Trump proposes to restore drilling in 13M Arctic acres restricted by Biden
The Trump administration is proposing to restore the potential for oil and gas drilling on 13 million acres of government-owned Arctic land that had previously been restricted by the Biden administration.
The acres in question are part of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, an area of 23 million acres in total that were set aside in 1923 by President Harding as an emergency supply of oil for the Navy.
The effort to open up more drilling in the area is not a surprise, as President Trump signed a Day One executive order directing a reversal of Biden policies that limited drilling in the area.
Nevertheless, the formal proposal announced Monday represents a concrete step toward actually opening up more drilling there.
'The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America's energy security through responsible development,' said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a written statement.
'The 2024 rule ignored that mandate, prioritizing obstruction over production and undermining our ability to harness domestic resources at a time when American energy independence has never been more critical. We're restoring the balance and putting our energy future back on track,' he said.
When it restricted drilling in the 13 million acres, the Biden administration argued that it was protecting animals like grizzly and polar bears, caribou and migratory birds, as well as tribes that depend on the area's land water and wildlife.
The first Trump administration also sought to greatly expand fossil fuel production in the region.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Newsweek
7 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Is Losing Support With Hispanics
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump is losing support among Hispanic and Latino voters, according to polling. Since at least the 1960s, Hispanic voters in the U.S. have generally supported Democratic candidates. For example, according to Pew Research Center, about 71 percent of Hispanic voters supported Barack Obama in 2012, and 66 percent backed Hillary Clinton in 2016. In 2020, 63 percent chose Joe Biden, according to AP VoteCast. In 2024, however, Trump made significant gains. His support among Hispanic voters rose to 43 percent—an 8-point increase from 2020 and the highest level for a Republican presidential candidate since such data has been tracked. Meanwhile, 55 percent supported Kamala Harris, narrowing the Democratic advantage. Yet recent polling suggests Trump's momentum is fading. Newsweek's analysis of major surveys since April shows his approval among Hispanic and Latino voters has dropped to 40 percent, with 56 percent disapproving—down from March averages of 43 percent approval and 54 percent disapproval. YouGov's data mirrors this trend, showing Trump's net approval plummeting from -12 in January to -32 in May. President Donald Trump speaks during the 157th National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington on May 26 in Arlington, Virginia. President Donald Trump speaks during the 157th National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington on May 26 in Arlington, Virginia. Jacquelyn Martin/AP While a few surveys show scattered signs of support, the overwhelming majority of polls conducted from late March to mid-May show Trump underperforming with Hispanic and Latino voters. Echelon Insights, which polled from May 8 to May 12, found Trump's approval at 32 percent and disapproval at 67 percent, marking a sharp drop from his earlier approval rating of 42 percent and disapproval of 56 percent. The Marist/NPR/PBS poll from late April also recorded a similar downward trend, with Trump's approval slipping from 44 percent to 32 percent. Fox News polling from mid-April showed Trump's approval dipping slightly from 44 percent to 41 percent, while McLaughlin found a more substantial drop, from 44 percent to 36 percent. Pew Research Center also reported a stark fall in Trump's favorability, with approval plummeting from 35 percent to 27 percent, and disapproval rising from 62 percent to 72 percent. But some other polls have shown Trump's approval rating increasing among Hispanic voters. For instance, the Civiqs poll conducted from May 17 to May 20 shows a notably higher approval rating of 57 percent among Hispanics, an increase from 42 percent earlier in the year. Likewise, Insider Advantage/Trafalgar's mid-May poll reports a 59 percent approval rating, up from 39 percent in April. However, these results contrast with the broader majority of polling data, which has shown that Trump's ratings remain below 40 percent, while disapproval consistently climbs above 50 or even 60 percent. This decline isn't a sudden collapse but a slow erosion of trust and confidence—particularly among a demographic Trump courted heavily in 2024. Experts point to dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy as a key driver of this shift. It comes after Trump introduced his "Liberation Day" tariffs on April 2. The policy move rattled markets, prompting a sharp sell-off before an eventual recovery. It also saw Trump's overall approval ratings take a hit. And his approval marks among Hispanic voters have not been exempt. The latest YouGov/Economist poll shows that only 32 percent of Hispanic voters approve of Trump's performance on the economy, which is down from 40 percent at the end of March, before he introduced the tariffs. And on the issue of inflation, only 28 percent of Hispanic voters said they approve of Trump's performance, down from 39 percent. Similarly, Fox News shows that Trump's approval rating on the economy among Hispanic voters is down to 37 percent, from 43 percent in March. On inflation, Trump's approval rating was down 10 percentage points, to 30. Meanwhile, 80 percent of Hispanics polled said they think it is extremely or very likely that the U.S. economy will plunge into recession this year. Clarissa Martínez De Castro, vice president of the Latino Vote Initiative, told Newsweek that "Latino voters are frustrated that their economic priorities are being ignored and that a key promise made by President Trump during the election is not being kept." As a result, "Sixty percent of Latino voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, and 70 percent hold President Trump and his administration responsible," she said, citing an April UnidosUS poll. Poll Date Approve Disapprove Civiqs May 17-20 57 43 YouGov/Economist May 23-26 31 61 HarrisX May 14-15 39 52 Echelon Insights May 8-12 32 67 Quantus May 18-20 40 53 YouGov April 25-May 2 33 61 Insider Advantage/Trafalgar May 17-19 59 40 ActiVote April 1-April 30 55 43 Lord Ashcroft Politics April 9-30 40 58 Navigator Research May 15-18 41 55 Emerson College April 25-28 41 44 YouGov/Yahoo May 22-27 26 63 Decision Desk/News Nation April 23-27 40 60 YouGov/CBS April 23-25 40 60 NYT/Sienna April 21-24 36 59 Marist/NPR/PBS April 21-23 32 57 YouGov/Times April 21-23 32 64 Ipsos/ABC/Post April 18-22 32 63 Fox News April 18-21 41 59 McLaughlin April 16-19 36 64 Remington March 15-April 18 55 45 AtlasIntel April 10-14 49 51 Pew April 7-13 27 72 University of Massachusetts/YouGov April 4-9 37 59 Cygnal April 1-3 46 51 Marquette May 5-15 37 63 Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, emphasized that economic discontent played a significant role in Trump's earlier gains but is now undermining his support. "Over half of Hispanic voters feel the economy is worse now than a year ago, and nearly as many believe it will be worse a year from now," she said. "Economic discontent was the most potent driver of increased Latino support for Trump in 2024." Martínez De Castro added, "For many Latinos, inflation, wages, and housing affordability remain top concerns. Sixty percent believe the President and Republicans are not focusing enough on lowering prices, and over half think the economy has worsened and will continue to decline under Trump's policies. The president owns the economy now, and Hispanic voters are not seeing the quick turnaround he promised." Immigration has further dented Trump's standing among Hispanic voters. His aggressive policies, including expanded ICE enforcement and National Guard involvement, have targeted not just criminals but also long-residing undocumented immigrants without criminal records. From his inauguration on January 20 through February, over 40 percent of deportees had no criminal history. Pew Research Center polling shows that only about one-third of Americans support mass deportations, with most preferring to prioritize violent criminals and showing far less support for deporting those with family ties or brought to the U.S. as children. President Donald Trump is losing support among Hispanic and Latino voters, according to polling. President Donald Trump is losing support among Hispanic and Latino voters, according to polling. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva This sentiment is also shared by Hispanic voters, Martínez De Castro said. She warned: "Eight in ten Hispanic voters support deporting dangerous criminals, but President Trump and congressional Republicans should not target long-residing undocumented immigrants without criminal records. Latino voters want policies that are firm, fair, and free of cruelty, but that is not what they are witnessing in their communities." Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation, echoed these concerns, saying Trump's policies have "vilified our communities and disregarded people's rights." He highlighted the rise in hate crimes, family separations, and the targeting of law-abiding immigrants as consequences of the administration's approach. "Many immigrants who worked hard to secure legal protections, such as TPS and work permits, are having those protections stripped away," he said. Recent polls have shown a broader trend of voters becoming increasingly dissatisfied with Trump's performance on the economy and immigration, which were previously his strongest. His "Liberation Day" tariffs on April 2 rattled markets, prompting a sharp sell-off before an eventual recovery. But public sentiment did not rebound as quickly as the Dow. Polls throughout April showed sliding approval ratings. The president has also seen kinks in the rollout of his aggressive immigration agenda, which has attracted legal scrutiny. One high-profile case involves Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported from Maryland in what the Department of Justice called an "administrative error." The Trump administration labeled Garcia a member of MS-13, now designated a terrorist group, but his family and lawyers deny any connection. Trump's mass deportation plan seeks to remove millions of undocumented immigrants through expanded ICE enforcement and National Guard involvement, focusing not only on criminals but also on many without criminal records. Early in his presidency, ICE arrested over 32,000 people, nearly half with no criminal history, and by February, over 40 percent of deportees had no criminal record. Despite this aggressive approach, public support is limited. An April Pew Research Center poll found only about one-third of Americans support deporting all undocumented immigrants, with most favoring deportation primarily for violent criminals and much less support for deporting those with family ties or who came to the U.S. as children. And such sentiment also exists among Hispanic voters. Martínez De Castro highlighted that while economic concerns helped Trump gain Hispanic support in 2024, the optimism has quickly faded. "Sixty percent of Latino voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, and 70 percent of them hold President Trump and his administration responsible," she told Newsweek, citing an April UnidosUS poll. "Latino voters are frustrated that their economic priorities are being ignored and that a key promise made by President Trump during the election is not being kept. Economic discontent was the most potent driver in the 2024 election, helping President Trump increase support among Latinos. But over half of Hispanic voters feel the economy is worse now than a year ago and nearly as many believe it will be worse a year from now," Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, said at the time. Martínez De Castro added that for many Latinos, economic issues like inflation, wages and housing affordability remain top priorities, yet "60 percent believe the President and Republicans are not focusing enough on lowering prices," and over half think the economy has worsened and will continue to decline under Trump's policies. Martínez De Castro noted bluntly, "The president owns the economy now, and Hispanic voters are not seeing the quick turnaround the President promised." Miranda also criticized the administration for "actively dismantling the asylum system for some of the most vulnerable and deserving applicants escaping violence and persecution from Latin America," while simultaneously easing restrictions for others. He warned that "Such action is only serving to alienate the Latino community from the Trump administration and driving people who want to care for loved ones into the shadows."
Newsweek
7 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Travel Ban: Exceptions Travellers Need to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Some 19 countries have been affected by Donald Trump's new travel ban —Newsweek has broken down all the exceptions travellers need to know about. The Context The president announced on Wednesday that travel would be fully restricted from 12 nations: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Meanwhile, travel for people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partially restricted. The new rules, which Trump said are to "protect the nation from foreign terrorist and other national security and public safety threats," come into effect as of June 9. He cited a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado that targeted a group advocating for the release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national, is facing attempted murder and federal hate crime charges related to the attack. Exceptions To Donald Trump's Travel Ban Exceptions to these new restrictions apply to the following groups of people: Any permanent resident of the United States and anyone with dual citizenship Foreign nationals with diplomatic visas (A-1, A-2), such as ambassadors, ministers or military personnel People with transit visas (C-2, C-3) People who work for international organizations such as the United Nations or the World Bank (G-1, G-4) People with NATO visas (NATO-1, NATO-6) Athletes and their teams, including supportive members and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State Holders of immediate family immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5) "with clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship" Children who have been adopted abroad (visas IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4) People with Afghan Special Immigrant Visas, given to Afghans who helped the U.S. government during the war there Iranians fleeing persecution because they are part of a religious minority, such as Christians United States Government employees U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also both have the discretion to put individuals forward for exception based on whether they would "advance a critical United States national interest," the White House proclamation says. For example, Bondi could make an exception for someone required to be present in criminal proceedings as a witness. What Happens Next Several of the countries affected by the ban have responded. Somalia has pledged to work with Washington, while Venezuela has hit back with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello saying "being in the United States is a great risk for anyone." Trump said that "the list is subject to revision based on whether material improvements are made and likewise, new countries can be added as threats emerge around the world."
Politico
11 minutes ago
- Politico
Senate says SALT isn't settled
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'There's not a single [Republican] senator from New York or New Jersey or California,' said Finance Chair Mike Crapo. That means there's not much appetite 'to do $353 billion for states that, basically, the other states subsidize.' But Senate Republicans are keenly aware of the House's precarious math problem. If they send a package back to the House with significant SALT changes, it could derail the timeline for Trump's biggest legislative priority. 'We are sensitive to the fact that, you know, the speaker has pretty narrow margins, and there's only so much that he can do to keep his coalition together,' Sen. Todd Young told reporters. 'At the same time it wouldn't surprise people that the Senate would like to improve on their handiwork.' Where's Trump? The president on Wednesday didn't directly tell lawmakers not to meddle with the House's SALT deal. But he, too, is playing the numbers game. 'He said, 'You do this, do we lose three votes here? If you do that, do you lose three votes here?'' Sen. Ron Johnson told reporters after the meeting. Senate Majority Leader John Thune also conceded the difficult calculus on SALT, telling reporters 'we understand that it's about 51 and 218' and 'we will work with our House counterparts and the White House' to move the megabill. There's been a breakthrough elsewhere, though: With Commerce preparing to release its draft bill today, Sen. Mike Rounds told Lisa Wednesday that he's satisfied a planned spectrum auction will protect national security, with specific frequencies used by the military shielded through 2034. One potential wrinkle: Rounds later suggested to our John Hendel that the deal that was still being finalized Wednesday could look to free up other frequencies 'that the business community is going to be concerned with.' GOOD THURSDAY MORNING. Tonight is Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Sens. 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Chance Saltzman at 10 a.m. — Financial Services will have a hearing on data privacy in financial systems at 10 a.m. — Judiciary will have a hearing on foreign influence on Americans' data at 10 a.m. — Oversight will have a hearing on using AI in the federal government at 10 a.m. — Small Business will have a hearing on private equity at 10 a.m. — Education and Workforce will have a hearing on the Labor Department's policies and priorities with testimony from Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer at 10:15 a.m. — Appropriations will begin marking up the Military Construction-VA appropriations bill at 10 a.m. and the Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill at 10:30 a.m. The committee will have a hearing on the president's fiscal 2026 budget request for the Commerce Department, with Secretary Howard Lutnick testifying at 11 a.m. The Senate is in session and voting on James O'Neill's nomination to be deputy secretary of HHS and to end debate on John Eisenberg's nomination to be an assistant attorney general at 11:30 a.m. The Senate will then vote on Eisenberg's nomination and to end debate on Brett Shumate's nomination to be an assistant attorney general at 1:45 p.m. — Homeland Security will have a hearing on five nominations, including Sean Cairncross to be the national cyber director and Robert Law to be an under secretary at DHS at 9:30 a.m. — Armed Services will have a hearing on the Army's fiscal 2026 posture with testimony from Secretary Daniel Driscoll at 9:30 a.m. — HELP will have a hearing on the nominations of Penny Schwinn and Kimberly Richey to be deputy and assistant secretaries at the Education Department and of Daniel Aronowitz and David Keeling to be assistant secretaries at the Labor Department at 10 a.m. — Judiciary will vote on multiple nominations including David Waterman to be U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa at 10:15 a.m. — Foreign Relations will vote on multiple bills at 10:30 a.m., including a resolution condemning Hamas for its 2023 attack on Israel and another requiring the State Department to report to Congress a strategy for U.S. security assistance to Mexico. 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Already, Cole's committee is forging ahead with markups today on two of the 12 bills, even before GOP leaders and his dozen subcommittee chairs — 'the cardinals' — have settled on numbers for the full slate. Schumer throws up a judicial roadblock Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer shot down the quick confirmation of a top Justice Department nominee Wednesday as part of a blockade tied to the Trump administration's acceptance of a Qatari plane to use as Air Force One, our Jordain Carney writes in. Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley tried to get unanimous consent to confirm one of his former staffers, Patrick Davis, to be the assistant attorney general overseeing legislative affairs. Schumer objected, citing his blanket holds that remain in place 'because the attorney general refuses to answer fundamental questions about Donald Trump seeking a luxury plane.' 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'Everybody that's going to be in state government is going to be concerned about it,' Tuberville told Meredith. 'I don't know whether we can afford it or not.' At least two dozen other GOP senators have quietly raised concerns about how their states, including those run by fellow Republicans, could be hit by the policy change. FIRST IN INSIDE CONGRESS: CLEAN-ENERGY GROUP TARGETS GOP SENS — Protect Our Jobs, a pro-clean-energy group, is running $1 million in television and digital ads warning key Senate Republicans against following the House's plan to in some cases sunset — and in other places eviscerate — the green tax credits created by the Biden-era climate law. 'These politicians promised to bring down our monthly costs. But cutting America's energy production will only make our costs go up,' the narrator says in the ad, which began running Monday on 'Fox & Friends' and in the D.C. area, and will on Friday move into Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina and Utah. Sens. Jerry Moran of Kansas, John Curtis of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have all urged GOP leadership not to follow through with a full-scale repeal of the credits, warning it could harm investments back home. Tillis, who faces a potentially difficult reelection fight in his purple state, expressed some cautious optimism Wednesday that Senate Republicans want to find a 'glide path' for businesses that already have projects in motion using the credits, but didn't elaborate. TARIFFS TEST GOP PATIENCE — Sen. John Kennedy grilled Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at a hearing Wednesday, signaling some Republican patience with the White House's negotiating strategy may be starting to wear thin, our Daniel Desrochers and Doug Palmer report. Kennedy asked Lutnick if the administration would take a zero-for-zero trade deal with Vietnam, one of many trading partners facing major tariff hikes in July. Lutnick said 'absolutely not,' because he said Vietnam is being used as a pathway for China to send products to America. 'Why are you negotiating trade deals then?' a visibly frustrated Kennedy replied. Lutnick could face the fire again today: the Commerce secretary is testifying in front of House Appropriations at 11 a.m. MAJOR OPIOID CRISIS BILL PASSES HOUSE — The GOP-led House voted 366-57 to reauthorize landmark legislation to prevent and treat illicit opioid use Wednesday. The overwhelmingly bipartisan vote comes despite frustration from leading Democrats over the Trump administration's cuts for addiction treatment. The bill, led by Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie, would reauthorize billions of dollars in funding for tackling the opioid crisis, which killed nearly 50,000 Americans last year, according to federal estimates. Congress passed the original bill in 2018 with near-unanimous House approval, and Trump signed it into law. The legislation expired nearly two years ago, but Congress has continued funding its programs. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: POLITICO PRO SPACE: Your insider's guide to the politics behind the new space race. From battles over sending astronauts to Mars to the ways space companies are vying to influence regulators, this weekly newsletter decodes the personalities, policy and power shaping the final frontier. Get sharp analysis, scoops and reporting from across the newsroom — including insights from our teams in Florida, California and Brussels. Try the newsletter free for a limited time starting tomorrow before it becomes exclusive to POLITICO Pro subscribers. Find out more. TUNNEL TALK NEW USCP CHIEF — The next chief of the U.S. Capitol Police will be Michael Sullivan, a former interim chief of the Phoenix Police Department, our Nicholas Wu, Chris Marquette and Katherine Tully-McManus report. Before serving in Phoenix, Sullivan was deputy commissioner of compliance and deputy commissioner of operations at the Baltimore Police Department, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was also a deputy chief at the Louisville Metro Police Department, where he spent more than two decades as an officer. THE BEST OF THE REST Bill Gates comes to Utah to help Sen. Curtis in his efforts to preserve clean energy, from Cami Mondeaux at Deseret News After Muscling Their Bill Through the House, Some Republicans Have Regrets, from Michael Gold at the New York Times Republicans Are Trying to Stop — And Even Sabotage — Bill Huizenga's Potential Senate Bid, from Reese Gorman at NOTUS CAPITOL HILL INFLUENCE AUTOMOBILE ALLIANCE DIVIDED — A split among automakers over Republicans' megabill is hobbling their powerful lobbying group as the Senate considers major rollbacks to electric vehicle and manufacturing tax credits, four people familiar with the dynamics tell our James Bikales. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents major automakers and suppliers, has yet to take a public stance because its members can't reach consensus on changes to a key tax credit claimed by automakers for producing EV batteries. The trade group had strongly defended the credits in Democrats' climate law last year, and in recent months warned that rolling them back would threaten U.S. competitiveness and national security. SMUCKER AIDE JOINS MINDSET — Kate Bonner has left the Hill to return to K Street as a principal at Mindset. Bonner spent the past five years working as chief of staff and senior adviser to Rep. Lloyd Smucker, a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and vice chair of the House Budget Committee, POLITICO Influence scooped. Before joining Smucker's office, she was a director of federal government relations and external affairs at Citigroup and spent nearly a decade with the National Federation of Independent Business. Bonner told PI that she will be registering to lobby with an expected focus on tax and trade issues as well as financial services and energy. JOB BOARD Stu Sandler is now Sen. Rick Scott's chief of staff. He previously served as the National Republican Senatorial Committee's political director and executive director of the Michigan Republican Party. Eden Alem is now deputy comms director for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Dems. She previously was national press secretary at Climate Power. Hana Tadesse is now VP of comms for the Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 local organizing committee. She previously was comms director for Rep. Kim Schrier. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rep. Chrissy Houlahan … Jack Smith … Megan Beyer … Jeff Rapp of Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester's office … Jordan Dickinson of Target … Mary Kirchner of Sen. Roger Marshall's office … Todd Zubatkin … Kara Hauck … Everytown's Kate Brescia (3-0) … Daniella Landau of Penn Avenue Partners … Socko Strategies' James Cecil Kemmer … Rob Kelly TRIVIA WEDNESDAY'S ANSWER: Jacob Murphy correctly answered that Theodore Roosevelt said the quote 'When they call the roll in the Senate, the senators do not know whether to answer 'present' or 'not guilty.'' TODAY'S QUESTION, from Jacob: On August 1, 1946, President Harry Truman signed the Fulbright Scholarship Program into law. Which country was the first to sign a Fulbright agreement with the U.S.? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@
