Author: Newyorki

President Donald Trump has appointed newly confirmed Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terrance “Terry” Cole to also serve as interim commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) as part of an unprecedented federal takeover of law enforcement in the nation’s capital. The move follows Trump’s August 11 order placing D.C.’s police operations under Justice Department control, with a mandate to “sharply and immediately reduce violent crime” in the city. The president, known for his impatience with underperformance, publicly warned Cole to deliver results quickly. “Terry, if you’re not [one of the best], I gotta get rid of you so fast,”…

A $7.5 billion federal initiative launched under President Joe Biden to create a nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network has stalled after installing fewer than 400 chargers. The project, aimed at combating “range anxiety” and supporting the transition to EVs, is on indefinite hold following a funding freeze by the Trump administration earlier this year. The program, part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, sought to install thousands of chargers at strategic locations — gas stations, rest stops, and other sites no more than 50 miles apart — to make long-distance EV travel more practical. The Biden administration…

President Donald Trump has declared a public safety emergency in the U.S. capital, placing the city’s police department under direct federal control and deploying 800 National Guard troops. The move, announced Monday, marks the first time a local law allowing federal takeover of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department has been invoked for “special emergency conditions.” Speaking alongside senior officials, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi — now in charge of the city’s police force — Trump described the action as a necessary measure to combat “lawlessness” in the capital. “This is liberation day in D.C., and we’re going to take our…

Biotech shares experienced sharp fluctuations on Monday following the unexpected return of Vinay Prasad, a senior US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official who had resigned in July after a politically charged campaign against him. The FDA confirmed over the weekend that Prasad would resume his position overseeing the agency’s Division for Vaccines and other key medicines within the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). His reinstatement, seen as a surprising reversal, has raised concerns among market analysts about leadership stability and consistency in drug approval processes. The move comes despite recent political tension, with health secretary Robert F.…

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has firmly ruled out the possibility of US military intervention on Mexican soil, declaring that the country’s sovereignty and independence are “not at risk.” Her remarks on Monday follow reports that US President Donald Trump had signed a classified directive ordering the US military to target Latin American drug cartels, including those operating across the US-Mexico border. “We will never put our sovereignty at risk, we will never put Mexico’s independence at risk. Mexico is a free, sovereign, independent country,” Sheinbaum said. The issue of potential US military action against Mexican cartels has intensified tensions in…

President Donald Trump has announced his nomination of State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce to serve as the next U.S. deputy representative to the United Nations. Bruce, who has held her current post since Trump took office in January, will require Senate confirmation for the new role. Republicans hold the majority in the chamber, potentially easing her path to approval. In an August 9 social media post, Trump praised Bruce’s performance, calling her tenure as State Department spokesperson “fantastic.” Bruce has frequently defended the administration’s foreign policy decisions, including its immigration enforcement measures, visa revocations, and responses to Russia’s war in…

The 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act on Aug. 6 came as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) underwent a dramatic shift in priorities. Once dedicated to protecting voting rights for all Americans, the DOJ under President Donald Trump’s leadership has redirected its focus toward supporting the president’s claims about election integrity – and preparing for potential disputes in the 2026 midterms, still over a year away. According to critics, the DOJ is now led by officials who echo Trump’s unfounded assertions that noncitizens have illegally influenced past elections. These claims form the basis for current DOJ demands for…

While most Texas House Democrats left the state to block a Republican-led mid-decade redistricting plan, State Rep. Richard Peña Raymond of Laredo has remained at the Capitol, working to persuade GOP lawmakers to reconsider a proposal that could reshape the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican leaders, encouraged by President Donald Trump and the White House, are pushing a new congressional map designed to add five GOP-leaning seats. The move could help secure a Republican majority in the closely divided U.S. House and advance Trump’s agenda through the remainder of his term. Democrats responded by traveling to Illinois, New York, and…

The Trump administration has directed all federal agencies to remove records related to employees’ COVID-19 vaccination status, compliance with pandemic mandates, and exemption requests, marking a significant reversal of pandemic-era policies. The order was outlined in an August 8 memorandum from Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), addressed to all federal department and agency heads. Agencies have until September 8 to confirm compliance. “Effective immediately, federal agencies may not use an individual’s COVID-19 vaccine status, history of noncompliance with prior COVID-19 vaccine mandates, or requests for exemptions from such mandates in any employment-related decisions,” Kupor wrote.…

Unusually extreme summer heat is set to scorch large areas of the United States in the coming days, with nearly 30 million people under heat advisories or extreme heat warnings, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Some of the most severe conditions will be felt in the West, where Death Valley, California — one of the hottest places on Earth — is forecast to reach 121°F by August 12. In nearby cities, Las Vegas is expected to hit 110°F and Phoenix 111°F, prompting extreme heat warnings. The Southwest will bear the brunt of the heat from August 10–13, with…