LA Mayor Urges All Troops Be Sent Home, Saying Crowd Control ‘Is Not What Our Marines Do'
'This is another win for Los Angeles but this is also a win for those serving this country in uniform,' Bass said in a July 21 statement following a press conference she held alongside state Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat from Los Angeles, as well as veterans and the families of service members.
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New York Post
18 minutes ago
- New York Post
Key Trump national security roles left vacant due to Dem obstruction — leaving US vulnerable to threats
WASHINGTON — Crucial national security jobs in the Trump administration have been left empty by Senate Democrats' obstruction while the White House focuses on installing US ambassadors — leaving America vulnerable to foreign threats, The Post has learned. At least 144 nominees were awaiting confirmation when the Senate broke for its August recess — including picks for senior positions at the State, Defense and Energy departments tasked with military readiness, nuclear issues and weapons of mass destruction. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), in line to take over as Chuck Schumer's No. 2 with the retirement of Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), initially placed a hold on more than 300 Trump nominees — a move one source familiar with the confirmation process described as 'payback' for the administration 'destroying USAID.' Advertisement 'Unprecedented Democrat obstruction against every single presidential nominee has left vital national-security positions vacant, even those tasked with preventing nuclear devices from falling into the wrong hands,' Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) told The Post last week, demanding that the August recess be canceled. 7 President Trump's national security picks have had their confirmations delayed due to Democratic obstruction and a focus instead on installing US ambassadors, administration sources told The Post. AP 'While Chuck Schumer wants to neglect his responsibilities, President Trump continues to work hard from the White House on behalf of the American people,' said White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly. 'He has been clear that the Senate must confirm all of his nominees as quickly as possible.' Advertisement Notably, only around two dozen ambassador nominations are still pending on the Senate calendar, compared to more than 100 nominees for other executive branch roles. The White House notifies the Senate when it wants nominations to be voted on, and some administration sources have groused that the approach of ensuring ambassadors are confirmed first is akin to 'having an army of generals without soldiers.' 'It's vital to have these positions to secure regional stability, especially in our own hemisphere,' added another source close to the White House. 'But it's one of many issues at the moment.' 7 'Unprecedented Democrat obstruction against every single presidential nominee has left vital national-security positions vacant,' Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) told The Post Friday, demanding that the August recess be canceled. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Advertisement While Trump has yet to nominate an assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and global security at the Pentagon, for example, US ambassador to Belgium nominee Bill White, a businessman and former Obama fundraiser, has leapfrogged to the front of the line for consideration. Several ambassadors were approved late last week before the Senate recess — including Louis Rinaldi, a longtime golfing buddy of Trump's, to be envoy to Uruguay; and fast food magnate Andrew Puzder, who donated more than $100,000 to help Republicans and the president's re-election campaign, to be US representative to the European Union, Of the more than a dozen ambassadors confirmed so far, at least half donated to Trump's campaign committees or PACs during the 2024 election cycle or so far in 2025. Others opened their pocketbooks after the president took office — and were confirmed in two months. Advertisement 7 Of the more than a dozen ambassadors confirmed so far, at least half donated to Trump's campaign committees or PACs during the 2024 election cycle or in 2025 — including UK and Northern Ireland ambassador Warren Stephens. Getty Images Warren Stephens, Trump's ambassador to the United Kingdom, donated nearly $400,000 to the RNC in February — a little more than a week after the Senate received his nomination. He was confirmed in a bipartisan 59-39 vote on April 29. US Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta gave $100,000 to the Republican National Committee on April 9, one month after his nomination was sent to the Senate. He was confirmed in a bipartisan 83-14 vote on April 29. Pending national security nominees include the State Department's Bureau of East Asian Affairs-designate Michael DeSombre, whose purview includes US policy on China. DeSombre's nomination was received in the Senate March 24, placed on its executive calendar June 5, and still hasn't received a vote. 7 Several ambassadors were approved late last week before August recess — including Louis Rinaldi, a golfing buddy of Trump's from New York, who was narrowly confirmed to be ambassador to Uruguay. Facebook/Trump National Golf Club Westchester Robert Kadlec, who helmed Trump's Operation Warp Speed and dug deep into the possible culpability of China's military experiments for the COVID-19 pandemic, was nominated in February for a similar role at the Pentagon — but hasn't made it out of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Gerald Parker, who reportedly helped craft the president's executive order banning gain-of-function research that officials and scientific experts have said could have started the COVID outbreak, was tapped to lead the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy but recently resigned. Advertisement Meanwhile, Adrienne Keen, the ex-director for global health security at the National Intelligence Council, who played a role in keeping critical evidence on COVID origins out of a 2021 briefing delivered to former President Joe Biden, remains employed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 7 Robert Kadlec, who helmed Trump's Operation Warp Speed and dug deep into the possible culpability of China's military experiments for the COVID-19 pandemic, was nominated in February but hasn't cleared committee vetting. Bloomberg via Getty Images The delays in filling administration posts have left experts in the field impatient. Rutgers University molecular biologist Richard Ebright said it was 'dismaying the Senate has moved so slowly on confirmation of key nominees for biosecurity positions. The foot-dragging puts US health security and US national security at risk.' Advertisement 'It is even more dismaying that Adrienne Keen, who actively participated in defrauding the public and policy makers about the origin of COVID, remains at the CDC. Keene needs to be terminated for cause forthwith,' added Ebright, who testified on the pandemic's origins before the Senate last year. 'National security should not be politicized,' added Atlantic Council fellow Alex Plitsas. 'If nominees are unqualified or not confirmable for valid reasons then they should be acted upon accordingly to ensure another qualified nominee is sent forward to the Senate for consideration as soon as possible to prevent critical vacancies. Otherwise, holding qualified nominees indefinitely for other reasons is detrimental to our national security.' 7 'It is even more dismaying that Adrienne Keen, who actively participated in defrauding the public and policy makers about the origin of COVID, remains at the CDC,' said Richard Ebright, a Rutgers University molecular biologist. A political appointee tracking website shows the pace of confirmations is roughly the same as under Biden and during Trump's first term — but far beneath that set by former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Advertisement Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Republicans have considered adopting new procedural rules to quicken the process — including eliminating the cloture vote, shortening debate time for nominees down to two hours or voting on groups of nominations at once. 'Going back multiple administrations, both Democrats and Republicans, as recently as Bill Clinton, 98% of all the noms considered were handled either by voice [vote] or UC [unanimous consent] and it's just deteriorated over time to where Trump's, you know, we're at zero here,' Thune told The Post in an exclusive interview last week. 'It's got to be fixed,' he said. 'It certainly hamstrings, I think, the functioning of our government in a way that's really detrimental to the country.' Senate committees noted that the pace of their confirmations is ahead of where it was during the previous two presidential terms, without directly commenting on any of the stalled nominees. Advertisement 7 Democrats have been blocking final Senate approval, with Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii initially placing a hold on more than 300 Trump nominees. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images 'As of July 30th,' a Senate Foreign Relations Committee spokeswoman said the panel, 'had passed 54 nominees, where the Biden Administration had only passed 18 at this point in the admin, and Trump 1.0 Administration had passed 24.' Of the 33 civilian leadership nominees advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at least 22 been confirmed, a spokesman for the panel added. The State Department, Pentagon, Department of Health and Human Services, and Republican National Committee did not immediately respond to requests for comment, nor did spokespeople for Thune, Schumer or Schatz.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Federal judge rules Trump administration cannot reallocate billions meant for disaster mitigation
BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from reallocating $4 billion meant to help communities protect against natural disasters. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns in Boston granted a preliminary injunction sought by 20 Democrat-led states while their lawsuit over the funding moves ahead. The states argue the Federal Emergency Management Agency lacks the authority to end the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and redirect more than $4 billion of its funding. The program aims to harden infrastructure around the country against potential storm damage. FEMA initially announced it was ending the program, but later said in a court filing that it was evaluating it. 'Although the Government equivocates about whether it has, in fact, ended the BRIC program, the States' evidence of steps taken by FEMA to implement the announced termination portend the conclusion that a determination has in fact been made and that FEMA is inching towards a fait accompli,' Stearns wrote in his ruling. 'The agency has cancelled new funding opportunities and informed stakeholders that they should no longer expect to obtain any unobligated funds.' Noting money for the program was allocated by Congress, the states' lawsuit says any attempt to redirect it would run afoul of the Constitution. A lawyer for the government, Nicole O'Connor, argued at a hearing in July that the funds can be used both for disaster recovery and disaster prevention and that FEMA should have discretion to use the money how it sees fit. The program has provided grants for a range of disaster management projects, including strengthening electrical grids, constructing levees for flood protection and relocating vulnerable water treatment facilities. Many of the projects are in rural communities. FEMA said in a news release in April that it was 'ending' the program, but the agency's acting chief, David Richardson, later said in a court filing that FEMA was merely evaluating whether to end or revise it. The states, including California, New York and Washington, argue that the threat of losing the funding alone has put numerous projects at risk of being cancelled, delayed or downsized. And they warn ending the program would be highly imprudent. 'By proactively fortifying our communities against disasters before they strike, rather than just responding afterward, we will reduce injuries, save lives, protect property, and, ultimately, save money that would otherwise be spent on post-disaster costs,' they wrote in the suit filed in July. FEMA said in a court filing an injunction on its use of the funds could hamper its ability to respond to major disasters. Solve the daily Crossword
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Federal judge rules Trump administration cannot reallocate billions meant for disaster mitigation
BOSTON — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from reallocating $4 billion meant to help communities protect against natural disasters. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns in Boston granted a preliminary injunction sought by 20 Democrat-led states while their lawsuit over the funding moves ahead. The states argue the Federal Emergency Management Agency lacks the authority to end the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and redirect more than $4 billion of its funding. The program aims to harden infrastructure around the country against potential storm damage. FEMA initially announced it was ending the program, but later said in a court filing that it was evaluating it. 'Although the Government equivocates about whether it has, in fact, ended the BRIC program, the States' evidence of steps taken by FEMA to implement the announced termination portend the conclusion that a determination has in fact been made and that FEMA is inching towards a fait accompli,' Stearns wrote in his ruling. 'The agency has cancelled new funding opportunities and informed stakeholders that they should no longer expect to obtain any unobligated funds.' Noting money for the program was allocated by Congress, the states' lawsuit says any attempt to redirect it would run afoul of the Constitution. A lawyer for the government, Nicole O'Connor, argued at a hearing in July that the funds can be used both for disaster recovery and disaster prevention and that FEMA should have discretion to use the money how it sees fit. The program has provided grants for a range of disaster management projects, including strengthening electrical grids, constructing levees for flood protection and relocating vulnerable water treatment facilities. Many of the projects are in rural communities. FEMA said in a news release in April that it was 'ending' the program, but the agency's acting chief, David Richardson, later said in a court filing that FEMA was merely evaluating whether to end or revise it. The states, including California, New York and Washington, argue that the threat of losing the funding alone has put numerous projects at risk of being cancelled, delayed or downsized. And they warn ending the program would be highly imprudent. 'By proactively fortifying our communities against disasters before they strike, rather than just responding afterward, we will reduce injuries, save lives, protect property, and, ultimately, save money that would otherwise be spent on post-disaster costs,' they wrote in the suit filed in July. FEMA said in a court filing an injunction on its use of the funds could hamper its ability to respond to major disasters.
