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Trump news at a glance: president orders homeland security to avoid protests in Democratic-led cities

Donald Trump has instructed the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, not to intervene in protests occurring in cities led by Democrats unless local authorities ask for federal help amid mounting criticism of his administration’s immigration crackdown.

On his social media site, Trump posted that “under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help”.

He provided no further details on how his order would affect operations by US Customs and Immigration Enforcement and DHS personnel, or other federal agencies, but added: “We will, however, guard, and very powerfully so, any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid Lunatics, Agitators, and Insurrectionists.”

Chicago mayor orders police to investigate alleged illegal ICE activity

Chicago’s mayor, Brandon Johnson, has ordered Chicago police to investigate and document alleged illegal activity by federal immigration agents in the city, a move that will escalate tensions over jurisdiction between local and federal authorities.

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Trump says Iran ‘talking to’ US and hints at deal to avoid military strikes

Donald Trump has said Iran is “talking to” the US and hinted at a deal to avoid the use of military strikes. “[Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something, otherwise we’ll see what happens … We have a big fleet heading out there,” he told Fox News. “They are negotiating.”

Trump added that US allies in the region were not being told of plans for possible strikes due to security reasons.

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Democrats accuse DoJ of not releasing millions of Epstein files

Survivors, lawmakers and watchdog groups accused Donald Trump’s justice department of withholding records it is legally required to release after the disclosure of millions of files from the investigation into the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

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Trump wants to build 250ft Washington DC arch that dwarfs Lincoln Memorial – report

Donald Trump reportedly wants the arch he is planning to build in Washington DC to dwarf the Lincoln Memorial. The president envisions the planned arch to be a height of 250ft, or significantly taller than the 100ft Lincoln Memorial. The Washington Post reported Trump has his eye on a plot of land near Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River.

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US government partly shuts down over homeland security funding

Funding lapsed for several US government departments on Saturday, the result of a standoff in Congress over new restrictions on federal agents involved in Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign after the killings of two US citizens in Minneapolis.

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‘Here we go again’: $75m Melania film embodies venal spirit of Trump 2.0

Financed by Amazon MGM Studios, the Melania documentary has been marketed with the gusto of a Hollywood blockbuster rather than a discreet political portrait.

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Trump’s post-truth agenda beaten back as Americans refuse to accept ICE lies

Facing a widespread backlash from the public, Democrats and even his own Republican party, Trump has been forced into a partial retreat, distancing himself from efforts by aides such as Stephen Miller and homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, to demonise Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by federal agents.

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