Trump's redistricting fight mushrooms with Vance in Indiana and Florida joining the fray
Separately, a top Republican leader in Florida announced plans Thursday to begin redistricting efforts in the president's adopted home state. And U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said FBI Director Kash Patel had granted his request for the agency to get involved in corralling Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state to deny the Republican majority a quorum necessary to vote on a U.S. House redistricting plan at the forefront of Trump's initiative.
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Winnipeg Free Press
3 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump orders increased federal law enforcement presence in Washington to ‘make DC safe again'
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Thursday night that there will be increased presence of federal law enforcement in the nation's capital to combat crime for at least the next week, amid President Donald Trump 's suggestions that his administration could fully take over running the city. 'Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. 'President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens.' She added that the increased federal presence means 'there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.' Trump has repeatedly suggested that the rule of Washington could be returned to federal authorities. Doing so would require a repeal of the Home Rule Act of 1973 in Congress, a step Trump said lawyers are examining — but could face steep pushback. 'We have a capital that's very unsafe,' Trump told reporters at the White House this week. 'We have to run D.C.' The White House said the increased law enforcement would 'make D.C. safe again' and would be present on the streets starting at midnight — led by U.S. Park Police following an 11 p.m. Thursday roll call at an established command center. The push will last the next seven days with the option to extend 'as needed,' under the authority of Trump's previous executive order establishing the Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force. The added federal officials will be identified, in marked units and highly visible, the White House said. Participating law enforcement include personnel from the U.S. Capitol Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Protective Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. The police forces for Amtrak and the city's Metro rail service are also involved. Trump has long suggested crime and violence is on the rise in Washington, and has lately begun to criticize things like litter and graffiti. But the catalyst for the order to increase police presence was the assault last weekend on a high-profile member of the Department of Government Efficiency by a group of teenagers in an attempted carjacking. The victim, Edward Coristine, nicknamed 'Big Balls,' was among the most visible figures of DOGE, which was tasked with cutting jobs and slashing the federal bureaucracy. Police arrested two 15-year-olds and say they're still looking for other members of the group. 'If D.C. doesn't get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they're not going to get away with it anymore,' Trump posted on Truth Social earlier this week. The president subsequently said he was considering repealing Washington's limited Home Rule autonomy or 'bringing in the National Guard, maybe very quickly.' Thursday's announcement comes as Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser's government can claim to have reduced the number of homicides and carjackings — both of which spiked citywide in 2023. Carjackings in Washington overall dropped significantly the following year in 2024, from 957 to just under 500, and the number is on track to decline again this year — with less than 200 recorded so far more than halfway through 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Judge blocks Trump's birthright order nationwide in fourth such ruling since Supreme Court decision
GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A federal judge in Maryland late Thursday ruled President Donald Trump's administration cannot withhold citizenship from children born to people in the country illegally or temporarily, issuing the fourth court decision blocking the president's birthright citizenship order nationwide since a key U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman's preliminary injunction was expected after the judge said last month she would issue such an order if the case were returned to her by an appeals court. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to her later in July. Since June, two other district courts, as well as an appellate panel of judges, have also blocked the birthright order nationwide. An email to the White House for comment was not immediately returned. Trump's January order would deny citizenship to children born to parents living in the U.S. illegally or temporarily. Boardman in February issued a preliminary injunction blocking it nationwide. But the June ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upended that decision and other court rulings blocking the order across the nation. The justices ruled that lower courts generally can't issue nationwide injunctions, but they didn't rule out other court orders that could have nationwide effects, including in class-action lawsuits and those brought by states. In her ruling Thursday, Boardman certified a class of all children who have been born or will be born in the United States after February 19, 2025, who would be affected by Trump's order. She said the plaintiffs in the lawsuit before her were 'extremely likely' to win their argument that the birthright order violates the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which includes a citizenship clause that says all people born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to U.S. jurisdiction, are citizens. They were also likely to suffer irreparable harm if the order went into effect, she wrote.
Japan Forward
3 minutes ago
- Japan Forward
US Concessions on Tariffs Offer Relief but Uncertainty Lingers in Japan
As President Donald Trump's new reciprocal tariffs took effect on August 7, concern mounted in Japan over what some saw as a departure from the terms of a recent trade deal. Under the July 23 agreement, all Japanese imports to the US will face a baseline tariff of 15%, with certain sector-specific exceptions. But the agreement does not mention a "no-stacking clause," meaning that, in theory, multiple tariffs could be applied cumulatively on top of existing tariffs. An executive order signed by Trump on July 31 and a Federal Register notice published August 6 have fueled suspicions that a no-stacking clause was applied to the European Union but excluded Japan, despite both reaching a similar deal with Washington. If Japanese exports are subject to an additional 15% tariff on top of existing duties, some products could see a sharp price increase in the US market. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (left) speaks at the Comprehensive Response Headquarters for US Tariff Measures. At right is Minister for Economic Revitalization Ryosei Akazawa. July 25 (©Sankei by Hideyuki Matsui) According to some reports, Japanese textiles previously taxed at 7.5% could be hit with a combined rate of 22.5%. Tariffs on Japanese beef may rise as high as 41.4%. A separate accord to reduce tariffs on Japanese automobiles from 27.5% to 15% also remains unimplemented. Though both governments announced their commitment, no detailed timeline has been set. Seeking clarity, Ryosei Akazawa, Tokyo's chief trade negotiator, is visiting Washington. After meeting with US counterparts on Thursday, Akazawa said the American side had promised to amend the executive order affecting Japan so the reciprocal tariffs would not be stacked, and that any tariffs paid above 15% would be refunded retroactively, according to media reports. US President Donald Trump and Japan's Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa during tariff negotiations. The White House posted this on X (formerly Twitter) on July 22. The latest dispute has also highlighted broader tensions, including differing perspectives on Japan's $550 billion USD investment in the US. While the White House characterized the funds as "our money," Tokyo stressed that these investments must ultimately serve the interests of the Japanese economy. It remains unclear whether the latest talks covered investment issues and the implementation of reduced auto tariffs. Back home, criticism is growing over the Shigeru Ishiba government's failure to secure a formal written agreement, leaving it vulnerable to contradictory interpretations. "Even written agreements can be subject to different interpretations," said Long Ke, an economist and senior fellow at the Tokyo Foundation. "But if everything was based on verbal concessions, misunderstandings were almost inevitable." Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and US President Donald Trump shake hands after their summit in the Oval Office on February 7. (©Kyodo) The recent episode has also raised doubts about the Japanese government's handling of relations with Washington amid the increasingly unpredictable diplomacy of the Trump era. Prime Minister Ishiba is already under pressure to step down after his party's crushing defeat in the July Upper House election. A drawn-out tariff standoff could further sharpen those calls. Author: Kenji Yoshida
