Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican who became a liberal darling, has died
WASHINGTON — Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a darling of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, has died. He was 85.
Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, the court said in a statement Friday.
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New York Times
20 minutes ago
- New York Times
Live Updates: Tensions Flare Between Protesters and Law Enforcement in L.A.
News Analysis National Guard troops in Los Angeles on Sunday. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has formally asked the Trump administration to remove them. It is the fight President Trump had been waiting for, a showdown with a top political rival in a deep blue state over an issue core to his political agenda. In bypassing the authority of Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, a Democrat, to call in the National Guard to quell protests in the Los Angeles area over his administration's efforts to deport more migrants, Mr. Trump is now pushing the boundaries of presidential authority and stoking criticism that he is inflaming the situation for political gain. Local and state authorities had not sought help in dealing with the scattered protests that erupted after an immigration raid on Friday in the garment district. But Mr. Trump and his top aides leaned into the confrontation with California leaders on Sunday, portraying the demonstrations as an existential threat to the country — setting in motion an aggressive federal response that in turn sparked new protests across the city. As more demonstrators took to the streets, the president wrote on social media that Los Angeles was being 'invaded and occupied' by 'violent, insurrectionist mobs,' and directed three of his top cabinet officials to take any actions necessary to 'liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion.' 'Nobody's going to spit on our police officers. Nobody's going to spit on our military,' Mr. Trump told reporters as he headed to Camp David on Sunday, although it was unclear whether any such incidents had occurred. 'That happens, they get hit very hard.' The president declined to say whether he planned to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act, which allows for the use of federal troops on domestic soil to quell a rebellion. But either way, he added, 'we're going to have troops everywhere.' Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, posted on social media that 'this is a fight to save civilization.' Mr. Trump's decision to deploy at least 2,000 members of the California National Guard is the latest example of his willingness and, at times, an eagerness to shatter norms to pursue his political goals and bypass limits on presidential power. The last president to send in the National Guard for a domestic operation without a request from the state's governor, Lyndon B. Johnson, did so in 1965, to protect civil rights demonstrators in Alabama. Image President Donald Trump in New Jersey on Sunday. On social media, he, his aides and allies have sought to frame the demonstrations against immigration officials on their own terms. Credit... Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times But aides and allies of the president say the events unfolding in Los Angeles provide an almost perfect distillation of why Mr. Trump was elected in November. 'It could not be clearer,' said Newt Gingrich, the former Republican House speaker and ally of the president who noted that Mr. Trump had been focused on immigration enforcement since 2015. 'One side is for enforcing the law and protecting Americans, and the other side is for defending illegals and being on the side of the people who break the law.' Sporadic protests have occurred across the country in recent days as federal agents have descended on Los Angeles and other cities searching workplaces for undocumented immigrants, part of an expanded effort by the administration to ramp up the number of daily deportations. On social media, Mr. Trump, his aides and allies have sought to frame the demonstrations against immigration officials on their own terms. They have shared images and videos of the most violent episodes — focusing particularly on examples of protesters lashing out at federal agents — even as many remained peaceful. Officials also zeroed in on demonstrators waving flags of other countries, including Mexico and El Salvador, as evidence of a foreign invasion. 'Illegal criminal aliens and violent mobs have been committing arson, throwing rocks at vehicles, and attacking federal law enforcement for days,' wrote Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary. Mr. Newsom, whom the president refers to as 'Newscum,' has long been a foil for Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly targeted California and its leader as emblematic of failures of the Democratic Party. 'We expected this, we prepared for this,' Mr. Newsom said in a statement to The New York Times. 'This is not surprising — for them to succeed, California must fail, and so they're going to try everything in their tired playbook despite the evidence against them.' Image Law enforcement officers and members of the California National Guard engaged protesters in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. Credit... Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times On Sunday, the governor sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally requesting that Mr. Trump rescind the call-up of the National Guard, saying federal actions were inflaming the situation. He was echoed by other Democratic officials, who said the mounting demonstrations were the result of Mr. Trump's own actions. The president and his aides 'are masters of misinformation and disinformation,' Senator Alex Padilla of California, a Democrat, said in an interview. 'They create a crisis of their own making and come in with all the theatrics and cruelty of immigration enforcement. They should not be surprised in a community like Los Angeles they will be met by demonstrators who are very passionate about standing up for fundamental rights and due process.' Republicans defended Mr. Trump's moves, saying he was rightfully exercising his power to protect public safety. 'The president is extremely concerned about the safety of federal officials in L.A. right now who have been subject to acts of violence and harassment and obstruction,' Representative Kevin Kiley, Republican of California, said in an interview. He added: 'We are in this moment because of a series of reckless decisions by California's political leaders, the aiding and abetting the open-border policies of President Biden.' Trump officials said on Sunday that they were ready to escalate their response even more, if necessary. Tom Homan, the president's border czar, suggested in an interview with NBC News that the administration would arrest anyone, including public officials, who interfered with immigration enforcement activities, which he said would continue in California and across the country. Image Protesters in Pasadena, Calif., on Sunday. Credit... Alex Welsh for The New York Times Mr. Trump appears to be deploying against California a similar playbook that he has used to punish universities, law firms and other institutions and individuals that he views as political adversaries. Last month, he threatened to strip 'large scale' federal funding from California 'maybe permanently' over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports. And in recent days, his administration said it would pull roughly $4 billion in federal funding for California's high-speed train, which would further delay a project that has long been plagued by delays and funding shortages. 'Everything he's done to attack California or anybody he fears isn't supportive of him is going to continue to be an obsession of his,' Mr. Padilla said. 'He may think it plays smart for his base, but it's actually been bad for the country.' White House officials said there was a different common denominator that explains Mr. Trump's actions both against institutions like Harvard and immigration protests in Los Angeles. 'For years Democrat-run cities and institutions have failed the American people, by both choice and incompetence,' Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, said in a statement. 'In each instance,' she added, 'the president took necessary action to protect Americans when Democrats refused.'
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Newsom Seeks Control Of National Guard From 'Dictator' Trump; LAPD Puts City On Tactical Alert Over ICE Protests
The conflict between California Governor Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump over ICE raids in Los Angeles and the federalization of the National Guard has escalated today as the LAPD put the City of Angels on tactical alert over anti-deportation protests and resistance. 'We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved,' the Governor bluntly said online of the state of affairs in LA. More from Deadline Judge Denies Corporation For Public Broadcasting's Motion In Trump Case, But Ruling Still Allows For Board Members To Remain - Update ABC News Suspends Terry Moran Over X Post That Called Trump Official Stephen Miller A "World-Class Hater" '60 Minutes' Correspondent Scott Pelley Says Trump Lawsuit Settlement & Apology Would Be "Very Damaging" To Reputation Of CBS And Paramount In a whirl of events Sunday in a very tense LA, Newsom and Chief Jim McDonnell both are trying to grasp back control of the state and city from the tough-talking and heavy-handed Trump and stop things from escalating – with the Governor calling POTUS a 'dictator.' Earlier today, Trump took to his usual bully pulpit of social media proclaimed in his hyperbolic manner that 'a once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals.' Going on a factually challenged rant, the former Celebrity Apprentice host added: 'Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' An anti-ICE rally moved this afternoon from City Hall to the nearby federal building where over 100 detainees (including young children) rounded up by masked agents in the past two days have been housed in dank basements without access to lawyers. In response, top cop McDonnell moved first Sunday to keep protesters and the heavily armed National Guard and Homeland Security forces apart and prevent further clashes. Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to LA, and, under a questionable legal basis, the Secretary of Defense has put Marines at Camp Pendleton on alert. The last time the National Guard put on the streets like this in LA was back in 1992 in the uprisings following the acquittal of four LAPD cops over their filmed beating of Rodney King. At that time, it was then Golden State Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, who requested the deployment. Two-term Democrat and potential presidential contender Newsom never requested this weekend's deployment. In fact, the Governor argued with Trump to do the exact opposite, in a call the two had before POTUS went to a UFC fight in New Jersey late Saturday. 'The City of Los Angeles is on Tactical Alert.' the LAPD announced around 2:30 p.m. PT as tensions rose. As well as raising the use of force, the move puts all officers on notice they could be called into duty ASAP and keeps those already on shifts working. Soon afterwards, an unlawful assembly was declared to clear the area around the federal property, where thousands were gathering in protests. Disbursement non-lethal shots, flash bangs, and gas canisters were heard being fired over the crowd by the cops. In conjunction, as protesters and CHP cops clogged up the 101 freeway in downtown LA, local streets were being closed down to keep traffic and more people out of the area Following usual police procedure, arrest began quickly of those closest to the line of officers. There are rumors that a curfew cold be put in place soon, but law enforcement sources that Deadline spoke to said that is 'not in the cards, not being considered right now.' 'To have this here is really just a provocation and something that was not needed in our city,' LA Mayor Karen Bass told CNN Sunday afternoon rejecting Trump's assertion that the troops were needed and as the tactical alert was put in place. 'We're still recovering after five months from the city's worst natural disaster in decades and now to go through a trauma like this that is really traumatizing the whole city, because everybody knows somebody in a city where more than 50% are Latino, this just so chaos that is not warranted nor needed in the city of Los Angeles at this point in time.' The incumbent Mayor and ex-Democratic Congresswoman also noted that the role of the National Guard is to 'protect federal property,' not to swarm the streets of the sanctuary city or aid anticipated further harsh ICE raids against undocumented Angelenos and others. Mayor Bass is set to give a press conference on the state of affairs in LA today later this afternoon. Accusing Trump and team of trying to 'manufacture a crisis in LA County' and 'create chaos' with the injection of troops that literally no one asked for, Gov. Newsom formally made a move Sunday to regain his control of the Guard, for what it's worth at this point. 'I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command,' the longtime Trump foil and MAGA punching bag said online in a letter to Sec. Pete Hegseth less than 24 hours after Trump seized the Guard over the governor's objections. 'There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation, while simultaneously depriving the state from deploying these personnel and resources where they are truly required,' the letter says. Newsom makes a point of noting that proper procedure of the order was never being passed on to him previously. Setting the stage for a legal missive in the next few days, Newsom adds that the move to bring in the Guard was not 'ordered or approved by the Governor of California,' as required, Part of a protocol between the state and the feds, Newsom's Guard letter to the much criticized Defense Secretary and former Fox News host follows a letter from every Democratic Governor around America slamming Trump for his 'abuse of power' in LA. Mocking Trump and his crew all day, Newsom himself took it further Sunday, calling Trump's actions to be 'the acts of a dictator, not a President.' Unlike when news of the National Guard order went out last night, all the cable newsers had wall-to-wall coverage Sunday of what was going down in LA. MORE Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Anti-ICE protests stop traffic on California's 101 Freeway
California demonstrators protesting the federal immigration raids blocked traffic on a major Los Angeles freeway. NBC News' David Noriega reports on the continuing anti-ICE protest.
