Will Trump visit 'Alligator Alcatraz'? FAA notice hints at presidential stop

Will Trump visit 'Alligator Alcatraz'? FAA notice hints at presidential stop

IsPresident Donald Trumpheading to Florida's so-called"Alligator Alcatraz"immigration detention center? The Federal Aviation Administration issued a "VIP Movement Notification" for Tuesday, July 1, for Ochopee, Fla. The alert is for a 30/10 NMR, which stands for a protective inner core radius of 10 nautical miles and an outer ring radius of 30 nautical miles. Those distances are reserved for the U.S. president. Ochopee is the site of Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport. It has been in the news for more than a week as the location of a planned immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades that has been dubbedAlligator Alcatraz. However, a notice of temporary flight restrictions had not been posted by the FAA. An attempt to seek confirmation Sunday from the White House on the president's travel plans this week was not successful. The president, who was focused on U.S. Senate passage of the massiveGOP tax and spending billall weekend, had not posted about a potential visit on his Truth Social account either. Florida Gov.Ron DeSantisdid offer the president an invitation to visit the facility during a cable news interview. The governor even said that Air Force One could land at the Everglades airstrip, once envisioned as an airport site. The first detainees from what Trump has promised will be the biggest immigration deportation crackdown in U.S. history are to arrive at the holding facility July 1. "I think the president will be impressed with what these guys are doing out here," DeSantis said on the "Fox and Friends" program June 29. Nonetheless, the development of a detention facility at the site near Everglades National Park is a source of contention. Two groups, Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, have filed a lawsuit against the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to stop what they said is the "unlawful construction of a prison in the heart of the Everglades." Sierra Club Florida also is opposed to the development, which it said is "irresponsible." "This proposal is not only deeply inhumane, it is profoundly irresponsible from an environmental, ethical, and fiscal standpoint," the state chapter of the national organization said in a statement June 24. On Saturday, June 28, protesters gathered at the access road to the Dade-Collier Airport to protest the construction of the detention center. The demonstration was led by Betty Osceola, an activist and a member of the Miccosukee tribe. The president's visit would come as his immigration policies are roiling Miam-Dade County, a jurisdiction that has been a longtime bastion of Hispanic population, business hub and political base. And a place where Republicans have made significant inroads in the Trump era. Trump crushed Vice PresidentKamala Harrisin the traditional blue county in the 2024 presidential balloting. He lost the county to PresidentJoe Bidenin 2020, though by a narrower margin than in 2016 against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. But the crackdown on immigration, particularly detaining and deporting people with pending asylum and other status cases, has caused consternation. So has the administration's ending temporary protective status for Venezuelans and canceling a humanitarian parole program that benefited Cubans and Nicaraguans. Earlier this month, state Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Miami Republican, spoke out on X in a post highly critical of White House immigration adviser Stephen Miller. "I understand the importance of deporting criminal aliens, but what we are witnessing are arbitrary measures to hunt down people who are complying with their immigration hearings — in many cases, with credible fear of persecution claims — all driven by a Miller-like desire to satisfy a self-fabricated deportation goal," wrote Garcia, a founder of the Latinas for Trump movement. "This undermines the sense of fairness and justice that the American people value," she said. Another southern Miami-Dade County immigration holding facility, the Krome Detention Center, has been the site of protests. Activists and attorneys for some of those being held there have decried the conditions and overcrowding. While critical of the Biden Administration's border policies, Miami's three Cuban-American members of Congress, Mario-Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar, have also supported continuing TPS coverage for Venezuleans. In May, the three, all Republicans, issued a statement saying they "have consistently supported and will continue to support Temporary Protected Status" for Venezuelans in the United States. "There is a clear distinction between individuals, such as members of the Tren de Aragua who exploited Biden's open border and wreaked havoc on American communities, and the many Venezuelans who have arrived in our country, fleeing the political crises under the repressive dictatorship of [Nicolás] Maduro with legitimate claims of persecution," the lawmakers said. Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor atThe Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him atafins@pbpost.com. This article originally appeared on USATNetwork:Will Trump visit 'Alligator Alcatraz'?

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June 30, 2025

Will Trump visit 'Alligator Alcatraz'? FAA notice hints at presidential stop

Will Trump visit 'Alligator Alcatraz'? FAA notice hints at presidential stop IsPresident Donald Trumpheading to Florida's so-cal...

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States brace for impact as Trump's big bill nears completion in Congress

States brace for impact as Trump's big bill nears completion in Congress

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — PresidentDonald Trump'sbig bill to cut taxesand reduce federal spending on some social safety net programs could have large implications for states, but for many it's too late to do much about it this year. Tuesday marks the start of a new budget year in 46 states. Though some legislatures are still working, most already have adjourned and finalized their spending plans without knowing whether federal funding will be cut and, if so, by how much. "The ebb and flow of rumors and reality have created great uncertainty and some anxiety in state governments," said David Adkins, executive director of The Council of State Governments. Several states have taken preemptive steps, setting aside money in reserves or tasking committees to monitor the impact of federal funding reductions. Others are tentatively planning to return in special sessions this year to account for potential fundingcuts to joint federal-state programssuch as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Others will have to wait until their legislatures are back in session next year. What's at stake for states? "If there are significant cuts, states wouldn't be able to fully absorb those," said Brian Sigritz, director of state fiscal studies at the National Association of State Budget Officers. Nationally, theMedicaid health care programfor lower-income residents accounts for 30% of total state expenditures, according to the health policy research organization KFF. That makes it the costliest program in many states, ahead of even K-12 education. The bulk of Medicaid money comes from the federal government, meaning any changes in federal policy can create big ripples for states. Legislation pending in Congress would affect Medicaid in several ways. New work requirements are expected toreduce enrollment by millionsof people, while other proposed changes also could reduce federal payments to states. Until now the federal government also has covered the full cost of SNAP benefits and half the administrative costs. Trump's bill would shift more of those costs to states, leaving them to either divert money from other purposes or trim back their food assistance programs. The Medicaid and SNAP changes are just the latest in a series of Trump policies affecting state finances, including the rollback of grants fortransportationandhigh-speed internet projectsand attempts to withhold federal funds fromsanctuary jurisdictionsthat limit cooperation with federalimmigrationauthorities. Some legislatures are stocking up on savings A surge in federal aid and state tax revenue during the coronavirus pandemic led to booming budgets andhistoric cash surplusesin many states. As revenues slow and those surpluses get spent, some states now are trying to guard against federal funding reductions. New Mexicoenacted a lawthis year creating a Medicaid trust fund gradually stocked with up to $2 billion that can be tapped to prop up the program if federal funding cuts would otherwise cause a reduction in coverage or benefits. Hawaii lawmakers, in crafting the state's budget, left an extra $200 million in the general fund as a contingency against federal funding uncertainty. They plan to return for a special session. And Vermont's budget sets aside up to $110 million in case federal funding is cut. That includes $50 million that can be spent while the Legislature is not in session and up to $60 million that could be appropriated in the future to address federal funding shortfalls. Though not necessarily tied to federal cuts, Florida lawmakers approved a proposed constitutional amendment that wouldset aside $750 million a year— or an amount equal to up to 25% of the state's general revenue, whichever is less — in a reserve fund that lawmakers could use for emergencies. That measure still must go before voters. Some governors are cutting back on spending Because of legislative deadlines, some state lawmakers had to craft budgets well before the details of Trump's bill took shape. Virginia lawmakers passed a budget in February for their fiscal year that starts Tuesday. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announcedseveral dozen line-item vetoesin May with the goal of creating a roughly $900 million financial cushion. "There are some short-term risks as President Trump resets both fiscal spending in Washington and trade policies that require us to be prudent and not spend all of the projected surplus before we bank it," Youngkin said in a statement. Other states also have left money unspent, even though it has not always been touted as a buffer against federal cuts. States are "enacting really cautious budgets, knowing that they may have to kind of revise them in special sessions or address changes in next year's sessions," said Erica MacKellar, a fiscal affairs program principal at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Some are taking a wait-and-see approach Before adjourning their sessions, some state legislatures established procedures to monitor federal funding cuts and recommend budgetary changes. Montana's budget includes $50,000 for an analysis of the financial implications of federal actions, but that spending kicks in only upon the cancellation of at least $50 million of previously approved federal funding or the anticipated loss of at least $100 million of future revenue. If federal funding to Maryland decreases by at least $1 billion,a provision approved by lawmakersrequires the state budget office to submit a report to the General Assembly with proposed actions and potential spending reductions. The spending plan passed by Connecticut lawmakers also requires the state budget office to respond quickly to federal reductions by identifying state funds that could be used to preserve programs, particularly those providing health care, food assistance, education and other priorities. North Dakota lawmakers left room for more work. They adjourned their biennial session six days shy of their 80-day limit, allowing time to reconvene if needed.

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June 30, 2025

States brace for impact as Trump's big bill nears completion in Congress

States brace for impact as Trump's big bill nears completion in Congress JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — PresidentDonald Trump'sbig bill ...

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Trump expected to sign executive order easing Syria sanctions

Trump expected to sign executive order easing Syria sanctions

Washington— President Trump is expected to sign an executive order soon to ease sanctions on Syria, two sources familiar with the anticipated order tell CBS News. The expected executive order comes after Mr. Trumpannounced in Mayduring a trip to the Middle East that the U.S. would lift all sanctions on the country. While in the Middle East, Mr. Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who announced a transitional government in March. The Assad regimecollapsedunder the weight of an offensive by opposition forces. Syria's transitional government has been pushing the Trump administration for sanctions relief for months, and some work has been underway to ease some sanctions since before the president's May announcement. Some sanctions would still need to be formally revoked by Congress, and some sanctions in place on Syria date back to 1979, when Syria was designated a state sponsor of terrorism. Last month, the Treasury Department issued formal guidance rolling back some sanctions on banks, airlines and al-Shaara. It also released guidelines for approved transactions in Syria, including infrastructure projects. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the time that the measures were designed to encourage investment in Syria. "As President Trump promised, the Treasury Department and the State Department are implementing authorizations to encourage new investment into Syria," Bessent said. "Syria must also continue to work towards becoming a stable country that is at peace, and today's actions will hopefully put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous, and stable future." The new transitional government has blamed sanctions — which include penalties on third countries for doing business in Syria — for the country's inability to pay civil service salaries, reconstruct sizable chunks of war-ravaged cities and rebuild a health care system decimated by war. Turkey and Saudi Arabia, two U.S. allies in the region, have backed normalizing relations with Syria's new government. Both countries have provided aid to Syria, and Saudi Arabia has offered to pay off some of the country's debts, two activities that could run afoul of sanctions. The Saudis see an opportunity to win the new Syrian government over to their side, after decades of the country being allied with their top regional rival, Iran, while the Assad regime was in power. Relief was a key topic in meetings between Syrian officials, including its Central Bank Governor Abdelkadir Husrieh, and other world leaders at the IMF and World Bank spring meetings last month in Washington. Some of the most punitive measures were imposed over the last two decades on the Assad regime for human rights abuses and support for groups designated by the U.S. as terrorist organizations. The Assad government collapsed in December as rebel groups, including fighters led by Sharaa, swept into Damascus, ending a 13-year-long civil war. In 2003, then-President George W. Bush signed the Syria Accountability Act into law, which centered on Syria's support for U.S.-designated terror groups like Hezbollah, Syria's military presence in Lebanon, as well as alleged development of weapons of mass destruction, oil smuggling and backing of armed groups in Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Video shows Arizona police rescuing baby left alone for days Saving money vs. saving lives How the Supreme Court's latest major rulings might affect the U.S.

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June 30, 2025

Trump expected to sign executive order easing Syria sanctions

Trump expected to sign executive order easing Syria sanctions Washington— President Trump is expected to sign an executive order soon to eas...

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Capitol Police arrest man who disrupted Senate debate on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill': 'You people are awful'

Capitol Police arrest man who disrupted Senate debate on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill': 'You people are awful'

A man was arrested by Capitol Police on Sunday after interrupting theSenate debateon President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill," shouting from the Senate Galleries that the lawmakers are "horrible." Allen D. Rogers, of Florida, was arrested forunlawful conductafter he refused to obey officers' orders to stop the disruption, according to police. "At approximately 7:00 p.m., our officers arrested a man who started being disruptive in the Senate Galleries," police said in a statement. Rep. Steube Slams Senate Parliamentarian For Gutting Trump's Legislative Agenda The interruption happened between speeches by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on the Republican-backed spending bill. Rogers was heard shouting criticisms at lawmakers from the galleries, including "you people are awful" and "you're horrible," although most of what he said was intelligible. His remarks appeared to be targeting Republican lawmakers. Read On The Fox News App Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., was the presiding officer at the time of the disruption. Trump Reacts To Tillis Not Seeking Re-election, Sends Warning To 'Cost-cutting Republicans' McCormick was seen looking up and to his left into the gallery and repeatedly saying "the Sergeant at Arms will restore order in the gallery" while Rogers was shouting attacks at lawmakers. Fox News has reached out toCapitol Policefor additional information on this incident. Original article source:Capitol Police arrest man who disrupted Senate debate on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill': 'You people are awful'

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June 30, 2025

Capitol Police arrest man who disrupted Senate debate on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill': 'You people are awful'

Capitol Police arrest man who disrupted Senate debate on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill': 'You people are awful' A man was...

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National pride is declining in America. And it's splitting by party lines, new Gallup polling shows

National pride is declining in America. And it's splitting by party lines, new Gallup polling shows

WASHINGTON (AP) — Only 36% of Democrats say they're "extremely" or "very" proud to be American, according toa new Gallup poll, reflecting a dramatic decline in national pride that's also clear among young people. The findings are a stark illustration of how many — but not all — Americans have felt less of a sense of pride in their country over the past decade. The split between Democrats and Republicans, at 56 percentage points, is at its widest since 2001. That includes all four years ofRepublican President Donald Trump's first term. Only about 4 in 10 U.S. adults who are part of Generation Z, which is defined as those born from 1997 to 2012, expressed a high level of pride in being American in Gallup surveys conducted in the past five years, on average. That's compared with about 6 in 10 Millennials — those born between 1980 and 1996 — and at least 7 in 10 U.S. adults in older generations. "Each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else," said Jeffrey Jones, a senior editor at Gallup. "But even among the older generations, we see that they're less patriotic than the ones before them, and they've become less patriotic over time. That's primarily driven by Democrats within those generations." A slow erosion in national pride America's decline in national pride has been a slow erosion, with a steady downtick in Gallup's data since January 2001, when the question was first asked. Even during the tumultuous early years of the Iraq War, the vast majority of U.S. adults, whether Republican or Democrat, said they were "extremely" or "very" proud to be American. At that point, about 9 in 10 were "extremely" or "very" proud to be American. That remained high in the aftermath ofthe Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but the consensus around American pride slipped in the years that followed, dropping to about 8 in 10 in 2006 and continuing a gradual decline. Now, 58% of U.S. adults say that, in a downward shift that's been driven almost entirely by Democrats and independents. The vast majority of Republicans continue to say they're proud to be American. Independents' pride in their national identity hit a new low in the most recent survey, at 53%, largely following that pattern of gradual decline. Democrats' diminished pride in being American is more clearly linked to Trump's time in office. WhenPresident Donald Trumpfirst entered the White House, in 2017, about two-thirds of Democrats said they were proud to be American. That had fallen to 42% by 2020, just beforeTrump lost reelectionto Democrat Joe Biden. But while Democrats' sense of national pride rebounded when Biden took office, it didn't go back to its pre-Trump levels. "It's not just a Trump story," Jones said. "Something else is going on, and I think it's just younger generations coming in and not being as patriotic as older people." Republicans and Democrats split on patriotism Other recent polling shows that Democrats and independents are less likely than Republicans to say that expressing patriotism is important or to feel a sense of pride in their national leaders. Nearly 9 in 10 Republicans ina 2024 SSRS pollsaid they believed patriotism has a positive impact on the United States, with Democrats more divided: 45% said patriotism had a positive impact on the country, while 37% said it was negative. But a more general sense of discontent was clear on both sides of the aisle earlier this year, whena CNN/SSRS pollfound that fewer than 1 in 10 Democrats and Republicans said "proud" described the way they felt about politics in America today. In that survey, most Americans across the political spectrum said they were "disappointed" or "frustrated" with the country's politics.

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June 30, 2025

National pride is declining in America. And it's splitting by party lines, new Gallup polling shows

National pride is declining in America. And it's splitting by party lines, new Gallup polling shows WASHINGTON (AP) — Only 36% of Democr...

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