Trump’s sanctuary cities order blocked by judge Importation of lion parts has been relaxed

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge Monday permanently blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to cut funding from cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities.

U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick rejected the administration’s argument that the order applies only to a relatively small pot of money, saying Trump cannot set new conditions on spending approved by Congress.

The judge had previously made the same arguments in putting a temporary hold on the executive order targeting so-called sanctuary cities. The Trump administration has appealed that decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

WASHINGTON — A month before the Trump administration sparked outrage by reversing a ban on body parts from threatened African elephants, federal officials quietly loosened restrictions on the importation of heads and hides of lions shot for sport.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began issuing permits on Oct. 20 for lions killed in Zimbabwe and Zambia between 2016 and 2018. Previously, only wild lions killed in South Africa were eligible to be imported.

In a pair of recent tweets, President Donald Trump said he’ll delay the new policy on allowing elephant trophies, calling the practice a “horror show.”