The Hill's Headlines - May 26, 2025
International Russia fires record 355 drones into Ukraine late Sunday amid Trump criticism, one day after Kremlin's largest aerial attack in war Senate Filibuster takes center stage as GOP tees up vote to nix California EV rule Education Trump says he's considering giving $3B of Harvard grant money to trade schools Court Battles DOJ case against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) faces stumbling blocks Administration FBI's No. 2 Dan Bongino: bureau looking at leak of Supreme Court draft abortion ruling, other 'cases of potential public corruption'
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Axios
11 minutes ago
- Axios
Pam Bondi: LA protesters "very different" to Jan. 6 rioters Trump pardoned
The Trump administration is "not scared to go further" in its response to Los Angeles ' ongoing fiery protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday. Why it matters: President Trump has referred to protesters as "insurrectionists" and has already taken the rare steps of federalizing California's National Guard and deploying the Marines to LA, prompting reporters to ask Bondi whether he'll next use emergency powers under the Insurrection Act. California's Democratic leaders have expressed strong opposition to the federal response, and Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) have traded insults as they blamed each other for the unrest. What they're saying: "Right now, in California, what we're doing is working," Bondi said, after being asked about whether Trump would invoke the 1807 law that allows presidents to deploy U.S. troops to quell domestic unrest. "By bringing in the National Guard, by bringing in the Marines, right now, to back them up, to protect our federal buildings, to protect highways, to protect the citizens," she said during her briefing with reporters. "So, right now, in California, we're at a good point. We're not scared to go further. We're not frightened to do something else if we need to." Bondi expressed hope that the federal action and the downtown night-time curfew that LA Mayor Karen Bass imposed on Tuesday to address looting and vandalism would bring the situation under control. Of note: Newsom in a Tuesday night address said that Trump is "not opposed to lawlessness and violence, as long as it serves HIM," adding: "What more evidence do we need than Jan. 6th?" A reporter asked Bondi whether there was a double standard in the administration defending law enforcement during the current protests when Trump pardoned most of the roughly 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters during his first day back in office. "Well, this is very different," Bondi said. "These are people out there hurting people in California right now. This is ongoing." State of play: There have now been six days of ICE protests in LA, and they've triggered similar demonstrations nationwide.
Boston Globe
11 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
What to know about ‘No Kings' protests against Trump's policies on Saturday
Why is it called No Kings? The 'No Kings' theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of everyday Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Protests earlier this year have denounced Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk, the now former leader of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, a government organization designed to slash federal spending. Protesters have called for Trump to be 'dethroned' as they compare his actions to that of a king and not a democratically elected president. Advertisement 'They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services,' the group says on its website, referring to the Trump administration and its policies. 'They've done this all while continuing to serve and enrich their billionaire allies.' Why are they protesting on Saturday? The No Kings Day of Defiance has been organized to reject authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics and the militarization of the country's democracy, according to a press release from No Kings. Advertisement It is happening to counter the Army's 250th anniversary celebration — which Trump has ratcheted up to include an expensive, lavish military parade. The event, will feature 'The flag doesn't belong to President Trump. It belongs to us,' the No Kings website says. 'On June 14th, we're showing up everywhere he isn't — to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.' Where are the protests? Protests in nearly 2,000 locations are scheduled around the country, from city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, according to the No Kings website. No protests are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., however, where the parade will be held. The group says it will 'make action everywhere else the story of America that day.' No Kings plans instead to hold a major flagship march and rally in Philadelphia to draw a clear contrast between its people-powered movement and what they describe as the 'costly, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade' in Washington, according to the No Kings website. What is planned at the No Kings protests? People of all ages are expected to come together in the protest locations for speeches, marching, carrying signs and waving American flags, organizers said in a call Wednesday. On the group's website it says a core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action, and participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with them. Weapons of any kind should not be brought to events, according to the website. Advertisement How many people are expected to participate? The No Kings Day of Defiance is expected to be the largest single-day mobilization since Trump returned to office, organizers said. Organizers said they are preparing for millions of people to take to the streets across all 50 states and commonwealths.
Boston Globe
11 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Israel appears ready to attack Iran, officials in US and Europe say
Advertisement Trump waved off another plan by Israel several months ago to attack Iran, insisting that he wanted a chance to negotiate a deal with Tehran that would choke off Iran's ability to produce more nuclear fuel for a bomb. Two weeks ago, Trump said he had warned Netanyahu about launching a strike while U.S. negotiations with Iran were underway. It is not clear how much effort Trump made to block Netanyahu again this time, but the president has appeared less optimistic in recent days about the prospects for a diplomatic settlement after Iran's supreme leader rejected an administration proposal that would have effectively phased out Iran's ability to enrich uranium on its soil. Netanyahu has walked up to bombing Iran's nuclear facilities in the past, only to back off at the last minute. Advertisement Word of the U.S. decisions to withdraw personnel from the region, along with a warning from Britain about new threats to Middle East commercial shipping, came hours after Trump told The New York Post in a podcast released Wednesday that he had grown 'less confident' about the prospects for a deal with Iran that would limit its ability to develop nuclear weapons. American and Iranian negotiators have been planning to meet Sunday for another round of talks, although Trump told reporters Monday that Iran had adopted an 'unacceptable' negotiating position. As of Wednesday, Trump's envoy to the talks, Steve Witkoff, was still planning to attend the negotiations in Oman, officials said. Asked about the reason for the departures of U.S. personnel and dependents from the region as he arrived at the Kennedy Center in Washington for a Wednesday evening performance of 'Les Misérables,' Trump told reporters, 'Well, you're going to have to figure that one out yourself.' The British warning came from a maritime trade agency that monitors Middle East shipping and that said in a public advisory that it had 'been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners.' The advisory urged commercial vessels transiting the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz to use heightened caution. Iranian military and government officials have already met to discuss their response to a potential Israeli strike, according to a senior Iranian official. The official said that Tehran had devised a response plan that would involve an immediate counterstrike on Israel with hundreds of ballistic missiles. In October 2024, a major Iranian missile assault against Israel related to the war in the Gaza Strip inflicted limited damage, however, in part because of U.S. assistance in intercepting the missiles. Advertisement Trump spoke by phone Monday with Netanyahu, but the White House disclosed few details about the conversation. Trump had met on Sunday evening at Camp David with his national security team. Iran's defense minister, Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, raised alarms Wednesday with a warning that, in the event of a conflict following failed nuclear talks, the United States would suffer heavy losses. 'America will have to leave the region because all its military bases are within our reach and we will, without any consideration, target them in the host countries,' he told reporters. Iranian officials also balked at remarks Tuesday by Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, the head of Central Command. Kurilla testified before a House committee that he had presented Trump and Hegseth 'a wide range of options' for a potential strike against Iran. Kurilla had been scheduled to testify again Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, but his testimony was postponed without explanation. Iran's mission to the U.N. denounced Kurilla's comments in a Wednesday social media post as 'militarism' that 'fuels instability.' The tough talk came amid a week of meetings in Vienna by the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors. The United States, Britain, France and Germany have submitted a resolution to the agency that would censure Iran for rapidly advancing its nuclear program and violating other commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal brokered with those countries, along with China and Russia. The board is expected to vote on the censure resolution on Thursday morning. Advertisement Censure could be grounds for the U.N. Security Council to restore, or 'snap back,' heavy economic sanctions on Tehran that were lifted as part of the 2015 deal, which was struck by the Obama administration. Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from that agreement in 2018, a move that Iran says gave it license to abandon its commitments to limit its nuclear activity. The deal's European parties insist that it remains enforceable through restored sanctions. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on social media on Wednesday that censure 'will compel Iran to react STRONGLY.' The State Department did not provide details on how many personnel would be removed from Iraq, or why. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that nonessential U.S. personnel would be withdrawn from Baghdad, and that nonessential personnel and family members of diplomats had been authorized to depart from U.S. embassies in Bahrain and Kuwait. The military dependents authorized to depart the Middle East are largely from Navy and Marine families in Bahrain, home to a major U.S. naval base, a senior Navy official said. Iran's atomic program has progressed dramatically since Trump abandoned the 2015 deal. Analysts say that Iran is now on the brink of being able to manufacture enough nuclear material to fuel 10 nuclear weapons. Constructing a workable device, if Iran chose to pursue that option, could take several more months. But many top Israeli officials already consider Iran's progress to be unacceptable and have openly threatened military action against its nuclear facilities. Many Israeli officials believe they have a golden opportunity to solve a decades-long problem. Israel has recently decimated Hezbollah and Hamas, Iranian proxy groups that Tehran has long relied on as a deterrent to Israeli action. And Israeli airstrikes last year severely reduced Iran's air defense systems. Advertisement Some analysts warn that Iran has been restoring those defenses, making Israeli action against Iran's nuclear program riskier by the week. It is also unclear whether Israel can inflict decisive damage on Iran's nuclear program without U.S. military assistance. U.S. oil prices climbed above $68 a barrel on Wednesday afternoon, their highest level since early April, when Trump placed tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners. Fighting in the region could disrupt oil supplies, as could tougher American sanctions on Iran. The aircraft carrier Carl Vinson has been in the Arabian Sea for several weeks. More than 60 aircraft are aboard the Vinson, including advanced F-35 stealth strike fighters. The senior Navy official said there were currently no plans to change the carrier's position in response to the developing situation. The United States also has several dozen attack and fighter jets deployed in the Middle East. These aircraft were used extensively to defend Israel from Iranian strikes last year. This article originally appeared in
