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Trump banner on gov building sparks backlash: 'Welcome to North America's North Korea'

May 15, 2025 2:33PM ET A massive banner of President Donald Trump is now hanging from the outside of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s building in Washington, D.C., opposite a banner of President Abraham Lincoln. Several critics are suggesting the hanging is fascist or authoritarian, with some saying it is giving off North Korea vibes. “Looming down from the pillared front of the neo-classical facade is an enormous, brooding picture of President Donald Trump, adapted from his official pres ...

groundloop

Mother allegedly buys ammunition, tactical gear for son's planned 'mass targeted violence' at middle school: Officials

A Texas mother has been arrested and charged for allegedly buying ammunition and tactical gear for her son's planned "mass targeted violence" at his middle school, officials said. Ashley Pardo, 33, was arrested on Monday and charged with aiding in commission of terrorism after she allegedly provided ammunition and tactical gear to her 13-year-old son, whose behavior demonstrated plans for a "mass targeted violence" aimed at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio, according to a ...

Dreamer Tatum

Democrats reintroduce federal resolution for reparations

A coalition of Democratic lawmakers and advocates on Thursday reintroduced a resolution to offer reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans and people of African descent. Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) led the reintroduction of the Reparations Now resolution, which was first introduced in 2023 by former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.). ...

highplainsdem

Price tag for Trump's military parade could reach $45 million

A massive military parade planned in Washington next month will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million and will involve dozens of war planes, hundreds of Army vehicles and thousands of soldiers from across the country sleeping in downtown government office buildings, an Army spokesperson said Thursday. The parade, to commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, will be held June 14, the same day as President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, and will include representation from all 10 activ ...

highplainsdem

DHS asks for 20,000 National Guard troops to assist in deportations

The Department of Homeland Security is asking the Pentagon to provide some 20,000 National Guard forces to assist in the removal of migrants in the United States without legal status. A U.S. official with knowledge of the plan who was not authorized to talk tells NPR that military lawyers are reviewing the request from DHS. The request was first reported by The New York Times. Under the proposal, state governors would be asked for volunteers among their Guard forces to take part in the removal ...

demmiblue

Walmart to raise prices due to tariff costs after posting solid first quarter sales

(AP) Walmart’s first quarter profit slipped and it said it must raise prices due to higher costs from tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump. The nation’s largest retailers posted strong quarterly sales Thursday and said it expects sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5% in the second quarter. Like many other U.S. companies, however, it did not issue a profit outlook for the quarter because of the chaotic environment, with stated U.S. tariff policies changing constantly.

babylonsister

Massive Cost of Trump's Birthday Military Parade Revealed

(Daily Beast) President Donald Trump is planning to celebrate his 79th birthday and the Army’s 250th anniversary in one yuge celebration—all on the dime of U.S. tax payers, Reuters reported Wednesday. The birthday celebration could cost as much as $25 million to $45 million in tax payer dollars, depending on if there is a parade, and could include as many as 25 tanks thundering through Washington, D.C., 6,500 troops, and around 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft moving to Washington, according to officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Dulcinea

'What a joke': Republicans lock horns over Medicaid proposal

(ABC News) A growing number of House Republicans -- from moderates to hardliners -- are expressing grievances with key components of the megabill encompassing President Donald Trump's legislative agenda -- threatening to undercut the package's momentum ahead of an expected vote late next week. Speaker Mike Johnson faces yet another critical test of his speakership and must corral his divided conference around the final reconciliation package in the House.

Dulcinea

The latest roadblock for House Republicans' 'big beautiful bill': Senate Republicans

(NPR) As House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., feverishly works to finalize the details of a massive package that includes major portions of President Trump's agenda, many Senate Republicans are dismissing the legislation before it is even finished in the House. "Unfortunately, it's a sad joke," Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson said Wednesday. "Wimpy," and "anemic" were the words Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., used to describe the spending cuts in the proposal.

Miles Archer

Lawrence O’Donnell: Trump Is ‘Too Stupid’ to See How He’s Being Humiliated With $400M Jet Gift

(Daily Beast) The MSNBC host said Trump is on a “humiliation tour” of the Middle East. On Tuesday’s episode of The Last Word he even suggested that leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates view Trump with contempt. O’Donnell said they see Trump as “someone who lives beneath them, as someone who takes their secondhand junk, their secondhand toys.” The veteran host suggested that the 13-year-old Boeing 747-8 is only being given to Trump because it’s been “abandoned by the dictator of Qatar because it’s not good enough for him anymore.”

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Exclusive: DHS civil rights office opened investigation into Mahmoud Khalil's arrest days before office was dissolved

1 hr ago - Published 12:03 PM EDT, Thu May 15, 2025 CNN — The Department of Homeland Security’s oversight arm opened an investigation into the controversial arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil only days before officials working for that of ... (CNN Politics)

Space Force, governors at odds over plans to pull talent from National Guard units

1 hr ago - May 15, 2025, 2:33 PM WASHINGTON -- The head of the U.S. Space Force is moving ahead with plans to pull talent from Air National Guard units to help build up the still new military service — but several governors remain opposed and argue it tram ... (ABC News/AP)

House Republicans float compromise to placate warring factions: Faster Medicaid cuts and a larger SALT deduction

2 hrs ago - Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to strike a delicate balance between blue-state Republicans and conservative hard-liners on a sprawling bill for Trump's agenda. May 15, 2025, 6:29 PM GMT / Updated May 15, 2025, 9:42 PM GMT By Scott Wong, Melanie Zano ... (NBC News)

'Under the radar' plan to kill beloved tax filing program hidden in GOP bill

2 hrs ago - May 15, 2025 10:49AM ET In addition to showering rich Americans and large corporations with more tax breaks, legislation that Republicans advanced out of committee on Wednesday would officially eliminate the Internal Revenue Service's popular and fre ... (Raw Story)

Democrats reintroduce federal resolution for reparations

2 hrs ago - A coalition of Democratic lawmakers and advocates on Thursday reintroduced a resolution to offer reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans and people of African descent. Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) led the reintroduction of the Reparations Now reso ... (The Hill)

US Lost Business Travelers in April as Economic Anxiety and Border Detentions Cooled Demand

2 hrs ago - May 15, 2025, at 2:22 p.m. Business travel to the U.S. fell 9% in April as companies and workers grappled with economic uncertainty and anger over the Trump administration's tariffs and border policies. The National Travel and Tourism Office releas ... (US News and World Report/AP)

2-year-old survives 15-story fall from Silver Spring [Maryland] apartment building balcony

2 hrs ago - 2-year-old survives 15-story fall from Silver Spring apartment building balcony Ciara Wells ciara.wells@wtop.com May 15, 2025, 6:21 PM A 2-year-old boy fell off a 15th-floor balcony at an apartment building in Silver Spring, Maryland, on Thursday an ... (WTOP)

Fed chief Jerome Powell warns that U.S. could face "supply shocks"

3 hrs ago - Updated on: May 15, 2025 / 2:07 PM EDT Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is cautioning that the U.S. could face an increase in supply shocks. The comes a week after the central bank announced it would hold interest rates steady amid a period of eco ... (CBS News)

Autopsies misclassified deaths in police custody that were homicides, Maryland officials say - WTOP News

3 hrs ago - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — An audit of Maryland autopsies has uncovered at least 36 deaths in police custody that should have been considered homicides, state officials announced Thursday following a comprehensive review of such cases spurred by wide ... (Associated Press)

Mother allegedly buys ammunition, tactical gear for son's planned 'mass targeted violence' at middle school: Officials

3 hrs ago - A Texas mother has been arrested and charged for allegedly buying ammunition and tactical gear for her son's planned "mass targeted violence" at his middle school, officials said. Ashley Pardo, 33, was arrested on Monday and charged with aiding in co ... (ABC News)

Harvard scientist Kseniia Petrova to be transferred to Massachusetts

3 hrs ago - May 15, 2025, 1:23 p.m. ET Harvard scientist Kseniia Petrova is set to be transferred from a Louisiana jail to Massachusetts where she faces a strongly disputed charge of felony smuggling. On May 15, federal Magistrate Judge Kayla McClusky of Louisi ... (USA Today)

"State of the People Tour" seeks to energize Black communities

4 hrs ago - 3 hours ago Angela Rye isn't waiting on Washington. She's betting on — and investing in — the people. Why it matters: Led by Rye and fueled by local organizers and national partners, the 10-city State of the People Power Tour aims to meet u ... (Axios)

DHS asks for 20,000 National Guard troops to assist in deportations

4 hrs ago - The Department of Homeland Security is asking the Pentagon to provide some 20,000 National Guard forces to assist in the removal of migrants in the United States without legal status. A U.S. official with knowledge of the plan who was not authorized ... (NPR)

Challenge to Louisiana law that lists abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances can proceed

4 hrs ago - By SARA CLINE Updated 12:46 PM CDT, May 15, 2025 BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A legal challenge against a first-of-its-kind measure that recategorized two widely used abortion -inducing drugs as “controlled dangerous substances” in Louisian ... (AP)

Trump pick for workplace safety agency sparks fears heat protections will be derailed

4 hrs ago - Thu 15 May 2025 07.00 EDT Last modified on Thu 15 May 2025 13.03 EDT As the US prepares for what could be another record-breaking hot summer, Donald Trump and his pick to lead the nation’s workplace safety agency are expected to derail the creat ... (The Guardian)

Trump banner on gov building sparks backlash: 'Welcome to North America's North Korea'

5 hrs ago - May 15, 2025 2:33PM ET A massive banner of President Donald Trump is now hanging from the outside of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s building in Washington, D.C., opposite a banner of President Abraham Lincoln. Several critics are suggestin ... (Raw Story)

Price tag for Trump's military parade could reach $45 million

5 hrs ago - A massive military parade planned in Washington next month will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million and will involve dozens of war planes, hundreds of Army vehicles and thousands of soldiers from across the country sleeping in downtown gover ... (Washington Post)

Meta Is Delaying the Rollout of Its Flagship AI Model

5 hrs ago - Meta is delaying the rollout of a flagship AI model, prompting internal concerns about the direction of its multibillion-dollar AI investments, people familiar with the matter said. Company engineers are struggling to significantly improve the capabi ... (WSJ)

Under attack, public media makes its case to Congress and the courts

5 hrs ago - May 15, 2025 5:00 AM ET Public broadcasting officials from across the country plan to descend on Capitol Hill today in hopes of convincing lawmakers to preserve their federal funding despite pressure from President Trump and his allies. Money from th ... (NPR)

Air traffic controllers in Denver scramble to use backups after losing communications Monday

6 hrs ago - Updated 2:24 PM EDT, May 15, 2025 Air traffic controllers in Denver lost communications with planes around that major airport for 90 seconds earlier this week and had to scramble to use backup frequencies in the latest Federal Aviation Administration ... (AP)