Latest news with #TrumpAppointments
Bloomberg
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Supreme Court Ruling Could Unleash Trump Agenda
When Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky used contradictory justifications to give Donald Trump two of his three Supreme Court picks in his first term, Democrats warned that the Kentucky Republican's unapologetic violation of Senate norms would have tectonic consequences. On Friday, in the high court's usual end-of-term reveal, one of those consequences arrived. The court's six-member GOP-appointed supermajority curtailed one of the few powers federal judges have to restrain Trump's effort to consolidate power in a fashion unseen in the nation's 249-year history. Trump's picks, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, joined fellow Republican-appointees in ruling that lower courts in most cases can no longer issue nationwide injunctions, even when—as in the case of Trump's attempt to deprive some babies born on American soil of citizenship—they are intended to halt facially unconstitutional measures.
CNN
11-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Trump's pick to lead FAA
Aviation news Federal agencies Trump appointments Donald TrumpFacebookTweetLink Follow President Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration was grilled by senators Wednesday on critical safety-related issues, including the required hours needed for pilots, the outdated air traffic control system and the ongoing problems at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. At a hearing held by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, senators raised questions about the current state of the country's aviation system to airline executive Bryan Bedford. The FAA administrator role has been filled by Chris Rocheleau on an interim basis since the departure of former Administrator Mike Whitaker on Inauguration Day. Top of the mind for senators was safety. If confirmed, Bedford would oversee the country's airspace system, which has dealt with several issues over the last six months, including fatal air travel incidents and an outdated air traffic control system that has experienced technology outages. 'The system that manages our skies is showing its age,' Bedford testified. 'The stresses of this antiquated system truly came into view as we all returned to the skies after Covid. Chronic understaffing, controller fatigue, outdated facilities and telecommunications technology has placed a significant strain on the men and women at the FAA, and it has absolutely frustrated travelers with excessive delays and cancellations and has caused the public to question whether it's truly safe to fly.' Senators pressed Bedford on major challenges facing the FAA as it grapples with repeat air traffic control systems failures at the approach control facility for Newark Liberty International Airport; aging air traffic control infrastructure nationwide; and a shortage of 3,000 air traffic controllers. In attendance at Wednesday's hearing were the parents of Sam Lilley, the first officer killed in the midair collision at Reagan National Airport in January that killed 67 people. Bedford said he met with the families that lost loved ones in the tragedy. The crash led to a ban on helicopter traffic on a four-mile stretch over the Potomac River. 'We need to shine a light on this,' Bedford said. 'Transparency is going to help us find permanent solutions.' Bedford reiterated his top priority 'will be public safety and restoring the public's confidence in flying.' With regard to the crash, Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican from Kansas, brought up legislation recently introduced involving ADS-B. Civilian and military aircraft use ADS-B, which helps an aircraft broadcast its location, altitude and other key factors while monitoring other aircraft around it. ADS-B Out broadcasts aircraft information, while ADS-B In allows aircraft to receive that information. 'ADS-B In can be a significant safety improvement for the visibility of traffic because it incorporates the traffic that's on the ground,' Bedford said. 'So, when we look at the alerting systems that we have and we're relying on, even when we're using surface radars, it still requires the controller to be in the loop.' But the Army often turned it off while flying on missions in Washington. The NTSB previously confirmed the Army's Black Hawk helicopter involved in January's collision had the necessary equipment and was capable of transmitting, but investigators still do not know why it wasn't. A closed-door roundtable is expected later Wednesday among lawmakers regarding the safety troubles at Reagan National Airport. In May, some helicopter flights to the Pentagon were put on hold by the US Army pending an investigation after two planes at Reagan National Airport were forced to abort landings as a US Army Black Hawk helicopter approached the Pentagon nearby. Those Army helicopters were from the same unit as the one that crashed. At 4:15 p.m., the members of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation will meet with Brig. Braman, director of Army Aviation; Rocheleau and Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board. Bedford has long opposed a requirement for new pilots at commercial air carriers to obtain 1,500 flight hours, which many senators brought up during Wednesday's hearing. The rule was created after the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York, which left 50 people dead. The NTSB found pilot error was to blame. His opposition to the rule dates as far back as 2014, when he testified at a hearing for the House Subcommittee on Aviation. He called the rule 'a largely inflexible and arbitrary' in his opening remarks. The rule left regional air carriers such as Republic Airways in a pilot shortage at the time. The families of those killed in the 2009 crash expressed 'serious concerns' about Bedford's nomination, specifically citing his effort to circumvent the rule as CEO of Republic Airways. Bedford joined Republic in 1999 as president and CEO, according to the airline's website. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois and ranking member of the Aviation Subcommittee said Bedford was 'leaving the door open' for changes to the FAA's required 1,500-flight-hour rule for first-time commercial airline pilots. 'I've asked you four questions on whether or not you will unilaterally reduce the 1,500-hour rule … at no point have you answered yes, so you are leaving the door open,' Duckworth said. Bedford did not outright say he was committing to maintaining the 1,500-hour rule, a pilot training requirement. During questioning, Bedford said reducing the flight hours was not his priority, stressing that he was more focused on 'fixing the air traffic control system.' 'There won't be safety loopholes, I commit to you,' Bedford said. 'We will never do anything to reduce the safety and competency of our pilots.' CNN's Pete Muntean asked Bedford after the hearing about the 1,500-hour rule, but he did not comment further. A top priority for the FAA is the dated air traffic control system. Paper strips and floppy discs — technology still used by controllers today — have become a talking point on Capitol Hill. The system, which has technology in use since the 1970s and '80s, has been in the spotlight recently because of at least four outages that occurred late this spring at Newark Liberty International Airport, where controllers lost sight of planes and technology went dark. Since then, Newark Airport has seen a number of fixes, but the FAA doesn't expect it to be back to normal until October. The FAA announced plans in May to replace core infrastructure including radar, software, hardware and telecommunications networks to manage modern travel. Duffy has not yet disclosed how much the project would cost but is counting on Congress to deliver funding. 'I believe the agency can get back on the right track if we can all agree first that the air traffic control system needs significant investment,' Bedford said. The agency recently issued a Request for Information for a company to implement a 'brand new air traffic control system over the next three years.' It has identified five areas of interest for a new system: telecommunications, radio communications, surveillance, automation and facilities. It's unclear how this will impact Verizon's contract with the FAA to modernize the system. Verizon has a massive $2.4 billion contract to provide a long-sought upgrade to the FAA's communications system, known as the FAA Enterprise Network Services, or FENS, program. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado, asked Bedford what ideas he had to address the air traffic control problems. 'I think one of the challenges have is a lack of trust,' Bedford said, echoing written remarks he submitted to senators ahead of the hearing. 'There's a lack of trust issues within the FAA and between the FAA and some of the stakeholders, and it's been explained to me why some of those issues there are, but we have to move past that. We will have to embrace transparency and accountability as we move forward this process.' CNN's Pete Muntean contributed to this report.
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Forget the DEI hires – meet Trump's latest WTF hire
The US health secretary doesn't think you should really listen to him when it comes to health issues. During an appearance before House and Senate committees this week, Robert F Kennedy Jr, famous for his unconventional views about medicine and his revelation that a parasite ate part of his brain, seemed to think it was strange that lawmakers were asking him about vaccines. 'What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant,' Kennedy said when pressed on whether he would vaccinate his child for measles. 'I don't want to seem like I'm being evasive, but I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice, from me.' The US health secretary repeated his refrain about not wanting to give advice a number of other times. I, on the other hand, am desperate to dole out a bit of advice. Namely: it would probably be a good idea if a few people who actually knew what they were talking about were brought into the US government. I know, I know. Look at me being a crazy idealist! Still, at the very least, it might be wise to at least ensure that the people who are in charge of health issues know a thing or two about medicine. Alas, judging by some of Donald Trump's latest appointments, it would seem that I am asking far too much. See, for example, Dr Casey Means, who was nominated for US surgeon general last week. Means has got 'Dr' in front of her name, which sounds promising, but she's more of an influencer than a practitioner. Though she trained as a surgeon at Stanford, she never completed her medical residency afterward. Why? She says it's because she was disillusioned with traditional medicine, but a former colleague told the Los Angeles Times that it was due to anxiety. Means also doesn't have an active medical license. In short: she wouldn't be able to get a job as a doctor at your local hospital but she's being considered for the role of 'the nation's doctor'. As for experience working in government? She doesn't have any of that, either. What Means does have, Trump announced in a recent social media post, are 'impeccable 'MAHA' credentials'. That's the 'Make America healthy again' movement: a movement that is preoccupied with some very valid issues (processed food, corruption in the health industry) but mired in conspiracist thinking. Means has been on TV a lot to talk about Maha obsessions such as removing fluoride from drinking water. She also makes money from dietary supplements that she promotes on social media and has co-authored a book with her brother that claims 'almost every chronic health symptom that Western medicine addresses is the result of our cells being beleaguered by how we've come to live'. Which, of course, isn't completely false but has been accused of being overly simplistic. Means's brother, by the way, is also a prominent adviser to Kennedy. So are all the Maha crowd rejoicing in the streets at the idea of Means becoming surgeon general? Not quite. Her nomination has actually sparked Maha infighting. Some Maha voices think Means is not extreme enough, particularly when it comes to the Covid shot. These people seem to want a surgeon general who declares Covid was a hoax and bans vaccines altogether. The far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, meanwhile, who seems to have become one of Trump's most influential albeit unofficial advisers, isn't happy with Means because she thinks she's unserious. Writing on Twitter/X, Loomer said Means 'PRAYS TO INANIMATE OBJECTS, COMMUNICATES WITH SPIRIT MEDIUMS, USES SHROOMS AS 'PLANT MEDICINE' AND TALKS TO TREES! SHE ALSO DOESN'T EVEN HAVE AN ACTIVE MEDICAL LICENSE.' Loomer isn't the only one a little worried about Means's enthusiasm for psychedelic drugs including magic mushrooms – which the prospective surgeon general once suggested in a newsletter helped her find a romantic partner. Psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms, is currently listed as a schedule I drug, defined as a substance 'with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse'. Means should probably be a little worried about what Loomer thinks, as Loomer may have played a part in ousting Trump's original pick for the position. That was Janette Nesheiwat, a former Fox News medical contributor and the sister-in-law of Mike Waltz, the former national security adviser. On X this month, Loomer called Nesheiwat 'a pro-Covid vaccine nepo appointee' who 'didn't go to medical school in the US'. (Nesheiwat has said that she got a degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, but it would seem that she actually earned her medical degree from a school in Sint Maarten.) Will Loomer topple Means before her confirmation (which hasn't been scheduled yet) as well? I don't know but I can tell you that if she does, it's unlikely that her successor will be any more qualified. The Trump administration, as we all know, has been waging war on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). If you're a (non-Trump-loving) woman or a minority, it doesn't seem to matter how many qualifications you have, you're automatically considered a 'DEI hire' and looked upon with suspicion. Many prominent people in the Trump administration, meanwhile, seem to be WTF hires. They are there because they're white, Trumpy and often in the family of someone influential (or they have been on Fox News). Whether we get Means or not, you can be sure that whoever is confirmed as the nation's top doctor will be completely unqualified to treat the US's Trump-induced ailments. Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist
Washington Post
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Live updates: Trump appoints Ed Martin to new Justice roles, including pardon attorney
President Donald Trump has appointed Ed Martin, whom he replaced as interim U.S. attorney for D.C. on Thursday, to new roles within the Justice Department. Trump said he is moving Martin to serve as the new director of the department's 'Weaponization Working Group,' which Pam Bondi established on her first day as attorney general. Martin will also be associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney. On Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is scheduled to brief reporters. She is likely to face questions about Trump's controversial pick to succeed Martin in the U.S. attorney's office, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, whose misstatements about the 2020 election were cited in two defamation lawsuits against the network. Trump, meanwhile, plans to sign more executive orders Friday. As Republicans work to pass their catchall legislation that could include cuts to Medicaid, Democrats are preparing to use the vote as a cudgel against vulnerable GOP members in midterms next year. That is one of the takeaways from a piece The Washington Post published Friday, which examines how Republicans, aware of the political peril of cutting a program like Medicaid, have curbed their plans, while Democrats see even the flirtation with Medicaid cuts as a salient campaign attack in 2026. President Donald Trump said he's appointing Ed Martin, whom he replaced as interim U.S. attorney for D.C. earlier Thursday, to three new roles within the Justice Department. The president said he's moving Martin to serve as the new director of the department's 'Weaponization Working Group,' which Pam Bondi established on her first day as attorney general. He will also be appointed associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney. President Donald Trump on Thursday fired Carla Hayden as librarian of Congress — the first woman and first African American to hold the position. She was informed of the decision in a terse, two-sentence email. Hayden was appointed in 2016 by President Barack Obama and her renewable 10-year term was set to expire next year. Hayden was also the first librarian by profession to be appointed to the job in decades. (Typically, historians and scholars have led the Library of Congress.) On no issue has the clash between the Trump administration and the courts been as intense and consequential as it has been on deportations. The administration has repeatedly flouted and possibly defied court orders. The resolutions in these cases will say a lot about how much the courts can constrain a president who is clearly trying to wield an extraordinary amount of power — and whether the United States could drift into a constitutional crisis.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump says he is naming Fox News host and former judge Jeanine Pirro as top federal prosecutor in DC
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is naming Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, a former county prosecutor and elected judge, to be the top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital after abandoning his first pick for the job. Pirro, who joined Fox News in 2006, co-hosts the network's show 'The Five' on weekday evenings. She was elected as a judge in New York's Westchester County Court in 1990 before serving three terms as the county's elected district attorney. Trump tapped Pirro to at least temporarily lead the nation's largest U.S. Attorney's office after pulling his nomination of conservative activist Ed Martin Jr. for the position. Trump withdrew Martin from consideration after a key Republican senator said he could not support Martin for the job due to his defense of rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 'He's a terrific person, and he wasn't getting the support from people that I thought,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. He later added: 'But we have somebody else that will be great.' Pirro is the latest in a string of Trump appointments coming from Fox News — a list that includes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who co-hosted 'Fox & Friends Weekend.' Martin has served as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia since Trump's first week in office. But his hopes of keeping the job faded amid questions about his qualifications and background. Martin had never served as a prosecutor or tried a case before taking office in January. Michael Kunzelman, The Associated Press
