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GMA Network
8 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
US Supreme Court hands Trump 'giant' win on powers of judges
US President Donald Trump attends the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., April 21, 2025. REUTERS/ Leah Millis/ File photo WASHINGTON, United States — US President Donald Trump hailed a "giant win" Friday after the Supreme Court curbed lone judges from blocking the Republican's raft of controversial policies. The 6-3 ruling, with the court's liberal justices all dissenting, stemmed from Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship. The court said individual district judges had likely exceeded their powers by issuing nationwide injunctions, which have also blocked a string of Trump's hardline policies on immigration, diversity and firing federal employees. "The Supreme Court has delivered a monumental victory for the Constitution, the separation of powers and the rule of law," 79-year-old Trump told a hastily arranged press conference at the White House. Trump said he would now proceed with "so many policies" that had been "wrongly" blocked, including stopping funding for transgender people and "sanctuary cities" for migrants. His initial reaction to the ruling came in a post on Truth Social, welcomed it as a "GIANT WIN." US Attorney General Pam Bondi, standing alongside Trump at the podium, said the ruling would stop "rogue judges striking down President Trump's policies across the entire nation." Trump separately hailed a "great ruling" by the Supreme Court to let parents opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed books at public schools. Critics say the move threatens secular education by opening the door to religious objections. 'Step toward authoritarianism' The Supreme Court did not rule on the constitutionality of Trump's executive order seeking to end automatic citizenship for children born on US soil. But the broader decision on the scope of judicial rulings removes a big roadblock to Trump's often highly contested policy agenda and has far-reaching ramifications for the ability of the judiciary to rein in Trump—or future US presidents. The Supreme Court's majority decision was authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee, and joined by the other five conservative justices. "Federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch," wrote Barrett, who has previously been a frequent target of Trump loyalists over previous decisions that went against the president. The Supreme Court's three liberal justices dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the ruling was "nothing less than an open invitation for the government to bypass the constitution." Democrats swiftly blasted the decision, saying it would embolden Trump as he pushes the boundaries of presidential power in his second term. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called it a "terrifying step toward authoritarianism." Trump however rejected concerns about the concentration of power in the White House. "This is really the opposite of that," Trump said. "This really brings back the Constitution." Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship is just one of a number of his moves that have been blocked by district court judges around the country—both Democratic and Republican appointees—since he took office in January. Courts have, for example, blocked or slowed down his hardline immigration crackdown, firing of federal employees, efforts to end diversity programs and punitive actions against law firms and universities. 'Lawless actions' Past presidents have also complained about national injunctions shackling their agenda. But such orders have sharply risen under Trump, who saw more in his first two months than Democrat Joe Biden did during his first three years in office. The case was ostensibly about Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship, which was deemed unconstitutional by courts in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington state. But it actually focused on whether a single federal district court judge has the right to issue a nationwide block to a presidential decree with a universal injunction. The issue has become a rallying cry for Trump and his Republican allies, who accuse the judiciary of impeding his agenda against the will of voters. Steven Schwinn, a law professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, told AFP that the court's ruling "sharply undermines the power of federal courts to rein in lawless actions by the government." Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship decrees that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become citizens. Trump said that the policy "was meant for the babies of slaves," dating back to the US Civil War era in the mid 1800s. — Agence France-Presse
New York Times
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Melania Trump Suits Up for the Military Parade
It wasn't exactly dress whites, but it was dressy and white, with thin blue pinstripes and shiny silver buttons. And while it may not have had epaulets, it did have shoulder pads. As Melania Trump took her place next to her husband in the presidential viewing stand to watch the Army's 250th anniversary parade, her suit suggested that if he was the commander in chief, she was his general. As he has his own uniform of Pavlovian patriotism (navy suit, white shirt and red tie), she has hers. Regalia takes all forms. As such, the suit was something of a riposte to those who would still see her as a reluctant political spouse: Whether or not she spends all her time in the White House, she's there, and appropriately costumed for key scenes like this one. And it was fully in line with the almost militantly controlled and contained public image Mrs. Trump had been crafting since the end of her husband's first term, when she wore an army green Alexander McQueen skirt suit to give her speech at the Republican National Convention in 2020. She even wore a trench coat, a garment originally made for British soldiers in World War I, to the White House Easter Egg Roll in April. Politics is a battlefield, she has always seemed to be saying, and you have to armor yourself accordingly. Even if only in a buttoned-up skirt suit, with stilettos on your feet instead of in your pockets. If this particular skirt suit — a double-breasted cotton twill blazer with a matching high-waisted pencil skirt — was a little more navy (or country club navy) than army, it still had an awfully regimental vibe. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Is religious influence increasing in the US? What Americans said in survey
More Americans said they think the influence of religion is increasing in U.S. society compared to the previous year, a new poll found. Thirty-four percent of U.S. adults said they think religious influence is growing, up 14 percentage points from last year, according to a June 11 Gallup poll. However, a majority of respondents, 59%, still said religion is losing its influence in the country, according to the poll. 'The recent shifts represent a departure from the trend over the past 15 years that has generally seen larger percentages of Americans saying religious influence is decreasing rather than increasing,' researchers said. The survey of 1,003 U.S. adults was taken between May 1-18 and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points. Exact reasons behind the shift in opinions are unclear, but it could be 'a reaction to the Republican sweep of the federal government in last fall's election,' researchers said. President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to bring religion back to the country. In February, when Trump announced a new task force to investigate 'anti-Christian bias,' he urged Americans to 'bring religion back,' the Associated Press reported. During the White House Easter Egg Roll on April 21, he said: 'We're bringing religion back in America. We're bringing a lot of things back, but religion is coming back to America.' Researchers said a similar shift was recorded in 1994 when Republicans took over Congress for the first time in four decades, but there were no 'meaningful changes' after GOP victories in the 2000, 2010 and 2016 elections. Other notable shifts The highest recorded spike in Americans who said they think religious influence is increasing happened following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America, when the number jumped 32 percentage points to 71%, according to the poll. More recently, researchers saw a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic, when 38% of Americans said they saw more religious influence in society, up from 19% pre-pandemic, the poll found. Which groups think religion in America is increasing? More Democrats, 41%, said they think 'religion as a whole is increasing its influence on American life,' compared with 35% of Republicans and 31% of Independents who said the same thing, according to the poll. Individuals associated with no religion said they think religion is growing at slightly higher rates than Protestants and Catholics, 36% compared to 33% and 35%, respectively, the poll found. Younger adults, those between 18 and 29 years old, also said they believe religious influence is increasing at higher rates than the rest of Americans, according to the poll.
Express Tribune
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Pentagon chief warns of imminent China threat
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends the annual White House Easter Egg Roll event, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 21, REUTERS US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday that China was "credibly preparing" to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia, vowing the United States was "here to stay" in the region. The Pentagon chief made the remarks at an annual security forum in Singapore as the administration of US President Donald Trump spars with Beijing on trade, technology, and influence over strategic corners of the globe. China's embassy in Singapore blasted the speech, accusing Washington of escalating tensions in the region and "profiting from creating risks of war". "The threat China poses is real and it could be imminent," Hegseth said at the Shangri-La Dialogue attended by defence officials from around the world. Beijing is "credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific", he said. Hegseth warned that the Chinese military was building the capabilities to invade Taiwan and "rehearsing for the real deal". Hegseth described China's conduct as a "wake-up call", accusing Beijing of endangering lives with cyber attacks, harassing its neighbours, and "illegally seizing and militarising lands" in the disputed South China Sea.
Express Tribune
30-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Court stops Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump attends the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 21, 2025. PHOTO:REUTERS A federal court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law, swiftly throwing into doubt Trump's signature set of economic policies that have rattled global financial markets, frustrated trade partners and raised broader fears about inflation intensifying and the economy slumping. The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits arguing Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs exceeded his authority and left the country's trade policy dependent on his whims. Trump has repeatedly said the tariffs would force manufacturers to bring back factory jobs to the U.S. and generate enough revenue to reduce federal budget deficits. He used the tariffs as a negotiating cudgel in hopes of forcing other nations to negotiate agreements that favored the U.S., suggesting he would simply set the rates himself if the terms were unsatisfactory. Meanwhile White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on Thursday that the Trump administration will seek to enact tariffs through other means if it ultimately loses the court fights over its trade policy. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said that US tariffs would remain in place for now following a court stay and that the administration is still in talks with other countries to continue trade negotiations. Agencies
