11 h. ago Soldiers are doing landscaping in DC parks. I’m thrilled for them | Dave Schilling

They were deployed to fight crime. Instead, some are spreading mulch. It’s almost sweet – if you remove the contextIf soldiers are going to be deployed to your city, what would you prefer they do: point a rifle in your face or mow your grass? This is not a question I ever expected to have to consider in my days on this planet, but life is full of surprises. As part of Donald Trump’s military deployment to address Washington DC’s so-called “crime emergency”, national guard troops are being tasked with various groundskeeping duties around the United States capital. These duties include spreading mulch around cherry trees, picking up trash and general maintenance of public spaces. The president must have been too embarrassed to get Four Seasons Total Landscaping involved again, so he got the military to do it instead.It’s a real “swords into ploughshares” moment, or in this case, “M4 rifles into those grabber sticks you use to pick up plastic bottles full of piss.” It’s almost sweet, i...

Events

53 h. ago Chicago mayor announces measures to ‘protect our people’ from imminent influx of federal agents on Trump’s orders

Brandon Johnson warns that the city could see ‘some type of militarized activity by the federal government’ within days

Politics

6 d. ago Photos of week three of Washington's federal takeover, as troops on patrol start carrying guns

Washingtonians are in their third week of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement patrolling their streets, now carrying firearms and drawing sporadic protests against President Donald Trump's directive.

Culture

6 d. ago Trump’s threat to deploy troops to Chicago sparks fear and defiance in a city on edge

President Donald Trump’s threats to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago sent ripples through America’s third-largest city as residents defended their home against Trump’s escalating rhetoric toward violent crime, including claims Chicago is a “killing field.”

Politics

6 d. ago Donald Trump claims Americans 'would like a dictator' in chilling new statement

Donald Trump has been attacked for his federal clampdown on Washington DC by sending in National Guard troops to support law enforcement with critics calling it an "authoritarian takeover"

Politics

6 d. ago Fuggedaboutit! NYPD commissioner tells AG Pam Bondi that NYC is safe and doesn’t need Trump’s National Guard troops

Top cop Jessica Tisch met with Bondi for half an hour at NYC’s police headquarters in Manhattan, where she made a case about the city’s declining crime rate

Politics

7 d. ago Schools reopen in Washington with parents on edge over Trump's armed patrols

Public schools have reopened in the nation’s capital with parents on edge over the presence of thousands of National Guard troops, some armed, and federal law enforcement officers

Politics

7 d. ago Trump signs order to criminally charge those who burn US flag in protest

US president attempts to circumvent 1989 supreme court decision which said flag burning is protected speechDonald Trump signed an executive order on Monday instructing federal prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against individuals who burn American flags during protests.The order tells the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, to look at cases where people burned flags and see if they can be charged with other crimes like disturbing the peace or breaking environmental laws. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago Protesters confront federal agents in D.C. after National Guard troops seen armed with guns

Hundreds of people gathered to protest in Washington D.C. on Sunday night (24 August) as federal agents were seen searching a house.

Events

7 d. ago Trump news at a glance: Jeffries says president ‘playing games’ with American lives as national guard to be sent to Chicago

House minority leader decries plan confirmed by Pentagon while Chicago mayor calls it ‘most flagrant violation of our constitution in the 21st century’ – key US politics stories from Sunday 24 AugustHakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader and New York Democratic congressman, said Donald Trump had “manufactured a crisis” to justify sending federalized national guard troops into Chicago next, over the heads of local leaders.Jeffries, appearing on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, accused the US president of “playing games with the lives of Americans” with his unprecedented domestic deployment of the military, which has escalated to include the arming of troops currently patrolling Washington DC – after sending troops into Los Angeles in June. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago National Guard now carrying pistols in Washington as troops enter third week deployed to capital

Civil rights group warn against Pentagon’s ‘dangerous’ decision to arm troops

Events

8 d. ago Trump ‘manufactured crisis’ to justify plan to send national guard to Chicago, leading Democrat says

As White House moves to militarize more cities, Hakeem Jeffries says president is ‘playing’ with Americans’ livesDonald Trump has “manufactured a crisis” to justify the notion of sending federalized national guard troops into Chicago next, over the heads of local leaders, a leading Democrat said on Sunday, as the White House advanced plans to militarize more US cities.Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader and a New York Democratic congressman, accused the US president of “playing games with the lives of Americans” with his unprecedented domestic deployment of the military, which has escalated to include the arming of troops currently patrolling Washington, DC – after sending troops into Los Angeles in June. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Trump mobilizing up to 1,700 National Guard troops in 19 states to widen crime and immigration crackdown

Deployments reportedly set to take place largely in Republican-controlled states

Politics

9 d. ago Hegseth orders National Guard troops in DC to carry weapons on patrol

The number of National Guard troops has grown to nearly 2,000 as President Donald Trump continues his federal takeover of the capital

Events

1 week ago Trump targets Chicago and New York as Hegseth orders weapons for DC troops

President plots expansion of crime crackdown as Pentagon chief says troops patrolling DC streets will be armedDonald Trump has threatened to take his federal crackdown on crime and city cleanliness to New York and Chicago, as the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ordered that national guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington DC under federal control will now be armed.The US president talked to reporters in the Oval Office and said: “When ready, we will start in Chicago Chicago is a mess.” He added that then the administration “will help with New York”, amid the controversial and aggressive federal efforts to control leading Democratic-voting cities, each of which has a Black mayor. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Trump hands out pizzas to National Guard troops as he claims DC now ‘a different city’

Donald Trump hands out pizzas as he speaks with members of law enforcement and National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C.

Politics

1 week ago Fox & Friends host keeps urging Trump to use federal force to take over NYC: ‘I hope our city is next’

‘If they had National Guard troops in Times Square, it would make me feel safer,’ Ainsley Earhardt said last week.

Politics

1 week ago ‘South Park’ takes aim at Trump’s DC crime takeover with tanks and marching troops in latest episode

The raunchy cartoon that has mocked the Trump administration this season has turned its sights on the president’s deployment of about 800 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

Events

1 week ago South Park targets Trump’s manhood in latest episode spoofing DC takeover

The long-running cartoon turned its sights on the president’s deployment of about 800 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

Politics

1 week ago JD Vance booed during hamburger handout to national guard troops in DC

US vice-president, at Washington’s Union Station with Stephen Miller and Pete Hegseth, defends use of troops in area with less crimeJD Vance was booed and heckled with chants of “Free DC!” during a photo op with national guard troops at Union Station in Washington on Wednesday afternoon.Handing out burgers to troops deployed last week by Donald Trump, at the station’s Shake Shack alongside the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and White House deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, Vance told soldiers “we appreciate everything you’re doing” and asserted: “We brought some law and order back.” Meanwhile, a crowd of demonstrators protested outside. Continue reading...

Politics