
‘Arbitrary and discriminatory': Judge blocks Trump's effort to deter DEI programs
A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's bid to deprive federal funding from programs that incorporate 'diversity, equity and inclusion' initiatives.
U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson ruled that Trump's policy likely violates the First Amendment because it penalizes private organizations based on their viewpoints. And the judge said the policy is written so vaguely that it chills the free speech of federal contractors concerned they will be punished if they don't eliminate programs meant to encourage a diverse workforce.
Abelson, a Baltimore-based appointee of President Joe Biden, said longstanding court precedent bars the federal government from 'leveraging its funding to restrict federal contractors and grantees from otherwise exercising their First Amendment rights.'

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Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hundreds gather at No Kings Day rallies across the Wilmington-area
Hundreds of Wilmington-area residents gathered across the region Saturday, June 14 as part of a "No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance." In the Cape Fear region, protest locations included downtown Wilmington, Leland, Shallotte and Surf City. More than 1,000 communities across the country were planning protests to reject what event organizers called "corrupt, authoritarian politics in the United States." The protests were held on the same day that many Americans, including President Donald Trump, are celebrating the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. June 14 is also Flag Day and Trump's 79th birthday. Live updates: 'No Kings' protests underway from Florida to California At the rally in downtown Wilmington, the crowd started to gather well before the advertised start time of noon. By 11:30 a.m., hundreds were already in attendance with many carrying signs with slogans such as "Resistance is patriotic," Stop illegal deportations," "Power to the people," and "Trump Lies." As the crowd continued to grow, a man with a "Trump Won" flag repeatedly drove along Princess Drive and Third Street. The man and protestors yelled back and forth. Eventually, the Wilmington Police Department closed Princess Street to traffic. But officers reminded attendees to stay on the sidewalks and out of the street. What appeared to be another Trump supported waved a flag and shouted while walking through the crowd. The protestors chanted: "Donald Trump has got to go." Meanwhile, speakers, including State Rep. Deb Butler, a Democrat from Wilmington, addressed the audience. "Thank you for being here and not just for democracy but for recognizing your role in protecting it," Butler said. "We cannot be complacent. ... "Democracy cannot protect itself." Butler also noted that police officers were at the scene by request and she encouraged attendees to give them thanks and respect. Although the Wilmington rally was expected to end with a march, organizers ended it early -- around 12:45 p.m. -- because of rain and lightning in the area. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: No Kings Day protests in Wilmington, NC, Leland, Surf City, Shallotte


Buzz Feed
35 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
Trump Press Secretary's "Stupid" Comment, Viral Outrage
Ahead of President Donald Trump's US military parade, a press conference was held to address his views on protests, and things got heated. To celebrate the army's 250th anniversary, a huge military parade is expected to be held today in Washington, DC, and is set to include thousands of soldiers marching the streets, tanks, warplanes, army parachutists, and more. Today is also Trump's 79th birthday. "Critics have compared the expensive parade (which reportedly costs a whopping $40 million) to the ones held in Russia and North Korea. To counteract the massive demonstration, his policies, and the recent ICE raids/deportations, protests, known as the No Kings Protests, continue to take place around the country, with some even scheduled to happen today. On Tuesday, Trump spoke out on the country-wide demonstrations and warned that anyone protesting during the anniversary parade will be met with "very heavy force." So, when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt held a daily briefing the following day, it was expected that reporters would have some follow-up questions about his remarks on protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles, which escalated after Trump authorized military forces to protect federal property against the wishes of city and state officials. One interaction in particular has generated a lot of attention online, ultimately going viral for the "aggressive" response Karoline gave NOTUS White House correspondent Jasmine Wright. "The president warned that any protests on Saturday would be met with force," Jasmine began. "Can you clarify what kind of protest President Trump does support or find acceptable?" "The president absolutely supports peaceful protests," Karoline responded. "He supports the First Amendment. He supports the rights of Americans to make their voices heard. He does not support violence of any kind." The First Amendment protects the freedom of religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. "He does not support violence of any kind. He does not support assaulting law enforcement officers, who are simply trying to do their job. It's very clear for the president what he supports and what he does not. Unfortunately, for Democrats, that line has not been made clear, and they've allowed this unrest and this violence to continue, and the president has had to step in." To get some clarification from Karoline, Jasmine asked, "So, if there were peaceful protests on Saturday for the military parade, President Trump would allow that?" To which Karoline responded, "Of course, the president supports peaceful protest. What a stupid question." Jasmine's facial expression said it all, because how rude! The comment was so uncalled for. Not only did Karoline not answer the question, but she threw all professionalism out the window while conversing with Jasmine. Many people online were disgusted by it all: The responses continued to highlight her behavior: Unfortunately, this seems to be a pattern for Karoline. Other correspondents have dealt with similar experiences. You can watch here and here. The parade is set to take place later today at 6:30 p.m. ET in D.C., so only time will tell what will happen with today's protests. What are your thoughts on all of this? Let me know in the comments.


Fox News
37 minutes ago
- Fox News
Defense Sec. Hegseth says Trump is 'dialed in' to Israel-Iran conflict, not the time for an 'autopen moment'
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth assured Americans on Saturday that President Donald Trump is "dialed in" to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and asserted that this is not an "autopen moment" for the president. Hegseth told "Fox and Friends": "The American people can be assured that President Trump is dialed in. This is not an autopen moment. We had that where the world saw our gaze distracted or not paying attention at all. President Trump is dialed in. I get to see it every single day. He knows every single dynamic of what's going on here, and I'll tell you what he's doing here, Rachel. He's putting America first." Israel Defense Forces launched a sweeping strike on Iran following months of attempted, and seemingly failed, nuclear negotiations. Iran retaliated to Israel's strikes yesterday, firing a barrage of ballistic missiles into various regions of the Jewish state. The defense secretary's autopen comments come on the heels of an investigation launched by the Trump administration into former President Joe Biden's use of the tool to allegedly cover up his declining mental acuity. When asked by Fox News' Charlie Hurt about the latest developments in the conflict, Hegseth replied that the administration is monitoring the situation in real time and that Trump has been "leading the way on setting the tempo of how we look at the region." He also noted that Israel felt they "needed to take action against [Iran's] nuclear capabilities and ballistic missiles" in self-defense, adding that the United States is "robustly postured to ensure that our people, our bases, our interests are safe." "We will keep Americans safe… Ultimately it should be clear to Iran that they should not turn their gaze to the United States. That would be a bad idea," Hegseth asserted. "And the president continues to message that he prefers peace, he prefers a solution to this that is resolved at the table." The defense chief told the panel that the administration knew about Israel's strike on the Iranian regime ahead of time and is currently focused on keeping the American people safe. "That's our job, not to be completely caught off guard, to understand the situation in front of us and then calibrate accordingly. And provide maximum decision space to the president of the US to keep Americans safe," he said. "So I wouldn't say we were really surprised by any dynamic of the back and forth that's been ongoing, but we're monitoring it closely." In his final thoughts on the conflict, Hegseth emphasized Trump's demand that Iran not pursue acquiring a nuclear weapon, and noted that Israel believed Iran's nuclear aspirations were a threat to them — and that's why they took action. "As this back and forth continues, as I said, we're going to defend our folks, and the president is also making — and by the way robustly and strongly — this is not some sort of a perspective where we're worried or concerned. We're vigilant, we're prepared in a strong defensive posture," he declared. "While the president continues to say to Iran, 'Hey you have any option for peace. It includes, you know, various aspects of what's been discussed.' Iran knows. They know they can come back. They're making their own decisions right now, and we hope they would choose a negotiated option."