Latest news with #Guardsmen
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Arkansas National Guard deploys to Texas for flood rescue efforts
Twenty-two Arkansas National Guard soldiers have been deployed to Texas to assist with search and rescue efforts following severe flooding in the Austin area. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders authorized the deployment on July 7, with the Guardsmen departing the morning of July 8 aboard four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The group includes pilots, crew chiefs, and six maintenance personnel. Two additional soldiers will remain in Arkansas to serve as liaison officers, providing direct support to the deployed unit as needed. The initial deployment runs through July 12, but orders may be extended depending on mission requirements. 'Our hearts go out to those affected in Texas,' said Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges, Arkansas' adjutant general. 'Under Governor Sanders' leadership and direction, we're eager to assist our brothers and sisters in the Texas National Guard as they continue to respond and recover from the Texas flooding.' More: Crystal Bridges launches sports-themed art show with Razorback watch party The assistance was requested through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a mutual aid agreement among states that facilitates assistance during emergencies. One helicopter crew has been designated for medical evacuation and is equipped with forward-looking infrared and hoist capabilities. The remaining three crews will provide hoist support, visual search operations, passenger transport, and cargo movement. The Arkansas National Guard frequently provides support roles during emergencies to help civil authorities under the direction of the Governor. This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas Black Hawk crews join Texas flood rescue mission
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa lawmakers release statements following US strike on Iran
DES MOINES, Iowa — Several Iowa lawmakers are releasing statements following the United States' strike on three Iranian nuclear sites. President Trump announced a strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan on Saturday evening. The president later spoke at the White House, saying Iran's key nuclear sites were 'completely and fully obliterated.' US inserts itself into Israel's war with Iran, striking 3 Iranian nuclear sites Following the announcement, Governor Reynolds, along with Iowa senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, and representatives Randy Feenstra, Zach Nunn, Ashley Hinson, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, shared their responses via the social media platform 'X.' Gov. Kim Reynolds: 'President Trump made the right call in denying Iran—the world's foremost sponsor of terror—a nuclear weapon. His decisive action leading with peace through strength protects our national security interests and makes the world a safer place. God bless America and the men and women of the US Armed Forces who protect her.' Sen. Joni Ernst: 'By leading with peace through strength, President Trump is making the world a safer place and protecting Americans. Iran must never be able to threaten America with a nuclear weapon. God bless our commander in chief and our servicemembers!' Sen. Chuck Grassley: 'Our commander in chief & brave military forces hv carried out a mission in Iran to prevent nuclear enrichment Iran believes in 'Death to Israel Death to America' Keeping USA safe is number 1 responsibility of Pres Trump.' Rep. Randy Feenstra: 'Thank you to President Trump for obliterating Iranian nuclear facilities and keeping our country safe!' Rep. Zach Nunn: 'As President Trump takes decisive action to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat, I also remain committed to ensuring our troops—including Iowa's Guardsmen deploying to the region—are protected and not engaged in a forever war. America remains a strong force for Peace through Strength.' Rep. Ashley Hinson: 'Thanks to President Trump's decisive leadership, our military carried out successful strikes on Iran's nuclear sites tonight. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism & President Trump made it clear: Iran can never have a path to a nuclear weapon. Now they won't.' Rep. Mariannette-Miller Meeks: 'Under the constitutional authority granted to the president as Commander-in-Chief under Article II, @POTUS took decisive action tonight to keep America, our allies and the world, safe. His bold leadership and commitment to peace through strength delivered results. Our military successfully struck Iran's nuclear sites, sending a clear message: the world's top sponsor of terrorism will never obtain a nuclear weapon. Proud of our warriors and our President.' US Strike on Iran Latest: US warns of 'heightened threat environment' after strikes on Iran US signals willingness to renew talks with Iran, avoid prolonged war US boosts emergency Mideast evacuations and travel warnings after Trump orders strikes in Iran Satellite photos show impact of bombing at Iran nuclear sites Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump touts command of military domestically
Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here It's Wednesday. The Congressional Baseball Game is happening tonight! Oh, and if you happen to be near the U.S. Capitol this evening, there's an ice cream party! In today's issue: President Trump is domestically leaning into his role as the head of the U.S. military this week. He sent hundreds of active-duty Marines to join thousands of National Guard members to respond to the immigration protests in Los Angeles. The president has deployed the Guardsmen and Marines to protect federal buildings and personnel, despite state leaders stressing that local law enforcement can handle the demonstrations. Then Trump traveled to Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Tuesday for a campaign-style rally, met with cheers from the military crowd. (The crowd also booed at mentions of Democrats, including several barbs aimed at former President Biden.) And to round out the week, Trump will attend the military parade in Washington, D.C., an event that carries a price tag of $45 million. Read more on Trump 'basking in military's might' this week, via The Hill's Alex Gangitano 🗨️ Follow today's live blog A judge rejected California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) immediate request to limit President Trump's troop deployment in Los Angeles, allowing the White House to make its case before the court issues its emergency ruling. The Trump administration has until 2 p.m. EDT today to submit its arguments. ➤ THE NATIONAL GUARD IS ALSO DEPLOYING IN TEXAS: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said this morning that he will be deploying the Texas National Guard to 'ensure peace & order' amid planned immigration protests that have spread outside of Los Angeles. ➤ SIGHTS AND SOUNDS: 📸ICE photo of National Guard standing by during arrests A police officer confronted a CNN reporter: 'Are you grabbing me? Get away from me!' the officer shouted. 'No, I didn't,' the reporter shouted back. ➤ RELATED READS: Axios: MAGA feasts on red meat as Trump escalates L.A. showdown The Atlantic: This Is What Trump Does When His Revolution Sputters The Wall Street Journal: How Home Depot Became Ground Zero in Trump's Deportation Push Preparations are underway for President Trump's military parade Saturday, which also happens to be his birthday. The event is officially meant to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday. When?: A festival on the National Mall will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, and the parade will start at 6:30 p.m. Where?: Constitution Avenue NW What's involved?: Significant military hardware, including tanks, helicopters, armed fighting vehicles, a paratrooper landing and fireworks. Price tag: The event is expected to cost taxpayers roughly $45 million, including $16 budgeted for repairing the roads after. Trump argues the cost is 'peanuts' compared to the value. Road closures: Here's a map of the downtown D.C. road closures. Some of the parking restrictions are already in place, per WTOP News. ➤ PREPARATION SIGHTS AND SOUNDS: 📹 Tanks maneuvering through Gallery Place 📹Tank driving through D.C. 📹This tank is on a massive flatbed truck ➤ ARE ANY PROTESTS EXPECTED?: Yes and no. Several organizations are planning demonstrations around the country. Organizers have decided against holding a big protest in D.C., but will be holding demonstrations in the suburbs, per Axios. What we know about the expected Saturday protests It's my party: Trump threatened 'any protester' who comes to Washington on Saturday, saying 'they will be met with very big force.' President Trump says that a trade deal with China is 'DONE' following negotiations in London, but was vague on the details. Yes, but: Trump said the deal is still pending approval from Chinese President Xi Jinping. China will supply 'full magnets, and any necessary rare earths,' Trump said on Truth Social. What's the deal, according to Trump?: Trump said the U.S. would impose 55 percent tariffs on Chinese goods, and China would impose a 10 percent tariff on American products. What we know about this deal: 'A person familiar with the negotiations who was not authorized to speak publicly said the Chinese side had agreed to begin sending the United States rare earths, while the United States would roll back export controls implemented on Chinese products since the meeting in Geneva, and that both efforts would happen simultaneously.' (The New York Times) That's not his only tariff win this week: A court Tuesday night allowed Trump's tariffs to continue while legal challenges are pending. 💡 Why this matters: Trump is touting this deal, but Xi hasn't agreed to it yet — and the details are vague at best. But so is Trump's trade deal with the United Kingdom. The trade war has been politically risky for Trump, hence why he is announcing progress. But the details of those deals are still hazy. Tech billionaire Elon Musk had a change of heart about his messy public breakup with President Trump last week. At 3:04 a.m., Musk posted on X, 'I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.' I'm guessing he's referring to his midfight allegation that Trump is mentioned in the 'Epstein Files' — the documents about the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Is Trump open to patching things up?: He told the New York Post's 'Pod Force One' he could mend things with Musk, but that it's not a priority for him. ➤ DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?: Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Vance and second lady Usha Vance are attending 'Les Misérables' at the Kennedy Center tonight. Some cast members are planning to boycott. The House and Senate are in. President Trump and Vice President Vance are in Washington. (All times EST) 12:30 p.m.: Trump and Vance have lunch together. 1 p.m.: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream 4 p.m.: Trump participates in an ambassador credentialing ceremony.6:30 p.m.: Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the opening night of 'Les Misérables' at the Kennedy Center.7 p.m.: The Congressional Baseball Game. 💻Livestream June 22: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will speak in Israel. 🌽 Celebrate: Today is National Corn on the Cob Day. 🐶 A livestream of joy: There's a livestream of sled dog puppies at Denali National Park in Alaska. 💻 Enjoy 🕺 Amazing: 'Overheard District' posted a funny interaction at the Archives Metro stop. A member of Metro staff reminded riders to stay 'to your left, to your left.' A passerby responded, 'Take it back now y'all.' Because I thoroughly enjoyed watching this, have you ever seen a dog eat a mozzarella stick with a ~long~ cheese pull?
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump wants 20,000 troops to hunt, transport immigrants. Cost estimate: $3.6 billion
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is reviewing a Department of Homeland Security request to deploy more than 20,000 additional National Guard troops to aid the Trump administration's widening crackdown on illegal immigration around the United States, according to officials and documents. More: National Guard, Marine deployment in Los Angeles costs $134 million: Pentagon Homeland Security officials want the troops to help track fugitives, quell riots at detention centers and search for unaccompanied children in remote or hostile terrain. Meanwhile, Pentagon and Customs and Border Patrol officials have inspected military bases in recent months from New Jersey to California as potential sites to detain an expected influx of migrants. Keeping 20,000 National Guardsmen on duty for one year would cost $3.6 billion, according to a U.S. official briefed on the potential deployment. However, it's unclear how many Guardsmen are available to fill the request, according to a Defense official. More: As ICE touts arrests, chaotic scenes emerge amid immigration crackdown The moves would shift the military from its mission of defending the nation against foreign enemies toward policing its streets, according to critics such as Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. Trump has upped the ante in recent days, ordering the 4,000 California National Guardsmen to Los Angeles and deploying 700 active-duty Marines to the city over the objection of Gov. Gavin Newsom. That deployment is costing $134 million. 'Using the U.S. military to support immigration enforcement within our own borders would threaten the longstanding American principle of separating law enforcement from military power," Reed said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Such a move would erode civil liberties and set a dangerous precedent for the militarization of American communities. I've voted for billions in smart and focused immigration enforcement, but it is a duty for law enforcement, not the armed forces.' More: LA protests went from small to substantial over three days. Here's what unfolded On June 10, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated the National Guard would soon take on a larger role in domestic security. He told a House committee that the United States was entering a new "phase" in which the National Guard would "become a critical component of how we secure that homeland." "The National Guard is a huge component of how we see the future," he said. At Fort Bliss in Texas, the Army has a facility holding about 100 immigrants in a detention facility. A larger facility is being built there to house as many as 5,000 people, according to a U.S. official briefed on the operation but not authorized to speak publicly. Other bases under consideration for immigrant detention include Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Travis Air Force Base and Camp Parks in California, Fort Walker in Virginia and Camp Atterbury in Indiana. Officials visited those bases months ago, but it's unclear if any have been selected to receive detainees, the Defense official said. The location of some of the bases near major metropolitan areas like New York City and San Francisco indicates that immigration sweeps like the one in Los Angeles could take place there, too, the official said. Separately, the request from Homeland Security calls for up to 21,000 National Guard troops whose 'support will encompass both non-law enforcement support functions and sworn law enforcement activities.' There are thousands of National Guard and active-duty troops at the southern border. However, a memo reviewed by USA TODAY acknowledges that it is the first formal request by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deploy national staff "in support of interior immigration enforcement operations." ICE is carrying out a directive from Trump to find immigrants living in the United States without legal status. Protests have sprung up against the sweeps the agency is carrying out in various neighborhoods. Active-duty troops are generally prohibited from domestic policing under the Posse Comitatus Act, a 19th-century law that 'embodies an American tradition that sees military interference in civilian affairs as a threat to both democracy and personal liberty,' according to the Brennan Center for Justice. National Guard troops, however, are rarely subject to the law, and, under the direction of a state's governor, can participate in law enforcement activities. A governor of a state sympathetic to the request from Homeland Security could provide the troops for the request from Homeland Security, according to the U.S. official who is familiar with the request but not authorized to speak publicly about it. The request states that the National Guard troops would be funded under Title 32, the law that leaves the Guardsmen under the control of their state's governor but uses federal taxpayer dollars to fund their activities. The request seeks troops to aid immigration enforcement in five areas, including 'Attempt to Locate' – Fugitives. Homeland Security is seeking as many as 3,500 Guardsmen for investigative units, surveillance and 'Night operations and rural interdiction.' The largest ask for troops falls in the category of 'Transportation Support,' with as many as 10,000 troops needed. These personnel would help transport detainees and 'unaccompanied alien children.' The request also seeks buses, vans and aircraft. As many 2,500 troops fall under the request for help in 'Detention Support.' These Guardsmen would support 'overwhelmed detention facilities.' Among their expected duties: 'riot control.' Other troops are being sought for search and rescue, medical units and public affairs to manage 'public information during high-visibility operations.' The deployment of thousands of additional National Guard troops in immigration enforcement could affect the public's perception of the military, said Lindsay Cohn, a political scientist and expert on the domestic use of the military. Cohn is also an associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College, but spoke about this issue in a personal capacity and not as a representative of the college or federal government. Homeland Security can justify the request by arguing it lacks the manpower to conduct the sweeps, Cohn said. But raids on schools and businesses are unpopular with the American public. Also, how troops conduct themselves matters a great deal for public perception and confidence, she said. If they behave with restraint, Cohn said, they may be able to maintain an appearance of not "taking sides.' However, given that many in law enforcement personnel dress in military-like uniforms, the public may not differentiate between troops and law enforcement. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump wants 20,000 National Guardsmen to hunt, transport immigrants
11-06-2025
- Politics
Gov. Greg Abbott to deploy Texas National Guard in anticipation of protests
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he was deploying the Texas National Guard to multiple locations across the state to "ensure peace and order." The deployment comes ahead of planned protests this week in Texas, including on in San Antonio. A statement from Abbott's office obtained by ABC News' affiliate KSAT confirmed the deployment, saying Guardsmen were ready to "uphold law and order across our state." "Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles," Abbott's office said in a statement. "Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be swiftly held accountable to the full extent of the law." Abbott's move comes amid the escalating protests in Los Angeles, where activists have been protesting the Trump administration's immigration policies. The protests in Los Angeles have at times turned violent. And President Donald Trump ordered both the National Guard and the Marines to Southern California in recent days. "Peaceful protest is legal," Abbott said on Tuesday. "Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest." He said the Texas National Guard would "use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order."
