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New Yorkers struggling to afford food in the country’s biggest city — and often exorbitantly expensive financial capital — may finally get a break if the incoming socialist mayor’s daring new plan succeeds.Some 1.4 million residents in the Big Apple are food insecure, meaning they’re unable to regularly access affordable, healthy food. One in three use food banks.Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won a stunning victory, in part on his promise to open affordable city-run supermarkets.The 34-year-old vows the stores will focus “on keeping prices low, not making a profit.”It’s a novel idea in a city more associated with Wall Street wealth.The stores would be exempt from rent and taxes, with savings passed to shoppers, while centralized warehousing and distribution would aim to reduce overheads.But Mamdani’s experimental plan to open five pilot stores on unused city land, as well as free buses and subsidized childcare, is still only small-scale — and not universally welcome.Nevin Cohen, an associate professor at CUNY’s Urban Food Policy Institute, said Mamdani’s plan remains “pretty vague” on basic points like location or even type of store.President Donald Trump, who hosted Mamdani for a surprisingly cordial visit at the White House earlier this month, has led many right-wingers branding the incoming mayor a “communist.”And private supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis, a Trump ally, is campaigning against Mamdani’s city groceries, asking “how do you compete against that?”- Affordability crisis -No one disputes the need for cheaper and better food.More than 40 percent of people in the poorest of New York’s five boroughs, the Bronx, eat neither fruits nor vegetables in an average week.Some 1.8 million New Yorkers are already dependent on federal food subsidies, a program briefly frozen during a row in Congress over government spending this month.Even Trump agreed with Mamdani at their meeting that “getting housing built and food and prices” should be priorities.”The new word is affordability. Another word is just groceries,” Trump said. New York has an existing city program to lure supermarkets to underserved areas called FRESH. It uses tax and planning incentives to entice developers and private store operators.At one outpost of the FRESH program in East New York, a deprived Brooklyn neighborhood, a Fine Fare supermarket opened under a new apartment building in 2023.Laura Smith, the NYC Department of City Planning’s deputy executive director, told AFP that FRESH helps “encourage more fresh food supermarkets across the city in areas where residents have a harder time reaching full line grocery stores.”In return for permission to build extra apartments, the developers of the store and 40 others were obliged to allocate space for a supermarket. Thirty-five more are in the pipeline. –  National solution?  -Mamdani is cool on the FRESH project, saying on his website that instead of “spending millions of dollars to subsidize private grocery store operators we should redirect public money to a real ‘public option.'”But Fine Fare is a hit locally.”I like it because it’s close by to where I live and they gave everything you need,” said retiree Ivette Bravo, 63shopping for the holidays.The scheme, started under mayor Mike Bloomberg in 2009, has survived two other mayors and is fixed in city law.The FRESH program had been “modestly successful” as it “helps people not have to travel further,” said Cohen, the policy expert.If Mamdani’s project is successful, it will add another option.But everything being done adds up to a drop in the bucket for a city with some 1,000 supermarkets in total.In the end, solving food insecurity isn’t something New York can do alone, whatever the innovations, Cohen said.”That actually requires national-level policy.”

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday the death of one of two National Guard soldiers shot near the White House, as his government said it would respond by reviewing the permanent residency status of immigrants from 19 countries, including Afghanistan.The FBI meanwhile launched an international terrorism investigation as new details emerged about the alleged gunman, a 29-year-old Afghan national who had served with US troops in Afghanistan.The shooting on Wednesday, which officials described as an “ambush-style” attack, brings together three politically explosive issues: Trump’s controversial use of the military at home, immigration, and the legacy of the US war in Afghanistan.”I want to express the anguish and the horror of our entire nation at the terrorist attack yesterday in our nation’s capital,” Trump said in a Thanksgiving video call with US troops. He called the suspect a “savage monster” before announcing that Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member deployed in Washington as part of Trump’s crackdown on crime, had died from her injuries.Trump linked the shooting and his decision to send hundreds of National Guard troops to the city. “If they weren’t effective, you probably wouldn’t have had this done,” he said, adding: “Maybe this man was upset because he couldn’t practice crime.”Joseph Edlow, Trump’s director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said Thursday that he had ordered a “full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”His agency later pointed to a list of 19 countries — including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran and Myanmar — facing US travel restrictions under a previous order from Trump in June.The Trump administration had earlier ordered an immediate halt to the processing of immigration applications from Afghanistan.- Gunned down in ‘brazen’ attack -The other soldier injured in Wednesday’s attack, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, was “fighting for his life” Thursday, Trump said. The suspected shooter was also in a serious condition. The US attorney for Washington DC, Jeanine Pirro, said the suspected assailant — identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal — had been living in the western state of Washington and had driven across the country to the nation’s capital.In what she called a “brazen and targeted” attack, Pirro said the gunman opened fire with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver on a group of guardsmen on patrol just a few blocks from the White House.The suspect was charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill — charges that Pirro said would immediately be upgraded to first-degree murder if any of the guardsmen died.Officials said they still had no clear understanding of the motive behind the shooting.- Afghan legacy -CIA director John Ratcliffe said the suspect had been part of a CIA-backed “partner force” fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, and had been brought to the United States as part of a program to evacuate Afghans who had worked with the agency.The heads of the FBI, CIA and Homeland Security and other senior Trump appointees all insisted that Lakanwal had been granted unvetted access to the United States because of lax asylum policies in the wake of the chaotic final US withdrawal from Afghanistan under former president Joe Biden.But AfghanEvac, a group that helped resettle Afghans in the United States after the military withdrawal, said they undergo “some of the most extensive security vetting” of any migrants.The group noted Lakanwal had been granted asylum in April 2025, under the Trump administration, and would be eligible to request permanent residency a year later.”This individual’s isolated and violent act should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community,” said its president, Shawn VanDiver.In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced 500 more troops would deploy to Washington, bringing the total to 2,500. Trump has deployed troops to several cities, all run by Democrats, including Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis. The move has prompted multiple lawsuits and allegations of authoritarian overreach by the White House.

The Trump administration on Thursday said it was reviewing permanent residency status of immigrants from 19 countries, including Afghanistan, in its latest response to the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House.The FBI meanwhile said it had launched an international terrorism investigation as new details emerged about the alleged gunman, a 29-year-old Afghan national who had served with US troops in Afghanistan.The shooting, which officials described as an “ambush-style” attack, cast a grim shadow over the Thanksgiving holiday and triggered a hard-line, anti-immigrant response from President Donald Trump.In a brief video statement in which he called the shooting an “act of evil,” Trump on Wednesday painted immigrants as an existential threat to national security, while his administration ordered an immediate halt to the processing of immigration applications from Afghanistan.”We must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country. If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” the president said.Joseph Edlow, Trump’s director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said Thursday that he had ordered a “full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.”His agency later pointed to a list of 19 countries — including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran and Myanmar — facing US travel restrictions under a previous order from Trump in June.The incident brings together three politically explosive issues: Trump’s controversial use of the military at home, immigration, and the legacy of the US war in Afghanistan.- Gunned down in ‘brazen’ attack -Both soldiers remained in critical condition on Thursday, while the suspected shooter was in detention in hospital.The US attorney for Washington DC, Jeanine Pirro, said the suspected assailant — identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal — had been living in the western state of Washington and had driven across the country to the nation’s capital.In what she called a “brazen and targeted” attack, Pirro said the gunman opened fire with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver on a group of guardsmen on patrol Wednesday just a few blocks shy of the White House.The suspect was charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill — charges that Pirro said would immediately be upgraded to first-degree murder if any of the guardsmen died.Officials said they still had no clear understanding of the motive behind the shooting.CIA director John Ratcliffe said the suspect had been part of a CIA-backed “partner force” fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, and had been brought to the United States as part of a program to evacuate Afghans who had worked with the agency.Trump has deployed troops to several cities, all run by Democrats, including Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis. The move has prompted multiple lawsuits and allegations of authoritarian overreach by the White House.In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced 500 more troops would deploy to Washington, bringing the total to 2,500. This despite a federal judge last week ordering a temporary suspension of the deployment on the grounds that it was likely illegal.- Afghan legacy -The heads of the FBI, CIA and Homeland Security and other senior Trump appointees all insisted that Lakanwal had been granted unvetted access to the United States because of lax asylum policies in the wake of the chaotic final US withdrawal from Afghanistan under former president Joe Biden.But AfghanEvac, a group that helped resettle Afghans in the United States after the military withdrawal, said they undergo “some of the most extensive security vetting” of any migrants.The group noted Lakanwal had been granted asylum in April 2025, under the Trump administration, and would be eligible to request permanent residency a year later.”This individual’s isolated and violent act should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community,” said its president, Shawn VanDiver.

The FBI said Thursday it had launched an international terrorism investigation after a gunman — identified as an Afghan national who served with US troops in Afghanistan — shot and critically injured two National Guard soldiers near the White House in Washington.The shooting, which officials described as an unprovoked, “ambush-style” attack, cast a grim shadow over the Thanksgiving holiday and triggered a hard-line, anti-immigrant response from President Donald Trump and some of his top law enforcement officials.In a brief video statement in which he called the shooting an “act of evil,” Trump painted immigrants as an existential threat to national security and his administration ordered an immediate halt to the processing of immigration applications from Afghanistan.”We must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country. If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” the president said.The US attorney for Washington DC, Jeanine Pirro, said the suspected assailant — identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29 — had been living in the western state of Washington and had driven across the country to the nation’s capital.- Gunned down in ‘brazen’ attack -In what she called a “brazen and targeted” attack, Pirro said the gunman opened fire with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver on a group of guardsmen on patrol Wednesday just a few blocks shy of the White House.”One guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the guardsman again. Another guardsman is struck several times,” Pirro said.Both soldiers remained in critical condition on Thursday, while the suspected shooter was in detention in hospital. He was charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill — charges that Pirro said would immediately be upgraded to first-degree murder if one of the guardsmen died.Officials said they still had no clear understanding of the motive behind the shooting.CIA director John Ratcliffe said the suspect had been part of a CIA-backed “partner force” fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, and had been brought to the United States as part of a program to evacuate Afghans who had worked with the agency.FBI director Kash Patel told reporters Thursday that officials were investigating any associates the suspect had either back home or in the United States.”That is what a broad-based international terrorism investigation looks like,” Patel said, without elaborating on what the precise terrorism motive might be.The incident brings together three politically explosive issues: Trump’s controversial use of the military at home, immigration, and the legacy of the US war in Afghanistan.Trump has deployed troops to several cities, all run by Democrats, including Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis. The move has prompted multiple lawsuits and allegations of authoritarian overreach by the White House.In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced 500 more troops would deploy to Washington, bringing the total to 2,500. This despite a federal judge last week ordering a temporary suspension of the deployment on the grounds that it was likely illegal.- Afghan legacy -The heads of the FBI, CIA and Homeland Security and other senior Trump appointees all insisted that Lakanwal had been granted unvetted access to the United States because of lax asylum policies in the wake of the chaotic final US withdrawal from Afghanistan under former president Joe Biden.But AfghanEvac, a group that helped resettle Afghans in the US after the military withdrawal, said they undergo “some of the most extensive security vetting” of any migrants.While Lakanwal had applied for asylum during the Biden administration, his application was approved under the Trump administration, the group said.”This individual’s isolated and violent act should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community,” said its president, Shawn VanDiver.More than 190,000 Afghans have been resettled to the United States since the Taliban takeover, according to the US State Department.

The FBI said Thursday it was launching a full-scale terror probe after a gunman carried out what officials described as an “ambush style” attack near the White House, shooting two National Guard soldiers multiple times with a revolver.The young soldiers shot Wednesday remained in critical condition, as America was jolted on what is normally a quiet day with family and friends on the Thanksgiving holiday.The shooter was identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who worked with US forces in his country during the war against the Taliban and settled in America after the Islamists seized power again in 2021 and the Americans withdrew chaotically.The shooter faces charges of assault with intent to kill, and if the guardsmen die he will face first-degree murder charges, US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jean Pirro told a news conference.”You picked the wrong target, the wrong city and the wrong country,” Pirro said.”It is an ongoing investigation of terrorism,” FBI director Kash Patel told the same news conference.He said officials are investigating any associates the suspect had either back home or in the United States.”That is what a broad-based international terrorism investigation looks like,” Patel said.Officials said Lakanwal, armed with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver, staged an ambush attack on the two National Guard members. The soldiers were deployed to Washington under President Donald Trump’s much-disputed use of military forces in Democrat-run cities to fight what he calls rampant violent crime.Pirro said the shooter walked up to the soldiers near a subway stop a stone’s throw from the White House and started shooting “without provocation, ambush style.””One guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the guardsman again,” Pirro said. “Fellow guardsmen who were there responded, immediately, engaging the suspect, neutralizing the threat and subduing him at the scene.”

A man suspected of shooting two National Guard soldiers near the White House was an Afghan national who had served alongside American troops in Afghanistan, US media reported Wednesday, as Washington labelled the incident an “act of terror.”Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, opened fire and wounded the soldiers on patrol Wednesday afternoon, before he was shot and hospitalized, The New York Times, CBS, NBC and others reported.Without naming him, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on social media that the suspect “was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome”.The program, launched by former president Joe Biden, offered vulnerable Afghans, including those who served alongside US forces, the chance to resettle in the United States after the return of the Taliban government.More than 190,000 Afghans have been resettled to the United States since the Taliban takeover, according to the US State Department.NBC quoted a relative of the suspect, who said Lakanwal arrived in the United States in September 2021 having served in the Afghan army for 10 years alongside US Special Forces, largely based in Kandahar — the historic birthplace of the Taliban and the heart of heavy fighting during the 20-year war between the then-insurgents and foreign-backed forces.Fox News, citing CIA chief John Ratcliffe, said Lakanwal worked with various US government entities, including the intelligence service.Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted in 2025, CNN and CBS reported, citing public security authorities.US President Donald Trump said that the suspect was an Afghan who arrived in the United States in 2021 “on those infamous flights,” referring to the evacuations of Afghans as the Taliban took over the war-torn country following the US retreat.Soon after Trump’s address, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services suspended all Afghan applications indefinitely.- Controversial military use -Trump condemned the shooting as “an  act of  evil, an  act of  hatred and an  act of  terror,” calling it a “crime against our entire nation.”The shocking attack, carried out early afternoon when the streets and offices of downtown Washington were bustling, has renewed focus on Trump’s controversial militarization of an anti-crime push around the country.The president has deployed troops to several cities, all run by Democrats, including Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis. The deployments have prompted multiple lawsuits and protests from local officials who accuse the Republican of seeking authoritarian powers.Trump’s statement also indicated that his equally controversial drive to root out migrants in the country illegally — the core of his domestic agenda — will get new impetus.”We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan” under Biden, he wrote.”We must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country if they can’t love our country, we don’t want them.”Vice President JD Vance echoed the statement saying “we must redouble our efforts to deport people with no right to be in our country.”- ‘Ambushed’ -Jeffery Carroll, assistant chief of the Washington police, said the gunman “ambushed” his victims.He “came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members.”FBI Director Kash Patel said the two Guard members were in “critical condition.”Trump said earlier on social media the suspect was “also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price.”An AFP reporter near the scene heard several loud pops and saw people running.Dozens of bystanders were caught up in the chaos.”We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the traffic light and there were several shots,” said Angela Perry, 42, who was driving home with her two children. “You could see National Guard running toward the metro with their weapons drawn.”Soon after the shootings, security agents flooded the area. Officers carrying rifles stood guard behind yellow tape at the perimeter as a helicopter circled overhead.An AFP reporter saw emergency crews running with a wheeled stretcher and shortly after emerging with a casualty wearing camouflage, who was loaded into an ambulance.- Safety and vetting -AfghanEvac, a group that helped resettle Afghans in the US after Washington’s withdrawal, said they undergo “some of the most extensive security vetting” of any migrants.”This individual’s isolated and violent act should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community,” said its president, Shawn VanDiver.Washington’s government buildings are heavily guarded, but the city isn’t immune to serious street crime.Trump made it a showcase for his decision to deploy National Guard soldiers — in camouflage and occasionally carrying rifles.In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced 500 more troops would deploy to Washington, bringing the total to 2,500.A federal judge ruled last Thursday that Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in the US capital was unlawful.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that an Afghan man who fled the Taliban was the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House, calling it an “act of terror.”The announcement in a brief video message signaled the intertwining of three politically explosive issues -– Trump’s controversial use of the military at home, immigration, and the legacy of the US war in Afghanistan.The incident, which left two Guard members critically wounded, was “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror,” Trump said. “It was a crime against our entire nation.”He confirmed that the man taken into custody after the daylight shooting two blocks from the White House was “a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan.”The suspect had arrived in the United States in 2021 “on those infamous flights,” Trump said, referring to the evacuations of Afghans fleeing as the Taliban took over the country in the wake of the US retreat after 20 years of war.The shocking attack, carried out next to a metro station at a time when the streets and offices of downtown Washington were bustling, also puts a new focus on Trump’s controversial militarization of an anti-crime push around the country.Trump has deployed troops to several cities, all run by Democrats, including Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis. The deployments have prompted multiple law suits and protests from local officials who accuse the Republican of seeking authoritarian powers.Trump’s statement also indicated that his equally controversial drive to root out migrants in the country illegally — the core of his domestic agenda — will get new impetus.”We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan” under former president Joe Biden, said Trump.”We must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country if they can’t love our country, we don’t want them.”Soon after Trump’s address, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency overseeing lawful immigration, took action. “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” the agency wrote in a post to social media late Wednesday.- ‘Ambushed’ -Jeffery Carroll, assistant chief of the Washington police, said the gunman “ambushed” his victims.He “came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members.”FBI Director Kash Patel said the two Guards members were in “critical condition.”Trump earlier said on social media the suspect was “also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price.”An AFP reporter near the scene heard several loud pops and saw people running.Dozens of bystanders were caught up in the chaos.”We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the traffic light and there were several shots,” said Angela Perry, 42, who was driving home with her two children. “You could see National Guard running toward the metro with their weapons drawn.”Soon after the shootings, security agents flooded the area. Officers carrying rifles stood guard behind yellow tape at the perimeter as a helicopter circled overhead.An AFP reporter saw emergency crews running toward the metro with a wheeled stretcher and shortly after emerging with a casualty wearing camouflage who was loaded into an ambulance.– Safety and vetting –AfghanEvac, a group that helped resettle Afghans in the US after Washington’s withdrawal, said they undergo “some of the most extensive security vetting” of any migrants.”This individual’s isolated and violent act should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community,” said its president, Shawn VanDriver.Washington’s government buildings are heavily guarded, but the city isn’t immune to serious street crime.Trump made it a showcase for his decision to deploy National Guard soldiers — in camouflage and occasionally carrying rifles.In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced 500 more troops would deploy to Washington, adding up to 2,500.Last Thursday a federal judge ruled Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in the US capital was unlawful.

Two US National Guard soldiers were critically wounded Wednesday in a targeted shooting near the White House — an extraordinary security incident fueling controversy over President Donald Trump’s nationwide crime crackdown.According to multiple US media outlets, the alleged shooter was an Afghan national who had entered the United States in 2021, but US authorities had yet to publicly identify and name the suspect.If confirmed, it would mean a series of painful political issues intertwining in one bloody incident on the streets of the capital -– Trump’s use of the military at home, immigration, and the legacy of the disastrous US war in Afghanistan.Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called it “a targeted shooting” by a single assailant.”That individual has been taken into custody,” she said.CBS News reported that law enforcement officials told the network the suspect was a 29-year-old who used a handgun to carry out the attack, while sources told NBC News the shooting was being investigated as a possible act of terrorism.Both soldiers — part of a militarized anti-crime deployment around the United States ordered by Trump — were in “critical condition,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.Earlier, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey mistakenly said the soldiers, both deployed to the capital from his state, had died.It was the most serious violence against the National Guard since Trump began ordering troops onto the streets of several Democratic-run cities shortly after starting his second term this January.The Republican, who was at his Florida golf club, described the shooter as an “animal.”The suspect “is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.- ‘Ambushed’ -The shootings took place at the Farragut West metro station two blocks from the White House and in mid-afternoon, when the streets and nearby businesses were packed.Jeffery Carroll, assistant chief of the Washington police, said the gunman “ambushed” his victims.He “came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members.””He was quickly taken into custody by other National Guard members and law enforcement.”An AFP reporter near the scene heard several loud pops and saw people running.Dozens of bystanders were caught up in the chaos.”We heard gunshots. We were waiting at the traffic light and there were several shots,” said Angela Perry, 42, who was driving home with her two children. “You could see National Guard running toward the metro with their weapons drawn.”Soon after the shootings, security agents flooded the area. Officers carrying rifles stood guard behind yellow tape at the perimeter and a helicopter circled overhead.An AFP reporter saw emergency crews running toward the metro with a wheeled stretcher and shortly after emerging with a casualty wearing camouflage whom they loaded into an ambulance.– Troops controversy –Washington’s government buildings are heavily guarded, but much of the city has suffered from years of sometimes serious street crime.Trump made Washington a showcase for his decision to order National Guard soldiers, in camouflage and occasionally carrying rifles, to patrol cities run by Democratic mayors, also including Los Angeles and Memphis.In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that 500 more troops would deploy to Washington, adding up to 2,500.The policy has prompted bitter complaints from local officials who accuse Trump of stoking tensions, while the deployments are the subject of numerous court challenges.Last Thursday a federal judge ruled that Trump’s deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in the US capital is unlawful.Andrew McCabe, former FBI deputy director, told CNN that the soldiers are not trained for law enforcement.”That adds, I think, a real wild card element to this thing. We don’t really know how those folks would respond if confronted with a violent incident on the street with an armed person.”

The Dominican Republic said Wednesday it will allow the United States to use an air base and airport as part of its controversial operations against alleged drug traffickers that have killed more than 80 people so far.The announcement came during a visit by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Santo Domingo, as the United States seeks to ramp up pressure on leftist Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington accuses of heading a drug cartel.”We have authorized the United States, for a limited time, to use restricted areas at the San Isidro Air Base and the Las Americas International Airport for logistical operations of aircraft,” including refueling and the transport of equipment and personnel, President Luis Abinader told a news conference.Hegseth, who spoke alongside the Dominican leader, confirmed the “temporary deployment of US service members and aircraft,” saying Washington is “deadly serious” about the counter-narcotics mission.”In waging this war on narco-terrorists, we’re willing to go on the offense, go on the offense in a way that changes the dynamic for the entire region, and we think can bring safety, stability and security to our partners,” Hegseth said.”We must meet narco-terrorists and their illegal activities with strength and swift action. It’s the only language they understand,” he added.- Major military buildup -The visit came after the United States designated an alleged Venezuelan drug cartel, Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns), as a foreign terrorist organization, which gives President Donald Trump’s administration legal cover for more action against Venezuelan authorities.The United States began carrying out strikes on alleged drug smugglers — which experts say amount to extrajudicial killings even if they target known traffickers — in early September, and has now destroyed more than 20 vessels it says were used for trafficking.But Washington has yet to make public any evidence that its targets were smuggling narcotics or posed a threat to the United States.Trump has deployed the world’s biggest aircraft carrier and 10 other ships to the Caribbean — a huge force for a mission to counter traffickers — and Washington has also carried out multiple shows of force with B-52 and B-1B bombers flying near Venezuela’s coast.Regional tensions have flared as a result of the strikes and the military buildup, with Maduro accusing Washington of using drug trafficking as a pretext for “imposing regime change” in Caracas to seize Venezuelan oil.Maduro insists there is no drug cultivation in Venezuela, which he says is used as a trafficking route for Colombian cocaine against its will.The Dominican Republic has already been cooperating with the US anti-drug operations.Authorities in the country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, announced earlier this month that they had seized about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of cocaine from a boat intercepted during a joint operation with US forces.