\n<\/p>\n
A federal judge has declined to block Donald Trump<\/strong> from hosting the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship<\/strong> event on the White House South Lawn on Sunday, in a mixed martial arts show timed for the president\u2019s 80th birthday and part of the celebration of the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary.<\/p>\n US district judge Amit Mehta<\/strong> ruled against two Virginia residents who argued in a lawsuit that Trump\u2019s administration exceeded its authority for the event, dubbed \u201cUFC Freedom 250<\/strong>\u201d, by among other things failing to obtain congressional authorization<\/strong>. The plaintiffs had sought a judicial order to block the event<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The UFC event will feature mixed martial arts bouts contested in an octagonal cage situated inside a 92ft-tall claw-like structure erected in recent weeks on the White House\u2019s South Lawn, with weigh-ins for the fighters at the Lincoln Memorial.<\/p>\n <\/span>\u2018The Claw\u2019 and the octagon fighting ring on the South Lawn of the White House.<\/span> Photograph: Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The plaintiffs sued on 6 June, arguing that the Trump administration\u2019s authorization of the 14 June event was unlawful.<\/p>\n The lawsuit said such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the erection of \u201cThe Claw\u201d and no environmental review was conducted before the construction.<\/p>\n It said that UFC CEO Dana White<\/strong>, a longtime Trump friend and ally, denied that the event\u2019s timing is a birthday celebration for Trump and maintained the timing is a \u201ccoincidence\u201d. But, the suit added, White has acknowledged that the event was \u201cTrump\u2019s idea\u201d.<\/p>\n The suit also argued that the fight is \u201cprivate\u201d and \u201cfor-profit\u201d, and alleged that even though the UFC claims it is \u201ceating\u201d the whole cost of the event and is not selling tickets, \u201cthe event will likely be profitable for the UFC and its partners\u201d as the organization is selling VIP and sponsorship packages.<\/p>\n It also claimed, that while some preliminary fights will be broadcast on cable networks, the \u201cmain card\u201d will be exclusively broadcast on streaming platform Paramount+, noting that Paramount Skydance is \u201crun by two other Trump allies, Larry and David Ellison\u201d.<\/p>\n The filing reads:<\/p>\n The UFC Freedom 250 event also is not being held \u2018for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence.\u2019 Rather, UFC Freedom 250 is being held for the financial benefit of the UFC, Paramount, and their advertisers, and to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Donald Trump\u2019s birth.<\/em><\/p>\n The Trump administration said in a court filing that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed in their claims as they had not shown how they would be harmed by the UFC event.<\/strong> There is a history of holding public events on the White House South Lawn<\/strong>, the justice department told Mehta.<\/p>\n The administration said more than 4,000 spectators are expected to attend the fights.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.06 EDT<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Workers are preparing to remove Donald Trump<\/strong>\u2019s name from the facade of the Kennedy Center<\/strong> building in Washington after a judge earlier denied a last-minute request from Trump\u2019s handpicked board to pause a ruling that ordered the removal by today.<\/p>\n A crowd has gathered to watch the lettering get taken down and have been intermittently cheering as workers erect the scaffolding. There\u2019s a live feed here<\/a>, if you want to follow along.<\/p>\n <\/span>A crowd looks on as lettering referencing Donald Trump is removed from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.<\/span> Photograph: Jonathan Ernst\/ReutersShare<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.36 EDT<\/p>\n A federal judge extended a court-ordered block on the creation and operation of the Trump administration\u2019s $1.8bn \u201canti-weaponization fund\u201d. <\/strong>Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that it will remain blocked until further notice from the court amid mixed messages from the government over the fund. \u201cWe just don\u2019t have the absolute certainty that this fund won\u2019t rear its head in another form,\u201d she said. Brinkema said she would lift her order if acting attorney general Todd Blanche and treasury secretary Scott Bessent filed a declaration under penalty of perjury that the fund was not moving forward in the next week. Here\u2019s my colleague Sam Levine\u2019s report.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A judge denied a request from the Kennedy Center to pause a ruling that had ordered Trump\u2019s name removed from the building by today\u2019s deadline.<\/strong> Trump\u2019s hand-picked board at the Kennedy Center had mounted the last-ditch effort to keep his name on the facade of the building this morning following a vote yesterday.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A federal judge declined to block Donald Trump from staging a UFC event on the White House South Lawn on Sunday<\/strong>. The mixed martial arts show is part of the celebration of the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary \u2013 and timed for the president\u2019s 80th birthday. More on that here.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The FBI raided the Cleveland offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative and showed up at the homes of staffers, MS NOW reported last night<\/a>.<\/strong> A board member of the organization, which works to register voters in the state and carries out pro-democracy and anti-gerrymandering work, told MS Now that agents asked about voter fraud with \u201cstraight-up intimidation tactics\u201d and were \u201cbasically trying to fish for information\u201d. It comes as <\/strong>Trump continues to baselessly claim that voter fraud is rampant, including alleging that there\u2019s \u201ccheating\u201d going on in California\u2019s elections, and repeat his lies about the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The House oversight committee sent a letter to Alan Dershowitz formally requesting him to appear for a transcribed interview before the panel on 9 July, as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.<\/strong> Earlier this week, the committee\u2019s chair James Comer said he would be asking Dershowitz to appear before the panel, based on the testimony of Lesley Groff, Epstein\u2019s longtime assistant, who testified before the committee on Tuesday, as well as \u201ca meeting that I had afterwards with several of the Epstein survivors\u201d. More on this story here.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n And finally, Donald Trump and his allies have discussed pushing lawmakers to pass a symbolic resolution aimed at voiding his first-term impeachments, the Wall Street Journal reported<\/a> last night.<\/strong> Experts say it would have little legal significance, since the constitution provides no procedure for undoing an impeachment. Here\u2019s my colleague David Smith\u2019s story.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.25 EDT<\/p>\n The FBI<\/strong> raided the Cleveland offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative<\/strong> and showed up at the homes of staffers, MS NOW reported last night<\/a>.<\/p>\n Prentiss Haney, a board member of the organization, which works to register voters in the state and carries out pro-democracy and anti-gerrymandering work, told MS Now that agents asked about voter fraud with \u201cstraight-up intimidation tactics\u201d and were \u201cbasically trying to fish for information\u201d.<\/p>\n The incident comes as Donald Trump<\/strong> continues to baselessly claim that voter fraud is rampant, including alleging that there\u2019s \u201ccheating\u201d going on in California\u2019s elections, and repeat his lies about the 2020 election.<\/p>\n In January, the FBI also raided a Georgia elections hub for records related to the 2020 presidential election, and California prosecutors have said they\u2019re investigating multiple claims of voter fraud<\/a> in the Los Angeles mayor\u2019s race as a result of Trump\u2019s un-evidenced claims.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s clear that this administration is fishing to try to drum up stories around fraud<\/strong>,\u201d Haney told NBC News<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s clear that this administration is trying to target civil rights leaders and community leaders and folks who are doing that work, because they don\u2019t see a path for themselves to actually legitimately hold power beyond this year<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Former Ohio senator and Democratic nominee for the state\u2019s special Senate election in November Sherrod Brown<\/strong> said the reports of the FBI raid were \u201cdeeply disturbing\u201d and \u201ca transparent attempt at silencing Ohioans and their ability to vote in free and fair elections\u201d.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cFederal law enforcement should never try to intimidate eligible voters from exercising their right to participate in democracy. The FBI should immediately make public any and all activities around these raids in Ohio. For years, Ohio has had safe and secure elections that have been administered in a bipartisan fashion. Any attempt to intimidate Ohio voters is wrong, and will not work.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.53 EDT<\/p>\n A judge has denied a request from the Kennedy Center<\/strong> to pause a ruling that had ordered Donald Trump<\/strong>\u2019s name removed from the building by today\u2019s deadline.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s hand-picked board at the Kennedy Center had mounted the last-ditch effort to keep his name on the facade of the building this morning following a vote yesterday.<\/p>\n US district judge Christopher Cooper<\/strong> ruled on 29 May that Trump\u2019s name was illegally added to the iconic Washington performing arts facility. Cooper said that only Congress could institute a change to the Kennedy Center\u2019s name and ordered references to Trump to be removed within 14 days (which takes us up to today).<\/p>\n He also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.<\/p>\n The board vote marked a shift from a 4 June memo to staff from the Kennedy Center\u2019s office of general counsel which said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as \u201cThe John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts\u201d or \u201cKennedy Center\u201d.<\/p>\n The Kennedy Center\u2019s website dropped Trump\u2019s name earlier this week in compliance with the ruling. And an email sent to members this week offering ticket packages for the 28 June Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump\u2019s name.<\/p>\n <\/span>Workers prepare to remove Donald Trump\u2019s name from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC.<\/span> Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo\/EPAShare<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.04 EDT<\/p>\n A federal judge has declined to block Donald Trump<\/strong> from hosting the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship<\/strong> event on the White House South Lawn on Sunday, in a mixed martial arts show timed for the president\u2019s 80th birthday and part of the celebration of the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary.<\/p>\n US district judge Amit Mehta<\/strong> ruled against two Virginia residents who argued in a lawsuit that Trump\u2019s administration exceeded its authority for the event, dubbed \u201cUFC Freedom 250<\/strong>\u201d, by among other things failing to obtain congressional authorization<\/strong>. The plaintiffs had sought a judicial order to block the event<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The UFC event will feature mixed martial arts bouts contested in an octagonal cage situated inside a 92ft-tall claw-like structure erected in recent weeks on the White House\u2019s South Lawn, with weigh-ins for the fighters at the Lincoln Memorial.<\/p>\n <\/span>\u2018The Claw\u2019 and the octagon fighting ring on the South Lawn of the White House.<\/span> Photograph: Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The plaintiffs sued on 6 June, arguing that the Trump administration\u2019s authorization of the 14 June event was unlawful.<\/p>\n The lawsuit said such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the erection of \u201cThe Claw\u201d and no environmental review was conducted before the construction.<\/p>\n It said that UFC CEO Dana White<\/strong>, a longtime Trump friend and ally, denied that the event\u2019s timing is a birthday celebration for Trump and maintained the timing is a \u201ccoincidence\u201d. But, the suit added, White has acknowledged that the event was \u201cTrump\u2019s idea\u201d.<\/p>\n The suit also argued that the fight is \u201cprivate\u201d and \u201cfor-profit\u201d, and alleged that even though the UFC claims it is \u201ceating\u201d the whole cost of the event and is not selling tickets, \u201cthe event will likely be profitable for the UFC and its partners\u201d as the organization is selling VIP and sponsorship packages.<\/p>\n It also claimed, that while some preliminary fights will be broadcast on cable networks, the \u201cmain card\u201d will be exclusively broadcast on streaming platform Paramount+, noting that Paramount Skydance is \u201crun by two other Trump allies, Larry and David Ellison\u201d.<\/p>\n The filing reads:<\/p>\n The UFC Freedom 250 event also is not being held \u2018for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence.\u2019 Rather, UFC Freedom 250 is being held for the financial benefit of the UFC, Paramount, and their advertisers, and to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Donald Trump\u2019s birth.<\/em><\/p>\n The Trump administration said in a court filing that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed in their claims as they had not shown how they would be harmed by the UFC event.<\/strong> There is a history of holding public events on the White House South Lawn<\/strong>, the justice department told Mehta.<\/p>\n The administration said more than 4,000 spectators are expected to attend the fights.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.06 EDT<\/p>\n Anna Betts<\/span><\/p>\n Today, the House oversight committee sent a letter to Alan Dershowitz<\/strong> formally requesting him to appear for a transcribed interview before the panel on 9 July, as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cDue to public reporting, documents released by the Department of Justice, documents obtained by the Committee, and your former role as Mr. Epstein\u2019s attorney, the Committee believes you have information that will assist in its investigation\u201d the letter <\/a>from Representative James Comer<\/strong>, the Republican who chairs the committee, reads.<\/p>\n The letter said the committee would release the transcript and video of the interview after it takes place.<\/p>\n The letter comes as earlier this week, Comer announced that he would be asking Dershowitz to appear before the panel. At a news conference this week, Comer said that the decision was based on the testimony of Lesley Groff<\/strong>, Epstein\u2019s longtime assistant, who testified before the committee on Tuesday, as well as \u201ca meeting that I had afterwards with several of the Epstein survivors\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will have questions for him and we will give him an opportunity to come in and answer several questions that arose yesterday based on Ms Groff\u2019s testimony and some things that someone of the Epstein survivors said,\u201d Comer said.<\/p>\n The transcript of Groff\u2019s testimony has not yet been released by the committee.<\/p>\n Dershowitz, a Harvard law school professor who was a member of Epstein\u2019s legal team that negotiated Epstein\u2019s controversial 2008 plea deal, has said in recent interviews that he was willing to testify before the committee.<\/p>\n In an interview with the Guardian earlier this week, Dershowitz said that he is \u201cnot a reluctant witness, I wanted to testify, as I said from day one, I want the truth to come out\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything I did in relation to the Epstein case, I\u2019m proud of,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Dershowitz has faced scrutiny over the years for his past ties to Epstein. And in 2014, Virginia Giuffre<\/strong>, an Epstein survivor, alleged that Dershowitz sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager as part of Epstein\u2019s sex-trafficking operation. Dershowitz has repeatedly denied those claims and has never been charged with any wrongdoing related to Epstein.<\/p>\n Giuffre sued Dershowitz in 2019, alleging that he defamed her when denying her claims, but dropped the lawsuit in 2022, and said that she \u201cmay have made a mistake\u201d in accusing him.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.09 EDT<\/p>\n Roque Planas<\/span><\/p>\n The Trump administration<\/strong> has waived a slew of environmental and historical preservation laws that would allow it to build a towering border wall<\/strong> that cuts through Big Bend national park<\/strong>, a vast protected wilderness in south Texas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Congress poured a whopping $46.5bn for border wall construction into the \u201cBig, Beautiful\u201d bill<\/strong> last year, supercharging Donald Trump’\u2019s ambition to wall off the southern border with Mexico. The longest unwalled stretches lie along a roughly 500-mile (800km) section of west Texas that Customs and Border Protection<\/strong> calls the \u201cBig Bend sector\u201d.<\/p>\n That corridor includes some of the largest chunks of protected land in a state that is 95% privately owned, including Big Bend national park, Big Bend Ranch state park and Black Gap wildlife management area<\/a>.<\/p>\n More here:<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n A federal judge on Friday extended a court-ordered block on the creation and operation of the Trump administration\u2019s \u201canti-weaponization fund<\/strong>\u201d \u2013 a $1.8bn settlement fund alleged victims of a weaponized government, the Associated Press reports.<\/p>\n Judge Leonie Brinkema<\/strong> ruled that the \u201canti-weaponization fund\u201d will remain blocked until further notice from the court.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, following fierce bipartisan backlash, acting attorney general Todd Blanche<\/strong> told Congress that the government was scrapping its plans for the fund.<\/p>\n Though government attorneys are now arguing that lawsuits challenging the fund are now moot, plaintiffs\u2019 attorneys aren\u2019t satisfied by Blanche\u2019s assurances.<\/p>\n Read more about the fund here:<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Texas senator John Cornyn<\/strong> has told the New York Times<\/a> that he isn\u2019t seeking revenge after Donald Trump<\/strong> endorsed his challenger, scandal-ridden Texas attorney general Ken Paxton<\/strong>, and ended his Senate career after a bruising primary race \u2013 but added that Trump should not demand \u201cslavish\u201d loyalty from his party.<\/p>\n Trump said at the time that Cornyn would \u201cremain my friend for a long time to come\u201d. \u201cIf that\u2019s the way friends treat you, you wonder about his enemies<\/strong>,\u201d Cornyn told the NYT. He maintains he feels the most important factor in his loss to Paxton was low voter turnout, \u201cbut certainly the president\u2019s endorsement had an impact.\u201d<\/p>\n Having come to terms with his defeat, he joins a handful of other Senate Republicans not seeking re-election or defeated in primaries at Trump\u2019s behest who now have added room to manouevre politically. \u201cIt does give some of us a little more freedom, and certainly leverage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Cornyn told the Times he is not a \u201cwounded bear\u201d seeking revenge, but said that Trump is hurting the Republican party with self-serving decisions and by insisting on absolute loyalty. The president is ultimately setting himself up for a midterm \u201cdisaster\u201d that would pave the way for \u201cthe most miserable two years of his life\u201d<\/strong>, Cornyn said.<\/p>\n He also told the NYT that the provision granting Trump, his family and his businesses immunity for IRS audits needs to be overturned. \u201cI think that\u2019s a terrible mistake,\u201d Cornyn said. \u201cThe president needs to be treated like everybody else.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite his self-assessed \u201c99.3%\u201d voting record in line with the president, Trump threw him under the bus. Cornyn told the Times:<\/p>\n double quotation markIf he would do that to me, he would do that to anybody. There\u2019s never going to be good enough for him, other than 100%, you know,<\/strong> slavish adherence to whatever he wants<\/strong>. But obviously that\u2019s not what the senator\u2019s role is supposed to be, especially in terms of checks and balances.<\/p>\n He said he fears the GOP is in for a rough time in November\u2019s midterms and Trump in for a difficult two years, in part because of self-inflicted wounds like his endorsement of Paxton putting the Texas seat at risk.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to make things harder, certainly more expensive in Texas, and make it harder around the country,\u201d Cornyn said, predicting that the president would come to regret his actions.<\/p>\n double quotation markI don\u2019t say that with any sort of desire for vengeance; I just think that\u2019s the way it\u2019s going to be. He\u2019s going to have the most miserable two years of his life in the last two years of his term, I think, because I think November is going to be a disaster<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/span>John Cornyn at an election night news conference at the JW Marriott Austin on 26 May.<\/span> Photograph: Brandon Bell\/Getty ImagesShare<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.16 EDT<\/p>\n Donald Trump<\/strong> and his allies have discussed pushing lawmakers to pass a resolution aimed at voiding his first-term impeachments<\/strong>, the Wall Street Journal reported<\/a> last night, citing people familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n \u201cIt should be done because I did nothing wrong<\/strong>,\u201d Trump said when asked about the resolution in a phone call this week with the Journal. \u201cIt was a rigged deal \u2014 it was a whole rigged situation<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n The resolution would likely be symbolic and would have little legal significance<\/strong>, because the US constitution provides no procedure for undoing an impeachment, experts told the WSJ.<\/p>\n It also likely wouldn\u2019t be considered until after November\u2019s midterm elections \u2013 in the run-up to which Republicans are trying to focus on the economy and cost-of-living – and even then, several House Republicans told the WSJ, it would be difficult to get the votes needed for it to pass.<\/p>\n <\/span>Donald Trump at a signing ceremony for a proclamation in the Oval Office on Thursday.<\/span> Photograph: Kent Nishimura\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n House speaker Mike Johnson<\/strong> told the Journal he has discussed the resolution with Trump, and has had more detailed conversations with some of the president\u2019s allies in the legal world, including Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz<\/strong> and Jay<\/strong> Sekulow<\/strong>, a conservative lawyer who represented Trump during his first impeachment trial.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it makes a lot of sense the more the evidence comes out, the more we know they really were sham impeachments<\/strong>,\u201d Johnson told the Journal, adding that the conversations about the resolution picked up about a month ago. \u201cWe were saying it at the time, now we know. And they make a very compelling case that it should be expunged from the record, because it was a hyperpartisan attack job<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n The speaker said the expungement effort was \u201cnot an order of first priority\u201d but it was on his list. \u201cIt is a priority and something that Congress should make right<\/strong>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.04 EDT<\/p>\n Further to my earlier post, Andrew Giuliani, the CEO of the World Cup<\/strong> task force, confirmed yesterday that Donald<\/strong> Trump<\/strong> will not be in attendance when the United<\/strong> States<\/strong> opens its World Cup competition against Paraguay<\/strong> tonight in Inglewood, California.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not going to end up attending the opening game,\u201d Giuliani told TalkSport. \u201cAs we\u2019ve said, his scheduling is tight. But I know he\u2019s going to be engaged throughout this World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n As you will remember, Trump will be very busy hosting the UFC Freedom 250<\/strong> event at the White House on Sunday, which is also his 80th birthday.<\/p>\n While it is uncommon for a head of state from a host country to miss the nation\u2019s World Cup opener, it is not unprecedented. The US delegation will be led by secretary of state Marco Rubio<\/strong>, transportation secretary Sean Duffy<\/strong>, and homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Giuliani, the son of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, said he wasn\u2019t sure when Trump would make an appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving known President Trump for now 30 years, what I can tell you is: expect the unexpected. Always expect a cliffhanger with him,\u201d Giuliani said. \u201cThroughout the course of this tournament, it wouldn\u2019t surprise me if we see him engage more and more with the World Cup.\u201c<\/p>\n Trump has attended several big sporting events while president, including Game 3 of the NBA Finals<\/strong> at Madison Square Garden earlier this week, where he was met with a chorus of boos.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Taz Ali<\/span><\/p>\n Donald Trump<\/strong> has dismissed Iranian<\/strong> media reports on an imminent deal with the US as \u201cfake news\u201d, saying they were not the terms Washington agreed to.<\/p>\n Several Iranian media outlets have been reporting what they described as details of a draft proposal being reviewed by Iran\u2019s leadership. Some of the terms of the agreement, according to the reports, include Iran\u2019s control of the strait of Hormuz<\/strong> and postponed discussions on its nuclear programme<\/strong> (see more here and here).<\/p>\n Trump said the reports were inaccurate and lashed out at Iran, calling them \u201cvery dishonorable people\u201d and warning, \u201cThey better get their act together, and FAST!\u201d<\/p>\n He wrote on Truth Social:<\/p>\n The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing. What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth. Very dishonorable people to deal with. With them, there is no such thing as dealing in good faith. AMAZING! Also, their totally rebuffed Drone attack last night against Indian Ships leaving the Hormuz Strait is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. They better get their act together, and FAST!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Sanya Mansoor<\/span><\/p>\n Section 702 of Fisa<\/strong> due to expire tonight – and remain so for at least a week during recess – amid backlash to Trump\u2019s pick Bill Pulte<\/strong> for acting DNI.<\/p>\n While Trump has moved to contain the furor \u2013 announcing his nomination of another top official, Jay Carney, to take the role on a permanent basis, yesterday \u2013 Congress has so far failed to extend the key power in time for tonight\u2019s deadline.<\/p>\n But, per my colleague Sanya Mansoor<\/strong> while the Pulte row brought Fisa back in the spotlight, underlying concerns over the program\u2019s balance of civil liberties and national security has been the subject of fraught debate and controversy in recent months, and years.<\/p>\n Section 702, first enacted in 2008, allows national security agencies to collect and review texts and emails sent to and from foreigners living outside the US, without a warrant. If an American is talking to a non-American target living abroad, their communications can get swept up too.<\/p>\n Privacy advocates say that while the law is intended to surveil foreigners outside the US, the federal government uses this loophole to spy without warrants on Americans, an unconstitutional practice<\/strong>. Intelligence agencies say they need these surveillance powers to prevent terror attacks.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/span>House speaker Mike Johnson speaks to the media after the House failed to temporarily extend the key Fisa power on Thursday.<\/span> Photograph: Ken Cedeno\/Reuters<\/p>\n This year, Congress has only been able to pass short-term re-authorizations of the section 702 program. Trump and Republican leaders in the House of Representatives have tried, unsuccessfully, to push through longer extensions that do not include key reforms demanded by a broad coalition<\/strong> including progressive Democrats and far-right Republicans.<\/p>\n In refusing to allow a vote on a warrant requirement<\/strong> to surveil Americans\u2019 communications, Republican House leadership has closed the door to the most important change that dissenting lawmakers and privacy advocates are asking for. They, in turn, blame House speaker Mike Johnson<\/strong> for tanking repeated attempts to extend the program by taking a \u201cmy way or the highway approach\u201d.<\/p>\n What happens now? Well, government surveillance under section 702 can actually still continue through March 2027, because it operates through year-long certifications approved by a special federal court.<\/strong><\/p>\n Some lawmakers are worried about a statutory lapse and the program \u201cgoing dark\u201d \u2013 and the Trump administration has accused Democrats of playing politics with national security by blocking its renewal over Pulte\u2019s appointment. But privacy advocates say this is a scare tactic, since all existing certifications and directives continue to be valid.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt is shameful, and it is very, very dangerous,\u201d a vexxed Johnson told reporters after yestserday\u2019s failed House vote. \u201cWe did everything in our power to try to ensure that this statute does not expire.\u201d<\/p>\n As you know, the House has left town and is scheduled to return on 23 June \u2013 two weeks after the surveillance program\u2019s deadline.<\/p>\n Jake Laperruque, with the Center for Democracy and Technology, said Johnson\u2019s willingness to send lawmakers home this week, without resolving the Fisa issue, is<\/strong> proof the national security implications aren\u2019t as dire as he has suggested<\/strong>. \u201cThey would not be flying off to go home if they actually thought it was a real threat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.19 EDT<\/p>\n Also in attendance at the match later will be California governor Gavin Newsom<\/strong>. According to Politico, he and secretary of state Marco Rubio<\/strong> \u2013 both widely considered potential future contenders for the presidency \u2013 are expected to sit within close proximity of each other at kickoff at SoFi Stadium.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Governor is there to support Team USA. Any frame-mogging that occurs will be purely incidental,\u201d an official familiar with the governor\u2019s plans told Politico. Rubio\u2019s office declined to comment.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n The United States<\/strong> begin their World Cup<\/strong> challenge \u2013 their first on US soil for 32 years \u2013 today, taking on Paraguay<\/strong> in a high-stakes match in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n Secretary of state Marco Rubio<\/strong> will attend the opening match. Donald Trump<\/strong> has said he would be present at other games in the tournament, but hasn\u2019t specified which.<\/p>\n The start of the action on the pitch yesterday will have come as a welcome relief to football\u2019s world governing body Fifa<\/strong>, which has faced stinging criticism over the eye-watering cost of tickets.<\/p>\n In addition, Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown has seen a top Somalian referee, Iranian team officials and dozens of fans refused entry to the United States.<\/p>\n For all things World Cup, my colleagues have got you covered:<\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.51 EDT<\/p>\n About half of evangelical Christians – a core component of Donald Trump\u2019s political base – believe his administration\u2019s approach to the Iran war and immigration enforcement is not in line with their understanding of Christianity, a Reuters\/Ipsos poll found.<\/strong><\/p>\n Evangelicals helped power the Republican\u2019s 2024 election victory, and Trump and his top officials including defense secretary Pete Hegseth have regularly used religious language in describing their goals and policies.<\/p>\n Republicans will be counting on them in the November midterm elections, when they will be defending thin majorities in the US Senate and House of Representatives.<\/p>\n Some 54% of evangelicals in the 3-8 June poll said Trump\u2019s use of the military in Iran was not in line with their understanding of Christianity, while 41% said it was in line with it.<\/p>\n Some 51% of evangelicals said the administration\u2019s approach to immigration policy was not in line with Christian values, with 44% saying it was.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.34 EDT<\/p>\n Donald Trump\u2019s hand-picked board at the Kennedy Center is mounting a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the performing arts facility before a court-ordered deadline to remove it by Friday.<\/strong><\/p>\n The board voted on Thursday to seek a stay of US district judge Christopher Cooper\u2019s 29 May ruling that said Trump\u2019s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center, according to a person familiar with the move who requested anonymity to discuss a private meeting.<\/p>\n The formal stay will be filed on Friday, the person said.<\/p>\n Cooper ruled that only Congress could institute a change to the Kennedy Center\u2019s name and ordered references to Trump be removed by Friday. He also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.<\/p>\n The board move marks a shift from a 4 June memo to staff from the Kennedy Center\u2019s Office of General Counsel saying email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as \u201cThe John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts\u201d or \u201cKennedy Center\u201d.<\/p>\n The Kennedy Center\u2019s website has dropped the president\u2019s name. And an email earlier this week sent to members offering ticket packages for the 28 June Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump\u2019s name.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Autistic children as young as 18 months old are being injected with human stem cells derived from umbilical cords in unapproved, unproven and potentially harmful \u201ctreatments\u201d<\/strong> that scientists warn are proliferating across the US under the active encouragement of the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Clinics in Florida, Texas and other states are selling what they bill as \u201cregenerative medicine\u201d to families with autistic children who have intensive care needs.<\/p>\n The procedure, which can involve the child being sedated with ketamine before receiving intravenous doses of millions of stem cells<\/strong>, costs up to $20,000 each treatment. Families are often advised to return for regular top-ups.<\/p>\n Profoundly stressed parents are being wooed to the clinics with promises that a high-dose infusion of umbilical cord stem cells can lead to dramatic improvements in their children\u2019s ability to speak, socialise, or avoid aggressive or self-harming behaviour. Yet there is no scientific evidence that the procedure works<\/strong> \u2013 the most comprehensive clinical trial staged so far, a placebo experiment conducted by Duke University<\/a>, found insignificant benefits for most of the 180 children tested.<\/p>\n The US Food and Drug Administration<\/strong> (FDA) directly cautions parents<\/a> that if they are being offered stem cell treatments outside an approved clinical trial, \u201cyou are likely being deceived and offered a product illegally\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Though the Duke trial found minimal safety concerns with properly administered stem cell infusions, authorities continue to highlight the potential risks of under-regulated therapies.<\/p>\n The FDA warned in 2021 that it had received reports of complications following applications of umbilical cord stem cells and other related unapproved products leading to \u201cblindness, tumor formation, infections and more\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In his 16 months as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services within the Trump administration, Kennedy has undercut established scientific endeavors. He has fired thousands of federal health officials, dismissed longstanding scientific advisers<\/a>, defunded $31m<\/a> in autism-related research and attempted to shrink the recommended list of childhood vaccinations.<\/p>\n At the same time, largely unnoticed, he has given his backing to alternative health providers moving to fill the gap. Kennedy appeared by video link at the first two annual summits held in San Diego by Autism Health, a leading advocate of stem cell infusions for autistic kids.<\/p>\n At the summit last year, he told<\/a> the audience that \u201cyour issue is no longer on the fringe\u201d. At this year\u2019s gathering in April, he promised<\/a> to \u201ccreate opportunities that extend across a lifetime\u201d and to work with the stem cell providers \u201cto drive solutions together\u201d.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s Ed\u2019s full report:<\/em><\/p>\nWorkers poised to remove Trump’s name from Kennedy Center building<\/h2>\n
The day so far<\/h2>\n
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‘Straight-up intimidation tactics’: FBI raids offices of Ohio voting rights group<\/h2>\n
Judge denies Kennedy Center request for pause in ruling ordering removal of Trump’s name from building<\/h2>\n
US judge won’t block Trump’s UFC mixed martial arts event at White House<\/h2>\n
House oversight committee formally requests Alan Dershowitz to appear for interview as part of Jeffrey Epstein investigation<\/h2>\n
Outcry in Texas over waivers to allow border wall in Big Bend national park<\/h2>\n
Federal judge extends court-ordered block on $1.8bn Trump anti-weaponization fund<\/h2>\n
Trump and allies working on plan to ‘expunge’ impeachments, WSJ reports<\/h2>\n
Trump lashes out at ‘dishonourable’ Iran over terms of deal reported in state media<\/h2>\n
Analysis: controversial spying power is set to expire – what happens now?<\/h2>\n
Autistic children injected with unapproved stem cell treatments supported by RFK Jr<\/h2>\n