Judge finds Virginia Democrats’ redistricting resolution illegal; new Maryland map advances
RICHMOND, Va. — Democrats ran into a setback on Tuesday in Virginia to fight back against President Donald Trump’s congressional redistricting efforts, but they took a step forward in Maryland, though obstacles remain for enacting a new congressional map there. A Virginia judge ruled that a proposed constitutional amendment letting...
Shapiro calls for end to immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, Noem to be fired
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday during an appearance on “CBS Mornings” that he thinks the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis should end immediately and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department is overseeing the operation, should be fired. “The mission is broken. It must be terminated,” said Shapiro, a Democrat...
U.S. sending ICE unit to Winter Olympics for security, prompting concern and confusion in Italy
MILAN — News that a unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be part of the security detail for the U.S. delegation during the upcoming Winter Games has set off concern and confusion in Italy, where people have expressed outrage at the inclusion of an agency that has dominated...
Pittsburgh City Council calls on Pennsylvania’s senators to reject ICE funding
Pittsburgh City Council is urging Pennsylvania’s senators to reject a bill that would provide funding for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Sponsored by Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, council on Tuesday approved a will of council calling on Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick to vote against a federal bill that...
Fetterman says Trump should fire Homeland Security’s Kristi Noem
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman is calling for President Donald Trump to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as the immigration crackdown her department is overseeing faces increasing criticism following this weekend’s fatal shooting by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. “President Trump, I make a direct appeal to immediately fire Secretary...
Carney rolls his eyes at U.S. Treasury secretary, telling Trump he meant what he said at Davos
TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday he told President Donald Trump that he meant what he said in his speech at Davos, and told him Canada plans to diversify away from the United States with a dozen new trade deals. Carney rolled his eyes and rejected U.S....
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...
