US judge blocks Trump admin from withholding EV charger funds to 14 states
A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from withholding funding previously awarded to 14 states for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.US District Judge Tana Lin, based in Seattle, ruled that the states are likely to succeed in their legal challenge, which argues the federal government acted unlawfully by suspending billions in grants meant to expand EV charging networks. The funds were part of a broader federal push to support EV adoption.advertisementThe US Department of Transportation halted the program in February and rescinded state plans while conducting an internal review.
Judge Lin's injunction does not apply to the District of Columbia, Minnesota, and Vermont, which also joined the lawsuit but failed to show they would face immediate harm from the funding freeze.Her order will take effect in seven days, giving the Trump administration a window to appeal and potentially seek a stay from a higher court.In February, the Trump administration halted states from using USD 5 billion allocated through the Biden-era National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.The initiative was designed to cover up to 80 per cent of project costs for building electric vehicle charging stations. As of now, at least 16 states have one or more operational EV stations, according to the EV States Clearinghouse.advertisementIn May, the Government Accountability Office concluded that the Trump administration broke the law by withholding funds from the electric vehicle program. It stated that the administration is legally obligated to implement the program as mandated.The White House rejected the findings, calling them 'wrong and legally indefensible,' and instructed the Department of Transportation to disregard them. The department is now expected to release a draft of its revised electric vehicle guidance later this month.- Ends(With inputs from Reuters)Tune InMust Watch
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First Post
40 minutes ago
- First Post
Trump's F-bomb, Biden's son of b**ch... When US presidents swore in public
Donald Trump is known for doing things differently. On Tuesday (June 24), he became the first US president to swear on 'live' TV when he used the F-word to express his frustration with Iran and Israel for violating the ceasefire just hours after it came into effect. However, American leaders have been caught using expletives in the past read more US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House. It is during this interaction that he dropped the F-bomb. AP What does one do when one is frustrated? Usually, one swears or curses, using the F-word. But what if you are the president of the United States of America? Well, Donald Trump on Tuesday showed he's no different from us when he too used the swear word to express his frustration that Israel and Iran appeared to be violating the ceasefire that he just celebrated going into effect. But, despite the hoopla over Trump swearing on live camera, it is not unheard of. There have been many instances of the US commander-in-chief showcasing their inner potty mouth. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump's F-bomb heard around the world The world's media dedicated much of Tuesday (June 24) covering the ceasefire in the war between Israel and Iran and Donald Trump's role in brokering it. But before Trump could even celebrate the breakthrough, Israel and Iran appeared to have violated it. Just two-and-a-half hours after the ceasefire came into effect, Tel Aviv accused Tehran of launching missiles at the Jewish nation. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had directed Israel's armed forces to 'respond forcefully' to what he called Iran's 'violation of the ceasefire'. And when asked to respond to the two warring nations' actions, Trump appeared agitated. 'There was one rocket that I guess was fired overboard after the time limit and now Israel is going out. These guys [have] got to calm down,' he said, speaking to reporters before heading to the Nato summit in The Hague. The US president added that he didn't like 'plenty of things' he saw. 'I didn't like the fact that Israel unloaded right after we made the deal,' he said, referring to the ceasefire he announced earlier. 'They didn't have to unload.' 'We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f**k they're doing,' Trump added, dropping the f-bomb . President Trump on Israel and Iran: "We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the fuck they're doing." — CSPAN (@cspan) June 24, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Presidential hot-mic moments Trump's use of a swear word on live cameras surprised many; American presidents have typically refrained from using it publicly, even when angry or frustrated. But it isn't the first time that an American president has been caught swearing. In 2018, Trump referred to Haiti and African nations as 's**thole countries', asking why the US would accept more immigrants from there rather than places like Norway. Unsurprisingly, his remarks spurred anger; Haiti's government said Trump's comments shows a 'racist view of the Haitian community', while El Salvador sent a formal letter of protest to the US saying the president had 'implicitly' accepted the use of 'harsh terms detrimental to the dignity of El Salvador and other countries'. In March 2010, then Vice President Joe Biden was caught out by an amplified microphone, telling his boss, Barack Obama, that passing the Affordable Care Act was a 'big f***ing deal'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And 12 years after that incident, Biden once again let it rip when he called Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a 'stupid son of a b**ch.' The incident when happened Doocy called out to Biden saying, 'Do you think inflation is a political liability going into the midterms?' 'No, it's a great asset,' Biden snarked. 'More inflation. What a stupid son of a b**ch.' Biden: What a stupid son of a bitch — Acyn (@Acyn) January 24, 2022 Later, Doocy said that President Biden called to apologise shortly after the briefing ended. And Biden's predecessor, Barack Obama, too had his own hot-mic moments. In 2009, he referred to rapper Kanye West as a 'jacka**' after the rapper interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD President Obama called Kanye West a 'Jackass' in 2009. As always, President Obama was right. — Jack Cocchiarella (@JDCocchiarella) December 2, 2022 Obama also referred to his 2012 presidential rival, Mitt Romney as a 'serial bullshi***r' in a Rolling Stone magazine. Republican presidential candidate George W Bush with his vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney. File image/Reuters And just like Biden and Obama, George W Bush also had a hot-mic moment. While campaigning to be president in 2000, Bush leaned over to his running mate, Dick Cheney, and commented on the presence of New York Times reporter Adam Clymer. He, unknowingly, called the journalist a 'major-league a**hole.' Bush later joked about the incident, referring to Clymer as a 'major-league ass…et' in a taped message played at a press corps dinner. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But many believe that no other US president cursed and swore as much as Harry Truman. He once called General Douglas MacArthur a 'dumb son of a b**ch' and Richard Nixon a 'shifty-eyed god***ed liar.' In most of these cases, the US leader has apologised for abusing. But, Russell Riley, a presidential historian at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia, told NPR that it is highly unlikely that Trump would show any remorse for his use of the swear word. 'The question is whether you brazen it out or you apologise,' Riley said. 'And I'm sure in this case the president will just brazen it out.' With inputs from agencies
Hindustan Times
42 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Israel-Iran Conflict Spurs China to Reconsider Russian Gas Pipeline
The original Power of Siberia pipeline opened in 2019. The war between Israel and Iran has revived Chinese leaders' interest in a pipeline that would carry Russian natural gas to China, according to people close to Beijing's decision-making, potentially jump-starting a project that has been stalled for years. The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline project has been mired in disagreements over pricing and ownership terms, as well as Chinese concerns about relying too heavily on Russia for its energy supplies. But the recent war in the Middle East has given Beijing reason to reconsider the reliability of the oil and natural gas it gets from the region, the people said, even as a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Iran takes hold. China imports around 30% of its gas in the form of liquefied natural gas from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates via the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime chokepoint that Iran threatened to close, according to consulting firm Rystad Energy. Meanwhile, China's independent refineries, known as teapots, have in recent years become hooked on cheap Iranian crude. More than 90% of Iran's oil exports now go to China, analysts say, even though the U.S. has sanctions designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil abroad. Trump made an unusual acknowledgment of China's Iranian oil imports Tuesday after announcing a cease-fire in the Israel-Iran conflict. 'China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran. Hopefully, they will be purchasing plenty from the U.S., also,' he said in a post on social media. A White House official later said Trump was simply calling attention to the fact that the cease-fire prevented disruption to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. He continues to call on China to import U.S. oil rather than Iranian oil in violation of U.S. sanctions, the official said. But, even with a cease-fire in place, the recent conflict has spurred Beijing to cast about for alternatives, the people and analysts say. Beijing is also looking to increase oil purchases from Russia, which supplies around one-fifth of China's oil, analysts say. Moscow has been pushing to boost its energy sales to its neighbor as it needs cash to fund its war in Ukraine. 'The volatility and unpredictability of the military situation have shown the Chinese leadership that stable land-based pipeline supply has geopolitical benefits,' said Alexander Gabuev, the director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and an expert on China-Russia relations. 'Russia could benefit from that.' Russian state media have linked the tensions in the Middle East to the revival of the Power of Siberia 2 project. 'LNG Armageddon: China Urgently Returns to Power of Siberia 2 Project,' read one recent headline on Prime, a Russian state news website. Russia is expected to try to put the project on the agenda when President Vladimir Putin visits Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China in September, analysts say. The Power of Siberia 2, a sequel to the original Power of Siberia gas link that opened in 2019, has long been more urgent to Moscow than to Beijing. Russia lost its biggest energy market when much of its gas exports to Europe stopped after its invasion of Ukraine. Since then, Moscow has become increasingly dependent on China as a buyer. But limited pipeline infrastructure and small LNG capacity meant that only a new, bigger pipeline could significantly boost supplies to China. For Beijing, on the other hand, LNG supplies from the Middle East and other places meant that a deal was far less crucial. One official reason they have given to Russia is that China limits the import of oil and gas from a single country to 20%, according to the people close to Beijing's decision-making. As a result, talks have dragged on for years, even as Moscow has repeatedly indicated a deal was imminent. That might now be changing. The Strait of Hormuz, which flows between Oman and Iran and connects the energy-rich Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea, is deep and wide enough to handle the world's largest tankers. That makes it a critical pass-through point for oil and gas, and its closure could disrupt markets and raise energy costs. The likelihood of a complete closure of the Strait is low because of Iran's reliance on it and the potential U.S. military response it could draw, analysts say, but the recent conflict has highlighted the impact such a move would have. 'The escalation of the Middle East tensions underscores the severe consequences of a potential blockade in the Strait of Hormuz,' said Wei Xiong, head of China gas research at Rystad. If the chokepoint is blocked, 'China's LNG supply situation will face huge change, moving from being over-contracted to supply deficit.' Beyond the current turmoil in the Gulf, the U.S.-China trade war has in recent months led to a halt in U.S. LNG exports there, reversing years of growing energy trade between the two nations. Longer term, as China pursues its green energy goals, Beijing foresees an expanding role for natural gas as a so-called bridge fuel between the hydrocarbon and post-carbon eras, analysts say. China is also interested in strengthening its relationship with Russia at a time when the Trump administration has openly discussed trying to drive a wedge between Beijing and Moscow, the people close to Beijing's decision-making said. Moving ahead with the stalled pipeline could help solidify those ties. To be sure, even if an agreement on the pipeline is reached, analysts estimate its construction will take at least five years, similar to the original 1,800-mile long gas link. Other significant hurdles remain, including a disagreement on gas pricing and the considerable investment required for the large-scale construction. Another sticking point is China's demand for ownership stakes in the project, a concession Russia has been unwilling to make. The disagreements are ultimately a sign of mistrust that has lingered between the two countries—despite what Putin and Xi once declared was a 'no-limits' friendship. Write to Georgi Kantchev at and Lingling Wei at
Hindustan Times
42 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
How Trump Cajoled Iran and Israel Into a Cease-Fire and Forced Them to Comply
It remains to be seen how long the truce will hold, and whether the U.S. and its allies will be able to use the leverage gained by the American and Israeli strikes to reach a diplomatic deal that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon in coming years. Yet, the rapid move from a surprise airstrike to a cease-fire, with major policy pivots announced via social-media posts that gave whiplash to friends and foes alike, has showcased Trump's unorthodox approach to wielding power. It isn't just allies who were bypassed. U.S. officials who would normally play a role during such a crisis were also left out of the loop, administration officials said, a sign of how narrow is the circle of advisers Trump trusts. Almost immediately after the American B-2 strikes, Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him it was time to end the war, a senior administration official said. Trump's message: The U.S. had completed its military mission and would cease offensive operations and Israel needed to do the same, the official said. Vice President JD Vance has described the events of recent days as a new American foreign-policy doctrine focused on clearly defining national interests, aggressively negotiating to achieve them and the use of overwhelming force if necessary. The force in this case was the fleet of B-2 stealth bombers that struck underground Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow and Natanz with a total of 14 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs. It achieved what the Israeli military—despite gaining air superiority over Iran more than a week earlier—was unable to do. The underground facilities at Fordow were likely significantly damaged and at Natanz the enrichment plant was hit, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. 'The sites that we hit in Iran were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it,' Trump said in a social-media post. During the conflict, Israeli cities sustained several hits from Iranian ballistic missiles, and Iranian military targets were subjected to widespread bombing. Neither side wanted the war to go on much longer, at least at that intensity, and both were eager for a way out that they could portray as a victory. By then, Israel had hit what it considered the most important Iranian military targets and saw limited upside in a continued air campaign, according to people familiar with Israeli government thinking. Iran, meanwhile, had been exchanging separate messages with Washington via Arab intermediaries for days. On Saturday evening, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff informed several Arab countries that a U.S. strike on Iran was imminent, Arab officials said. After the attack, at Trump's direction, Witkoff exchanged direct messages with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a senior administration official said. Witkoff told Araghchi that Iran needed to come back to the negotiating table, saying the U.S. could inflict more damage on the country, according to the official. Arab leaders also told Iran it was time to offer concessions to Washington, but Iran's foreign minister responded that Iran wouldn't negotiate under fire and wouldn't abandon its nuclear program, according to Arab officials briefed on the diplomacy. A satellite view of Iran's Fordow complex, an underground nuclear facility that the U.S. struck over the weekend. Once Fordow, Natanz and a separate site in Isfahan were struck by the U.S., Iran's top military commander vowed to retaliate, saying the U.S. had violated its sovereignty. Tehran's move, a limited missile salvo fired at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, seemed designed to avoid further escalation. Around noon Monday, moments before the missiles were launched, Iranian officials called Qatar to deliver a warning that the base would be hit, according to Middle Eastern officials familiar with the situation. Qatar relayed the Iranian message to the U.S. U.S. officials told Qatar later on Monday that Washington also anticipated the attack, and that the U.S. didn't plan to retaliate, U.S. and Middle East officials said. Iran passed messages to Qatar that the attack would target solely the base, not the civilian areas of Qatar, according to those officials. That gave the U.S. military, which already removed aircraft and many troops from Al Udeid, sufficient time to move remaining personnel from the base, and for the U.S. Embassy in Doha to warn American citizens to 'shelter in place.' Qatar then closed the country's airspace to commercial flights as it awaited the Iranian barrage: a total of 19 missiles, according to Qatar. All were intercepted by air defenses, except one that fell harmlessly near the base. The interceptors collided with the missiles, leaving streaks in Doha's summer night sky. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Qatar's prime minister, said at a news conference Tuesday in Doha that his country had received prior intelligence that allowed the country and the Americans to prepare, but didn't say what the intelligence was. Shortly after the barrage, Vance spoke with the Qatari prime minister around 5 p.m., and Trump spoke with Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani minutes later, according to a person familiar with the calls. Trump asked the emir whether he would call Iran and ask whether the Iranian government was open to a cease-fire. He obliged, and Iran agreed. Trump—who just hours earlier publicly contemplated regime change in Iran—announced the cease-fire after the calls, posting on social media: 'CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!' A Truth Social post by President Trump announced a cease-fire between Israel and Iran. 'Donald Trump is not a pacifist, but there is an aversion to being drawn into long, drawn-out military engagements,' said Michael Wahid Hanna, director of the U.S. program at nonprofit International Crisis Group. 'There is a motivation in doing the things his predecessors failed to do.' Diplomats who would normally provide talking points for calls with regional leaders weren't asked for help, U.S. officials said. Instead of a flurry of orders and coordination requests, the National Security Council was effectively dormant. Despite Trump's social-media victory lap, Israel and Iran were still exchanging further blows. Four hours before the cease-fire was set to take effect at 7 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Israel launched a wave of strikes in Tehran, killing hundreds of security-force personnel, Netanyahu said on X. Among the targets was the headquarters of Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, a defense-ministry research institution, according to the Israeli military. Minutes before the cease-fire deadline, an Iranian missile struck a seven-story residential building in the city of Be'er Sheva, killing four people in one of the deadliest episodes of the war for Israeli civilians. Rescue workers the next day combed through piles of rubble at the site. Three more missiles were fired from Iran after 7 a.m., without causing casualties or damage, according to Netanyahu. Israel threatened further retaliation for the strikes. 'In light of the severe violation of the cease-fire carried out by the Iranian regime, we will respond with force,' warned the Israeli military's chief of the general staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir. Trump was surprised to learn Tuesday morning that the war hadn't ended. He stepped out on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding a helicopter on his way to a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Europe and rebuked both countries for threatening the cease-fire, especially the U.S.'s closest Middle East ally. 'Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I've never seen before,' he said. He wasn't happy with the two nations 'that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f— they're doing.' After boarding a helicopter for a short flight to his presidential plane, Trump tapped out an all-caps warning to Israel: 'DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!' Thirty-eight minutes later, after a call with Netanyahu, Trump announced the Israeli warplanes were turning around. 'Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!' Trump posted on social media. President Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday that Israeli warplanes would turn around. Netanyahu said Israel destroyed a radar installation near Tehran and, after the call from Trump, refrained from further attacks. Israel had 'achieved all of its objectives for the war,' he said. Iran's Supreme National Security Council proclaimed that it had delivered a 'crushing response to every act of hostility by the enemy' and 'shattered the enemy's primary strategic goal.' With quiet returning to the Middle East, Trump's attention shifted to the NATO summit, where he will dine with royals and bask in persuading European allies to spend more on their own defense. 'It will be a much calmer period than what I just went through with Israel and Iran,' he wrote online. Write to Yaroslav Trofimov at Alexander Ward at Jared Malsin at and Summer Said at How Trump Cajoled Iran and Israel Into a Cease-Fire and Forced Them to Comply How Trump Cajoled Iran and Israel Into a Cease-Fire and Forced Them to Comply
