ReportWire

Tag: Washington news

  • Trump stirs talk of ‘new world order’

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump gives. And he takes away.

    Offended by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s increasingly assertive posture toward the U.S., Trump revoked an invitation to join his Board of Peace. Many Western allies are suspicious of the organization, which is chaired by Trump and was initially formed to focus on maintaining the ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas but has grown into something skeptics fear could rival the United Nations.

    This page requires Javascript.

    Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

    kAmpAA62C:?8 2E E96 (@C=5 t4@?@>:4 u@CF>[ %CF>A DA@<6 @7 :>A@D:?8 E2C:77D @? $H:EK6C=2?5 — H9:49 96 F=E:>2E6=J =@H6C65 — 3642FD6 E96 4@F?ECJ’D =6256C “CF3365 >6 E96 HC@?8 H2J” 5FC:?8 2 A9@?6 42==] q67@C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A52G@D9@FD:?88C66?=2?582K22a7b7c4`g32ba`4g_ad2b6a_g74_557eQmD96=G:?8 DH66A:?8 E2C:77Dk^2m @? >F=E:A=6 tFC@A62? 4@F?EC:6D[ %CF>A AC6DD65 s6?>2C< E@ “D2J J6D” E@ E96 &]$] AFD9 E@ 4@?EC@= vC66?=2?5 “2?5 H6 H:== 36 G6CJ 2AAC64:2E:G6] ~C J@F 42? D2J ?@ 2?5 H6 H:== C6>6>36C[” 96 D2:5[ :>A6C:=:?8 E96 }p%~ 2==:2?46]k^Am

    kAm~G6C 9:D 564256D 😕 AF3=:4 =:76[ %CF>A 92D ?6G6C 366? @?6 7@C ?:46E:6D] qFE 6G6? 3J 9:D DE2?52C5D[ E96 EF>F=E @7 E96 A2DE H66< DE@@5 @FE 3642FD6 :E 4CJDE2==:K65 9:D 56E6C>:?2E:@? E@ 6C2D6 E96 CF=6D32D65 @C56C E92E 92D 8@G6C?65 &]$] 7@C6:8? A@=:4J — 2?5 3J 6IE6?D:@? >@DE @7 E96 (6DE6C? H@C=5 — D:?46 (@C=5 (2C xx]k^Am

    kAm%96 AC6D:56?E 2?5 9:D DFAA@CE6CD 92G6 5:D>:DD65 E92E 2AAC@249 2D :?677:4:6?E[ @G6C=J 7@4FD65 @? 4@>AC@>:D6 2?5 F?C6DA@?D:G6 E@ E96 ?665D @7 A6@A=6 4@?E6?5:?8 H:E9 C2A:5 64@?@>:4 492?86] qFE 😕 :ED A=246[ %CF>A 😀 25G2?4:?8 2 DJDE6> E92E 😀 A@@C=J F?56CDE@@5 2?5 4@F=5 AC@G6 72C =6DD DE23=6[ 5C:G6? 3J E96 H9:>D @7 2 D:?8=6[ @7E6? >6C4FC:2=[ =6256C H9@ C68F=2C=J 56>@?DEC2E6D E92E A6CD@?2= 7=2EE6CJ @C 2?:>FD 42? D92A6 9:D 564:D:@?D]k^Am

    kAm#6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 &]$] 7C@> s2G@D[ 9@>6 E@ E96 (@C=5 t4@?@>:4 u@CF>[ #6AF3=:42? $6?] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^=:D2>FC<@HD<:Qm{:D2 |FC<@HD<:k^2m @7 p=2D<2 D2:5 E96 A9C2D6 D96 962C5 “@G6C 2?5 @G6C” H2D E92E “H6 2C6 6?E6C:?8 E9:D ?6H H@C=5 @C56C” 2D D96 56D4C:365 2 D6?D6 @7 4@?7FD:@? 2>@?8 2==:6D]k^Am

    kAm“xE >2J 36 J@F ;FDE 925 2 325 E6=6A9@?6 42== H:E9 E96 AC6D:56?E 2?5 ?@H J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E2C:77D 5:C64E65 2E J@F[” D96 E@=5 C6A@CE6CD] “%9:D =24< @7 DE23:=:EJ 2?5 C6=:23:=:EJ[ x E9:?<[ 😀 42FD:?8 H92E H6C6 EC25:E:@?2==J C6=:23=6 EC256 A2CE?6CD E@ 36 D2J:?8 E@ @E96C 4@F?EC:6D[ ‘w6J[ >2J36 J@F 2?5 x D9@F=5 E2=< 3642FD6 x’> ?@E DFC6 23@FE H92E’D 8@:?8 @? H:E9 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]’”k^Am

    kAm%96 %CF>A46?EC:4 2AAC@249 E@ 8@G6C?:?8 😀 92C5=J DFCAC:D:?8 7@C D@>6@?6 H9@ 2446AE65 9:D 7:CDE #6AF3=:42? AC6D:56?E:2= ?@>:?2E:@? 😕 a_`e 3J 564=2C:?8 E92E “x 2=@?6 42? 7:I” E96 ?2E:@?’D AC@3=6>D] pD 96 D6EE=6D :?E@ 9:D D64@?5 E6C> H:E9 2 72C >@C6 4@?7:56?E 56>62?@C E92? 9:D 7:CDE[ 96 92D 56=:89E65 DFAA@CE6CD H:E9 9:D E@E96G:4E@C 8@6DE96DA@:=D DEJ=6]k^Am

    kAm$E6G6 q2??@?[ %CF>A’D 7@C>6C 25G:D6C[ C646?E=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E962E=2?E:4]4@>^A@=:E:4D^a_ae^_`^ECF>A7:CDEJ62C56>@4C24J^egdedgQmE@=5k^2m E96 pE=2?E:4 E92E %CF>A 😀 AFCDF:?8 2 “>2I:>2=:DE DEC2E68J” 2?5 E92E 96 >FDE <66A 8@:?8 “F?E:= J@F >66E C6D:DE2?46]”k^Am

    kAm“p?5 H6 92G6?’E >6E 2?J C6D:DE2?46[” q2??@? D2:5]k^Am

    kAm%92E’D 46CE2:?=J ECF6 😕 (2D9:?8E@?[ H96C6 E96 #6AF3=:42?4@?EC@==65 r@?8C6DD 92D 5@?6 =:EE=6 E@ 4964< %CF>A’D :>AF=D6D] qFE =6256CD @7 @E96C 4@F?EC:6D[ H9@ 92G6 DA6?E >F49 @7 %CF>A’D 25>:?:DEC2E:@? ECJ:?8 E@ 7:?5 H2JD E@ H@C< H:E9 9:>[ 2C6 :?4C62D:?8=J G@42=]k^Am

    kAmr2C?6J 😀 BF:4<=J 6>6C8:?8 2D 2 =6256C @7 2 >@G6>6?E 7@C 4@F?EC:6D E@ 7:?5 H2JD E@ =:?< FA 2?5 4@F?E6C E96 &]$] $A62<:?8 😕 s2G@D 29625 @7 %CF>A[ r2C?6J D2:5[ “|:55=6 A@H6CD >FDE 24E E@86E96C 3642FD6 :7 J@F 2C6 ?@E 2E E96 E23=6[ J@F 2C6 @? E96 >6?F]”k^Am

    kAm“x? 2 H@C=5 @7 8C62E A@H6C C:G2=CJ[ E96 4@F?EC:6D 😕 36EH66? 92G6 2 49@:46i E@ 4@>A6E6 H:E9 6249 @E96C 7@C 72G@C @C E@ 4@>3:?6 E@ 4C62E6 2 E9:C5 A2E9 H:E9 :>A24E[” 96 4@?E:?F65] “(6 D9@F=5 ?@E 2==@H E96 C:D6 @7 92C5 A@H6CD E@ 3=:?5 FD E@ E96 724E E92E E96 A@H6C @7 =68:E:>24J[ :?E68C:EJ[ 2?5 CF=6D H:== C6>2:? DEC@?8 — :7 H6 49@@D6 E@ H:6=5 :E E@86E96C]”k^Am

    By STEVEN SLOAN – Associated Press

    Source link

  • Some Republicans express concern over the tactics used in Minnesota and urge shooting investigation

    WASHINGTON — A handful of Republicans expressed growing concern Sunday about the tactics that federal immigration officials are using in Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis.

    Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said the killing Saturday of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse who protested President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, was a “real tragedy.” Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois.

    “I think the death of Americans, what we’re seeing on TV, it’s causing deep concerns over federal tactics and accountability,” Stitt told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Americans don’t like what they’re seeing right now.”

    When asked if he thought the president should pull immigration agents from Minnesota, Stitt said Trump has to answer that question.

    “He’s getting bad advice right now,” Stitt said.

    The governor said the Republican president needed to tell the American people what the solution and “endgame” are, and that there needed to be solutions instead of politicizing the situation. “Right now, tempers are just going crazy and we need to calm this down,” Stitt said.

    Other Republicans, including Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, also conveyed unease. In a social media post, Cassidy called the shooting “incredibly disturbing” and that the “credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake.” Tillis urged a “thorough and impartial investigation.”

    “Any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins are doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy,” Tillis said in a post.

    Administration officials were firm in their defense of the hard-line immigration tactics.

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said “it’s a tragedy when anyone dies” but he blamed Democratic leaders in Minnesota for “fomenting chaos.”

    “There are a lot of paid agitators who are ginning things up and the governor has not done a good job of tamping this down,” Bessent said on ABC’s “This Week.”

    __

    Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report

    Source link

  • Trump threatens Canada with 100% tariffs over its new trade deal with China

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada if America’s northern neighbor went ahead with its trade deal with China.

    Trump said in a social media post that if Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken.”

    While Trump has waged a trade war over the past year, Canada this month negotiated a deal to lower tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in return for lower import taxes on Canadian farm products.

    Trump initially had said that agreement was what Carney “should be doing and it’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal.”

    Carney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Trump’s threat came amid an escalating war of words with Carney as the Republican president’s push to acquire Greenland strained the NATO alliance. Trump had commented while in Davos, Switzerland, this week that “Canada lives because of the United States.” Carney shot back that his nation can be an example that the world does not have to bend toward autocratic tendencies.

    Trump later revoked his invitation to Carney to join the president’s “Board of Peace” that he is forming to try to resolve global conflicts.

    Trump’s push to acquire Greenland has come after he has repeatedly needled Canada over its sovereignty and suggested it also be absorbed the United States as a 51st state.

    He resumed that this week, posting an altered image on social media showing a map of the United States that included Canada, Venezuela, Greenland and Cuba as part of its territory.

    In his message Saturday, Trump continued his provocations by calling Canada’s leader “Governor Carney.” Trump had used the same nickname for Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, and his use of it toward Carney was the latest mark of their soured relationship.

    Carney has not yet reached a deal with Trump to reduce some of the tariffs that he has imposed on key sectors of the Canadian economy. But Canada has been protected by the heaviest impact of Trump’s tariffs by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. That trade agreement is up for a review this year.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

    Source link

  • US hits 9 tankers with sanctions over Iranian oil during protest crackdown

    WASHINGTON — The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on a fleet of nine ships and their owners accused of transporting hundreds of millions of dollars in forbidden Iranian oil to foreign markets.

    The sanctions are being imposed because of Iran’s “shutdown of internet access to conceal its abuses” against its citizens during its crackdown on nationwide protests, the U.S. Treasury Department said. They “target a critical component of how Iran generates the funds used to repress its own people,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

    Iranians and Iranian businesses have been struggling under the longest and most comprehensive internet shutdown in the history of the Islamic Republic. The government blocked internet access on Jan. 8 as nationwide protests led to a crackdown on information sharing.

    The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said the nine targeted vessels — flagged from Palau, Panama and other jurisdictions — are part of a shadow fleet, a network of older tankers used to transport goods that are subject to international sanctions, notably from Russia and Iran. The U.S. sanctions aim to prevent the targeted Iranians from doing business with Americans or accessing U.S. accounts.

    Friday’s action is part of an ongoing buildup of tensions between the U.S. and the theocratic nation as an American aircraft carrier group inches closer to the Middle East. President Donald Trump called the group an “armada” in comments to journalists aboard Air Force One late Thursday.

    Trump added that the U.S. was moving the ships toward Iran “just in case” he wants to take action against Iran’s government. The Republican president has repeatedly boasted that his threats on Iran have prevented the execution of more than 800 dissidents.

    Iran’s top prosecutor on Friday called Trump’s repeated claims “completely false.”

    Meanwhile, the death toll in Iran from the bloody crackdown on nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 5,032, activists said.

    The U.S. issued sanctions this month against Iranian officials and firms accused of helping to repress the nationwide protests, which challenged Iran’s theocratic government, including the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, whom the Treasury accuses of being one of the first officials to call for violence against protesters.

    Trump on Thursday declined to say whether the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be removed from office.

    Source link

  • Trump rolls out Board of Peace at Davos forum

    DAVOS, Switzerland — President Donald Trump on Thursday inaugurated his Board of Peace to lead efforts at maintaining a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas, insisting that “everyone wants to be a part” of the body he said could eventually rival the United Nations — despite many U.S. allies opting not to participate.

    This page requires Javascript.

    Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

    kAm“%9:D :D?’E E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ E9:D 😀 7@C E96 H@C=5[” 96 D2:5[ 255:?8[ “x E9:?< H6 42? DAC625 :E @FE E@ @E96C E9:?8D 2D H6 DF44665 😕 v2K2]”k^Am

    kAm%96 6G6?E 762EFC65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:562DEH2CD:DC26=92>2D82K2462D67:C6546d2ef66b`4db`_`ch`a`322da62`c2Qmp=: $922E9k^2m[ E96 9625 @7 2 ?6H[ 7FEFC6 E649?@4C2E:4 8@G6C?>6?E 😕 v2K2[ 2??@F?4:?8 E92E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:DC26=82K2A2=6DE:?:2?D92>2DC2729`6`7g2a_g2dg4_33ef`3dab_c6a5e272QmE96 #2729 3@C56C 4C@DD:?8 H:== @A6?k^2m 😕 3@E9 5:C64E:@?D ?6IE H66<] qFE E96C6 H2D ?@ 4@?7:C>2E:@? @7 E92E 7C@> xDC26=[ H9:49 D2:5 @?=J E92E :E H@F=5 4@?D:56C E96 >2EE6C ?6IE H66<]k^Am

    kAm%96 v2K2 D:56 @7 E96 4C@DD:?8[ H9:49 CF?D 36EH66? v2K2 2?5 t8JAE[ 😀 F?56C xDC26=: >:=:E2CJ 4@?EC@=] $922E9[ 2? 6?8:?66C 2?5 7@C>6C !2=6DE:?:2? pFE9@C:EJ @77:4:2= 7C@> v2K2[ 😀 @G6CD66:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:DC26=92>2DH2CA2=6DE:?:2?D82K22f7_f4b4heg_3bc4deb`achecggd672gQmE96 !2=6DE:?:2? 4@>>:EE66k^2m D6E E@ 8@G6C? E96 E6CC:E@CJ F?56C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:562DEH2CD:DC26=92>2D82K2ECF>AH:E<@7733bh_`d5ad263eaf2d3h46fb55c6“ddQm&]$] DFA6CG:D:@?k^2m]k^Am

    kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A?6E2?J29F82K23@2C5@7A62462c2ahe7fbecfc6g4e2c65245f`_h3g6dQm%96 ?6H A6246 3@2C5k^2m H2D :?:E:2==J 6?G:D:@?65 2D 2 D>2== 8C@FA @7 H@C=5 =6256CD @G6CD66:?8 E96 462D67:C6[ 3FE :E 92D >@CA965 :?E@ D@>6E9:?8 72C >@C6 2>3:E:@FD — 2?5 D<6AE:4:D> 23@FE :ED >6>36CD9:A 2?5 >2?52E6 92D =65 D@>6 4@F?EC:6D FDF2==J 4=@D6DE E@ (2D9:?8E@? E@ E2<6 2 A2DD]k^Am

    kAm%CF>A EC:65 ?@E E@ =6E E9@D6 ?@E A2CE:4:A2E:?8 CF:? 9:D F?G6:=:?8 A2CEJ[ D2J:?8 dh 4@F?EC:6D 925 D:8?65 @?E@ E96 3@2C5 — 6G6? E9@F89 9625D @7 DE2E6[ E@A 5:A=@>2ED 2?5 @E96C @77:4:2=D 7C@> @?=J `h 4@F?EC:6D A=FD E96 &]$] 24EF2==J 2EE6?565 E96 6G6?E] w6 E@=5 E96 8C@FA[ C2?8:?8 7C@> pK6C32:;2? E@ !2C28F2J E@ wF?82CJ[ “*@F’C6 E96 >@DE A@H6C7F= A6@A=6 😕 E96 H@C=5]”k^Am

    kAm%CF>A 92D DA@<6? 23@FE E96 3@2C5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^3@2C5@7A6246ECF>AF?:E65?2E:@?DD64FC:EJ4@F?4:=dhefg4hdabh3c`e`ec5ah`f`d7c_24g6QmC6A=24:?8 D@>6 &]}] 7F?4E:@?Dk^2m 2?5 A6C92AD 6G6? >2<:?8 E92E 6?E:C6 3@5J @3D@=6E6 @?6 52J] qFE 96 H2D >@C6 4@?4:=:2E@CJ 😕 9:D C6>2C 😕 E96 $H:DD 2=AD]k^Am

    kAm“(6’== 5@ :E 😕 4@?;F?4E:@? H:E9 E96 &?:E65 }2E:@?D[” %CF>A D2:5[ 6G6? 2D 96 56?:8C2E65 E96 &]}] 7@C 5@:?8 H92E 96 D2:5 H2D?’E 6?@F89 E@ 42=> D@>6 4@?7=:4ED 2C@F?5 E96 8=@36]k^Am

    kAm$64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 |2C4@ #F3:@ D2:5 D@>6 4@F?EC:6D’ =6256CD 92G6 :?5:42E65 E96J A=2? E@ ;@:? 3FE DE:== C6BF:C6 2AAC@G2= 7C@> E96:C A2C=:2>6?ED]k^Am

    kAmq:8 BF6DE:@?D C6>2:?[ 9@H6G6C[ 23@FE H92E E96 6G6?EF2= 3@2C5 H:== =@@< =:<6]k^Am

    kAm#FDD:2? !C6D:56?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^G=25:>:CAFE:?Qm’=25:>:C !FE:?k^2m D2:5 9:D 4@F?ECJ 😀 DE:== 4@?DF=E:?8 H:E9 |@D4@H’D “DEC2E68:4 A2CE?6CD” 367@C6 564:5:?8 E@ 4@>>:E] %96 #FDD:2? H2D 9@DE:?8 !2=6DE:?:2? !C6D:56?E |29>@F5 p332D @? %9FCD52J 😕 |@D4@H]k^Am

    kAm~E96CD 2C6 2D<:?8 H9J !FE:? 2?5 @E96C 2FE9@C:E2C:2? =6256CD 925 6G6? 366? :?G:E65 E@ ;@:?] qC:E2:?’D 7@C6:8? D64C6E2CJ[ *G6EE6 r@@A6C[ D2:5 96C 4@F?ECJ H2D?’E D:8?:?8 @? “3642FD6 E9:D 😀 23@FE 2 =682= EC62EJ E92E C2:D6D >F49 3C@256C :DDF6D]”k^Am

    By JOSH BOAK, AAMER MADHANI and WILL WEISSERT – Associated Press

    Source link

  • Trump administration scraps multimillion-dollar

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has canceled solar projects in Puerto Rico worth millions of dollars, as the island struggles with chronic power outages and a crumbling electric grid.

    The projects were aimed at helping 30,000 low-income families in rural areas across the U.S. territory as part of a now-fading transition toward renewable energy.

    In an email obtained by The Associated Press, the U.S. Energy Department said that a push under Puerto Rico’s former governor for a 100% renewable future threatened the reliability of its energy system.

    “The Puerto Rico grid cannot afford to run on more distributed solar power,” the message states. “The rapid, widespread deployment of rooftop solar has created fluctuations in Puerto Rico’s grid, leading to unacceptable instability and fragility.”

    Javier Rúa Jovet, public policy director for Puerto Rico’s Solar and Energy Storage Association, disputed that statement in a phone interview Thursday.

    He said that some 200,000 families across Puerto Rico rely on solar power that generates close to 1.4 gigawatts of energy a day for the rest of the island.

    “That’s helping avoid blackouts,” he said, adding that the inverters of those systems also help regulate fluctuations across the grid.

    He said he was saddened by the cancellation of the solar projects. “It’s a tragedy, honestly,” he said. “These are funds for the most needy.”

    Earlier this month, the Energy Department canceled three programs, including one worth $400 million, that would have seen solar and battery storage systems installed in low-income homes and those with medical needs.

    In its email, the department said that on Jan. 9, it would reallocate up to $350 million from private distributed solar systems to support fixes to improve the generation of power in Puerto Rico. It wasn’t immediately clear if that funding has been allocated.

    One of those programs would have financed solar projects for 150 low-income households on the tiny Puerto Rican island of Culebra.

    “The people are really upset and angry,” said Dan Whittle, an associate vice president with the Environmental Defense Fund, which was overseeing that project. “They’re seeing other people keep the lights on during these power outages, and they’re not sure why they’re not included.”

    He noted that a privately funded project helped install solar panels and batteries on 45 homes a week before Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico in September 2022.

    Whittle said he was baffled by the federal government’s decision.

    “They are buying hook, line and sinker that solar is the problem. It could not be more wrong,” he said.

    The solar projects were part of an initial $1 billion fund created by U.S. Congress in 2022 under former President Joe Biden to help boost energy resilience in Puerto Rico, which is still trying to recover from Hurricane Maria.

    The Category 4 storm slammed into the island in September 2017, razing an electric grid already weakened by a lack of maintenance and investment. Outages have persisted since then, with massive blackouts hitting on New Year’s Eve in 2024 and during Holy Week last year.

    In recent years, residents and businesses that could afford to do so have embraced solar energy on an island of 3.2 million people with a more than 40% poverty rate.

    But more than 60% of energy on the island is still generated by petroleum-fired power plants, 24% by natural gas, 8% by coal and 7% by renewables, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

    The cancellation of the solar projects comes a month after the administration of Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González sued Luma Energy, a private company overseeing the transmission and distribution of power on the island.

    At the time, González said that the electrical system “has not improved with the speed, consistency or effectiveness that Puerto Rico deserves.”

    The fragility of Puerto Rico’s energy system is further exacerbated by a struggle to restructure a more than $9 billion debt held by the island’s Electric Power Authority, which has failed to reach an agreement with creditors.

    Source link

  • What to know about Greenland’s role in nuclear defense and Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’

    PARIS — In a hypothetical nuclear war involving Russia, China and the United States, the island of Greenland would be in the middle of Armageddon.

    The strategic importance of the Arctic territory — under the flight paths that nuclear-armed missiles from China and Russia could take on their way to incinerating targets in the United States, and vice versa — is one of the reasons U.S. President Donald Trump has cited in his disruptive campaign to wrest control of Greenland from Denmark, alarming Greenlanders and longtime allies in Europe alike.

    Trump has argued that U.S. ownership of Greenland is vital for his “Golden Dome” — a multibillion dollar missile defense system that he says will be operational before his term ends in 2029.

    “Because of The Golden Dome, and Modern Day Weapons Systems, both Offensive and Defensive, the need to ACQUIRE is especially important,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Saturday.

    That ushered in another roller-coaster week involving the semiautonomous Danish territory, where Trump again pushed for U.S. ownership before seemingly backing off, announcing Wednesday the “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security that’s unlikely to be the final word.

    Here’s a closer look at Greenland’s position at a crossroads for nuclear defense.

    Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, or ICBMs, that nuclear adversaries would fire at each other — if it ever came to that — tend to take the shortest direct route, on a ballistic trajectory into space and down again, from their silos or launchers to targets. The shortest flight paths from China or Russia to the United States — and the other way — would take many of them over the Arctic region.

    Russian Topol-M missiles fired, for example, from the Tatishchevo silo complex southeast of Moscow would fly high over Greenland, if targeted at the U.S. ICBM force of 400 Minuteman III missiles, housed at the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana and the Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.

    Chinese Dong Feng-31 missiles, if fired from new silo fields that the U.S. Defense Department says have been built in China, also could overfly Greenland should they be targeted at the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.

    “If there is a war, much of the action will take place on that piece of ice. Think of it: those missiles would be flying right over the center,” Trump said Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

    An array of farseeing early warning radars act as the Pentagon’s eyes against any missile attack. The northernmost of them is in Greenland, at the Pituffik Space Base. Pronounced “bee-doo-FEEK,” it used to be called Thule Air Base, but was renamed in 2023 using the remote location’s Greenlandic name, recognizing the Indigenous community that was forcibly displaced by the U.S. outpost’s construction in 1951.

    Its location above the Arctic Circle, and roughly halfway between Washington and Moscow, enables it to peer with its radar over the Arctic region, into Russia and at potential flight paths of U.S.-targeted Chinese missiles.

    “That gives the United States more time to think about what to do,” said Pavel Podvig, a Geneva-based analyst who specializes in Russia’s nuclear arsenal. “Greenland is a good location for that.”

    The two-sided, solid-state AN/FPS-132 radar is designed to quickly detect and track ballistic missile launches, including from submarines, to help inform the U.S. commander in chief’s response and provide data for interceptors to try and destroy warheads.

    The radar beams out for nearly 5,550 kilometers (3,450 miles) in a 240-degree arc and, even at its furthest range, can detect objects no larger than a small car, the U.S. Air Force says.

    Pitching the “Golden Dome” in Davos, Trump said that the U.S. needs ownership of Greenland to defend it.

    “You can’t defend it on a lease,” he said.

    But defense specialists struggle to comprehend that logic given that the U.S. has operated at Pituffik for decades without owning Greenland.

    French nuclear defense specialist Etienne Marcuz points out that Trump has never spoken of also needing to take control of the United Kingdom — even though it, like Greenland, also plays an important role in U.S. missile defense.

    An early warning radar operated by the U.K.’s Royal Air Force at Fylingdales, in northern England, serves both the U.K. and U.S governments, scanning for missiles from Russia and elsewhere and northward to the polar region. The unit’s motto is “Vigilamus” — Latin for “We are watching.”

    Trump’s envisioned multilayered “Golden Dome” could include space-based sensors to detect missiles. They could reduce the U.S. need for its Greenland-based radar station, said Marcuz, a former nuclear defense worker for France’s Defense Ministry, now with the Foundation for Strategic Research think tank in Paris.

    “Trump’s argument that Greenland is vital for the Golden Dome — and therefore that it has to be invaded, well, acquired — is false for several reasons,” Marcuz said.

    “One of them is that there is, for example, a radar in the United Kingdom, and to my knowledge there is no question of invading the U.K. And, above all, there are new sensors that are already being tested, in the process of being deployed, which will in fact reduce Greenland’s importance.”

    Because of its location, Greenland could be a useful place to station “Golden Dome” interceptors to try to destroy warheads before they reach the continental U.S.

    The “highly complex system can only work at its maximum potential and efficiency … if this Land is included in it,” Trump wrote in his post last weekend.

    But the U.S. already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement. Before Trump ratcheted up the heat on the territory and Denmark, its owner, their governments likely would have readily accepted any American military request for an expanded footprint there, experts say. It used to have multiple bases and installations, but later abandoned them, leaving just Pituffik.

    “Denmark was the most compliant ally of the United States,” Marcuz said. “Now, it’s very different. I don’t know whether authorization would be granted, but in any case, before, the answer was ‘Yes.’”

    Source link

  • Judge rules against lawmakers pressing for monitor to ensure release of Epstein files

    NEW YORK — A judge overseeing Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case said Wednesday that two members of Congress lacked the legal right to intervene and press their demand for a court-appointed observer to ensure the government complies with a new law ordering release of its files on Jeffrey Epstein.

    But the lawmakers are free to bring a civil lawsuit or work through the tools they have in Congress to improve oversight, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ruled.

    U.S. Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., had co-sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act that was signed into law by President Donald Trump in November. It required the public disclosure of files related to the sex trafficking investigations into Epstein, the late financier, and Maxwell, his longtime confidant.

    Engelmayer largely agreed with the Justice Department’s insistence that he had no authority to grant the congressmen’s request to speed the release of that material. They had urged Engelmayer to name an independent monitor to ensure that the government immediately released the more than 2 million documents it has identified as investigative materials. Khanna and Massie said the slow disclosure of the documents violated the law and had caused “serious trauma to survivors.”

    A month after the deadline had passed for the materials to be made public, only about 12,000 documents have been made public. The department has said the release of the files was delayed by redactions required to protect the identities of those who were abused.

    Engelmayer said the questions raised by Khanna and Massie raised about whether the department was complying with the law were “undeniably important and timely.” But, he said, the way in which the members of Congress were trying to intervene was not permitted.

    The judge, who inherited Maxwell’s case after the trial judge was appointed to an appeals court, ruled that has no authority to supervise the department’s compliance with the new law, and that Massie and Khanna have no standing, or legal right, to insinuate themselves into Maxwell’s case.

    Engelmayer said he has received letters and emails from Epstein abuse survivors in support of the lawmakers’ request for appointment of a neutral overseer.

    “These express concern that DOJ otherwise will not comply with the Act,” wrote the judge, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama.

    The department has been “paying ‘lip service’ to the victims” and “failing to treat us ‘with the solicitude’ we deserve,” survivors wrote, according to Engelmayer.

    Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her December 2021 sex trafficking conviction. She recently petitioned the federal court for her release, maintaining that new information has emerged that warrants her release. A jury found that she had helped to recruit girls for Epstein to abuse over the past quarter-century and had also participated in some of the abuse.

    Epstein died in a federal jail in New York in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. The death was ruled a suicide.

    Source link

  • Trump highlights false claims as he reviews past year

    President Donald Trump marked his first year back in office Tuesday by presiding over a meandering, nearly two-hour press briefing to recount his accomplishments, repeating many false claims he made throughout 2025.

    Among the topics about which he continued to spread falsehoods were the 2020 election, foreign policy, the economy and energy.

    This page requires Javascript.

    Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

    kAmw6C6’D 2 4=@D6C =@@< 2E E96 724ED]k^Am

    kAma_a_ 6=64E:@?k^Am

    By MELISSA GOLDIN – Associated Press

    Source link

  • DOJ vows to press charges after activists disrupt church where Minnesota ICE official is a pastor

    MINNEAPOLIS — The U.S. Department of Justice said Sunday it is investigating a group of protesters in Minnesota who disrupted services at a church where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apparently serves as a pastor.

    A livestreamed video posted on the Facebook page of Black Lives Matter Minnesota, one of the protest’s organizers, shows a group of people interrupting services at the Cities Church in St. Paul by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good.” The 37-year-old mother of three was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month amid a surge in federal immigration enforcement activities.

    The protesters allege that one of the church’s pastors — David Easterwood — also leads the local ICE field office overseeing the operations that have involved violent tactics and illegal arrests.

    U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said her agency is investigating federal civil rights violations “by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers.”

    “A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws!” she said on social media.

    Attorney General Pam Bondi also weighed in on social media, saying that any violations of federal law would be prosecuted.

    Nekima Levy Armstrong, who participated in the protest and leads the local grassroots civil rights organization Racial Justice Network, dismissed the potential DOJ investigation as a sham and a distraction from federal agents’ actions in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

    “When you think about the federal government unleashing barbaric ICE agents upon our community and all the harm that they have caused, to have someone serving as a pastor who oversees these ICE agents, is almost unfathomable to me,” said Armstrong, who added she is an ordained reverend. “If people are more concerned about someone coming to a church on a Sunday and disrupting business as usual than they are about the atrocities that we are experiencing in our community, then they need to check their theology and the need to check their hearts.”

    The website of St. Paul-based Cities Church lists David Easterwood as a pastor, and his personal information appears to match that of the David Easterwood identified in court filings as the acting director of the ICE St. Paul field office. Easterwood appeared alongside DHS Secretary Kristi Noem at a Minneapolis press conference last October.

    Cities Church did not respond to a phone call or emailed request for comment Sunday evening, and Easterwood’s personal contact information could not immediately be located.

    Easterwood did not lead the part of the service that was livestreamed, and it was unclear if he was present at the church Sunday.

    In a Jan. 5 court filing, Easterwood defended ICE’s tactics in Minnesota such as swapping license plates and spraying protesters with chemical irritants. He wrote that federal agents were experiencing increased threats and aggression and crowd control devices like flash-bang grenades were important to protect against violent attacks. He testified that he was unaware of agents “knowingly targeting or retaliating against peaceful protesters or legal observers with less lethal munitions and/or crowd control devices.”

    “Agitators aren’t just targeting our officers. Now they’re targeting churches, too,” the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency stated. “They’re going from hotel to hotel, church to church, hunting for federal law enforcement who are risking their lives to protect Americans.”

    Black Lives Matter Minnesota co-founder Monique Cullars-Doty said that the DOJ’s prosecution was misguided.

    “If you got a head — a leader in a church — that is leading and orchestrating ICE raids, my God, what has the world come to?” Cullars-Doty said. “We can’t sit back idly and watch people go and be led astray.”

    Source link

  • Army puts 1,500 soldiers on standby for possible Minnesota deployment, AP sources say

    WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active duty soldiers to be ready in case of a possible deployment to Minnesota, where federal authorities have been conducting a massive immigration enforcement operation, two defense officials said Sunday.

    The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans, said two infantry battalions of the Army’s 11th Airborne Division have been given prepare-to-deploy orders. The unit is based in Alaska and specializes in operating in arctic conditions.

    One defense official said the troops are standing by to deploy to Minnesota should President Donald Trump invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used 19th century law that would allow him to employ active duty troops as law enforcement.

    The move comes just days after Trump threatened to do just that to quell protests against his administration’s immigration crackdown.

    In an emailed statement, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell did not deny the orders were issued and said the military “is always prepared to execute the orders of the Commander-in-Chief if called upon.”

    ABC News was the first to report the development.

    On Thursday, Trump said in a social media post that he would invoke the 1807 law “if the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job.”

    He appeared to walk back the threat a day later, telling reporters at the White House that there wasn’t a reason to use it “right now.”

    “If I needed it, I’d use it,” Trump said. “It’s very powerful.”

    Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act throughout both of his terms. In 2020 he threatened to use it to quell protests after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police, and in recent months he threatened to use it for immigration protests.

    The law was most recently invoked by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 to end unrest in Los Angeles after the acquittal of four white police officers in the beating of Rodney King.

    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat and frequent target of Trump, has urged the president to refrain from sending in more troops.

    “I’m making a direct appeal to the President: Let’s turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are,” Walz said last week on social media.

    Source link

  • In their words: European governments criticize Trump’s tariff threats over Greenland

    COPENHAGEN, Denmark — European governments blasted U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that eight countries will face 10% tariff for opposing American control of Greenland beginning next month.

    Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland are on Trump’s list, though it was not immediately clear if the tariffs would impact the European Union as a bloc.

    Trump’s threat sets up a potentially dangerous test of U.S. partnerships in Europe. The U.S. president indicated the tariffs were retaliation for the deployment of symbolic levels of troops from the European countries to Greenland. Europeans said the troops were sent in response to Trump’s call for strengthened Arctic security.

    Here’s a look at what the governments of the eight countries said:

    “We agree with the U.S. that we need to do more since the Arctic is no longer a low tension area,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a statement. “That’s exactly why we and NATO partners are stepping up in full transparency with our American allies.”

    “Threats have no place among allies,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre wrote on social media. “Norway’s position is firm: Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Norway fully supports the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark. There is broad agreement in NATO on the need to strengthen security in the Arctic, including in Greenland.”

    “We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on social media. “I will always stand up for my country, and for our allied neighbors. This is an EU issue that concerns many more countries than those now being singled out.”

    “No intimidation or threats will influence us, whether in Ukraine, Greenland or anywhere else in the world when we are faced with such situations,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media. “Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context.”

    “The Federal Government has taken note of the statements made by the U.S. President,” German federal government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius wrote on social media. “It is in closest coordination with its European partners. Together, we will decide on appropriate responses at the appropriate time.”

    “Our position on Greenland is very clear — it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. “We have also made clear that Arctic security matters for the whole of NATO and allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across different parts of the Arctic. Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong.”

    “It’s inappropriate, because we’re not in favor of using trade tariffs in situations that have nothing to do with trade,” Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said during an interview on current affairs show “WNL op Zondag.” “As allies, I don’t think this is how you should treat each other; not seek dialogue with each other, but try to put pressure on each other. So no, I’m very unhappy about this.”

    “Among allies, issues are best resolved through discussion, not through pressure,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who famously bonded with Trump over their shared love of golf, wrote on social media. “Tariffs would undermine the transatlantic relationship and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”

    Source link

  • Supreme Court will decide on use of warrants that collect the location history of cellphone users

    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide the constitutionality of broad search warrants that collect the location history of cellphone users to find people near crime scenes.

    The case involves what is a known as a “geofence warrant” that was served on Google in a police hunt for a bank robber in suburban Richmond, Virginia. Geofence warrants, an increasingly popular investigative tool, seek location data on every person within a specific location over a certain period of time.

    Police used the information to arrest Okello Chatrie in the 2019 robbery of the Call Federal Credit Union in Midlothian. Chatrie eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison.

    Chatrie’s lawyers challenged the warrant as a violation of his privacy because it allowed authorities to gather the location history of people near the bank without having any evidence they had anything to do with the robbery. Prosecutors argued that Chatrie had no expectation of privacy because he voluntarily opted into Google’s Location History.

    A federal judge agreed that the search violated Chatrie’s rights, but still allowed the evidence to be used because the officer who applied for the warrant reasonably believed he was acting properly.

    The federal appeals court in Richmond upheld the conviction in a fractured ruling. In a separate case, the federal appeals court in New Orleans ruled that geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches.

    The case is expected to be argued later this year, either in the spring or in October, at the start of the court’s next term.

    Source link

  • Asian shares are mixed and US futures edge higher after Wall Street steadies

    BANGKOK — Asian shares were mixed Friday after Wall Street broke a two-day losing streak and edged back toward record levels, helped by advances for Big Tech companies like Nvidia.

    U.S. futures advanced and oil prices slipped.

    Tech shares regained momentum after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., a major supplier to the industry, reported strong profits and investment plans. TSMC gained 3% early Friday and Taiwan’s benchmark Taiex was up 1.9%.

    The frenzy around AI has sent Nvidia and other superstar stocks to dizzying heights, stirring criticism that their prices had shot too high. Nvidia rose 2.1% on Thursday after TSMC’s Chief Financial Officer Wendell Huang said it’s seeing “continued strong demand” in an encouraging signal for the entire AI industry.

    TSMC’s stock that trades in the United States rose 4.4% on Thursday.

    The gains also followed the signing of a U.S.-Taiwan trade deal involving $250 billion in new investments by Taiwan’s semiconductor and tech companies in the U.S. In exchange, the Trump administration will cut tariffs on Taiwanese goods. The deal aims to establish a strategic economic partnership and upgrade U.S. industrial infrastructure.

    In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 shed 0.3% to 53,936.17, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gave up 0.6% to 26,770.56. The Shanghai Composite index lost 0.3% to 4,101.91.

    China is due to report its economic growth data for 2025 on Monday. Forecasts are for the economy to have expanded at about a 4.5% annual pace, slowing from earlier in the year.

    Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.9% to a record 4,840.74. The benchmark has been trading at record highs for weeks, helped by a recovery in confidence in AI-related shares. Samsung Electronics gained 3.5%.

    In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.5% to 8,903.90. India’s Sensex rose 0.4%.

    Wall Street steadied on Thursday as stocks related to artificial-intelligence bounced back.

    The S&P 500 rose 0.3% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6%. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.2% to 23,530.02.

    Easing oil prices also helped to calm investors’ jitters.

    Early Friday, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude cost $59.21, up 14 cents from a day earlier. It sank 4.6% on Thursday after Trump said he had heard “on good authority” that plans for executions in Iran had stopped amid widespread protests against the country’s leadership.

    Brent crude, the international standard, added 10 cents to $63.86 per barrel. It dropped 4.1% on Thursday.

    Financial markets took Trump’s comments about Iran as a signal that tensions flaring above some of the world’s largest oil deposits could ease, which in turn could lower the possibility of disruptions to oil supplies.

    Earnings reporting season for big U.S. companies continued to pick up pace, meanwhile, with several more big financial companies delivering their results for the last three months of 2025.

    “As we dive into the heart of earnings season in the coming weeks, tech results will be scrutinized in far greater detail.,” Ipek Ozkardeskaya of Swissquote said in a commentary.

    “Concerns around circular AI deals, leverage and delayed returns on investment remain front of mind for investors. These are compounded by rising electricity and metals costs, higher memory-chip prices, and the risk of supply disruptions,” she said.

    BlackRock, the giant that’s now overseeing more than $14 trillion in investments, rose 5.9% after reporting stronger profit and revenue than analysts expected.

    Encouraging reports on the U.S. economy contributed to the upbeat mood.

    One said fewer workers applied for unemployment benefits last week in an indication layoffs may be slowing. Other reports said manufacturing was significantly stronger in the mid-Atlantic region and in New York state than economists had forecast.

    The stronger-than-expected data on the U.S. economy helped stocks of smaller companies to lead the market. Their profits can be tied more closely to the strength of the U.S. economy than their bigger, multinational rivals, and the Russell 2000 index rose 0.9%.

    In other dealings early Friday, the U.S. dollar fell to 158.19 Japanese yen from 158.63 yen.

    The euro rose to $1.1614 from $1.1609.

    Source link

  • How the White House and governors want to fix AI-driven power shortages and price spikes

    The White House and a bipartisan group of governors are pressuring the operator of the mid-Atlantic power grid to take urgent steps to boost energy supply and curb price hikes, holding a Friday event aimed at addressing a rising concern among voters about the enormous amount of power used for artificial intelligence ahead of elections later this year.

    The White House said its National Energy Dominance Council and the governors of several states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, want to try to compel PJM Interconnection to hold a power auction for tech companies to bid on contracts to build new power plants,

    The Trump administration and governors will sign a statement of principles toward that end Friday. The plan was first reported by Bloomberg.

    “Ensuring the American people have reliable and affordable electricity is one of President Trump’s top priorities, and this would deliver much-needed, long-term relief to the mid-Atlantic region,” said Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman.

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to be at the White House, a person familiar with Shapiro’s plans said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement. Shapiro, a Democrat, made his participation in Friday’s event contingent on including a provision to extend a limit on wholesale electricity price increases for the region’s consumers, the person said.

    But the operator of the grid won’t be there. “PJM was not invited. Therefore we would not attend,” said spokesperson Jeff Shields.

    It was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump would attend the event, which was not listed on his public schedule.

    Trump and the governors are under pressure to insulate consumers and businesses alike from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers. Meanwhile, more Americans are falling behind on their electricity bills.

    Consumer advocates say ratepayers in the mid-Atlantic electricity grid — which encompasses all or parts of 13 states stretching from New Jersey to Illinois, as well as Washington, D.C. — are already paying billions of dollars in higher bills to underwrite the cost to supply power to data centers, some of them built, some not.

    However, they also say that the billions of dollars that consumers are paying isn’t resulting in the construction of new power plants necessary to meet the rising demand.

    Pivotal contests in November will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill for the data centers that underpin the explosion in demand for artificial intelligence. In parts of the country, data centers are coming online faster than power plants can be built and connected to the grid.

    Electricity costs were a key issue in last year’s elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, a data center hotspot, and in Georgia, where Democrats ousted two Republican incumbents for seats on the state’s utility regulatory commission. Voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City all cited economic concerns as the top issue, as Democrats and Republicans gird for a debate over affordability in the intensifying midterm battle to control Congress.

    Gas and electric utilities sought or won rate increases of more that $34 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, consumer advocacy organization PowerLines reported. That was more than double the same period a year earlier.

    Source link

  • How the White House and governors want to fix AI-driven power shortages and price spikes

    The White House and a bipartisan group of governors are pressuring the operator of the mid-Atlantic power grid to take urgent steps to boost energy supply and curb price hikes, holding a Friday event aimed at addressing a rising concern among voters about the enormous amount of power used for artificial intelligence ahead of elections later this year.

    The White House said its National Energy Dominance Council and the governors of several states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, want to try to compel PJM Interconnection to hold a power auction for tech companies to bid on contracts to build new power plants,

    The Trump administration and governors will sign a statement of principles toward that end Friday. The plan was first reported by Bloomberg.

    “Ensuring the American people have reliable and affordable electricity is one of President Trump’s top priorities, and this would deliver much-needed, long-term relief to the mid-Atlantic region,” said Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman.

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to be at the White House, a person familiar with Shapiro’s plans said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement. Shapiro, a Democrat, made his participation in Friday’s event contingent on including a provision to extend a limit on wholesale electricity price increases for the region’s consumers, the person said.

    But the operator of the grid won’t be there. “PJM was not invited. Therefore we would not attend,” said spokesperson Jeff Shields.

    It was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump would attend the event, which was not listed on his public schedule.

    Trump and the governors are under pressure to insulate consumers and businesses alike from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers. Meanwhile, more Americans are falling behind on their electricity bills.

    Consumer advocates say ratepayers in the mid-Atlantic electricity grid — which encompasses all or parts of 13 states stretching from New Jersey to Illinois, as well as Washington, D.C. — are already paying billions of dollars in higher bills to underwrite the cost to supply power to data centers, some of them built, some not.

    However, they also say that the billions of dollars that consumers are paying isn’t resulting in the construction of new power plants necessary to meet the rising demand.

    Pivotal contests in November will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill for the data centers that underpin the explosion in demand for artificial intelligence. In parts of the country, data centers are coming online faster than power plants can be built and connected to the grid.

    Electricity costs were a key issue in last year’s elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, a data center hotspot, and in Georgia, where Democrats ousted two Republican incumbents for seats on the state’s utility regulatory commission. Voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City all cited economic concerns as the top issue, as Democrats and Republicans gird for a debate over affordability in the intensifying midterm battle to control Congress.

    Gas and electric utilities sought or won rate increases of more that $34 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, consumer advocacy organization PowerLines reported. That was more than double the same period a year earlier.

    Source link

  • Machado says she presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump

    WASHINGTON — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday even as he has questioned her credibility to take over her country after the U.S. ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.

    The Nobel Institute has said Machado could not give her prize to Trump, an honor that he has coveted. Even if it the gesture proves to be purely symbolic, it was extraordinary given that Trump has effectively sidelined Machado, who has long been the face of resistance in Venezuela. He has signaled his willingness to work with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who had been Maduro’s second in command.

    This page requires Javascript.

    Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

    kAm“x AC6D6?E65 E96 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E96 >652=[ E96 }@36= !6246 !C:K6[Q |24925@ E@=5 C6A@CE6CD 27E6C =62G:?8 E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 2?5 9625:?8 E@ r2A:E@= w:==] $96 D2:5 D96 925 5@?6 D@ Q2D 2 C64@8?:E:@? 7@C 9:D F?:BF6 4@>>:E>6?E H:E9 @FC 7C665@>]”k^Am

    kAm%CF>A 4@?7:C>65 =2E6C @? D@4:2= >65:2 E92E |24925@ 925 =67E E96 >652= 7@C 9:> E@ <66A[ 2?5 96 D2:5 :E H2D 2? 9@?@C E@ >66E 96C]k^Am

    kAm“$96 😀 2 H@?56C7F= H@>2? H9@ 92D 366? E9C@F89 D@ >F49] |2Cí2 AC6D6?E65 >6 H:E9 96C }@36= !6246 !C:K6 7@C E96 H@C< x 92G6 5@?6[” %CF>A D2:5 😕 9:D A@DE] “$F49 2 H@?56C7F= 86DEFC6 @7 >FEF2= C6DA64E] %92?< J@F |2Cí2P”k^Am

    kAm%CF>A 92D C2:D65 5@F3ED 23@FE 9:D DE2E65 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 324<:?8 56>@4C2E:4 CF=6 😕 ‘6?6KF6=2[ 8:G:?8 ?@ E:>6E23=6 @? H96? 6=64E:@?D >:89E 36 96=5] |24925@ :?5:42E65 E92E 96 925 AC@G:565 76H DA64:7:4D @? E92E 7C@?E 5FC:?8 E96:C 5:D4FDD:@?]k^Am

    kAm$96 5:5 ?@E AC@G:56 >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? @? H92E H2D D2:5]k^Am

    kAmp7E6C E96 4=@D655@@C >66E:?8[ |24925@ 8C66E65 5@K6?D @7 4966C:?8 DFAA@CE6CD H2:E:?8 7@C 96C ?62C E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 82E6D[ DE@AA:?8 E@ 9F8 >2?J]k^Am

    kAm“(6 42? 4@F?E @? !C6D:56?E %CF>A[” D96 E@=5 E96> H:E9@FE 6=23@C2E:?8[ AC@>AE:?8 D@>6 E@ 3C:67=J 492?E[ “%92?< J@F[ %CF>A]”k^Am

    kAmq67@C6 96C G:D:E E@ (2D9:?8E@?[ |24925@ 925 ?@E 366? D66? 😕 AF3=:4 D:?46 D96 EC2G6=65 =2DE >@?E9 E@ }@CH2J[ H96C6 96C 52F89E6C C646:G65 E96 A6246 AC:K6 @? 96C 3692=7] $96 925 DA6?E “ >@?E9D 😕 9:5:?8 😕 ‘6?6KF6=2 367@C6 D96 2AA62C65 😕 }@CH2J 27E6C E96 46C6>@?J]k^Am

    kAm%96 ;F3:=2?E D46?6 27E6C 96C >66E:?8 H:E9 %CF>A DE@@5 😕 4@?EC2DE E@ A@=:E:42= C62=:E:6D 😕 ‘6?6KF6=2] #@5Cí8F6K C6>2:?D 😕 492C86 @7 52JE@52J 8@G6C?>6?E @A6C2E:@?D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 @E96CD 😕 |25FC@’D :??6C 4:C4=6] x? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^G6?6KF6=256=4JC@5C:8F6KDE2E6@7F?:@?ECF>AFD3d4dbge_bgefdahb_2de5`5ggce5ecc_Qm96C 7:CDE DE2E6 @7 E96 F?:@? DA6649k^2m %9FCD52J[ E96 :?E6C:> AC6D:56?E AC@>@E65 E96 C6DF>AE:@? @7 5:A=@>2E:4 E:6D 36EH66? E96 9:DE@C:4 25G6CD2C:6D 2?5 25G@42E65 7@C @A6?:?8 E96 DE2E6CF? @:= :?5FDECJ E@ >@C6 7@C6:8? :?G6DE>6?E 27E6C %CF>A A=65865 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>AG6?6KF6=2@:=C6G6?F64@>A2?:6DD2=6D355a“g`6_gggh5e442hb7d244f4_66_QmD6:K6 4@?EC@=k^2m @7 ‘6?6KF6=2? 4CF56 D2=6D]k^Am

    kAm%CF>A 92D D2:5 :E H@F=5 36 5:77:4F=E 7@C |24925@ E@ =625 3642FD6 D96 “5@6D?’E 92G6 E96 DFAA@CE H:E9:? @C E96 C6DA64E H:E9:? E96 4@F?ECJ]” w6C A2CEJ 😀 H:56=J 36=:6G65 E@ 92G6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^G6?6KF6=26=64E:@?E2==JD966ED24E2D@2D42CE6C46?E6Cc`5`___hae5_23hh6daa6db37e4a3h`eQmH@? a_ac 6=64E:@?Dk^2m C6;64E65 3J |25FC@]k^Am

    kAm(9:E6 w@FD6 AC6DD D64C6E2CJ z2C@=:?6 {62G:EE 42==65 |24925@ “2 C6>2C<23=6 2?5 3C2G6 G@:46” 3FE 2=D@ D2:5 E96 >66E:?8 5:5?’E >62? %CF>A’D @A:?:@? @7 96C 492?865[ 42==:?8 :E “2 C62=:DE:4 2DD6DD>6?E]”k^Am

    kAm{62G:EE E@=5 C6A@CE6CD E92E %CF>A DFAA@CE65 ?6H ‘6?6KF6=2? 6=64E:@?D “H96? E96 E:>6 😀 C:89E” 3FE 5:5 ?@E D2J H96? 96 E9@F89E E92E >:89E 36]k^Am

    kAm{62G:EE D2:5 |24925@ 925 D@F89E E96 7246E@7246 >66E:?8 H:E9@FE D6EE:?8 6IA64E2E:@?D 7@C H92E H@F=5 @44FC] $96 DA6?E 23@FE a½ 9@FCD 2E E96 (9:E6 w@FD6]k^Am

    kAm“x 5@?’E E9:?< 96 ?665D E@ 962C 2?JE9:?8 7C@> |D] |24925@[Q E96 AC6DD D64C6E2CJ D2:5 H9:=6 E96 >66E:?8 H2D DE:== 8@:?8 @?[ @E96C E92? E@ 92G6 2 ”7C2?< 2?5 A@D:E:G6 5:D4FDD:@? 23@FE H92E’D E2<:?8 A=246 😕 ‘6?6KF6=2]”k^Am

    kAmp7E6C =62G:?8 E96 (9:E6 w@FD6[ |24925@ H6?E @? E@ 2 4=@D655@@C >66E:?8 H:E9 2 3:A2CE:D2? 8C@FA @7 D6?2E@CD]k^Am

    kAm$6?] r9C:D |FCA9J[ sr@??][ D2:5 |24925@ E@=5 E96> E92E “:7 E96C6’D ?@E D@>6 AC@8C6DD[ C62= AC@8C6DD E@H2C5D 2 EC2?D:E:@? 😕 A@H6C[ 2?5^@C 6=64E:@?D 😕 E96 ?6IE D6G6C2= >@?E9D[ H6 D9@F=5 2== 36 H@CC:65]”k^Am

    kAm“$96 C6>:?565 FD E92E s6=4J #@5Cí8F6K :D[ 😕 >2?J H2JD[ H@CD6 E92? |25FC@[” 96 25565]k^Am

    kAmpD<65 :7 |24925@ 925 962C5 2?J 4@>>:E>6?E 7C@> E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 @? 9@=5:?8 6=64E:@?D 😕 ‘6?6KF6=2[ |FCA9J D2:5[ “}@[ x 5@?’E E9:?< D96 8@E 2?J 4@>>:E>6?E 7C@> E96>]Qk^Am

    kAm$6?] q6C?:6 |@C6?@[ 2? ~9:@ #6AF3=:42?[ H2D 6IF=E2?E 7@==@H:?8 E96 >66E:?8[ D2J:?8 |24925@ Q56=:G6C65 2 >6DD286 E92E =@F5 2?5 4=62Ci (92E !C6D:56?E %CF>A 5:5 H2D E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E[ D:8?:7:42?E 6G6?E 😕 {2E:? p>6C:42] %92E 86EE:?8 C:5 @7 |25FC@ H2D 23D@=FE6=J 6DD6?E:2=]”k^Am

    kAm|24925@VD (2D9:?8E@? DE@A 4@:?4:565 H:E9 &]$] 7@C46D 😕 E96 r2C:3362? $62 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^G6?6KF6=2D2?4E:@?65@:=E2?<6CD6:K652c`d6acf742cah3__3h7347e3e45h_2dQmD6:K:?8 2?@E96C D2?4E:@?65 @:= E2?<6Ck^2m E92E E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? D2JD 925 E:6D E@ ‘6?6KF6=2] xE 😀 A2CE @7 2 3C@256C &]$] 677@CE E@ E2<6 4@?EC@= @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^G6?6KF6=2FD6IA=@D:@?D42C242D42f`a2ef22674b_3`gb`7d37_3d_eed6QmE96 $@FE9 p>6C:42? 4@F?ECJ’D @:=k^2m 27E6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A>25FC@G6?6KF6=2AC6D:56?E:2=A2=2463=@HE@C496Dfheh`da26cgd`___b76h4356ha7b4`_aQm&]$] 7@C46D 42AEFC65 |25FC@k^2m 2?5 9:D H:76 =6DD E92? EH@ H66A@F?5 😕 E96 ‘6?6KF6=2? 42A:E2= @7 r2C242D 2?5 3C@F89E E96> E@ }6H *@C< E@ DE2?5 EC:2= @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>25FC@G6?6KF6=2ECF>A4C:>:?2=42D6`b`7dh6d`f44gb`c2db4g5246ab_5bagQm5CF8 EC277:4<:?8 492C86Dk^2m]k^Am

    kAm{62G:EE D2:5 ‘6?6KF6=2VD :?E6C:> 2FE9@C:E:6D 92G6 366? 7F==J 4@@A6C2E:?8 H:E9 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2?5 ?@E65 E92E #@5Cí8F6KVD 8@G6C?>6?E D2:5 :E A=2??65 E@ C6=62D6 >@C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^G6?6KF6=2AC:D@?6CDC6=62D65FD>25FC@C@5C:8F6Kf54da4b65ead`7de`3ffdc75d_`gadggQmAC:D@?6CD 56E2:?65 F?56C |25FC@k^2m] p>@?8 E9@D6 C6=62D65 H6C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^G6?6K6F=22>6C:42?56E2:?66DC6=62D65cb7ffh37444`4d57hgfg_hbg2b_2bc`fQm7:G6 p>6C:42?Dk^2m E9:D H66<]k^Am

    kAm%CF>A D2:5 (65?6D52J E92E 96 925 2 “8C62E 4@?G6CD2E:@?” H:E9 #@5Cí8F6K[ E96:C 7:CDE D:?46 |25FC@ H2D @FDE65]k^Am

    kAmyFDE 9@FCD 27E6C |25FC@VD 42AEFC6[ %CF>A D2:5 @7 |24925@ E92E “:E H@F=5 36 G6CJ E@F89 7@C 96C E@ 36 E96 =6256C]” |24925@ 925 DE66C65 2 42C67F= 4@FCD6 E@ 2G@:5 @776?5:?8 %CF>A[ ?@E23=J 27E6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?@36=A6246AC:K6@D=@c`3e377gg6a5df27_h`f347ffg6`ba25QmH:??:?8 E96 A6246 AC:K6k^2m[ 2?5 925 D@F89E E@ 4F=E:G2E6 C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 9:> 2?5 <6J 25>:?:DEC2E:@? G@:46D =:<6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CF3:@G6?6KF6=28C66?=2?5ECF>A>25FC@e_cg`42gh4`72c64hc7eha5ecg`c`_d`Qm$64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 |2C4@ #F3:@k^2m]k^Am

    kAm%96 :?5FDEC:2= 6?8:?66C 2?5 52F89E6C @7 2 DE66= >28?2E6[ |24925@ 3682? 492==6?8:?8 E96 CF=:?8 A2CEJ 😕 a__c[ H96? E96 ?@?8@G6C?>6?E2= @C82?:K2E:@? D96 4@7@F?565[ $ú>2E6[ AC@>@E65 2 C676C6?5F> E@ C642== E96?!C6D:56?E wF8@ r9áG6K] %96 :?:E:2E:G6 72:=65[ 2?5 |24925@ 2?5 @E96C $ú>2E6 6I64FE:G6D H6C6 492C865 H:E9 4@?DA:C24J]k^Am

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    By WILL WEISSERT, JOEY CAPPELLETTI and REGINA GARCIA CANO – Associated Press

    Source link

  • European troops arrive in Greenland; US talks highlight ‘disagreement’

    NUUK, Greenland — Troops from several European countries continued to arrive Thursday in a show of support for Denmark as talks among representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. highlighted “fundamental disagreement” over the future of the Arctic island.

    The disagreement came into starker focus Thursday, with the White House describing plans for more talks with officials from Denmark and Greenland as “technical talks on the acquisition agreement” for the U.S. to acquire Greenland.

    This page requires Javascript.

    Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

    kAm%92E H2D 2 72C 4CJ 7C@> E96 H2J s2?:D9 u@C6:8? |:?:DE6C {2CD {ø<<6 #2D>FDD6? 56D4C:365 :E 2D 2 H@C<:?8 8C@FA E92E H@F=5 5:D4FDD H2JD E@ H@C< E9C@F89 5:776C6?46D 36EH66? E96 ?2E:@?D]k^Am

    kAm“%96 8C@FA[ 😕 @FC G:6H[ D9@F=5 7@4FD @? 9@H E@ 255C6DD E96 p>6C:42? D64FC:EJ 4@?46C?D[ H9:=6 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6 C6DA64E:?8 E96 C65 =:?6D @7 E96 z:?85@> @7 s6?>2C<[” 96 D2:5 (65?6D52J 27E6C E96 >66E:?8]k^Am

    kAmq67@C6 E96 E2=2C< 2??@F?465 :E H@F=5 :?4C62D6 :ED >:=:E2CJ AC6D6?46 😕 vC66?=2?5] $6G6C2= tFC@A62? A2CE?6CD — :?4=F5:?8 uC2?46[ v6C>2?J[ E96 &]z][ }@CH2J[ $H656? 2?5 E96 }6E96C=2?5D — DE2CE65 D6?5:?8 DJ>3@=:4 ?F>36CD @7 EC@@AD @C AC@>:D65 E@ 5@ D@ 😕 E96 7@==@H:?8 52JD]k^Am

    kAm%96 EC@@A >@G6>6?ED H6C6 :?E6?565 E@ A@CEC2J F?:EJ 2>@?8 tFC@A62?D 2?5 D6?5 2 D:8?2= E@ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A E92E 2? p>6C:42? E2<6@G6C @7 vC66?=2?5 😀 ?@E ?646DD2CJ 2D }p%~ E@86E96C 42? D2768F2C5 E96 D64FC:EJ @7 E96 pC4E:4 C68:@? 2>:5 C:D:?8 #FDD:2? 2?5 r9:?6D6 :?E6C6DE]k^Am

    kAm%96 tFC@A62? EC@@AD 5:5 =:EE=6 E@ 5:DDF256 %CF>A]k^Am

    kAm(9:E6 w@FD6 AC6DD D64C6E2CJ z2C@=:?6 {62G:EE D2:5 %9FCD52J E92E :E 925 ?@ :>A24E @? E96 &]$] AC6D:56?EVD 564:D:@?>2<:?8 @C 8@2= @7 24BF:C:?8 vC66?=2?5]k^Am

    By EMMA BURROWS, CLAUDIA CIOBANU and DANIEL NIEMANN – Associated Press

    Source link

  • Trump threatens to use Insurrection Act to end protests

    MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke an 1807 law and deploy troops to quell persistent protests against the federal officers sent to enforce his administration’s massive immigration crackdown.

    This page requires Javascript.

    Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

    kAm%CF>A 92D C6A62E65=J E9C62E6?65 E@ :?G@<6 E96 x?DFCC64E:@? p4E[ 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A@DD64@>:E2EFD24EECF>A?2E:@?2=8F2C542=:7@C?:2_7habh6fe2d233a6a2`3fc36agc62g7gQmC2C6=J FD65 7656C2= =2Hk^2m[ E@ 56A=@J E96 &]$] >:=:E2CJ @C 7656C2=:K6 E96 }2E:@?2= vF2C5 7@C 5@>6DE:4 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E[ @G6C E96 @3;64E:@?D @7 DE2E6 8@G6C?@CD]k^Am

    kAm“x7 E96 4@CCFAE A@=:E:4:2?D @7 |:??6D@E2 5@?’E @36J E96 =2H 2?5 DE@A E96 AC@76DD:@?2= 28:E2E@CD 2?5 :?DFCC64E:@?:DED 7C@> 2EE24<:?8 E96 !2EC:@ED @7 x]r]t][ H9@ 2C6 @?=J ECJ:?8 E@ 5@ E96:C ;@3[ x H:== :?DE:EFE6 E96 x}$&##tr%x~} pr%[ H9:49 >2?J !C6D:56?ED 92G6 5@?6 367@C6 >6[ 2?5 BF:4<=J AFE 2? 6?5 E@ E96 EC2G6DEJ E92E 😀 E2<:?8 A=246 😕 E92E @?46 8C62E $E2E6[” %CF>A D2:5 😕 D@4:2= >65:2 A@DE]k^Am

    kAm!C6D:56?ED 92G6 :?G@<65 E96 =2H >@C6 E92? EH@ 5@K6? E:>6D[ >@DE C646?E=J 😕 `hha 3J !C6D:56?E v6@C86 w](] qFD9 E@ 6?5 F?C6DE 😕 {@D p?86=6D] x? E92E :?DE2?46[ =@42= 2FE9@C:E:6D 925 2D<65 7@C E96 2DD:DE2?46]k^Am

    kAm|:??6D@E2 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= z6:E9 t==:D@? C6DA@?565 E92E 96 H@F=5 492==6?86 2?J DF49 24E:@? 😕 4@FCE] w6 😀 2=C625J DF:?8 E@ ECJ E@ DE@A E96 DFC86 3J E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w@>6=2?5 $64FC:EJ[ H9:49 D2JD :E 92D >256 >@C6 E92? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:46:>>:8C2E:@?2CC6DEH2CC2?ED_hb2h`47_5b3a2hbacf55gb6h6d724_bQma[___ 2CC6DEDk^2m 😕 E96 DE2E6 D:?46 62C=J s646>36C] xrt 😀 2 sw$ 286?4J]k^Am

    kAm“x’> >2<:?8 2 5:C64E 2AA62= E@ E96 !C6D:56?Ei {6E’D EFC? E96 E6>A6C2EFC6 5@H?] $E@A E9:D 42>A2:8? @7 C6EC:3FE:@?] %9:D 😀 ?@E H9@ H6 2C6[” v@G] %:> (2=K[ 2 s6>@4C2E[ D2:5 @? )]k^Am

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    By STEVE KARNOWSKI, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, HALLIE GOLDEN and AAMER MADHANI – Associated Press

    Source link

  • Senators Worry That US Postal Service Changes Could Disenfranchise Voters Who Cast Ballots by Mail

    Updated agency policy says postmarks might not indicate the first day the Postal Service received the mail but rather the day it was handled in one of its processing centers. Those centers are increasingly likely to be further away from certain communities because of recent USPS consolidations, which could further delay postmarks, the 16 senators wrote.

    “Postmark delays are especially problematic in states that vote entirely or largely by mail,” they wrote to Postmaster General David Steiner, noting that many states use postmark dates to determine whether a mail ballot can be counted. “These changes will only increase the likelihood of voter disenfranchisement.”

    The consequences could be particularly acute in rural areas where mail has to travel farther to reach regional processing centers, they added.

    “In theory, a rural voter could submit their ballot in time according to their state law, but due to the changes you are implementing, their legally-cast ballot would not be counted as it sits in a local post office,” they wrote. “As we enter a year with many local and federal elections, the risk of disrupting this vital democratic process demands your attention and action.”

    The Postal Service has received the letter and will respond directly to those who sent it, spokesperson Martha Johnson said.

    “While we are not changing our postmarking practices, we have made adjustments to our transportation operations that will result in some mailpieces not arriving at our originating processing facilities on the same day that they are mailed,” its website says. “This means that the date on the postmarks applied at our processing facilities will not necessarily match the date on which the customer’s mailpiece was collected by a letter carrier or dropped off at a retail location.”

    Johnson said the language in the final rule “does not change any existing postal operations or postmarking practices.” She added that the agency looked forward to “clarifying the senators’ misunderstanding.”

    “Our public filing was made to enhance public understanding of exactly what a postmark represents, its relationship to the date of mailing and when a postmark is applied in the process,” she said.

    People dropping off mail at a post office can request that a postmark be applied manually, ensuring the postmark date matches the mailing date, the Postal Service’s website says. Manual postmarks are free of charge.

    The agency said the “lack of alignment” between the mailing date and postmark date will become more common as it implements its initiative to overhaul processing and transportation networks with an emphasis on regional hubs. The aim of the initiative is to cut costs for the agency, which has grappled with losses in the billions of dollars in recent years.

    Under the plan, the Postal Service got rid of twice-daily mail dispatches from local post offices to regional processing centers. That means mail received after the only transfer truck leaves sits overnight until the next daily transfer, the senators wrote.

    Election officials in states that rely heavily on voting by mail expressed concern with the change.

    “Not being able to have faith that the Postal Service will mark ballots on the day they are submitted and mail them in a timely manner undermines vote-by-mail voting, in turn undermining California and other elections,” California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement.

    She said her office will “amplify messaging to voters” who use mailed ballots that they must return their ballots early if they plan to use the post office.

    Election officials in Washington state, where voting is done almost entirely by mail, are recommending that those who return their ballot within a week of Election Day do so at a drop box or voting center.

    “Given the operational and logistical priorities recently set by the USPS, there is no guarantee that ballots returned via mail will be postmarked by the USPS the same day they are mailed,” the secretary of state’s office said in a statement.

    The senators urged Steiner to restore “timely postmarks” and fully stand up an election mail task force. The Democratic lawmakers who signed the letter represented California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link