Trump backs off plan linking disaster aid, immigration
The move marks a victory for Democratic-led states that sued to block an administration policy adopted in April that would block billions of dollars in disaster aid and other funding for states that don't cooperate with immigration authorities. Democratic states have won other court rulings to restore or release disaster aid.
The latest lawsuit, by 20 Democratic prosecutors, calls the April Department of Homeland Security policy a 'grant funding hostage scheme' that tries to 'coerce' states into following the administration's immigration enforcement efforts.
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In a court filing Friday, the administration backed off from the April policy and said its immigration enforcement requirements 'do not apply' to grants and Federal Emergency Management Agency programs that help communities during and after a major disaster. DHS oversees FEMA.
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Associated Press
a few seconds ago
- Associated Press
A tale of two Chief Pams: Federal takeover brings confusion over command of DC police
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi is effectively in charge of the police department in Washington, D.C. — so says the White House. But the city's police force already has a Pam at the helm — Chief Pamela Smith — and she says she only reports to the mayor. D.C. and federal officials say they are working together after President Donald Trump announced he was placing the police department in the nation's capital under federal control to crack down on violent crime. But despite the unified tone, the unusual arrangement is raising questions about who gets to make decisions about D.C. police resources, personnel and policy and — in the event of a disagreement — which Pam gets the final say. According to D.C. leaders, the attorney general can request services of the mayor, but nothing has changed when it comes to the chain of command and the department's funding. And when pressed Tuesday about who she reports to in light of the federal takeover, Smith said: 'I answer to Mayor Muriel Bowser.' 'Let us not have any controversy with that, OK?' Smith told reporters outside the Justice Department after meeting with Bondi and other federal officials. 'Because I know people want to build upon and create division. We're here to work together with our federal partners, and that's what we're going to do.' Yet hours later, the White House struck a different tone, suggesting the ultimate authority lies in the hands of Bondi and Terry Cole, the Drug Enforcement Administration director whom Trump has tapped to serve as interim federal administrator of the police force. 'We plan to work with the Metropolitan Police Department, but ultimately, the chain of command is as such: the president of the United States, the attorney general of the United States, our DEA administrator, Terry Cole, who is now serving head of the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Cole is working with Smith 'to ensure that law enforcement officers are allowed to do their jobs in the city,' Leavitt said. Justice Department officials have not answered questions about whether the Trump administration believes it has the authority to make decisions about D.C. personnel, and whether the attorney general has issued any new orders for the police force. Smith took on her role as police chief in the nation's capital in November 2023 and briefly served in other units, including the homeland security bureau. She also led the police force's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and had served as chief of the United States Park Police after a long career in that federal force. The law allows Trump to take over the D.C. police for up to 30 days, though the White House has suggested it could last longer as authorities later 'reevaluate and reassess.' Extending federal control past that time would require congressional approval, something likely tough to achieve in the face of Democratic resistance. Hundreds of federal officers from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other agencies have been doing overnight patrols in Washington since last week. Cole said federal officers would be 'embedded' with D.C. police to patrol the streets, but did not offer specific details on what would change in the chain of command. Even so, he described Smith as 'very accommodating' and said she was sharing ideas, giving him an office at police headquarters, and introducing him to staff. 'We have tremendous cooperation, tremendous intel sharing, and what's most encouraging, the police are looking forward to doing their job again,' Cole said in a Fox News interview. ___
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gavin Newsom praised for new online posting style: All Caps and mimicking Trump
California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is earning plaudits for his recent trolling of President Donald Trump by mimicking his social media habits, including all-caps posts. Newsom, a frequent foil for the president's social media outbursts, took to X Tuesday night to blast 'DONALD 'TACO' Trump,' -- a reference to 'Trump Always Chickens Out,' coined by a financial columnist over the president's back-and-forth tariff policies. Trump has been pushing several red states to gerrymander their congressional maps to give Republicans an upper hand, amid growing fears that the GOP could lose the House in next year's midterms. The maps are typically redrawn every ten years following the census, and not in the middle of the decade. Newsom sent Trump a letter Monday calling on him to end the 'unprecedented, mid-decade, hyper-partisan gerrymander to rig the upcoming midterm elections.' 'If you will not stand down, I will be forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California to offset the rigging of maps in red states,' he wrote. 'But if the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will happily do the same. And American democracy will be better for it.' Newsom subsequently posted on X that Trump had 24 hours to respond to the letter. On Tuesday, as the deadline passed, he wrote: 'DONALD 'TACO' TRUMP, AS MANY CALL HIM, 'MISSED' THE DEADLINE!!! CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE 'BEAUTIFUL MAPS,' THEY WILL BE HISTORIC AS THEY WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY (DEMS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE!).' 'BIG PRESS CONFERENCE THIS WEEK WITH POWERFUL DEMS AND GAVIN NEWSOM — YOUR FAVORITE GOVERNOR — THAT WILL BE DEVASTATING FOR 'MAGA,'' he added. 'THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!' Sports reporter Emily Bicks wrote on Threads: 'Gavin Christopher Newsom keepin the no f***s energy comin.' Liberal social media commentator, Harry Sisson, wrote: 'I absolutely love how Gavin Newsom is treating Donald Trump with the disdain and disrespect that he absolutely deserves.' Journalist Karly Kingsley added: 'I don't think we're giving Gavin Newsom enough credit for what he's doing to defend democracy and to stop a wannabe dictator from consolidating power.' Attorney and Never Trump-er George Conway joined the presidential mockery, writing in response to Newsom: 'Many people, big strong men with tears in their eyes, will soon be saying, 'Sir, you have the most Amazing State, with the Most Beautiful Maps. No one has ever seen anything like this. Your Excellency, Sir, we are in awe of your Incomparable Gubernatorialicityness'.' But not all were on board with Newsom's style change. The Chief Strategy and Public Affairs Officer at Future Caucus, an organization for young lawmakers, Reed Howard, wrote: 'Race-to-the-bottom politics is a darn shame. America deserves better than this. I want real leadership.' Reporter Alex Gault added: 'If this becomes a lasting approach to political communications, I will be committing myself to whatever mental hospital still does lobotomies.' Last month, Trump asked Texas to redraw its maps to hand Republicans another five House seats in the state. Texas Democrats left the state to deny Republicans the ability to move forward with their proposal. Democrats then said they would look to redraw maps in blue states such as Illinois, California, and New York, prompting Republicans to consider taking action in Ohio and Indiana. California has an independent commission that draws political maps, and if Newsom moves ahead with his threat, he would need passage of a special ballot in November.
Skift
29 minutes ago
- Skift
Trump's National Guard Deployment in D.C.: Event Planners React
The deployment of 800 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., highlights the tightrope event planners walk between ensuring safety and creating a welcoming atmosphere. The day after President Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., a small association meeting was kicking off at a Dupont Circle hotel, just blocks from the White House. The meeting planner who was handling all logistics for the meeting, who asked not to be named, immediately alerted her client, the head of the association. 'Regardless of politics, I need to inform you that the National Guard has just been deployed in D.C. While I don't think your program will be affected, your attendees could see military presence in the area,' she alerted the head of the association. This association meeting proceeded without disruption. Still, the sight of armed National Guard troops alongside FBI agents, DEA, Customs and Border Protection, and ICE personnel is unsettling, she said. 'I live in D.C. I plan many meetings here. Yes, there's crime, but nothing that warrants this level of militarization. This is not how you welcome convention attendees,' she said. 'In travel and tourism, meetings included, perception outweighs facts.' Perception vs. Reality for Planners For event organizers, the challenge is managing optics. Armed troops may reassure some attendees while alarming others, especially those unfamiliar with D.C. 'Perception matters, so it's important to proactively communicate with attendees to set expectations and ease concerns,' said Trisha Gouveia, chief event officer at MarCom&Events. Carine Desroches, meetings and events director at the National Kidney Foundation, said the deployment amplifies existing worries. 'I planned a patient summit in March and some participants were already nervous about protests and safety. This was before the National Guard was deployed. Now, it amplifies the perception that there's an uncontrollable problem. It will put fear in people traveling to D.C.' This month, more than 10,000 attendees from the American Chemical Society will gather at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, followed by 2,500 for the International Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology (ICPE). ICPE attendee Max Goldstein says the extra presence feels reassuring. 'If anything, it will make me feel safer as a visitor knowing there's more enforcement.' Even before the deployment, D.C. was struggling to hold onto business events. According to Politico Magazine, the city has lost 41 conferences and corporate gatherings this year. Trump has framed the move as a public safety measure. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called it 'unsettling and unprecedented,' citing Justice Department data showing violent crime is at a 30-year low, down 26% from 2024. The President has given no timeline for withdrawal. Locals are countering the narrative through a social media campaign, #therealDC, highlighting the city's vibrancy. Destination DC joined the effort this week with A Love Letter to DC, a video reel showcasing neighborhoods, museums, and cultural life. Trump has indicated there could be similar deployments in New York, Chicago, Baltimore, and Oakland. In June, he deployed nearly 5,000 National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles during immigration protests.
