From DEI to federal cuts: How lawsuits against the Trump agenda could be affected by new USSC ruling
Federal cuts
In May, a judge in Rhode Island blocked an executive order that sought to dismantle federal agencies supporting libraries, museums, minority businesses and parties in labor disputes.
The administration has appealed.
Rhode Island was a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The state's attorney general, Peter F. Neronha, said in a statement Friday he would 'continue to pull every available legal lever to ensure that Americans, all Americans, are protected from the progressively dangerous whims of this President.'
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Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Lindsay Whitehurst, Christina Cassidy in Atlanta and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho contributed to this report.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Despite cross-border tensions, it's mostly business as usual for International Peace Garden staff, volunteers
INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDEN — From fentanyl and asylum seekers to trade wars and talk of annexation, the Canada–U.S. border is a pressure point in our countries' squabbles right now. On Thursday, President Donald Trump's executive order raising tariffs to 35 per cent on exports that are not compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement kicked in, adding to the economic pain Canada has been feeling from its longtime neighbour and ally. CONRAD SWEATMAN / FREE PRESS On Saturday, U.S. and Canadian residents are invited to the garden to shake hands across the shared border. CONRAD SWEATMAN / FREE PRESS On Saturday, U.S. and Canadian residents are invited to the garden to shake hands across the shared border. It's only the latest salvo targeting Canada since Trump declared a national emergency in February at the U.S.-Canada border in response to what his administration alleges is a flood of human and drug smuggling from Canada flowing south. Yet, for all this tension, the fact remains: the 49th parallel traces the world's longest undefended border. Customs agents have grown twitchier, but there's still limited border walls and fences and certainly no turreted watchtowers, standing army presence or demilitarized zone. Historically, 'friendship' has been a watchword for our soft borders. Its most potent symbol is rooted at the International Peace Garden, nearly 1,000 hectares of stunning landscape at the border just south of Boissevain that attracts 100,000 tourists, music students, nature lovers and conference attendees every year. The fault line between Canada and the U.S. crosses through the garden, but visitors move back and forth across it without an inspection by a customs agent. On Saturday, U.S. and Canadian residents are invited to the garden to shake hands across the shared border in what the garden's CEO Tim Chapman describes as a show of dedication to peace and co-operation between Canada and the U.S, despite the recent friction. 'It's something we want to do every year,' Chapman told the North Dakota Monitor. He said he hopes that as many as 1,000 Americans and 1,000 Canadians will participate in the handshake, scheduled for 11 a.m., in a ceremony that includes singing both national anthems. It's probably not coincidental that the garden's origins dovetail with the countries' strengthening security alliance. In 1938, on the brink of the Second World War, U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt announced that the U.S. would not stand idly by if the Canada were attacked by a foreign power. Prime Minister Mackenzie King meanwhile pledged that Canada would do everything it could to ensure its soil could never be used to stage an attack on the U.S. The agreement had a resounding effect on U.S.-Canadian defensive co-operation and is considered a foundation for the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The binational partnership — the Canadian command is headquartered in Winnipeg — has continued to monitor and defend North American airspace since early in the Cold War. FRED MCGUINNESS COLLECTION/SJ MCKEE ARCHIVES/BRANDON UNIVERSITY The grand opening of the International Peace Garden in 1932. FRED MCGUINNESS COLLECTION/SJ MCKEE ARCHIVES/BRANDON UNIVERSITY The grand opening of the International Peace Garden in 1932. The International Peace Garden, like NORAD, is also descended from an interwar agreement. Only it was gardeners, not statesmen, who led the charge. 'A few of them were just fascinated by the world's longest unfortified border,' Chapman tells the Free Press. 'And (it's) like… 'What do we have in common? Oh, we're one of few countries in the world with a massive border, and we're not constantly attacking one another.'' Spearheaded by horticulturist Henry R. Moore, the idea attracted the support of powerful philanthropic families on both sides of the border and the Manitoba and North Dakota governments. An estimated 50,000 people travelled to the site to witness the groundbreaking and dedication ceremony on July 14, 1932. CONRAD SWEATMAN / FREE PRESS The Hands of Peace at the International Peace Garden. CONRAD SWEATMAN / FREE PRESS The Hands of Peace at the International Peace Garden. Today, the non-profit's garden is a site of international conferences, music and cultural camps and meetings between American and Canadian officials amid calming flora and monuments with cosy names such as the Peace Chapel, the Friendship Rock and the Hands of Peace. 'If people can solve differences in more natural settings than your typical G8 setting… your thought process is better. You're less likely to jump down someone's throat,' says Chapman. Those who work at the International Peace Garden — some 120 yearly volunteers and 50 staff members during the summer season — describe a uniquely binational culture there. Many of them are gardeners, helping to cultivate the 100,000 or so flowers planted each year, often in striking patterns. They work on the GPS-run floral clock with its estimated 3,000 blooms, the Don Vitko Conservatory — home to thousands of rare and beautiful cacti and succulents — and other areas. Some fly in just for the spring or summer, others live in the neighbouring towns of Boissevain and Dunseith, N.D.; places with similar, and generally conservative, cultures. TIM SMITH / THE BRANDON SUN FILES The International Peace Garden attracts 100,000 tourists, music students, nature lovers and conference attendees every year. TIM SMITH / THE BRANDON SUN FILES The International Peace Garden attracts 100,000 tourists, music students, nature lovers and conference attendees every year. Volunteers and visitors from either side of the border can access the garden without passing through Customs, though they do so on their way back. Some, like Chapman (who's American), even send their kids to school across the border. At the southernmost corner is its music camp. At least a dozen flags fly in its centre, representing the nationalities of the students, staff and faculty assembled and the camp's cosmopolitan spirit. 'It's the life of the camp,' says Randy Hall, the camp's director of student activities. 'This was my 49th year dealing with the music camp and it couldn't be a more fitting place (for his daughter's wedding),' he says, as volunteers finish setting up for the ceremony. 'She's been here at camp every summer since she's been born.' The strain of cross-border unease is nevertheless beginning to show a little for those who tend the garden and its programs. Chapman recalls Canadians calling the office in the spring to say they wouldn't be visiting the garden in protest against Trump's trade policies and rhetoric. 'Not that I needed to be right, (but) all I was saying is, 'The garden will still be here. It's going to exist and have the same mission,'' he says. 'But also, think about the local economics of it.' He's referring to the benefits that tourism brings to nearby towns. The site recently offered Canadians 20 per cent off at its gift shop due to the weaker loonie. Some Americans objected to the gesture and defiantly swiped their cards in the Canadian terminal. Debra McCollum, IPG's education volunteer coordinator. Debra McCollum, IPG's education volunteer coordinator. Debra McCollum, IPG's education volunteer co-ordinator, who lives in southern Manitoba, finds these subtle ripples on everyday relationships troubling. 'It's my 33rd summer here and it's a part of who I am. The peace it represents, the peace (it) symbolizes between Canada and the United States — that's a part of me as a Canadian,' she says. For a stereotypically polite people, Canadians' 'elbows up' rhetoric seems excessive to her. 'I mean, it's strong. It's almost bordering on physical aggression…. That's just not something that we would even think about here,' she says. 'We're in this beautiful nature setting, and we love people coming to see us, and people love coming for a lot of the same reasons — so you're not in that frame of mind.' A complex web of cross-border institutions bridge the United States and Canada, covering not just trade, border security and continental defence but seemingly everything in between. Civil servants and representatives have often worked closely with their counterparts across the 49th parallel. Despite their cordiality and their constituents' history of close trade, Premier Wab Kinew and North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong also remain, inevitably, at cross-purposes. Liberal economists may insist that steep tariffs violate modern Economics 101, spreading inefficiencies and dragging countries into cycles of self-defeating brinkmanship. Yet, rational or not, here we are in a 'trade war,' with Armstrong strongly endorsing Trump and his tariff policies. CONRAD SWEATMAN / FREE PRESS Tim Chapman, CEO of the International Peace Garden CONRAD SWEATMAN / FREE PRESS Tim Chapman, CEO of the International Peace Garden Regarding the garden's future — funded equally by the North Dakota and Manitoba governments and depending heavily on their co-operation, Chapman is confident the centre will hold. 'That's one thing that's always really impressed me here. Even if North Dakota's government tends to lean right, Manitoba left… it seems like going back decades, the province and the state have really set an awesome example of cherishing the fact that it is a shared space,' he says. The IPG may seem like a comparatively low-stakes collaboration. But Chapman says its relaxed quality also makes it an ideal setting for many deliberations and negotiations. 'There are good studies out of Japan… about the intersection of peace and nature,' he says. 'You get people outside or in more natural settings, in general, human thought process improves.' Premiers and governors have met on the garden's grounds, and Chapman says that the International Joint Commission, a bilateral governmental organization addressing the extensive waters and waterways along and across the border, often meets there. He adds that representatives from North Dakota's trade office have reached out to the IPG about using it for future meetings with their counterparts in Manitoba. Though both offices have their hands tied by Ottawa and Washington when it comes to tariffs, he hopes reason — friendship even — will steer co-operation within those tricky limits. 'I think regardless of politics, people who really are involved in cross-border business and understand trade prefer that rhetoric not be where it is right now,' Chapman says. 'Especially if you live in a border town or a border state or province, you know the impact. 'We do really depend on each other.' Conrad SweatmanReporter Conrad Sweatman is an arts reporter and feature writer. Before joining the Free Press full-time in 2024, he worked in the U.K. and Canadian cultural sectors, freelanced for outlets including The Walrus, VICE and Prairie Fire. Read more about Conrad. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Toronto Sun
3 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
‘IRRELEVANT LOSERS': Donald Trump rips Rosie O'Donnell over ‘View' comments
Rosie O'Donnell and Joy Behar attend the "All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise" premiere after party dinner at the HBO Theater, March 28, 2006 in New York City. Photo by Evan Agostini / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Donald Trump is firing back at Rosie O'Donnell following comments the comedian made about her former talk show, The View . This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account O'Donnell warned that daytime series would be cancelled over political pressure in a TikTok post where she mentioned Joy Behar, but the White House shrugged off her speculation — but came up with a new nickname for the 82-year-old redhead. 'Rosie O'Donnell and 'Joyless' Behar are irrelevant losers with too much time on their hands, whining about a failing talk show while everyday Americans are working hard,' White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly . Rogers then referenced O'Donnell's recent move to Ireland to flee a Trump second term. 'Our country is better off with Rosie living abroad — and we can all hope 'Joyless' Behar will join her next!' The statement also noted to EW that 'mainstream media' is 'finally admitting that writing off 80 million Americans is not a winning business model.' The White House's remarks come after O'Donnell detailed her thoughts on the possibility of The View being cancelled amid unconfirmed reports that its network ABC could end the long-running show's run over 'liberal bias.' 'The show with five women speaking their own opinions,' O'Donnell began. 'That's the threat now.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She continued: 'Because it's not enough to run the country into the ground. You have to control what people SEE, what they HEAR, what they think.' O'Donnell said of The View : 'Well, that's a little much woman, a little too much truth, a little too much Joy Behar saying, 'I don't think the insurrection was a tourist visit, Karen.' Apparently, the truth is dangerous now.' She went on to reference how she used to think the First Amendment meant something. RECOMMENDED VIDEO 'I used to think you couldn't just erase a voice because it made you comfortable. But that's where we are,' noting the Trump administration doesn't 'want balance… they want obedience. And they will shut down anything that reminds people of what freedom sounds like.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. O'Donnell added: 'What they're really trying to do is shut us up. All of us.' She finished, writing, 'So no — we do not get quieter. We do not make ourselves smaller, so they can feel more comfortable. We speak louder. We take up space. We stand together and say what is true, even when it shakes the walls. Because the most dangerous sound in the world is a woman who knows what she's talking about — and refuses to stop.' Read More The View has previously drawn criticism from the White House after Behar suggested that Trump was jealous of former president Barack Obama's looks and marriage to Michelle Obama. That was the first time Rogers suggested that The View could be 'pulled off the air,' and first called Behar an 'irrelevant loser' for her comments. The View is currently on its summer hiatus. It returns next month for its 29th season. Toronto Blue Jays Tennis Editorials Ontario MLB
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
We'd all breathe easier if U.S. lawmakers quit blowing smoke, helped clear the air
Opinion It's become something of an annual ritual now. As wildfire smoke drifts south across the Canada-U.S. border, turning skies orange and triggering air-quality alerts in major American cities, Republican lawmakers south of the line scramble for someone to blame. Lately, they've settled on Canada. The same tired talking points roll out like a script: that Canada isn't doing enough to manage its forests, that our fires are choking American lungs and that the federal and provincial governments here are somehow asleep at the wheel. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Smoke obscures Winnipeg's skyline on Aug. 1. It's a convenient narrative — and a complete dodge of responsibility. Wisconsin state Rep. Calvin Callahan joined forces with Republican state lawmakers from Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota this week by filing a formal complaint against Canada to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Joint Commission. The Republican lawmakers are demanding an investigation into Canada's wildfire management practices. 'If Canada can't get these wildfires under control, they need to face real consequences,' Callahan said in a news release. 'We won't sit back while our air becomes a health hazard.' Premier Wab Kinew this week accused the group of pitching a 'timber tantrum.' Before U.S. politicians start wagging fingers north, though, they should take a long, hard look in the mirror. Because the wildfire smoke Americans are breathing isn't just a Canadian export. It's a symptom of a much larger problem — one that the United States, particularly under Republican leadership, has done far too little to address: human-caused climate change. Yes, Canada is experiencing another brutal wildfire season. Tens of thousands of square kilometres of forest have already burned this year. Towns have been evacuated, homes destroyed and firefighters pushed to the brink. And yes, that smoke doesn't stop at the border. But neither does the blame. The western and southern United States — including Republican-run states such as Texas and Idaho — have also been scorched by massive wildfires in recent years. California, in particular, has seen some of the most destructive and deadly fire seasons in its history. According to data from the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center, the number of acres burned annually in the U.S. has more than doubled since the 1990s. And like in Canada, the fires are getting hotter, they move faster and they're harder to control. The reason? Climate change. This isn't radical environmental rhetoric — it's scientific consensus. Hotter, drier conditions caused by a warming climate are fuelling more frequent and intense wildfires across North America, regardless of how the fires were ignited (most are started by humans, accidentally or deliberately). And here's where the U.S. — particularly under Republican leadership — has some serious soul-searching to do. President Donald Trump has cancelled plans to expand wind and solar power and doubled down on oil, gas and coal, falsely claiming renewable energy would 'wreck the economy.' Trump repeatedly calls climate change a 'hoax' and mocks the scientific reality even as wildfires devour entire U.S. towns and hurricanes batter coastal cities. The idea that Canada is single-handedly responsible for the smoke floating into Chicago or New York is not just dishonest — it's absurd. Both countries are burning. Both countries have forest management issues. Both countries need to adapt. Meanwhile, the U.S. is the second-largest carbon emitter in the world after China and has some of the highest per-person emissions globally. Canada has made some attempts to reduce carbon emissions, through carbon pricing, regulations and investments in clean energy. But it's not nearly enough. The Republican party, on the other hand, remains mired in climate denialism. Many of its most prominent figures reject basic climate science. They frame environmental regulations as government overreach and vilify green energy as part of a leftist plot to destroy American jobs. The irony is that American citizens — including many who vote Republican — are suffering the consequences. Wildfire smoke doesn't care about political affiliation. It's sending kids to emergency rooms, forcing schools to cancel recess and making life miserable for people with asthma and other respiratory issues. Instead of blaming Canada, maybe Republican lawmakers should ask why their own country continues to pump more carbon into the atmosphere year after year. Maybe they should ask why they're still subsidizing the fossil fuel industry to the tune of billions of dollars while attacking tax credits for solar panels and electric vehicles. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. Maybe they should stop calling climate change a hoax and start listening to the thousands of scientists — including those in their own country — who have been warning about this for decades. Climate change is a global issue. No single country can fix it on its own. But leadership matters. And so does honesty. So the next time Republican politicians in Washington or Texas start pointing fingers at Canada over wildfire smoke, they should remember: the smoke may have crossed the border, but much of the fuel for the fire is being pumped, mined and burned in their own backyard — often with their full support. It's time they owned up to that. Because as long as they keep treating climate change like a political game, everyone — on both sides of the border — will keep paying the price. Tom BrodbeckColumnist Tom Brodbeck is a columnist with the Free Press and has over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom. Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press's editing team reviews Tom's columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
