billion budget. "This spending slowdown reflects a failure of your legal duty to use congressionally-appropriated funds for critical NIH research," the scientists penned to Bhattacharya. The letter goes on to characterize it as "dissent" from Trump administration policy, quoting Bhattacharya during his confirmation as saying "dissent is the very essence of science." "Standing up in this way is a risk, but I am much more worried about the risks of not speaking up," says Jenna Norton, a program officer at the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "If we don't speak up, we allow continued harm to research participants and public health in America and across the globe," Norton said in a statement, adding that if others don't speak up, "we allow our government to curtail free speech, a fundamental American value."
Axios
7 minutes ago
- Axios
Scoop: Cotton urges GOP senators to double down on fiery LA protests
Senate Republican leadership is urging senators to double down on condemning the chaotic protests that erupted over the weekend in Los Angeles, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Republicans are convinced they have a winning issue. " This gives us an opportunity to remind Americans how extreme the Democratic party is on immigration," Sen. Tom Cotton's office wrote to communications staff on Monday. "Americans have a choice between Republicans' law & order vs. the Democrats' car-burning, illegal alien rioters," the email, obtained by Axios, continues. Republicans see a political opening: "So far, every Senate Democrat who has spoken out has backed the rioters..." Zoom in: Republicans want to specifically target California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Cotton staffer encouraged Senate offices to paint Newsom as "the lead enabler of these riots." "What kind of governor blames police officers and the National Guard for 'inciting' this violence," Cotton wrote on X. Newsom is viewed as a likely formidable 2028 presidential candidate. Republicans also see it as an opportunity to remind voters that a key part of their sweeping "one, big beautiful bill" involves providing significant resources to ICE. The conversation around the bill has largely been focused on tax and spending cuts. Zoom out: President Trump deployed the National Guard over the weekend to help tamp down on the escalating protests — in spite of Newson's opposition. Trump has also threatened to arrest Newsom.
The Onion
8 minutes ago
- The Onion
Protesters Urged Not To Give Trump Administration Pretext For What It Already Doing
LOS ANGELES—Responding to escalating clashes between civilian activists and militarized immigration authorities, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass publicly urged protesters Monday not to give the Trump administration any pretext for what they're already doing and will keep doing no matter what. 'Angelenos—don't engage in violence and give the administration an excuse to inflict all the damage they have been inflicting carte blanche for months on end,' said Bass, adding that Trump and his team are just looking for a reason to respond with violence, as they would have done whether or not any of this happened. 'Don't fan the flame that has been fanned behind the scenes at the White House since day one of Trump's term in office. You wouldn't want them to start abducting people in broad daylight and deporting them, would you? No, so let's not become scapegoats for the horrific violations of civil liberties that would have eventually landed at our doorstep regardless.' At press time, Bass warned that Trump was using the actions of protesters to justify sending in the National Guard that had been pre-deployed to the conflict days before it even began.
