Latest news with #MetroPD
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Live updates: Washington, DC, Trump administration court hearing for police takeover lawsuit
Update: Date: 44 min ago Title: CNN legal analyst: Lawsuit is uphill climb for DC Content: 'This lawsuit looks like a serious uphill climb for the DC Attorney General,' says Elie Honig, a CNN senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, 'because the law – Section 740 – says the mayor shall provide such services of the Metro PD as the President may deem necessary and appropriate.' 'That is very broad language,' Honig said. 'And what DC is trying to argue is, well, 'provide such services' does not mean take over our personnel.'' But that argument, Honig noted, might not get very far in the long term given how it is up to the president to determine what actions are necessary. 'You're asking a judge to second guess the president's assessment of what's necessary and to micromanage the nuances of what the President can and cannot do on an operational level,' Honig said. Update: Date: 1 hr 10 min ago Title: DOJ filed complaint against Judge Ana Reyes in transgender case Content: Judge Ana Reyes is overseeing the hearing over Washington, DC's request for a temporary restraining order to stop Trump's takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and appointment of an emergency commissioner. Reyes was appointed to the DC District Court by former President Joe Biden in February 2023. Before being appointed to the court, Reyes spent much of her career as a litigation attorney for Williams and Connolly, LLP. She handled a variety of cases, including international litigation and representing foreign government officials. Reyes has dealt with a handful of high-profile cases since joining the court. In February, the Justice Department filed a complaint against Reyes and accused her of misconduct while she was overseeing hearings regarding Trump's executive order that called for banning transgender service members from the US military. Reyes is often seen around the DC District courthouse with her golden retriever, Scout. Update: Date: 1 hr 12 min ago Title: Judge tries to get parties to work out a deal Content: Judge Ana Reyes took a break during Friday's hearing before telling both parties to try and come to an agreement over the order from Attorney General Pam Bondi at issue. 'I want to get to a practical solution because time is short and and there are people who need to know who they are taking direction from and what they are doing,' Reyes said. Bondi's order sought to have DEA Administrator Terrance Cole take over the DC police and void certain DC laws regarding immigration enforcement. Reyes noted, however, that the Home Rule Act, which Trump relied on to take over MPD, allows for making law enforcement requests of the mayor, but not have direct control over the police force. 'The answer necessarily isn't just to say this is wrong, start over,' Reyes said of Bondi's order. According to Reyes, the wording of the order, which instead of requesting services makes demands to override laws and impose an outside head of police, is the biggest issue. 'The problem is in the details,' Reyes said. Reyes also questioned attorneys for the DC's Attorney General over whether Trump's requests could supersede DC laws and if the mayor is required to follow the president's requests. 'There is no wiggle room in the statute,' Reyes said, 'It says 'the mayor shall.' Not the mayor should or the mayor can, or if the president asks nicely. 'The mayor shall.'' Update: Date: 1 hr 34 min ago Title: DOJ agrees police takeover will end if Congress doesn't extend DC emergency Content: The Trump administration agreed with the judge that President Donald Trump's control over the DC police will end after the 30-day period without approval from Congress. 'Does the federal government agree that if the, if the Congress does not act within 30 days to extend the period, then … basically we're done?' Judge Ana Reyes asked. 'Yes,' Roth responded. Under the DC Home Rule Act, a request from the president to control the DC police department for over 30 days must be passed into law by Congress. Trump has indicated he will ask Congress to extend the takeover. Update: Date: 1 hr 54 min ago Title: Focus is on difference between asking for services versus telling DC not to do something Content: Reyes has focused on the difference between the White House requesting services of the Metropolitan Police Department as opposed to telling the MPD what it cannot do regarding sanctuary city laws in the capital. Several parts of the Trump administration's takeover are at issue including whether the president can install an interim police commissioner to take control of the DC police or act more as a liaison between the president and the mayor's office. 'This is also not a semantic issue,' Reyes said. 'The president can't say, 'Mayor, I am asking you for the services of your entire police department. I need every single one of them to be at my beck and call, and I want them to listen to every federal agent out there.'' Reyes added: 'I still just do not understand on what basis the president through the Attorney General, through Mr. (Terrance) Cole, can say 'You, MPD, have to do whatever I say.'' Update: Date: 1 hr 23 min ago Title: Judge points out that DOJ misspelled the name of its emergency police commissioner Content: DEA Director Terrance Cole's name was misspelled in Attorney General Pam Bondi's order Thursday evening that solidified his position as 'emergency police commissioner,' Judge Ana Reyes pointed out at the hearing Friday. The order misspelled Cole's name as 'Terrence.' 'They misspelled his name on his badge' and on the order, Reyes said to DOJ attorney Jacob Roth. 'Doesn't give a lot of confidence if we can't get his name right.' Reyes also pushed Roth to recognize that, though Cole was tapped by Bondi to act temporarily as the commissioner, Pamela Smith is still in charge of the Metropolitan Police Department. 'He is not the chief of police,' Roth said. 'The chief of police is still the chief of police.' Update: Date: 2 hr 24 min ago Title: Judge won't rule on Trump's national emergency order Content: The judge overseeing the DC Attorney General's lawsuit against the Trump administration's takeover of MPD said she will not rule today on whether there is a national emergency in the district. 'I am not going to rule today based on whether or not there is a national emergency,' Judge Ana Reyes said. 'I am going to take the federal government position on that for today's purposes.' Reyes also said it was her understanding that prior to the attack of a former DOGE employee that set off Trump to begin the federal increase in agents on the ground and eventual takeover of the DC police, both Trump and AUSA Ed Martin claimed separately 'that the crime rate in the district has been down' despite the administration's current position. The hearing on other DC challenges is ongoing. Update: Date: 2 hr 32 min ago Title: Hearing has begun Content: The emergency hearing in Washington, DC's request for a temporary restraining order to pause the Trump administration's takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department has begun. Judge Ana Reyes is presiding. Update: Date: 1 hr 46 min ago Title: Protesters rally outside Washington, DC's Metropolitan Police Department Content: Demonstrators gathered outside Washington, DC's, police headquarters on Friday to protest President Donald Trump's federal takeover of the city's law enforcement. One of the protesters – 29-year-old Katie Garcia – has lived in Washington, DC, since last year, and says she now feels unsafe leaving her house. 'I'm in DC Ward 2, and I've lived here for about a year, and it's wild, because I came here for work, and I was really excited about the energy that this city brought. And I've always wanted to live here,' Garcia said. 'With Trump's takeover, I felt what's going on in DC is terrifying,' she added. Marta Ames, a 74-year-old DC resident who has been in the city since the 2000s, says she doesn't participate in protests, but felt compelled to come to the rally today. 'I've never seen anything like this. I was stunned. I mean, I'm someone who believes in my First Amendment right, and we know he does not believe people should protest against anything he does,' adding that she's 'scared to death.' 'I'm curious what the federal troops … what they think and feel, because this is a waste of their time.' CNN observed dozens of protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Police Department as part of the rally. Another protester, Michael Segal, 64, lives on Capitol Hill, and says he's seen people get stopped and asked for documentation to show they are US residents. 'The fact that I'm walking down the street, and I can get stopped for my papers at any time … it's just mind boggling to me.' Update: Date: 2 hr 58 min ago Title: DC says "hostile takeover" is an abuse of power Content: DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration over its moves to take over the city's police department and appoint an emergency commissioner, the latest sign of pushback from district officials against the federal takeover. 'By declaring a hostile takeover of (the Metropolitan Police Department), the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the District's right to self-governance and putting the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk,' Schwalb said in a statement. DC is also seeking a temporary restraining order. It comes after Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday ordered the city's mayor and police department to accept Terry Cole, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, as the district's 'emergency police commissioner' and give him full control of the department during the federal takeover. Update: Date: 2 hr 58 min ago Title: DC police chief says there is a "grave" risk for residents Content: Trump's takeover of the Washington, DC, police places officers and residents at 'grave risk,' the Metropolitan Police Department chief said Friday. 'In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive,' Chief Pamela Smith said in a filing in DC's lawsuit filed Friday to end the takeover. It is, Smith wrote, 'placing the lives of MPD officers and District residents at grave risk.' The order would also cause officers to not know how the command structure operates because they are still 'required under District law to respect and obey the Chief of Police as the head and chief of the police force.' Smith confirmed that she was 'unaware of President Trump's plans to assume control of the local police force until he announced it at a press conference' on Monday. Update: Date: 2 hr 58 min ago Title: 33 arrests made in DC last night, WH official says Content: Thirty-three people were arrested in Washington, DC, Thursday night, according to a White House official. The official highlighted that 15 were undocumented immigrants, though it was unclear if this was why they were arrested. Twenty multi-agency teams were deployed across the District 'to promote public safety and arrest violent offenders,' the official said, adding that over 1,750 participants were involved in last night's operations. On average in 2024, DC had about 55 adult arrests per day, according to data kept by the city's police department. The White House official noted that eight illegal firearms were seized, and other arrests included warrants for first-degree murder and first-degree rape, aggravated assault, a juvenile carrying a pistol without a license and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, including crack cocaine and driving under the influence. Additionally, three multi-agency teams were assigned to clear homeless encampments in Washington, DC, but the official would not confirm the locations.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Homan: We're not asking DC police to be immigration officers
President Trump's border czar Tom Homan said Friday that the administration is not asking D.C. police to directly enforce immigration laws, adding that they must cooperate with federal authorities. Homan's comments come after Attorney General Pam Bondi sought to roll back the district's sanctuary policies around undocumented migrants, including lifting the block on local police cooperating with immigration enforcement. 'Law enforcement needs to work with law enforcement,' Homan told NewsNation, The Hill's sister network. 'We're not asking Metro PD to be immigration officers, but when you're enforcing criminal law and when you find an illegal alien not only in violation of immigration law here illegally but involved with criminal activity, they absolutely should call us.' He added that he hopes the administration's crimefighting effort in the nation's capital could be an example for the rest of the country. FBI Director Kash Patel said Friday that authorities have made more than 120 arrests since Trump announced the federal takeover, writing on social platform X, 'the good cops are getting the job done.' Democrats have warned that Trump's move to take over the district's police department and deploy hundreds of federal police and National Guard troops to the streets could be a test case for crackdowns on blue cities in the future — especially given the president's insistence that the level of crime in D.C. is far higher than recorded statistics. Homan told NewsNation he believed the increased police and military presence in the nation's capital has deterred crime in the city. 'It's not just the people that are arresting that are making D.C. safer, it's the message we're sending that we're out here in force,' he said. 'I think there are a lot of criminals staying off the street because they know the city is overwhelmed with law enforcement.' The Trump administration's federalization of the city's law enforcement has already triggered at least one legal battle and many protests. D.C.'s attorney general sued the federal government Friday morning over its move to install Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Administrator Terry Cole as the city's 'emergency police commissioner.' Local officials have also said that it's not clear that Bondi has the authority to revoke the district's sanctuary city policies. The president has also signaled plans to work with Republicans in Congress to extend the federal takeover past the 30-days allowed under the city's Home Rule Act.
The Review Geek
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Smoke – Season 1 Episode 1 Recap & Review
Pilot Episode 1 of Smoke starts with a man named Dave Gudsen narrating about the indiscriminate way fire will target everybody and rip everything to shreds. Gudsen is a former firefighter, a man haunted by the ghosts of his past stemming from a housefire rescue gone horribly wrong. He's suffering from nightmares about the incident, which as we later find out, involves Gudsen staring into the abyss and only managing to escape from the building thanks to running to a mirror. Gudsen lives with his girlfriend, Ashley, and things are a little tentative between them. They walk on eggshells with each other, as they're living with teenager Emmett. Gudsen is Emmett's step-father and they don't have the best relationship with each other. Gudsen works in Arson Investigations, and when he shows up at his office, he finds Detective Michelle Calderone waiting for him. She's been sent by Metro PD to assist the department given there appears to be two serial arsonists on the prowl. There are no significant leads right now for either and this has been going on for over a year. Calderone doesn't know anything about arson but she does know a lot about crime scene analysis. She was in robbery before this (something we learn later on) and Gudsen believes she's looking to network and use this as a stepping stone in her career. Out in the field, Gudsen explains that there are four types of fire – natural, accidental, undetermined and incendiary. Both of these serial arsonists, appear to be fans of incendiary devices. The first arsonist has a habit of using a tool called D&C, which colloquially means Divide and Conquer. Essentially, he'll start one fire (most typically in the potato chip aisle of a shop) to bring the department out, with a specific time delay in each location to avoid detection. The guy clearly knows his way around the blind spots, and from the brief bits of CCTV footage we can see, he wears a rainproof jacket and a ball cap with no logo. The guy also limps with his right leg and seems to be a white male. Gudsen believes it could be an ex-fireman. The second arsonist has been dubbed Milk Jug and predominately operates in Trolley Town using a jug of gasoline, always at night, slipping under doors and setting them on fire. As Gudsen explains, nothing makes you feel more powerless than getting trapped in a fire. This leads us in nicely to take a look at an overworked, underappreciated fast food worker, Freddy Fasano. He's an outcast and lives alone, while also casually watching porn and drinking too. Freddy is clearly disillusioned with life and could well be one of our arsonists. More on him shortly! As for Michelle Calderone, she has a pretty dark past too. It turns out she was having an affair with a married man, Steven Burke. While that name means nothing, he's also the senior officer she's working with in the department. After one of their sessions, he admits he's made the jump and broken up with his wife. He's imploded his marriage and time with his kids to be with her properly. Michelle is not one for commitment and immediately pulls away, telling him he didn't need to do that for her. Steven is pissed and promises to make her life a 'continuous stream of losing'. This explains why she's been 'demoted' into the arsonist department in the arse-end of nowhere to investigate these cases. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long before another arsonist case lands in their laps. Someone sets light to a store and it's a complete mess. Investigating afterwards, Gudsen figures out the point of origin. The fire was started in three locations using lit cigarettes on a timer. The department are under pressure though and the department head, Harvey Englehart, explains that if they don't catch one of these arsonists (or both) then not only is Harvey going to be fired, but he'll take Dave Gudsen with him. The group get to work and Calderone immediately calls BS on the limp for our D&C arsonist. She believes it could well be an active firefighter and while Gudsen has been hitting a roadblock on this, Calderone thinks they can push it with her credentials so they're forced to open the files. Sifting through files one by one, the pair settle on someone called Arch Stanton. He has a bad attendance record, and with a brother on city council and a sister as comptroller, he has the perfect alibi. Dave and Michelle question him over his absences, but Arch is very prickly and defensive. In fact, he basically calls her a DEI hire and questions her motives. Unfortunately, they get nowhere with him. Scotty Bucyk is another name that crops up, given he too is absent on the days of the arsons. Dave and Michelle question him too, where Scotty proves he's definitely not the guy given he's an engineer and needs to drive people to the fires. Calderone leaves with egg on her face, so the pair decide to turn their attention to the Trolley Town arsonist instead. Dave deduces it may well be a fast food worker and as we now know for certain, this is Freddy. He stakes out local joints looking for his next targets and settles on those who look the happiest in life. Fire is Freddy's 'happy place' and he marvels at the ash and fire falling whenever he starts these housefires, seeing it as some form of cathartic euphoric release from his life. He watches these houses burn from a distance too. That night, Michelle finds Steven outside her place. He's a Captain now and taunts her a bit, but she more than holds her own with him. However, he's wearing an unmarked hat and a hoodie, so… could the captain be our other arsonist? The Episode Review Striking while the iron is hot, Apple TV+ roar out the gate with their latest Friday night scorcher, Smoke. Apple tends to either deliver hard misses or big hitters, and so far at least, Smoke appears to be the latter. The first episode gets off to a great start, introducing us to both Gudsen and Calderone, along with the two separate cases we're going to be following across this season. Although we know who the first serial arsonist is, given we get an introduction to Freddy and his life, the second is far more illusive. It would make sense that Freddy is our second arsonist, given we've seen him smoking, flicking cigarettes, wearing unmarked caps (like at the end) and having the right prestige and cover to fly under the radar… but could he be a red herring I wonder? With another episode released today though, we'll have to wait and see where this one goes next but so far, this is looking to be quite a promising crime drama. Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
