Latest news with #executiveorders
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Utahns weigh in on Trump's job performance and key issues six months in
The first six months of President Donald Trump's second term brought a whirlwind of executive orders, trade deals, and significant policy changes. While he celebrated the recent passage of his major legislative tax package, dubbed the 'big, beautiful bill,' the president has also had a tumultuous month dealing with the fallout over his administration's decision not to release files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, Trump continues to travel and meet with foreign leaders to discuss new trade agreements as they look to avoid the president's tariffs. Trump and his envoys have also actively engaged in trying to end foreign conflicts with varying degrees of success, including the Russia-Ukraine war and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas, and Israel and Iran. In the latest Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted by HarrisX, Utahns were asked if they approve or disapprove of Trump's job performance so far. While a majority of the state's voters approve of the president's performance so far, they had a more mixed reaction to his policies. Among the 802 Utah voters surveyed, 54% said they strongly or somewhat approve of the job Trump is doing in the White House, which is down slightly from his 56% job approval in May. Voters were also asked to weigh in on Vice President JD Vance's job performance, with 50% of Utah voters saying they approve of his work so far in the administration, compared to 33% who disapprove and 17% who said they were unsure. Utahns weigh in on Trump's policies In the latest survey, Utah voters were also asked how well they think Trump is doing on key issues and campaign promises. Generally, Utahns approve of Trump's actions on most issues. He did best among voters in the state on his approach to immigration and reducing the cost of government. Trump earned a 56% approval rating from Utahns on both issues. But on these issues, as with most others, there was a deep partisan split in Trump's job approval. On immigration, 77% of Utah Republicans said they approve of the job Trump is doing, while only 15% of Utah Democrats said the same. On reducing the cost of government, 77% of Republicans approve of the job Trump is doing, compared to 14% of Democrats. On both issues, 42% of independents said they like the job Trump is doing, while disapproval on immigration and cost cutting hovered around 50%. Jason Perry, the director of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics, said Trump continues to receive 'solid support' from voters in Utah. 'Utahns are well acquainted with him, his style, and his policies, and that familiarity seems to be creating a consistent level of support. That approval appears to be driven by a sense that Trump is focused on the issues many Utah voters care about most, especially immigration and the economy,' Perry said. 'When voters feel that kind of alignment, it can outweigh other concerns and lead to a consistent level of approval.' Voters in the state continue to rank Trump favorably on foreign affairs issues. Overall, he earns a 52% approval rating for handling foreign affairs. On the Israel-Iran conflict, voters in Utah gave the president a 54% approval rating. While Trump is largely viewed in a positive light by voters in the state, there are some issues where Utahns are split. On the campaign trail and since being back in office, Trump has blamed inflation on former President Joe Biden and sought to bring down costs on everyday goods — even as economists say his tariffs could hike prices. According to the survey, 49% of Utah voters approve of Trump's work to tackle inflation, with 45% expressing disapproval. Perry said inflation was a major issue for voters in the lead up to the 2024 election and has remained 'top of mind.' In Utah, Trump receives 'mixed reviews' from voters on the issue, he said. Another major marker of Trump's time back in office has been his expansive tariff agenda. The president added major tariffs on about 90 countries on what he dubbed 'Liberation Day' in early April, shaking up global markets and forcing global leaders to come to the table to try to strike trade deals. While Trump has remained confident in his tariff plan, Utahns are evenly split on how they feel about the issue. The survey found that 47% of voters approved of Trump's actions on tariffs, while 47% disapproved and 6% were not sure. Perry noted that voters are even more divided on Trump's approach to tariffs and trade than on inflation. 'Voters may support the broader message, but many are not seeing the changes they hoped for in their grocery bills or other expenses,' Perry said. 'These are personal, pocketbook issues, and they hit close to home.' 'They are also harder to explain away with talking points which is why, regardless of party, this is where Trump earned his lowest marks from Utah voters,' he added. Other trends Trump is still popular among Republicans in Utah, with 76% saying they approve of the job he is doing six months into his second term. Democrats in the state remain strongly opposed to Trump and his policies, with 88% disapproving of the president's performance. Independent voters in Utah also largely disapprove of Trump's job in the Oval Office, with 61% expressing disapproval and just 35% who say the president has done a good job. Similar to previous surveys, Trump is favored more by men (57%) than women (48%), and slightly more by white voters (53%) than Hispanic voters (50%). Among Latter-day Saint voters, Trump had a 60% job approval rating. The age demographic with the highest number of voters who approve of the job the president is doing is 35-49 year olds (57%), while Utahns over 65 were least likely to approve (48%).
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Maine education chief told state's schools to ignore Trump's executive orders, emails show
EXCLUSIVE: Emails provided to Fox News Digital show Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin writing memos for all the state's school districts after President Donald Trump began to make executive orders addressing public education. The opening months of Trump's second term saw a highly publicized feud with Maine Gov. Janet Mills over the issue of trans athletes in girls' sports. "Dear Champions of Education, as executive orders continue to flow out of DC, there is increasing misinformation, disinformation, and confusion impacting our schools," read Makin's draft of a memo for all the state's superintendents, in a Jan. 28 email, which was provided to Fox News Digital by the group Defending Education. "Last week, we advised schools to adhere to the Maine Human Rights Act and your local school board policies related to nondiscrimination. We encourage you to continue to keep all people safe and we reiterate the fact that, at present, neither our state law nor your local policies are diminished by the executive orders directing action at the federal level." It continued, "Most of the executive orders pertain to federal agencies and federal laws over which Maine DOE has no authority." Two days later, Makin corresponded with Maine Assistant Attorney General Sarah Forster, with a draft of a memo to schools. The memo included orders to avoid complying with Trump's "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," executive order. "… this EO changes nothing for Maine schools," part of an email discussing the memo wrote. The memo draft said "Maine schools should continue to follow the laws of our state and the provisions within their local policies." In Makin's email, she suggested cutting paragraphs from the memo that summarized the actual goals of the executive order out of the memo. Then, in a Jan. 31 email, Makin drafted another memo to superintendents and school leaders addressing the executive order. "The Executive Order does not alter the obligations of schools under state law, including the Maine Human Rights Act, and does not require any immediate changes to locally adopted school board policies," the memo read. By defying Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order after it was signed on Feb. 5, the state allowed its winter girls' track and field season to conclude with an infamous podium finish. A transgender athlete from Greely High school won first place in the girls' pole vault state championship on Feb. 17. "I watched this male pole vaulter stand on the podium and we were all just like looking we were like 'We're pretty sure that's not a girl. There's no way that's a girl,'" Presque Isle High School girls' track athlete Hailey Himes previously told Fox News Digital. "It was really discouraging, especially for the girls on the podium not in first place. So that motivated me to fight for them." The incident quickly thrust the state into the national spotlight over the issue. A Feb. 19 email, which was sent between two members of the Maine Principal's Association (MPA), whose names were redacted upon request of public records, made mention of another order that was sent from Makin's department to all Maine schools. "The MPA is following the Maine Department of Education's priority notice that was sent out on Jan. 21st, 2025, instructing all schools in Maine to follow the Maine Human Rights Act," the email, which had the subject line "TITLE IX," read. The same message was circulated in another email between state education officials, whose identities were redacted upon a public records request, in early March. Trump made it a point on Feb. 20 to call out Maine for allowing "men in women's sports" during a White House Meeting of GOP Governors, vowing to cut funding to the state if it didn't comply with his executive order. The very next day, on Feb. 21, during a bipartisan meeting of governors, Trump threatened to cut federal funding right to Mills' face when she said she wouldn't comply. Earlier that morning, Makin sent a mass email to her Maine Department of Education colleagues, outlining impending defiance of Trump's executive order, disregarding his threats of federal funding cuts. "Last night, the President directly referenced the State of Maine, declaring his plan to withhold Federal funding from Maine because of reports that a transgender athlete is allowed to compete in high school sports," the email read, giving more instructions to follow the Maine Human Rights Act. "There are many congressional barriers and checks and balances of government that should prevent the president from acting on his statement." That same day, the superintendent of the school district that Greely High School is a part of, MSAD #51's Jeff Porter, reached directly out to Makin, asking if the state would be changing its policies to follow Trump's executive order. Makin's response was redacted upon a public records request. In the waning hours of that afternoon on the 21st of February, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would be launching a Title IX investigation against the state. In the first week of March, Makin was involved in an email chain with the Maine Education director of communications, and director of special projects, after an employee at Freeport High School sent a request for Makin. Freeport High School's girls' track team came in second place to Greely High School at the girls' track and field championships that the trans athlete competed in. The trans athlete's pole vault victory was pivotal in deciding the team finishes. However, the Freeport employee didn't appear to directly reference that incident in the email. "Many educators are shaken and feeling vulnerable," the employee wrote. "Hearing from you that we will stand together as a community would be a gift to Maine educators. I would like to hear in particular that the Maine DOE will offer support to any school or district targeted for investigation as a result of reports of 'divisive ideologies and indoctrination' or 'illegal discriminatory practices at institutions of learning.'" The email also referenced an apparent video Makin delivered at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which the employee claims helped boost morale. The Education director of Special Projects wrote, in correspondence with Makin while discussing whether to honor the request, that they had received another request from Freeport. "My vote is that the field needs to hear from you… they need reassurance from their leader and the silence is not helpful… we got another one over weekend from Freeport," the director of special projects wrote. However, the director of communication argued that more responsibility should land directly with Mills to communicate with the schools. "My opinion is that a bigger conversation with the Governor's Office regarding communication to the field could be beneficial to us all," the director of communication wrote. Makin responded, writing "None of that could be done without the [governor's office] first giving approval… I hope they will allow her to do something before she gets to the TOY Gala on Saturday." It is unclear if Makin or Mills ever ended up fulfilling the Freeport employee's request. The past controversy involving the Greely High School athlete had a wide-ranging ripple effect on the state's congress. Maine GOP state Rep. Laurel Libby was censured by the Democrat majority for a social media post that publicized the Greely student who won the girls' pole vault title in February. Libby later filed a lawsuit that went all the way up to the Supreme Court over the censure. The Supreme Court ordered the state legislature to restore Libby's voting rights in May. However, her speaking rights were still withheld until Maine House Assistant Majority Leader Lori Gramlich, a Democrat, proposed Libby's speaking rights be restored on June 25. The resolution passed by a whopping vote of 115-16, despite previously voting 75-70 to censure Libby months earlier. Emails obtained by Fox News Digital from Gramlich's inbox show multiple self-described Democrat Libby constituents lambasting her and the party's handling of Libby's censure before Gramlich. "I am a lifelong Democrat who first worked for Eugen McCarthy's Presidential bid," one email wrote to Gramlich, Fecteau, later adding, "Depriving Libby of her voice and her vote does not punish her. She and the GOP love it… "Depriving her of her voice and vote is unethical, as it punishes her constituents. You have removed MY representative in the house. Depriving Libby of her voice and vote is the best thing that can happen to her in a long time. She is advancing her public profile dramatically, not just locally but statewide and nationally by playing the victim and claiming the role of protector of girls and women." Another email from another of Libby's constituents wrote, "I believe that supporting women in government must include supporting women with differing opinions. Silencing an elected official for expressing a viewpoint — even a controversial one — sets a concerning precedent for both free speech and fair representation." Fox News Digital has reached out to Gramlich's and Fecteau's offices to ask why they voted to restore Libby's speaking rights. On June 8, Libby and the Maine AG's office agreed to drop the censure lawsuit. Libby provided a statement to Fox News Digital one day earlier on June 7, addressing her decision not to contest the AG ruling her lawsuit moot after her rights were restored. "While the Attorney General now claims this case is moot, make no mistake—this is only because House Democrats backed down in the face of legal defeat. They rescinded the unconstitutional restrictions on my voting and speaking rights, and more importantly, they've put in writing that those restrictions cannot be reimposed for the same reasons in the future," Libby said. "I will not contest the AG's mootness argument—but only because the constitutional rights of my constituents have now been restored and the leadership has formally abandoned the punishment they once insisted was justified." The state is now in a lawsuit against the DOJ after refusing to make an agreement to comply with Trump's demands on protecting girls' sports. Residents organized multiple protests and marches on the state's capitol building in Augusta over the issue, wielding signs that echoed the messages of a national movement to "save girls' sports." Many of the protesters were girls' high school sports athletes like Himes, who marched on the capital to lobby for a state-level bill to keep girls' sports exclusively female in early May. Trump's administration made multiple funding pauses to the state over the issue of trans athletes, which were later rescinded. The first was to the state's university system, UMS, on March 11. That pause ended after a Title IX compliance review. The second pause came on April 2, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut funding to all Maine public schools. That pause ended on May 2. Amid the chaos, some school districts in the state even went out of their way to defy Mills and Makin, to comply with Trump on the issue. MSAD #70, in mid-April, and RSU #24, in early May, each passed localized resolutions that ensured only females were allowed in girls' sports. Still, the state's high school sports season in 2025 saw another transgender athlete for North Yarmouth Academy compete against girls in Nordic skiing and track and field. The state's tornado of national attention came to a lull in early June when the school year and high school sports season ended. The trans athlete for Greely High School that thrust the state into chaos months earlier did not show up to compete in the girls' state finals on June 10. Now, the state has a fall sports season to worry about in the coming months and a trial date with the DOJ in January as the state's Democratic leaders remain defiant of Trump. All the while, data suggests the state's residents don't support current policies. A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women's sports to biological women." The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women's and girls' sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with children under age 18. "The Maine Department of Education is captured by activists who want to project their troubling ideology onto children, regardless of the unfairness or even danger this poses to young girls. If Maine's officials truly cared about their athletes, they would have already reversed course years ago. Unfortunately, this is about pushing a dangerous ideology above all else," Defending Education's Casey Ryan told Fox News Digital of his opinion on Makin's handling of the situation. Defending Education Outreach Director Erika Sanzi told Fox News Digital, "It's bad enough when an individual school is teeming with gender ideologues but when the state's department of education is also overrun with these activists, the well-being of students is at much greater risk." Now, more than five months after Makin's initial guidance to Maine schools to defy Trump, the state's conflict with the White House may only just be beginning. And that defiance may not have even represented the desires of most Mainers to begin with. Additionally, because of that defiance that Makin helped stoke initially, Libby's rise could foreshadow a wide-ranging impact on the state's political balance of power in the 2026 midterms and Maine's gubernatorial election.
Washington Post
7 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Silicon Valley bet on Trump. It's starting to pay off.
Happy Thursday! I'm Margot Amouyal, a news intern at The Washington Post, rounding up this week's top tech news with help from Andrea Jiménez. Don't forget to send news tips to my colleague Will Oremus at A big week for tech leaders in Washington As the White House on Wednesday revealed its plan to help the United States lead a global race to develop artificial intelligence, President Donald Trump signed three executive orders intended to boost the American tech sector, our colleagues Cat Zakrzewski and Hannah Natanson report. Together, the actions will facilitate exports of U.S. technologies and boost the build-out of data centers — advancing the agenda of executives and investors seeking to cash in on an AI gold rush. Trump announced the plan at an event co-hosted by the Hill and Valley Forum, an influential interest group founded by tech leaders, and 'All-In,' a popular Silicon Valley podcast co-hosted by White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks. 'America must once again be a country where innovators are rewarded with a green light, not strangled with red tape,' Trump said to an audience of administration officials and executives, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and tech investor Chamath Palihapitiya. The tech leaders cheered as Trump discussed executive orders intended to combat excessive regulation. Administration officials later attended an after-party organized by the Hill and Valley Forum's co-founders at the upscale, members-only Ned's Club in D.C., according to an invitation viewed by The Washington Post. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was slated to speak briefly at the party, according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private event. (The Post has a content partnership with OpenAI.) Trump has flaunted his administration's connections to the industry as a display of innovation and economic power. But consumer advocates warn that industries should not be able to write their own rules, amid concerns that AI could kill jobs, harm the environment and exacerbate existing social biases. Meanwhile, more details are emerging about the global breach of Microsoft server software. Washington Post reporters Ellen Nakashima, Joseph Menn and Carolyn Y. Johnson have reported that the National Institutes of Health was among the targets in the breach. An investigation is underway to assess the scope and severity of the attack. The National Nuclear Security Administration, the federal agency responsible for securing the nation's nuclear weapons, including 5,000 warheads, also was targeted. A person familiar with the matter said no classified information was exposed in the breach. Hackers with connections to the Chinese government are behind at least some of the global Microsoft server breaches, particularly in its SharePoint system, which is used to coordinate work on documents and projects, Menn and Nakashima reported. Hegseth Signal messages came from email classified 'SECRET,' watchdog told (Dan Lamothe and John Hudson) Two FTC commissioners are turning their firings into a resistance tour (Politico) How Trump's war on clean energy is making AI a bigger polluter (The Verge) Trade group asks Supreme Court to limit Mississippi's social media law (The Hill) YouTube Shorts is adding an image-to-video AI tool, new AI effects (TechCrunch) Amazon shuts down Shanghai AI research lab (Financial Times) Meta updates safety features for teens. More than 600,000 accounts linked to predatory behavior (CNBC) Microsoft poaches top Google DeepMind staff in AI talent war (Financial Times) Tesla earnings show ongoing fallout from Musk's breakup with Trump (Trisha Thadani and Faiz Siddiqui) U.K. regulator seeks special status for Apple and Google that could mandate changes for Big Tech (Associated Press) Uber tests option in the U.S. to match female riders and drivers (Bloomberg) Trump administration leans in on memes, AI and MAGA messaging online (NBC News) Teens say they are turning to AI for friendship (Associated Press) That's all for today — thank you so much for joining us! Make sure to tell others to subscribe to the Tech Brief. Get in touch with Will (via email or social media) for tips, feedback or greetings!
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Donald Trump signs executive orders ramping up AI exports with caveat of ending unchecked ‘woke' technology
Donald Trump has signed three executive orders he claims will crown America victors of the 'AI race,' including a hard stance on 'woke' artificial intelligence. The president and his administration unveiled its AI action plan, 'Winning the AI Race,' in Washington which look to lift the restrictions and 'red tape' of safeguards and standards on AI from former President Joe Biden that limited its development. The order announced the ramped up export and sale of US AI software and hardware overseas and looks to speed up construction of data centres in the US running AI products. 'America is the country that started the AI race. And as president of the United States, I'm here today to declare that America is going to win it,' Trump declared. 'We also have to have a single federal standard, not 50 different states regulating this industry in the future. 'America must once again be a country where innovators are rewarded with a green light, not strangled with red tape'. The 24-page plan includes over 90 recommendations as the US looks to get ahead of countries like China also quickly developing AI models in hopes of becoming the global leader for the new tech. 'Winning this competition will be a test of our capacities unlike anything since the dawn of the space age.' The order is also a part of Mr Trump's expansive campaign targeting institutions such as schools and agencies promoting diversity. 'The American people do not want woke Marxist lunacy in the AI models, and neither do other countries,' he said. The move now extends to Mr Trump's longstanding grievances with tech companies that Republicans have accused of quashing right wing principles. With AI's output over the internet becoming near unrestricted and unchecked in recent times, companies will need to comply with the plan to ensure their restrictions are eased. On top of loosened restrictions, which the tech industry has been pushing for, the president's order also emphasised the AI race as one of geopolitical supremacy. With China already investing billions into manufacturing for AI products and datacentres, their output is expected to be ahead of US output thus far, which the Trump administration hopes will change. The most bizarre moment came with Mr Trump even suggesting a change of name for AI, claiming he doesn't like the word 'artificial.' 'I can't stand it,' he said. 'I don't even like the name, you know? I don't like anything that's artificial. So could we straighten that out, please? We should change the name. I actually mean that. 'It's not artificial. It's genius.'
Washington Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Live updates: Trump plans visit today to Federal Reserve as he continues attacks on its chairman
President Donald Trump plans Thursday to visit the Washington headquarters of the Federal Reserve, a move that comes as he continues to attack the independent central bank's chairman, Jerome H. Powell, on his management of the economy. Trump has threatened to fire Powell but signaled this week he might allow him to remain in place as chairman until the end of his term in May. Trump administration officials previously announced plans to tour the site of ongoing costly building renovations at the Fed on Thursday. The White House provided no details about what Trump will do there. Separately, Trump plans to sign executive orders at the White House on Thursday afternoon. He is continuing to face fallout from his administration's handling of the case of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Paul Ingrassia is unlike any nominee ever put forward to lead the Office of Special Counsel — and his confirmation prospects are increasingly uncertain. A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that President Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship is unconstitutional and upheld a nationwide ban on his administration from implementing the measure. President Donald Trump was struggling Wednesday to contain the fallout from his administration's decision not to release the Epstein files, as a House subcommittee for the first time voted to subpoena the administration for the files and a Florida court declined to release grand jury testimony from the case. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has directed personnel to sharply increase the number of immigrants they shackle with GPS-enabled ankle monitors, as the Trump administration widens surveillance of people it is targeting for deportation, according to an internal ICE document reviewed by The Washington Post. In a June 9 memo, ICE ordered staff to place ankle monitors on all people enrolled in the agency's Alternatives to Detention program 'whenever possible.'
