U.S. LA Metro scrambles to find funding for massive bus fleet, heart of Olympics plans
NEW YORK, June 18 (Xinhua) -- In a sprawling county where transit lines are sometimes miles apart, transit leaders' plans for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles, California, rely on a robust fleet of buses to get people to and from venues and avoid a traffic meltdown, reported the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.
The plan hinges on a 2-billion-U.S.-dollar ask of the Trump administration to lease 2,700 buses to join Metro's fleet of roughly 2,400, traveling on a network of designated lanes to get from venue to venue. But with roughly three years to go until opening day, the plan faces several challenges over funding and time.
The federal government has yet to respond to the city's request. And Metro's commitment to lease clean energy buses could pose supply problems and challenges around charging infrastructure. Operators would also need to be trained under state regulations and provided housing through the Games.
"Three years might seem like a lot of time to many of us, but in municipal time, three years is like the blink of an eye. That's our greatest challenge," said Daniel Rodman, a member of Los Angeles city's office of major events.
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New Straits Times
17 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Trump faces uproar from MAGA base over possible Iran strike
THE prospect of a US strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Donald Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war. Some of Trump's most prominent Republican allies, including top lieutenant Steve Bannon, have found themselves in the unusual position of being at odds with a president who largely shares their isolationist tendencies. Bannon, one of many influential voices from Trump's "America First" coalition, on Wednesday urged caution about the US military joining Israel in trying to destroy Iran's nuclear programme in the absence of a diplomatic deal. "We can't do this again," Bannon told reporters at an event sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. "We'll tear the country apart. We can't have another Iraq." The anti-interventionist part of the Republican Party is watching with alarm as Trump has moved swiftly from seeking a peaceful diplomatic settlement with Iran to possibly having the United States support Israel's military campaign, including the use of a 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bomb. The criticism shows the opposition Trump could face from his right-leaning "Make America Great Again" flank should he join the fight, a step that Iran has warned would have big consequences for Americans without specifying what that might be. A decision by Trump to enter the conflict would be a sharp departure from his usual caution about foreign entanglements. It could impact his campaign to foster good relations in the Gulf and could be a distraction from his efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine and make tariff deals with countries around the world. The MAGA coalition propelled Trump into office in the 2016 and 2024 elections and remains critically important to him even though he is prevented by the US Constitution from running for a third term. Upsetting that base could erode Trump's popularity and factor into whether Republicans hang on to control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Asked about the rift on Wednesday, Trump appeared unconcerned that some in his base could be turning its back on him, at least on this issue. "My supporters are more in love with me today, and I'm in love with them more than they were even at election time," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I only want one thing: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon." He said some of his supporters "are a little bit unhappy now" but that others agree with him that Iran cannot become a nuclear power. "I'm not looking to fight. But if it's a choice between them fighting or having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do," Trump said. Marc Short, an ally of former Vice President Mike Pence who served as Trump's legislative director during his first term, called the division over Iran within Trump's party a "pretty large rift." He said he thought Trump's base would stay with him despite the differences, however. "The divisions are obviously coming out in the open in this moment, but ultimately I think that most of the president's followers are loyal to him more so than any worldview," he said. Short said standing with Israel could help Trump politically, too. Traditionally conservative voters favour standing by Israel. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in March, 48 per cent of Republicans agreed with a statement that the US should use its military power to defend Israel from threats no matter where the threats come from, compared to 28 per cent who disagreed. Among Democrats, 25 per cent agreed and 52 per cent disagreed. International experts believe Iran has been intent on developing a nuclear weapon, despite Tehran's denials, and Israel believes it would be at risk as a result. US officials believe if Iran possessed an atomic weapon it would trigger an nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Bannon, host of the popular "War Room" podcast, said "the Israelis need to finish what they started" and that Trump should slow down deliberations over US involvement and explain his decision-making. "This is one of the most ancient civilisations in the world, okay, with 92 million people. This is not something you play around with. You have to think this through at this level, and the American people have to be on board. You can't just dump this on them," he said. Other influential MAGA voices with similar messages of worry include former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson and US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and long-time Trump ally. "Anyone slobbering for the US to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/MAGA," Greene said in a social media post on Sunday. "We are sick and tired of foreign wars. All of them." The rift was on full display when Carlson, on his streaming programme, clashed with Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas late on Tuesday. A clip from Carlson's interview with Cruz went viral with Carlson strongly criticising the senator for seeking regime change in Iran, and Cruz expressing support for the president. "You don't know anything about Iran!" Carlson told Cruz. "I am not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran," Cruz fired back. "You're a senator who's calling for the overthrow of the government," Carlson retorted. Vice President JD Vance tried to tamp down talk of a rift on Monday with a social media post defending the president. "People are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue," he said. Now allies and opponents are waiting on Trump's decision-making process. The president said on Wednesday afternoon he had some ideas on how to proceed but had not made a final decision.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Trump says no final decision yet on us strikes against Iran
WASHINGTON: United States (US) President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he has yet to make a final decision on whether to authorise military strikes on Iran, adding that he prefers to wait until the 'last second.' 'I don't want to fight either. I'm not looking to fight. But if it's a choice between fighting and them having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do. And maybe we won't have to fight,' he told reporters in the Oval Office, Anadolu Ajansi reported. Trump said he had 'ideas' on possible steps but preferred to decide 'one second before it's due.' 'Things change, especially with war. You go from one extreme to the other. War is very bad. There was no reason for this to be,' he added, noting he would be holding a Situation Room meeting within the hour. Tensions have escalated sharply since June 13, when Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran's military and nuclear sites, targeting facilities in several cities, senior command centres and nuclear scientists. Iranian media reported on Wednesday that the death toll from Israeli airstrikes had risen to 585, with over 1,300 injured. In response, Iran launched ballistic missile attacks on Israel, reportedly killing 24 people and injuring more than 500. When asked if he believed the Iranian government might collapse under continued Israeli pressure, Trump said, 'Anything could happen.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Iran-Israel war: Latest developments
JERUSALEM: Israel and Iran exchanged fire again on Wednesday, the sixth day of strikes in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East. Here are the latest developments: New missile salvo Israel's army on Wednesday said it had detected new missiles launched from Iran, adding that its defensive systems were operating to intercept the threat. The announcement came after Iran issued an evacuation warning for residents of the Israeli city of Haifa, with state TV subsequently reporting launches of Fattah hypersonic missiles. The Israeli military later said it was "flying over surface-to-surface missile launch and storage sites... (and) striking those attempting to reactivate sites that have already been hit". Israel's air defence systems appear to have been largely successful in intercepting the daily barrages of Iranian missiles and drones. An Israeli military official, who asked not to be named, said that Iran had fired around 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones since Friday. About 20 missiles had struck civilian areas in Israel, the official added. Near-total internet blackout Iran was in a "near-total national internet blackout", London-based watchdog NetBlocks wrote on X. Iran announced last week that it was placing temporary restrictions on the internet, with the communication ministry saying Wednesday that heavier limits were being imposed due to Israel's "abuse of the country's communication network for military purposes". Iranian media later reported that Israel briefly hacked the state television broadcast, airing footage of women's protests and urging people to take to the streets. Numerous sites and apps have remained at least partially inaccessible. State television appealed to Iranians on Tuesday to delete WhatsApp from their phones, charging that the messaging app gathers users' location and personal data and "communicates them to the Zionist enemy". A WhatsApp spokesperson hit back against the claims, expressing concern the "false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked". Trump on strikes, talks President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was considering whether the United States would join Israel's strikes, and said that Iran had reached out to seek negotiations on ending the conflict. "I may do it, I may not do it," Trump told reporters. "I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate." Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House for talks on Tehran's nuclear program in a bid to end Israel's air assault. Asked if it was too late for negotiations, he said: "Nothing is too late." In a televised statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump a "great friend" of Israel, and thanked him "for the support of the United States in defending Israel's skies". Khamenei warns US Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech read on state television: "This nation will never surrender." He added: "America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage." Trump had said on Tuesday that the United States knows where Khamenei is located but will not kill him "for now". Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday his country was committed to "diplomacy" but was acting in "self-defence" against Israel's assault. Israel says hit security HQ AFP journalists reported hearing blasts across Tehran throughout the day on Wednesday, with smoke billowing over parts of the city. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in the afternoon that air force jets had "destroyed the internal security headquarters of the Iranian regime -- the main arm of repression of the Iranian dictator". French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to end strikes on targets in Iran not linked to nuclear activities or ballistic missiles, his office said. 'Painful losses' Foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from both countries, with US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announcing plans on Wednesday to get Americans out by air and sea. Israel's attacks have hit nuclear and military facilities around Iran, as well as residential areas. Residential areas in Israel have also been hit. Netanyahu acknowledged suffering "painful losses" on Wednesday, but added: "The home front is solid, the people are strong." The prime minister's office said Monday that at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded since Iran's retaliatory strikes began Friday. Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Putin eyes 'solution' Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that a deal to end the fighting between Israel and Iran was possible. He also claimed Israel's strikes on Iran had led to a "consolidation" of support in Iranian society around its leaders. "We see that today in Iran there is a consolidation of society around the country's political leadership," Putin told foreign journalists, including AFP, in a televised event. "This is a delicate issue, and of course we need to be very careful here, but in my opinion, a solution can be found," he added, referring to a possible deal that was in the interests of both Israel and Iran. He had previously proposed to act as a mediator in the conflict, prompting both Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron to question his suitability given Russia's war in Ukraine.
