Politics Election category, Page 22
Shootings in Minneapolis are upending the politics of immigration in Congress
WASHINGTON — The shooting deaths of two American citizens during the Trump administration’s deportation operations in Minneapolis have upended the politics of immigration in Congress, plunging the country toward another government shutdown. Democrats have awakened to what they see as a moral moment for the country, refusing funds for the...
Minneapolis killing produces backlash against Trump administration from 2nd Amendment advocates
Prominent Republicans and gun rights advocates helped elicit a White House turnabout this week after bristling over the administration’s characterization of Alex Pretti, the second person killed this month by a federal officer in Minneapolis, as responsible for his own death because he lawfully possessed a weapon. The death produced...
Minnesota GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Madel drops out, faults Trump immigration policy
MADISON, Wis. — A lawyer for the immigration officer who shot and killed Renee Good dropped out of the Minnesota governor race Monday, breaking with many fellow Republicans and calling President Donald Trump’s immigration operation in the state an “unmitigated disaster.” Chris Madel’s surprise move comes amid growing calls from...
In their words: An examination of statements Trump officials made about what led to Pretti’s death
Trump administration officials swiftly sought to portray 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, as an armed disruptor intent on doing harm to federal agents when he brought his own gun to a Minneapolis street where officers clashed with protesters over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Video shot by bystanders...
Fetterman calls for end to immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis in wake of killing
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman issued a statement Monday afternoon calling for the federal government to immediately end its massive immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The statement from the Braddock Democrat came two days after Border Patrol agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, 37, in Minneapolis, increasing tensions in a city where...
Democrats vow to oppose homeland security funding bill. That increases the chance of a shutdown
WASHINGTON — Democratic senators are vowing to oppose a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security following the shooting death of a 37-year-old Minnesota man, a stand that increases the prospect of a partial government shutdown by the end of the week. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, in a...
Trump housing finance chief OKs more mortgage spending and adds risk for government-backed lenders
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s federal housing finance director, Bill Pulte, quietly granted government-backed lenders the authority to nearly double a $200 billion bond purchase that Trump ordered to try to lower mortgage rates, a move that could introduce a new level of risk for the companies. An email obtained...
Trump threatens Canada with 100% tariffs over its new trade deal with China
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada if America’s northern neighbor went ahead with its trade deal with China. Trump said in a social media post that if Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “thinks he is going to make...
Trump stirs talk of ‘new world order’ as leaders signal shifting global alliances
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump gives. And he takes away. Offended by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s increasingly assertive posture toward the U.S., Trump revoked an invitation to join his Board of Peace. Many Western allies are suspicious of the organization, which is chaired by Trump and was initially formed...
Lee, Deluzio oppose funding for ICE
Southwestern Pennsylvania’s two Democratic members of Congress voted against a spending bill that includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security, citing its concerns over President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. The Republican-controlled House managed to pass the spending bill Thursday despite objections from Democrats, 220 votes to 207. “My...
Philadelphia sues over removal of slavery exhibit at Independence National Historical Park
PHILADELPHIA — Outraged critics accused President Donald Trump of “whitewashing history” on Friday after the National Park Service removed an exhibit on slavery at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park in response to his executive order “restoring truth and sanity to American history” at the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks. Empty...
East Liberty becomes stage for anti-ICE protests
Hundreds of anti-immigration enforcement demonstrators protested Friday afternoon in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood — with the intention of speaking with management at the local Target store. “Target says its mission is to help all families discover the joy of everyday life, but families cannot experience joy when they are being...
Jack Smith defends his Trump investigations at public hearing, saying, ‘No one should be above the law’Video
WASHINGTON — Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith defended his investigations of President Donald Trump at a congressional hearing Thursday in which he insisted that he had acted without regard to politics and had no second thoughts about the criminal charges he brought. “No one should be above the...
Trump sues JPMorgan for $5 billion, alleges the bank closed his accounts for political reasons
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump sued banking giant JPMorgan Chase and its CEO Jamie Dimon for $5 billion on Thursday over allegations that JPMorgan stopped providing banking services to him and his businesses for political reasons after he left office in January 2021. The lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade County...
RFK Jr. talks new food pyramid, avoids controversial vaccine changes in Harrisburg visit
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Harrisburg on Wednesday, giving an address that roped Pennsylvania’s agricultural prowess into his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, particularly the recent revision of federal dietary guidelines. But the most enthusiastic supporters weren’t exactly there to hear about the new food pyramid. Although not a perfect...
Trump’s European threats could make it harder for future U.S. leaders to repair ties
WASHINGTON — Barely a month into his presidency, Joe Biden had a message for Europe. “America is back,” Biden told the Munich Security Conference in 2021. “The transatlantic alliance is back.” It was a promise Biden delivered often as he sought to cast the disruptions of his predecessor, Donald Trump,...
Trump faces tough political, market hurdles in his bid to erode Fed independence
The Federal Reserve’s independence is under threat by the Trump administration, but experts say the central bank is built to resist executive influence better than most U.S. institutions. In his quest to gain more control over the Fed, Trump will have to jump though hoops in the Supreme Court and...
Summer Lee votes to hold Clintons in contempt of Congress for defying Epstein-related subpoenas
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, voted Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas to testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of its Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Lee was one of nine Democrats on the Oversight...
Supreme Court seems inclined to keep Lisa Cook on Fed board despite Trump attempt to fire her
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed inclined to keep Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook in her job, casting doubt on President Donald Trump’s bid to wrest control of the nation’s central bank. The justices heard arguments over Trump’s effort to fire Cook based on allegations she committed mortgage...
Greensburg native, a federal judge in Va., questioned legitimacy of Trump-appointed prosecutor
A federal district judge, who excoriated a former Justice Department prosecutor for pursuing indictments against political adversaries of President Donald Trump, grew up in Greensburg and earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint Vincent College. David Novak, a Trump-appointed district judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, is one of two...
Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya announces Republican Senate bid in Minnesota
A former NFL sideline reporter is making a bid for the U.S. Senate. Michele Tafoya announced Wednesday that she’s running as a Republican for an open Senate seat in Minnesota. She retired from NBC in 2022. A California native, Tafoya joins a fledgling Republican primary field in the race to...
House committee takes first step to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress in Epstein probe
WASHINGTON — A House committee advanced resolutions Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress over the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, opening the prospect of the House using one of its most powerful punishments against a former president for the first...
‘This is not good policy’: Some GOP senators question advice Trump is receiving
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis is one of a growing number of Republicans who believe that President Donald Trump is getting faulty policy guidance from his White House advisers, potentially jeopardizing his legacy and the GOP’s chances of retaining their majority. Several in the Senate Republican Conference, including those at...
Supreme Court does not rule on tariffs, with next potential decision in February
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court is dashing any hopes of a quick rollback of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The justices are set to start a four-week recess next week without having ruled on pending challenges to most of the duties Trump has imposed over the last year. After Wednesday’s...
Trump-appointed prosecutor who pursued indictments against Trump’s foes is leaving post
WASHINGTON — Lindsey Halligan, who, as a hastily appointed Justice Department prosecutor, pursued indictments against a pair of President Donald Trump’s adversaries, is leaving her position as her months-long tenure has now concluded, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday night. Halligan’s departure from the role of interim United States attorney...
