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Atlantic
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Atlantic
A Bipartisan Governors' Group Is Splintering in the Trump Era
This coming weekend's summer meeting of the National Governors Association has been planned as a postcard-perfect celebration of bipartisan policy making. At the base of the Rocky Mountains, 20 governors from both parties will gather at the Broadmoor resort, in Colorado Springs, for golf, meals, and panels featuring Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the investor Mark Cuban, and the former Obama-administration economist Jason Furman. But trouble is stirring beyond the open bars and talks about 'reigniting the American dream.' Some Democratic members of the group have privately been fuming in recent months over the organization's tepid reaction to President Donald Trump's federal incursions into state matters. They complain that the group did not respond forcefully enough when Trump's Office of Management and Budget briefly ordered a disruptive pause on the disbursement of all federal funds in January; when Maine Governor Janet Mills and her staff clashed with the White House the following month, over transgender sports; and in June, when Trump deployed the California National Guard to the streets of Los Angeles over the objections of local authorities. At least two Democratic governors—Tim Walz of Minnesota, the 2024 vice-presidential nominee, and Laura Kelly of Kansas—plan to stop paying dues to the organization this month when they are asked to renew their membership. They have concluded that the organization's usefulness is now in doubt, according to two people familiar with the governors' thinking, who requested anonymity to speak about plans that were not yet public. Other Democratic-governors' offices have also been discussing their frustrations with the NGA and how they should respond, three other people familiar with the governors' thinking told us. 'When you are also paying dues with taxpayer dollars, it has got to be worth it, and they are going to have to demonstrate that. Right now they are not doing that,' one of these sources said. 'There have been ongoing concerns about the NGA among the Democratic governors and staff, off and on, for years.' The NGA, a bipartisan group that was formed in 1908 to advise President Theodore Roosevelt on his conservation efforts, claims to be the collective voice of 55 states, territories, and commonwealths, representing their interests to the federal government. The NGA does not disclose the names of the states that pay the annual membership dues of nearly $100,000—money that governors draw from their own states' funds. The NGA communications director, Eric Wohlschlegel, pushed back on the Democratic complaints, saying that the group had been preparing a statement on Trump's disbursement pause when the policy was reversed, and that the NGA did engage with a reporter to correct the record on the Mills conflict. The group didn't issue a statement about the California National Guard deployment because the governors couldn't come to a consensus on it. Wohlschlegel added that the NGA was 'focused on policy, not politics.' 'The National Governors Association exists to bring governors from both parties together around shared priorities, and that mission hasn't changed. Every public statement NGA issues reflects bipartisan consensus,' he told us. 'So far this year, all but one statement has had that consensus, and when governors don't agree, we simply don't issue one. That's how we preserve our role as a bipartisan convener—a principle we won't compromise.' The Democratic frustrations arise from grievances both large and small about how the organization operates. One of the people familiar with the governors' complaints noted that the daily internal NGA newsletter made no mention of a recent hearing on Capitol Hill in which Walz, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker testified about their concerns over Trump's use of the National Guard in California. Those governors were not offered help preparing for the hearing by the NGA, a privilege offered to other governors, this person said. ('No request for support was made, so it's disingenuous to suggest support was withheld,' Wohlschlegel said.) Another person described the decision to stop paying dues as the result of a broader 'frustration and surprise around the fact that we are no longer able to agree and communicate concerns around states' rights and federal overreach.' Neither Walz nor Kelly plans to travel this weekend for the meeting in Colorado Springs, where seven Democratic governors are expected to make an appearance. They are not the first governors to bolt from the collective. During the Obama administration, the leaders of multiple Republican states, including Texas and Florida, said that they would stop paying, citing the cost to taxpayers. Another person familiar with the situation told us that some Democratic NGA members have had 'frustrations with places like Florida, which don't pay dues, but still get to come if they want to come' to NGA events. The offices of Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not respond to emailed questions about whether their states currently pay dues. The decisions by Minnesota and Kansas to hold back fees and pause membership in the organization come as Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, prepares to cede his chairmanship of the organization to Oklahoma Governor J. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who serves as vice chair, this weekend at the Broadmoor meeting. Democratic Maryland Governor Wes Moore is expected to be elected the group's next vice chair during the meeting, according to people familiar with the plan. Under the rules of the organization, the chair position rotates annually between a Democratic and Republican leader. The opposite party from that of the chair gets a majority of the seats on the NGA's executive committee, which currently comprises five Republicans and four Democrats, and has the power to vote on whether the group releases public statements. Conor Cahill, a spokesperson for Polis, said that the Colorado governor has been 'honored' to pursue a series of policy initiatives at the organization, including education and permitting reform, and defended the NGA and its mission. 'During this polarizing time, bipartisan organizations are needed more than ever and NGA must continue to demonstrate value to all governors and effectively communicate governors' opinions on various matters with the public and the federal government,' Cahill told us in a statement. After a February meeting in Washington, D. C., NGA leaders announced a list of '2025 federal priorities' that included items such as emergency-management improvements, waivers for federal social-services funding, and ensuring that the federal government funds the commitments it has already made to the states. 'Governors believe federal action should be limited to the powers expressly conveyed by the Constitution,' the group said in a statement. Until Trump took control of the California National Guard, the NGA had shown a united front on a similar matter related to state military operations. Polis and Stitt have issued repeated statements from the NGA since last year objecting to congressional legislation that would reassign Air National Guard units, which are ostensibly under the command of governors, to the U.S. Space Force without the consent of states. 'This violates federal law and undermines the principles of cooperative federalism and the essential role that Governors play in maintaining the readiness of the National Guard,' they wrote in an April 22 statement. When Trump ordered the National Guard deployment to protect federal immigration-enforcement operations in Los Angeles, that agreement broke down. The Democratic Governors Association, which is led by Kelly, of Kansas, did not hesitate. The group released a statement of its own from 22 Democratic governors—including Polis—calling Trump's Guard deployment 'an abuse of power.' Wohlschlegel argued that this was the proper result for issues on which there was not bipartisan agreement. 'Political advocacy is the job of the DGA and RGA,' he said.
CNN
22-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
5 things to know for July 22: Heat dome, Epstein files, Food benefits, FEMA, Malcolm-Jamal Warner
5 Things People in entertainment Federal agencies Extreme temperaturesFacebookTweetLink Follow The roughly 700 Marines sent to Los Angeles last month in response to anti-immigration protests are being sent home, the Pentagon said. Last week, 2,000 California National Guard members that President Donald Trump deployed there — against the wishes of the state's governor and LA's mayor — were pulled from their 'federal protection mission.' An additional 2,000 remain. The total cost of the mobilization: $134 million. Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day. The heat is on — and millions are about to feel it. A new heat dome will be sealing in hot, humid air in the central and eastern US this week, sending temperatures soaring. Sizzling conditions will start to build from the Gulf Coast to the Plains today before expanding to the Midwest. Wednesday and Thursday could be the new hottest days of the year in Chicago, St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee. The heat will ramp up considerably on Thursday in parts of the Ohio Valley; Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati could come within a degree of or match their hottest day of the year so far. The most intense heat for the East Coast is expected to arrive by Friday, with high temperatures in the middle to upper 90s and a heat index of 100 degrees or more possible for Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Despite pressure from some GOP members of Congress, Speaker Mike Johnson does not plan to allow a House vote calling for the release of additional files in the Jeffrey Epstein case before the August recess. Last week, however, Johnson became the highest-ranking Republican to say he, too, wanted to see more details from the DOJ's investigation of the late, disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker. Earlier this month, the DOJ issued a memo that said Epstein had not been murdered in prison, nor did he leave a client list. That memo contradicted some of the conspiracy theories previously promoted by Trump and his top lieutenants. Now, a bipartisan group of House members is seeking to circumvent Johnson and force a floor vote. However, even if the group succeeds, the measure won't be considered by the full House until after Labor Day at the earliest. The Trump administration has said that healthy eating is a priority. Its 'Make America Healthy Again' report even cited poor diet as a cause of childhood illnesses and chronic diseases. Yet President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which he signed into law on July 4, will make it harder for people to qualify for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by expanding existing work requirements. The law also cut $186 billion — or about 20% — of the food assistance program's budget through 2034. According to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, that means about 3 million people will lose their SNAP benefits, and millions more will see their benefits reduced. Without that assistance, many Americans will have a harder time accessing nutritious food. 'People are going to have to rely on cheaper food, which we know is more likely to be processed, less healthy,' said Kate Bauer, associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Michigan. The head of FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue branch resigned on Monday. Ken Pagurek's departure comes less than three weeks after a delayed FEMA response to catastrophic flooding in central Texas that was caused by bureaucratic hurdles. Pagurek told colleagues that he was frustrated by the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle FEMA, but the delay in approval for his team to swiftly respond to the flooding was the tipping point that led to his decision. Pagurek, who spent more than a decade with FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue branch, including about a year as its chief, joins dozens of other high-ranking officials to leave the agency since Trump took office. Emmy-nominated actor and Grammy-winning musician Malcolm-Jamal Warner died on Sunday in a drowning accident in Costa Rica. He was 54. The New Jersey native was in his early teens when he shot to stardom playing Theo Huxtable on the hit NBC sitcom, 'The Cosby Show.' The show was a touchstone for many in Generation X — a humorous depiction of family life, only the family was middle-class and Black, something that had never been shown on TV before. Over the next three decades, Warner acted in dozens of TV shows, including 'Malcolm & Eddie,' 'Jeremiah,' 'Community,' 'The Resident' and '911.' He won a Grammy Award for best traditional R&B performance in 2015 with the Robert Glasper Experiment for the song 'Jesus Children' and received a Grammy nomination in 2023 for best spoken word poetry album. Last year, Warner launched the podcast 'Not All Hood' to explore the diverse experiences of the Black community. 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 lawsuit against the Pro Football Hall of Famer and podcaster originally sought more than $50 million in damages. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. The fuel injector on certain compact SUVs may crack and leak, potentially causing a fire. The airline's long-standing open-seating boarding tradition is coming to an end. The Boss surprised the audience at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, last weekend and performed two songs. Yes, again. 10 millionAccording to projections from the Congressional Budget Office, that's about how many more people will no longer have health insurance in 2034 due to the sweeping tax and spending cuts package President Trump just signed into law. 'The fact that CBS didn't try to save their No. 1 rated late-night franchise that's been on the air for over three decades is part of what's making everybody wonder … was this purely financial or maybe the path of least resistance for your $8 billion merger?' — Jon Stewart, host of 'The Daily Show,' on the cancellation of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.' 🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect. Diver Paul de Gelder has some helpful tips on how to survive a shark attack. You can stream all of the 'Shark Week' offerings on HBO Max. (Discovery, HBO Max and CNN are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.) Today's edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN's Andrew Torgan.
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Business Standard
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Trump deploys more immigration agents to NYC after migrant shoots officer
The Trump administration will send additional immigration agents to New York, blaming the city's sanctuary policies for a shooting by an undocumented migrant that left an off-duty federal customs officer seriously wounded. The announcement, delivered by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from One World Trade Center on Monday, marked an escalation in the administration's efforts to assert federal control in Democratic-led cities that limit cooperation with immigration authorities. The shooting occurred Saturday night near the George Washington Bridge, where an off-duty US Customs and Border Protection officer was sitting with a friend along the Hudson River. Police said that two men approached on a scooter and one opened fire. The officer returned fire but was shot in the face and arm. A suspect, 21-year-old Miguel Mora, was also wounded and taken to a hospital. Noem said Mora, a Dominican national, entered the US illegally in 2023 and was under a deportation order issued in November. He had been arrested four times on charges including assault, grand larceny and armed robbery, and was wanted in cases in New York and Massachusetts. 'This didn't have to happen. It was because of sanctuary city policies and failed leadership,' Noem said. Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Mora would be charged in Manhattan federal court. A second suspect was arrested on Monday, while the federal officer remains hospitalized and is expected to recover. New York's 'sanctuary' laws, passed in 2014 and 2017, bar city agencies including police from carrying out most civil deportation actions unless the individual has been convicted of one or more of 170 serious crimes — including homicide, rape and robbery — within the past five years. It's one of several major US cities — along with Los Angeles, Chicago and others — that have adopted so-called sanctuary policies restricting local law enforcement from assisting in most federal immigration actions. The Trump administration has vowed to crack down on those jurisdictions — even sending the California National Guard and Marines into LA — arguing that such policies endanger public safety and undermine federal law. Mayor Eric Adams defended the city's approach Sunday, saying it follows state law. 'Here in New York City, our laws are clear on what we can do and what we can't do,' Adams said. 'We will always coordinate with our partners going after dangerous individuals.' The Trump administration sees the matter differently. Tom Homan, the administration's border czar, said the city's refusal to let federal officers to make jail-based arrests has forced US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to conduct higher-risk operations in neighborhoods. 'You don't want to let us in the jails to arrest a bad guy in the safety and security of a jail,' Homan said. 'You want to release him into the street, which makes it unsafe for the alien, because anything can happen in an on-street arrest. 'So what are we gonna do?' he added. 'We're gonna put more agents in New York City to look for that bad guy. So sanctuary cities get exactly what they don't want: more agents in the community.' The enforcement expansion is backed by $150 billion in new federal funding approved as part of a broader immigration and border security initiative. The package includes money to hire 10,000 additional officers and expand detention capacity nationwide.
Mint
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Trump Sending More Immigration Agents to NYC After Shooting
The Trump administration will send additional immigration agents to New York, blaming the city's sanctuary policies for a shooting by an undocumented migrant that left an off-duty federal customs officer seriously wounded. The announcement, delivered by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from One World Trade Center on Monday, marked an escalation in the administration's efforts to assert federal control in Democratic-led cities that limit cooperation with immigration authorities. 'We have a city like New York City that continues to not honor detainers, and to release individuals that are committing crimes on our streets,' Noem said. The shooting occurred Saturday night near the George Washington Bridge, where an off-duty US Customs and Border Protection officer was sitting with a friend along the Hudson River. Police said that two men approached on a scooter and one opened fire. The officer returned fire but was shot in the face and arm. A suspect, 21-year-old Miguel Mora, was also wounded and taken to a hospital. Noem said Mora, a Dominican national, entered the US illegally in 2023 and was under a deportation order issued in November. He had been arrested four times on charges including assault, grand larceny and armed robbery, and was wanted in cases in New York and Massachusetts. 'This didn't have to happen. It was because of sanctuary city policies and failed leadership,' Noem said. Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Mora would be charged in Manhattan federal court. A second suspect was arrested on Monday, while the federal officer remains hospitalized and is expected to recover. New York's 'sanctuary' laws, passed in 2014 and 2017, bar city agencies including police from carrying out most civil deportation actions unless the individual has been convicted of one or more of 170 serious crimes — including homicide, rape and robbery — within the past five years. It's one of several major US cities — along with Los Angeles, Chicago and others — that have adopted so-called sanctuary policies restricting local law enforcement from assisting in most federal immigration actions. The Trump administration has vowed to crack down on those jurisdictions — even sending the California National Guard and Marines into LA — arguing that such policies endanger public safety and undermine federal law. Mayor Eric Adams defended the city's approach Sunday, saying it follows state law. 'Here in New York City, our laws are clear on what we can do and what we can't do,' Adams said. 'We will always coordinate with our partners going after dangerous individuals.' The Trump administration sees the matter differently. Tom Homan, the administration's border czar, said the city's refusal to let federal officers to make jail-based arrests has forced US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to conduct higher-risk operations in neighborhoods. 'You don't want to let us in the jails to arrest a bad guy in the safety and security of a jail,' Homan said. 'You want to release him into the street, which makes it unsafe for the alien, because anything can happen in an on-street arrest. 'So what are we gonna do?' he added. 'We're gonna put more agents in New York City to look for that bad guy. So sanctuary cities get exactly what they don't want: more agents in the community.' The enforcement expansion is backed by $150 billion in new federal funding approved as part of a broader immigration and border security initiative. The package includes money to hire 10,000 additional officers and expand detention capacity nationwide. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Los Angeles Times
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Forget the high road: Newsom takes the fight to Trump and allies on social media
SACRAMENTO — In a common insult the Trump administration uses against dissidents of federal policy, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called a California judge a 'communist' after she blocked roving immigration arrests based on race alone. The MAGA-embraced epithet from Gov. Gavin Newsom's official press office in response, however, was hardly typical for a Democratic politician. 'This fascist cuck in DC continues his assault on democracy and the Constitution, and his attempt to replace the sovereignty of the people with autocracy,' the California governor's office posted on social media. 'Sorry the Constitution hurt your feelings, Stephen. Cry harder.' Popular among the far right and the gutters of social media, the term is used to insult liberals as weak and is also short for 'cuckold,' which refers to the husband of an unfaithful wife. The low blow sanctioned by a potential 2028 presidential candidate set a new paradigm for the political left that has long embraced Michelle Obama's 'when they go low, we go high' motto to rise above the callousness of Trump and his acolytes. It's also an example of Newsom's more aggressive social media strategy. This week the governor posted memes of Trump with child molester and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Shortly after the Department of Homeland Security detained and handcuffed U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla at a news conference in June, state Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Rockland) alleged on X that he would be treated the same way if he interrupted an event held by the governor. 'I'd politely ask you to leave,' retorted Newsom's communications director, Izzy Gardon. 'Though you do not deserve politeness in this moment for this grotesque tweet, you bald little man.' (Patterson later added 'Bald little man' to his profile on the social media site.) The governor and his taxpayer-supported press office joked that HBO had cast Miller as Lord Voldemort — the pasty, hairless super villain in the 'Harry Potter' stories — and mocked the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general after he accused Newsom of fomenting lawlessness. The governor defended the more combative posture at a recent news conference. He noted that Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, had used the word last month when he called Newsom 'the biggest cuck in politics.' 'I don't think they understand any other kind of language, so I have no apologies for standing tall and firm and pushing back against their cruelty,' Newsom said. Newsom's advisors say the governor reached a turning point after the president sent California National Guard troops into Los Angeles to protect federal agents from clashes with protesters during immigration sweeps. Since Trump took office in January, the Democratic leader had been walking a fine line between calling out the president and playing nice in hopes of being able to work together after the California wildfires. The governor said publicly said that the decision to militarize Los Angeles showed him that you can't work with the president, only for him. With federal troops on the ground, his aides said, Newsom also wanted to stand up for California, concerned about what would happen if he didn't. The directive was to match the tactics emanating from the White House and meet Trump and his allies where they are. Forget the high road. Over the last month, they've taken on more fights with Newsom's critics, reacted more quickly to shoot down misinformation about the governor or California, challenged narratives they find to be untrue, or unfair, and taken many of their own shots. 'Sometimes the best way to challenge a bully is to punch them in the metaphorical face,' said Bob Salladay, Newsom's top communications advisor. 'These tactics may seem extreme to some and they are, but there's a significant difference here: We're targeting powerful forces that are ripping apart this country, using their own words and tactics. Trump and Stephen Miller are attacking the powerless like every fascist bully before them.' Newsom's aides say the strategy is working. The governor's personal social media accounts gained 2.3 million new followers, including over 1 million each on TikTok and Instagram, and more than 883 million views from June 6 to July 6, according to his tallies. Podcasters and social media influencers, such as Fred Wellman and Brian Tyler Cohen, boosted the interest with their own posts about the governor. On TikTok in particular, there's a growing ecosystem of people who make videos about his videos. Newsom's official state accounts also experienced an exponential rise in followers and engagement in June. The attention bodes well for a politician considering a bid for president. His aides argue that the strategy benefits California by shutting down misinformation and helping people understand what's really going on. 'The thing that he does so well these days is that he responds rapidly, and he responds rapidly in a way that's very snackable to the average consumer of news,' said Karen North, a professor of digital social media at the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. North pointed to the adage that 'it takes a minute to say a sound bite, but an hour to explain why it is false.' Republicans have been considered masters of sound bites for decades, and Democrats are often criticized for trying to explain the details of policies when people just want to hear the bottom line. Newsom is breaking that mold, she said. 'He has emerged as the person willing and able to take on the president, but in some ways, they use the same playbook of quick, engaging responses that are easy for people to understand without any analysis,' North said. 'Newsom has the advantage of playing defense as an offense. So when the president says something that is problematic to California or problematic to everyday citizens, Gavin Newsom is laser-focused and ready to strike back without any hesitation, and in a way that's very simple and very engaging.' In some ways, the governor learned the hard way after Trump used his platforms to label Newsom as 'incompetent' and blame him for the Los Angeles wildfires in January. The president made a barrage of claims at news conferences and on the social media site Truth Social about dry reservoirs, the need to transfer more water from Northern to Southern California, a lack of forest management and empty fire hydrants that went viral, leaving Newsom on the back foot defending himself. When Trump sent the National Guard into Los Angeles, the governor almost immediately went on the attack to counter the president's claims that he deployed troops to control lawlessness that Newsom had allowed. The governor's office said his June 10 speech, which framed Trump as unnecessarily invading an American city for his own political gain, received 41 million views. Although Newsom's aggression has received praise from some Democrats, it's also a 'a massive pivot from being a Bannon bro,' said Eric Jaye, a former senior advisor to Newsom turned critic who opposed his 2018 gubernatorial bid. Jaye is referring to the 'This is Gavin Newsom' podcast, where the governor flummoxed Democrats who thought he appeared too chummy with Trump campaign architect Steve Bannon, conservative personality Charlie Kirk and others close to the president. Newsom billed the show as an opportunity to speak to people with other viewpoints and he delivered on that premise. The governor also received criticism from within his own party for not forcefully challenging the perspectives that directly contradicted Democratic values, such as opposition to abortion rights, and agreeing with Kirk that it's unfair for transgender athletes to compete in women's sports. Jaye credited Newsom with 'a very quick turnaround,' which 'saved himself.' But now, with his amped-up social media presence, Newsom runs the risk of offending voters who miss respectful political discourse. Trump's derogatory nicknames for his opponents, such as calling Newsom 'Newscum' or Elizabeth Warren 'Pocahontas,' have not appeared to cause the president much political harm. He embraced 'lock her up' chants about Hillary Clinton in 2016 and constantly mocked Joe Biden before the former president dropped out of the 2024 presidential contest. Trump still won both races. North said Trump also has the benefit of saying things that appear 'passionate and reckless,' but people don't believe he's going to follow through. As a potential presidential contender, the question is whether Newsom can use words such as 'cuck' and say he wants to change laws to redistrict California to benefit Democrats in the midterm elections without worrying people and seeming too Trump-like to be palatable to voters who detest the president's antics. 'It has to be disturbing to a lot of people if the new era of politics involves hostile personal attacks,' North said. Times staff writer Seema Mehta contributed to this report.
