Latest news with #USInstituteOfPeace
CNN
12 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
5 things to know for July 29: Mass shootings, Extreme weather, SNAP lawsuit, Planned Parenthood, Ghislaine Maxwell
5 Things Crime Gun violence Abortion rightsFacebookTweetLink Follow Darren Beattie, who was fired as a speechwriter during President Donald Trump's first term after CNN revealed that he spoke at a conference attended by White nationalists, will now serve as the acting president of the US Institute of Peace, a senior State Department official said. Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day. There are still five months left in the year, yet according to the Gun Violence Archive, the US has already endured more than 250 mass shootings. On Monday morning, a gunman opened fire in the valet area of a resort and casino in Reno, Nevada, leaving three people dead and several others wounded. The suspect then fled through the parking lot, where he fired on an innocent bystander, a resort security guard and the police. He was taken into custody and brought to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Later in the day, a second mass shooting occurred in midtown Manhattan. During rush hour, a gunman shot five people, killing four of them, inside a Park Avenue skyscraper that houses numerous corporate offices, including the NFL. The shooter was later found in a stairwell on the 33rd floor, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. A dangerous line of storms roared across the northern Plains and upper Midwest overnight, unleashing large hail and wind gusts over 90 mph. Several tornadoes were also reported in parts of rural South Dakota and Iowa, the National Weather Service said. The thunderstorm complex weakened before it could meet the distance criteria to be classified as a derecho, but the end result was the same: damage to homes and businesses, hundreds of trees down and more than 250,000 customers without power. The severe storm threat has lessened to a Level 2 of 5 risk today as the system shifts south and east into the central Plains and Great Lakes. The Weather Prediction Center has also identified a Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rain across the region. Twenty states are suing the Trump administration, alleging that the Department of Agriculture is improperly attempting to gather sensitive personal information about the low-income families who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy groceries. 'This unprecedented demand that states turn over SNAP data violates all kinds of state and federal privacy laws and further breaks the trust between the federal government and the people it serves,' California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. When announcing the effort in May, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the government needs access to information about the people who use food stamps because SNAP 'has been on autopilot, with no USDA insight into real-time data.' In a new preliminary injunction issued Monday, a federal judge has blocked the nationwide enforcement of a provision in President Trump's sweeping domestic policy law that would defund Planned Parenthood's healthcare services. The measure, which he signed on July 4, bars Medicaid users from coverage with a health care provider that also provides abortion services. Last week, US District Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the administration couldn't enforce the funding ban against some Planned Parenthood organizations, but now she has widened the block. 'Patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted or unavailable. In particular, restricting Members' ability to provide healthcare services threatens an increase in unintended pregnancies and attendant complications because of reduced access to effective contraceptives, and an increase in undiagnosed and untreated STIs,' Talwani wrote in her ruling. Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for carrying out a yearslong scheme with her confidante Jeffrey Epstein to groom and sexually abuse underage girls, is urging the Supreme Court to take up her pending appeal and overturn her sex-trafficking conviction in a new brief to the court. Her attorneys claim she was covered by an agreement Epstein made with federal authorities that shielded her from prosecution. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Maxwell, finding that the agreement made with prosecutors in Florida did not bind the authorities in New York. This latest request comes amid a political firestorm over the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files. Although Maxwell recently met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for questioning, those talks were not mentioned in the Supreme Court filing. House Oversight Chair James Comer has also subpoenaed Maxwell for a deposition. GET '5 THINGS' IN YOUR INBOX If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. The 55-year-old man told police he was in 'an imaginary relationship' with the WNBA star. Using an instrument on the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, astronomers have observed a 'Betelbuddy.' The shock rockers are celebrating with new music, a comic book, a tour and an art gallery exhibition. The 'Hacks' star was greeting admirers outside the theater where her Broadway show 'Call Me Izzy' is playing when one fan made an intriguing request. Write a short blurb with link to story. Hall of Fame baseball player Ryne Sandberg dies at 65The longtime Chicago Cubs second baseman was a 10-time All-Star during a 16-year playing career that was highlighted by winning the National League MVP award in 1984. 635,000That's how many accounts Meta has removed from Instagram that were leaving sexualized comments, leaving sexualized comments, requesting sexual images from adult-run accounts of kids under 13 or linking to those accounts. 'This idea that litigants, and most especially here I'm talking about government officials, needn't obey the dictates of courts. Needn't obey court orders. And you know that just is not the way our system works, not the way rule of law in this country works.' — Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan, on what she called one of the major challenges facing the federal judiciary today. 🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect. A 109-year-old woman reveals what has kept her alive for so long. Today's edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN's Andrew Torgan.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Official fired during Trump's first term appointed president of embattled U.S. Institute of Peace
The U.S. Institute of Peace building is pictured, May 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File) A senior State Department official who was fired as a speechwriter during President Donald Trump 's first term and has a history of incendiary statements has been appointed to lead the embattled U.S. Institute of Peace. The move to install Darren Beattie as the institute's new acting president is seen as the latest step in the administration's efforts to dismantle the embattled organization, which was founded as an independent, non-profit think tank. It is funded by Congress to promote peace and prevent and end conflicts across the globe. The battle is currently being played out in court. Beattie, who currently serves as the under secretary for public diplomacy at the State Department and will continue on in that role, was fired during Trump's first term after CNN reported that he had spoken at a 2016 conference attended by white nationalists. He defended the speech he delivered as containing nothing objectionable. A former academic who taught at Duke University, Beattie also founded a right-wing website that shared conspiracies about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and has a long history of posting inflammatory statements on social media. 'Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work,' he wrote on October 2024. 'Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.' A State Department official confirmed Beattie's appointment by the USIP board of directors, which currently includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. '(W)e look forward to seeing him advance President Trump's America First agenda in this new role,' they said. The USPI has been embroiled in turmoil since Trump moved to dismantle it shortly after taking office as part of his broader effort to shrink the size of the federal government and eliminate independent agencies. Trump issued an executive order in February that targeted the organization and three other agencies for closure. The first attempt by the Department of Government Efficiency, formerly under the command of tech billionaire Elon Musk, to take over its headquarters led to a dramatic standoff. Members of Musk's group returned days later with the FBI and Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police to help them gain entry. The administration fired most of the institute's board, followed by the mass firing of nearly all of its 300 employees in what they called 'the Friday night massacre.' The institute and many of its board members sued the Trump administration in March, seeking to prevent their removal and to prevent DOGE from taking over the institute's operations. DOGE transferred administrative oversight of the organization's headquarters and assets to the General Services Administration that weekend. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell overturned those actions in May, concluding that Trump was outside his authority in firing the board and its acting president and that, therefore, all subsequent actions were also moot. Her ruling allowed the institute to regain control of its headquarters in a rare victory for the agencies and organizations that have been caught up in the Trump administration's downsizing. The employees were rehired, although many did not return to work because of the complexity of restarting operations. They received termination orders — for the second time, however, — after an appeals court stayed Howell's order. Most recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied the U.S. Institute of Peace's request for a hearing of the full court to lift the stay of a three-judge panel in June. That stay led to the organization turning its headquarters back over to the Trump Administration. In a statement, George Foote, former counsel for the institute, said Beattie's appointment 'flies in the face of the values at the core of USIP's work and America's commitment to working respectfully with international partners' and also called it 'illegal under Judge Howell's May 19 decision.' 'We are committed to defending that decision against the government's appeal. We are confident that we will succeed on the merits of our case, and we look forward to USIP resuming its essential work in Washington, D.C. and in conflict zones around the world,' he said. By Gary Fields And Jill Colvin.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Official fired during Trump's first term appointed president of embattled US Institute of Peace
A senior State Department official who was fired as a speechwriter during President Donald Trump 's first term and has a history of incendiary statements has been appointed to lead the embattled U.S. Institute of Peace. The move to install Darren Beattie as the institute's new acting president is seen as the latest step in the administration's efforts to dismantle the embattled organization, which was founded as an independent, non-profit think tank. It is funded by Congress to promote peace and prevent and end conflicts across the globe. The battle is currently being played out in court. Beattie, who currently serves as the under secretary for public diplomacy at the State Department and will continue on in that role, was fired during Donald Trump's first term after CNN reported that he had spoken at a 2016 conference attended by white nationalists. He defended the speech he delivered as containing nothing objectionable. A former academic who taught at Duke University, Beattie also founded a right-wing website that shared conspiracies about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and has a long history of posting inflammatory statements on social media. 'Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work,' he wrote on October 2024. 'Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.' A State Department official confirmed Beattie's appointment by the USIP board of directors, which currently includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. '(W)e look forward to seeing him advance President Trump's America First agenda in this new role,' they said. The USPI has been embroiled in turmoil since Trump moved to dismantle it shortly after taking office as part of his broader effort to shrink the size of the federal government and eliminate independent agencies. Trump issued an executive order in February that targeted the organization and three other agencies for closure. The first attempt by the Department of Government Efficiency, formerly under the command of tech billionaire Elon Musk, to take over its headquarters led to a dramatic standoff. Members of Musk's group returned days later with the FBI and Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police to help them gain entry. The administration fired most of the institute's board, followed by the mass firing of nearly all of its 300 employees in what they called 'the Friday night massacre.' The institute and many of its board members sued the Trump administration in March, seeking to prevent their removal and to prevent DOGE from taking over the institute's operations. DOGE transferred administrative oversight of the organization's headquarters and assets to the General Services Administration that weekend. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell overturned those actions in May, concluding that Trump was outside his authority in firing the board and its acting president and that, therefore, all subsequent actions were also moot. Her ruling allowed the institute to regain control of its headquarters in a rare victory for the agencies and organizations that have been caught up in the Trump administration's downsizing. The employees were rehired, although many did not return to work because of the complexity of restarting operations. They received termination orders — for the second time, however, — after an appeals court stayed Howell's order. Most recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied the U.S. Institute of Peace's request for a hearing of the full court to lift the stay of a three-judge panel in June. That stay led to the organization turning its headquarters back over to the Trump Administration. In a statement, George Foote, former counsel for the institute, said Beattie's appointment 'flies in the face of the values at the core of USIP's work and America's commitment to working respectfully with international partners' and also called it 'illegal under Judge Howell's May 19 decision.' 'We are committed to defending that decision against the government's appeal. We are confident that we will succeed on the merits of our case, and we look forward to USIP resuming its essential work in Washington, D.C. and in conflict zones around the world,' he said.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Official fired during Trump's first term appointed president of embattled US Institute of Peace
A senior State Department official who was fired as a speechwriter during President Donald Trump 's first term and has a history of incendiary statements has been appointed to lead the embattled U.S. Institute of Peace . The move to install Darren Beattie as the institute's new acting president is seen as the latest step in the administration's efforts to dismantle the embattled organization, which was founded as an independent, non-profit think tank. It is funded by Congress to promote peace and prevent and end conflicts across the globe. The battle is currently being played out in court.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Official fired during Trump's first term appointed president of embattled US Institute of Peace
A senior State Department official who was fired as a speechwriter during President Donald Trump 's first term and has a history of incendiary statements has been appointed to lead the embattled U.S. Institute of Peace. The move to install Darren Beattie as the institute's new acting president is seen as the latest step in the administration's efforts to dismantle the embattled organization, which was founded as an independent, non-profit think tank. It is funded by Congress to promote peace and prevent and end conflicts across the globe. The battle is currently being played out in court. Beattie, who currently serves as the under secretary for public diplomacy at the State Department and will continue on in that role, was fired during Trump's first term after CNN reported that he had spoken at a 2016 conference attended by white nationalists. He defended the speech he delivered as containing nothing objectionable. A former academic who taught at Duke University, Beattie also founded a right-wing website that shared conspiracies about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and has a long history of posting inflammatory statements on social media. 'Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work,' he wrote on October 2024. 'Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.' A State Department official confirmed Beattie's appointment by the USIP board of directors, which currently includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. '(W)e look forward to seeing him advance President Trump's America First agenda in this new role,' they said. The USPI has been embroiled in turmoil since Trump moved to dismantle it shortly after taking office as part of his broader effort to shrink the size of the federal government and eliminate independent agencies. Trump issued an executive order in February that targeted the organization and three other agencies for closure. The first attempt by the Department of Government Efficiency, formerly under the command of tech billionaire Elon Musk, to take over its headquarters led to a dramatic standoff. Members of Musk's group returned days later with the FBI and Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police to help them gain entry. The administration fired most of the institute's board, followed by the mass firing of nearly all of its 300 employees in what they called 'the Friday night massacre.' The institute and many of its board members sued the Trump administration in March, seeking to prevent their removal and to prevent DOGE from taking over the institute's operations. DOGE transferred administrative oversight of the organization's headquarters and assets to the General Services Administration that weekend. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell overturned those actions in May, concluding that Trump was outside his authority in firing the board and its acting president and that, therefore, all subsequent actions were also moot. Her ruling allowed the institute to regain control of its headquarters in a rare victory for the agencies and organizations that have been caught up in the Trump administration's downsizing. The employees were rehired, although many did not return to work because of the complexity of restarting operations. They received termination orders — for the second time, however, — after an appeals court stayed Howell's order. Most recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied the U.S. Institute of Peace's request for a hearing of the full court to lift the stay of a three-judge panel in June. That stay led to the organization turning its headquarters back over to the Trump Administration. In a statement, George Foote, former counsel for the institute, said Beattie's appointment 'flies in the face of the values at the core of USIP's work and America's commitment to working respectfully with international partners' and also called it 'illegal under Judge Howell's May 19 decision.' 'We are committed to defending that decision against the government's appeal. We are confident that we will succeed on the merits of our case, and we look forward to USIP resuming its essential work in Washington, D.C. and in conflict zones around the world,' he said.
