President Donald Trump said Thursday that he鈥檚 naming Secretary of State Marco Rubio as acting national security adviser to replace Mike Waltz, whom he is nominating for United Nations ambassador.
Trump announced the switch-up shortly after news broke that Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong were departing the administration just weeks after it was revealed he added a journalist to a Signal chat being used to discuss military plans.
Here's the latest:
Trump threatens sanctions against anyone who purchases Iranian oil
The president鈥檚 threat comes after planned talks over Tehran鈥檚 rapidly advancing nuclear program were postponed.
Trump wrote on social media Thursday that 鈥淎ll purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!鈥�
He said any country or person who buys those products from Iran will not be able to do business with the U.S.
The threat came after Oman announced that talks scheduled for this coming weekend have been postponed.
Justice Department sues Hawaii and Michigan over planned lawsuits against fossil fuel companies
The department argues in filings Wednesday that the states鈥� lawsuits alleging harms that play a role in climate change would infringe on the federal government鈥檚 authority.
The federal lawsuits raise questions over states鈥� abilities to take climate action without federal opposition.
In court filings, the DOJ said the federal Clean Air Act 鈥渃reates a comprehensive program for regulating air pollution in the United States and 鈥渄isplaces鈥� the ability of States to regulate greenhouse gas emissions beyond their borders.鈥�
When burned, fossil fuels release emissions such as carbon dioxide that warm the planet.
Trump creates a religious liberty commission on the National Day of Prayer
The president signed an executive order creating the panel during a White House Rose Garden ceremony to recognize the National Day of Prayer.
Its members include Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, former U.S. housing secretary Ben Carson and TV talk-show host Phil McGraw. The commission was Patrick鈥檚 idea, Trump said.
Patrick told Trump, 鈥淭here has never been a president who has invoked the name of Jesus more than you.鈥�
McGraw said Trump is a 鈥渕an of deep faith 鈥� who wants this country to have a heart and have religion.鈥�
US State Department says American officials met with Syria鈥檚 interim authorities in Washington
The meeting Tuesday was the first known Trump administration contact with Syrian officials since in a lightning rebel offensive in December.
The new Syrian authorities arrived in the U.S. last week to attend a series of meetings in Washington and New York as part of an effort to urge relief from harsh sanctions that were imposed by America and its allies after Assad鈥檚 brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011 that spiraled into .
In a statement released Wednesday, the State Department said while they do not discuss 鈥減rivate diplomatic conversations,鈥� they continue to urge the interim authorities to 鈥渃hoose policies that will reinforce stability鈥� for Syrians, 鈥渁ssure peace with Syria鈥檚 neighbors,鈥� while developing the war-torn country鈥檚 economy.
鈥淎ny future normalization of relations or lifting of sanctions will depend on the interim authorities鈥� actions and positive response to the specific confidence building measures we have communicated,鈥� the State Department said.
Trump says taxes increasing may make people give up their religion
Addressing a National Day of Prayer Event in the White House Rose Garden, Trump vowed: 鈥淲e鈥檙e bringing back religion in our country鈥� and doing so 鈥渜uickly and strongly.鈥�
The president used the occasion to again promise that tax-cut legislation would work its way through Congress.
Trump noted that he was addressing 鈥渁 religious ceremony鈥� but, added that, to him, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 part of the religion because, if your taxes go up鈥� than some people 鈥渕ight give up your religion.鈥�
鈥淵ou might have no choice. You鈥檒l be working too hard to try and make it,鈥� he said if taxes rise.
Sex assault reports in the US military fell by nearly 4% last year, fueled by a big drop in the Army
A Pentagon report released Thursday says there were 8,195 reported sexual assaults in 2024 involving members of the military, compared with 8,515 in 2023.
It was the second year in a row with a decrease, reversing a troubling trend that has plagued the Defense Department for more than a decade.
Defense officials say that while the decline is a good sign, the numbers of reported assaults are still too high and the military needs to do more to get victims to report the often undisclosed crime.
Judge bars deportations of Venezuelans from South Texas under 18th-century wartime law
U.S. District Court Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. is the first judge to rule that the Alien Enemies Act cannot be used against people whom the Republican administration claims are gang members invading the United States.
鈥淣either the Court nor the parties question that the Executive Branch can direct the detention and removal of aliens who engage in criminal activity in the United States,鈥� Rodriguez wrote Thursday. But, he said, 鈥渢he President鈥檚 invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute鈥檚 terms.鈥�
In March, Trump issued a proclamation claiming the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua was invading the U.S. He said he had special powers to deport immigrants, identified by his administration as gang members, without the usual court proceedings.
The Alien Enemies Act has only been used three times before in U.S. history, most recently during World War II, when it was cited to intern Japanese-Americans.
The proclamation triggered a flurry of litigation as the administration tried to ship migrants it claimed were gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
Rodriguez鈥檚 ruling is significant because it is the first formal permanent injunction against the administration using the AEA and contends the president is misusing the law.
FDA to rehire fired staffers who booked inspection trips, but other workers remain in limbo
For the second time in recent months, the Food and Drug Administration is bringing back some recently fired employees, including staffers who for safety inspectors.
More than 20 of the agency鈥檚 roughly 60 travel staff will be reinstated, according to two FDA staffers notified of the plan this week, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential agency matters.
Food scientists who test samples for bacteria and study potentially harmful chemicals also have been told they will get their jobs back, but have yet to receive any official confirmation.
The reversals are the latest example of the haphazard approach to cuts at the agency, which have shrunk FDA鈥檚 staff by an estimated 20%. In February, the FDA laid off about 700 provisional employees, including food and medical device reviewers, only to within days.
鈥� Matthew Perrone
Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz is out in first major shakeup of Trump鈥檚 second term
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz is set to depart the Trump administration.
That鈥檚 according to two people familiar with the matter, which marks the first major staff shakeup of President Trump鈥檚 second term.
Waltz came under searing scrutiny in March after revelations that he added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a private text chain on the encrypted messaging app Signal, which was used to discuss planning for a sensitive March 15 military operation against Houthi militants in Yemen.
A far-right ally of the president, Laura Loomer, has also targeted Waltz, telling Trump in a recent Oval Office conversation that he needs to purge aides who she believes are insufficiently loyal to the 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� agenda.
Waltz鈥檚 deputy, Alex Wong, is also expected to depart, according to the people. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel move not yet made public. The National Security Council did not respond do a request for comment.
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鈥� Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani and Seung Min Kim
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum says she spoke with Trump about ongoing trade negotiations
鈥淚t was a good conversation,鈥� Sheinbaum said during her daily news briefing. 鈥淓ven though there wasn鈥檛 a specific agreement, the important thing is that we鈥檙e working on it.鈥�
Sheinbaum, who said she and Trump spoke for 10 to 15 minutes Thursday morning, noted that the Trump administration had relaxed some of the tariffs on automobiles and auto parts this week, but said Mexico is still looking for a better deal for the automotive sector, as well as for steel and aluminum which face their own U.S. tariffs.
The U.S. is looking to reduce its trade deficit with Mexico, she said, noting that Mexico was working to find ways to help them do that.
The leaders agreed that their cabinet secretaries would continue negotiating.
鈥淚t is a good sign that we continue advancing,鈥� she said.
From Tokyo to Turin to LA, Trump鈥檚 policies loom over May Day marches
French union leaders condemned the 鈥淭rumpization鈥� of world politics, while in Italy, protesters paraded a puppet of the American president through the streets of Turin.
Across continents, hundreds of thousands turned out for Thursday鈥檚 rallies marking International Workers鈥� Day, many united in anger over President Trump鈥檚 agenda 鈥� from stoking fears of to .
In the United States, organizers framed this year鈥檚 protests as a against what they called a sweeping assault on labor protections, diversity initiatives and federal employees.
In Germany, union leaders warned that extended workdays and rising anti-immigrant sentiment were dismantling labor protections. In Bern, Switzerland, thousands marched behind banners denouncing fascism and war 鈥� part of a wider backlash against the global surge of hard-right politics.
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Trump will address graduating students at the University of Alabama
President Trump will travel to heavily Republican on Thursday to speak to graduating students at the University of Alabama, where he鈥檚 expected to draw some protesters despite enjoying a deep well of support in the state.
Trump鈥檚 evening remarks in Tuscaloosa will be the Republican president鈥檚 first address to graduates in his second term and will come as he鈥檚 been celebrating the .
The White House did not offer any details about Trump鈥檚 planned message.
Alabama, where Trump won a commanding 64% of the vote in 2024, is where he鈥檚 staged a number of his trademark large rallies over the past decade. It also is where Trump showed early signs of strength in his first presidential campaign when he began filling stadiums for his rallies.
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State Department plans to host memorial to fallen staffers of dismantled aid agency
Administration officials say they鈥檙e seeking a permanent home at the State Department for a memorial honoring fallen staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The memorial bears the names of 99 USAID and other foreign assistance workers killed in the line of duty around the world.
The Trump administration has dismantled USAID and terminated most of its programs and staff, accusing its humanitarian and development work of being wasteful and out of line with Trump鈥檚 agenda. Past presidents since John F. Kennedy argued that working for a more stable and prosperous world benefited U.S. security.
The State Department says workers removed the memorial from the former USAID headquarters Wednesday. It鈥檚 being held in a temporary location, the agency said.
White House says Harris comments are a reminder she鈥檚 not president
Deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller says former Vice President Kamala Harris鈥� criticism of Trump are a 鈥済reat reminder to the American people of just how blessed we all are that the leader sitting in the Oval Office today is President Donald Trump and not President Kamala Harris.鈥�
鈥淚t would have been the end of America,鈥� Miller said at a briefing with reporters at the White House on Thursday.
Harris said in a speech Wednesday night that Trump鈥檚 tariffs are 鈥渃learly inviting a recession.鈥�
Miller countered that, 鈥淭he only things Americans want to hear from Kamala Harris is an apology鈥� for less strict immigration policies and enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border, which he said was 鈥渦nforgivable.鈥�
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt added, 鈥淚 think I speak for everyone at the White House, we encourage Kamala Harris to continue going out and do speaking engagements.鈥�
Weekend round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran are postponed, Oman says
The planned negotiations between Iran and the United States this weekend over Tehran鈥檚 rapidly advancing nuclear program have been postponed, Oman announced Thursday.
A message online from Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi made the announcement in a post on the social media platform X.
鈥淔or logistical reasons we are rescheduling the US Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday May 3rd,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淣ew dates will be announced when mutually agreed.鈥�
Al-Busaidi did not elaborate. Iran and the U.S. did not immediately acknowledge al-Busaidi鈥檚 comments.
The talks Saturday were to be held in Rome.
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Official defends Trump saying dolls could get more scarce and cost more due to tariffs on China
A top White House official is defending Trump鈥檚 acknowledgement that steep tariffs on China might lead to fewer goods on the shelves at higher prices.
Trump said children maybe 鈥渨ill have two dolls instead of 30 dolls. And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally.鈥�
Deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller insisted Thursday that the president was 鈥渕aking the point that I think almost every American consumer agrees with.鈥�
In a briefing with reporters, Miller said dolls made in the U.S. had higher quality standards than ones from China that he said could contain lead paint.
鈥淵es, you鈥檇 probably be willing to pay more for a better-made American product,鈥� Miller said.
China signals willingness for tariff talks
China鈥檚 state broadcaster has claimed in a social media post that the Trump administration has been seeking contact with Beijing through multiple channels to start negotiations over tariffs.
In a climbdown, the post by China Central Television says there鈥檚 no need for China to talk with the U.S. before the U.S. takes any substantive act but also said 鈥渢here is no harm鈥� for contact.
鈥淐hina needs to observe or even force out the true intent on the U.S. side to stay proactive in the talks,鈥� reads the post.
Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, said she also understands 鈥渋t鈥檚 getting close鈥� for talks between the two sides but such talks will be at the working level, not yet between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
House Speaker Mike Johnson heading to the White House (again)
There鈥檚 trouble as House Republicans race to build Trump鈥檚 big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, especially over its trillions in costs and potential Medicaid changes.
Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, tax writing committee chairman Rep. Jason Smith and the chairman handling health programs, Brett Guthrie, are meeting with Trump.
Trump鈥檚 health agency urges therapy for transgender youth, not broader gender-affirming health care
Trump鈥檚 administration released a lengthy review of transgender health care Thursday that advocates for a greater reliance on behavioral therapy rather than broad gender-affirming medical care for youths with gender dysmorphia.
questions standards for the treatment of transgender youth issued by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and is likely to be used to bolster the government鈥檚 abrupt shift in how to care for a subset of the population that has become a political lightning rod.
This new 鈥渂est practices鈥� report is in response to an Trump issued days into his second term that says the federal government must not support gender transitions for anyone under age 19.
鈥淥ur duty is to protect our nation鈥檚 children 鈥� not expose them to unproven and irreversible medical interventions,鈥� National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said in a statement. 鈥淲e must follow the gold standard of science, not activist agendas.鈥�
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Ukraine and the US have finally signed a minerals deal. What does it include?
After months of tense negotiations, the U.S. and Ukraine that鈥檚 expected to give Washington access to the country鈥檚 and other natural resources, an agreement Kyiv hopes will secure long-term support for its defense against Russia.
According to Ukrainian officials, the version of the deal signed Wednesday is far more beneficial to Ukraine than , which they said reduced Kyiv to a junior partner and gave Washington unprecedented rights to the country鈥檚 resources.
The deal covers minerals, including rare earth elements, but also other valuable resources, including oil and natural gas, according to the text released by Ukraine鈥檚 government.
It doesn鈥檛 include resources that are already a source of revenue for the Ukrainian state. In other words, any profits under the deal are dependent on the success of new investments. Ukrainian officials have also noted that it doesn鈥檛 refer to any debt obligations for Kyiv, meaning profits from the fund will likely not go toward the paying the U.S. back for its previous support.
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Trump鈥檚 agenda faces courtroom setbacks as Justice Department lawyers struggle to win over judges
To understand struggles in representing President Trump鈥檚 positions in court, look no further than a succession of losses last week that dealt a setback to the administration鈥檚 agenda.
In orders spanning different courthouses, to add a proof-of-citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form, ruled the Republican administration by deporting a man to El Salvador and halted directives that for public schools with diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
That鈥檚 on top of arguments in which to a Justice Department lawyer about the legality of Trump executive orders targeting major law firms and a department lawyer鈥檚 accidental filing of an internal memo in court questioning the Trump administration鈥檚 legal strategy to kill Manhattan鈥檚 congestion toll 鈥� a blunder the Transportation Department called 鈥渓egal malpractice.鈥�
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Cheap parcels from China will no longer be duty-free. Here鈥檚 what it means for buyers and sellers
Consumers can expect higher prices and delivery delays when the Trump administration ends a duty-free exemption on low-value imports from China Friday.
The expiration of the so-called de minimis rule that has allowed as many as 4 million low-value parcels to come into the U.S. every day 鈥� mostly from China 鈥� is also forcing businesses that have built their models on sourcing production in China to rethink their practices in order to keep their costs down.
But some might actually benefit from the termination of the duty exemption. For instance, companies that make their goods in the U.S. may feel relief from the competition of cheap Chinese imports, and likely experience a brighter sales outlook.
The move, which applies to goods originating from mainland China and Hong Kong, comes on top of President Donald Trump鈥檚 on China. Beijing has retaliated with tariffs of 125% on the U.S., fueling a trade war between the world鈥檚 two largest economies. Sellers are already seeing cautious consumers.
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Harris accuses Trump of 鈥榳holesale abandonment鈥� of American ideals in major post-election speech
used a high-profile speech to sharply criticize Trump amid speculation about whether she will mount another presidential campaign or opt to run for California governor.
In her most extensive public remarks since leaving office in January to Trump, Harris said Wednesday she鈥檚 inspired by Americans fighting Trump鈥檚 agenda despite threats to their freedom or livelihood.
Before Wednesday, Harris had barely mentioned Trump by name since she conceded defeat to him in November.
In a 15-minute speech, she spoke to the anxiety and confusion that have gripped many of her supporters since Trump took office but discouraged despair.
Trump went after Harris in a Tuesday marking his 100th day in office. He sarcastically called her a 鈥済reat border czar鈥� and a 鈥済reat candidate,鈥� and repeated some of the applause lines he routinely delivered during the campaign.
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The Senate votes down resolution to block Trump鈥檚 global tariffs amid economic turmoil
Senate Republicans narrowly voted down a Democratic resolution Wednesday that would have blocked global tariffs announced by Trump earlier this month, giving the president a modest win as lawmakers in both parties have remained skeptical of his trade agenda.
The 49-49 vote came weeks after the Senate that would have thwarted Trump鈥檚 ability to impose tariffs on Canada. That measure passed 51-48 with the votes of four Republicans 鈥� Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky. But McConnell 鈥� who has been sharply critical of the tariffs but had not said how he would vote 鈥� and Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse were absent Wednesday, denying Democrats the votes for passage.
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The Associated Press
