Justice Department drops lawsuit against Trump adviser Peter Navarro

Justice Department drops lawsuit against Trump adviser Peter Navarro

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is droppinga lawsuitthat it filed against White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, a case in which he was accused of using an unofficial email account for government work and wrongfully retaining presidential records during the firstTrumpadministration, according to a Tuesdaycourt filing. The joint filing by the Justice Department and an attorney for Navarro doesn't explain why they are abandoning a case that was filed in 2022, during President Joe Biden's term in office. The one-page filing says each side will bear their own fees and costs. The lawsuit accused Navarro of using at least one "non-official" email account — a ProtonMail account — to send and receive emails. The legal action comes just weeks after Navarro wasindicted on criminal chargesafterrefusing to cooperatewith acongressional investigationinto the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Navarro served afour-month prison sentenceafter being found guilty of misdemeanor charges. The civil cases alleges that by using the unofficial email account, Navarro failed to turn over presidential records to the National Archives and Records Administration. The government notified the court of the lawsuit's dismissal a day before U.S. Magistrate G. Michael Harvey was scheduled to preside over a status conference for the case. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. A lawyer for Navarro didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Navarroserved as a trade adviser during President Donald Trump's first term. A longtime critic of trade arrangements with China, he has been named senior counselor for trade and manufacturing for Trump's second administration.

byAlpha World

in

June 03, 2025

Justice Department drops lawsuit against Trump adviser Peter Navarro

Justice Department drops lawsuit against Trump adviser Peter Navarro WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is droppinga lawsuitthat it fi...

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Donald and Melania Trump to attend Kennedy Center's opening night of Les Misérables

Donald and Melania Trump to attend Kennedy Center's opening night of Les Misérables

WASHINGTON ―President Donald Trumpand first ladyMelania Trumpare set to attend the opening-night showing of the musical Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center next week, making a rare public appearance in Washington's nightlife by visitingthe cultural institution Trump controversially took over. The White House confirmed the first couple's attendance to USA TODAY. But they won't be seeing all of the musical's cast members,some of whom planto sit out of the show that night, CNN and the Washington Post reported. Vice President JD Vanceand second lady Usha Vance will also attend the same showing of Les Misérables. The musical debuts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 11 and runs through July 13. "I love the songs, I love the play,"Trump told Fox Newson June 3 afterThe Atlantic first reportedon the plans to attend Les Misérables. "I think it's great ‒ we may extend it." More:JD Vance booed by crowd at Kennedy Center concert after Trump takeover of arts venue Les Misérables, set in early 19th-century France, tells the story of French peasant Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who struggles to find redemption after 19 years in prison. Trump is known to have "Do you hear the people sing? ‒ one of the musical's most famous songs about everyday people rising up against injustices ‒playing as he enters for campaign rallies. ForJD Vance, his attendance at the Kennedy Center comes after hewas loudly booed and jeeredwhile attending a National Symphony Orchestra performance at the center in March. Just weeks into his second White House term,Trump ousted the Kennedy Center's leadershipin February and named himself board chairman after complaining about "woke" programming and "drag shows" at the center. He named top ally Ric Grenell, his envoy for special missions, as the Kennedy Center's new president. But Trump's takeover has sparked a significant backlash. More:'I never liked 'Hamilton' very much,' President Trump says in visit to Kennedy Center Acts such as actress Issa Rae and the Broadway hit "Hamilton" canceled previously scheduled Kennedy Center performances in response to Trump's takeover. And the center has experienced a nosedive in yearly subscriptions. The Washington Post reported sales of subscriptionsfor the next season of programming at the Kenny Center have plummeted by 36%, down about $1.6 million in revenue from subscription sales to theater, dance, classical and other seasons of performance from the same point in 2014. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump, Vance to attend Les Misérables opening night at Kennedy Center

byAlpha World

in

June 03, 2025

Donald and Melania Trump to attend Kennedy Center's opening night of Les Misérables

Donald and Melania Trump to attend Kennedy Center's opening night of Les Misérables WASHINGTON ―President Donald Trumpand first ladyMela...

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Severe weather delays Pacers' arrival in Oklahoma City for NBA Finals

Severe weather delays Pacers' arrival in Oklahoma City for NBA Finals

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Indiana Pacers waited 25 years to get back to the NBA Finals. And then they waited a few more hours to actually get to the NBA Finals. The Pacers' travel plans to the NBA Finals were impacted Tuesday by severe weather. The team's charter was first diverted to Tulsa, Oklahoma — and then, after refueling there, the plane took a scenic route around another band of weather before finally landing in Oklahoma City about 3 1/2 hours behind schedule. It was sunny when the team arrived around 7 p.m. local time. That wasn't the case an hour or so earlier. Forecasters had issued a tornado warning, flood watch and severe thunderstorm watch for Oklahoma City and much of the surrounding areas on Tuesday afternoon, all while the Pacers' charter flight out of Indianapolis was in the air. The flight was diverted and Oklahoma City's airport arrivals and departures were interrupted by heavy rain and wind. Delays were expected to impact other flights coming into Oklahoma City for much of the evening. The Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder are scheduled to appear at the NBA Finals media day on Wednesday at the arena that will host Game 1 of the title series on Thursday night. It's the first finals appearance for the Pacers since 2000 and the first for the Thunder since 2012. "You spend so much time thinking about getting there, but it's like, you're here now," Pacers center Myles Turner said before the team left Indianapolis. "You didn't really spend a lot of time thinking about, 'OK, when I'm here, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that.' It's like, 'Let's just get there.' So now, that milestone has been achieved. It's about doing something with the opportunity." There was at least one tornado spotted in Norman, Oklahoma, near the University of Oklahoma campus, on Tuesday afternoon when the Pacers were waiting things out in Tulsa. It was not immediately known if the tornado touched down or caused any damage. Norman is about 20 miles south of Oklahoma City. Tulsa is about 120 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. ___ AP NBA:https://apnews.com/nba

byAlpha World

in

June 03, 2025

Severe weather delays Pacers' arrival in Oklahoma City for NBA Finals

Severe weather delays Pacers' arrival in Oklahoma City for NBA Finals OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Indiana Pacers waited 25 years to get bac...

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Stephen A. Smith rips Knicks president Leon Rose for ‘weak-a** statement’ after firing coach Tom Thibodeau

Stephen A. Smith rips Knicks president Leon Rose for 'weak-a** statement' after firing coach Tom Thibodeau

Stephen A. Smith didn't hold back after the New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday. The ESPN commentator ripped Knicks president Leon Rose for acting like a "coward" and putting out a "weak-ass statement" afterparting with the coachthat led them to their first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000. "To be quite honest with you, I think we all as New Yorkers should find Leon Rose's statement offensive," Smith said on ESPN. "Get the hell in front of a microphone and a camera and answer questions. Stop being a coward." "Get the hell in front of a microphone and a camera and answers questions. Stop being a coward."3 minutes of Stephen A. Smith torching Leon Rose for his "weak-ass statement":pic.twitter.com/G6CYWzFona — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing)June 3, 2025 TheKnicks announced on Tuesday that they had fired Thibodeauless than a week after the franchise fell to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the conference finals. Thibodeau led the Knicks to the playoffs in four of his five seasons with the franchise, and is coming off back-to-back 50-win seasons. Perhaps most importantly, Thibodeau brought the Knicks back to prominence in the NBA. The team hadn't been to the playoffs in seven years before he landed in Manhattan. Rose said in his statementthat the decision to fire Thibodeau was what was "best for our organization." "Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans," Rose said, in part. "This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we've decided to move in another direction." While Smith's comments came in the immediate aftermath of the decision, his issue is that Rose very rarely speaks to reporters about the moves he's making with the franchise. "This is the problem with the arrogance of the New York Knicks, OK? They deserve credit for what they have achieved," Smith said. "I applaud them for lifting us from basketball purgatory into relevance … but in the same breath when you make the potpourri of decisions that you have made, can you have the decency to stand before the media and answer the questions? … That statement is as weak as it gets." Smith isn't alone in his criticism, either. Plenty of others in the Knicks world had similar thoughts. This is a startlingly terrible decision.#Knickshttps://t.co/gO18A215zD — Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny)June 3, 2025 WOW WOW WOW. I can't believe the NY Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was fired today after leading the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals! 🤯 The biggest question is why was he fired? Now, who will be the next coach of the Knicks? — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson)June 3, 2025 Instant Reaction - Tom Thibodeau Firedpic.twitter.com/7AnN2jYGs2 — Jon "Stugotz" Weiner (@stugotz790)June 3, 2025 TheKnicks will now start their search for a new head coach. While there are plenty of questions about the Knicks' moves now, and those aren't going away anytime soon, Smith doesn't expect anything to change. Rose's statement, which is likely all he's going to get, wasn't good enough. "I don't care about that damn statement," Smith said. "I want to see Leon Rose stand before the camera and justify firing a man that just took you within two games of a berth to the NBA finals right after you decided to trade five picks for a guy that never even made an All-Star … Stand before the media and answer them damn questions."

byAlpha World

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June 03, 2025

Stephen A. Smith rips Knicks president Leon Rose for ‘weak-a** statement’ after firing coach Tom Thibodeau

Stephen A. Smith rips Knicks president Leon Rose for 'weak-a** statement' after firing coach Tom Thibodeau Stephen A. Smith didn...

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Trump administration moves to fast-track firings of federal workers for misconduct

Trump administration moves to fast-track firings of federal workers for misconduct

By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -President Donald Trump's administration moved on Tuesday to make it easier to fire federal employees for misconduct, the latest step in a broader effort to overhaul the civil service and shrink the federal bureaucracy. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management published a proposed rule that would allow the office, which acts as the federal government's human resources department, to direct other agencies to fire employees for conduct such as tax evasion, leaking sensitive information and refusing to testify in other workers' disciplinary cases. The rule would extend OPM's existing power to designate job applicants as unsuitable for federal employment, to current federal employees, a change it said was necessary to hold government workers accountable to the public. Federal workers have for decades been covered by an array of job protections, including the ability to contest firings by engaging in a lengthy administrative process. The proposal would allow agencies to refer misconduct cases to OPM instead of going through the traditional disciplinary process. If OPM determines that removal of an employee is required, an agency would have five days to terminate them. "Illogically, the government has far greater ability to bar someone from federal employment who has committed a serious crime or misconduct in the past than it does to remove someone who engages in the exact same behavior as a federal employee," OPM said in the proposal. The publication of the proposal kicked off a 30-day public comment period. Since Trump's second term began in January, the administration has moved aggressively to shrink the federal bureaucracy, including directing mass firings and layoffs and implementing changes to the civil service. Many of those policies have been met with court challenges and some have been temporarily blocked by judges. OPM, which is closely linked to the White House, has played a key role in those efforts by attempting to give Trump more direct control of the federal workforce. Many unions, Democrats and advocacy groups have said Trump's various policies violate complex federal civil service and labor laws meant to regulate government employment and ensure that federal workers are insulated from political influence. OPM on Tuesday said the policies agencies have followed for decades rely on overly cumbersome and restrictive procedures that protect misconduct. "This arbitrary state of affairs seriously impairs the efficiency, effectiveness, and public perception of the Federal service," the agency said. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Rod Nickel)

byAlpha World

in

June 03, 2025

Trump administration moves to fast-track firings of federal workers for misconduct

Trump administration moves to fast-track firings of federal workers for misconduct By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -President Donald Trump...

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