Political Glance
It’s the latest of several battles between the federal government and New York over transportation — with courts repeatedly smacking down the Trump administration’s attempts to hold back funding over policy disputes.
State Attorney General Letitia James and Gov. Kathy Hochul filed the suit in federal court Friday. They’re looking to recover funds the fed- eral Department of Transportation is withholding over licenses and permits it says were illegally issued. The state argues that it's done nothing wrong, and that the licenses at the heart of the issue were issued in compliance with both state and federal regulations.
The Trump administration is withholding NY transportation funds, again. NY's suing, again.
Justice Department makes it easier to deport those with DACA status
The Trump administration is making it easier to deport immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.
A new precedent decision published Friday by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) says being a DACA recipient is not enough reason to provide relief from deportation.
A three-judge panel of appellate immigration judges sided with Department of Homeland Security lawyers who appealed a decision from immigration judge Michael Pleters terminating removal proceedings for Catalina "Xóchitl" Santiago, citing Santiago's active DACA status. They sent the case back to a different immigration judge for review.
Although the decision does not mean Santiago will be immediately deported, it potentially weakens DACA protections for hundreds of thousands of others.
Santiago's case gained national attention after she was detained by Customs and Border Protection officers while boarding a domestic flight at the El Paso airport in August. She was placed in immigration detention until a federal judge granted her release last October. She has been fighting the threat of deportation in the immigration court system since.
Watchdog requests Patel’s calendar, security detail messages
A watchdog organization has filed a new request for records pertaining to FBI Director Kash Patel, citing new reports of excessive alcohol use from the intelligence chief.
The request from the Democracy Forward Foundation (DFF) cites The Atlantic’s recent report, “The FBI Director is MIA.”
“If the Director of the FBI is a liability – the American people need to know,” DFF President and CEO Skye Perryman said in a press release on Tuesday.
“News reports, including from The Atlantic, suggest that his levels of drinking and absentee leadership are not just unacceptable, but also a threat to the integrity of one of the most important law enforcement agencies in the country,” Perryman continued. “If true, this is not a minor lapse in judgment or a personal issue to brush aside; this goes to whether the FBI is being led with the discipline, reliability, and seriousness the job demands.”
Virginia voters approve major redistricting measure, reports say. Live updates
Virginia voters approved a complete redrawing of their congressional districts to offset pushes by President Donald Trump to increase the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
The approved maps could transform Old Dominion's 11-member delegation from a 6-to-5 Democratic edge to an overwhelming 10-to-1 advantage.
However, if the margin of victory is less than one-half of 1%, then the defeated side has the right under Virginia election law to ask for a state-funded recount. Republicans could also launch legal challenges to preserve the old maps.
Virginia Democrats celebrated the victory as results rolled in indicating the final tally would be in their favor. L. Louise Lucas, the state's Senate president and a prominent advocate for redistricting, said "THANK YOU VIRGINIA" in a post on X accompanied by an expletive-laden video victory lap.
Both parties pumped millions of dollars and work hours into the campaign, particularly in the last week of the early voting season.
White House: Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will leave job
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving the Trump administration, the White House announced on April 20.
She is the third Cabinet member to depart this year. All are women. Her exit comes amid allegations of misconduct and after multiple outlets reported that an investigation into her leadership was well underway.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in an X post that Chavez-DeRemer would be leaving the administration to take a job in the private sector. He did not say where.
"She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives," Cheung wrote.
Mamdani and Obama make first joint appearance at Bronx child care center
As the two leaders entered the pre-K classroom, a group of 19 students dressed in blue and plaid school uniforms let out squeals upon seeing Mamdani. Their teachers, who knew the mayor was coming but not his special guest, gasped at the sight of the 44th president of the United States.
“My name’s Barack,” the president said, introducing himself to the children. As the two men took seats in front of the kids, the children started shouting out their own names, and with one boy shouting out, “I know who you are, you are Mamdani.”
During the event, which was first reported by Politico, Mamdani and Obama read to the students and joined them in a rousing rendition of the “Wheels of the Bus.” Before meeting with the children, they discussed Mamdani's affordability-focused vision for the city — including universal child care, according to the mayor.
Obama and Mamdani did not take questions.
This marks their first face-to-face meeting and comes months after Obama called Mamdani just before Election Day in November. The former president praised Mamdani's campaign and offered to be a sounding board if he won the election. During the Bronx event, there was also a clear chemistry between Mamdani and Obama, who interacted with the children and teased each other with ease.
Lewd messages linked to University of Michigan regent who led campaign against pro-Palestinian students
The University of Michigan regent Jordan Acker, who helped lead the university’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian students, appears to have made obscene sexual comments about a Democratic party strategist in a group chat, messages provided to the Guardian reveal. The Slack messages, attributed to Acker, also include lewd comments about a female U-M student and a picture of her with her friends.
The messages were shared with the Guardian just days before a heated primary convention election for two open U-M board of regents seats. The board is the university’s governing body, and the usually low-profile race is especially tense this year as pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian candidates compete for seats. The race has become a local flashpoint in the broader battle over criticism of Israel on campuses.
Acker is known to be a confrontational, pro-Israel leader at the large public university. He is an attorney who helped recruit the Michigan attorney general to bring highly unusual prosecutions against students, and, while he was on the board, it led a sprawling undercover surveillance operation against the students. The prosecutions and surveillance operations were dAcker is known to be a confrontational, pro-Israel leader at the large public university. He is an attorney who helped recruit the Michigan attorney general to bring highly unusual prosecutions against students, and, while he was on the board, it led a sprawling undercover surveillance operation against the students. The prosecutions and surveillance operations were dropped after Guardian stories on each. Acker has also drawn criticism for leading the university as it dismantled its diversity, equity and inclusion initiative amid pressure from Donald Trump.ropped after Guardian stories on each. Acker has also drawn criticism for leading the university as it dismantled its diversity, equity and inclusion initiative amid pressure from Donald Trump.
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