Latest news with #Apaches
New York Post
14-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump says weather won't stop dazzling festivities on Army's 250th: ‘Rainy day parade brings good luck'
Stormy weather won't rain on this parade. President Trump affirmed Saturday that the Army's 250th anniversary parade will carry on in the streets of Washington, DC, despite forecasted flash floods, gusts of wind and thunderstorms in the nation's capital. 'Our great military parade is on, rain or shine. Remember, a rainy day parade brings good luck. I'll see you all in DC,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. Advertisement 'This is a big day for America!' he added. Trump has long set his sights on a blowout military parade, marveling at such spectacles in other countries. He's also previously butted heads with DC officials over his hope for tanks to roll down the streets of the nation's capital. This year's parade to celebrate the anniversary of the Army's founding on June 14, 1775 — which came just over a year before the Declaration of Independence — is set to feature an array of military hardware such as howitzers and other Army vehicles. Advertisement 5 The Army is set to host the first major military parade in Washington, DC in about 34 years. REUTERS 5 Scores of Trump supporters have converged on Washington, DC, to participate in the Army's birthday festivities. REUTERS Trump will get his longstanding wish with 128 tanks after the Army agreed to put one-inch-thick metal plates along parts of the route, situate the vehicles with rubber on their treads, and set aside funding for possible repairs. Other military hardware, such as Black Hawk helicopters and Apaches, will be on display during the grand parade. Advertisement The procession will begin around 6:30 p.m. and start on 23rd Street NW near the Lincoln Memorial and end just past the Washington Memorial and the White House at 15th Street NW. It is expected to be finished by around 9:30 p.m. Over 6,600 soldiers donning different Army uniforms are expected to march in the birthday parade, which will feature a flyover with various aircraft, a cacophony of musical performances and an Army Golden Knights parachute jump. Saturday also happens to be Trump's 79th birthday and Flag Day, marking the anniversary of the Stars and Stripes becoming the official US flag on June 14, 1777. 5 There is an assortment of military hardware and festivities taking place at the National Mall before the parade. Getty Images Advertisement The president is expected to deliver remarks during the Army parade. Beforehand, there will be a series of events held on the National Mall to celebrate the Army. During the peak of the parade, the Federal Aviation Administration plans to halt flights into Reagan National Airport, which is just over the Potomac River in Virginia. The grand military parade is expected to feature a telling of the Army's history from the colonial era, beginning with the Battle of Lexington at the start of the Revolutionary War through the modern day. Processions will feature troops dressed in uniforms tethered to each major time period in the Army's two and a half century history. Military equipment used during those conflicts will also be featured as the Army tells its story. This includes iconic weaponry such as a World War I-era Renault tank and Gulf War-era M1A2 Abrams tanks. Army organizers are planning to end the parade with an enlistment and reenlistment ceremony, the Golden Knights parachute display and fireworks. 5 President Trump will deliver remarks at the parade before jetting off to Canada for the G7. Al Drago/UPI/Shutterstock 5 President Trump has long wanted a blockbuster military parade. REUTERS Advertisement Officials have estimated that the parade will cost between $25 to $45 million, not including cleanup, police, and infrastructure damage. Meanwhile, a kaleidoscope of leftist groups is organizing some 2,000 'No King' protests across the country to mark a 'day of defiance' against Trump, who they rage is engaging in authoritarian tendencies with a blockbuster parade to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday. This is the first military parade in DC in 34 years since the end of the first Gulf War.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Feds expected to release final review of a plan to open Oak Flat site to copper mining
The U.S. Forest Service is expected to release the latest environmental impact statement as early as June 16 for a copper mine project that will obliterate one of the Apache peoples' most sacred sites after construction is complete and it becomes operational. The document is one of the last steps in finalizing a controversial land exchange between the Forest Service and British-Australian mining firm Resolution Copper. It has been anticipated by tribes, environmentalists, recreational enthusiasts, mining interests and elected officials since the original impact statement was rescinded by President Joe Biden in 2021. At least two lawsuits — on hold since January 2021 when the environmental review was released by the first Trump administration — are expected to be revived and possibly amended during the 60-day period before the exchange could be finalized. On June 9, a federal judge ordered that the government refrain from making the exchange until the full 60 days after the statement was published have passed. One environmental group is skeptical about what the new impact statement will contain. "Whatever the government publishes next week, we can be sure it isn't going to be a legitimate environmental review," said Russ McSpadden of the Center for Biological Diversity. "It's more likely to be a political handout to a multinational mining company." And no matter what the new statement says, the law requires the exchange to be completed. Resolution Copper is "confident the project satisfies all applicable legal requirements," said Vicky Peacey, the company's president and general manager. 'Energy emergency': Trump puts Oak Flat copper mine on permitting fast track For more than two decades, Oak Flat Campground, known to Apaches as Chi'chil Biłdagoteel, "the place where the Emory oak grows," has been ground zero in a battle over Native religious rights on public lands as well as preservation of one of Arizona's most scarce commodities, a working wetland. The 2,200-acre primitive campground and riparian zone within the Tonto National Forest about 60 miles east of Phoenix also lies over one of the nation's largest remaining bodies of copper. Tribes, environmentalists and their allies have been fighting to prevent Oak Flat from being given to Resolution Copper in exchange for other environmentally sensitive lands in Arizona. The company had pursued the land exchange with the Forest Service for about 10 years before it became attached to a defense bill by a group of congressional officials led by the late Sen. John McCain in December 2014. To obtain the copper ore, Resolution, which is owned by multinational firms Rio Tinto and BHP, will use a method known as block cave mining in which tunnels are drilled beneath the ore body, and then collapsed, leaving the ore to be moved to a crushing facility. Eventually, the ground will subside, leaving behind a crater about 1,000 feet deep and nearly 2 miles across where Oak Flat and its religious and environmental significance stands. Grassroots group Apache Stronghold filed a lawsuit in January 2021 in federal court to stop the land swap, citing religious rights guarantees under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a religious freedom nonprofit law firm, accepted the case and, along with a group of private attorneys and law professors, has represented Apache Stronghold, which includes Apache and other Native peoples and their allies. The San Carlos Apache Tribe and a consortium of environmentalists and Arizona tribes filed their own suits. Those two lawsuits have been on hold until the new impact statement is published. The Biden administration rescinded the environmental impact statement in March 2021 for further consultation with tribes. The Forest Service announced consultation was concluded in 2023. Resolution was granted permission to join the lawsuit in 2023. In 2024, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Apache Stronghold in a narrow 6-5 decision. That fall, the group appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Forest Service's announcement in April that the process would move forward again set off a flurry of court filings to stop or at least put on hold the move, which would open up a 60-day period when the land exchange could take place. Apache Stronghold won a temporary halt to the proceedings until the high court either decided not to take the case or issued a decision. The Supreme Court turned Apache Stronghold down in May. On June 9, U.S. District Court Judge Dominic W. Lanza barred the Forest Service from completing the land exchange until a full 60 days after the new document is issued to give parties from the other two lawsuits sufficient time to review the environmental impact statement and revive their litigation. Long battle: Indigenous people find legal, cultural barriers to protect sacred spaces off tribal lands The tribes and environmental groups who have been waiting for the new review were happy to get sufficient time to review and address it in their litigation. 'We are grateful that Judge Lanza has provided us an opportunity to be heard,' said San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler. 'The two-month window provides the tribe an opportunity to file an amended lawsuit challenging the legality of the pending environmental report and request an injunction to stop the land exchange until the merits of our case are settled.' McSpadden said the 2021 environmental document was faulty, and he doesn't expect the new one to be much better. "You can fully expect the environmental impact statement will perpetuate a massive disservice to the public and especially to Arizona tribes," he said. Also, there's the matter of where the ore is headed. Because the United States lacks the capacity to smelt and process the ore, "It's likely to be smelted in China and sold on the global market," McSpadden said. "That's hardly a win for American supply chain security." That's despite the fact that Trump signed an executive order ordering an investigation into "how copper imports threaten America's national security and economic stability." McSpadden said the copper from Oak Flat and the hundreds of billions of gallons of water required to extract it would be a resource effectively lost to Americans, especially Arizonans. "The profits will flow into Chinese-linked entities and global markets," he said. The Aluminum Corporation of China, known as Chinalco, is Rio Tinto's largest shareholder. Sacred lands: Oak Flat: A place of prayer faces obliteration by a copper mine The mine project's supporters said they were confident that the new environmental impact statement will show the mine will satisfy legal requirements and allow them to move forward. 'The court correctly found no legal basis for a preliminary injunction, and its order is consistent with prior decisions about this project at every level, including the Supreme Court's recent decision to deny further review in Apache Stronghold v. United States," Peacey said. She said that the order simply gives the two lawsuit parties time to review the impact statement within the congressionally-mandated timeframe for the land exchange. A Resolution spokesperson said the mine is vital to securing America's energy future, infrastructure needs and national defense. He said the mine has the potential to become one of the largest copper mines in the nation, and could add $1 billion a year to Arizona's economy and create thousands of local jobs. The mine also has the support of Superior Mayor Mila Besich. "Along with residents of our town and the Copper Corridor, we have worked diligently to address and ensure that the Resolution Copper mine project will be an asset not just for our communities, but also to contribute to technology and the national security of our nation." She said the town has worked with Resolution to co-design the mine to ensure it will benefit the region for generations to come and spur diverse economic activity, strengthening local economies' resilience and sustainability. The mayor said significant mitigation agreements are in place that would "protect and grow economic diversification, preserve the area's history and culture and that of our Native American neighbors." Besich pointed to environmental mitigations such as the preservation of the Emory Oak and extensive protections and improvements for the Queen Creek watershed. The new environmental impact statement is expected to be formally published in the Federal Register on June 20, and plaintiffs in the two lawsuits are gearing up to review it and renew their litigation. 'The Trump administration has been rushing to sell out our public lands and destroy sacred sites and the environment," said Marc Fink, the director of the Public Lands Law Center at the Center for Biological Diversity. "We look forward to having our day in court to defend Oak Flat based on a full record.' Debra Krol reports on Indigenous communities at the confluence of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. Reach Krol at Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @debkrol and on Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Forest Service ready to release final review of Oak Flat copper mine
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Supreme Court said no, but this legal battle lives on
A major mining project in Arizona remains on hold this month even after the Supreme Court declined to consider a faith-based plea to block it. The justices said on May 27 that they wouldn't hear a religious freedom case aimed at preventing federal officials from transferring Oak Flat, a site that's sacred to the Western Apache, to Resolution Copper. At first, that announcement seemed like the end of the road for the mining project's opponents. But then on Monday, they secured a small but potentially significant victory in a federal court in Arizona in separate but related lawsuits on the future of Oak Flat. According to Inside Climate News, one of the ongoing lawsuits was brought by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and argues that the land transfer would violate a treaty between the tribe and the government, as well as environmental and historic preservation laws. The other lawsuit was brought by a group of environmental activists, who claim the government has failed to fully study the environmental impact of the proposed mining project. In Monday's ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Dominic W. Lanza said the government can't transfer the land until at least 60 days after the publication of the Environmental Impact Statement on the mining project and promised to revisit the transfer during that 60-day period to consider implementing an injunction that would block it. The battle over Oak Flat dates back to 2014, when Congress removed the federal protections that were preventing mining in the area, as the Deseret News previously reported. That legal shift made it possible for the land to be transferred to a private company, although seven years passed with no major developments along those lines. But then, in 2021, the federal government published an Environmental Impact Statement on Oak Flat, signaling that mining was soon to begin. That's when a group of Native Americans filed a religion lawsuit to block the land transfer, arguing that destroying Oak Flat would violate their religious freedom rights. While the lawsuit, called Apache Stronghold v. United States, delayed the mining project, it didn't restore land protections. Apache Stronghold lost at the district and circuit court level, where judges said destroying Oak Flat would not violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. With its May 27 announcement, the Supreme Court allowed those decisions to remain in place. Justice Neil Gorsuch criticized the court's refusal to take up the case in a strongly worded dissent, which was joined by Justice Clarence Thomas. 'Just imagine if the government sought to demolish a historic cathedral on so questionable a chain of legal reasoning. I have no doubt that we would find that case worth our time. Faced with the government's plan to destroy an ancient site of tribal worship, we owe the Apaches no less,' Gorsuch wrote. Although the Supreme Court's announcement brought an end to the religious freedom case, it did not end the battle. Two other lawsuits aimed at blocking the mining are ongoing, as Inside Climate News reported. By ensuring that the land transfer won't happen before late August, Judge Lanza in Arizona created time for those lawsuits to move forward. The mining project's opponents present the judge's move as significant, noting that they haven't given up hope. 'We are grateful that Judge Lanza has provided us an opportunity to be heard,' San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler said in a statement provided to the Deseret News. But the mining project's supporters believe their plan is still on track. 'The court correctly found no legal basis for a preliminary injunction, and its order is consistent with prior decisions about this project at every level, including the Supreme Court's recent decision to deny further review in Apache Stronghold v. United States,' said Vicky Peacey, president and general manager of Resolution Copper, in a statement. 'The order simply gives the parties time to review the (Environmental Impact Statement) within the timeframe Congress directed for the land exchange. We are confident the project satisfies all applicable legal requirements.' The statement is expected to be published by June 20, Inside Climate News reported. Once it's released, the 60-day countdown will start.
India Today
10-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
15 months on, delay in Apache delivery from US keeps Indian Army squadron idle
Fifteen months after raising its first Apache attack helicopter squadron, the Indian Army is still awaiting the arrival of the actual helicopters. The squadron, established in March 2024 at Nagtalao in Jodhpur, remains non-operational due to repeated delays in the delivery of Apache AH-64E helicopters from the United part of a $600 million deal inked with the US in 2020, India was to receive six Apache helicopters for the Army. The original delivery schedule projected the arrival of the first batch-three helicopters-by May or June the timeline was pushed back to December 2024 due to supply chain disruptions. Now, even that revised deadline has lapsed, and the helicopters are yet to arrive, with no official clarity on the updated schedule. Sources in the Defence Ministry attribute the continued delay to technical issues on the US side. While Indian pilots and ground personnel have already completed training and are ready for operations, they remain grounded with no helicopters to operate. The Indian Air Force had earlier received 22 Apache helicopters under a separate 2015 deal, making the Army's long wait even more Apache AH-64E helicopters are a crucial asset for the Indian Army's modernisation and combat readiness, particularly on the western front where tensions have remained high post Operation with advanced targeting systems and heavy weaponry, these attack helicopters are intended to significantly enhance the Army's offensive and reconnaissance delay comes at a time when the Indian Army Aviation Corps is actively expanding and modernising its aerial assets. The Corps operates a diverse fleet, including indigenous Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Dhruv, weaponised Rudras, Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), utility helicopters like the Cheetah and Chetak, Mi-17 transport helicopters, UAVs such as Heron and Searcher, and Dornier 228 fixed-wing the absence of Apaches from this inventory is a significant gap, especially considering their strategic Dhruv fleet, another vital component of Army Aviation, was briefly grounded earlier this year following a crash involving the Indian Coast Guard variant. Though operations were subsequently resumed due to heightened alert levels following the Pahalgam terror attack, the continued absence of Apaches limits the Army's offensive Watch
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DC's National Airport will close during Army's June 14 party
Reagan Washington National Airport will close during the U.S. Army's June 14 celebration, which will feature a large-scale military parade. 'To accommodate aircraft flyovers along the parade route, followed by a fireworks display, the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to suspend airline operations at DCA — affecting scheduled flights,' an alert on the airport's website reads. 'Customers with flight reservations for the evening of June 14 should check the status of their flights directly with their airline,' the alert continues. The Army is set to celebrate 250 years of service on June 14 with an expansive military parade through Washington, D.C. The festivities have been planned for years, but they are set to include much more and didn't originally include the parade. June 14 is also President Trump's 79th birthday, and the president had hoped for a grand military parade during his first four years in office; however, the plan was put aside due to high costs. Next week's parade is expected to cost between $25 million and $45 million. The parade, featuring an array of military equipment, is set to begin at the Pentagon at 6 p.m. Steven Warren, deputy chief from the Army's Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, said previously that 'an extensive flyover' will also occur during the parade. 'More than 50 helicopters will participate, including 64 Apaches, 60 Black Hawks and 47 Chinooks,' Warren said previously. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
