Trump extends control over Washington by taking management of Union Station away from Amtrak

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is taking management of Union Station away from Amtrak in the latest example of the federal government exerting its power over the nation’s capital.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the takeover Wednesday alongside Amtrak President Roger Harris at Washington's main transportation hub during the launch of an updated version of the rail service's Acela train. The federal government owns Union Station, which is near the Capitol.

Duffy said the station has “fallen into disrepair” when it should be a “point of pride” for the District of Columbia. He said the Republican administration's move would help beautify the landmark in an economical way and was in line with Trump's vision.

“He wants Union Station to be beautiful again. He wants transit to be safe again. And he wants our nation’s capital to be great again. And today is part of that,” Duffy said.

It's Trump's latest attempt to put the city under his control. In recent weeks, Trump has increased the number of federal law enforcement and immigration agents on city streets while also taking over the Metropolitan Police Department and activating thousands of National Guard members. Last week, Trump said he wants $2 billion from Congress to beautify Washington.

Duffy said the federal government can do a better job managing the train station and attract more shops and restaurants and generate more revenue that will be used to pay for upgrades to the station, which opened in 1907. Since then, the cavernous Roman-columned building has been through multiple management changes and numerous ups and downs regarding its cleanliness, safety and state of repair.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said upgrading the transit hub that serves various rail lines and buses would be an “amazing initiative” for the federal government to take on because the city cannot afford the cost.

“It has suffered from not being able to get the money that it needs for the renovation,” the Democrat said at a separate news conference.

National Guard troops have patrolled in and around Union Station ever since Trump announced the anti-crime effort this month. Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were shouted down by opponents of the federal intervention when they visited with troops there last week.

Duffy had pressed Amtrak about crime at the station in a March letter to its chief operating officer and requested an updated plan on how it intended to improve public safety there.

The deputy transportation secretary, Steve Bradbury, cited a new roof and new public restrooms among $170 million in upgrades that he said are needed at the station.

Amtrak's new high-speed train, the NextGen Acela, will start serving the Northeast Corridor on Thursday, said Harris, Amtrak's president. The trains can travel at speeds of up to 160 mph, about 10 mph faster than the Acela train it is replacing. Duffy and the officials from the Union Station event boarded one of the new trains afterward for an inaugural ride to New York's Penn Station.

Union Station has had a history of ups and downs during its nearly 120-year history.

In 1981, after rain started pouring through the ceiling, the National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over some of the area surrounding the station, declared the building unsafe. The station was closed for five years for renovation and President Ronald Reagan signed the Union Station Redevelopment Act to help fund and organize its comeback.

More recently, the building fell on relatively hard times during the COVID pandemic. Foot traffic plummeted after passengers shunned mass transit while multiple shops closed at the station. But the past three years have witnessed a bit of a comeback.

The station has occasionally been a magnet for homeless individuals seeking shelter inside or camping in tents on Columbus Circle in front of the building. The proliferation of tents prompted the Park Service to clear the encampment in front of the station in June 2022.

Control and management of the physical building also have shifted over the years.

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Associated Press writer Ashraf Khalil contributed to this report.

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at a news conference, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)

Members of the National Guard are posted at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is escorted to board the NextGen Acela high-speed rail service, at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

FILE - People walk to Union Station as District of Columbia National Guard soldiers stand outside their M-ATV, Aug. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy boards the NextGen Acela high-speed rail service en route to Boston, at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy boards the NextGen Acela high-speed rail service en route to Boston, at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy boards the NextGen Acela high-speed rail service, at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

FILE - Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy looks during a news conference, Aug. 5, 2025, at the Department of Transportation in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

Amtrak Police officers patrol Union Station, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Shaw was watching TV with his wife when she got a notification on her phone: Alex Bregman had agreed to a contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Shaw was Chicago's regular third baseman during his rookie season, so he wondered what the move meant for him.

“You're kind of looking at it like ‘Oh man, where am I going to play?’ And you get a little anxious about those things,” Shaw said Friday at the team's annual fan convention. "The team knows me good enough at this point to know I just want to be prepared when the season comes around.

“So of course I immediately have questions like ‘Am I going to go here? Am I going to go there?’”

The answer to many of those questions was yes.

Shaw is preparing for a super-utility role after Chicago finalized a $175 million, five-year contract with Bregman on Wednesday. In addition to backing up Bregman at third and Nico Hoerner at second, Shaw also is expected to play in the outfield.

There is always the possibility of a trade with Hoerner, who is going into the last year of a $35 million, three-year contract, or Shaw, a first-round pick in the 2023 amateur draft who turned 24 in November. But the Cubs sound as if they are inclined to hold on to their infield depth as an insurance policy for injuries.

“I don’t think we have enough guys yet,” manager Craig Counsell said with a chuckle. “If you think there’s too many, I don’t know what you’re looking at.”

Counsell said the team was “fortunate” last year in terms of injuries.

“We’re now protecting a lot against what can happen, but I think that’s an important part of building a roster and building a team,” he said.

Hoerner, 28, was a key performer last season as Chicago won 92 games and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020. He batted .297 with seven homers, 61 RBIs and 29 steals in a career-best 156 games. He also won his second Gold Glove.

Amid increased trade speculation in the wake of Bregman's deal, Hoerner said he loves the Cubs and attributed the rumors to his contract situation and playing in a big market.

“I think, above all, just remembering that it’s not a personal thing and that the team’s job is to always make the best possible roster that they have the ability to do for this year and for years to come,” he said. “And you look at the things that we’ve done this offseason, I think it’s pretty evident that’s their goal. And we’re in a really strong place.”

Dansby Swanson, Hoerner's double-play partner at shortstop, said the second baseman was irreplaceable.

“Nico means the world to me and to this team, just who he is as a person,” Swanson said. “He brings the same type of energy and competitive spirit that Alex does.”

Shaw was relatively inexperienced at third base going into last season, but he was named a Gold Glove finalist in October. Shaking off a slow start and a stint in the minors, he hit .226 with 13 homers, 44 RBIs and 17 steals in 126 games with the Cubs.

Shaw was a shortstop growing up in Massachusetts, but he spent some time as an outfielder early in his collegiate career at the University of Maryland.

“I played outfield growing up a lot, so I look forward to running around out there,” he said. “Outfield's definitely fun. And the at-bat stuff, I think there's at-bats there, and obviously it's up to me as it's up to all the guys to earn their spots and to play well.”

Shaw also is looking forward to playing with Bregman, a two-time World Series champion with Houston.

“We had a great year last year. We had a lot of great pieces,” Shaw said, “and then you add Bregman and it's like, you look at this team up and down and we're in an amazing spot.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

FILE - Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner hits a sacrifice fly ball during a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Sept. 30, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh, File)

FILE - Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw prepares to field the ball during the a baseball game, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf, File)