Trump Abandons Controversial U.S. Attorney Pick After Republican Pushback
WASHINGTON—President Trump said he was dropping his controversial nominee to be the top federal prosecutor in Washington, Ed Martin, after several Republican senators signaled they couldn't support him.
Trump said Thursday he would soon name 'somebody else that will be great.' The implosion of Martin's nomination is a rare setback for Trump, who has otherwise been able to install some of his most polarizing picks for high-level posts.
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Politico
23 minutes ago
- Politico
Judge rules EPA termination of environmental justice grants was unlawful
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that EPA's termination of $600 million in environmental justice grants issued by the Biden administration for low-income areas and communities of color was unlawful. The ruling over the Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program comes as EPA is separately appealing a ruling that its termination of $20 billion in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants was also unlawful. Congressional Republicans have proposed rescinding funding for both grant programs as part of their reconciliation bills. The Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program was part of a $2.8 billion tranche of funding under the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act intended for community groups to provide block grants to address pollution that takes a disproportionately heavy toll on communities of color and low-income and rural areas. Announced in December 2023, EPA selected 11 groups to disburse the funds to subrecipients, a setup the Biden administration argued would help the groups cut through red tape and access the money more easily. EPA in February terminated the grants as it sought to end environmental justice work under the Trump administration's move against diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Three of the regional grantmakers sued: the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, which worked in the mid-Atlantic region; the Minneapolis Foundation, operating in the Midwest; and Philanthropy Northwest, which funded programs in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. EPA's termination of these grants violated the Administrative Procedure Act, ruled Judge Adam Abelson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. 'EPA contends that it has authority to thumb its nose at Congress and refuse to comply with its directives. That constitutes a clear example of an agency acting 'in excess of statutory jurisdiction, authority, or limitations, or short of statutory right,' and thereby violating the APA,' wrote Abelson, a Biden appointee. Abelson rejected the argument EPA made in this and similar cases that the grant terminations are effectively contract disputes that must be heard by a special court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Instead, he ruled that EPA's terminations of the grants because the administration opposes environmental justice efforts were unlawful precisely because Congress intended the agency to spend it on environmental justice activities. 'Congress expressly required EPA to use the appropriated funds for 'environmental justice' programs. By terminating Plaintiffs' grants on the basis that current EPA leadership no longer wants to support 'environmental justice' programs, EPA exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act, and therefore was 'in excess of statutory . . . authority, or limitations,'' under the Administrative Procedures Act, Abelson ruled. Abelson also rejected EPA's argument that the grants were terminated to prevent waste. 'EPA is required to spend the funds that Congress appropriated … and to do so on specified types of projects, and to specifically ensure that such projects benefit disadvantaged communities,' he wrote. EPA said it is reviewing the decision. Ruth Ann Norton, CEO of the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, praised the ruling. 'What the EPA does next, we don't know,' she said. 'But we're super happy for communities that are intended to receive these dollars to deal with many things around environmental quality and public health.' GHHI was prepared to pass through funds to an initial 117 projects across multiple states to address issues like lead contamination in West Virginia, Norton said. 'We hope the EPA doesn't in fact work against its own priorities in a way by wanting to undermine this.' The other groups that brought suit similarly praised the ruling in statements. Minneapolis Foundation President and CEO R.T. Rybak called it 'a win for local communities' while Philanthropy Northwest CEO Jill Nishi said 'communities most impacted by environmental harm deserve access to the resources committed to them by federal law.'
Axios
23 minutes ago
- Axios
Exclusive: CEO economic outlook sinks to five-year low
Economic sentiment among America's top CEOs plunged to the lowest level since 2020, according to a new survey by the Business Roundtable, first seen by Axios. Why it matters: Chief executives have not been this sour on the economy since the once-in-a-century pandemic, with significant downgrading expectations for hiring, investment and sales growth. By the numbers: The Business Roundtable's CEO Economic Outlook Index fell by 15 points to 69, a drop that brings the index well below its historical average of 83. It remains above the level that signals an economic recession. The index decline is a result of tepid expectations for the months ahead, most notably on the hiring front. The employment subindex plummeted by almost 19 points, with more than 40% of CEOs expecting to shrink their workforces in the next six months — up from the roughly 30% who said the same last quarter. A subindex for capital expenditures — investment in new buildings, equipment, technology and more — fell roughly 15 points, with fewer executives planning to increase spending. That came alongside a more than 10-point drop in sales expectations, with a smaller cohort of CEOs expecting higher revenues. What they're saying: "Driving this quarter's decline in the Index is broad-based uncertainty, arising substantially from an unpredictable trade policy environment," Joshua Bolten, the Business Roundtable's CEO, said in a release seen by Axios. "Extending and enhancing tax reform is critical, but it is not sufficient. American businesses also need the Administration rapidly to secure deals with our trading partners that open markets, remove harmful tariffs and provide certainty for investment," Bolten said. The group surveyed 169 of its members in the first two weeks of June, when the U.S.-China trade truce was at risk of breaking down, before top Trump officials met with their Chinese counterparts. Flashback: CEOs had economic euphoria in the early years of Trump's first term, largely on the back tax cut expectations. In the comparable period in 2017, the CEO Economic Outlook Index hit a multiyear high. One year later, it was coming off the highest level ever. The bottom line: That's no longer the case. Uncertainty about trade and other policies is weighing on the CEO class, which has generally been hesitant to publicly criticize the Trump White House — and trumping any excitement about the prospect of extended tax cuts.
The Hill
24 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump keeps his cards close on Iran
12:30 Report is The Hill's midday newsletter. Sign up here or using the box below: Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here It's Wednesday. Remember how I mentioned the extreme humidity that most of the U.S. will be facing for the next two weeks? I have never felt the air feel so … sticky. In today's issue: 🚀 TALK OF THE MORNING President Trump is keeping the world on its toes with his evolving strategy toward Israel and Iran, refusing to reveal whether he will join Israel in the brewing Middle East conflict. 'I may do it. I may not do it. No one knows what I'm going to do,' Trump told reporters this morning on whether he plans to strike Iran. Trump also said Iran reached out and suggested coming to the White House for talks, but the president said it's too late. How this came up: Trump unveiled two new, roughly 100-foot-tall flagpoles on the White House lawn this morning, declaring they are a 'GIFT' from him. Side note — who else is on Trump's mind today?: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. During his flagpole remarks, Trump took a verbal swing at Powell, calling him 'stupid' and predicting the Fed will not cut interest rates ahead of Powell's 2:30 p.m. press conference. OK, back to Iran—what we do know about Tehran's thinking?: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that the U.S. will face 'irreparable damage' if President Trump joins the conflict with Israel, declaring Iran 'will never surrender.' (Trump urged Iran to do just that in an all-caps post Tuesday.) Iran's supreme leader posted on X: 'It isn't wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender. What should the Iranian nation surrender to? We will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone. This is the logic of the Iranian nation. This is the spirit of the Iranian nation.' 💬 Follow today's live blog ➤ THE U.S. MILITARY IS PREPARING TO POTENTIALLY JOIN: The Hill's Ellen Mitchell explains how the U.S. is positioning itself to potentially aid Israel in the simmering conflict. This is interesting — why the U.S. would be particularly helpful to Israel: 'Perhaps the biggest question facing Trump is whether the U.S. will drop bunker buster bombs, known as GBU-57, on Iran's Fordow nuclear site, a move Iran hawks say is necessary to eliminate Tehran's nuclear threat. Israel does not possess such a bomb, believed to be the only armament capable of destroying the highly protected nuclear plant buried deep in an Iranian mountain, nor the U.S. B-2 stealth bomber to drop it from. That has former and current Israeli officials pressing the U.S. to enter the conflict.' Read more. ➤ RELATED READS: 🏛️ IN THE SUPREME COURT The Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law that bans some medical treatments — puberty blockers and hormone treatments — for transgender minors. The decision: 6-3, along ideological lines. The court's three liberal justices dissented. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion. Why this matters more broadly: 23 other states have similar laws. This decision would likely impact those other states. 🔎 Read the full opinion ➤ PLUS, THE COURT WEIGHED IN ON EPA CASES: The Supreme Court set rules for which federal courts can hear cases related to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 💡 Why this matters: 'While technical, the decision may have some influence on actual policy outcomes since some regional federal courts may have a more liberal or conservative makeup than the D.C. federal court.' Read The Hill's Rachel Frazin's reporting on the decision ➤ FOR PLANNING PURPOSES: There are 16 cases left to be decided before the Supreme Court's summer break. The next round of opinions will happen at 10 a.m. on Friday. 📝 More SCOTUS coverage from The Hill's courts team. 📺 IN CONGRESS Conservative media personality Tucker Carlson grilled fellow conservative Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) over Iran in what turned into a fiery exchange. Carlson posted a clip of the contentious interview last night and says the full interview will publish today. It feels like everyone in Washington is talking about this clip. 📹 Watch the clip Carlson posted A heated moment: When Cruz says he does not know the population of Iran, Carlson leans into him for failing to know the details of 'the country you seek to topple.' 'I don't sit around memorizing population tables,' Cruz responded. Another heated moment: Carlson quizzed Cruz on the 'ethnic mix of Iran.' Cruz said Iran is Persian and 'predominantly Shia.' Carlson pushed him to answer what percentage. The two then shouted over each other. More from the fiery interview 'Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is facing strong pushback from members of the GOP conference over the Finance Committee's piece of President Trump's tax and spending bill, which largely ignores GOP senators' concerns about Medicaid cuts and the quick phaseout of clean-energy tax credits,' reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton. The issue: Senate Republicans who are concerned about the Medicaid cuts in the House-passed bill say they were blindsided by the Senate's version of the bill, which would cut Medicaid by several hundred billion dollars beyond what the House proposed (!). What this means for the bill and its July 4 deadline ➤ NOT TO PILE ON, BUT: A growing number of House Republicans dislike the Senate's version of the bill, reports The Hill's Mychael Schnell. Read this quote from Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), who switched from a Democrat to a Republican in 2019: 'This is political stupidity; it's political suicide. Why would you hurt these people?' Van Drew told The Hill, regarding the Medicaid cuts. 'There are a lot of working poor, blue-collar people. There are people now — they were part of this new Republican Party, and we should make sure that they're safe not only for political reasons but also for the right thing to do.' 💡 And as I like to remind everyone: Whatever the Senate passes, the House must then agree before sending it to the president's desk for a signature. This is why Senate Republicans wanted to chop this bill into two pieces of legislation — one monster bill is very difficult to pass. ➤ TIDBIT: White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and fossil fuel advocate Alex Epstein are expected to attend the Senate GOP lunch today, per Politico. 🍣 Celebrate: Today is International Sushi Day. 😬 Ever heard of an 'infinite workday?': Well, we live in it. Microsoft released a report of Microsoft 365 users and found that workers are increasingly responding to meetings and taking meetings off-hours — and are interrupted every two minutes on average by an email, meeting or chat message. Takeaways 📱 TikTok may get another extension: President Trump said he will likely extend the TikTok sell-or-ban deadline by another 90 days. Because you made it this far, watch this puppy's first-ever experience with a car wash. 📺 Yesterday's 12:30 Report video drew a lot of attention. Catch up with the 1-minute recap. Have a tip? I love hearing from you: cmartel@ And check out more newsletters here. See you next time!
