Latest news with #Y.M.C.A
02-05-2025
- Business
Trump admin live updates: Executive order blocks federal funding to NPR, PBS
Trump signed an order to block funds to two major public broadcasting companies. 3:29 As part of his events marking 100 days in office, President Donald Trump convened his Cabinet officials on Wednesday for a meeting at the White House. Trump also sat down exclusively with ABC News on Tuesday for the first broadcast interview marking this milestone of his second term. These first three months of Trump's term have been defined by his sweeping changes to the federal government, his immigration crackdown, and his implementation of tariffs against virtually all U.S. trade partners. Latest headlines: May 01, 2025, 11:56 PM EDT Executive order blocks federal funding to NPR, PBS May 01, 2025, 10:23 PM EDT Trump touts 1st 100 days in University of Alabama speech, offers advice May 01, 2025, 6:08 PM EDT Pentagon inspector general now reviewing 2nd Hegseth Signal chat: Official May 01, 2025, 2:03 PM EDT Here's how the news is developing. 23 Updates Apr 29, 2025, 9:54 PM EDT 24 state AGs challenge DOGE's attempt to dismantle AmeriCorps A coalition of 24 state attorneys general is trying to save a federal program that sends tens of thousands of volunteers into their communities, suing the Trump administration over the Department of Government Efficiency's recent cuts to AmeriCorps. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to block the Trump administration from dismantling the 30-year-old agency devoted to encouraging volunteer service. According to the states, the agency was recently targeted by Elon Musk's DOGE, cutting $400 million in programs, putting 85% of its staff on leave and beginning a widespread reduction in force. According to the acting head of AmeriCorps, representatives from DOGE arrived at the agency's office earlier this month and began pursuing the "Administration goals to cut staff, contracts, contractors, and agency deliverables." The state attorneys general argue that only Congress has the authority to dismantle the agency. "The Administration's abrupt decision to dismantle AmeriCorps flouts Congress's creation of AmeriCorps and assignment of agency duties; usurps Congress's power of the purse and thereby violates the Constitution's separation of powers; and arbitrarily and capriciously— without any reasoned analysis—vitiates the agency's ability to function consistent with its statutory mission and purpose," the lawsuit said. -ABC News' Peter Charalambous Apr 29, 2025, 9:54 PM EDT What Trump said during rally to mark 100 days President Donald Trump marked the first 100 days of his second term during a Michigan rally reminiscent of the 2024 campaign trail -- from the signage "Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!" to the Y.M.C.A soundtrack. On immigration Trump spent the majority of his remarks touting his immigration policy. He pointed to the invoking of the 1798 wartime Aliens Enemies Act, which, so far, has been used to deport hundreds of Venezuelan migrants his administration alleged to be gang members, affording them little to no due process. "They come in from the Congo," Trump said. "They come in from Africa, the Congo. They emptied out their prisons into our country. But they come from Africa, Asia, South America. They come from all of the bad parts of Europe. That's why we've invoked the Alien Enemies Act to expel every foreign terrorist from our soil as quickly as possible." On legislative priorities Trump seemed to preview that his focus will shift to trying to pass tax cuts and implementing some of his tax-related campaign promises, including no tax on tips. "We will pass the largest tax cuts in American history, and that will include no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, no tax on overtime," Trump said. On Fed Chairman Jerome Powell "You're not supposed to criticize the Fed," Trump said. "You're supposed to let him do his own thing. But I know much more than he does about interest rates, believe me.' About 100 protesters demonstrated outside the venue, expressing their displeasure with Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. Three protesters were escorted out by security after they caused disruptions to his speech. -ABC News' Molly Nagle, Kelsey Walsh and Hannah Demissie Trump tells crowd to vote out Republicans who oppose his agenda Trump touted the 'big, beautiful bill' that House Republicans are working to pass to fund his agenda and said it had '100 percent support' among his party, except for a few 'grandstanders.' 'But remember who those grandstanders were and vote them the hell out of office,' he said. Apr 29, 2025, 6:44 PM EDT Trump reminisces about 2024 campaign to Michigan crowd In a campaign-style rally in front of supporters in Michigan on Tuesday, Trump reminisced about his 2024 campaign. 'Front-row Joes, look at you,' Trump said to a group who followed him on the campaign trail. 'I miss you guys. I miss the campaign.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Beautiful job': Trump faithful applaud president at 100-day mark
With music blasting and flags flying, supporters of Donald Trump celebrated his barnstorming first 100 days back in office as they gathered in Michigan in a party-like atmosphere to see the US president speak. "He's done a beautiful job," said seller Donna Fitzsimons, 65, as she prepared an array of Trump merchandise -- including special "I Was There!" badges to mark Tuesday's milestone. Throngs of people, many sporting Trump's famous red baseball cap, filed into the Macomb Community College venue just north of US carmaking hub Detroit and near the border of American friend-turned-foe Canada. Tunes blared on speakers in the car park, including a cover of the Y.M.C.A song that Trump favors at his rallies, which instead spelled out "MAGA" in its chorus -- Make American Great Again. The event marks 100 hectic days in the White House dominated by an immigration crackdown, sweeping levies and a wider right-wing agenda that has pitted Trump against the courts amid complaints of executive overreach. "He's taken quick action on things," said janitor Kyle Murphy, 45, who praised Trump for "calling out wokeness" and the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by his billionaire ally Elon Musk. Steve Camber, a 60-year-old retired nurse, agreed: "No one can do anything in 100 days that quickly. But I think he's doing really good, and DOGE is doing amazing things." Tuesday's event marked Trump's return to his campaign trail stomping grounds in blue-collar Macomb County, which helped him win the crucial swing state of Michigan. - 'Love' - For some attendees, it was a chance to show their love for the Republican leader. "Any opportunity to see our president is exciting for me," said Lisa Reeves, a 55-year-old decorator, who sported a sparkly MAGA hat. "We love President Trump and his family. We just love their heart for America and the morality that they have for this country." Still, some at Tuesday's event voiced reservations about Trump's actions, as opinion polls have shown a slump in support for the US president since January. Nelly Nkouka, 40, who moved to America from Congo in 2005, said she liked that Trump was "honest" but was hesitant about his large-scale deportation of migrants. "I think everybody needs a chance to be here," the care home supervisor said. "Somebody needs to talk to him about it, to let people have an American dream." Zaid Hanif, 29, said he backed Trump's clampdown on the southern US border but was disappointed about his coziness with Israel, and his failure to make China concede in the countries' ongoing trade war. Still, he was confident that Trump could fix the economic turbulence triggered by stop-start tariffs policies that advocates say will boost American industry. "Obviously the economy is not too good right now but to fix it, if you're not feeling well, you're going to take some medicine, and medicine doesn't always taste the best," said Hanif, a textiles business owner. Fitzsimons, the merchandise seller, agreed: "It takes time to get to where you need to go... Let it play out." bjt/sla/bgs
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Grupo Frontera's fraught online political moments of 2025 explained
Grupo Frontera gets that people want to ask them about the U.S.-Mexico border: look at their name and look at the current political climate. They mostly just don't want to talk about that. But behind the line of questioning have been the rumors swirling online that the Grupo Frontera members and those related to its members voted for and supported President Trump in the 2024 presidential election. The speculation has forced the "Tulum" performers to deny any affiliations with any political parties several times over. So ahead of the Norteño band's upcoming gig at SXSW on March 14, here's a refresher of turbulent 2025 online discourse the Texas artists have found themselves at the center of. In an interview with Billboard published Tuesday, the group was asked whether or not its felt the effects of the political moment. 'I mean, our group name, Grupo Frontera, I think it feels natural for people to be like, 'You're from the border,' stuff like that,' drummer Carlos Guerrero said in section of the interview that was notably conducted in December. 'We always try to keep that private.' Percussionist Julian Peña Jr. added the group aims to "talk about music, that's it." But this was far from the first time the "No Se Va" singers have been asked about or been placed in a situation where they've been forced to talk about the U.S. political situation. It does, however, follow a pattern of nondescript answers that the group's members have previously been provided. Read more: The Música Mexicana revolution shaping Southern California In a now-deleted TikTok video that circulated earlier this year, Grupo Frontera was shown dancing to the Village People's mega hit "Y.M.C.A." This concerned fans of the band online because of the song's heavy association with Donald Trump rallies, which the politician has used at his events since at least 2020. Around the time that the "Y.M.C.A." video circulated, Grupo Frontera was announced as the headliners at the Sueños music festival in Chicago. Soon after the announcement, a petition was started that called for the band to be removed from the festival lineup and has collected over 10,400 signatures. The Chicago man who started the online campaign said he paid over $800 and wanted a refund due to what he believed was the band's shift in ideology, according to the Chicago-Sun Times. The man admitted that the video of the group dancing to "Y.M.C.A" did not mention Trump or express any overt political views, but he noted that the timing of the post felt significant to him. Read more: Even 'Seinfeld' cast thinks Trump's awkward dance moves are worse than Elaine's Following the circulation of the video, the group's social media posts became filled with comments such as: "You guys should start singing in English," "In Mexico we don't forgive," and "Let's stop supporting a group that is anti-Mexican." The hitmakers seemingly responded to the online backlash they were receiving in a social media post. 'We want to clarify that Grupo Frontera has NO affiliation not alliance with any political party that's against immigrants and the Latino community,' the group wrote in a Feb. 7 Instagram story. 'Like many of you, our families and [group] members have fought and struggled for a better future, and we will always take our people's side, defending our roots and values.' The band continued, 'It's important you know that the opinions of our friends and family don't represent Grupo Frontera. We are immigrants, we are from the border, and Grupo Frontera will always be by and for the people." (Trump was not mentioned in the band's statement.) A few weeks later while on the red carpet at the Premios Lo Nuestro on Feb. 20, TV presenter Raul De Molina asked Grupo Frontera, "You guys are named 'border,' what do you think about the what is happening at the border between the U.S. and Mexico?" Read more: How a carne asada changed the lives of Grupo Frontera "We dedicate ourselves to music. We love everyone and want peace and love. Take care of yourselves," Peña Jr. responded. Social media personality and immigrant rights activist Carlos Eduardo Espina, who touts 12.3 million TikTok followers, was among the many people upset online and responded to the clip of the red carpet moment with a loud condemnation of Peña Jr.'s comments. "For me, this was one of the worst responses that I have ever seen to a question in my whole life," Espina said in a Feb. 21 TikTok video. "Just like the saying goes, there are times when not saying anything says a lot. ... what an embarrassment." Following that round of online criticism Grupo Frontera decided to address the situation head-on in a Feb. 22 Instagram video post. Read more: Column: I'm also sick of discussing Trump's madness. But we have to "We are migrants, our parents are migrants. And we want to tell you directly that we don't support any political party that is against migrants," Peña Jr. began the video. "With that said, there have been many things said about us that are not true." The band's bajo quinto player Alberto Acosta then addressed the "false news" that had been circulated online about the "un x100to" artists. "We are doing this [video] because people are putting us against our raza,' Acosta said. "For example the 'Y.M.C.A' dance, we had a routine before shows during our last tour where we'd dance a huapango or another song," band accordionist Juan Javier Cantú said. "We've danced to that song since primary school and it had nothing to do with any political party at that point." Lead singer Adelaido "Payo" Solís proceeded to talk about a TikTok video showing his grandmother dancing to "Y.M.C.A." in apparent support for Trump. (Trump was not mentioned by name at any point in the video.) Read more: Regional Mexican acts contributed millions of dollars at L.A.'s venues post-pandemic "I want to tell you all that the only opinions that count from Grupo Frontera are those that come from the group itself," Solís said. "Any person that's not one of the six members of Grupo Frontera can't have an opinion on our behalf, nor speak for us, nor express our emotions." Peña Jr. slammed home the group's intents with his closing statements. 'We are migrants. We're for migrants. We always have been,' he concluded. 'You guys know what we've done and have supported our raza in the U.S. and Mexico and wherever we are. That's what this group represents, not what's been said about us.' The Times has reached out to Grupo Frontera's representatives for comment. Get our Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the complexity of our communities. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Grupo Frontera's fraught online political moments of 2025 explained
Grupo Frontera gets that people want to ask them about the U.S.-Mexico border: look at their name and look at the current political climate. They mostly just don't want to talk about that. But behind the line of questioning have been the rumors swirling online that the Grupo Frontera members and those related to its members voted for and supported President Trump in the 2024 presidential election. The speculation has forced the 'Tulum' performers to deny any affiliations with any political parties several times over. So ahead of the Norteño band's upcoming gig at SXSW on March 14, here's a refresher of turbulent 2025 online discourse the Texas artists have found themselves at the center of. In an interview with Billboard published Tuesday, the group was asked whether or not its felt the effects of the political moment. 'I mean, our group name, Grupo Frontera, I think it feels natural for people to be like, 'You're from the border,' stuff like that,' drummer Carlos Guerrero said in section of the interview that was notably conducted in December. 'We always try to keep that private.' Percussionist Julian Peña Jr. added the group aims to 'talk about music, that's it.' But this was far from the first time the 'No Se Va' singers have been asked about or been placed in a situation where they've been forced to talk about the U.S. political situation. It does, however, follow a pattern of nondescript answers that the group's members have previously been provided. In a now-deleted TikTok video that circulated earlier this year, Grupo Frontera was shown dancing to the Village People's mega hit 'Y.M.C.A.' This concerned fans of the band online because of the song's heavy association with Donald Trump rallies, which the politician has used at his events since at least 2020. Around the time that the 'Y.M.C.A.' video circulated, Grupo Frontera was announced as the headliners at the Sueños music festival in Chicago. Soon after the announcement, a petition was started that called for the band to be removed from the festival lineup and has collected over 10,400 signatures. The Chicago man who started the online campaign said he paid over $800 and wanted a refund due to what he believed was the band's shift in ideology, according to the Chicago-Sun Times. The man admitted that the video of the group dancing to 'Y.M.C.A' did not mention Trump or express any overt political views, but he noted that the timing of the post felt significant to him. Following the circulation of the video, the group's social media posts became filled with comments such as: 'You guys should start singing in English,' 'In Mexico we don't forgive,' and 'Let's stop supporting a group that is anti-Mexican.' The hitmakers seemingly responded to the online backlash they were receiving in a social media post. 'We want to clarify that Grupo Frontera has NO affiliation not alliance with any political party that's against immigrants and the Latino community,' the group wrote in a Feb. 7 Instagram story. 'Like many of you, our families and [group] members have fought and struggled for a better future, and we will always take our people's side, defending our roots and values.' The band continued, 'It's important you know that the opinions of our friends and family don't represent Grupo Frontera. We are immigrants, we are from the border, and Grupo Frontera will always be by and for the people.' (Trump was not mentioned in the band's statement.) A few weeks later while on the red carpet at the Premios Lo Nuestro on Feb. 20, TV presenter Raul De Molina asked Grupo Frontera, 'You guys are named 'border,' what do you think about the what is happening at the border between the U.S. and Mexico?' 'We dedicate ourselves to music. We love everyone and want peace and love. Take care of yourselves,' Peña Jr. responded. Social media personality and immigrant rights activist Carlos Eduardo Espina, who touts 12.3 million TikTok followers, was among the many people upset online and responded to the clip of the red carpet moment with a loud condemnation of Peña Jr.'s comments. 'For me, this was one of the worst responses that I have ever seen to a question in my whole life,' Espina said in a Feb. 21 TikTok video. 'Just like the saying goes, there are times when not saying anything says a lot. ... what an embarrassment.' Following that round of online criticism Grupo Frontera decided to address the situation head-on in a Feb. 22 Instagram video post. 'We are migrants, our parents are migrants. And we want to tell you directly that we don't support any political party that is against migrants,' Peña Jr. began the video. 'With that said, there have been many things said about us that are not true.' The band's bajo quinto player Alberto Acosta then addressed the 'false news' that had been circulated online about the 'un x100to' artists. 'We are doing this [video] because people are putting us against our raza,' Acosta said. 'For example the 'Y.M.C.A' dance, we had a routine before shows during our last tour where we'd dance a huapango or another song,' band accordionist Juan Javier Cantú said. 'We've danced to that song since primary school and it had nothing to do with any political party at that point.' Lead singer Adelaido 'Payo' Solís proceeded to talk about a TikTok video showing his grandmother dancing to 'Y.M.C.A.' in apparent support for Trump. (Trump was not mentioned by name at any point in the video.) 'I want to tell you all that the only opinions that count from Grupo Frontera are those that come from the group itself,' Solís said. 'Any person that's not one of the six members of Grupo Frontera can't have an opinion on our behalf, nor speak for us, nor express our emotions.' Peña Jr. slammed home the group's intents with his closing statements. 'We are migrants. We're for migrants. We always have been,' he concluded. 'You guys know what we've done and have supported our raza in the U.S. and Mexico and wherever we are. That's what this group represents, not what's been said about us.' The Times has reached out to Grupo Frontera's representatives for comment.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Hampshire needs to sing a different tune on immigration
Migrants wait throughout the night on May 10, 2023, in a dust storm on land between the Rio Grande and the southern border wall, hoping they will be processed by immigration authorities. (Photo by Corrie Boudreaux for Source NM) For reasons known only to its standard bearer, the Republican Party's modern anthem is 'Y.M.C.A.' But it's another song from 1978, originally (and fittingly) the B-side to a track called 'Little Hitler,' that would actually make a lot more sense: Nick Lowe's 'Cruel to be Kind.' 'You've gotta be cruel to be kind, in the right measure, Cruel to be kind, it's a very good sign. Cruel to be kind, means that I love you, baby. (You've gotta be cruel) You've gotta be cruel to be kind.' Don't get me wrong. I'm actually a fan of Lowe's song and would rather it not be ruined by a 'white man's overbite' flash mob at CPAC, but lyrically it makes more sense than 'Y.M.C.A.,' right? We're now at Phase One of the song's agenda — you've gotta be cruel — but the promise is that the 'kind' part is totally going to happen someday. Eventually. When they get around to it. Maybe. Immigration policy is a great example of this, and not just nationally but right here in New Hampshire. In terms of both rhetoric and action, the Republican vision of immigration reform is entirely punitive. After the New Hampshire House passed legislation targeting sanctuary city policies, House Majority Leader Jason Osborne was deliberate in his language, attaching words like 'dangerous,' 'lawless,' and 'invasion' to migrants. Gov. Kelly Ayotte has done the same, describing the situation not in policy terms but through the cultivation of fear — among her chosen phrases are 'destroying' (our cities), 'overwhelming' (our communities), and 'driving crime' (despite New Hampshire's low and falling crime rate and the tired myth about migrant offenders). If you want to win votes on an issue as complex as immigration — and our complexity-averse president actually chose immigration as his party's primary campaign focus over the economy — the easiest path is to stoke xenophobia. So, it is no surprise that the debate over immigrants without legal status has centered on punishment: mass deportation, aggressive enforcement, and denial of due process. The 'cruel' part of the Republican agenda is in full effect, and that has logically made protection of the vulnerable the most urgent immigration issue on the left. At a time when we should be working on thoughtful, long-term policy changes, many advocates for migrants must first and foremost focus on protecting them from state-sanctioned inhumanity. Here's what immigration numbers actually look like in New Hampshire: The American Immigration Council estimates there are 9,500 immigrants without legal status in New Hampshire, a state of 1.4 million people. Meanwhile, the AIC reports, the state boasts 81,900 immigrant residents, who pay about $1.1 billion in taxes and make up roughly 7% of the state's workforce. Put another way, the numbers show that 5.9% of New Hampshire residents are immigrants and just 0.7% of residents are here without proper documentation. But that hasn't stopped Republicans from using the language of invasion to fuel anxiety and win votes, nor will it. It is much easier to blame New Hampshire's 'others' for the housing shortage, crime, and cuts to public services than examine real causes — like bad tax policies and surging economic inequality that affects the entirety of the workforce, for example. Apparently it doesn't matter that the people supposedly 'overwhelming' the state wouldn't come close to filling Manchester's SNHU Arena, or that statistically they pose less of a threat than a crowd of 9,500 New Hampshire citizens chosen at random. There is clearly no depth to such hardline positions on immigration beyond the cruel part — the outgrowth of a zero-sum, racially framed political philosophy that has long existed solely to fracture, and therefore weaken, the middle and lower classes. Within the GOP's overarching narrative of the state being in the midst of an 'invasion' — which requires not only a penchant for negative fantasies but a talent for misunderstanding data — there is real harm being done to a graying state that should be encouraging immigrants to move here and make our communities stronger. And it should go without saying that we should never allow cultivated fear to carry the day, because that is how cruelty as policy gains a foothold, spreads, and solidifies to the point that a state or nation can no longer recognize itself. There is nothing easy about creating immigration policy that is both humane and universally beneficial to the working class — not in the United States, not in Canada, and not even in Denmark. But we can do a lot better than 'cruel to be kind' — especially when the party in power intends to keep delivering only the first part of the refrain.
