International

Trump goes to the Supreme Court for the first time to defend his attack on the public administration

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, plans to resort for the first time to the Supreme Court to defend his offensive against the public administration, seeking cost cuts and the loyalty of his officials.

Specifically, according to local media, the Trump Administration has already prepared the necessary documents to request the Supreme Court to authorize it to dismiss Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Advice (OSC), the federal agency in charge of protecting those who report irregularities within the Administration.

The petition before the Supreme Court, which was accessed by local media such as The Hill, has not yet been formally presented to the court, and is not expected to be done until Tuesday, since Monday is a holiday in the United States.

Dellinger assumed in March 2024, under the Joe Biden Government, the leadership of the OSC, an agency whose priorities are to defend public employees from any retaliation for denouncing irregularities within the Administration.

Trump ordered his impeachment on February 7, but a judge temporarily blocked the decision. On Saturday, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, a lower instance than the Supreme Court, rejected the White House’s appeal against that court order

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Trump starts with an advantage in the Supreme Court, where six of the nine judges – including three appointed by him in his first term (2017-2021) – are conservatives.

In addition, last year, the court ruled in favor of granting Trump and all future presidents broad immunity for actions taken in the exercise of their functions, which in practice meant an unprecedented expansion of presidential power.

Dellinger’s dismissal is part of the new Trump administration’s offensive to reduce public spending and reduce the functions of the federal administration, a strategy led by the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under the supervision of Elon Musk.

As part of this plan, the U.S. International Development Agency (USAID) and the Consumer Financial Protection Office (CFPB), created after the 2008 crisis, with its offices closed and its employees in limbo, have also been de facto dismantled.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”