US judge rejects Trump’s bid to switch hush-money case to federal court
The US president has sought to overturn his criminal conviction for falsifying business records, citing immunity.
President Donald Trump's administration is considering the potential transfer of a portion of Yosemite National Park to a private developer, according to an investigation by NOTUS. The government has been quietly working on the transfer over the past year, aiming to give a quarter-mile strip of the park to a company linked to Nevada-based Kingsbarn Realty Capital.
This move is part of a larger trend of the Trump administration rolling back conservation protections for public lands. In July, the administration reduced two Utah national monuments by more than 90%, and in the current month, they sought to end a rule that prevented logging and road-building in national forests. Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori has recently purchased an 83-acre plot near the park and intends to build a private road connecting it to Yosemite's main roads, granting the land "unprecedented private access".
In return, the National Park Service would receive land of equal value in another part of California, though the location has yet to be confirmed. The Interior Department confirmed that negotiations have taken place, but denied any political pressure to reach a specific outcome, emphasizing that any land exchange would adhere to federal laws, regulations, and policies, including environmental review and public notification processes.
The National Parks Conservation Association decried the move as an unlawful "attack" on Yosemite's conservation legacy, while the Yosemite NPS Employees Union expressed shock at the ceding of public lands for private interests. The proposal to develop a road in Yosemite has been previously rejected by the administrations of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama, with courts dismissing appeals from the previous owner.
The park, initially protected in 1864, is renowned for its stunning granite cliffs, glaciers, waterfalls, sequoia trees, and diverse wildlife. Democrats have criticized the administration for prioritizing financial gain over the park's protection, vowing to continue fighting against the proposed development.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
