SACRAMENTO, California: California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies Thursday to start removing homeless encampments on state land in his boldest action yet following a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces.
This executive order directs state agencies “to move urgently to address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them.” It also provides guidance for cities and counties to do the same, which applies pressure on them, though they are not legally bound to the order.
California is home to roughly one-third of the nation’s population of homeless people, a problem that has dogged Newsom since he took office. There are thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state that line freeways, and fill parking lots and public parks.
Under Newsom’s direction, state agencies — including state parks and the department of transportation — would be required to prioritize clearing encampments that pose safety risks, such as those along waterways. Officials should give “reasonable” advance notice to homeless people, offer to connect them to local services and help store their belongings for at least 60 days. Local cities and counties are urged to adopt similar protocols.
Last month the US Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that said governments could not force people to leave encampments if there weren’t any shelter beds available. The case was the most significant on the problem to come before the high court in decades. Cities across the country have been wrestling with the politically complicated task of how to deal with a rising number of people without a permanent place to live and public frustration over related health and safety issues.
Newsom’s administration wrote in support of cities’ arguments that previous rulings, including one that barred San Francisco from clearing encampments, have prevented the state from solving a critical problem.
“There are simply no more excuses. It’s time for everyone to do their part,” Newsom said in a statement Thursday.
Newsom’s decision garnered praise from some local elected officials and business groups, who said they were left with no options to address homeless encampments before the Supreme Court’s ruling. San Francisco Mayor London Breed recently said the city will start an “aggressive” campaign to clear encampments across the city in August. Her office noted that the governor’s order does not affect the city’s operations.
“I applaud Governor Newsom’s emphasis on urgency,” Kathryn Barger, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors said in a statement. “He rightfully points out that local government remains at the helm of homeless encampment removals. Cities have an obligation to develop housing and shelter solutions in tandem with support services provided by County government.”
Even Republican lawmakers, who have repeatedly blasted Newsom over his handling of the crisis, are rallying behind the order Thursday.
“It’s about damn time! Letting people live and die on the streets or in our parks is unsafe and unsanitary,” Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones said in a statement. He added, ”I am cautiously optimistic that the governor has finally taken note of the urgency of this problem, albeit many years later than needed.”
Homeless people and advocates say the sweeps are cruel and a waste of taxpayer money. They say the answer is more housing, not crackdowns.
“You get your highway off-ramp clean for a moment only,” Democratic Assemblymember Alex Lee said on social media. “Without meaningful services and housing, all sweeps do is making a prominent inequality less visible.”
While Newsom cannot order local authorities to act, his administration can apply pressure by withholding money for counties and cities. In 2022, he threatened to withhold $1 billion in homelessness spending from local governments over the lack of progress.
Newsom touted that his administration has spent roughly $24 billion cleaning up streets and housing people but acknowledged the persistent issue. Newsom’s administration has also come under fire recently after a state audit found that the state didn’t consistently track whether the huge amount of public money spent on this actually improved the situation.
Earlier this year, Newsom threw all of his political weight behind a ballot measure to allow the state to borrow nearly $6.4 billion to build 4,350 housing units, which passed with a razor-thin margin.
The order comes as Republicans have stepped up their criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris — a former California district attorney, attorney general and senator who just launched her presidential campaign. Harris entered the race over the weekend after President Joe Biden’s announced that he would not seek reelection.
Newsom himself has presidential ambitions, though he’s said he wouldn’t run against Harris or Biden. He has long been a top Biden campaign surrogate.
The timing of the executive order is “curious” given recent developments in the 2024 presidential race, California political analyst Brian Sobel said. He doubts though that Newsom’s move would have much impact on Harris’ campaign.
“Harris’ problem isn’t in California, because California is a done deal,” he said. “Where she needs to do well on issues like this are in swing states.”
Rather, the order is a logical step for Newsom, who called himself the state’s “homeless czar,” said Wesley Hussey, a political science professor at California State University, Sacramento.
“I don’t think it’s being motivated by the presidential race as much as it’s definitely something that Newsom cared a lot about,” Hussey said. “If you’re going to put it in a political context of the election, this isn’t going to magically fix the problem.”
Newsom orders California state agencies to start clearing homeless encampments
https://arab.news/9yj45
Newsom orders California state agencies to start clearing homeless encampments
Philippines’ president to discuss tariffs in Trump meeting this month, top diplomat says
- First meeting between Trump and Marcos, whose nations have stepped up military engagements significantly of late
- The Philippines is concerned over a 20 percent tariff rate announced this week by Donald Trump
Philippine foreign minister Theresa Lazaro, in an interview during a regional summit in Malaysia, confirmed the arrangement of what will be the first meeting between Trump and Marcos, whose nations have stepped up military engagements significantly of late.
“The issue of tariffs will be discussed among others…it’s also very important to us. We have already sent negotiators to discuss this issue,” Lazaro said on Friday.
A White House official earlier said the meeting was set for July 22, while the office of Marcos said he will visit the US from July 20-22. The Philippines is concerned over a 20 percent tariff rate announced this week by Trump, which was increased from 17 percent threatened in April, without explanation. The US goods trade deficit with the Philippines widened to $4.9 billion in 2024, a 21.8 percent increase from 2023.
The Philippines has said it remains committed to continue negotiations and a delegation will travel to Washington next week to pursue a trade deal. Relations between Manila and Washington have soared under Marcos, who has pivoted closer to the US and allowed American soldiers to expand their presence at Philippine facilities. The former US colony is central to Washington’s efforts to counter China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and toward Taiwan. The United States and the Philippines have a seven-decade old mutual defense treaty and hold dozens of annual exercises, which have included testing of a US Typhon missile system, angering China.
Marcos’ overtures of to the US and defiant stand on China have riled Beijing, which has repeatedly accused Manila and Washington of trying to stoke tensions. Lazaro said negotiations on a code of conduct between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China were dragging out and the Philippines would push for talks to finish when it becomes ASEAN chair next year. She said the code must be legally binding. The South China Sea remains a source of friction between China and the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, with ties between Beijing and Manila at their worst in years amid frequent confrontations that have sparked concerns they could spiral into conflict.
“It is our view that it should not be taking so long. It is important that we have to deliver,” she said.
“So it is incumbent upon all of us, and actually China, to... endeavor to finish the negotiations, the discussions. And that’s supposed to be in 2026.”
Lazaro also said a planned election in military-ruled Myanmar, an ASEAN member in the grips of a civil war, would only be acceptable if it were inclusive and peaceful.
The newest way to influence Trump: Nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize
- On Wednesday, Israel's PM Netanyahu showed Trump a letter nominating the US president for the Nobel Prize
- The mercurial Republican president, who wants to be known as a peacemaker, has long coveted the prestigious award
- Pakistan nominated Trump for the peace prize last month but then condemned him a day later after he bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities
WASHINGTON: World leaders, lawmakers and even one Native American tribe are deploying a novel strategy for remaining on good terms with President Donald Trump: Praise his peacemaking efforts and nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.
The announcements of nominations are piling up for the mercurial Republican president, who has long coveted the prestigious award. The honor, according to Albert Nobel’s wishes, is given to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”
Peace prize nominations for Trump date to his first term, but he’s talking more in his second about how he’s helping to end conflicts, how he wants to be known as a peacemaker and how much he wants to be awarded a prize.
Fellow leaders, politicians and others have taken notice. Critics say Trump policies that have sown division in the US and around the world make him unfit for a peace prize and he’s being manipulated with the nominations.
On Monday, as Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington to talk to Trump about Iran and the war in Gaza, the Israeli leader had something else to share with the president as they sat across from each other at a table set for their dinner meeting in the White House Blue Room.
“I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee. It’s nominating you for the peace prize, which is well deserved, and you should get it,” Netanyahu told Trump as he rose from his seat to hand over a copy of the letter.
Trump thanked him. “Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful,” the president said.
A group of African leaders had their turn with Trump a few days after Netanyahu.
The leaders referenced the US role in mediating a recent agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to bring peace after decades of bloody conflict that has killed millions. Representatives from both countries signed the deal in the Oval Office in front of Trump.
“And so he is now bringing peace back to a region where that was never possible so I believe that he does deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. That is my opinion,” said Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Thursday, “President Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize due to his proven record of securing peace around the world.” She added, “Thanks to this President’s leadership, America is respected again, making the entire world safer and more prosperous.”
The Nobel prizes are determined in secret. Nominations can come from a select group of people and organizations, including heads of state or politicians serving at a national level, university professors, directors of foreign policy institutes, past Nobel Prize recipients and members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee itself.
Past recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize include former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, both Democrats.
READ MORE: Nobel: The prize for peace that leaders go to war for
Last month, as Trump announced the Rwanda-Congo deal, he complained that he’d never get a Nobel Peace Prize despite everything he’s done, ranging from the Abraham Accords of his first term, in which Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates normalized relations with Israel, to recently easing renewed tensions between India and Pakistan, among others.
Pakistan nominated Trump for the peace prize last month but then turned around and condemned him a day later after he bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump later worked with Israel and Iran to end their short war.
As a candidate, Trump promised he would end the Russia-Ukraine war on his first day in office before saying later as president that he was joking. But solving that conflict, as well as Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, has so far eluded Trump.
His supporters, including lawmakers in Congress, are trying to help make Trump’s dream come true.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has called on the Senate to nominate Trump, while Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, asked her social media followers to share her post if they agree with her that he deserves it.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., recently wrote on X that she has now nominated Trump twice and will continue to do so until he is awarded the prize.
“He has done more for world peace than any modern leader,” she wrote.
At least one Native American tribe said it intends to nominate Trump, too.
“No world leader has dedicated more time and effort to promoting global peace than President Donald Trump,” Marshall Pierite, chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, said in a statement.
Trump says Canada to face 35% tariff rate starting August 1
- Canada and Mexico are both trying to find ways to satisfy Trump so that the free trade deal uniting the three countries — known as the USMCA — can be put back on track
WASHINGTON: Canada will face a 35 percent tariff on exports to the United States starting August 1, President Donald Trump said Thursday in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney.
It was the latest of more than 20 such letters issued by Trump since Monday, as he continues to pursue his trade war threats against dozens of economies.
Canada and the US are locked in trade negotiations in hopes to reach a deal by July 21 and the latest threat seemed to put that deadline in jeopardy.
Canada and Mexico are both trying to find ways to satisfy Trump so that the free trade deal uniting the three countries — known as the USMCA — can be put back on track.
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement replaced the previous NAFTA accord in July 2020, after Trump successfully pushed for a renegotiation during his first term in office.
It was due to be reviewed by July next year, but Trump accelerated the process by launching his trade wars after he took office in January.
Canadian and Mexican products were initially hard hit by 25 percent US tariffs, with a lower rate for Canadian energy.
Trump targeted both neighbors saying they did not do enough on illegal immigration and the flow of illicit drugs across borders.
But he eventually announced exemptions for goods entering his country under the USMCA, covering large swaths of products. Potash, used as fertilizer, got a lower rate as well.
The letter on Thursday came despite what had been warming relations between Trump and Carney.
The Canadian leader came to the White House on May 6 and had a cordial meeting with Trump in the Oval Office.
They met again at the G7 summit last month in Canada, where leaders pushed Trump to back away from his punishing trade war.
French president calls for joint recognition of Palestinian state by France and UK
- After talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, Emmanuel Macron stresses urgent need for a 2-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
- Starmer reaffirms his country’s commitment to a just political settlement of the Palestinian issue
LONDON: French President Emmanuel Macron has urged his country and the UK to jointly recognize Palestinian statehood, describing it as “the only path to peace.”
Speaking during a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, Macron stressed the urgent need for efforts to advance a two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
“I believe in the future of the two-state solution, and in the need to unify our voices in Paris, London and beyond to recognize the State of Palestine and launch this political dynamic that alone can lead to a horizon of peace,” Macron said.
Starmer reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to a just political settlement of the Palestinian issue, and highlighted the importance of international support for the Palestinian people and the need for stability in the region.
Macron concluded on Thursday a three-day state visit to the UK. It was the first such visit by a French statesman since 2008, and the first by an EU leader since Brexit in 2020.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority welcomed comments by Macron during his speech to the British Parliament in which he affirmed the position of France on recognition of a Palestinian state as a way to help ensure stability in the Middle East.
Organizers of an international conference to garner support for Palestinian national independence, planned for mid-June and sponsored by Saudi Arabia and France, had to postpone the event because of the outbreak on June 13 of war between Iran and Israel.
In recent weeks, several members of Parliament belonging to Starmer’s ruling Labour Party have called on his government to officially recognize a Palestinian state and join with France in doing so.
Russia seizes $50 billion in assets as economy shifts during war in Ukraine, research shows
- ‘Fortress Russia’ uses host of mechanisms to take major assets
- Some domestic businesses also face nationalization, report says
MOSCOW: Russian authorities have confiscated assets worth some $50 billion over the past three years, underscoring the scale of the transformation into a “fortress Russia” economic model during the war in Ukraine, research showed on Wednesday.
The conflict has been accompanied by a significant transfer of assets as many Western companies fled the Russian market, others’ assets were expropriated and the assets of some major Russian businesses were seized by the state.
In response to what Russia called illegal actions by the West, President Vladimir Putin signed decrees over the past three years allowing the seizure of Western assets, entangling firms ranging from Germany’s Uniper to Danish brewer Carlsberg.
Besides the Western assets, major domestic companies have changed hands on the basis of different legal mechanisms including the need for strategic resources, corruption claims, alleged privatization violations, or poor management.
Moscow law firm NSP (Nektorov, Saveliev & Partners) said that the scale of what it called the “nationalization” amounted to 3.9 trillion roubles over three years, and it listed the companies involved.
The research was first reported by Kommersant, one of Russia’s leading newspapers, which said it illustrated a “fortress Russia” economic model.
The 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union ushered in hopes that Russia could transform into a free-market economy integrated into the global economy, but vast corruption, economic turmoil and organized crime undermined confidence in democratic capitalism through the 1990s.
Putin, in his first eight years in power, supported economic freedoms, targeted some so-called oligarchs and presided over a significant growth of the economy to $1.8 trillion in 2008 from $200 billion in 1999.
In the 2008-2022 period, the economy grew to $2.3 trillion, though Western sanctions hit it hard after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund.
Though the Russian economy has performed better than expected during the war in Ukraine, its nominal dollar size in 2024 was just $2.2 trillion, according to IMF figures, much smaller than China, the European Union or United States.
‘Fortress Russia’
Russian officials say that the Ukraine war — the biggest confrontation with the West since the depths of the Cold War — has demanded extraordinary measures to prevent what they say was a clear Western attempt to sink the Russian economy.
Putin says the exit of Western firms has allowed domestic producers to take their place and that the Western sanctions have forced domestic business to develop. He has called for a “new development model” distinct from “outdated globalization.”
But the wartime economy, geared toward producing weapons and supporting a long conflict with Ukraine, has put the state — and those officials who operate it — in a much more powerful position than private Russian businesses.
Russian prosecutors are now seeking to seize billionaire Konstantin Strukov’s majority stake in major gold producer Uzhuralzoloto (UGC) for the state.
More than a thousand companies — from McDonald’s to Mercedes-Benz — have left Russia since the February 2022 start of Russia’s war in Ukraine by selling, handing the keys to existing managers or simply abandoning their assets.
Others had their assets seized and a sale forced through.
