Latest news with #Kennedy
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
‘Why isn't he paying?' Trump's golf visit to cost Scottish taxpayers
TURNBERRY, Scotland — It may not be typical golf attire, but one of the most ubiquitous outfits seen on U.S. President Donald Trump 's golf course Friday ahead of his visit was the reflective yellow vest worn by Scottish police. The standard issue garb that is far removed from the traditional Turnberry tartan was highly visible on the dunes, the beaches and the grass as thousands of officers secured the course in advance of protests planned during the president's visit to two of his Scottish golf resorts. Trump was expected to arrive Friday evening to a mix of respect and ridicule. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties and some residents are not happy about the cost. 'Why isn't he paying for it himself? He's coming for golf, isn't he?' said Merle Fertuson, a solo protester in Edinburgh holding a hand-drawn cardboard sign that featured a foolishly grinning Trump likeness in a tuxedo. 'It's got nothing whatsoever to do with public money, either U.S. or U.K.' Policing for Trump's four-day visit to the U.K. in 2018 cost more than $19 million, according to Freedom of Information figures. That included more than $4 million spent for his two-day golf trip to Turnberry, the historic course and hotel in southwest Scotland that he bought in 2014. Police Scotland would not discuss how many officers were being deployed for operational reasons and only said the costs would be 'considerable.' 'The visit will require a significant police operation using local, national and specialist resources from across Police Scotland, supported by colleagues from other U.K. police forces as part of mutual aid arrangements,' Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said. Scottish First Minister John Swinney said the visit would not be detrimental to policing. 'It's nonsensical to say it won't impact it,' said David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, the officers' union. Kennedy said he expects about 5,000 officers to take part in the operation. He said a force reduction in recent years has police working 12-hour shifts. Communities that are understaffed will be left behind with even fewer officers during Trump's visit. 'We want the president of the United States to be able to come to Scotland. That's not what this is about,' Kennedy said. 'It's the current state of the police service and the numbers we have causes great difficulty.' The Stop Trump Scotland group has planned demonstrations Saturday in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dumfries. The group encouraged people to 'show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.' Trump should receive a much warmer welcome from U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is expected to meet with him during the visit. Swinney, the left-leaning head of Scottish government and former Trump critic, also plans to meet with the president. Ha and Melley write for the Associated Press. Melley reported from London. Will Weissert contributed to this report from Edinburgh.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Driver for human trafficking gang linked to Essex lorry deaths released from prison
A LORRY driver for a people smuggling gang linked to the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people who were found dead in a trailer in south Essex has been released from prison. Christopher Kennedy, 29, was at the heart of a human trafficking operation which for years illegally brought Vietnamese people into the UK. He was jailed at the Old Bailey for seven years in 2021 for being part of the wider people smuggling operation. Then 24, from County Armagh in Northern Ireland, was sentenced for conspiracy to facilitate unlawful immigration and a confiscation hearing later heard he had benefited from his crime to the value of £67,050.65p. Mugshot - Christopher Kennedy (Image: Essex Police) Kennedy was a key member and had picked up containers with people inside in Essex, delivering them to a remote location in Orsett, but not the ones which tragically held the 39 victims, aged between 15 and 44, who suffocated in Purfleet in October 2019. His trial was told he was "in the loop" after the tragedy unfolded and received several phone calls from haulier boss Ronan Hughes, the ringleader of the people-smuggling gang, soon after the bodies were discovered in one of Hughes' trailers by driver Maurice Robinson, then aged 26. The jury heard within 46 seconds of Hughes' phone call with Robinson ending, during which he was informed of the discovery, Hughes rang Kennedy, who was transporting a load of wine to the UK. Caught - Kennedy on CCTV during one of the trips (Image: Essex Police) Twice Kennedy had picked up containers of Vietnamese national in the two weeks before the tragedy on October 23, 2019, which is why he was tried with the other drivers involved but not charged with manslaughter. He had denied his charge of conspiracy to assist in unlawful immigration but was found guilty following the Old Bailey trial in 2021. Now, the Prison Service has confirmed Kennedy was released at the start of this year after serving half his sentence, in line with sentencing guidelines. A spokesman told MailOnline: "Offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions and we do not hesitate to send them back to prison if they break the rules." Robinson was sentenced to 13 years in prison after admitting manslaughter and being part of a lucrative, people-smuggling operation while Hughes is serving a 20-year sentence for manslaughter.
Politico
3 hours ago
- Business
- Politico
Senators eye passage of three-bill bundle for ‘minibus' funding package
Senate leaders are considering tying together three funding bills into the 'minibus' package they are working to pass before gaveling out for August recess, leaving out funding for congressional operations. Senators are currently running traps on the latest iteration of the legislative package as they look for another potential path to passing at least some funding bills before leaving town until September. On Thursday, Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) filed the latest version of the bill, which would jettison funding for the legislative branch until a later date. The chamber's leaders will need agreement from all 100 senators in order to quickly vote on the package next week, and it's possible they will have to go back to the drawing board again if they run into objections. The measures in the mix would fund the departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Commerce and Justice, along with federal science programs, the FDA and military construction projects. Several independent agencies that handle economic and trade policy are also funded in those bills, along with NASA and the FBI. With less than 10 weeks until the Sept. 30 government shutdown cliff, Senate leaders from both parties are embracing bipartisan negotiations on the dozen funding measures that keep federal cash flowing each year. But Democrats warn that House Republicans' moves to pass funding bills with partisan policies and deep budget cuts raise the risk of a funding lapse come Oct. 1. For the funding package Senate leaders are working to advance, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) is the lawmaker objecting to including cash for congressional operations. While Senate appropriators voted 26-1 to send the measure to the floor this month, Kennedy was the panel's lone 'no' vote and argues that senators are trying to spend too much money in the $7.1 billion measure to fund the functions of Congress and its support agencies. Kennedy said in an interview Thursday that Senate leaders had talked to him a 'little bit' about his concerns but hadn't yet found a way to resolve it. POLITICO first reported earlier this week that the Louisiana Republican was objecting to the bill's inclusion in the larger package. 'I want to vote against it for reasons I've articulated,' Kennedy said. 'And if they can figure out a way to do that, I'll release my hold. But so far they haven't.' Kennedy said he wouldn't settle for holding a separate vote on adding the legislative branch bill to the minibus, which would let him vote in opposition to the standalone measure but still allow the measure to be folded into the larger vehicle. That approach would be 'flim-flam' and a 'rinkydoo,' he said. The possibility that Senate leaders would have to drop the legislative branch bill is a U–turn from what was expected to be their biggest headache: the bill to fund the Justice Department and FBI. But Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said in a brief interview Thursday that he was 'hopeful' this measure would be included. Meanwhile, underscoring how in flux the Senate's negotiations have been, Collins' amendment on Thursday was the third she has filed to tee up consideration of appropriations bills next week. Collins has already offered one amendment that would not include the Justice Department funding bill in the spending package, and another that would include all four bills.
4 hours ago
- Politics
Seeing yellow: Massive police presence highly visible ahead of Trump's visit to Scotland
TURNBERRY, Scotland -- It may not be typical golf attire, but one of the most ubiquitous outfits seen on President Donald Trump 's golf course Friday ahead of his visit was the reflective yellow vest worn by Scottish police. The standard issue garb that is far removed from the traditional Turnberry tartan was highly visible on the dunes, the beaches and the grass as thousands of officers secured the course in advance of protests planned during the president's visit to two of his Scottish golf resorts. Trump was expected to arrive Friday evening to a mix of respect and ridicule. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. Policing for Trump's four-day visit to the U.K. in 2018 cost more than 14 million pounds ($19 million), according to Freedom of Information figures. That included more than 3 million pounds ($4 million) spent for his two-day golf trip to Turnberry, the historic course and hotel in southwest Scotland that he bought in 2014. Police Scotland would not discuss how many officers were being deployed for operational reasons and only said the costs would be 'considerable.' 'The visit will require a significant police operation using local, national and specialist resources from across Police Scotland, supported by colleagues from other U.K. police forces as part of mutual aid arrangements," Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said. Scottish First Minister John Swinney said the visit would not be detrimental to policing. 'It's nonsensical to say it won't impact it,' said David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, the officers' union. Kennedy said he expects about 5,000 officers to take part in the operation. He said a force reduction in recent years has police working 12-hour shifts. Communities that are understaffed will be left behind with even fewer officers during Trump's visit. 'We want the president of the United States to be able to come to Scotland. That's not what this is about,' Kennedy said. "It's the current state of the police service and the numbers we have causes great difficulty. The Stop Trump Scotland group has planned demonstrations Saturday in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dumfries. The group encouraged people to 'show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.' Trump should receive a much warmer welcome from U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is expected to meet with him during the visit. Swinney, the left-leaning head of Scottish government and former Trump critic, also plans to meet with the president.
Hamilton Spectator
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Seeing yellow: Massive police presence highly visible ahead of Trump's visit to Scotland
TURNBERRY, Scotland (AP) — It may not be typical golf attire, but one of the most ubiquitous outfits seen on President Donald Trump 's golf course Friday ahead of his visit was the reflective yellow vest worn by Scottish police. The standard issue garb that is far removed from the traditional Turnberry tartan was highly visible on the dunes, the beaches and the grass as thousands of officers secured the course in advance of protests planned during the president's visit to two of his Scottish golf resorts . Trump was expected to arrive Friday evening to a mix of respect and ridicule. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. Policing for Trump's four-day visit to the U.K. in 2018 cost more than 14 million pounds ($19 million), according to Freedom of Information figures. That included more than 3 million pounds ($4 million) spent for his two-day golf trip to Turnberry, the historic course and hotel in southwest Scotland that he bought in 2014. Police Scotland would not discuss how many officers were being deployed for operational reasons and only said the costs would be 'considerable.' 'The visit will require a significant police operation using local, national and specialist resources from across Police Scotland, supported by colleagues from other U.K. police forces as part of mutual aid arrangements,' Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said. Scottish First Minister John Swinney said the visit would not be detrimental to policing. 'It's nonsensical to say it won't impact it,' said David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, the officers' union. Kennedy said he expects about 5,000 officers to take part in the operation. He said a force reduction in recent years has police working 12-hour shifts. Communities that are understaffed will be left behind with even fewer officers during Trump's visit. 'We want the president of the United States to be able to come to Scotland. That's not what this is about,' Kennedy said. 'It's the current state of the police service and the numbers we have causes great difficulty. The Stop Trump Scotland group has planned demonstrations Saturday in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dumfries. The group encouraged people to 'show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.' Trump should receive a much warmer welcome from U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer , who is expected to meet with him during the visit. Swinney, the left-leaning head of Scottish government and former Trump critic, also plans to meet with the president. ___ Melley reported from London. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
