A federal appeals court on Thursday allowed President to , for now, as his administration appeals an order striking down the bulk of his signature set of economic policies.
Earlier today, a federal judge to impose tariffs. The ruling was handed down the day from a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of International Trade.
Here's the Latest:
Trump administration abandons plans to close mine safety agency offices
The Trump administration for 34 offices in the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Labor said Thursday.
Earlier this year, the Department of Government Efficiency targeted federal agencies for spending cuts, including MSHA offices. Seven of those offices were in Kentucky alone.
A spokesperson for the Labor Department says the department has been working closely with the General Services Administration 鈥渢o ensure our MSHA inspectors have the resources they need to carry out their core mission to prevent death, illness, and injury from mining and promote safe and healthy workplaces for American miners.鈥�
MSHA is required to inspect each underground mine quarterly and each surface mine twice a year.
Whitmer decries political violence as Trump considers pardoning men who led a plan to kidnap her
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she was disappointed after Trump said he would 鈥渢ake a look鈥� at pardoning two men serving prison sentences for leading a plan to kidnap her in 2020.
Speaking at a moderated discussion Thursday during a policy conference, Whitmer hinted at greater anger over the possibility and decried political violence, noting the recent arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro鈥檚 residence and the assassination attempt on Trump himself.
Whitmer says she plans to speak to Trump about the matter.
鈥淲e have an ongoing dialogue now, ... very different from the first term,鈥� she said about Trump, turning to smile at the audience.
Trump administration increases pressure on sanctuary cities
The Department of Homeland Security says it is publishing a list of more than 500 sanctuary jurisdictions and will formally notify each that the Trump administration has deemed them noncompliant with immigration enforcement.
The notices aim to increase pressure on communities the administration believes are standing in the way of its mass deportations agenda.
The administration has repeatedly targeted communities, states and jurisdictions that it says aren鈥檛 doing enough to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Last month, President Trump requiring the secretary of Homeland Security and the attorney general to publish a list of states and local jurisdictions that they considered to be obstructing federal immigration laws.
鈻� Read more about
Trump commutes sentence of former political fundraiser
Trump the sentence of a former political fundraiser who had corruptly bought access to several high-profile U.S. politicians, including the president鈥檚 former rivals Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.
Imaad Zuberi was in 2021 to twelve years in prison after to charges of tax evasion, campaign finance violations and failing to register as a foreign agent.
Federal prosecutors described Zuberi as a 鈥渕ercenary鈥� donor who gave to anyone he thought could help him. Pay to play, Zuberi explained to clients, was just 鈥渉ow America work(s).鈥�
An by the Associated Press found that Zuberi used a straw donor scheme with cutouts that included a dead person and the names of people prosecutors say he made up. The AP鈥檚 investigation found several instances where Zuberi-linked donations to members of Congress occurred within a few weeks or even days of him receiving something he sought in return.
Zuberi also claimed to be a CIA asset, according to classified court filings reviewed by the AP. After raising huge amounts for Clinton in the 2016 election, Zuberi became a top donor to Trump鈥檚 first presidential inaugural committee.
Appeals court allows Trump to continue collecting tariffs under an emergency powers law for now
A federal appeals court on Thursday allowed President Trump to continue collecting tariffs under an emergency powers law for now, as his administration appeals an order striking down the bulk of his signature set of economic policies.
The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted an emergency motion from the Trump administration arguing that a halt is 鈥渃ritical for the country鈥檚 national security.鈥�
The appeals court temporarily halted the order from a federal trade court issued a day before.
Trump is facing several lawsuits arguing Trump鈥檚 鈥淟iberation Day鈥� tariffs exceeded his authority and left the country鈥檚 trade policy dependent on his whims.
State Department says it may apply a more aggressive vetting approach to all Chinese visa holders and future applicants
The State Department says its aggressive approach to vetting student visa applicants from China and revoking them could be expanded to all current Chinese visa holders along with future visa applicants.
Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters on Thursday that Secretary of State Rubio鈥檚 instructions to consular officers about student visa holders is just 鈥渢he beginning鈥� of a broader review of Chinese visa holders and applicants who may have connections to the Chinese Communist Party or are involved in activities in the United States related to 鈥渃ritical fields鈥� that include anything that could be considered a U.S. national security interest.
She declined to elaborate on any specific criteria that would be used to determine ineligibility and said the vetting would be 鈥渦p to the people making the decisions.鈥�
鈥淲e will not tolerate the CCP鈥檚 exploitation of U.S universities or theft of U.S. research, intellectual property or technologies to grow its military power, conduct intelligence collection or repress voices of opposition,鈥� Bruce said.
Second court hands down order blocking tariffs
Another federal judge is blocking Trump鈥檚 use of an emergency powers law to impose tariffs.
The preliminary injunction from U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras comes after a lawsuit from two Illinois-based educational toy companies, Learning Resources Inc. and hand2mind.
They say the tariffs may force them to raise their prices by 70% 鈥渁s a matter of pure survival.鈥�
The injunction only applies to those two companies. Contreras, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, delayed its enforcement for two weeks.
The ruling was handed down the day after a similar, broader finding from a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of International Trade.
At least seven lawsuits have been filed over the tariffs.
White House insists that government cost-cutting efforts won鈥檛 stop with Musk鈥檚 exit
The White House is thanking Elon Musk for his federal workforce-slashing efforts but also insisting that the work to shrink the size of government will continue without him.
鈥淲e thank him for his service,鈥� White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. 鈥淲e thank him for getting DOGE off of the ground. And the effort to cut waste, fraud and abuse will continue.鈥�
Leavitt says many of Musk鈥檚 staffers have become political appointees across the government and that 鈥渟urely the mission of DOGE will continue.鈥� Trump, though, is not naming a new head of the initiative.
鈥淭he DOGE leaders are each and every member of the president鈥檚 cabinet and the president himself, who is wholeheartedly committed to cutting waste, fraud and abuse for our government,鈥� Leavitt says.
Asked about Musk questioning whether a White House-backed proposal approved by the House would really reduce federal deficits, Leavitt insisted that the bill would ultimately save taxpayers money.
鈥淭he president is very proud of the one big beautiful bill and he wants to see it pass,鈥� she said.
State Department notifies Congress of reorganization plan with bigger staff cuts
The State Department on Thursday notified Congress of an updated reorganization of the massive agency.
The department is proposing cuts to programs beyond what had previously been revealed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a steeper 18% reduction of staff in the U.S.
The planned changes, detailed in a notification letter obtained by The Associated Press, reflect the Trump administration鈥檚 push to reshape American diplomacy and scale back the size of the federal government.
The proposal includes an even higher reduction of domestic staff than the 15% initially floated in April. The department also is planning to eliminate some divisions tasked with oversight of America鈥檚 two-decade involvement in Afghanistan, including an office focused on resettling Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. military.
Leavitt says White House hopes Supreme Court will overturn lower court rulings against White House
Leavitt ticked through a list of just some of the court rulings against the Trump administration thus far as an example of what she said were 鈥渞idiculous orders.鈥�
鈥淲e hope that the Supreme Court will weigh in and rein them in,鈥� she said.
Leavitt said the White House will comply with court orders, but will win on merits in court.
White House says Israel has accepted new US proposal for temporary ceasefire
鈥淚 can confirm that special envoy (Steve) Witkoff and the president submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas that Israel backed and supported,鈥� White House press Karoline Leavitt told reporters at her daily briefing.
Israeli tanks taking position next to an humanitarian aid packages distribution center delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization approved by Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
But Leavitt said that talks were ongoing and Hamas has not yet accepted the terms of the proposal.
Witkoff on Wednesday said that the U.S. administration was set to present a new proposal that is intended to bring home living as well as dead hostages still being held in Gaza.
White House says judges in tariff case 鈥渂razenly abused their judicial power鈥�
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized the judges on the federal trade court that blocked Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs, and she defended the president鈥檚 tariff policies as 鈥渓egally sound and grounded in common sense.鈥�
Leavitt said at a press briefing that the judges 鈥渂razenly abused their judicial power to usurp the authority of President Trump鈥� and said the courts 鈥渟hould have no role here.鈥�
Fed Chair Powell meets Trump amid President鈥檚 calls for lower interest rates
The Federal Reserve said Thursday that the meeting took place at Trump鈥檚 invitation and that they discussed the economy, inflation, and jobs. But Powell did not discuss his expectations for interest rates, the Fed said.
Powell told Trump that the central bank would set interest rate policy 鈥渂ased solely on careful, objective, and non-political analysis,鈥� the Fed said.
The meeting comes as Trump has for not reducing the Fed鈥檚 key interest rate, calling him 鈥淭oo Late Powell.鈥� The Fed鈥檚 rate typically influences broader borrowing costs for things like mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards. Trump argues that there is 鈥渘o inflation鈥� and so Powell should cut rates, though such a move the borrowing costs consumers face.
The meeting is the first during Trump鈥檚 second term, though the two met and had lunch together in his first term. Fed chairs regularly meet with Treasury secretaries but less often with presidents, given that the Fed鈥檚 interest rate decisions are intended to be separate from political concerns.
Judge keeps temporarily restraining Trump from blocking Harvard鈥檚 foreign enrollment pending injunction
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs granted Harvard鈥檚 request to keep blocking the government鈥檚 action, and asked both sides to propose language for an injunction she plans to issue.
Harvard sued the Department of Homeland Security on Friday after Secretary Kristi Noem
The Trump administration also announced a new effort to revoke Harvard鈥檚 certification to enroll foreign students, sending a letter Wednesday that gives Harvard 30 days to respond to the alleged grounds for withdrawal, which include accusations that Harvard coordinated with foreign entities and failed to respond sufficiently to antisemitism.
Harvard grad disses the Trump administration, in Latin
Salutatorian Aidan Robert Scully addressed his fellow Harvard graduates in Latin, in a speech laced with references to Trump policies.
鈥淚 say this ... Neither powers nor princes can change the truth and deny that diversity is our strength,鈥� Scully said in the ancient language. (A printed translation was provided for the audience).
He also quoted the Trojan hero Aenas from Greek mythology, urging his fellow graduates to 鈥渆ndure, and preserve yourselves for better times to come.鈥�
Anti-war demonstrators hold silent vigil outside Harvard鈥檚 walls
Protesters held signs reading 鈥淐easefire Now鈥� and 鈥淣ot Another Bomb鈥� as they stood silently just outside Harvard鈥檚 campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Among them was Carole Rein, a Harvard graduate who has been an activist for 50 years and wants the university to speak out against Israel鈥檚 response to the attacks by Hamas.
鈥淎s a U.S. citizen, my money is supporting the genocide that鈥檚 happening in Gaza and I鈥檝e got to stand out against it,鈥� Rein said. 鈥淚 have to stand out against it, and there鈥檚 many of us who are standing out against it.鈥�
Harvard speakers address the graduates
Harvard President Alan Garber didn鈥檛 directly address the Trump administration threats when he spoke to the graduates Thursday. But he did get a rousing applause when he referenced the university鈥檚 global reach, noting that it is 鈥渏ust as it should be.鈥�
Another speaker was Yurong Luanna Jiang, a Chinese graduate who studied international development. She said she found a global community at Harvard, including classmates from more than 30 countries. Now she鈥檚 concerned that 鈥渢he promise of a connected world is giving way to division, fear and conflict.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e starting to believe those who think differently, vote differently or pray differently, whether they are across the ocean or sitting right next to us, are not just wrong 鈥� we mistakenly see them as evil,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it doesn鈥檛 have to be this way.鈥�
Academic freedom under threat
The Trump administration鈥檚 latest salvos include asking federal agencies with the Ivy League school. The government already canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants, moved to cut off Harvard鈥檚 and threatened its .
Visa interviews for international students admitted to schools nationwide , and Trump said Wednesday that Harvard should reduce its international enrollment from 25% to about 15%.
Sustained by a $53 billion endowment, the nation鈥檚 wealthiest university is testing whether it can be a bulwark against what his administration calls antisemitic activism on campus, which Harvard sees as an affront to .
Harvard holds commencement in the vortex of Trump pressure
It鈥檚 a pivotal moment for Harvard University. Its place as one of the world鈥檚 leading higher education institutions is under threat by an administration that wants to slash the school鈥檚 federal funding and block international students from enrolling, among other shifting demands.
Students cheer during Harvard University鈥檚 commencement ceremonies, Thursday, May 29, 2025 in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Harvard鈥檚 students have endured their share of challenges 鈥� they started college as the world was emerging from the pandemic and grappled with student-led protests over the war in Gaza. Other universities also face unprecedented pressure from the Trump administration, but Harvard, which was founded more than a century before the nation itself, is taking the lead on defying the White House in court 鈥� and paying a significant price.
鈻� Read more about
Trump administration tries again to block Harvard鈥檚 enrollment of foreign students
The Trump administration issued a notice of intent to withdraw the university鈥檚 certification enabling it to
The letter sent Wednesday by acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Todd Lyons gives Harvard 30 days to respond to the alleged grounds for withdrawal, which include accusations that Harvard coordinated with foreign entities and failed to respond sufficiently to antisemitism on campus.
The government鈥檚 earlier attempt to stop Harvard from enrolling international students was swiftly blocked by a federal court.
White House confident court ruling blocking tariffs won鈥檛 stop trade talks
Economic adviser Kevin Hassett said negotiations with other countries won鈥檛 be disrupted by a court striking down most of Trump鈥檚 tariffs.
鈥淚f there are little hiccups here or there because of decisions that activist judges make, then it shouldn鈥檛 just concern you at all,鈥� Hassett said on Fox Business Network鈥檚 鈥淢ornings with Maria. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 certainly not going to affect the negotiations, because in the end, people know President Trump is 100% serious. They also have seen that President Trump always wins.鈥�
He also suggested that the administration would not pursue other legal avenues to relaunch the tariffs, as the judges advised, since those 鈥渨ould take a couple of months to put鈥� into place and the White House is 鈥渧ery, very confident鈥� that the ruling by the New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade is incorrect.
The US military, eyeing China deterrence, could draw down deployments to South Korea
The Trump administration is not ruling out a reduction in forces deployed to South Korea as it determines what regional presence it needs to best counter China.
That鈥檚 according to two senior American defense officials traveling with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Singapore.
There are 28,500 U.S. troops deployed to South Korea to help defend against any North Korean attack. But the U.S. is also trying to optimize its forces and ships across the Indo-Pacific to defend Taiwan and other allies against aggression from China.
No decision has been made on the number of troops deployed to South Korea, and any future footprint would be optimized to defend against moves by both Pyongyang and Beijing, according to the two officials, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss deliberations that have not been made public.
A possible reduction in forces was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
16 states sue over National Science Foundation cuts
A spokesperson for the NSF isn鈥檛 commenting.
Recent cuts to the with a $9 billion budget affect hundreds of university researchers across the U.S. who were working on a wide variety of projects, including artificial intelligence, PTSD in VA patients and efforts to make science, technology and engineering more diverse. And the White House is proposing a 55% cut for the next fiscal year.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Southern District of New York argues that Congress has for years authorized the NSF to create programs to increase the number of women, minorities and people with disabilities in science, math, technology and engineering, and that the NSF鈥檚 new priorities are 鈥渋rreconcilable with its statutory mandates.鈥�
The cuts 鈥渨eaken the very foundation鈥� of areas that 鈥減ower innovation, create high-paying jobs and keep our economy strong,鈥� Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in a statement.
Plaintiffs applaud tariffs ruling
Lawyers for small businesses who challenged Trump鈥檚 鈥淟iberation Day鈥� tariffs are applauding the ruling that struck them down.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see that the court unanimously ruled against this massive power grab by the president,鈥� said Ilya Somin, a George Mason University law professor who worked on the case with the libertarian-leaning Liberty Justice Center. They represent small businesses who said the tariffs were a major threat to their livelihoods.
Victor Schwartz, a small wine importer, calls the ruling a 鈥渨in鈥� for his businesses and others across the country. He said he鈥檚 ready to see the case through the Supreme Court as the Trump administration appeals.
Trump administration quickly appeals tariffs ruling
The Trump administration says they鈥檒l go to the Supreme Court if necessary as they appeal a ruling striking down sweeping tariffs the president imposed under an emergency powers law.
The Justice Department argues that the Court of International Trade must pause it ruling now. It calls this halt 鈥渃ritical for the country鈥檚 national security and the president鈥檚 conduct of ongoing delicate diplomatic efforts.鈥�
The Trump administration is first asking the same three judges who ruled against him to halt their own order pending the appeal. If those judges refuse, it plans to go to a federal appeals court and then the Supreme Court if necessary.
The Trump administration has canceled $766 million paid to Moderna for vaccine development
The drugmaker is against potential pandemic influenza viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed deep skepticism regarding mRNA vaccines, despite real-world evidence that the vaccines are safe and saved millions of lives.
The company said it was notified Wednesday that the Health and Human Services Department had withdrawn funds awarded in July 2024 and in January. The new vaccine, called mRNA-1018, uses the same technology that and to fight Covid-19 in record time.
The cancelation came as Moderna announced positive interim results from an early-stage trial of the vaccine that targeted H5 bird flu virus, tested in 300 healthy adults.
鈻� Read more about
Financial indexes jump on trade court ruling against Trump tariffs
Wall Street and financial markets around the world jumped after a that President Donald Trump is not authorized to impose on imports under an emergency-powers law.
Futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq 鈥� home to chipmakers and the biggest American technology companies 鈥� all rose before U.S. trading began Thursday. Nvidia shares jumped 6% in off-hours trading.
The White House immediately appealed the ruling by the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, and it鈥檚 unclear if Trump will abide by the ruling before a final resolution. The long-term outcome remains uncertain, but investors appeared to take heart after months of turmoil from
US says economy contracted 0.2% in first quarter amid Trump trade war tumult
Trump has now overseen the first shrinking of the U.S. economy in three years. The gross domestic product was brought down by a surge in imports as companies in the United States hurried to bring in foreign goods before the president imposed massive import taxes.
The January-March drop in the nation鈥檚 output of goods and services reversed a 2.4% gain in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Commerce Department also says that consumer spending also slowed sharply.
And the Labor Department says more Americans filed for jobless aid last week, with applications jumping by 14,000 higher than the forecast. The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits increased to 1.92 million.
Chinese students anxious and angry after Rubio vows to revoke visas
Chinese students studying in the U.S. are scrambling to figure out their futures after Rubio announced that some students would have their visas revoked.
This is a 鈥渘ew version of Chinese Exclusion Act,鈥� said Linqin, a Chinese student at Johns Hopkins University, who asked to be identified only by his first name out of fear of retaliation. He was referring to a 19th-century law that prohibited Chinese from immigrating to the U.S. and banned Chinese people already in the U.S. from getting citizenship. He said Wednesday was the first time he thought about leaving the U.S. after spending one-third of his life here.
The issue of Chinese students studying overseas has long been a point of tension in the bilateral relationship. During Trump鈥檚 first term, in 2019, China鈥檚 Ministry of Education warned students about visa issues in the U.S., with rising rejection rates and shortening of visas.
鈻� Read more
Trump rejects claim he鈥檚 鈥榗hickening out鈥� on tariffs just because he keeps changing rates
Trump wants the world to know he鈥檚 no 鈥渃hicken鈥� just because he鈥檚 repeatedly backed off .
The U.S. Republican president鈥檚 tendency to levy extremely high import taxes and then retreat has created what鈥檚 known as the 鈥淭ACO鈥� trade, an acronym coined by The Financial Times鈥� Robert Armstrong that stands for 鈥淭rump Always Chickens Out.鈥� Markets generally sell off when Trump makes his tariff threats and then recover after he backs down.
Trump was visibly offended when asked about the phrase Wednesday and rejected the idea that he鈥檚 鈥渃hickening out,鈥� saying that the reporter鈥檚 inquiry was 鈥渘asty.鈥�
鈥淵ou call that chickening out?鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 called negotiation,鈥� adding that he sets a 鈥渞idiculous high number and I go down a little bit, you know, a little bit鈥� until the figure is more reasonable.
鈻� Read more
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US will begin revoking the visas of Chinese students
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday the U.S. will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those studying in 鈥渃ritical fields.鈥�
China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the United States, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the United States.
鈥淯nder President Trump鈥檚 leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,鈥� Rubio wrote.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington didn鈥檛 immediately respond to a message seeking comment Wednesday night.
The action comes at a time of intensifying scrutiny of the ties between U.S. higher education and China. House Republicans this month pressed Duke University to cut its ties with a Chinese university, saying it allowed Chinese students to gain access to federally funded research at Duke.
鈻� Read more
What happens to Trump鈥檚 tariffs now that a court has knocked them down?
The court鈥檚 decision blocks the tariffs Trump slapped last month on and levies he imposed before that on China, Mexico and Canada.
Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade official who is now vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, says the court鈥檚 decision 鈥渢hrows the president鈥檚 trade policy into turmoil.鈥�
鈥淧artners negotiating hard during the 90-day day tariff pause period may be tempted to hold off making further concessions to the U.S. until there is more legal clarity,鈥� she said.
Likewise, companies will have to reassess the way they run their supply chains, perhaps speeding up shipments to the United States to offset the risk that the tariffs will be reinstated on appeal.
For now, the trade court鈥檚 ruling 鈥渄estroys the Trump administration鈥檚 rationale for using federal emergency powers to impose tariffs, which oversteps congressional authority and contravenes any notion of due process,鈥� said Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University. 鈥淭he ruling makes it clear that the broad tariffs imposed unilaterally by Trump represent an overreach of executive power.鈥欌��
鈻� Read more
Federal court blocks Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under emergency powers law
A federal court on Wednesday blocked Trump from on imports under , swiftly throwing into doubt Trump鈥檚 signature set of economic policies that have rattled global financial markets, frustrated trade partners and raised broader fears about inflation intensifying and the economy slumping.
The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits arguing Trump鈥檚 鈥淟iberation Day鈥� tariffs exceeded his authority and left the country鈥檚 trade policy dependent on his whims.
Trump says he has the power to act because the country鈥檚 trade deficits amount to a national emergency.
The court found the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the use of tariffs. The plaintiffs argued that the trade deficit is not an emergency because the U.S. has run a trade deficit with the rest of the world for 49 consecutive years.
鈻� Read more
The Associated Press
