Alternet: ‘Not one peep from Trump’: Tornado-ravaged city’s mayor pleads for federal assistance

At least 28 people across three states were killed when tornadoes struck Kentucky, Missouri, and Virginia on Friday, with a governor and a mayor calling them among the worst they’ve ever seen. Unseen, however, has been any acknowledgment or support from President Donald Trump or, according to some reports, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“What we need right now is federal assistance,” declared St. Louis, Missouri Mayor Cara Spencer on MSNBC (video below) on Monday, “we need federal assistance.”

“This is where FEMA and the federal government has got to come in and help communities,” Mayor Spencer urged. “Our city cannot shoulder this alone. The State of Missouri cannot shoulder this alone. We need partners at the national level, at the federal level to step up and help.”

Spencer explained, “this is what the federal government is for. We need your help, we need the help of the broader community.”

“FEMA has not been on the ground—we do not have confirmed assistance from FEMA at this point,” Spencer said. “I do want to say, however, every other level of government has been on the ground with us, helping in every capacity possible. But when you have a disaster of this scale, eight miles of just pure destruction, this tornado didn’t just touch down and leave, this tornado ripped through our community for a full eight miles in the city of St. Louis …

Memo to St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer: Regretfully our self-absorbed Grifter-in-Chief is busy telling Walmart to “eat it” and has no time for us little people.

https://www.alternet.org/the-right-wing/trump-fema-tornadoes

Knews: ‘Repudiated’: WSJ Delivers Blow to Trump

The WSJ editorial board argued that the tariff policy has weakened U.S. credibility by targeting allies and obstructed coalition efforts against Beijing’s trade practices. The editorial board wrote, “Rarely has an economic policy been repudiated as soundly, and as quickly, as President Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs—and by Mr. Trump’s own hand.”

The editorial board added, “A ‘tragedy’ of Trump’s ‘shoot-America-in-the-foot-first approach,’ is that he’s hurt his chances of rallying a united front of countries against Beijing’s mercantilism.” It added, “By targeting allies with tariffs, Mr. Trump has eroded trust in America’s economic and political reliability.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/repudiated-wsj-delivers-blow-to-trump/ss-AA1F0uoz

Alternet: ‘A flagrant violation of the law’: Michigan AG blasts ’embarrassing and disturbing’ Trump admin

Public health and infectious diseases know no borders, Nessel said, warning that the decision to shutter regional health programs, close CDC labs and close all 10 of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services’ regional offices jeopardizes public health in every community.

“Also it’s just a flagrant violation of the law. Disregards the separation of powers, and it places this new burden now, of course, on the states, because there are certain things that you rely upon the federal government to do, especially in terms of coordinating efforts between the states,” Nessel said.

In addition to their case on the mass firings, Nessel and 23 other attorneys general filed suit against Kennedy and the DHHS for terminating almost $11 billion in critical public health grants across the country.

https://www.alternet.org/a-flagrant-violation-of-the-law-michigan-ag-blasts-trump-admin

Newsweek: Trump Administration Accused of Declaring ‘Fake’ Emergency By 15 States

A coalition of attorneys general across 15 states is suing the Trump administration over declaring a “national emergency” on the first day of Donald Trump‘s presidency.

On January 20, President Trump declared a “national energy emergency” via executive order, over what he claimed to be “our Nation’s inadequate energy supply.”

The attorneys general from Washington and California say this is not true, and that US energy production is actually at “an all time high.”

“Washington state filed suit today alongside 14 other states to challenge the president’s fake “energy emergency,” declared to line the pockets of Big Oil by handing out free passes to pollute our environment,” said Washington Attorney General Nick Brown on May 9.

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-fake-energy-emergency-15-states-2070864

Los Angeles Times: Canadian Prime Minister Carney calls Trump’s auto tariffs a ‘direct attack’ on his country

It’s looking like “no more Mr. Nice Guy” — the Canadians are tiring of King Donald’s childish antics.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that President Trump’s auto tariffs are a “direct attack” on his country and that the trade war is hurting Americans, noting that American consumer confidence is at a multi-year low.

Trump said earlier Wednesday that he was placing 25% tariffs on auto imports and, to underscore his intention, he stated, “This is permanent.”

“This is a very direct attack,” Carney responded. “We will defend our workers. We will defend our companies. We will defend our country.”

Carney said he needs to see the details of Trump’s executive order before taking retaliatory measures. He called it unjustified and said he will leave the election campaign to go to Ottawa on Thursday to chair his special Cabinet committee on U.S. relations.

Carney earlier announced a CA$2-billion ($1.4-billion) “strategic response fund” that will protect Canadian auto jobs affected by Trump’s tariffs.

Canadian Prime Minister Carney calls Trump’s auto tariffs a ‘direct attack’ on his country

Speech of Sen. BernieSanders on the floor of the U.S. Senate

Click here to read Bernie’s speech:

UK Daily Mail: Whose side ARE they on? Fury at US plot to ‘extort’ Europe over key global shipping route as extraordinary security bungle reveals Team Trump branding closest allies ‘pathetic freeloaders’

MPs voiced fury today after an extraordinary security bungle revealed some of Donald Trump’s most senior team condemning Europe as ‘pathetic freeloaders’.

A bombshell exchange on the Signal messaging app – accidentally shared with a journalist – showed an elite group including JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security advisor Mike Waltz voicing ‘loathing’ for their long-term allies.

They also discuss how to get money out of European countries in return for US military strikes intended to stop Houthi rebels disrupting critical shipping routes in the Red Sea.

But UK politicians said glimpse behind the scenes showed America was ‘unreliable’ and accused them of plotting ‘extortion’. One normally US-friendly MP described the situation as a ‘nightmare’ and warned Europe must ‘take it seriously and not think it’s just casual chat’. 

Whose side ARE they on? Fury at US plot to ‘extort’ Europe over key global shipping route as extraordinary security bungle reveals Team Trump branding closest allies ‘pathetic freeloaders’ | Daily Mail Online

Raw Story: ‘Political pathogen’ of Trump ‘fever’ may finally be breaking: Ex-GOP lawmaker

Former Republican lawmaker Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) posited in a new Substack piece that the nearly decade-long fever pervading the GOP thanks to a “virus called Donald Trump” is finally showing signs of breaking.

Kinzinger described this insidious “political pathogen” as causing “a fever so disorienting that many cannot see his malevolence.”

But Kinzinger wrote that the president’s failure to shift the economy into high gear as he promised on the campaign trail has many voters wiping the scales from their eyes.

‘Political pathogen’ of Trump ‘fever’ may finally be breaking: Ex-GOP lawmaker