Latest news with #PresidentialMemorandum
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Trump sends military force to Los Angeles over immigration protests
LOS ANGELES -- US President Donald Trump ordered National Guard troops to Los Angeles, a rare deployment expected Sunday against the state governor's wishes after sometimes-violent protests against immigration enforcement raids. Trump took federal control of California's state military to push soldiers into the country's second-biggest city, a decision deemed "purposefully inflammatory" by California Governor Gavin Newsom and of a kind not seen for decades according to US media. The development came after two days of confrontations during which federal agents fired flash-bang grenades and tear gas toward crowds angry at the arrests of dozens of migrants in a city with a large Latino population. "It's up to us to stand up for our people," said a Los Angeles resident whose parents are immigrants, declining to give her name. "Whether we get hurt, whether they gas us, whatever they're throwing at us. They're never going to stop us. All we have left is our voice," she told Agence France-Presse as emergency services lights flashed in the distance. An AFP photographer saw fires and fireworks light up the streets during clashes, while a protester holding a Mexican flag stood in front of a burnt-out car that had been sprayed with a slogan against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. "President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, blaming what she called California's "feckless" Democratic leaders. "The Trump Administration has a zero tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when that violence is aimed at law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs." Trump congratulated the National Guard for "a job well done" shortly before midnight on Saturday in a post on Truth Social. However, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on social media platform X the troops had not yet been deployed, while AFP journalists have so far not seen them on the ground. Trump took a swipe at Bass and Newsom, saying in his post they were "unable to handle the task," drawing a comparison with deadly fires that hit the city in January. 'Purposefully inflammatory' The National Guard -- a reserve military -- is frequently used in natural disasters, such as in the aftermath of the LA fires, and occasionally in instances of civil unrest, but almost always with the consent of local politicians. California's governor objected to the president's decision, saying it was "purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions." Federal authorities "want a spectacle. Don't give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully," Newsom said on X. Trump's Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to involve nearby regular military forces. "If violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized -- they are on high alert," he wrote on social media. Law professor Jessica Levinson said Hegseth's intervention appeared symbolic because of the general legal restriction on the use of the US military as a domestic policing force in the absence of an insurrection. "The National Guard will be able to do (no) more than provide logistical (and) personnel support," she said. Trump has delivered on a promise to crack down hard on the entry and presence of undocumented migrants -- who he has likened to "monsters" and "animals" -- since taking office in January. The Department for Homeland Security said ICE operations in Los Angeles this week had resulted in the arrest of "118 aliens, including five gang members." Saturday's standoff took place in the suburb of Paramount, where demonstrators converged on a reported federal facility that the local mayor said was being used as a staging post by agents. Masked and armed immigration agents carried out high-profile workplace raids in separate parts of Los Angeles on Friday, attracting angry crowds and setting off hours-long standoffs. Fernando Delgado, a 24-year-old resident, said the raids were "injustices" and those detained were "human beings just like any." "We're Spanish, we help the community, we help by doing the labor that people don't want to do," he told AFP. Mayor Bass acknowledged that some city residents were "feeling fear" following the federal immigration enforcement actions. "Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable," she said on X. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said multiple arrests had been made following Friday's clashes.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Trump orders probe into 'who ran the US' after Biden's alleged cognitive decline
Donald Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum ordering his administration to investigate whether former President Joe Biden was really running the United States President Donald Trump is going after the legacy of his predecessor, 82-year-old Joe Biden, ordering an investigation into whether the ex-President was really running the United States, or if White House aides orchestrated a "conspiracy" to seize executive power due to his alleged "cognitive decline". Released late on Wednesday (June 4), the Presidential Memorandum directs investigators to probe "who ran the United States while President Biden was in office," and ascertain if aides "conspired to deceive the public about Biden's mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President." Many Democrat voters noticed Joe Biden's purported mental deterioration during last year's presidential debates, where the veteran politician struggled to speak clearly. Following those events, Biden compounded the perception with several missteps, such as mistakenly referring to Zelensky as "President Putin" in front of cameras. The Trump administration is attempting to cast many of the executive actions and policy decisions made by Biden as illegitimate, claiming that staffers were using an autopen to sign documents without his input. "And you know what, they ought to find out who was using that autopen. Because whoever that person was, he or she was like the President of the United States," President Trump said in the memorandum. An autopen is a device used to replicate people's signatures. Past presidents, including Trump himself, have frequently used one due to the large number of documents they need to sign. He went on to say: "I think a President should sign it, not use an autopen. "And we're going to find out whether or not he knew what the hell he was doing. ... So I think it's something that we should really look at because that's so important." Trump accused the White House staff of making decisions on behalf of his predecessor, asserting that the American public was deliberately kept in the dark about who truly held executive memo also stated: "The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden's signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts." He went on to name Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington to look into the autopen's usage, including "who authorized its use, and the validity of the resulting Presidential policy decisions." These allegations come at a time when Joe Biden is under scrutiny, particularly due to claims made in CNN's Jake Tapper's latest tome 'Original Sin'. In his book, Tapper suggests insider knowledge by declaring: "Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board." Trump's memorandum asserts that Biden "issued 1,200 Presidential documents, appointed 235 judges to the Federal bench," while he also displayed "cognitive deficiencies". Trump underscored his point by highlighting that Biden "used an autopen to execute the vast majority of Biden's executive actions," during the latter half of his tenure. With Republicans applying pressure, former Biden aides are also now facing House of Representatives' calls for interviews. James Comer, Chairman of the crucial Oversight Committee, this week summoned five Democrat staffers over an alleged "cover up" he describes as "one of the greatest scandals in our nation's history."
Japan Times
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Trump's regulatory freeze throws U.S. fishing industry into chaos
U.S. President Donald Trump's regulatory freeze has injected chaos and uncertainty into a number of lucrative American fisheries, raising the risk of a delayed start to the fishing season for some East Coast cod and haddock fleets and leading to overfishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna, according to interviews with industry groups and federal government employees. America's $320 billion fishing industry relies on a branch of the federal government, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to manage coastal fisheries. Under a 1976 law, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service develops management plans for 45 fisheries, setting quotas and determining the start and close of fishing seasons, in consultation with federal government scientists and local fishermen. Trump's Jan. 20 declaration of a 60-day freeze on regulations disrupted this process for several of those fisheries, delaying key meetings and causing confusion over the issuance of new rules, according to interviews. The freeze allowed overfishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna in waters off North Carolina, which could mean reduced quotas for New York and New England fishermen when the fish migrate further north this summer, according to a Massachusetts lawmaker as well as industry groups and the federal government employees. "There's just a lot of confusion right now, both internal and external," said Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, an industry group. "I'm getting calls from fishermen asking what's going to happen." A sign marks the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office in Point Judith, Rhode Island, on March 13. | REUTERS Some 163 probationary employees — or about 5% of the NOAA workforce dealing with fisheries — were fired last month including administrative support staff, fish biologists and fisheries management specialists, said a senior NOAA employee who was among those fired. Those roles are involved in the regulatory process, from monitoring the health of stocks to consulting on regulations for annual catch. The agency confirmed the freeze in an email, but said that it would not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on management and personnel issues. "NOAA Fisheries is complying with the Presidential Memorandum 'Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,'" NOAA spokesperson Rachel Hager said. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Even if new regulations can be issued once the freeze lifts, delays in openings can have an impact on the industry, especially fishermen who rely on migratory fish or operate smaller vessels. 'Make or break' "It can make or break a fishery if the window of opportunity to go fishing is narrowed or shifts significantly,' said Noah Oppenheim, principal of Homarus Strategies, which advises commercial fishermen and organizations across the country. Reuters spoke to two industry groups and 13 staff at NOAA, who described impacts from Alaska to the Atlantic because of regulatory delays and job cuts. Twelve of the NOAA staff were fired and reinstated on March 17 in response to a court order, though they were placed on administrative leave. The Trump administration has told all federal agencies to submit plans for further staff cuts. The effects of the regulatory freeze on the fishing season and the scope of job cuts at NOAA's fisheries arm have not been previously reported. The impact on the U.S. fishing fleet, which employs 39,000 commercial fishermen, is one example of how suspending federal government regulations and job cuts can impact broad swathes of the U.S. economy. Bluefish tuna were overfished in the mid-Atlantic this month because NOAA did not issue the regulation to close the fishery after fishermen filled the quota in mid-January, according to two letters sent to NOAA from Bill Keating, a Democratic representative from Massachusetts. Keating's initial attempt to reach NOAA's congressional liaison failed because that person had been fired, and his second attempt to warn the interim administrator went unanswered, his office said. A drone view shows commercial fishing boats in Point Judith, Rhode Island, on March 13. | REUTERS NOAA eventually closed the mid-Atlantic fishery on Feb. 28 after 125% of the catch quota had been taken. But John McMurray, a bluefin fisherman in New York, says he is not sure how much of the prized fish will be available for him to catch when his season gets under way in June "It's hard for me to believe we're not going to get punished up here in New York and New England for that,' he said. Trump exempted fishing and hunting from a regulatory freeze during his first term, but no such exception has been announced during his current administration. The White House has said that reducing regulation will help combat inflation and drive job growth. 'No fishery, no work' John Ainsworth, a commercial fisherman who has been fishing squid and other fish off of Rhode Island since 1990, said he fears a chaotic approach to the catch could wipe out fishing stocks. "The federal managers for the squid fishery are supposed to be slashed and without them, when do we know when the seasons open? When will they decide how much of the quota is caught?' he asked. Some New England fisheries are expected to open late because of delays in the regulatory process, according to the New England Fishery Management Council, an advisory group. The Northeast's $41 million groundfish fishery, which includes cod, haddock and flounder, is on track to miss its traditional May 1 opening date unless NOAA or the Secretary of Commerce take emergency action, said Martens from the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association. A small fraction of New England's $400 million scallop industry also faces only a partial opening on April 1. At this point, publishing new regulations could take until late April, Martens said. John Ainsworth, captain of the commercial fishing boat Hope and Sydney, in Point Judith, Rhode Island, on March 13 | REUTERS Delayed opening of fisheries means less fishing time for fishermen, less work for crews and less fish to send to markets, said Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association. "No fishery means no work," she said. Alaska's black cod (or sablefish) and halibut fisheries will open on time on March 20, but only after Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski spoke directly with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, she said on X. NOAA staff worked through the weekend to complete the rulemaking process so the season could open, said Behnken, who was involved in the effort. Preparations for the Pacific coast salmon fishing season are also behind schedule, because of disruptions to the fishery management council meeting, one NOAA employee said. Rebecca Howard, a fish biologist, was preparing population surveys of shellfish and pollock, cod and groundfish when she was fired from her job at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center on Feb. 27. The data helps to set fish and crab quotas to ensure a sustainable take. Such stock assessments are essential to fishermen like Christopher Willi. Fishermen are not able to regulate on their own, he said. "You need the federal government to do it,' said Willi, a charter fishing guide and restaurant owner on Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. "If these quotas aren't maintained and regulated and monitored with stock assessments by NOAA, it's going to become a free-for-all and you're gonna find existing stocks depleted.'
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's regulatory freeze throws US fishing industry into chaos
By Valerie Volcovici, Leah Douglas and Gloria Dickie (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's regulatory freeze has injected chaos and uncertainty into a number of lucrative American fisheries, raising the risk of a delayed start to the fishing season for some East Coast cod and haddock fleets and leading to overfishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna, according to Reuters interviews with industry groups and federal government employees. America's $320 billion fishing industry relies on a branch of the federal government, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to manage coastal fisheries. Under a 1976 law, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service develops management plans for 45 fisheries, setting quotas and determining the start and close of fishing seasons, in consultation with federal government scientists and local fishermen. Trump's January 20 declaration of a 60-day freeze on regulations disrupted this process for several of those fisheries, delaying key meetings and causing confusion over the issuance of new rules, according to Reuters interviews. The freeze allowed overfishing in waters off North Carolina of Atlantic bluefin tuna which could mean reduced quotas for New York and New England fishermen when the fish migrate further north this summer, according to a Massachusetts lawmaker as well as industry groups and the federal government employees. "There's just a lot of confusion right now, both internal and external," said Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, an industry group. "I'm getting calls from fishermen asking what's going to happen." Some 163 probationary employees - or about 5% of the NOAA workforce dealing with fisheries - were fired last month including administrative support staff, fish biologists and fisheries management specialists, a senior NOAA employee who was among those fired told Reuters. Those roles are involved in the regulatory process, from monitoring the health of stocks to consulting on regulations for annual catch. The agency confirmed the freeze in an email, but said that it would not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on management and personnel issues. 'NOAA Fisheries is complying with the Presidential Memorandum 'Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,' NOAA spokesperson Rachel Hager said. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Even if new regulations can be issued once the freeze lifts, delays in openings can have an impact on the industry, especially fishermen who rely on migratory fish or operate smaller vessels. 'It can make or break a fishery if the window of opportunity to go fishing is narrowed or shifts significantly,' said Noah Oppenheim, principal of Homarus Strategies, which advises commercial fishermen and organizations across the country. Reuters spoke to two industry groups, 13 staff at NOAA, who described impacts from Alaska to the Atlantic because of regulatory delays and job cuts. Twelve of the NOAA staff were fired and reinstated on March 17 in response to a court order, though they were placed on administrative leave. The Trump administration has told all federal agencies to submit plans for further staff cuts. The effects of the regulatory freeze on the fishing season and the scope of job cuts at NOAA's fisheries arm have not been previously reported. The impact on the U.S. fishing fleet, which employs 39,000 commercial fishermen, is one example of how suspending federal government regulations and job cuts can impact broad swathes of the U.S. economy. Bluefish tuna were overfished in the mid-Atlantic this month because NOAA did not issue the regulation to close the fishery after fishermen filled the quota in mid-January, according to two letters sent to NOAA from Bill Keating, a Democratic representative from Massachusetts. Keating's initial attempt to reach NOAA's congressional liaison failed because that person had been fired, and his second attempt to warn the interim administrator went unanswered, his office said. NOAA eventually closed the mid-Atlantic fishery on February 28 after 125% of the catch quota had been taken. But John McMurray, a bluefin fisherman in New York, says he is not sure how much of the prized fish will be available for him to catch when his season gets underway in June. "It's hard for me to believe we're not going to get punished up here in New York and New England for that,' he said. Trump exempted fishing and hunting from a regulatory freeze during his first term, but no such exception has been announced during his current administration. The White House has said that reducing regulation will help combat inflation and drive job growth. John Ainsworth, a commercial fisherman who has been fishing squid and other fish off of Rhode Island since 1990, said he fears a chaotic approach to the catch could wipe out fishing stocks. 'The federal managers for the squid fishery are supposed to be slashed and without them, when do we know when the seasons open? When will they decide how much of the quota is caught?' he asked. Some New England fisheries are expected to open late because of delays in the regulatory process, according to the New England Fishery Management Council, an advisory group. The Northeast's $41 million groundfish fishery, which includes cod, haddock, and flounder, is on track to miss its traditional May 1 opening date unless NOAA or the Secretary of Commerce take emergency action, Martens, from the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, told Reuters. A small fraction of New England's $400 million scallop industry also faces only a partial opening on April 1. At this point, publishing new regulations could take until late April, Martens said. Delayed opening of fisheries means less fishing time for fishermen, less work for crews, and less fish to send to markets, said Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association. "No fishery means no work," she said. Alaska's black cod (or sablefish) and halibut fisheries will open on time on March 20, but only after Republican Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski spoke directly with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, she said on X. NOAA staff worked through the weekend to complete the rule-making process so the season could open, said Behnken, who was involved in the effort. Preparations for the Pacific coast salmon fishing season are also behind schedule, because of disruptions to the fishery management council meeting, one NOAA employee said. Rebecca Howard, a fish biologist, was preparing population surveys of shellfish and pollock, cod and groundfish when she was fired from her job at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center on Feb. 27. The data helps to set fish and crab quotas to ensure a sustainable take. Such stock assessments are essential to fishermen like Christopher Willi. Fishermen are not able to regulate on their own, he said. 'You need the federal government to do it,' said Willi, a charter fishing guide and restaurant owner on Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. 'If these quotas aren't maintained and regulated and monitored with stock assessments by NOAA, it's going to become a free-for-all and you're gonna find existing stocks depleted.' Sign in to access your portfolio
Reuters
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
How Trump's regulatory freeze is disrupting the US fishing industry
President Donald Trump's regulatory freeze has injected chaos and uncertainty into a number of lucrative American fisheries, raising the risk of a delayed start to the fishing season for some East Coast cod and haddock fleets and leading to overfishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna, according to Reuters interviews with industry groups and federal government employees. America's $320 billion fishing industry relies on a branch of the federal government, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to manage coastal fisheries. Under a 1976 law, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service develops management plans for 45 fisheries, setting quotas and determining the start and close of fishing seasons, in consultation with federal government scientists and local fishermen. Trump's January 20 declaration of a 60-day freeze on regulations disrupted this process for several of those fisheries, delaying key meetings and causing confusion over the issuance of new rules, according to Reuters interviews. The freeze allowed overfishing in waters off North Carolina of Atlantic bluefin tuna which could mean reduced quotas for New York and New England fishermen when the fish migrate further north this summer, according to a Massachusetts lawmaker as well as industry groups and the federal government employees. "There's just a lot of confusion right now, both internal and external," said Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, an industry group. "I'm getting calls from fishermen asking what's going to happen." Some 163 probationary employees - or about 5% of the NOAA workforce dealing with fisheries - were fired last month including administrative support staff, fish biologists and fisheries management specialists, a senior NOAA employee who was among those fired told Reuters. Those roles are involved in the regulatory process, from monitoring the health of stocks to consulting on regulations for annual catch. The agency confirmed the freeze in an email, but said that it would not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on management and personnel issues. 'NOAA Fisheries is complying with the Presidential Memorandum 'Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,' NOAA spokesperson Rachel Hager said. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Even if new regulations can be issued once the freeze lifts, delays in openings can have an impact on the industry, especially fishermen who rely on migratory fish or operate smaller vessels. 'MAKE OR BREAK' 'It can make or break a fishery if the window of opportunity to go fishing is narrowed or shifts significantly,' said Noah Oppenheim, principal of Homarus Strategies, which advises commercial fishermen and organizations across the country. Reuters spoke to two industry groups and 13 staff at NOAA who described impacts from Alaska to the Atlantic because of regulatory delays and job cuts. Twelve of the NOAA staff were fired and reinstated on March 17 in response to a court order, though they were placed on administrative leave. The federal managers for the squid fishery are supposed to be slashed and without them, when do we know when the seasons open? When will they decide how much of the quota is caught? The Trump administration has told all federal agencies to submit plans for further staff cuts. The effects of the regulatory freeze on the fishing season and the scope of job cuts at NOAA's fisheries arm have not been previously reported. The impact on the U.S. fishing fleet, which employs 39,000 commercial fishermen, is one example of how suspending federal government regulations and job cuts can impact broad swathes of the U.S. economy. Bluefish tuna were overfished in the mid-Atlantic this month because NOAA did not issue the regulation to close the fishery after fishermen filled the quota in mid-January, according to two letters sent to NOAA from Bill Keating, a Democratic representative from Massachusetts. Keating's initial attempt to reach NOAA's congressional liaison failed because that person had been fired, and his second attempt to warn the interim administrator went unanswered, his office said. NOAA eventually closed the mid-Atlantic fishery on February 28 after 125% of the catch quota had been taken. But John McMurray, a bluefin fisherman in New York, says he is not sure how much of the prized fish will be available for him to catch when his season gets underway in June. "It's hard for me to believe we're not going to get punished up here in New York and New England for that,' he said. Trump exempted fishing and hunting from a regulatory freeze during his first term, but no such exception has been announced during his current administration. The White House has said that reducing regulation will help combat inflation and drive job growth. John Ainsworth, a commercial fisherman who has been fishing squid and other fish off of Rhode Island since 1990, said he fears a chaotic approach to the catch could wipe out fishing stocks. 'The federal managers for the squid fishery are supposed to be slashed and without them, when do we know when the seasons open? When will they decide how much of the quota is caught?' he asked. Some New England fisheries are expected to open late because of delays in the regulatory process, according to the New England Fishery Management Council, an advisory group. The Northeast's $41 million groundfish fishery, which includes cod, haddock, and flounder, is on track to miss its traditional May 1 opening date unless NOAA or the Secretary of Commerce take emergency action, Martens, from the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, told Reuters. A small fraction of New England's $400 million scallop industry also faces only a partial opening on April 1. At this point, publishing new regulations could take until late April, Martens said. Delayed opening of fisheries means less fishing time for fishermen, less work for crews, and less fish to send to markets, said Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association. "No fishery means no work," she said. Alaska's black cod (or sablefish) and halibut fisheries will open on time on March 20, but only after Republican Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski spoke directly with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, she said on X. NOAA staff worked through the weekend to complete the rule-making process so the season could open, said Behnken, who was involved in the effort. If these quotas aren't maintained and regulated and monitored with stock assessments by NOAA, it's going to become a free-for-all and you're gonna find existing stocks depleted. Preparations for the Pacific coast salmon fishing season are also behind schedule, because of disruptions to the fishery management council meeting, one NOAA employee said. Rebecca Howard, a fish biologist, was preparing population surveys of shellfish and pollock, cod and groundfish when she was fired from her job at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center on Feb. 27. The data helps to set fish and crab quotas to ensure a sustainable take. Such stock assessments are essential to fishermen like Christopher Willi. Fishermen are not able to regulate on their own, he said. 'You need the federal government to do it,' said Willi, a charter fishing guide and restaurant owner on Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. 'If these quotas aren't maintained and regulated and monitored with stock assessments by NOAA, it's going to become a free-for-all and you're gonna find existing stocks depleted.' Get weekly news and analysis on U.S. politics and how it matters to the world with the Reuters Politics U.S. newsletter. Sign up here. Reporting by Valerie Volcovici and Leah Douglas in Washingon and Gloria Dickie in London; Photography by Brian Snyder; Photo editing by Corinne Perkins; Video production by Kristy Kilburn; Video editing by Grace Lee, Ryan Brooks and Dan Fastenberg; Art direction by Jillian Kumagai; Editing by Suzanne Goldenberg
