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Daily Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Trump Reinstates Travel Ban on Nationals from 12 Countries
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order banning travel to the United States from nationals of 12 countries, citing national security risks. The measure, announced by the White House, marks the second time Trump has enacted such restrictions during his presidency. According to the proclamation, an additional seven countries will be subject to partial travel restrictions. The new order is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday and will be reviewed periodically. No specific end date has been given. Countries Affected by the Ban The 12 countries facing full travel bans include: Seven other countries will face partial restrictions: Burundi Cuba Laos Sierra Leone Togo Turkmenistan Venezuela Security Justifications and Context The White House stated the bans are 'common-sense restrictions' intended to protect Americans from 'dangerous foreign actors.' The move comes just days after an alleged terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, where an Egyptian national injured 12 people during a rally in support of Israeli hostages. In a video posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump said the attack underscored the threat posed by individuals who had not been 'properly vetted.' Notably, Egypt is not among the countries listed in the new order. Trump has previously described Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as his 'favourite dictator.' Exemptions The order includes specific exemptions for certain individuals, including: In addition, the Secretary of State may approve individual exemptions on a case-by-case basis if deemed in the national interest. Reactions and Legal Outlook The order has sparked swift criticism both domestically and internationally. Somalia's ambassador to the U.S., Dahir Hassan Abdi, reaffirmed his country's commitment to collaborating with the U.S. on security matters. Meanwhile, Venezuela's Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, warned that 'being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans.' U.S. Democrats also strongly condemned the decision. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) called it 'an expansion of Trump's Muslim ban' that further isolates the U.S. on the global stage. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) accused Trump of betraying the ideals of America's founders. Human rights organizations echoed these concerns. Amnesty International USA labeled the move 'discriminatory, racist, and downright cruel,' while Human Rights First called it 'another anti-immigrant and punitive action.' A Familiar Policy Revived Trump's original travel ban, issued in 2017, targeted several Muslim-majority countries and faced immediate legal challenges. After a series of revisions—including the addition of non-Muslim-majority nations such as North Korea and Venezuela—the ban was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. Former President Joe Biden rescinded the ban in 2021, referring to it as 'a stain on our national conscience.' Trump's new order, while likely to face legal scrutiny, signals a return to one of the most controversial policies of his first term as he seeks re-election.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington lawmakers urge Trump to reconsider disaster funds after bomb cyclone
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A bipartisan group of Washington state lawmakers is urging President Trump to reconsider the state's major disaster declaration request after a deadly bomb cyclone in November. On May 21, Washington's congressional delegation sent a letter to the president, emphasizing the need for federal assistance to address the $34 million in damage from devastating windstorms, heavy rain, flooding and mudslides from Nov. 17-25, 2024. The damage spanned six counties, including Pacific, Wahkiakum, East King, Grays Harbor, Snohomish, and Walla Walla counties, lawmakers said, noting Pacific and Wahkiakum saw sinkholes, damaged utility infrastructure and structures. Portland infrastructure at risk due to gradual sinking, study says 'One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state's request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties – costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone,' the lawmakers wrote Trump. 'Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state's first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program,' the letter continued. Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) signed the letter along with Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-01), Rick Larsen (D-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-03), Dan Newhouse (R-04), Michael Baumgartner (R-05), Emily Randall (D-06), Pramila Jayapal (D-07), Kim Schrier (D-08), Adam Smith (D-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D-10). Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The lawmakers previously urged then-President Biden to grant the declaration in January. The letter comes after the denied FEMA relief in April. 'There are very clear criteria to qualify for these emergency relief funds. Washington's application met all of them,' Gov. Ferguson said in April. 'This is another troubling example of the federal government withholding funding. Washington communities have been waiting for months for the resources they need to fully recover from last winter's devastating storms, and this decision will cause further delay. We will appeal.' A bloody poster of The Cure and 'a lot of weed': Logic transforms St. Helens record shop for debut film According to Gov. Ferguson's office, Washington applied for FEMA disaster relief funds in January to repair public highways, utilities and electrical power systems. However, , stating the federal funds were not 'warranted.' In a statement to KOIN 6 News on April 17, a FEMA spokesperson said, 'FEMA denied Washington's declaration after a thorough assessment showed the event's damage does not exceed the state, local governments, and voluntary organizations' capacity to respond—thus, supplemental federal aid is not justified. This decision is based on policy, not politics; Tennessee and Arkansas were also denied the same day. The only one politicizing this is Washington's governor, who'd rather play partisan games than lead his state's recovery efforts—unlike the last administration, DHS and FEMA remain focused on equitable, non-political disaster response.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GOP Senator Forced to Step in After RFK Jr. Loses His Cool in Hearing
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. exploded during a hearing Tuesday, prompting a Republican senator to urge him to 'hold back.' Kennedy's outburst came after Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) slammed drastic staffing and funding cuts at his department, and asked whose decision it was to withhold certain childcare and development funds. Kennedy began by criticizing former President Joe Biden's administration, and when Murray tried to get him back on track, he snapped back: 'You know what, you've made an accusation and I'm going to answer it.' Kennedy then launched into into a heated personal tirade against Murray, who tried to rein him in to no avail. 'I want to point out something Senator, you've presided here, I think, for 32 years. You've presided over the destruction of the health of the American people,' he said as he raised his voice. 'Seriously?' Murray interjected repeatedly as Kennedy barged on. 'Our people are now the sickest people in the world because you have not done your job!' he exclaimed. 'Mr. Secretary, seriously,' Murray said. But Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist and frequent peddler of conspiracy theories, wasn't done. 'What have you done about it? What have you done about the epidemic of chronic disease?' he shouted, repeating, 'What have you done about the epidemic of chronic disease?' That's when Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), the chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that Kennedy was testifying before, decided to step in. 'Mr. Secretary I would ask you to hold back and let the senator ask the questions,' Capito told Kennedy. The answer to Murray's initial question about who had ordered the funding cuts turned out to be simple. 'That was made by my department,' Kennedy conceded. It wasn't just Democratic Senators who voiced concern about rollbacks that the HHS has made as part of President Donald Trump's crusade to slash the size of the federal government. Capito herself addressed recent cuts at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOH), which oversees workplace safety, saying: 'I support the President's vision to right-size our government, but as you and I have discussed, I don't think eliminating NIOSH programs will accomplish that goal.' Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) said cuts to mining research programs hosted by NIOH, 'undermines our ability to meet national security goals tied to mineral independence and supply chain resilience.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WA's congressional lawmakers press for reversal of millions in canceled DOJ grants
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) delivers remarks during a committee hearing at the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Feb. 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. She's among the lawmakers pushing back against the Trump administration's cuts to Department of Justice grants to states. (Photo by) Washington's U.S. senators are demanding the Trump administration reverse the cancellation of more than $50 million in grants for local public safety efforts. Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice clawed back hundreds of federal grants reportedly totaling over $810 million nationwide. Washington was getting six of those grants, worth $55 million in total, according to Sen. Maria Cantwell's office. The money was for work focused on helping abused and neglected children, reducing sexual assault in prisons and preventing gun violence. Elsewhere, affected programs focused on bullying prevention, combating substance abuse and supporting people exiting incarceration. It's unclear how much of the money was still left to be spent at the time of the cuts. A handful of grants related to victim services have since been restored, according to Reuters. More than two dozen Democratic senators penned a letter last week calling on the Trump administration to reinstate the congressionally authorized funding. Both of Washington's senators, Cantwell and Sen. Patty Murray, signed onto the letter. 'These programs deliver critical resources to state, local, and community advocates who help people with addiction and protect kids, veterans, and victims of crime across the country,' the senators wrote. On Monday, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, including Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, similarly pleaded with Attorney General Pam Bondi to reinstate the federal grants. The biggest chunk of rescinded local funding from the Office of Justice Programs was three grants totaling $48 million for the Seattle-based National CASA/GAL Association for work training court-appointed special advocates to represent children in legal proceedings. The association said it received notice that the DOJ was immediately revoking its grants because they 'no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities.' It called on allies to write to their congressional representatives that the advocacy of court-appointed special advocates 'makes a life-changing difference for children who have experienced abuse or neglect, many of whom are in foster care.' The association says it works with tens of thousands of volunteers and hundreds of affiliates in 49 states to serve over 200,000 children per year. The Center for Children & Youth Justice lost $6 million from two grants to fund its violence prevention efforts focused on King County youth. 'The loss of this funding means that CCYJ's gun violence prevention work will be halted immediately, and they will no longer be able to provide protections for high-risk youth across King County,' Jayapal wrote on the social media platform X. Another canceled $250,000 grant to the Washington state Department of Corrections went toward reducing sexual abuse in prison. The agency had already spent $234,000 of that money, so the impact of the rescission will be 'minimal,' a spokesperson said. The Department of Justice didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The rescinded grants are a familiar story in the early months of the second Trump administration and amid cutting efforts by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has already taken President Donald Trump's administration to court over canceled grants for public health and medical research, as well as a broad federal funding freeze in January.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
People Are Horrified At This Exchange Between A Democrat And Republicans About Kids With Cancer
The Trump administration — and by extension, congressional Republicans — have made it very clear that they're fine with deporting US citizens. Twitter: @atrupar Knowing that, you would think that nothing Republicans could say would surprise me anymore. And yet, this week, I saw this video of two Democrats asking their Republican colleagues in Congress a question that should be simple to answer. Twitter: @Acyn The exchange took place during a debate in the House Judiciary Committee, after Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) introduced an amendment to prevent US citizens from being deported. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) asked the Republicans in the committee if their bill would cause American citizens, even if they were kids with cancer, to be deported. That question was met with a full 15 seconds of silence, as all of the Republicans on the committee refused to answer. Related: People Are Obsessed With Pope Francis's Final, Resounding Message To JD Vance After His Visit To The Vatican At that point, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) asked the question another way: He asked for anyone in the room who thought that American citizen kids with cancer should NOT be deported to raise their hand. "All of the Democrats and none of the Republicans," Goldman said, seeing that not a single Republican on the committee raised their hand. Related: Donald Trump Supporters Are Waking Up To The Reality Of Their Ballot Choices, And The Stories Are A Loooooot Comments on the video agree that this should have been an easy answer: Others acknowledge the "spectacle" of the question, but appreciate it anyway. Some point out the hypocrisy of a party that heavily touts Christian morals... ...And a pro-life stance. Generally, there seems to be a lot of agreement that even if this isn't particularly surprising, it's still awful. In case you'd like to make some calls or send some emails, here's the list of members of the House Judiciary Committee. The Republicans are listed on the left side of the page. Also in In the News: "Honestly Speechless At How Evil This Is": 26 Brutal, Brutal, Brutal Political Tweets Of The Week Also in In the News: Everyone Is Absolutely Losing It Over This Canadian Newspaper Mocking Donald Trump
