A federal judge in San Francisco ordered administration to , of probationary workers let go in across the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup said the terminations were directed by the Office of Personnel Management and its acting director, Charles Ezell, who lacked the authority to do so.
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Black Caucus members draw parallels between resistance to Trump and the Jim Crow era
Fresh off a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of 鈥淏loody Sunday鈥 in Selma, members of the Congressional Black Caucus said efforts to counter the new Trump administration brought to mind the fight against slavery.
鈥淲e are in the backlash now, but we, as the conscience of Congress, understand that the discrimination that our parents, in some cases, our members, our grandparents and our great grandparents faced, the impact of over 300 years of slavery and Jim Crow did not go away with a magic wand,鈥 said Rep. Jennifer McClellan of Virginia.
Rep. Maxine Waters of California said lawmakers will 鈥渇ight鈥 and 鈥減eacefully protest鈥 the administration and made a striking claim about the intentions behind Trump鈥檚 government cuts: 鈥淚 believe he鈥檚 working toward a civil war.鈥
Wall Street tumbles after Trump escalates his trade war
The S&P 500 fell 1.4% to finish more than 10% below its record set last month. A 10% drop is a big enough deal that professional investors have a name for it 鈥 a 鈥渃orrection鈥 鈥 and this was the first for that index since 2023.
The losses came after Trump upped the stakes in his trade war by threatening huge taxes on . Not even a of on the U.S. economy could stop the bleeding.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 537 points, or 1.3% Thursday, and the Nasdaq composite fell 2%.
Trump administration demands UN agencies disclose any 鈥榓nti-American鈥 ties
The Trump administration is demanding U.N. humanitarian agencies that receive or disburse U.S. funding to fill out a questionnaire disclosing any ties to communism, socialism or anti-American beliefs.
That鈥檚 according to U.S. and U.N. officials and a copy of the survey obtained by The Associated Press.
UNICEF and the U.N. Refugee Agency joined the remaining offices and bureaus at the recently dismantled U.S. Agency for International Development in receiving the questionnaire.
It probes several Trump administration concerns, including whether any of the programs are promoting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
It was unclear how widely the administration sent the survey, which was verified by a current USAID staffer, a U.S. official and three U.N. officials.
Trump鈥檚 nominee for US ambassador to Canada says it鈥檚 a 鈥榮overeign state鈥
Pete Hoekstra was speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on his nomination.
Asked by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons if he agrees that Canada is a sovereign state and shouldn鈥檛 be 鈥渆ven jokingly referred to as ,鈥 Hoekstra replied:
鈥淐anada is a sovereign state, yes.鈥
Trump has rankled Canadians by insisting that their country would be better off as the newest member of the United States. Both countries are also embroiled in a trade war initiated by Trump.
Hoekstra is a former congressman from Michigan who was U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands in Trump鈥檚 first term.
Trump wants his birthright citizenship restrictions to be partly allowed for now
The administration鈥檚 emergency applications filed at the high court on Thursday ask the justices to narrow court orders entered by district judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington that have blocked Trump鈥檚 order nationwide.
Three federal appeals courts have rejected the administration鈥檚 pleas.
The order Trump signed shortly after being sworn in for a second time would deny citizenship to people born after Feb. 19 whose parents are in the country illegally. It also forbids U.S. agencies from issuing any document or accepting any state document recognizing citizenship for such children.
Earthjustice sues the Trump administration for withholding funds from farmers and nonprofits
The environmental law nonprofit argues that the administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is unlawfully withholding funds appropriated by Congress through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Earthjustice is representing five farms and three nonprofits that were awarded USDA grants funded by the IRA. The projects that were promised funding include improving energy efficiency, planting trees in historically underserved communities and providing technical assistance to farmers.
The freeze 鈥渆rodes the trust that the USDA worked so hard to build,鈥 said Brien Darby, Executive Director of Cultivate KC, one of the organizations.
The USDA has not responded to a request for comment.
Moderate Democrats express concern over DOGE and Musk influence in the White House
Rep. Brad Schneider of Illinois, chair of the New Democratic Coalition, told reporters that Trump is 鈥済utting federal programs that millions of hard-working people rely on just to give billionaires like Elon Musk a free ride. We see the cost of Trump鈥檚 chaos economy in virtually every facet of life.鈥
Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas said Trump 鈥渨ould rather turn the White House into a cheap used car lot than put food on the table and clothes on your back.鈥
Rep. Marilyn Strickland of Oregon said the moderate lawmakers don鈥檛 blame those who voted for Trump or didn鈥檛 vote at all. But she said Trump鈥檚 recent actions send a clear message: 鈥淭his administration does not care about you.鈥
Trump to meet Friday at the White House with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The president said they鈥檇 discuss several topics, including construction of an underground pipeline going through a 鈥渟mall section鈥 of New York state that may eventually lower energy prices.
The Democrat said she wants to continue an Oval Office conversation they had on infrastructure and Penn Station, and raise 鈥渙ur concerns about energy in light of the tariffs.鈥
Also, 鈥渉e knows I want to talk about ,鈥 Hochul said. The Trump administration has halted congestion pricing tolls in New York City.
Earthjustice sues Trump administration for withholding funds from farmers and nonprofits
The environmental law nonprofit argues that the administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is unlawfully withholding funds appropriated by Congress through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Earthjustice is representing five farms and three nonprofits that were awarded USDA grants funded by the IRA. The projects that were promised funding include improving energy efficiency, planting trees in historically underserved communities and providing technical assistance to farmers.
The freeze 鈥渆rodes the trust that the USDA worked so hard to build,鈥 said Brien Darby, Executive Director of Cultivate KC, one of the organizations.
The USDA has not responded to a request for comment.
A previously untariffed $15 bottle of Italian Prosecco could cost $45 in U.S.
That鈥檚 if Trump follows through on his threat to impose 200% tariffs on European liquor and wine in response to Europe鈥檚 tax on American bourbon, itself a retaliation to Trump鈥檚 steel and aluminum tariffs.
鈥淭his ongoing tariff war doesn鈥檛 just harm importers 鈥 it weakens domestic brands, disrupts distributors, and squeezes retailers who rely on global selections,鈥 said Holly Seidewand, owner of First Fill Spirits in Saratoga Springs, New York. 鈥淚n the end, consumers will bear the brunt of it all.鈥
Gabriel Picard, who heads the French Federation of Exporters of Wines and Spirits, said 200% tariffs would be 鈥渁 hammer blow鈥 to a U.S. market worth $4.3 billion annually for French exporters alone. 鈥淎ll exports to the United States will come to a total, total, halt,鈥 Picard told The Associated Press.
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Jewish protesters flood Trump Tower demanding release of Palestinian activist
Demonstrators from Jewish Voice for Peace filled the Trump Tower lobby to denounce the immigration arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, who led Columbia University protests against Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza.
They carried banners, wore red shirts reading 鈥淛ews say stop arming Israel鈥 and chanted 鈥淏ring Mahmoud home now!鈥
The NYPD said 98 of them were arrested on charges including trespassing, obstruction and resisting arrest.
The protesters included actor Debra Winger. She accused the Trump administration of having 鈥渘o interest in Jewish safety鈥 and 鈥渃o-opting antisemitism.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 just standing up for my rights, and I鈥檓 standing up for Mahmoud Khalil, who has been abducted illegally and taken to an undisclosed location,鈥 Winger told The Associated Press. 鈥淒oes that sound like America to you?鈥
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鈥楯UST-DOGE鈥 team created to cut costs at the Justice Department
The team is tasked with working with the White House and the Department of Government Efficiency 鈥渢o identify savings and cost cutting measures鈥 in the law enforcement agency, according to an email sent to Justice Department employees this week.
It will be led by officials including Assistant Attorney General for Administration Jolene Ann Lauria, according to the email reviewed by The Associated Press.
鈥淭he JUST-DOGE team will lead directed reviews and identify cost savings and other potential efficiencies in DOJ鈥檚 budget,鈥 the email said. 鈥淲e have much work to do in this area and we sincerely appreciate your cooperation in advance of this critical Administration priority.鈥
Trump said egg prices have gone down in the last couple of weeks
The president said to reporters: 鈥淲e inherited that problem: eggs.鈥
Wholesale egg prices have dropped this month as demand has dropped, , after surging 28% from January to February, .
But it鈥檚 not clear yet if consumers will benefit. Egg prices remain higher than they were at the start of 2025,
Trump questions Denmark鈥檚 claim to Greenland, says more US troops could be headed there
Trump says 鈥淒enmark鈥檚 very far away鈥 from Greenland, despite being part of that country鈥檚 kingdom.
鈥淎 boat landed there 200 years ago or something. They say they have rights to it,鈥 Trump said in the Oval Office. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 true. I don鈥檛 think it is, actually.鈥
He noted that the U.S. already has a military presence in Greenland and, 鈥淢aybe you鈥檒l see more and more soldiers going there.鈥
Trump also suggested that Greenland鈥檚 election was very good 鈥渇or us鈥 and 鈥渢he person who did the best is a very good person as far as we鈥檙e concerned.鈥
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Trump says Democrats would be responsible if government shuts down
鈥淚f there鈥檚 a shutdown, it鈥檚 only because of the Democrats,鈥 Trump said.
The Republican-controlled House passed legislation this week to keep the government funded through the end of the budget year in September.
The Republican-controlled Senate needs to act on the measure by midnight Friday to keep the government operating.
Democratic Senate Finance Committee members want hearing on DOGE changes at Social Security
The Social Security Administration has announced plans to lay off at least 7,000 workers, and has cut entire departments and temporarily shut off information sharing with Maine.
The agency is run by Leland Dudek, a department worker who is friendly to Elon Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency. Former Acting Commissioner Michelle King stepped down after voicing concerns about DOGE access to Social Security systems.
鈥淲hen combined with SSA providing inexperienced individuals unfettered access to the agency鈥檚 sensitive systems, there is a profound risk of causing irreparable harm to the agency鈥檚 systems and Americans鈥 financial security,鈥 the Senators wrote to committee chair Mike Crapo.
Social Security is the largest source of income for retirees. Musk recently told the Fox Business Network that 鈥渕ost of the federal spending is entitlements.鈥
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the big one to eliminate,鈥 he said.
What鈥檚 happening to USAID property overseas? Government watchdogs want answers
Government watchdogs are asking the new leaders of the U.S. Agency for International Development to explain what they鈥檙e doing to safeguard stranded USAID offices and other assets overseas as they gut the agency.
鈥淎ssets still in-country without active U.S. control are at risk of looting, terrorism or being seized,鈥 Gabriele Tonsil, the acting inspector general for USAID, said in a memo notifying deputy USAID administrator Pete Marocco that her office was launching an audit of the matter.
Tonsil became acting inspector general when the , one day after his office warned that the Trump administration鈥檚 sudden shutdown of USAID programs and mass idling of USAID workers was risking oversight of billions of dollars in U.S. foreign assistance.
NATO secretary-general arrives at White House for meeting and lunch with Trump
Trump says Rutte is doing a 鈥渇antastic job鈥 as head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and that 鈥淚 got to know him very well鈥 when Rutte was prime minister of the Netherlands.
鈥淲e had a great relationship,鈥 Trump says.
But Thursday鈥檚 meeting comes at a pivotal moment for Europe and NATO.
The Trump administration is moving forward on talks with Russia on a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire to end Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump has been ratcheting up his anti-NATO rhetoric, expressing an unwillingness to defend members who don鈥檛 meet defense spending targets.
Trump set to visit the Justice Department on Friday
The White House hasn鈥檛 provided any details about why the president is visiting the department that charged him with illegally retaining classified documents and trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
The DOJ, which is now led by his former defense attorneys and allies, abandoned the cases against Trump, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that sitting presidents cannot face .
Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X that she is 鈥渓ooking forward to welcoming鈥 Trump to the department. It will be his first agency visit since his return to the White House.
Democratic senat
ors complain about Trump鈥檚 Tesla promotion at the White House
They wrote to the acting director of the Office of Government Ethics slamming Trump鈥檚 apparent violation of federal ethics laws. They asked for an immediate investigation and possible disciplinary action.
Ethics laws against misusing government positions exist to make sure 鈥渇inite taxpayer resources鈥 address public concerns instead of 鈥渉elping the world鈥檚 richest man get richer,鈥 said the letter signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff.
Shares in Tesla have taken a beating as Elon Musk leads Trump鈥檚 campaign to slash federal spending. Trump had five Tesla automobiles parked at the White House and .
Russia President Vladimir Putin agrees in principle with US ceasefire proposal
鈥淲e agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis,鈥 Putin said.
Putin鈥檚 statement noted that Ukrainian troops are encircled in their last foothold in Russia鈥檚 Kursk region, and it鈥檚 necessary to determine before a ceasefire whether they will surrender.
He also noted that it鈥檚 necessary to develop a mechanism of control over possible breaches of the truce.
And he questioned whether Ukraine could use the 30-day ceasefire to mobilize and rearm.
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Senate Democrats refuse to back GOP spending plan as shutdown nears
Senate Democrats are mounting a last-ditch protest to a that already passed the House without slapping any limits on the Trump-Musk DOGE efforts to gut federal operations.
The Democrats are pushing a stopgap 30-day funding bill as an alternative, but its prospects are dim in the Republican-controlled chamber.
And it鈥檚 unlikely the Democrats would allow the government to shut down at midnight Friday, worried about the further chaos they say Trump and Musk could cause.
Transgender representative says she lives 鈥榬ent free鈥 in minds of GOP colleagues
The Democratic Issues Conference is a retreat in Virginia where leaders navigate the party's identity and messaging strategy.
And they鈥檙e not holding back when asked whether Democrats should dialogue with Republicans over decorum.
鈥淭heir focus on our decorum or our behavior while they are burning down things for people at home, just makes me livid,鈥 said Rep. Katherine Clarke, the Democratic Whip.
Appearing at a press conference for freshmen Democratic women was Rep. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress.
鈥淲e will not take a lecture on decorum from a party that incited an insurrection,鈥 she said.
McBride has often declined to push back on her Republican colleagues鈥 taunts and bathroom use restrictions. This was a departure for her.
鈥淚 appear to live rent-free in the minds of some of my Republican colleagues," she said. 鈥淚 wish that they would spend even a fraction of the time that they spent thinking about me thinking about how to lower the costs for American families. The Republican Party is obsessed with culture war issues. It is weird and it is bizarre.鈥
Trump forces out the chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities
Shelley C. Lowe, the first Native American to lead the NEH, was appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021 and confirmed by voice vote in the Senate the following year.
Her ouster is Trump鈥檚 latest move to assert more control over the country鈥檚 cultural institutions.
An NEH spokesperson said Thursday that Lowe had departed 鈥渁t the direction of President Trump,鈥 and that Michael McDonald, who had been the NEH鈥檚 general counsel, will serve as acting chair.
The National Endowment for the Arts, also is operating under interim leadership: NEA chair Maria Rosario Jackson resigned shortly before Trump took office in January.
The IRS replaces its chief counsel with a lawyer more sympathetic to DOGE, AP sources say
The revenue service demoted William Paul because he disagreed with the Department of Government Efficiency鈥檚 alleged push to share tax information with multiple agencies, according to two people familiar with the plans who are not authorized to speak publicly.
Paul will be replaced by Andrew De Mello, an attorney in the chief counsel鈥檚 office who is deemed supportive of Elon Musk and DOGE, they said.
Paul is not the first government official to be demoted after voicing concern about access to sensitive systems and taxpayer data.
鈥淭he series of IRS officials who have put the law above their personal job security join a line of public servants, stretching back to Treasury and IRS leaders during the Nixon era, who have resisted unlawful attempts by elected officials to weaponize taxpayer data and systems,鈥 Chye-Ching Huang, the executive director of New York University鈥檚 Tax Law Center, said in a statement.
Democratic-led states sue to block Education Department layoffs
A coalition including 20 states and the District of Columbia says the Trump administration鈥檚 are illegally dismantling an agency created by Congress.
The Trump administration cut the department鈥檚 workforce in half, and the president has said he wants it .
The federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Massachusetts says the layoffs make it impossible for to comply with its statutory requirements, will result in lost or delayed federal funding for public schools and leave the agency unable to administer college or enforce laws.
Senate committee backs Stanford health economist to lead NIH
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya once famously clashed with officials at the National Institutes of Health. Now he鈥檚 up for a full Senate vote with the approval of the Senate鈥檚 health committee.
Bhattacharya, who holds a medical degree but is not a practicing physician, was an outspoken critic of COVID-19 shutdowns and vaccine policies.
He sidestepped committee questions about drastic funding cuts and mass firings, and vowed to focus attention on chronic diseases and encourage scientific dissent at the $48 billion agency, the world鈥檚 largest funder of biomedical research.
FDA nominee Marty Makary on track for confirmation after Senate panel vote
Dr. Marty Makary is on track to become the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
The Republican-controlled Senate health panel voted 14-9 to advance his nomination to the Senate floor. Democrats Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and John Hickenlooper of Colorado joined Republicans in favor.
Makary 鈥 a surgeon, author and researcher 鈥 is known for his contrarian views and is closely aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on many issues. Both are highly critical of food additives, ultraprocessed foods and the overprescribing of drugs.
Makary refused to be pinned down on specific actions he might take as commissioner, including on the abortion pill mifepristone.
G7 allies meet in Canada as Trump鈥檚 policies shake unity
Top diplomats from the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan are gathering as the bloc鈥檚 once-solid unity is thrown into disarray by Trump鈥檚 trade and foreign policies.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will likely hear a litany of complaints. The meeting began just minutes after Trump threatened 200% tariffs on European alcohol if the EU retaliates against his steel and aluminum tariffs with a levy on American whiskey.
Relations between the U.S. and its closest allies are already strained by Trump鈥檚 apparent pivot toward Russia. 鈥淧eace and stability is at the top of our agenda, and I look forward discussing how we continue to support Ukraine in the face of Russia鈥檚 illegal aggression,鈥 Canadian Foreign Minister M茅lanie Joly said.
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China opposes tariffs on steel and aluminum and confirms talks with Walmart
China called U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum 鈥渦nilateral and protectionist acts under the name of national security.鈥
Chinese commerce ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian confirmed Thursday that ministry officials had reached out to Walmart following reports that the giant U.S. retailer was seeking price cuts from its Chinese suppliers to offset the cost of Trump鈥檚 tariffs on Chinese goods.
Walmart said in a statement that its conversations with suppliers were aimed at saving money for its customers and that it would work closely with the suppliers to 鈥渇ind the best way forward during these uncertain times.鈥
Trump withdraws his initial choice to lead CDC, a close RFK Jr. ally
The Senate health committee announced Thursday that it was canceling a hearing on former Florida congressman David Weldon鈥檚 nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the White House pulled the nomination because it became clear Weldon did not have the votes for confirmation.
Weldon has been closely aligned with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now Trump鈥檚 health secretary, one of the nation鈥檚 . Weldon also has been of vaccines and the CDC, which promotes vaccines and monitors their safety.
By Zeke Miller and Mike Stobbe
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Trump special envoy in Russia for high-level talks on Ukraine ceasefire
was in Moscow on Thursday, just the latest high-profile assignment for a real estate magnate turned White House foreign policy fixer.
The longtime pal is also a key player in the Republican administration鈥檚 efforts to end the war in Gaza.
Now he鈥檚 expected to meet with Russian President , according to a U.S. official who also confirmed Witkoff鈥檚 arrival in Russia for the sensitive engagement. The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of the anonymity.
Ukraine agreed Tuesday to a U.S. proposal for a Trump said he hopes Russia will quickly agree.
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US bourbon makers urge Trump to back off his trade war
鈥淭he US-EU spirits sector is the model for fair and reciprocal trade, having zero-for-zero tariffs since 1997,鈥 says the statement by Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council.
鈥淭he U.S. spirits sector supports more than $200 billion in economic activity, 1.7 million jobs across production, distribution, hospitality and retail, and the purchase of 2.8 billion pounds of grains from American farmers,鈥 it says.
鈥淲e urge President Trump to secure a spirits agreement with the EU to get us back to zero-for-zero tariffs, which will create U.S. jobs and increase manufacturing and exports for the American hospitality sector. We want toasts not tariffs.鈥
U.S. wholesale inflation decelerated last month, but the progress may not last
The Labor Department reported that its producer price index 鈥 which tracks inflation before it reaches consumers 鈥 was unchanged from January to February, and core wholesale prices that exclude volatile food and energy costs dropped 0.1%, the first drop since July.
Thursday鈥檚 numbers hit as President Donald Trump ramps up his trade war, threatening to send inflation higher.
Gasoline prices fell 4.7% last month, while food prices rose 1.7% from January to February, led by a 28% surge in the price of eggs.
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Trump takes aim at Europe鈥檚 possible whiskey tax as his trade war heats up
Trump issued his threat on social media, saying he鈥檇 impose a 200% tariff on European wine, champagne and spirits if the European goes forward with a planned tariff on American whiskey on April 1.
Trump called the longtime U.S. ally 鈥渙ne of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World, which was formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States.鈥
He said the 200% tax on U.S. consumption of the European products 鈥渨ill be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S.鈥
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Jobless numbers don鈥檛 yet reflect DOGE federal workforce cuts
It鈥檚 not clear when job cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency will show up in the weekly layoffs report, though some analysts expect them to surface in data in the coming weeks.
Those layoffs are part of the to shrink the size of the through billionaire Department of Government Efficiency.
Senior U.S. officials set the government in motion weeks ago dramatically expanding President Donald Trump鈥檚 efforts to scale back the workforce. Thousands of probationary employees , and now the Republican administration is turning its attention to career officials with civil service protection.
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Jobless numbers remain healthy for now
Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs, and have remained mostly in a range between 200,000 and 250,000 for the past few years.
U.S. jobless claims filings fell by 2,000 to 220,000 for the week ending March 8, the Labor Department said Thursday. That鈥檚 fewer than the 226,000 new applications analysts forecast.
The four-week average, which evens out some of the week-to-week swings, ticked up by 1,500 to 226,000.
The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of March 1 fell by 27,000 to 1.87 million.
UN humanitarian chief says many needy people around the world will die because of aid cuts
The U.N. humanitarian chief says more than 300 million people across the globe need humanitarian support and many will die because funding from the United States and others is drying up.
Tom Fletcher told a U.N. news conference that the cuts have caused 鈥渁 seismic shock.鈥
The Trump administration has dismantled the U.S. aid agency, USAID, and terminated 83% of its programs.
Across the humanitarian community, he said, programs have been stopped and staff have been laid off including about 10% in February from nongovernmental organizations doing humanitarian work.
Fletcher said that in December global experts estimated that 300 million people needed help in 2025, and the U.N. prioritized 190 million it was aiming to reach, which would cost $47 billion.
That number increased to 307 million in recent days, he said, but with the funding cuts, he can鈥檛 say with confidence that the U.N. will get anywhere near $47 billion. Now, U.N. colleagues in Geneva are trying to identify how to prioritize saving 100 million lives and how much that would cost.
Rubio could face an unfriendly reception from close G7 allies over Trump鈥檚 policies
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio disembarks from a military airplane upon arrival at Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec, Canada, March 12, 2025, as he travels to a G7 Foreign Ministers meeting. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio may be walking into unusually unfriendly territory this week when he meets his counterparts from the Group of 7 industrialized democracies 鈥 strong American allies against them.
Just hours after 鈥 prompting and threatening to ignite full-scale trade wars with close U.S. partners 鈥 Rubio arrived at the scenic Quebec town of La Malbaie on the St. Lawrence River for two days of talks starting Thursday with the top diplomats of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. All of them have been angered by the new American president鈥檚 policies.
Rubio will likely be hearing a litany of complaints about Trump鈥檚 decisions from once-friendly, like-minded countries in the G7 鈥 notably host Canada, to which Trump has arguably been most antagonistic with persistent talk of it , and repeated .
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Trump hosting White House talks with NATO secretary general
Mark Rutte, who heads the 32-member transatlantic military alliance, will meet with Trump at a pivotal moment for Europe and NATO.
Administration officials are pressing ahead with talks with Moscow to sign off on a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire that Trump believes could usher in a permanent end to Europe鈥檚 biggest land-war since World War II.
Thursday鈥檚 talks also come as Trump鈥檚 rhetoric on the alliance continues to leave members uneasy.
Trump last week suggested that the U.S. might abandon its commitments to the alliance if member countries don鈥檛 meet defense spending targets, a day after his pick for NATO ambassador that the administration鈥檚 commitment to the military alliance was 鈥渋ronclad.鈥
The U.S. president also expressed doubt that NATO would come to the United States鈥 defense if the country were attacked. However, the alliance did just that after Sept. 11 鈥 the only time in its history that the defense guarantee has been invoked.
Education Department layoffs gut civil rights office, leaving discrimination cases in limbo
The Education Department鈥檚 is losing nearly half its staff in the Trump administration鈥檚 layoffs, effectively gutting an office that already faced a backlog of thousands of complaints from students and families across the nation.
Among a total of more than announced Tuesday were roughly 240 in the department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights, according to a list obtained and verified by The Associated Press. Seven of the civil rights agency鈥檚 12 regional offices were entirely laid off, including busy hubs in New York, Chicago and Dallas. Despite assurances that the department鈥檚 work will continue unaffected, huge numbers of cases appear to be in limbo.
The Trump administration has not said how it will proceed with thousands of cases being handled by staff it鈥檚 eliminating. The cases involve families trying to get school services for , allegations of bias related to race and , and complaints over at schools and college campuses.
Some staffers who remain said there鈥檚 no way to pick up all of their fired colleagues鈥 cases. Many were already struggling to keep pace with their own caseloads. With fewer than 300 workers, families likely will be waiting on resolution for years, they said.
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Federal student loan site goes down after layoffs gutted Education Department
An hours-long outage Wednesday on StudentAid.gov, the federal website for student loans and financial aid, underscored the risks in , as Trump .
Hundreds of users reported FAFSA outages to starting midday Wednesday, saying they were having trouble completing the form, which is required for financial aid at colleges nationwide. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, a group of people who handle colleges鈥 financial aid awards, also received reports of users experiencing technical issues and having trouble completing the .
The developers and IT support staff who worked on the FAFSA form were hard hit in the Education Department鈥檚 layoffs Tuesday, along with staff buyouts and the termination of probationary employees. In all, the Education Department has reduced its staff by half, to roughly 2,000, since Trump took office.
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The Associated Press
