The Trump administration faced tough scrutiny from a federal judge on Monday over the deportations of suspected Venezuelan gang members. Chief US District Judge James Boasberg expressed incredulity at the administration’s defense for not reversing the deportations, despite his specific instructions. The administration claimed that the written order did not expressly forbid the deportations.
They argued that Judge Boasberg had no authority to compel the return of planes once they entered international airspace. An incredulous Boasberg asked the administration, “Isn’t then the better course to return the planes to the United States and figure out what to do, than say: ‘We don’t care; we’ll do what we want’?”
Donald Trump is scheduled to speak with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. This conversation follows Trump’s previous attempts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine, which met opposition from Putin, who laid out sweeping conditions for any agreement.
In a controversial move, the Trump administration has decided to withdraw from an international body that was formed to investigate responsibility for the invasion of Ukraine. This step is seen as aligning with Vladimir Putin and has sparked significant debate.
Judge questions deportation defense arguments
Employees of Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge) broke into the US Institute of Peace on Monday, despite protests from the independent agency. After several unsuccessful attempts, Doge workers managed to gain access to the building, intensifying concerns about the administration’s respect for governmental boundaries. Donald Trump has claimed, without providing evidence, that pardons signed by Joe Biden are “void, vacant and of no further force and effect” because they were signed with an autopen.
The webpage for US Army Maj Gen Charles Calvin Rogers’s Medal of Honor had led to a “404” error message. By Monday, the page was operational again, with the URL corrected. Leading Democrats have demanded a criminal investigation into potential corruption involving Elon Musk.
Senators Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal, and Elizabeth Warren have called on the Attorney General and the Inspector General of the Transportation Department to scrutinize the FAA’s decision to cancel a $2.4 billion contract with Verizon in favor of Musk’s Starlink. A top departing Commerce Department official warned that the Trump administration might abandon significant elements of a $42.45 billion Biden-era plan aimed at connecting rural communities to high-speed internet, allegedly to benefit Elon Musk financially. A French European Parliament member joked that the US should return the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, in response to Donald Trump’s perceived alignment with authoritarian regimes against Ukraine.
Image Credits: Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash
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