WASHINGTON — The Education Department's civil rights branch is losing nearly half its staff in the Trump administration's layoffs, effectively gutting an office that already faced a backlog of thousands of complaints from students and families across the nation. Among a total of more than 1,300 layoffs announced Tuesday were...
Trump to Name Michelle Bowman as Top Bank Regulator at Federal Reserve
The Trump administration is expected to choose Federal Reserve governor Michelle Bowman to be the central bank's top financial regulator, according to a person familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity. Bowman, who has been a member of the Fed's governing board for six years, would replace...
Kuwait Frees a Group of Jailed Americans, Including Contractors Held on Drug Charges
WASHINGTON — Kuwait has released a group of American prisoners, including veterans and military contractors jailed for years on drug-related charges, in a move seen as a gesture of goodwill between two allies, a representative for the detainees told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The release follows a recent visit...
Senate Democrats Balk at Funding Extension, Raising the Risk of a Shutdown
WASHINGTON — The Senate Democratic leader said Wednesday that Democrats would refuse to back a stopgap bill to fund the government through Sept. 30, significantly raising the chances of a government shutdown at the end of the week. After a private party meeting, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., instead urged Republicans...
Trump’s EPA Plans to Close All Environmental Justice Offices
The Trump administration intends to eliminate Environmental Protection Agency offices responsible for addressing the disproportionately high levels of pollution facing poor communities, according to a memo from Lee Zeldin, the agency administrator. In the internal memo, viewed by The New York Times, Zeldin informed agency leaders that he was directing...
Fresno Auto Theft Operation Leads to Seven Arrests, Two Suspects Outstanding
A months-long investigation into a high-performance auto theft ring has led to seven arrests, with two suspects still outstanding, the Fresno Police Department announced on Wednesday. Detectives with the department’s Career Criminal Auto Theft Team identified more than 75 stolen vehicles valued at over $3 million over the past six...
US Arms Flow to Ukraine Again as the Kremlin Mulls a Ceasefire Proposal
KYIV, Ukraine — U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine resumed Wednesday, officials said, a day after the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kyiv in its fight against Russia's invasion, and officials awaited the Kremlin's response to a proposed 30-day ceasefire endorsed by Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov...
EPA Head Says He’ll Roll Back Dozens of Environmental Regulations
WASHINGTON — In what he called the "most consequential day of deregulation in American history," the head of the Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of actions Wednesday to roll back landmark environmental regulations, including rules on pollution from coal-fired power plants, climate change and electric vehicles. "We are driving...
Canada and the EU Swiftly Retaliate Against Trump’s Steel and Aluminum Tariffs
BRUSSELS — Major trade partners swiftly hit back at President Donald Trump's increased tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, imposing stiff new taxes on U.S products from textiles and water heaters to beef and bourbon. Canada, the largest steel supplier to the U.S., said Wednesday it will place 25% reciprocal...
California Doesn’t Need DOGE, but There’s Plenty of Wasteful Spending and Bureaucracy to Cut
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, known shorthand as DOGE, launched under President Trump in January and since has sent shockwaves through Washington and the rest of the country. As California's former chief data officer, I've watched this...