donald trump

President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster aid for six states and tribes following storms and floods this spring and summer. The disaster declarations, announced Thursday, will provide federal funding to Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as tribes in Montana and South Dakota. In most cases, it took Trump over a month to approve the aid requests, continuing a trend of longer waits for disaster relief. An Associated Press analysis shows delays in approving federal disaster aid have grown over time. The White House says Trump is providing a more thorough review of requests.

President Donald Trump has floated the idea of “getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which manages federal disaster response. But at a Thursday meeting, the 12-person review council he appointed to propose changes to FEMA seemed more focused on reforms than total dismantlement. The meeting in Oklahoma City offered hints of what types of reforms the council might present to Trump in its final report. Members mainly focused on conventional and oft-cited opportunities for change, such as getting money faster to states and survivors and enhancing the capacity of local emergency managers.

Some employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who signed a public letter of dissent earlier this week were put on administrative leave Tuesday evening. That’s according to documents reviewed by The Associated Press. More than 180 current and former FEMA employees signed the letter sent to the FEMA Review Council and Congress on Monday critiquing recent cuts to agency staff and programs, and warning that FEMA’s capacity to respond to a major disaster was dangerously diminished. The AP has confirmed that at least two of the signatories received notices Tuesday evening informing them they would be placed on leave indefinitely. FEMA did not immediately respond to questions on how many staff were put on leave.

More than 180 current and former FEMA employees have published a letter warning of potential disaster due to cuts in the agency. The letter coincides with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, highlighting concerns about management and capacity at FEMA. It warns that current practices echo conditions the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act aimed to prevent. The letter criticizes policies like expenditure approval and reassignment of staff to ICE. It calls for FEMA to be an independent cabinet-level agency. Thirty-five signatories included their names, while 141 remained anonymous due to fear of suppression.

By PAUL WISEMAN and DIDI TANG Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump extended a trade truce with China for another 90 days Monday, at least delaying once again a dangerous showdown between the world’s two biggest economies. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he signed the executive order for the extension, […]

By JAIMIE DING Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Friday night to uphold a lower court’s temporary order blocking the Trump administration from conducting indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in Southern California. A three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held a hearing Monday afternoon at which […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says there will be a 90-day negotiating period with Mexico over trade as 25% tariffs stay in place. Trump posted online Thursday a phone conversation with Claudia Sheinbaum was “very successful in that, more and more,” they’re “getting to know and understand each other.” Trump says goods from Mexico imported into the U.S. will continue to face a 25% tariff he has ostensibly linked to fentanyl trafficking. The Republican president says autos face a 25% tariff, while copper, aluminum and steel are taxed at 50%. Trump had threatened tariffs of 30% on goods from Mexico, something Sheinbaum says Mexico gets to stave off for the next three months.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to move thousands of employees out of Washington, D.C., aiming to save money and bring them closer to farmers and ranchers. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Thursday that around 2,600 workers will relocate to five hubs from North Carolina to Utah. The plan is part of President Donald Trump’s effort to make the federal government more efficient. Critics worry about losing connections to Congress and potential disruptions. The union representing federal workers criticized the move as a ploy to cut jobs. The union also pointed out that some 95% of the department’s employees already work outside Washington.

Twenty Democratic-led states have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency over the cancellation of a disaster mitigation grant program. The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Massachusetts claims President Donald Trump’s administration acted illegally by ending the program in April. The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program funds projects such as flood protection, wildfire prevention and earthquake safety. FEMA called the program wasteful. But supporters say it can help save lives and reduce costly damage from disasters. The lawsuit alleges the Trump administration violated constitutional separation of powers by ending the program without congressional permission to do so.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina says he won’t seek reelection. That news Sunday comes one day after he announced his opposition to President Donald Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts package because of its reductions to health care programs. The announcement from the two-term senator surprised senior Republicans with its timing, but not necessarily the substance. Tillis had planned to announce his reelection plans later this year, likely September at the latest, but had been heavily leaning in favor of retiring. That’s according to a person close to the senator who was granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. His decision creates a political opportunity for Democrats seeking to bolster their numbers in the 2026 midterm elections.