justice

US Supreme Court justices defiant as threats hit home

BY FRANKIE TAGGART

  • "I didn't expect that performing the service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one," she said.
  • US Supreme Court justices told Congress on Tuesday that escalating threats have forced them to confront dangers once unthinkable for the nation's top judges -- including explaining bulletproof vests to their children.
  • "I didn't expect that performing the service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one," she said.
US Supreme Court justices told Congress on Tuesday that escalating threats have forced them to confront dangers once unthinkable for the nation's top judges -- including explaining bulletproof vests to their children.
But in rare public testimony, they also delivered a defiant message: the court would continue deciding cases "without fear or favor" despite rising intimidation and a charged political climate.
The appearance came as the judiciary sought millions of dollars in new security funding after a bruising term that deepened tensions with President Donald Trump.
Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan began a day of testimony before House and Senate panels that control federal spending, the first such appearance by sitting members of the nation’s top court since 2019.
"For some of us, those threats have come very close, and all of us live with the knowledge that they may again materialize," Kagan, a liberal justice, told lawmakers.
"But as the chief justice has said, all members of the court can do their jobs as they believe legally right, adjudicating cases without fear or favor."
Barrett, who was sent home with a bulletproof vest around the time of the 2022 leak of the draft ruling overturning the nationwide right to abortion, described finding her 12-year-old son standing in her bedroom doorway after she put it down.
"I didn't expect that performing the service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one," she said.

'Deeply alarming'

Trump has praised the conservative-dominated court when it has sided with him, including on presidential immunity, but has sharply criticized judges and justices who have ruled against him -- such as  blocking his effort to end birthright citizenship and striking down sweeping global tariffs.
Barrett, whom Trump nominated in 2020, has drawn particular anger from some conservatives after joining some high-profile decisions against the president despite remaining a reliable vote for many conservative legal outcomes.
The judiciary is seeking nearly $921 million for security, including more funding for protection at federal courthouses and almost $15 million to expand Supreme Court police protection for justices and their families, including at their homes.
Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said US Marshals tracked 564 threats against federal judges last year, a "deeply alarming" 31 percent increase from the previous year.
Barrett has firsthand experience of the dangers. Her home was reportedly targeted in May in a "swatting" incident, in which a false emergency report is used to trigger an armed police response.
Her sister's home in South Carolina was also the target of a bomb threat last year.
The most serious recent attack plot against a justice came in 2022, when an armed Californian traveled to the neighborhood of Justice Brett Kavanaugh intending to kill him. The would-be assailant was later sentenced to more than eight years in prison.
Chief Justice John Roberts warned earlier this year that personal hostility toward judges was dangerous and "has got to stop," after Trump escalated public criticism of rulings against him.
Lawmakers are expected to question Barrett and Kagan on security, but the hearings could range further, including ethics rules, leaks, prediction markets and the court’s recent decisions.
The court has faced sustained criticism over undisclosed gifts and luxury travel involving some justices, prompting calls from Democrats for stronger ethics rules, term limits or even expanding the court.
Republican committee chairman Dave Joyce opened the hearing by asking lawmakers to limit their questioning to the court’s budget and not to bring up decisions by the justices.
ft/msp

justice

US Supreme Court justices face Congress amid Trump tensions

  • The judiciary is seeking nearly $921 million for security, including more funding for protection at federal courthouses and almost $15 million to expand Supreme Court Police protection for justices and their families, including at their homes.
  • Two US Supreme Court justices made a rare appearance before Congress on Tuesday, seeking funding to protect judges and their families after a divisive term that deepened tensions between the court and President Donald Trump.
  • The judiciary is seeking nearly $921 million for security, including more funding for protection at federal courthouses and almost $15 million to expand Supreme Court Police protection for justices and their families, including at their homes.
Two US Supreme Court justices made a rare appearance before Congress on Tuesday, seeking funding to protect judges and their families after a divisive term that deepened tensions between the court and President Donald Trump.
Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan began a day of testimony before House and Senate panels that control federal spending, the first such appearance by sitting members of the nation's top court since 2019.
The formal subject is the court's budget, including millions of dollars in extra security funding after rising threats against judges and a series of alarming incidents involving members of the Supreme Court.
But the hearings also come just weeks after a bruising term in which the court delivered major rulings on Trump's agenda, including decisions blocking his effort to end birthright citizenship and striking down sweeping global tariffs.
Trump has praised the conservative-dominated court when it has sided with him, including on presidential immunity, but has sharply criticized judges and justices who have ruled against him.
Barrett, whom Trump nominated in 2020, has drawn particular anger from some conservatives after joining decisions against the president in high-profile cases, despite remaining a reliable vote for many conservative legal outcomes.
Kagan, a liberal appointed by Barack Obama, and Barrett, a conservative, are seen as being among the court's more measured voices, a pairing that may help the judiciary present its request as institutional rather than ideological.
The judiciary is seeking nearly $921 million for security, including more funding for protection at federal courthouses and almost $15 million to expand Supreme Court Police protection for justices and their families, including at their homes.
The request follows a 57 percent jump last year in serious threats or security incidents involving judges, according to figures from the US Marshals Service cited by US media.
Lawmakers are expected to question Barrett and Kagan on security, but the hearings could range further, including ethics rules, leaks, prediction markets and the court's recent decisions.
The court has faced sustained criticism over undisclosed gifts and luxury travel involving some justices, prompting calls from Democrats for stronger ethics rules, term limits or even expanding the court.
ft/dw 

immigration

US immigration agents involved in second fatal shooting within days

BY JOSEPH PREZIOSO

  • Last week, a Mexican man was shot dead by an ICE agent during an attempted vehicle stop in Texas.
  • A US immigration officer on Monday fatally shot a man identified by rights groups as a 26-year-old Colombian, the second such killing by federal agents in less than a week.
  • Last week, a Mexican man was shot dead by an ICE agent during an attempted vehicle stop in Texas.
A US immigration officer on Monday fatally shot a man identified by rights groups as a 26-year-old Colombian, the second such killing by federal agents in less than a week.
The shooting happened in Biddeford, a town of 22,000 people in the northern state of Maine, and is likely to fuel criticism of President Donald Trump's deportation drive and its handling by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
US media identified the victim as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, who reportedly worked as a delivery driver and lived in Biddeford with his wife and three-year-old daughter.
An ICE spokesperson said officers had tried to stop a vehicle at around 7:00 am (1100 GMT) after conducting surveillance of the last known address of a person with a deportation order.
A vehicle "attempted to flee the scene and fearing for public safety an officer discharged his weapon. The driver of the vehicle was struck, and emergency services were immediately contacted. He passed away from his injuries," they said.
Initially, Senator Angus King of Maine told reporters he understood, based on a conversation with Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, that the victim was the subject of an ICE arrest warrant over his immigration status.
But a spokesperson for King later said the senator was told in a second conversation with Mullin that the victim was not the intended target of the warrant.
"The person that was killed was not the person they were seeking," King told CNN.
King demanded a "full, transparent and open investigation," but said the agents involved were apparently not wearing body cameras that would have recorded the incident.
ICE said the agent would be placed on leave in line with protocol after police-involved shootings. The FBI earlier said it was also investigating.
The Colombian embassy said in a statement it had requested clarification from the Department of Homeland Security over the death of a Colombian national.
Last week, a Mexican man was shot dead by an ICE agent during an attempted vehicle stop in Texas.

'I tried to stop'

Daniel Boucher, 71, was nearby when the incident occurred and told AFP he heard a "lot of pop, pop, pops" before seeing ICE agents pull a person from a white car with a bloodied head and face.
"At that point I clearly heard the victim say 'I tried to stop,' something to that effect," he said.
"Then he was on the ground. I could only see the legs and the stomach, and at one point, I could see that his stomach stopped going, and I knew that he had expired."
Boucher said that when he confronted one of the agents at the scene, the man had tried to run him over.
The Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition and Presente Maine, which jointly identified the victim but did not name him, said the man was authorized to work in the United States.
"We will not let this death be reduced to a footnote in this administration's enforcement statistics," said Crystal Cron, executive director of Presente Maine.
Governor Janet Mills said she was "horrified by this tragedy."
The victim not being the intended target of the ICE operation "underscores the reckless and haphazard manner in which immigration enforcement operations are being conducted in Maine and across the country," she wrote on X.
Images from the scene showed a police cordon in place on a residential street, with a forensics unit stationed next to a red tent. Some people placed candles and flowers on the street nearby.
Protesters rallied in the area with signs reading "ICE Out!" and gathered at the office of Maine's other senator, Susan Collins, a member of Trump's Republican party. 
"A person has died, and their loved ones and the people of our community deserve clear answers about what happened," Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain said in a statement.
Tasked with enforcing Trump's immigration crackdown, ICE's heavily armed agents have faced nationwide backlash for aggressive tactics, and for the shooting deaths of two US citizens this year in Minneapolis. 
bjt/sla/abs/lkd/ami

Paramount

Twelve US states sue to block Paramount's Warner Bros. takeover

  • The takeover battle began last year, when streaming giant Netflix and Paramount went to war over Warner Bros. and its prized back catalog.
  • California and 11 other US states on Monday sued to block Paramount Skydance's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros.
  • The takeover battle began last year, when streaming giant Netflix and Paramount went to war over Warner Bros. and its prized back catalog.
California and 11 other US states on Monday sued to block Paramount Skydance's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, calling the largest merger in Hollywood history a threat to competition in film and television.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in northern California, marks a dramatic turn in the regulatory battle over the deal -- and a direct challenge to the Trump administration's Justice Department, which approved the merger last month.
The combined company -- which came about after Netflix bowed out of the battle to own Warner -- would control a sprawling roster of assets, including CNN, Warner Bros. Pictures and the HBO Max streaming service.
The saga has become politically charged, with President Donald Trump publicly saying he would weigh in on the deal as the fate of CNN -- a frequent target of the president's ire -- hangs in the balance.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the coalition, said the combination of two of Hollywood's five major film distributors would lead to "higher prices, lower quality, and less content" for audiences.
"In this country, no one is above the law," Bonta said. 
"California and our sister states are fighting for free and fair markets, not rigged markets. America has no kings in government or our economy."
The states, all led by Democrats, allege the deal violates the Clayton Act, the federal law that bars mergers likely to substantially reduce competition.
Joining California in the suit are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington.
Paramount fired back, calling the lawsuit "fundamentally flawed."
"The practical effect of this lawsuit is to shield those dominant streaming platforms like Netflix and technology companies from much needed competition," a Paramount spokesperson said.
The company argued the merger would create a stronger rival to Netflix, Amazon and Apple, and pledged to release at least 30 films a year for full theatrical runs with a minimum 45-day window.
The fate of theatrical releases for Hollywood movies has been a major source of contention for the industry.
Paramount noted that competition regulators in 24 jurisdictions have already cleared the transaction or allowed their review periods to expire.
Ross Benes, a senior analyst at research firm Emarketer, said the lawsuit represented "an easy political win" for the attorneys general but was unlikely to succeed.
With federal agencies sidelined, the state attorneys general lack the jurisdictional muscle to block the deal, he added.
According to the complaint, the combined company would control roughly 27 percent of wide-release theatrical film distribution and a similar percentage of basic cable channel licensing.
The coalition has asked the companies not to close the transaction until the legal challenge is resolved, and warned it would seek a temporary restraining order if they refuse.
Paramount last month secured the green light of federal antitrust authorities, handing a major win to a media empire financed by one of Trump's closest billionaire allies.

Trump ties

The approval was a coup for Paramount chief executive David Ellison, whose father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, largely financed the takeover.
The elder Ellison, one of the world's richest men, is a close ally of Trump and a major donor to his political campaigns.
Hundreds of actors and directors have signed a letter opposing the merger, warning it would choke production in an industry already battered by years of consolidation and cost-cutting.
The takeover battle began last year, when streaming giant Netflix and Paramount went to war over Warner Bros. and its prized back catalog.
A wary Tinseltown reluctantly lined up behind Netflix as the lesser of two evils, only to watch Paramount keep raising its bid until the streamer walked away.
arp/pnb/mlm

diplomacy

US vows campaign to end ICC 'threat' to Americans

BY LéON BRUNEAU

  • But on Monday, the State Department focused on what it called the ICC's "intolerable threat to US sovereignty," saying the court "claims the authority to prosecute and even imprison American servicemen and officials operating on behalf of America's national interest."
  • The United States on Monday announced a sweeping campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) that could include further sanctions and other measures, accusing it of posing "an intolerable threat to US sovereignty." 
  • But on Monday, the State Department focused on what it called the ICC's "intolerable threat to US sovereignty," saying the court "claims the authority to prosecute and even imprison American servicemen and officials operating on behalf of America's national interest."
The United States on Monday announced a sweeping campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) that could include further sanctions and other measures, accusing it of posing "an intolerable threat to US sovereignty." 
The Trump administration said it would pressure other countries to withdraw from the court, marking a sharp escalation in the US effort to isolate the Hague-based institution and starve it of political and financial support.
"The ICC and its friends are waging a war against our country, not with bullets or missiles, but with statutes, compacts and the force of so-called international law," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a video statement.
The State Department said in a statement that the campaign will "systematically disable the ICC's ability to operate, target American servicemen or officials, or otherwise threaten American sovereignty."
The US has previously targeted individual court officials it deems a threat to US interests, but the new "whole of government" campaign will pressure other nations "to withdraw from the ICC and cut off any financial support to the court," a State Department official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

'Threat to America'

In February 2025, shortly after President Donald Trump returned to office, Washington slapped asset freezes and travel bans on several ICC officials over an arrest warrant issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza.
But on Monday, the State Department focused on what it called the ICC's "intolerable threat to US sovereignty," saying the court "claims the authority to prosecute and even imprison American servicemen and officials operating on behalf of America's national interest."
"Americans never signed up for this, and all American presidents since the ICC's ratification have maintained that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Americans," the department's statement said.
Rubio added that the ICC "threatens every aspect of our political and legal system," and that it has moved from being a "narrow backstop" charged with prosecuting "only the gravest offenses...when a nation's courts were unable."
In addition to levying further travel and financial restrictions on people associated with the court, the State Department official said: "We will watch with interest which nations join ranks with us against this threat to Americans who are willing to risk their lives to protect others."
"While the calls are intended to highlight the ICC’s abuses and the risks posed to Americans and other nations, nations that refuse to reject the ICC’s false authority while relying on US assistance are likely to come under increased scrutiny," the official said.
US reservations about the court predate the Trump. The US, like Israel, has not ratified the international treaty that established the ICC and it has rejected the court's jurisdiction in cases involving the US or Israel.

Judges' lawsuit

Three ICC judges sanctioned by the Trump administration filed a lawsuit in June against the president and other senior US officials, arguing that the measures imposed on them were unlawful.
In a complaint filed in New York, Canadian judge Kimberly Prost, Uganda's Solomy Balungi Bossa and Benin's Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou said the sanctions were intended to "exert extrajudicial pressure."
Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the gravest atrocities, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Russia is also not a member of the ICC. Its President Vladimir Putin has been the subject of an ICC arrest warrant since March 2023.
lb-pnb/msp

justice

US judge voids 'improper' Trump tax deal

  • The case ended in May with a hugely contentious agreement granting Trump, his family and affiliated businesses sweeping protection from existing tax examinations and claims. 
  • A US judge on Monday voided a settlement between Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service giving the president and his allies sweeping protections from audits, ruling that his lawsuit over leaked tax returns had been filed for an "improper purpose."
  • The case ended in May with a hugely contentious agreement granting Trump, his family and affiliated businesses sweeping protection from existing tax examinations and claims. 
A US judge on Monday voided a settlement between Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service giving the president and his allies sweeping protections from audits, ruling that his lawsuit over leaked tax returns had been filed for an "improper purpose."
Trump, his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization sued the IRS for $10 billion over the disclosure of confidential records by a former agency contractor to news organizations.
The case ended in May with a hugely contentious agreement granting Trump, his family and affiliated businesses sweeping protection from existing tax examinations and claims. 
It also established a $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded program to compensate people who alleged they had been targeted by politically motivated government investigations, although the measure -- derided as a "slush fund for criminals" -- was later abandoned.
District Judge Kathleen Williams said there had never been a genuine legal dispute between Trump and the IRS because, as president, he effectively controls the agency and the Treasury Department.
"And because this fact was so obvious and so insurmountable, the court finds that this matter was brought for an improper purpose -- to gain the imprimatur of judicial legitimacy for a 'settlement' that had no viable basis in law or fact," Williams wrote.
She accused the government of abandoning its duty to defend the public interest, saying Justice Department officials had disregarded policies and pursued objectives that exceeded -- and in some cases violated -- their legal authority.
The judge referred one of Trump's private attorneys involved in approving the settlement to legal disciplinary authorities. 
She also ordered that a copy of her ruling to be sent to the State Bar of New York and District of Columbia Bar, of which acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward are members, respectively. 
And she limited the ability of another Trump lawyer to appear in her South Florida court for one year.
There was no immediate response from Trump or the Justice Department to a request for comment.
But a spokesman for Trump's private legal team said the president would continue to "hold those who wrong America and Americans accountable," according to CNN.
ft/mjf

religion

Democratic pastors run to reclaim Jesus from Trump's Republicans

BY MALCOLM FOSTER

  • "I want to stand up and be heard saying: 'This is not OK.'" - What insults Jesus?
  • A band of white Democratic pastors have a striking message ahead of November's US midterm elections: Republicans have hijacked Jesus for political gain, and we're not going to stand for it.
  • "I want to stand up and be heard saying: 'This is not OK.'" - What insults Jesus?
A band of white Democratic pastors have a striking message ahead of November's US midterm elections: Republicans have hijacked Jesus for political gain, and we're not going to stand for it.
For decades, it's been a truism that Republicans have cornered the Christian market -- at least when it comes to white voters.
But these ministers are so fed up with President Donald Trump, and particularly his policies against immigrants, that they're running as Democrats in November to rein him in.
"The Christians we're hearing in Washington don't reflect the Jesus of the Gospels," one of the insurgents, Adam Hamilton, told AFP.
As the head of a 24,000-member Methodist megachurch in deeply conservative Kansas, Hamilton would typically fit the profile of a right-wing Republican Christian.
However, along with support for fiscal responsibility and a strong military, the 62-year-old Hamilton backs legal access to abortion and protecting LGBTQ rights in his campaign for the US Senate.
Citing the "crassness and mean-spiritedness" of Trump's presidency, he said what's happening in Washington is "inconsistent with the values that I've preached for 36 years."
"I want to stand up and be heard saying: 'This is not OK.'"

What insults Jesus?

Democrats have a long tradition of clergy in politics, but predominately among African Americans.
In Congress now, there's Senator Raphael Warnock, who leads Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr was pastor.
But the last white, Democratic pastor in Congress was Bob Edgar, a Methodist minister representing Pennsylvania from 1975 to 1987.
Now, in these midterms, no fewer than seven white clergy or ministers-in-training representing the Democratic Party are vying for congressional seats.
From Iowa, Texas, Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas and Tennessee, they're mostly political newcomers. Three of them are women.
But they're united in aiming to reclaim the Bible from Republicans and using Christian teaching to support more liberal policies on immigrants and the poor.
Perhaps the most prominent is James Talarico, a 37-year-old Presbyterian seminarian running for a Senate seat in Texas.
In a staunchly conservative, Republican-led state, his Scripture-laden speeches have helped him make deep inroads.
"You want to know what insults Jesus? Kicking the sick off health care while cutting the taxes of billionaires," Talarico said in one speech.

Religious Democrat? It's OK

One reason Republicans have dominated the white Christian electorate is that Democrats have gradually shifted from being identified as the party of the working class to a secular elite where religion can be unfashionable.
Indira Duggirala, co-chair of the Democratic National Committee's Interfaith Council, acknowledged that there has been a "vacuum in that religious space in Democratic politics."
The emergence of these faith-oriented candidates -- which she said happened organically -- "is not an unwelcome change."
"It's OK to be a Democrat and be religious," she told AFP, while emphasizing that government must be secular.
For many Democrats, as well as many Christians, Trump's MAGA movement and the rise of Christian nationalism have been alarming.
There's been particular revulsion at the way Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth holds Pentagon prayer meetings and uses stridently religious language to justify the US war against Iran.
"Christian nationalism is one of the biggest threats to democracy in the United States," said Robb Ryerse, an evangelical pastor who is vying for a congressional seat in Arkansas, another predominantly red state.
But Ryerse, 51, and others in the Democratic Christian pushback say they are ready to right wrongs.
"We need people of faith to stand up and say the United States has a separation of church and state," Ryerse said, describing one aspect of his mission as helping to "clean up the mess" made by fellow white Christians on the right.
If he wins, Hamilton would be the first Kansas Democrat elected to the US Senate since 1932 -- and he says he's ready to make that history.
"It's time," he said. "I think we're going to do it. There are a lot of people out there who are saying we need change."
mjf/sms/sst

US

Trump says US reinstates Iran blockade, will be 'paid' for guarding Hormuz

BY MATTHEW PENNINGTON

  • We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran's ships or customers from entering or leaving," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
  • President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States was reinstating its blockade of Iranian ports and "taking over" the Strait of Hormuz, where it would levy charges on shipping.
  • We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran's ships or customers from entering or leaving," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States was reinstating its blockade of Iranian ports and "taking over" the Strait of Hormuz, where it would levy charges on shipping.
The president's declaration came after US and Iranian attacks of a scale unseen since an April ceasefire in the Middle East conflict, adding to doubts about efforts to bring a permanent end to the war that has curtailed shipping through the strait.
"The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran's ships or customers from entering or leaving," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait. The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,'" he added.
Iran started blocking the strait after the US and Israel launched attacks in late February, which prompted Washington to stop shipping to and from Iranian ports. Those restrictions were eased after the two sides agreed on a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending the war. 
Trump's remarks Monday appeared to revert to the situation during the depth of the fighting, but with Washington now seeking to extract fees for protecting shipping.
The president declared that the US "will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. The process and formation will begin immediately."
Iran's military command insisted Monday it would not allow the US to "interfere" in the key conduit for oil and gas, while also warning its Gulf neighbors -- who have borne the brunt of its retaliatory attacks -- against cooperating with Washington.
The US military said it hit dozens of targets on Monday, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced new strikes in response on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Oman and insisted that the strait is "closed." 
Speaking earlier Monday on TV, Trump said, "We're taking over the Strait," and complained about the tactics of Iranian negotiators seeking changes in what was agreed during hours of talks at the weekend.
"Yesterday, they had an 11-hour meeting ... And everything was agreed to yesterday. And they leave the room, and they call back, and they say we had to make a couple of changes," Trump told "Fox and Friends," without elaborating on what changes were sought.
Trump said that the US had been guarding the strait for "nothing," but now would be reimbursed by wealthy nations "for doing all of this, for putting our people in danger." 
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said Monday the government was talking with mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman in a bid to prevent an escalation in the war.
msp/ksb

Graham

US senator and Trump ally Lindsey Graham dies aged 71

  • - Foreign policy hawk - Graham's death comes as the weeks-long hospitalization of former Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell rattles the party.
  • Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, an influential ally of President Donald Trump and advocate of hawkish US foreign policy, has died unexpectedly aged 71, his office said.
  • - Foreign policy hawk - Graham's death comes as the weeks-long hospitalization of former Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell rattles the party.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, an influential ally of President Donald Trump and advocate of hawkish US foreign policy, has died unexpectedly aged 71, his office said.
Graham was a staunch supporter of the Iran war, and in recent years urged both the Trump and Biden administrations to back Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.
The South Carolina senator bitterly opposed Trump a decade ago, but ultimately backed the billionaire president as he steadily gained power over the Republican Party.
His support wavered after the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection, in which a pro-Trump mob attacked the seat of US democracy, but he later returned to being a staunch ally.
Graham's office said in a statement on his official X account that he had "passed away from a brief and sudden illness."
His office later said that the local medical examiner had preliminarily determined Graham's cause of death to be a tear in his aorta as a result of heart disease.
NBC News reported that emergency services responded to a call for cardiac arrest at Graham's Capitol Hill home on Saturday night.
Graham had been scheduled to appear Sunday morning on the NBC news talk show "Meet the Press."
Trump instead joined the program and hailed his late ally as a natural-born, hard-working politician skilled at dealing with people from both major US parties.
"He's a tough one to lose. He was great. He was unique in every way, actually," Trump said by telephone.
The president said they had spoken Saturday evening as Graham returned from a trip to Ukraine, and they made tentative plans to meet on Sunday. 
"It could have been his last call," Trump remarked.
Later, Trump ordered on his Truth Social platform that American flags across the country be lowered to half-staff in mourning.
Graham made a failed bid for the presidency in 2016, warning at the time that Republicans should not back Trump because he was a "race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot."
Their relationship was again strained by the January 6 insurrection, but Graham later reconciled with Trump and backed his 2024 reelection bid.

'A great friend of Israel'

Graham was a noted supporter of Israel and had ardently pushed for the United States to attack Iran and overthrow its theocratic government.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "Lindsey is a great friend of Israel and a cherished friend of mine."
Tehran described Graham on Monday as "malicious," while several Iranian state television anchors welcomed Graham's death in broadcasts aired Sunday.
"Our people will not mourn a man whose philosophy on life was aggression and intimidation. His entire being was malicious," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was deeply saddened by the death of Graham, whom he met in Kyiv as recently as Friday.
"He visited Ukraine ten times during the years of Russia's full-scale invasion and was here with our people when it was most needed...America and the world have lost a determined leader," Zelensky said in a Facebook post.
Graham had recently won a primary election to seek a fourth Senate term in the November midterms.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster will have to appoint a successor for the remaining months of Graham's term while another primary will need to be held.

Foreign policy hawk

Graham's death comes as the weeks-long hospitalization of former Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell rattles the party.
Republicans hold a narrow 53-47 majority in the Senate, with little room for missing votes or defections. McConnell was admitted to hospital last month and has not voted since June 11.
Graham was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 1994, before being elected to the Senate in 2002.
He was reelected to the Senate in 2008, 2014 and 2020, most recently serving as the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.
Raised in the town of Central, South Carolina, where his parents ran a restaurant and pool hall, Graham was the first in his family to go to college, according to his biography on the Senate website.
He served as a military lawyer and attained the rank of Air Force colonel, an experience that informed his interventionist stance in foreign affairs.
Graham voted for military action against Iraq in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks, and later supported a long-term US presence in Afghanistan.
bur-ane/jgc/des/lkd/lga

US

US hits Iran as Gulf states targeted in flareup over Hormuz

BY AFP TEAMS IN TEHRAN, WASHINGTON AND DUBAI

  • Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck US military targets and bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, state media reported on Monday. 
  • The United States struck Iran Monday for a second day running, drawing Tehran's reprisals against US allies in the Gulf as the foes battle over the status of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. 
  • Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck US military targets and bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, state media reported on Monday. 
The United States struck Iran Monday for a second day running, drawing Tehran's reprisals against US allies in the Gulf as the foes battle over the status of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. 
The fresh fighting and Iran's announcement over the weekend of a new closure of Hormuz -- a key conduit in the world's oil trade -- sent crude prices climbing on Monday and further battered an interim peace deal.
Iran responded to the latest US attacks by targeting Gulf nations, with the powerful Revolutionary Guards announcing new strikes on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, according to state media reports. 
The US Central Command (CENTCOMM) said its forces had completed their latest barrage, which began overnight Sunday, on dozens of Iranian targets. 
US aircraft, naval vessels and drones had "completed a new wave of offensive strikes against Iran... hitting dozens of targets at multiple locations with precision munitions to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz."
The past week's hostilities have centred over competing claims over the critical energy trade route, which Iran's Guards say is now "closed" while the United States maintains the strait is open to maritime traffic and is not controlled by Iran.
Oil prices, which tumbled after the announcement of the June agreement, jumped 4.5 percent when futures trading opened Monday in Asia, with the US benchmark WTI jumping above $74 a barrel on fears of hampered supply on global markets. 
Mediators have been trying to salvage a diplomatic solution to ending the war after President Donald Trump this week declared a ceasefire over. 
Pakistan, a key intermediary in negotiations between the rival countries, expressed "deep concern at escalation in regional tensions", according to its foreign office. 
Iran's foreign ministry said the US attacks on Sunday had "caused the return of insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz" and "have rendered futile all efforts" at establishing peace in the region.
Iranian state media reported two deaths in US strikes that it said targeted large areas across southern and western Iran, including Qeshm island and Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz, and in Khuzestan province bordering Iraq.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck US military targets and bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, state media reported on Monday. 
Air raid alerts sounded in Bahrain where the interior ministry while Kuwait's army said the country's forces were intercepting "hostile aerial targets" on Monday. 
Jordan's army said it had intercepted four Iranian missiles. 

Back and forth strikes

The renewed fighting followed an Iranian attack early Sunday on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whose crew was forced to abandon it after it went up in flames.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said after the incident that "the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of American interventions in this region," according to state news agency IRNA.
Control of the strategic waterway has become key leverage for Iran, with an adviser to the country's supreme leader on Sunday saying it was more important than "dozens of atomic bombs."
US CENTCOM countered on X that the strait was "open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit."
On Sunday evening, Iranian state media reported at least 10 "enemy projectiles" hitting Qeshm Island, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz. 
It reported further strikes on the island of Farur, to the east of Qeshm in the Gulf, that it said killed a telecommunications worker and wounded two others.
IRNA also reported early on Monday morning that US strikes had killed one person and wounded four at a water pumping station in the southwest city of Mahshahr.
Iran's Guards said they also hit Oman, which has rarely been targeted. 
Muscat summoned the Iranian ambassador and handed him a formal protest -- a rare move for the sultanate, which has been attempting to balance competing demands from Washington and Tehran.
The attack came just hours after the country hosted Iran's foreign minister to discuss the Strait of Hormuz.

Trade of rhetoric

Sunday's attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the waterway left one Indian sailor missing, New Delhi said.
Muscat, meanwhile, said it had rescued 23 crew members from a commercial ship.
The crew abandoned ship and transferred to a lifeboat, around 17 kilometers (10 miles) east of Oman, British maritime agency UKMTO reported.
Separate Iranian strikes on ships in Hormuz had triggered fighting earlier this week, along with heated rhetoric.
Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed revenge for the killing of his father and predecessor on the first day of the war, and said Iran had compiled a list of individuals to be targeted.
Trump on Saturday said any attempt to assassinate him would lead the United States to "completely decimate" Iran.
burs-des/jgc/ceg/jm

immigration

Protected but deported anyway, as Trump goes after 'dreamers'

BY MOISéS ÁVILA

  • But the Trump administration has arrested at least 343 of them and deported at least 86, according to an NGO called Home is Here, quoting a letter from the Department of Homeland Security to Congress.
  • Jose Contreras felt safe from deportation under a program launched years ago under Barack Obama, but the Trump administration expelled him anyway.
  • But the Trump administration has arrested at least 343 of them and deported at least 86, according to an NGO called Home is Here, quoting a letter from the Department of Homeland Security to Congress.
Jose Contreras felt safe from deportation under a program launched years ago under Barack Obama, but the Trump administration expelled him anyway.
The day Contreras got the shocking news, at a routine immigration hearing, he said officials laughed when he asked for a stay extension because his wife was about to have their first child.
"They looked at me like I had a third eye," Contreras told AFP. He was deported to Honduras that same day, and spent 118 days there until he made it back, thanks to a court order.
Contreras is one of several hundred people caught up in a particularly sad and frustrating chapter of President Donald Trump's aggressive and sometimes violent crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
People like Contreras came to America as minors but never got citizenship or residency. Still, this is the only country they call home.
And they are supposed to benefit from a program launched in 2012 called DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, designed to protect such people from deportation and let them live and work in America as they try to upgrade their immigration status.
DACA is estimated to be protecting around 500,000 people, popularly known as "dreamers," according to government figures.  
But the Trump administration has arrested at least 343 of them and deported at least 86, according to an NGO called Home is Here, quoting a letter from the Department of Homeland Security to Congress.
On January 2 Contreras was handcuffed when he showed up for his immigration hearing, put on a plane and flown to his native Honduras.
"I was a DACA recipient. I was a dreamer. Then I got deported," Contreras said. His son was born in Texas, without him, in late February.
"I lost it, you know. I fell to the ground. And then I cried," he said. "Because I wasn't planning to not be there for my son."

'Unlawful and inhumane'

Then there is the case of 42-year-old Maria de Jesus Estrada, who came to America at age 15 and lived in California until her life, too, abruptly changed at an immigration hearing she attended with her 23-year-old daughter. 
Walking into a room with six immigration agents, she was told to put her hands behind back and prepare to be arrested, right then and there. Panicking, she asked for a minute.   
"I need you guys to give me a minute. I said, 'I'm not gonna resist anything. I just need a minute.
 I need to hold my daughter. I need to hug my daughter.'" 
She was deported to Mexico later that day.
In both cases, immigration officials said Contreras and Estrada were deported because they had orders to that effect pending from when they were much younger.
And in both cases, US courts ultimately ruled their deportation illegal and ordered they could return, which they did.
"The cases of Jose Contreras and Maria de Jesus Estrada are evidence of this administration's unlawful and inhumane distortion of the law," said Stacy Tolchin, a lawyer who defended both of them. 
Trump tried to do away with DACA altogether during his first stint in the White House but the courts stopped him. Now he is pressing Congress for a permanent solution to America's complex immigration imbroglio.
"We are seeing this administration dismantling DACA through delay, denials, detentions and deportations," said Todd Schulte, the president of FWD.us, an advocacy group.

'Wake up at home'

DACA beneficiary Jessica Trevino, who came to the United States from Mexico at age seven, has not been as lucky.
Immigration agents arrested her in Alamo, Texas, on December 28 as she left church with her family.
The agents roughed up her husband. Video footage of the encounter went viral. 
Both were deported to Mexico in March and they are waiting for US courts to hear their case. Their three children stayed behind, living with relatives.
Trevino said she hopes to be back for her daughter's 15th birthday in August.
"Although I was not born in the United States, I have lived here my whole life," said Trevino, who now lives in Matamoros, Mexico, waiting and hoping.
"Sometimes I go to sleep thinking that I will wake up at home," she said.
mav/dw/pnb/mjf

McConnell

Top US senator breaks silence on health-related absence

  • He said that while hospitalized he also "had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia."
  • US Senator Mitch McConnell, the 84-year-old former Republican leader of the upper chamber, revealed on Sunday that his weeks-long hospitalization had been due to a fall and loss of consciousness, with a subsequent bout of "mild" pneumonia.
  • He said that while hospitalized he also "had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia."
US Senator Mitch McConnell, the 84-year-old former Republican leader of the upper chamber, revealed on Sunday that his weeks-long hospitalization had been due to a fall and loss of consciousness, with a subsequent bout of "mild" pneumonia.
The extended absence of the veteran Kentucky senator had raised much speculation in Washington over his actual condition, and compounded problems for his party's narrow Senate majority.
McConnell was admitted to the hospital on June 14 and his office did not provide any further details for weeks, repeatedly saying only that he was "receiving excellent care."
In a statement on Sunday, the senator acknowledged "honest questions" that had been raised about his absence.
"Surviving childhood polio meant spending my entire life with mobility challenges. They haven't exactly gotten easier to manage with age. And last month, I took a fall which landed me in the hospital," he said, adding that doctors confirmed he did not break any bones or suffer a concussion.
"I didn't have a heart attack or a stroke. I don't have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital," he said, apparently dismissing rumors of a near-fatal health episode.
He said that while hospitalized he also "had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia."
The senator, who last voted in early June, did not offer a timeline for his return to Congress.
"On the advice of my doctors, I won't be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet," he said, noting he had been moved to a rehabilitation center to "keep regaining my strength."
The statement was accompanied by a photo of the senator sitting in a medical bed and holding Sunday's Washington Post newspaper, with his wife, former US transportation secretary Elaine Chao, next to him.
McConnell's health has been under close scrutiny for years.
He was hospitalized in 2023 after a fall that left him with a concussion, later froze twice during public appearances, sprained his wrist in another fall last year and spent more than a week in the hospital earlier this year after flu-like symptoms.
McConnell is not seeking reelection and is due to retire in January.
But if he were to resign before then, Kentucky law would require a special election rather than allowing Democratic Governor Andy Beshear to appoint a temporary successor.
Before the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham this weekend, Republicans held only a narrow 53-47 majority in the upper chamber.
With McConnell's extended absence and Graham's replacement yet to be appointed, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has very little room for missing votes or defections as he tries to advance spending bills and other legislative priorities before November's midterm elections.
des/jgc

Trump

Scare Force One? Security questions swirl over Trump's new plane

BY DANNY KEMP

  • But Qatar's donation of a jet worth hundreds of millions of dollars has also raised ethical questions about whether a US president should receive or use such a gift from a foreign power. dk/hol/ane
  • US President Donald Trump faced questions about the security of his new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar, after he took an older jet home from a NATO summit this week.
  • But Qatar's donation of a jet worth hundreds of millions of dollars has also raised ethical questions about whether a US president should receive or use such a gift from a foreign power. dk/hol/ane
US President Donald Trump faced questions about the security of his new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar, after he took an older jet home from a NATO summit this week.
The billionaire president has been unable to contain his excitement over the retrofitted Boeing 747-8 aircraft, which took him to Ankara on its maiden trip outside the United States.
Trump then abruptly announced in Turkey that he would send the aircraft ahead to a British airbase saying the decision was made to allow US troops to tour the luxury plane.
The New York Times reported on Friday that the new plane lacked the same security countermeasures boasted by the older jet, including anti-missile defenses. US media also reported that the Secret Service had advised the switch.
Speculation was fueled by the fact that US hostilities had flared again with Iran, which borders Turkey, and because journalists on the old plane out of Ankara were also told to keep their window blinds down, a step normally reserved for war zones.
Trump himself denied any security concerns, but after switching back to the new plane for the flight from the UK to Washington, he referred to alleged Iranian assassination attempts.
"You're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags we have to deal with," he said.
The New York Times said several of its journalists received subpoenas from the Trump administration on Friday, following its report on the new Air Force One.
"The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects," said David McCraw, the publication's top newsroom lawyer.

'Every tool at our disposal'

The White House defended the new plane's safety.
"The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff," Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement to AFP on Friday.
"As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats."
In a similar statement to some US media on Thursday, Cheung said those tools included "distraction and misdirection," in an apparent reference to the plane swap.
The Secret Service referred queries to the White House.
While US officials never disclose details, the older Air Force Ones are widely reported to have sophisticated countermeasures that can jam enemy radar and infrared tracking systems.
They also reportedly have dispensers for chaff -- metal shavings that distract radar-guided missiles -- and flares that blind heat-seeking missiles.
It is unclear which if any of those measures are on the Qatari plane, although it lacks some of the specialized external equipment fairings that are visible on the older jets.
Qatar's royal family donated the luxury airliner last year after Trump complained about the state of the two aging Boeing 747 jets that had served as Air Force One since 1990.
The plane was then rapidly retrofitted and flew Trump for the first time on July 1, to North Dakota.

 'Real national security concerns'

But the US military has previously admitted it had to make compromises -- mainly on the internal decor -- to get the aircraft into service as quickly as possible for Trump.
"No risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications, but the collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years," the US Air Force said in a June statement.
But Senate Democrats asked the Air Force in a letter sent the day Trump arrived in Turkey to explain "real national security concerns" about the Qatari plane.
Former US security officials also expressed doubts.
"No matter what you do to retrofit a Qatari jet, it's never going to be built from scratch to have the defensive capabilities like a tailor-made Air Force One," retired Brigadier General John Teichert, former US Air Force assistant deputy under secretary, told Fox News.
The Qatari jet is acting as a stopgap until two brand new Boeing Air Force Ones are delivered later this decade following a series of delays. After that it is due to be donated to Trump's planned presidential library.
But Qatar's donation of a jet worth hundreds of millions of dollars has also raised ethical questions about whether a US president should receive or use such a gift from a foreign power.
dk/hol/ane

election

Trump sparks US midterm fears with election body firings

BY DANNY KEMP

  • "Firing every remaining member of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms is a brazen attempt to seize control of our elections before a single vote is cast," Schumer said on X. US Senator Mark Warner of Virginia said it was an "extraordinary step that demands an immediate explanation from the administration."
  • US President Donald Trump stood accused Friday of trying to seize control of November's crucial midterm elections after he fired the last two Democrats on a federal agency that oversees fair polls.
  • "Firing every remaining member of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms is a brazen attempt to seize control of our elections before a single vote is cast," Schumer said on X. US Senator Mark Warner of Virginia said it was an "extraordinary step that demands an immediate explanation from the administration."
US President Donald Trump stood accused Friday of trying to seize control of November's crucial midterm elections after he fired the last two Democrats on a federal agency that oversees fair polls.
Trump's brazen removal of the officials from the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission comes as he pushes for voting restrictions ahead of the midterms, in which Republicans could lose their grip on Congress.
The two commissioners nominated by Democrats received an email from the Trump administration dismissing them on Thursday, US media reported. 
The remaining Republican-chosen commissioner on the four-person panel resigned Thursday, after another resigned in April.
The White House defended Trump's move, saying a Supreme Court ruling last month gave the 80-year-old president expanded powers to fire members of independent government agencies.
"The President, and head of the Executive Branch, reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America's elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted," a White House official said in a statement to AFP.
The official added that the Trump administration was "working across all agencies and local partners to safeguard elections from fraud and abuse" before November.
Top Democrats vowed to fight what Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump's "power grab" over the election commission, which certifies voting equipment while administering hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support for elections.
"Firing every remaining member of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms is a brazen attempt to seize control of our elections before a single vote is cast," Schumer said on X.
US Senator Mark Warner of Virginia said it was an "extraordinary step that demands an immediate explanation from the administration."

Baseless claims

Trump has stepped up baseless claims of election fraud, echoing his false claims that fraud contributed to his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.
But Republicans fear Trump's near-record unpopularity, and the high cost of living sparked by his Iran war, could cost them control of the House of Representatives in November.
Trump had previously clashed with the commission over an executive order directing the agency to add a requirement for proof of citizenship to voter registration forms, a demand that was largely blocked in court, CNN reported.
To approve any actions, the commission requires agreement from three of the four commissioners, but it could take months to fill the vacancies, USA Today reported.
Trump's gutting of the commission comes as he shows mounting frustration over Congress's refusal to pass a package of fresh voting restrictions.
His so-called SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification at polling places, while imposing new limits on mail-in ballots.
Trump said Friday he would refuse to sign a landmark housing bill in protest, although the bipartisan measure -- which aims to tackle the cost of living -- is set to become law automatically on Saturday if he fails to sign or veto it.
While Republicans could lose the House in November, losing the Senate appears less likely, especially after the implosion of Democratic candidate Graham Platner's campaign in a key race in Maine.
Platner, a Marine veteran whose blunt anti-establishment message thrilled the progressive grassroots, quit the race after a rape allegation he denies.
dk/sst

conservation

Trump administration weakens habitat protections for endangered species

  • "For the first time ever, a presidential administration now claims that species protected by the Endangered Species Act shouldn’t be safe from habitat modification that destroys where they live, raise their young, or search for food," said Kristen Boyle, an attorney for Earthjustice, which vowed to sue. 
  • President Donald Trump's administration on Friday finalized a rule narrowing the definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act, in a move conservationists warned could open the door to widespread habitat destruction.
  • "For the first time ever, a presidential administration now claims that species protected by the Endangered Species Act shouldn’t be safe from habitat modification that destroys where they live, raise their young, or search for food," said Kristen Boyle, an attorney for Earthjustice, which vowed to sue. 
President Donald Trump's administration on Friday finalized a rule narrowing the definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act, in a move conservationists warned could open the door to widespread habitat destruction.
The Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce framed the change as returning the law to its original intent, ending what they called years of overreach.
"For years, federal agencies abused the ESA to obstruct lawful land use and burden American families and businesses," said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a statement.
"That approach turned routine activity into a regulatory trap, drove up costs that impacted people's lives, and expanded federal authority beyond what Congress intended. This action restores common sense, respects private property, provides much-needed certainty for landowners and follows the statute Congress actually passed."
The landmark Endangered Species Act -- passed in 1973 and credited with saving the bald eagle, American alligator and other iconic species -- prohibits the "take" of endangered species, and defines "take" to mean "harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct."
In implementing the law, the government further defined "harm" to include "significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering."
That definition stood for decades, notably surviving a 1995 Supreme Court case that focused on the protection of old-growth forests for spotted owls.
In proposing the revision last year, the Trump administration cited a 2024 ruling by the conservative-tilted Supreme Court that overrode the longstanding "Chevron doctrine," under which courts deferred to federal agencies' interpretations of ambiguous statutes.
But conservation groups said the change would open the way to industrial activity that destroys habitats and was at odds with the statute.
"For the first time ever, a presidential administration now claims that species protected by the Endangered Species Act shouldn’t be safe from habitat modification that destroys where they live, raise their young, or search for food," said Kristen Boyle, an attorney for Earthjustice, which vowed to sue. 
"If animals don't have a place to live, they can't live. Spotted owls, Atlantic salmon, Florida panthers and thousands of other species need protections for the wild places where they make their homes," added Tara Zuardo, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity.
ia/pnb

economy

US senators announce Trump deal on Russia sanctions bill

  • The legislation would give the president authority to impose tariffs and sanctions on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy, a crucial source of revenue for Moscow's war effort.
  • Four US senators said Friday they had reached agreement with President Donald Trump to advance bipartisan legislation targeting countries buying Russian energy -- potentially clearing the way for stronger pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
  • The legislation would give the president authority to impose tariffs and sanctions on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy, a crucial source of revenue for Moscow's war effort.
Four US senators said Friday they had reached agreement with President Donald Trump to advance bipartisan legislation targeting countries buying Russian energy -- potentially clearing the way for stronger pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
Republicans Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker and Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen said in a joint statement they expected to unveil the updated legislation "very soon."
"As Russia intensifies its slaughter of civilians, it is imperative that the legislative and executive branches work together to create tools to exact a heavy price on those who buy Russian oil and natural gas, fueling the Putin war machine," they said.
The measure has been under negotiation for months but has struggled to advance amid a lukewarm response from the White House and Trump's shifting approach toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The legislation would give the president authority to impose tariffs and sanctions on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy, a crucial source of revenue for Moscow's war effort.
China and India are among the biggest buyers of Russian oil, although the senators did not release details of the newly agreed version of the bill.
An earlier proposal envisioned tariffs of up to 500 percent on imports from countries purchasing Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products.
The agreement follows signs that Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Moscow's failure to negotiate an end to the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
At a Group of Seven summit in France in June, Trump said Russia should "make a deal" and indicated Washington could restore sanctions on Russian oil that had been temporarily waived.
The president has sought to maintain relations with Putin while periodically criticizing both Moscow and Kyiv, but adopted a warmer tone toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during recent meetings.
The senators' announcement does not guarantee swift passage, and the White House did not immediately comment publicly on the agreement.
But administration support could remove the most significant political obstacle to a bill that has attracted backing from lawmakers in both parties.
ft/pnb

Trump

Murder, terror charges for suspects in Trump cage fight attack plot

  • They are accused of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and conspiracy to murder federal government officials "including the president of the United States, the vice president of the United States, and members of Congress," Gerace said.
  • Eight men accused in an alleged plot to attack a White House mixed martial arts fight hosted by President Donald Trump in June have been indicted on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges, officials said Friday.
  • They are accused of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and conspiracy to murder federal government officials "including the president of the United States, the vice president of the United States, and members of Congress," Gerace said.
Eight men accused in an alleged plot to attack a White House mixed martial arts fight hosted by President Donald Trump in June have been indicted on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges, officials said Friday.
The suspects, ranging in age from 19 to 32, are accused of planning to use armed drones to attack the event on the  presidential mansion's South Lawn, with snipers firing on "high value targets" in the chaos.
Law enforcement officials said they foiled the plot in the lead-up to the June 14 "UFC Freedom 250" event, which coincided with Trump's 80th birthday and ultimately took place without incident.
It attracted thousands of fans to the fights in a temporary arena called "The Claw" that towered over the White House.
"The group allegedly planned to carry out a mass casualty attack involving the use of drones armed with explosives and firearms meant to shoot people fleeing in the crowds," FBI special agent Jason Cromartie told a press conference.
US Attorney Dominick Gerace said the eight alleged plotters were charged Thursday in a two-count federal indictment in Columbus, Ohio.
They are accused of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and conspiracy to murder federal government officials "including the president of the United States, the vice president of the United States, and members of Congress," Gerace said.
The federal charges returned by a grand jury replace initial charges filed by prosecutors in various legal jurisdictions around the country.
Prosecutors said the plotters, who hailed from various states, had met in online chat groups to plan the attack, recruit members and encourage each other to carry out the assault.
The eighth suspect, 21-year-old Chandler Scaggs of West Virginia, was arrested this week and had allegedly been assigned to be a sniper, they said.
The White House is one of the most heavily guarded sites in the world, ringed with anti-aircraft capabilities, blanketed by surveillance, and staffed with specially trained response units.
The "UFC Freedom 250" event kicked off this year's festivities for the 250th anniversary of the declaration of US independence.
Trump has faced several assassination attempts in recent years, most recently in April when a gunman tried to storm a gala dinner hosted by the White House Correspondents' Association that Trump was attending.
bur-lkd-cl/mlm

economy

US housing bill set to become law despite Trump snub

  • Under the US Constitution, legislation becomes law after 10 days if the president neither signs nor vetoes it while Congress remains in session.
  • A landmark bipartisan housing bill is set to become US law on Saturday without President Donald Trump's signature, after he said he would refuse to sign one of Congress's rare victories on the cost of living in protest over a stalled voting restrictions package.
  • Under the US Constitution, legislation becomes law after 10 days if the president neither signs nor vetoes it while Congress remains in session.
A landmark bipartisan housing bill is set to become US law on Saturday without President Donald Trump's signature, after he said he would refuse to sign one of Congress's rare victories on the cost of living in protest over a stalled voting restrictions package.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act cleared both chambers by overwhelming margins, giving the majority Republicans and opposition Democrats a significant affordability achievement to promote ahead of November's midterm elections.
But Trump abruptly cancelled a planned signing ceremony last month and dismissed the measure as "a yawn," demanding that senators instead approve his election legislation.
He doubled down on Friday, posting on social media: "I will not sign the Housing Bill...in protest over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing the SAVE America Act."
Trump's bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification at polling places, while imposing new limits on mail-in ballots.
Democrats call it an assault on voting rights, noting that foreigners voting is already illegal and almost never happens, while Senate Republican leaders have acknowledged it lacks the support needed to advance.
The housing bill's quiet enactment would mark an unusual conclusion to months of cross-party negotiations, as a significant congressional accomplishment that the president declined to celebrate, but chose not to stop.
Under the US Constitution, legislation becomes law after 10 days if the president neither signs nor vetoes it while Congress remains in session.
Trump could still issue a last-minute veto, although House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that he does not expect the president to block the measure.
The housing package contains nearly 60 provisions intended to boost supply, reduce regulatory barriers and improve access to mortgages and home ownership.
It would offer federal incentives to communities that build more housing, make manufactured and modular homes easier to develop and help convert underused properties into residences.
The legislation also imposes the first federal restrictions on purchases of single-family homes by large corporate investors, targeting firms that already own hundreds of properties.
Its impact is likely to take time, since many zoning and construction rules are controlled by state and local governments.
But it arrives as housing costs remain a major source of financial pressure. The median price of an existing US home reached a record $440,600 in June, while the average 30-year mortgage rate stood at 6.49 percent.
ft/acb

Trump

Florida airport renamed 'Trump' in latest push to expand his brand

BY GERARD MARTINEZ WITH SEBASTIAN SMITH IN WASHINGTON

  • His image is due to appear on some US passports and already appears on passes to National Parks.
  • A Florida airport was renamed after Donald Trump on Thursday, accelerating a push by the US president and supporters to plaster his name and image on everything from national landmarks to banknotes.
  • His image is due to appear on some US passports and already appears on passes to National Parks.
A Florida airport was renamed after Donald Trump on Thursday, accelerating a push by the US president and supporters to plaster his name and image on everything from national landmarks to banknotes.
"This will soon be one of the Greatest and Most Spectacular Airports anywhere in the World!" Trump said in a Truth Social post late Thursday reacting to the change.
The Republican leader's son Eric celebrated by landing in the private family Boeing 757 -- so-called "Trump Force One" -- at what had been known as Palm Beach International Airport for nearly half a century.
"A beautiful day," a grinning Eric Trump said on Fox News at the newly minted President Donald J. Trump International Airport, a short drive from the family's Mar-a-Lago golf resort and compound.
The airport renaming was signed into law by Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis.
"I don't think there's anybody more synonymous with Palm Beach than Donald Trump and maybe all of Florida," Eric Trump said.
He pointed out that the main road leading out of the airport is already called "President Donald J. Trump Boulevard."
And now anyone flying into Palm Beach will have a ticket where "you're going to see 'DJT' in perpetuity."
Travelers at the airport Thursday were divided on the name change.
Corporate pilot Chris Bailey welcomed the switch, telling AFP that Trump has "certainly done enough to warrant a name of an airport."
But some were hostile.
"Palm Beach is a better brand. People don't really like Donald Trump," John Manov, a doctor, said. "It seems in poor taste."
 

Banknotes, buildings, bridge

 
Breaking the long-held US tradition against celebrating living figures -- and particularly serving presidents -- on currency and buildings, the Trump name and image are spreading rapidly.
Officials, including US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, unveiled the new Donald J. Trump Bridge in Tennessee on Thursday.
"The Tennessee license plate used to have a sign on it, or a little motto that said, 'Follow me to Tennessee,'" Bessent said. "Now, everyone who follows those cars is going to go across the Donald J. Trump Bridge on the I-40."
Washington already features the renamed Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace and giant posters with his face have been hung from the facades of major government buildings.
Trump's name was also briefly imposed on the famous Kennedy Center performing arts venue in the capital, before a judge ruled this illegal.
In addition, there are Trump-branded visa, medical and other official government programs.
His image is due to appear on some US passports and already appears on passes to National Parks. An entire "Trump class" of naval ships has been announced.
In yet another first, Trump's signature will appear on US dollar notes later this year, the Treasury says.
Critics liken the spread of the Trump brand to cults of personality usually seen in authoritarian countries and dictatorships.
Eric Trump denied there was anything wrong with the airport renaming, telling Fox News that "anything that bears our name is slightly controversial."
Asked about how the president feels to have the Florida airport named after him, Eric Trump said he was "honored" and "humbled."
gma-bys-sms/pnb/ksb

US

Iran buries Khamenei after new fighting with US erupts

BY SEBASTIEN RICCI IN MASHHAD WITH CALLUM PATON IN DOHA AND W.G. DUNLOP IN WASHINGTON

  • Khamenei was killed alongside close family members on the first day of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.
  • Iran on Friday laid to rest its former supreme leader Ali Khamenei over four months after his killing in an airstrike, as two days of US and Iranian attacks raised fears of a return to all-out war.
  • Khamenei was killed alongside close family members on the first day of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.
Iran on Friday laid to rest its former supreme leader Ali Khamenei over four months after his killing in an airstrike, as two days of US and Iranian attacks raised fears of a return to all-out war.
Khamenei's flag-covered coffin was carried aloft into the shrine of Imam Reza in his home city of Mashhad in eastern Iran as a sea of people waited outside and listened to prayers, with no sign of a public appearance by his son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei.
The "body of the martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution was buried in the memorial hall of the shrine of Imam Reza," state broadcaster IRIB reported.
The burial came after a second day of tit-for-tat attacks by Washington and Tehran's forces, with Iranian officials reporting that US strikes killed 17 people and state media saying one targeted a railway line between Tehran and Mashhad.
The Islamic republic said it had resumed attacks targeting US assets in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, while sirens blared in Jordan -- another American ally -- where the military said it had intercepted eight missiles launched from Iran.
Khamenei was killed alongside close family members on the first day of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.
The last of a marathon six days of funeral ceremonies, Khamenei's burial in Mashhad was closely watched for signs of Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to appear in public since being appointed.
Parliament speaker and chief negotiator in talks with the United States, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, powerful chief justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and Khamenei's eldest son Mostafa Khamenei were all present at the shrine, with some senior figures weeping over Khamenei's coffin, state TV images showed.
But as on other days of the funeral process, there was no sign of Mojtaba Khamenei, who since being named has only communicated through written statements and is said to have been wounded in the February 28 strikes.

'We will kill you'

Crowds of men and women clad in black, many urging vengeance against US President Donald Trump, had massed in Mashhad against the backdrop of slogans including: "Hey Trump we will kill you," written in English, AFP correspondents said.
The Wall Street Journal meanwhile reported Thursday, based on anonymous sources, that Israel told the United States that their intelligence had detected a new Iranian plot to kill Trump.
The United States on Thursday targeted the perimeter of Iran's only civilian nuclear plant with a strike, Iranian state media reported, citing the deputy governor of Bushehr province.
State media also reported Thursday that a projectile hit a military headquarters on the outskirts of Bushehr, but a US defence official said the US military was not currently carrying out strikes on Iran.
State media said the United States targeted a section of the Tehran-Mashhad railway 55 kilometres (34 miles) from Mashhad, forcing the closure of the line. Passengers were transferred to buses.
Iran's army said it had targeted a Patriot missile system in Kuwait, an early warning system in Qatar and fuel tanks in Bahrain with drones, as part of its attacks on US bases in the region.
But a US defence official said the dozens of missiles and drones fired by Iran were either intercepted or caused no significant damage, with no injuries to American personnel.
In a sign of the tense environment, at least one fighter jet escorted the plane carrying Khamenei's coffin to its final burial in Mashhad, footage from the supreme leader's website showed.

 'Third' attack on Iran?

Following Israel's June 2025 war against Iran and this year's conflict, Defence Minister Israel Katz warned at a military ceremony on Thursday that Israel was prepared to attack Iran for a "third time" if needed, vowing to do so "with even greater force".
"We are preparing for every scenario," added Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose office said he spoke with Trump on Thursday, with the US president providing an update on "American moves in the Gulf."
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas corridor, remains a key point of contention between the two sides, with Tehran insisting on control of the waterway despite it being open to free passage before the war began.
The Iranian military hit at least three ships in recent days, prompting extensive US strikes against Iranian targets from Tuesday.
Traffic through the strait has fallen sharply since Wednesday, especially through the UN-backed Omani route, according to data from maritime tracking firm Kpler, after vessels were attacked earlier this week.
burs-wd/mlm