AFP USA

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the US air safety agency pledged Wednesday to upgrade the nation’s aging air traffic system and address staffing shortfalls.During the opening to his confirmation hearing to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Bryan Bedford referenced recent US aviation incidents, including a January crash at Washington’s Reagan National Airport in which 67 people died, the first major US commercial crash since 2009.”I can assure all of you that, if confirmed, my top priority will be public safety and in restoring the public’s confidence in flying,” Bedford told the Senate commerce committee.Bedford, the CEO of regional airline Republic Airways, strongly endorsed an ambitious overhaul of the US air traffic control system, championed by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, which has been estimated to cost more than $30 billion. The push comes on the heels of troubling incidents at Newark Airport in New Jersey when air traffic controllers lost contact with planes on radar or by radio for 90 seconds because of telecommunications outages.The aviation industry has rallied behind Duffy’s plan, with backers calling it a long overdue update of equipment installed decades ago.While Wednesday’s hearing did not feature the sort of hostile exchanges seen at some confirmation hearings, multiple Democratic lawmakers probed Bedford’s effort at Republic in 2022 to streamline pilot training requirements amid staff shortages connected to surging travel demand following Covid-19 lockdowns.The FAA turned down a Republic request to allow graduates of the company’s own flight academy to become co-pilots with just 750 flight hours rather than the 1,500 hours required under 2010 congressional legislation.”This a perilous moment for aviation safety,” said Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth as she urged preservation of the 1,500-hour rule. “Well-trained pilots are our last line of defense in incident after incident.”In response, Bedford told Duckworth that their positions were not far apart, saying “we both want to have the safest pilots operate our aircraft.”But Bedford appeared to open the door to potentially easing the requirement, saying “I don’t believe safety is static.”

For Stephen Miller, the architect of US President Donald Trump’s hardline migration policy, the protests in Los Angeles were nothing less than the front line of a “fight to save civilization itself.”Hyper-loyalist Miller, 39, has carved out a niche as Trump’s most powerful and hawkish advisor on the Republican’s signature issue of immigration.A combative presence on the White House driveway, Miller is frequently rolled out in public to double down on the president’s comments in front of the cameras and frequently spars with reporters.But the sharp-suited advisor’s comments on Los Angeles — which echo hard-right talking points about the decline of the West as it faces an “invasion” of migrants — underscored that the topic is not just political for him, but existential.His fingerprints have been all over the White House’s unprecedented assertion of its right to use presidential power to pursue its agenda, often using centuries-old or rarely cited laws to deport migrants.And Miller, who is formally Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor, is at the sharp end of things too.- ‘Ruins of the West’ -It was Miller who, according to the Wall Street Journal, issued US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with orders in May to step up its work after the number of daily deportations under Trump fell below those carried out by Joe Biden’s administration last year.Those orders led to the immigration raids on a Home Depot in Los Angeles that triggered clashes between protesters and federal agents — and Trump’s decision to send in thousands of troops.Miller, who grew up in LA’s Santa Monica, has since taken to social media to battle Democrats who accuse Trump of authoritarianism.”We’ve been saying for years this is a fight to save civilization. Anyone with eyes can see that now,” Miller said on X on Sunday.A few days earlier he set out his right-wing worldview more explicitly as he pushed for Trump’s new “big, beautiful” spending bill, which contains provisions for migration.”We will be debating these matters over the ruins of the West if we don’t control migration,” he wrote on June 4.Critics say such comments echo the far-right “replacement theory” about migration undermining Western society. Indeed, during Trump’s first term, Miller’s hardline stance made him something of an outlier.As a young firebrand, Miller was one of the architects of the so-called “Muslim travel bans” in Trump’s first presidency, which later ran into legal difficulties after they were poorly drafted.Miller largely avoided the chaotic feuding that engulfed Trump’s first White House, resulting in somewhat more moderate voices winning out on immigration policies.Miller, however, remained loyal, and stuck by his boss even as Trump’s first term ended in the disgrace of the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.- Musk blip -In the second Trump administration, Miller’s views have become mainstream. “I call Stephen ‘Trump’s brain,'” Republican former House speaker Kevin McCarthy told the New York Times just before Trump’s inauguration in January.Miller was the driving force in particular behind the use of an obscure 200-year-old wartime law to deport undocumented migrants — and a vocal defender when that crackdown saw a man wrongly deported to El Salvador.He also outraged Democrats when he said on May 9 that the White House was “looking into” suspending habeas corpus, which would prevent migrants targeted for mass deportations to appeal for their right to appear in court.Miller recently claimed a media scalp when broadcaster ABC dropped a veteran correspondent, Terry Moran, who described the Trump aide as a “world-class hater” in a late-night social media screed.One blip, however, came when Miller and his wife Katie found themselves caught up in the explosive split between Trump and his billionaire advisor Elon Musk.Katie Miller had been a senior advisor and spokeswoman in Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — and was reportedly set to leave and work for Musk’s companies when he departed the White House.But the couple now find themselves, professionally speaking, on opposite sides of the break-up between the world’s richest person and its most powerful.

It’s a tale of revolutionary fervor, featuring street protesters manning the barricades against a repressive leader. And watching from the audience will be US President Donald Trump.Trump’s appearance at the opening night of the hit musical “Les Miserables” at the renowned Kennedy Center in Washington on Wednesday night could hardly be more politically charged.The Republican recently orchestrated a conservative takeover of the famed arts venue, reportedly prompting some “Les Mis” cast members to boycott the show.But the performance of the show, set against the backdrop of revolutionary 19th century France, also comes as the United States itself faces fresh turbulence. Trump, who will be joined by First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance at the premiere, has recently sent in troops to deal with protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles.California officials accuse him of “dictatorial” behavior and of manufacturing a confrontation by deploying thousands of National Guard troops and US Marines. Trump says he will “liberate” Los Angeles from an “invasion” of migrants.”I think the irony is probably lost on him,” Peter Loge, director of George Washington University’s School of Media, told AFP.The social injustice portrayed in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel — coupled with songs such as “Do You Hear the People Sing?” and “I Dreamed a Dream” — has long resonated with audiences around the world. But billionaire Trump, who had announced his decision to attend “Les Miserables” before the Los Angeles protests erupted, says he too has long been a fan. The 78-year-old has played songs from the show at his rallies and political events. “I love the songs, I love the play,” Trump told Fox News Digital last week.- Trump takeover -His attendance is yet another show of strength after installing himself as chairman of the center and replacing the entire board with loyalists in February as part of his administration’s war on what it views as the liberal opposition.Loge said Trump’s presence there was part of a broader focus on image-making by the reality TV star-turned-president. “Les Mis is a great spectacle. And it sounds smart. It’s not just a show, it sounds like it stands for something.”Trump’s takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center faced opposition in some quarters. A historically bipartisan-supported institution, it has never been led by a US president before.Another hit show, “Hamilton,” canceled its run there in response. Trump responded by saying he had “never liked” the rap musical, which is about the birth of the United States and its first treasury secretary.Several key figures, including TV producer Shonda Rhimes who created the show “Grey’s Anatomy” and musician Ben Folds, resigned from their leadership positions. And the Vances — Usha Vance is one of the new board members — were booed by the Kennedy Center audience at a performance of the National Symphony Orchestra in March.Trump toured the center days afterwards, notably addressing the media from high up in a red velvet-lined presidential box, and accusing its previous bosses of letting it fall into debt and disrepair.The Kennedy Center is a major performing arts venue in the United States, a living monument to the late John F. Kennedy that opened in 1971 and that has long enjoyed bipartisan support.Its diverse programming includes a prestigious annual arts gala. Trump did not attend during his first term as president but it’s unclear whether he will do so now.Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center comes amid a broader assault on what he deems “woke” programming at cultural institutions, including the famed Smithsonian museums, as well as universities.

Waymo’s autonomous vehicles have become part of the everyday landscape in a growing number of US cities, serving as safe transport options, tourist attractions, and symbols of a not-so-distant future. Their market dominance, however, is far from guaranteed.As Tesla preps to launch its first driverless taxi service in Austin, Texas, this month after numerous delays, Waymo already claims to have more than 250,000 weekly rides across Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin (in a partnership with Uber).In San Francisco, locals barely notice the steering wheels turning by themselves anymore, with Waymo’s fleet of Jaguars also available in parts of Silicon Valley.But for tourists and business travelers, their first Waymo ride often becomes the most memorable part of a trip to the Golden Gate city.In Los Angeles, the vehicles also became a target of protesters against the White House’s immigration policies, who set Waymos on fire or covered them in graffiti.That blip aside, Waymo has been going from strength to strength, with the company — a subsidiary of Google-parent Alphabet — capturing 27 percent of San Francisco’s market share, according to YipitData. The data shows that Waymo has surpassed Lyft, the United States’ second-largest ride-hailing service, in the city, while Uber maintains a dominant 50-plus percent market share.Remarkably, Waymo only launched commercial service in San Francisco in 2023 and opened to the general public just one year ago.”People quickly feel comfortable because they perceive these cars as safer than human-driven vehicles,” explained Billy Riggs, an engineering professor at the University of San Francisco who studies such vehicles and their integration into daily life.- Better than humans -Despite typically higher fares than Uber and longer wait times, Riggs’s research reveals that more than a third of users earn less than $100,000 annually –- the median salary in the tech capital.Three factors drive this success: safety, the absence of a driver (no need to haggle over what music to play), and well-maintained vehicles.According to a recent Waymo study covering more than 90 million kilometers (56 million miles) of driving, their autonomous vehicles achieved a 92 percent reduction in pedestrian-involved accidents and a 96 percent reduction in injury-causing collisions at intersections.”Even when humans challenge them, the vehicles don’t respond aggressively. They’re better versions of ourselves,” Riggs joked.While better than humans, these vehicles are less passive and hesitant than in their early days. Through continuous data collection on driver behavior and algorithmic adjustments by engineers, Waymo cars have developed “humanistic driving behavior.””That’s everything from being able to creep into the intersection if there’s a potential blind right turn or nudging into a left-hand turn” against oncoming traffic. Both are legal, “but they would be seen as more aggressive, rather than defensive, human, driving maneuvers.”The vehicles have also gained recognition for their smooth accelerations and braking. “My boys say, it’s like butter. When they ride with me in our Tesla, I make them sick,” he added.- $100,000 taxi -The collapse of Waymo’s main competitor, Cruise — due to high costs and following poor crisis management after a San Francisco accident — has propelled Waymo to market leadership.It plans to expand to Atlanta, Miami and Washington by 2026.True large-scale deployment, however, requires adapting to different regulations and, more critically, acquiring many more vehicles. The company currently operates 1,500 vehicles across four cities. In early May, Waymo announced plans to build 2,000 additional electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles next year, all equipped with autonomous driving technology.These vehicles cost approximately $100,000 each, according to an interview with Waymo executive Dmitri Dolgov on the Shack15 Conversations podcast.That means profitability remains a distant goal. In the first quarter, Alphabet’s “Other Bets” division, which includes Waymo, recorded net losses of $1.2 billion.”There still could be a scenario where Waymo loses. It’s not unrealistic that some Chinese competitor comes in and wins,” Riggs said.

US consumer inflation ticked up in May, in line with analyst expectations, government data showed Wednesday as President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs began to ripple through the world’s biggest economy.The consumer price index (CPI) came in at 2.4 percent from a year ago, after a 2.3 percent reading in April, the Labor Department said, with headline figures cooled by energy prices.All eyes were on the data after Trump imposed a blanket 10 percent levy on imports from almost all trading partners in early April.He also unveiled higher rates on dozens of economies including India and the European Union, although these have been suspended until early July.Trump engaged in a tit-for-tat tariff escalation with China as well, with both sides temporarily lowering eye-wateringly-high levies on each other’s products in May.Despite the wide-ranging duties, analysts said it will take months to gauge the impact of Trump’s tariffs on consumer inflation.This is partly because businesses rushed to stockpile goods before the new tariffs kicked in — and they are now still working their way through existing inventory.”As that inventory level gets worked down, we’ll see a larger and larger pass-through of the tariffs,” Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic told AFP.In a post on Truth Social after Wednesday’s data, Trump insisted that the Federal Reserve should cut interest rates, arguing that the country “would pay much less interest on debt coming due.”This, however, overlooked that lower interest rates usually increase consumer demand and stoke inflation.Between April and May, CPI was up 0.1 percent, cooling from a 0.2 percent increase from March to April.While housing prices climbed alongside food costs, energy prices edged down over the month, the report added.The energy index fell 1.0 percent in May from a month ago, as the gasoline index declined over the month.Excluding the volatile food and energy components, so-called core CPI was up 2.8 percent from a year ago, the Labor Department said.- ‘Early signs’ -“Many Americans are enjoying cheaper gas prices this summer,” said Navy Federal Credit Union chief economist Heather Long.”But there are early signs of what is coming for Main Street: grocery store prices and appliance costs rose in May,” she added in a note.Samuel Tombs, chief US economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, estimates that retailers usually take at least three months to pass on cost increases to customers.He expects price increases for “core goods” to gain momentum in June and peak in July, while remaining elevated for the rest of the year — assuming current tariff policies remain in place.Bostjancic said she did not expect the latest inflation report to significantly impact the US central bank’s interest rate decision next week.”The guidance remains that there’s such a great degree of uncertainty of how the increased tariffs will affect prices and ultimately the economy,” she said.”They need to wait and see, to see how this plays out over the coming months. And we should learn a lot more from the data through the summer and early fall,” she added.The Federal Reserve has begun cutting interest rates after the Covid-19 pandemic as officials monitor progress in lowering inflation to their long-term two-percent goal sustainably.But Fed policymakers have been cautious in recent months as they monitor how the Trump administration’s policies affect the economy.

US consumer inflation ticked up in May, in line with analyst expectations, government data showed Wednesday as President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs began to ripple through the world’s biggest economy.The consumer price index (CPI) came in at 2.4 percent from a year ago after a 2.3 percent reading in April, the Labor Department said, with headline figures cooled by energy prices.All eyes were on US inflation data after Trump imposed a blanket 10 percent levy on imports from almost all trading partners in early April.He also unveiled higher rates on dozens of economies including India and the European Union, although these have been suspended until early July.Trump engaged in a tit-for-tat tariff escalation with China as well, with both sides temporarily lowering high levies on each other’s products in May.Despite the wide-ranging duties, analysts said it will take months to gauge the impact on consumer inflation.This is partly because businesses rushed to stockpile goods before Trump’s new tariffs kicked in — and they are now still working their way through existing inventory.”As that inventory level gets worked down, we’ll see a larger and larger pass-through of the tariffs,” Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic told AFP.Between April and May, CPI was up 0.1 percent, cooling from a 0.2 percent increase from March to April.While housing prices climbed alongside food costs, energy prices edged down over the month, the report added.The energy index fell 1.0 percent in May from a month ago, as the gasoline index declined over the month.Excluding the volatile food and energy components, so-called core CPI was up 2.8 percent from a year ago, the Labor Department said.- ‘Early signs’ -“Many Americans are enjoying cheaper gas prices this summer,” said Navy Federal Credit Union chief economist Heather Long.”But there are early signs of what is coming for Main Street: grocery store prices and appliance costs rose in May,” she added in a note.Samuel Tombs, chief US economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, estimates that retailers usually take at least three months to pass on cost increases to customers.He expects price increases for “core goods” to gain momentum in June and peak in July, while remaining elevated for the rest of the year — assuming current tariff policies remain in place.But Bostjancic said she did not expect the latest inflation report to significantly impact the US central bank’s interest rate decision next week.”The guidance remains that there’s such a great degree of uncertainty of how the increased tariffs will affect prices and ultimately the economy,” she said.”They need to wait and see, to see how this plays out over the coming months. And we should learn a lot more from the data through the summer and early fall,” she added.The Federal Reserve has begun cutting interest rates after the Covid-19 pandemic as officials monitor progress in lowering inflation sustainably.But Fed policymakers have been cautious in recent months as they monitor how the Trump administration’s policies affect the economy.

Downtown Los Angeles was largely calm overnight into Wednesday, with police arresting at least 25 people for violating a curfew after a fifth day of protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.Heavily armed security officers, including several riding horses, patrolled near government buildings, while men boarded up storefronts after dark on Tuesday to protect against vandalism.Looting and vandalism in the second-biggest US city have marred the largely peaceful protests over ramped-up arrests by immigration authorities.The demonstrations, which began Friday, and isolated acts of violence prompted Trump to take the extraordinary step of sending in troops, over the objection of the state governor.One protester told AFP the arrest of migrants in a city with large immigrant and Latino populations was the root of the unrest.”I don’t think that part of the problem is the peaceful protests. It’s whatever else is happening on the other side that is inciting violence,” she said Tuesday.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the curfew — meant to stop vandalism and looting — was in effect within one square mile (2.5 square kilometers) of the city’s more-than-500 square mile area from 8:00 pm and 6:00 am (0300 to 1300 GMT).That zone was off-limits for everyone apart from residents, journalists and emergency services, she added.Protests against immigration arrests by federal law enforcement have also sprung up in cities around the country, including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Austin.On Tuesday, in the Atlanta suburb of Brookhaven, dozens of demonstrators waved American and Mexican flags and held signs against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency that has ramped up arrests and deportations of migrants under Trump.”You got people that are being arrested on the street by (immigration) agents that don’t wear badges, wear masks… it makes me really angry,” 26-year-old protester Brendon Terra told AFP.- Breaking curfew -The Los Angeles protests again turned ugly Tuesday night, but an hour into the curfew only a handful of protesters were left downtown, with police making several arrests as they warned stragglers to leave.”Multiple groups continue to congregate” within the designated downtown curfew area, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) wrote on X late Tuesday. “Those groups are being addressed and mass arrests are being initiated.”Police arrested at least 25 people on suspicion of violating the curfew as of Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing an LAPD spokesperson.At their largest, the protests have included a few thousand people taking to the streets, but smaller groups have used the cover of darkness to set fires, daub graffiti and smash windows.Overnight Monday 23 businesses were looted, police said, adding that more than 500 people had been arrested over recent days.- ‘Provide protection’ -Trump has activated 4,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles, along with 700 active-duty Marines, in what he has claimed is a necessary escalation to take back control, even though local law enforcement authorities insisted they could handle the unrest.A military spokeswoman said the Marines were expected to be on the streets by Wednesday. Their mission will be to guard federal facilities and provide protection to federal officers during immigration enforcement operations.The Pentagon said the deployment would cost US taxpayers $134 million.Photographs issued by the Marine Corps showed men in combat fatigues using riot shields to practice crowd control techniques at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach.Late Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his state would deploy its National Guard “to locations across the state to ensure peace & order” after solidarity protests.- Behaving like ‘a tyrant’ -In sprawling Los Angeles on Tuesday, it was largely a typical day, with tourists thronging Hollywood Boulevard, children attending school and commuter traffic choking streets.But at a military base in North Carolina, Trump painted a darker picture.”What you’re witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and national sovereignty,” the Republican told troops at Fort Bragg.”We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy.”California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has clashed with the president before, said Trump’s shock militarization of the city was the behavior of “a tyrant, not a president.”In a filing to the US District Court in Northern California, Newsom asked for an injunction preventing the use of troops for policing.US law largely prevents the use of the military as a police force — absent the declaration of an insurrection, which Trump has mused.The president “is trying to use emergency declarations to justify bringing in first the National Guard and then mobilizing Marines,” said law professor Frank Bowman.

China’s vice premier and top trade negotiator said Beijing was ready to “strengthen cooperation” with Washington, Chinese state media said Wednesday, following trade talks in London it said had made substantial progress.US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressed optimism after a full day of negotiations that concerns surrounding rare earth minerals and magnets “will be resolved” eventually, as the deal is implemented.But this framework will first need to be approved by leaders in Washington and Beijing, officials said, at the end of meetings at the British capital’s historic Lancaster House.All eyes were on the outcomes of negotiations as both sides tried to overcome an impasse over export restrictions. US officials earlier accused Beijing of slow-walking approvals for shipments of rare earths.The world’s two biggest economies were also seeking a longer-lasting truce in their escalating tariffs war, with levies currently only temporarily on hold.”We’re moving as quickly as we can,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters Tuesday.”We would very much like to find an agreement that makes sense for both countries,” he added, noting that the relationship was complex.”We feel positive about engaging with the Chinese,” he maintained.Speaking separately to reporters, China International Trade Representative Li Chenggang said: “Our communication has been very professional, rational, in-depth and candid.”Li expressed hope that progress made in London would help to boost trust on both sides.And in a state media readout of the talks released Wednesday, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who headed Beijing’s team in London, stressed the need for the two sides to strengthen cooperation in future dialogue.”As a next step, the two sides should… continuously enhance consensus, reduce misunderstandings and strengthen cooperation,” He Lifeng said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.- Productive talks -US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier described the closely-watched trade talks as productive, although scheduling conflicts prompted his departure from London with negotiations still ongoing.Bessent, who led the US delegation with Lutnick and Greer, left early to return to Washington for testimony before Congress, a US official told AFP.Both sides do not yet have another gathering scheduled.But Lutnick said Tuesday that US measures imposed when rare earths “were not coming” would likely be relaxed once Beijing moved forward with more licence approvals.Stocks rose Wednesday as investors welcomed the China-US agreement to lower trade tensions, stoking hopes the economic superpowers will eventually reach a broader tariff deal.Hong Kong was among the best performers in Asia while European markets were also up.The London negotiations follow talks in Geneva last month, which saw a temporary agreement to lower tariffs.This time, China’s exports of rare earth minerals — used in a range of things including smartphones, electric vehicle batteries and green technology — were a key issue on the agenda.”In Geneva, we had agreed to lower tariffs on them, and they had agreed to release the magnets and rare earths that we need throughout the economy,” US President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, told CNBC on Monday.Even though Beijing was releasing some supplies, “it was going a lot slower than some companies believed was optimal”, he added.- ‘Mirror arsenal’ -Both countries “have developed almost a mirror arsenal of trade and investment weapons that they can aim at each other,” said Emily Benson, head of strategy at Minerva Technology Futures.As they tap economic tools to try to shift global power structures, she told AFP, it may not be reasonable to expect a typical trade and investment deal.But both sides could find ways to level off a downward spiral.A dialling-down of temperatures could involve Chinese efforts to shore up the process for granting export control licences, Benson said. She noted Beijing appeared understaffed given the volume of requests.On the US side, this could look like a relaxation of certain export curbs in the high-tech domain, she added.But observers remained cautious, with Thomas Mathews of Capital Economics warning that Washington was unlikely to “back off completely.” This could weigh on markets.Since returning to office, Trump has slapped a 10 percent levy on friend and foe, threatening steeper rates on dozens of economies.His tariffs have dented trade, with Beijing data showing Chinese exports to the United States plunged in May.The World Bank on Tuesday joined other international organisations to slash its 2025 global growth forecast amid trade uncertainty.China is also in talks with partners including Japan and South Korea to try to build a united front countering Trump’s tariffs.burs-oho/mtp

Los Angeles police began arresting people in the city’s downtown late Tuesday, as groups gathered in violation of an overnight curfew after a fifth day of protests against Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.Looting and vandalism in the second-biggest US city have marred the largely peaceful protests over ramped-up arrests by immigration authorities.The demonstrations, which began Friday, and isolated acts of violence prompted Trump to take the extraordinary step of sending in troops, over the objection of the state governor. The protests again turned ugly after dark Tuesday, but an hour into the overnight curfew only a handful of protesters were left downtown, with police making several arrests as they warned stragglers to leave.”Multiple groups continue to congregate on 1st St between Spring and Alameda” within the designated downtown curfew area, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) wrote on X late Tuesday.”Those groups are being addressed and mass arrests are being initiated.”Police arrested 25 people on suspicion of violating the curfew as of Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing an LAPD spokesperson.The number of arrests was likely to rise as law enforcement worked to remove the remaining protesters from the area, the newspaper said.Earlier, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she had issued the curfew “to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting.”One square mile (2.5 square kilometers) of the city’s more-than-500 square mile area will be off-limits from 8:00 pm and 6:00 am (0300 to 1300 GMT) for everyone apart from residents, journalists and emergency services, she added.One protester told AFP the arrest of migrants in a city with large immigrant and Latino populations was the root of the unrest.”I think that obviously they’re doing it for safety,” she said of the curfew. “But I don’t think that part of the problem is the peaceful protests. It’s whatever else is happening on the other side that is inciting violence.”At their largest, the protests have included a few thousand people taking to the streets, but smaller mobs have used the cover of darkness to set fires, daub graffiti and smash windows.Overnight, Monday 23 businesses were looted, police said, adding that more than 500 people had been arrested over recent days.Protests against immigration arrests by federal law enforcement have also sprung up in cities around the country, including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Austin.- ‘Provide protection’ -Trump has ordered 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, along with 700 active-duty Marines, in what he has claimed is a necessary escalation to take back control — despite the insistence of local law enforcement that they could handle matters.A military spokeswoman said the Marines were expected to be on the streets by Wednesday. Their mission will be to guard federal facilities and to accompany “federal officers in immigration enforcement operations in order to provide protection.”Demonstrators told AFP the soldiers “should be respected” because they had not chosen to be in Los Angeles, but Lisa Orman blasted it as “ridiculous.””I was here for the Dodger parade,” she said, referring to the LA team’s World Series victory.”It was 100 times bigger,” she said, branding the idea that Marines were necessary as “a big show” that Trump wanted.The Pentagon said the deployment would cost US taxpayers $134 million.Photographs issued by the Marine Corps showed men in combat fatigues using riot shields to practice crowd control techniques at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach.Late Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his state would deploy its National Guard “to locations across the state to ensure peace & order” after solidarity protests.”Peaceful protest is legal. Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest,” Abbott wrote on X.The Texas National Guard “will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order.”- Behaving like ‘a tyrant’ -In sprawling Los Angeles on Tuesday, it was largely a typical day: tourists thronged Hollywood Boulevard, celebrities attended red carpet premieres, tens of thousands of children went to school and commuter traffic choked the streets.But at a military base in North Carolina, Trump was painting a much darker picture.”What you’re witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and national sovereignty,” the Republican told troops at Fort Bragg.”This anarchy will not stand. We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy.”California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has clashed with the president before, said Trump’s shock militarization of the city was the behavior of “a tyrant, not a president.”In a filing to the US District Court in Northern California, Newsom asked for an injunction preventing the use of troops for policing.US law largely prevents the use of the military as a policing force — absent the declaration of an insurrection, which Trump has mused.The president “is trying to use emergency declarations to justify bringing in first the National Guard and then mobilizing Marines,” said law professor Frank Bowman.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has ordered the restoration of the names of several US military bases that honored officers who fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War.While the redesignations will return the facilities to their original names, they come with a twist, as the bases will ostensibly honor other military personnel who have the same names, and not those who fought to maintain slavery in the South.The Republican president made the announcement in a speech at the country’s largest military base, which he had renamed to Fort Bragg in February after predecessor Joe Biden changed it to Fort Liberty in 2023.”We are also going to be restoring the names to Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, Fort Polk, Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Robert E. Lee,” Trump told soldiers.”We won a lot of battles out of those forts. It’s no time to change.”The move reverses a renaming process begun in the wake of the death of George Floyd, whose murder by police in 2020 focused a spotlight on systemic racism.A naming commission ultimately recommended hundreds of locations be redesignated, among them nine US Army bases named after Confederate officers who had fought for the South in defense of slavery during the country’s 1861-1865 Civil War.The Pentagon said Tuesday that the new base names, while consistent with the last names of the Confederate officers, actually honor different military veterans.For example, while the original Fort Bragg honors Confederate general Braxton Bragg, the new name commemorates Roland L. Bragg, a little-known World War II hero, officials said.Fort Robert E Lee in Virginia, which was redesignated Fort Gregg-Adams in honor of two African-American servicemembers, was changed back to Fort Lee. But the new name honors Medal of Honor recipient Private Fitz Lee who fought in the Spanish-American War, said the Pentagon, and not the Robert E Lee who was overall commander of the Confederate army.