US Federal Judges Push Back Against Trump Order, Stopping Deportations Nationwide

The ruling out of New York was the first of several Saturday night and Sunday early morning. Rulings out of federal courts in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington — all siding with challengers to Trump’s executive order — followed.

Less than 36 hours passed after President Trump signed his executive order on Friday restricting immigration on several fronts before four federal judges had issued rulings in quick succession blunting the effect of the order and calling its constitutionality into question.

The executive order — “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” — temporarily halted the US refugee program for 120 days; indefinitely suspended the intake of refugees from Syria; and blocked all people from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen from entering the US for 90 days.

President Obama itches for Trump fight

President Barack Obama

Obama can’t wait to take on Donald Trump.

President Barack Obama has been largely sidelined in the presidential contest, a last-year officeholder with high approval ratings who has repeatedly shown he likes to spar with political foes.

With Bernie Sanders continuing to slug it out with likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Obama largely has to choose his openings to talk 2016.

So on Friday, when the White House announced Obama would make a statement about the economy, the president knew he’d get asked about Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.

And when he did, Obama was ready.

US Barack Obama commutes prison sentences of 58 people

U.S. President Barack Obama has commuted the prison terms of 58 people, nearly a third of whom were serving life sentences, the White House said on Thursday.

Most of the convicts who will be freed early were non-violent drug offenders.

Obama said in a blog post that "it just doesn’t make sense to require a non-violent drug offender to serve 20 years, or in some cases, life, in prison."

BREAKING: U.S. Army base in Virginia locked down after report of active shooter

The US Army's Fort Lee base in the state of Virginia has been put on lockdown following reports of an "active shooter" at the facility. Fort Lee's Twitter account carried a warning concerning the four-storey Cascom (Command Arms Support Command) HQ, Building 5020.

It said: "The installation has been locked down until further notice."

Active shooter incident reported at CASCOM HQ, Bldg. 5020. All personnel enact active shooter protocols immediately. Post on lockdown.
— U.S. Army Fort Lee (@ArmyFortLee) August 25, 2014

Local media later reported the base had been given the all clear. Fort Lee's daily population is about 34,000.

Fort Lee is situated about 25 miles (40km) south of Richmond, Virginia, and about 130 miles from Washington DC.

In April, three soldiers were killed and 16 wounded when army Specialist Ivan Lopez opened fire at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas before taking his own life.