Latest news with #andurbandevelopment
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Homeless who refuse to cooperate with Trump crackdown may go to jail, White House says
US communities have long experienced seemingly intractable problems with homelessness, which reached an all-time national high of more than 771,000 men, women and children on a single night in 2024, according to the department of housing and urban development's (HUD) latest homelessness report to Congress. The HUD report estimated Washington's homeless population at 5,616, a 14.1% increase from the year before. That made Washington, a city of just over 700,000 people, the 16th out of the 20 US cities with the largest homeless populations, according to the website USA Facts. The top five cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Denver. The District of Columbia had the highest prevalence of homelessness among US states, with 83 homeless individuals for every 10,000 people, HUD data showed. Homeless people did not appear to be caught up in a Monday night sweep by 850 officers and federal agents, who the White House said made 23 arrests across the city, an operation which Leavitt announced at a press conference on Monday. The District of Columbia operates under the Home Rule Act which gives Congress ultimate authority but allows residents to elect a mayor and city council. Trump bypassed the city's elected leaders by declaring a 'public safety emergency' and invoking a section of the act that allows the president to take over the police force for 30 days under emergency conditions. On Sunday night, a small group of federal agents arrived at Union Station, a gathering place for homeless people, and briefly questioned a person standing there, according to a man who was outside the building at the time. After about 15 minutes, the agents from federal agencies left. Jacob Adams, a political activist with Flare USA, a self-described anti-Trump group, was sitting at the organisation's table set up near the fountain outside the station. He said the agents did nothing to disperse the people who had gathered there, and told them they could stay overnight. 'I don't know if it was a show of force or photo ops but it didn't come off as very forceful,' Adams said. Wassenich said on Tuesday so far there was little evidence of the unhoused population being directly affected by the surge in law enforcement. 'If they are caught up in other things, that's certainly possible,' he said. 'The tents are standing. The people are sleeping on whatever bench they might be on.'
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Facing farmers' flak, Punjab govt scraps land pooling policy
CHANDIGARH: In the face of mounting criticism from farmers' groups and dissent within AAP ranks, Punjab government Monday withdrew its controversial Land Pooling Policy, 2025. The development comes four days after Punjab and Haryana high court stayed the policy, flagging several concerns, including absence of a rehabilitation policy for landless farm labourers, lack of impact assessment studies on society and environment, and the fact that fertile land was shortlisted for pooling. It may affect the social milieu, high court had said Thursday. On Monday, thousands of farmers held motorcycle rallies across the state to protest the land-pooling bid. In the evening, department of housing and urban development issued a short press note: "government hereby withdraws the Land Pooling Policy, 2025, and its subsequent amendments. Consequently, all actions like LOIs issued, registrations done or any other action taken thereunder shall be reversed henceforth. " It is learnt AAP's top leadership grew increasingly concerned the policy could be politically damaging and undermine govt's other achievements over the past three years. Several AAP functionaries had resigned over the issue, and dissent within the ranks was growing louder. Less than three weeks ago CM Bhagwant Mann assert that farmers would not suffer any losses and that they "actually like the policy as it would transform them into stakeholders in govt's development schemes". "The policy was introduced in the interest of farmers. AAP always stands with farmers. If farmers do not like this policy, why should we impose it? Therefore, respecting the voice of farmers we are withdrawing this policy," AAP spokesman Neel Garg posted on X.
