US and Ukraine sign economic deal after Trump presses Kyiv to pay back US. See how it unfolded.

By the New York Times

President Trump appeared by phone for a town hall event on the TV network NewsNation Wednesday night.

After days of Trump complaining about polls showing that more Americans disapprove of his administration, denouncing them as fake or rigged, NewsNation unveiled its own poll ahead of the town hall showing that just 44 percent of Americans approved of his performance so far, similar to polling from other pollsters and news outlets.

“Well first of all, they’re fake polls,” Trump said, adding that polls showing high levels of disapproval were “ridiculous and unfair.”

Chris Cuomo, a host of the town hall, later asked Trump about criticisms from voters that he does not appear to have a long-term plan on tariffs, as he announces them and then rescinds them.

“The problem I have, Chris, is I have to be flexible,” Trump said.

By the Associated Press

Ukraine and US officials have offered only barebone details about the structure of the economic deal signed by the two sides on Wednesday. But it is expected to give the US access to Ukraine’s valuable rare earth minerals while providing Kyiv a measure of assurance about continued American support in its grinding war with Russia.

Trump said Wednesday night on NewsNation that the deal, “in theory,” means that the US will get more from Ukraine than it contributed. “I wanted to be protected,” he said, adding that he didn’t want to be looking “foolish” by not getting money back for the investment.

For Ukraine, the agreement is seen as key to ensuring its access to future US military aid.

“Truly, this is a strategic deal for the creation of an investment partner fund,” said Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. “This is truly an equal and good international deal on joint investment in the development and restoration of Ukraine between the governments of the United States and Ukraine.”

By the Washington Post

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. intends to shift the way vaccines are tested, a move that the agency said will increase transparency but that medical experts fear could limit access to vaccines and undermine the public’s trust in immunization depending on its implementation.

The potential change outlined in a statement says all new vaccines will be required to undergo placebo testing, a procedure in which some people receive the vaccine and others receive an inert substance - such as a saline shot - before the results are compared.

“All new vaccines will undergo safety testing in placebo-controlled trials prior to licensure - a radical departure from past practices,” an HHS spokesperson told The Washington Post in response to questions about Kennedy’s comments on the measles vaccines and general vaccine policy.

HHS did not clarify how the change will be implemented and for which vaccines the testing would apply, nor did it define what the department meant by “new vaccine.” But the government indicated it wouldn’t apply to the flu vaccine, which is updated year to year and which HHS stated “has been tried and tested for more than 80 years.” In response to questions about whether other vaccines previously safety tested would be newly scrutinized, the department focused on its concerns around the coronavirus vaccine but did not address other immunizations.

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By the Associated Press

A federal judge has denied the US government’s request to release from prison a former FBI informant who made up a story about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter accepting bribes that later became central to Republicans’ impeachment effort.

The decision, issued Wednesday by US District Judge Otis Wright in Los Angeles, comes weeks after a new prosecutor reassigned to Alexander Smirnov’s case jointly filed a motion with his attorneys asking for his release while he appeals his conviction. In the motion, the US government had said it would review its “theory of the case.”

Wright said in his written order that Smirnov is still flight risk, even if prosecutors say they will review his case.

“The fact remains that Smirnov has been convicted and sentenced to seventy-two months in prison, providing ample incentive to flee,” he said.

Smirnov, 44, was sentenced in January after pleading guilty to tax evasion and lying to the FBI about the phony bribery scheme, which was described by the previous prosecutors assigned to the case as an effort to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

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By the Associated Press

Senate Republicans narrowly voted down a Democratic resolution that would have blocked global tariffs, 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 approved a resolution that would have have thwarted Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada. That measure passed 51-48 with the votes of four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky.

But McConnell — who has been sharply critical of the tariffs but had not said how he would vote — and Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse were absent Wednesday, denying Democrats the votes for passage.

Democrats said their primary aim was to put Republicans on the record either way and to try to reassert congressional powers.

By the Associated Press

The company struck a deal Wednesday to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar in a sign it has no plans to hold back from foreign dealmaking during a second Trump administration, despite the danger of a president shaping public policy for personal financial gain.

The project, which features Trump-branded beachside villas and an 18-hole golf course to be built by a Saudi Arabian company, is the first foreign deal by the Trump Organization since Donald Trump took office and unlike any done in his first term.

Back then he forswore foreign deals in an extraordinary news conference surrounded by stacks of legal documents as he pledged to avoid even the appearance of conflict of interest.

“You want a president making decisions that are in the best interest of the United States, not his bottom line,” said Noah Bookbinder, president of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which has sued Trump over alleged ethics violations.

By the Associated Press

A federal appeals court says it won’t lift restrictions on the access that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has to Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans.

The full panel of judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 9-6 to keep the ruling from U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in place while DOGE pushes appeals.

Hollander issued a preliminary injunction this month in the case, which was brought by a group of labor unions and retirees who say DOGE’s recent actions violate privacy laws and present massive information security risks.

By the Associated Press

Contractors hired by the Trump administration have removed a memorial wall to fallen staffers from the now-closed headquarters of the U.S. Agency for International Development, with no immediate word on where it will wind up.

Engraved tiles on the wall honor 99 USAID staffers killed in the line of duty around the world. President John F. Kennedy and Congress created the foreign assistance agency in the early 1960s.

President Donald Trump and ally Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency swiftly moved to dismantle USAID, closing the headquarters and terminating most staff and projects within weeks of the inauguration.

Crews had already removed the agency’s name and banner from buildings in Washington, eradicating traces of an agency whose mission Trump and Musk said was wasteful and contrary to the president’s agenda.

Families of the dead, lawmakers and staffers have worried about whether the memorial would be treated respectfully amid the breakup of USAID.

By the Associated Press

The U.S. and Ukraine announced an economic deal Wednesday after a weekslong press by President Donald Trump calling on Ukraine to compensate Washington for billions more in military and economic assistance to help Ukraine repel the Russian invasion.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a video posted to the social platform X that “this partnership allows the United States to invest alongside Ukraine, to unlock Ukraine’s growth assets, mobilize American talent, capital and governance standards that will improve Ukraine’s investment climate and accelerate Ukraine’s economic recovery.”

Ukraine Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed to The Associated Press that the deal was signed in Washington. In a post on X, she said, “Together with the United States, we are creating the Fund that will attract global investment to our country.”

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By the Associated Press

The FBI has reassigned several agents who were photographed kneeling during a racial justice protest in Washington following the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis officers.

That’s according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the personnel decisions, which were first reported by CNN. The FBI did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

The reasons for the moves were not immediately clear, though the FBI under Director Kash Patel has been undertaking broad personnel changes and Deputy Director Dan Bongino has repeatedly sought to reassure critics of the bureau on social media that leaders are working to address their concerns.

By the Associated Press

Senate Democrats are forcing a vote Wednesday evening on whether to block global tariffs announced by Trump, a potentially tough decision for some Republicans who have expressed concerns about the policy but are wary of crossing the president.

Trump announced the far-reaching tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners April 2 and then reversed himself a few days later after a market meltdown, suspending the import taxes for 90 days.

Amid the uncertainty for both U.S. consumers and businesses, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the U.S. economy shrank 0.3% from January through March, the first drop in three years.

It is unclear whether the resolution will pass the Senate, and House passage is even less likely. But Democrats say they want to put Republicans on the record either way and try to reassert congressional powers.

By the Associated Press

The president read off a list of companies that have pledged to invest, pausing for applause for each during a White House event celebrating businesses.

The list took several minutes to read and included announced investments from Eli Lilly, Novartis, AbbVie, Merck, Abbott, IBM and GE Aerospace, as well as automakers Toyota and Hyundai.

Trump invited some CEOs up to talk about their companies, including H. Lawrence Culp of GE Aerospace.

He later said he would let them tour the Oval Office and it would “blow your offices away.”

Despite Trump’s list there is no evidence in the economic data that the announced financial commitments have so far increased factory construction spending, which climbed sharply under his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden.

By the Associated Press

The short answer is yes, military recruitment has risen during Trump’s presidency. However, Defense Department data shows the uptick in enlistment did not start when Trump was elected – it started years before.

Here’s what AP’s news verification reporter Melissa Goldin wrote on the subject:

Experts cite factors such as improving recruitment strategies, increased bonuses and new prep courses that predated the 2024 presidential election as factors in the change, although they acknowledge Trump’s election could have also played a role.

Military enlistment was 12.5% higher in fiscal year 2024, which ran from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024, than in fiscal year 2023. There were 225,000 new recruits in the former and 200,000 in the latter, said Katie Helland, who oversees recruitment policies and programs as the Defense Department’s director of Military Accession Policy, at a media roundtable in October. Those totals include both active and reserve troops in all five military branches, as well as about 4,800 Navy recruits from fiscal year 2024 who signed contracts, but could not be shipped out due to basic training limitations.

And the recruiting numbers for the current fiscal year 2025, which started the month before Trump’s election, have continued to increase.

By the Associated Press

The president, never bashful about his achievements, is usually the one doing the bragging.

But in a two-hour game of one-upmanship at the White House on Wednesday, top Cabinet officials took turns drenching the president with praise that went beyond even the usual levels of adulation from those who work for Donald Trump.

The president assembled his Cabinet to celebrate the 100-day mark of his second term, and Trump opened by noting that “things are happening that are amazing, but I would not say it if it weren’t fact.”

From there, the president let others do the talking.

By the Associated Press

The lawmakers are highlighting what they say are GOP actions that threaten to disenfranchise millions of Americans.

Sen. Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California, helped organize Wednesday’s floor speeches in response to the Republican-sponsored SAVE Act and President Trump’s recent executive order on elections. Padilla said the actions would make it harder for people to vote and are based on “endless lies and conspiracy theories about massive voter fraud.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the legislation “one of the most destructive, dangerous voter suppression bills in recent memory.”

The SAVE Act, which passed the House on April 10, would require people registering to vote to provide documented proof of citizenship.

Among other changes, Trump’s order directs a federal agency to update the national voter registration form to include such a requirement.

Republicans say proof of citizenship is necessary to prevent any noncitizen voting, which research and state reviews show is rare. Republicans say even a few instances undermine public confidence in elections.

By the Associated Press

Jim Farley, Ford Motor Company’s top executive, welcomed revisions to auto import rules but said more work is needed to craft trade policies that spur growth in the U.S. auto industry.

Farley touted his company’s domestic production, saying it outpaces competitors, as he attended the rollout of the 2025 Expedition SUV at a massive truck plant in Kentucky.

Farley focused on trade policies during his remarks to plant workers a day after President Trump signed executive orders to relax some of his 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts.

“The changes this week on tariff plans will help ease the impact of tariffs for automakers, suppliers and consumers,” Farley said. “But this is what we really care about. We need to continue to work closely with the administration on a comprehensive set of policies to support our shared vision of that healthy and growing auto industry. And we are not there yet.”

By the Associated Press

U.S. stocks bounced back from steep early losses to end mixed, continuing their wild swings amid uncertainty about what President Trump’s trade war will do to the economy.

The S&P 500 rose 0.1% Wednesday, extending its winning streak to a seventh day; the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%; and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1%.

Indexes started the day lower after a report suggested the U.S. economy may have shrunk at the start of the year, before most of Trump’s announced tariffs could take effect.

The S&P 500 had been down as much as 2.3%.

Treasury yields fell.

By the Associated Press

The Persian Gulf country has released an additional 10 American detainees, bringing to nearly two dozen the total number freed by the country in the past two months, U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Taken together, Kuwait’s pardons of 23 Americans since March — done as a goodwill gesture by the U.S. ally — amounted to the largest release of U.S. citizens by a single foreign country in years.

The prisoners include military contractors and veterans held on drug charges and other offenses by the small, oil-rich nation. One detainee was said by supporters to have been coerced into signing a false confession and endured physical violence and threats against his wife and daughter.

Ten others were released March 12, weeks after a visit to Kuwait by Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s envoy for hostage affairs.

By the Associated Press

The conversations came as as the Trump administration moved to try to prevent another major international crisis while it seeks to navigate ends to both the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war.

In separate statements Wednesday, the State Department said Rubio encouraged both countries not to escalate the situation after last week’s deadly attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir, which India has blamed on Pakistan or Pakistani-supported militants. Pakistan has denied the allegations.

In his call with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Rubio ”expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism,” the State Department said.

Speaking with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Rubio called for Islamabad “to condemn the terror attack” and urged authorities to cooperate in investigation of the attack.

Rubio also encouraged both countries to de-escalate tensions and work with each other to maintain peace and security in the region, the State Department said.

By the Associated Press

The vice president says the administration’s first 100 days were about hustling to bring major change but that, going forward, the pace of change may slow down.

“The next 100 days are going to be a lot of things that don’t change as quickly,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

He said, “The first 100 days, you can get a lot done with just the president’s signature on a piece of paper.”

The vice president also noted that, by contrast, “the next 100 days are going to be a lot of things where we need Congress, and, in some cases, some of our international partners, to step up to the plate.”

He singled out proposed tax cuts working their way through Congress and said the finished product could “juice the economy a little bit.”

By the Associated Press

The administration has hired a contractor to remove the memorial wall from the now-closed headquarters of the U.S. Agency for International Development, with no immediate word on where it will wind up.

Engraved tiles on the wall honor 99 USAID staffers killed in the line of duty since the agency’s creation in the early 1960s. Trump and Musk closed the headquarters and terminated most staff and projects within weeks of Trump’s inauguration.

The federal government posted notice Tuesday of a $41,142.16 contract to remove and relocate the memorial wall by June 6. Neither the State Department nor the contractor immediately responded to a question on where it would go.

Families of the dead, lawmakers and staffers have worried about whether the memorial would be treated respectfully amid the breakup of USAID. Supporters proposed moving it to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History or the National Cathedral, while a counterproposal suggested moving it to a rented office, a former USAID official familiar with the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

By the Associated Press

A group of Head Start parents and providers is suing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Health and Human Services Department, seeking a court order blocking any further cuts to the federally funded early education program.

Head Start was founded serves hundreds of thousands of the neediest preschoolers and their families across the country.It typically has enjoyed bipartisan support, but President Donald Trump has slashed its staffing and shuttered half of its regional offices, leading to funding delays and some temporary closures. A Trump budget proposal seeks to eliminate the program altogether.

The plaintiffs say the administration is exceeding its authority with the cuts. The administration’s actions, they say, violate laws that call for the funding of Head Start, among others.

An spokesperson at HHS said the agency “does not comment on ongoing litigation.”

By the Associated Press

During a Democratic press conference at the US Capitol, Warnock denounced Trump for “an all that assault on our norms and our values” and argued it was part of a broader strategy.

“They are trying to weaponize despair. They’re trying to so beat us down that we will be too so weary to fight, and it’s our job to prove them wrong,” Warnock said.

Warnock also called on the public to protest Trump.

“Know that as we fight on the inside, we need you to fight on the outside,“ Warnock said, citing tactics used by activists during the Civil Rights Movement.

By the Associated Press

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Trump’s first 100 days can be defined by “one big F word — failure.”

Democrats gathered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol denouncing the president’s agenda so far and blamed Republicans in Congress. Schumer said the GOP lawmakers are “complicit” and “co-conspirators” as Trump threatens democracy and drives the American economy “into the ground.”

By the Associated Press

Republican state Representative Laurel Libby of Maine is appealing to the Supreme Court after she was censured by the state House for a social media post about a transgender athlete.

The move comes as the state controlled by Democrats and the Trump administration spar over the issue.

Libby says her censure by the Democrat-majority House has blocked her from speaking and voting on the floor. She’s asking the Supreme Court for an order requiring her legislative votes be counted.

Her censure stemmed from a viral post in which she named a girls track winner and said the student had previously competed in boys track.

By the Associated Press

After two hours, Trump finally wrapped up his Cabinet meeting.

By the Associated Press

As Vance was praising the president during the Cabinet meeting, he referred to the Oval Office, which under Trump’s redecorations now includes portraits of Ronald Reagan, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Franklin Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln.

“You sit the Oval Office and you see these portraits of presidents past. And let’s be honest, most of them have been placeholders. They’ve been people who’ve allowed their staff to sign executive orders with an autopen instead of men of action,” Vance said.

He said the media “attacks” the Trump administration as “chaotic” because the president is “solving problems.”

By the Associated Press

Rubio had a quick response when asked whether he has had any conversations with El Salvador about returning Abrego Garcia to the United States.

“Well, I’ll never tell you that. And you know who else I’ll never tell? A judge,” Rubio said during Wednesday’s marathon Cabinet meeting. “Because the conduct of all foreign policy belongs to the president of the United States and the executive branch, not some judge.”

He continued: “So we will conduct foreign policy appropriately.”

By the Associated Press

Trump, when asked if he if he had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping, didn’t answer the question but instead seemed to acknowledge that there might be fewer, costlier products for Americans as a result of his trade war.

The president said that “somebody said” shelves in the U.S. would be empty and then seemed to acknowledge there would be fewer products, saying, “Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls. So maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally.”

He said China is facing tremendous difficulty” because of his tariffs.

By the Associated Press

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during the Cabinet meeting that the Trump administration stands ready to sign off on a long-anticipated critical deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources but there’s still work to do.

“Our side is ready to sign,” Bessent said when asked about reports that Ukraine is ready to sign off of on the delayed deal. “The Ukrainians decided last night to make some last minute changes,” Bessent said “We’re sure that they will reconsider that. And we are ready to sign this afternoon if they are.”

Bessent’s comments came amid reports that the U.S. and Ukraine were getting closer to finalizing the deal.

By the Associated Press

Mark Carney, the newly elected prime minister of Canada, will come to the White House “within the next week or less,” the U.S. president says.

Trump called Carney a “very nice gentleman” who, on their phone call Tuesday, “couldn’t have been nicer.”

The president mused that both candidates in the race — Carney and Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre — “hated Trump” and that the conservative figure “hated me more.”

By the Associated Press

Trump says he is not “taking a credit or discredit for the stock market,” as financial markets have tumbled over his tariffs.

Speaking to reporters during a Cabinet meeting, Trump tried to distance himself from the stock prices — despite taking credit when markets rose after his election in November.

“I’m not taking a credit or discredit for the stock market,” Trump said. “I’m just saying we inherited a mess.”

By the Associated Press

The State Department says Youras Ziankovich was released Wednesday and will return to the U.S. soon.

Ziankovich was convicted and sentenced to prison on what his supporters and the U.S. government say were bogus charges that he was part of a coup against the Belarusian government.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that he acknowledged Belarus’ President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s humanitarian gesture in releasing Ziankovich.

By the Associated Press

In a letter obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who co-chairs the Haiti caucus, told Secretary of State Marco Rubio that while they support efforts to target the financial support of Haitian gangs, they are concerned that labeling the gangs as foreign terror groups can cause a chilling effect on the delivery of humanitarian services as aid groups fear prosecutors could accuse them of directly or indirectly supporting the targeted groups.

Meeks and Cherfilus-McCormick urged the administration to consider sanctions against the gangs first.

By the Associated Press

Trump said during his Cabinet meeting that Musk is invited to stay in his administration indefinitely as the billionaire is said to be preparing to return to focusing on his companies Tesla and SpaceX.

“You’re invited to stay as long as you want,” Trump said.

Trump said Musk had been “treated unfairly” for his role in helping Trump slash the size and scope of the federal government. “You really have sacrificed a lot.”

Musk’s net worth has dropped significantly, and sales of Tesla have fallen amid a public backlash to the Musk-led cuts through the Department of Government Efficiency.

By the Associated Press

Vice President JD Vance used his few minutes during the Cabinet meeting to take a swing at the media, which he accused of being fixated on the wrong priorities during Trump’s first 100 days.

Vance pointed to military recruitment numbers that he said the press should focus on, rather than other stories such as the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported to El Salvador last month.

“Why is it that the press is so focused on the fake B.S., rather than what’s really going on in the country?” Vance said.

By the Associated Press

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland directed the Trump administration Wednesday to once again provide information on its efforts so far, if any, to comply with her order to retrieve Abrego Garcia from an El Salvador prison.

Xinis temporarily halted the directive for information last week at the administration’s request. But with the pause expiring at 5 p.m. Wednesday, she scheduled deadlines in May for administration officials to provide sworn testimony about efforts to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S.

The Trump administration arrested Abrego Garcia, 29, in Maryland and expelled him to his native El Salvador on March 15. The deportation violated an immigration judge’s 2019 order barring his deportation to El Salvador because he likely faced persecution by local gangs there.

By the Associated Press

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s duck-themed ring tone has been making waves at his recent public appearances.

The loud quacks of Kennedy’s cellphone briefly interrupted Trump during the Cabinet meeting Wednesday, shortly before the formal convening began.

Eagle-eyed watchers of Kennedy may be familiar with the quacking. It also interrupted Kennedy’s live town hall event with talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw on Monday evening.

By the Associated Press

The billionaire outside adviser attended Trump’s meeting of Cabinet officials Wednesday.

Musk, who leads the administration’s government-slashing efforts, was seated to the president’s right. He donned a hat promoting “DOGE” — the Department of Government Efficiency — then swapped it out with a “Gulf of America” hat, then later returned to the DOGE hat.

In an earlier interview, Wiles, the White House chief of staff, had said Musk was no longer physically working from the White House grounds.

By the Associated Press

Sean Duffy, the Transportation secretary, says the administration wants to install a new air traffic control system soon.

“You and I have talked about this,” Duffy told Trump during his Cabinet meeting. “It’s a state-of-the-art system” that would be the “envy of the world.”

Duffy stressed that the administration will need help from Congress to get this done.

The secretary also said the department was working to hire more air traffic controllers, noting that they are about 3,000 people short.

By the Associated Press

Trump continues to jab at his embattled defense secretary, calling Pete Hegseth ‘my least controversial person’ as he introduced him during his Cabinet meeting.

As the rest of the Cabinet chuckled, Hegseth quipped that he was being called controversial because “we’re over the target” when it comes to military recruitment.

Hegseth came under scrutiny again earlier this month after revelations of his involvement in another Signal messaging chat with sensitive military information that included his wife and brother.

By the Associated Press

And he began by touting his record on immigration and the economy in his first 100 days.

“We’ve just completed what many consider to be the most successful 100 days of any administration in the history of our country,” he said.

By the Associated Press

Over the next 100 days, Jeffries says House Democrats will be laying out their own blueprint for what they’d do if they were in charge — and it won’t be about Trump but “all about you.”

Firing up campaign mode, he wrapped up a nearly hour long address with the fighting words Democrats have been demanding of their leaders.

“We will not rest until we end this national nightmare,” he said.

By the Associated Press

Jeffries stumbled slightly in his opening remarks about Trump’s first 100 “years” — before quickly correcting himself to “days” — saying the quiet part out loud.

Many Democrats in Congress are exhausted by what Jeffries called the chaos at the White House as the president bulldozes across the government.

By the Associated Press

The Democratic leader said the Trump team “thought they could ‘shock and awe’ us into submission.”

They thought wrong, he said. He’s vowing Democrats are ready to fight back.

“We’re just getting started,” he said.

By the Associated Press

A discouraging report suggesting the US economy may have shrunk at the start of the year, before most of Trump’s announced tariffs could take effect, is knocking US stocks lower Wednesday.

The S&P 500 was down 1.5% in morning trading and on track to break a six-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 479 points, or 1.2%, as of 10:40 a.m. Eastern time, and sharp drops for AI superstars like Super Micro Computer had the Nasdaq composite down 2%.

The weaker-than-expected report on the US economy was a surprise because economists were expecting to see modest growth, particularly after the economy closed last year running at a solid pace. But importers rushed to bring products into the country before tariffs could raise their prices, which helped drag on the country’s overall gross domestic product.

By the Associated Press

About 30 Washington, D.C., residents and organizers angry over the continuing delay to pass the city’s budget protested outside a private breakfast House Speaker Mike Johnson was attending.

Organizer Alex Dodd, of Free DC, said the goal was to disrupt the speaker “while you hold $1.1 billion of our local funding hostage.”

In a statement the organization put out, it said it was trying to send a clear message to Johnson: “We are here to disrupt business as usual. We demand the immediate passage of the DC Local Funds Act, with no riders and no excuses.”

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Council are scrambling to address the crisis created by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. When Congress recessed April 10, it adjourned without addressing a $1.1 billion hole in the city’s 2025 budget that was created when the House eliminated a little-known provision in a budget resolution.

By the Associated Press

“No justice, no peace!” shouted voices from the gathering of some 300 people in a packed theater in Washington.

By the Associated Press

A judge on Wednesday ordered the release of the Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University and was arrested by immigration officials during an interview about finalizing his US citizenship.

US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford in Burlington, Vermont, issued his ruling following a hearing on Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident for 10 years, who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents April 14. He’s been held at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans.

A judge later issued an order barring the government from removing him from the state or country.

Mahdawi’s lawyers say he was detained in retaliation for his speech advocating for Palestinian human rights.

By the Associated Press

The billionaire outside adviser is no longer physically working from the White House, although “it really doesn’t matter much.”

That’s according to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who tells the New York Post that speaking to him on the phone about his efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency is having the “same net effect” as Musk being there in person.

“His folks aren’t going anywhere,” Wiles added in the interview.

Musk is designated as a “special government employee,” which means he can only work 130 days in a 365-day time period. May 30 marks 130 days since Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20.

By the Associated Press

Chinese state media reported Wednesday that some Chinese toy exporters have been notified by Walmart and Target to resume partial shipments and that the US businesses have agreed to shoulder the extra tariff costs.

The report came after Beijing in March summoned Walmart executives for allegedly pressuring Chinese suppliers to absorb tariff costs. One Chinese exporter named Cheng Zhengren told Beijing News he expects to make a shipment in a week or so.

“Without us, what do they have to sell?” the Chinese exporter told the newspaper. “Their shelves would be empty.”

By the Associated Press

The closely watched inflation gauge cooled last month in a sign that prices were steadily easing before most of Trump’s tariffs were implemented.

At the same time, consumers accelerated their spending, potentially in an effort to get ahead of the duties.

Wednesday’s report from the Commerce Department showed consumer prices rose just 2.3% in March from a year earlier, down from 2.5% in February. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.6% compared with a year ago, below February’s 2.8%. Economists track core prices because they typically provide a better read on where inflation is headed.

The slowdown in inflation could be a temporary respite until the widespread duties imposed by Trump begin to push up prices in many categories. Economists forecast that inflation could reverse its recent decline and reach 3% or higher by the end of this year.

By the Associated Press

The news behind the drop was a government report showing the US economy shrank during the first three months of this year, as imports increased because businesses are attempting to frontrun the high import taxes being imposed by Trump.

Trump refused in a social media post to accept any responsibility for the economy’s direction.

“This is Biden’s Stock Market, not Trump’s,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Tariffs will soon start kicking in, and companies are starting to move into the USA in record numbers. Our Country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden ‘Overhang.’ This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS.”

By the Associated Press

First came their much-analyzed Oval Office moment. Next, their subject-to-interpretation hug.

The two interactions between President Trump and a sometime antagonist, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, reflect the Democratic governor’s efforts to move past last year’s hard-fought campaign and find common ground with the Republican president — at risk of political backlash.

Whitmer, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, shared a hug with Trump as he arrived in her home state Tuesday, less than a month after she shielded her face from cameras during an Oval Office appearance alongside Trump.

It’s typical for a governor or another high-ranking state official to greet the president when he steps off Air Force One in their state, a tradition that’s historically transcended partisanship.

But the embrace between Trump and Whitmer was notable at a time when Americans are increasingly saying Trump’s priorities are off and Democrats are agitating for their leaders to take a more confrontational approach to the president.

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By the Associated Press

The renovation will get underway in a “couple of weeks,” White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told the New York Post in an interview.

Trump also wants to add a ballroom to the mansion, she said.

Wiles said in the interview published online late Tuesday that the ballroom is “still in the design phase.” But Trump is a “builder” and she would expect the ballroom “to go up pretty quickly” once the preliminary work is done.

It was unclear where the ballroom would be added.

The East Room is the largest room in the White House and is traditionally used for large gatherings, such as receptions, bill-signing ceremonies and news conferences.

Trump has added some of his touches to the White House since returning to power.

By the Associated Press

That’s according to two senior Ukrainian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is currently in Washington for the final coordination of the agreement’s technical details, the sources said.

The Ukrainian Cabinet is expected to approve the agreement’s text earlier Wednesday, after which it will be signed by an authorized government representative. The deal will then require ratification in the Ukrainian parliament before it can take effect.

By the Associated Press

The economy shrank 0.3% from January through March, the first drop in three years. It was slowed by a surge in imports as companies in the United States tried to bring in foreign goods before Trump imposed massive tariffs.

The January-March expansion was the slowest in almost three years and was down from 2.4% in the last three months of 2024. Imports shaved 5 percentage points off first-quarter growth. Consumer spending also slowed sharply.

Trump inherited a solid economy that had grown steadily despite high interest rates imposed by the Federal Reserve to fight inflation. His erratic trade policies — including 145% tariffs on China — have paralyzed businesses and threatened to raise prices and hurt consumers.

By the Associated Press

The speech planned for Wednesday comes amid speculation about whether she’ll mount another presidential campaign or opt to run for California governor.

Harris will address the 20th anniversary gala for Emerge America, an organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office that grew in part from Harris’ run for San Francisco district attorney in the early 2000s.

Her speech also comes the day after Trump reached 100 days in office. It’s expected to be her most extensive public remarks since leaving office in January following her defeat to Trump, with planned critiques of the Republican president’s handling of the economy, US institutions and foreign policy.

By the Associated Press

The gun violence prevention advocacy group is naming the former top official in the Biden administration’s office of gun violence prevention as its president.

Greg Jackson was deputy director of the White House office of gun violence prevention. A first for the federal government, the office was created under President Joe Biden but closed by Trump in the early days of his second term.

Jackson will serve as a president of the Rocket Foundation, which is dedicated to preventing gun violence. The group was founded by the rapper Quavo and hosted a summit in Atlanta last June attended by then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

Quavo’s nephew, the rapper Takeoff, was killed in a 2022 shooting and the Rocket Foundation seeks to turn his death into a force for change.

By the Associated Press

The US government has begun shedding new light on a crackdown on international students, spelling out how it targeted thousands of people and laying out the grounds for terminating their legal status.

The new details emerged in lawsuits filed by some of the students who suddenly had their status canceled in recent weeks with little explanation.

In the past month, foreign students around the US. have been rattled to learn their records had been removed from a student database maintained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Some went into hiding for fear of deportation or abandoned their studies to return home.

On Friday, after mounting court challenges, federal officials said the government was restoring international students’ legal status while it developed a framework to guide future terminations. In a court filing Monday, it shared the new policy: a document issued over the weekend with guidance on a range of reasons students’ status can be canceled, including the revocation of the visas they used to enter the US.

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By the Associated Press

The Trump administration has told Congress that it intends to designate Haitian gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, people familiar with the notification told The Associated Press.

The State Department similarly labeled eight Latin American crime organizations in February as it ratcheted up pressure on cartels operating in the US and anyone assisting them. The new move indicates that the administration plans to put similar pressure on gangs from Haiti. The designation carries with it sanctions and penalties for anyone providing “material support” for the group.

It comes after a series of steps against the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which was designated a foreign terror organization and then dubbed an invading force under an 18th-century wartime law to justify the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to a notorious El Salvador prison under Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown.

Trump, at a rally in Michigan on Tuesday, touted his designation of the six Latin American crime groups as foreign terrorist organizations, including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua.

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By the Associated Press

President Trump on Tuesday celebrated the 100th day of his second term — yet spent much of his rally marking it in campaign mode, fixated on past grudges and grievances.

He repeatedly mocked his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, attacking his mental acuity and even how he appears in a bathing suit. He again uttered the lie that he won the 2020 presidential election. And he attacked polling and news coverage not favorable to him.

And Trump again and again returned to immigration, his signature issue, at the rally that marked his largest political event since returning to the White House — boasting about his administration’s “mass deportation” efforts that have sent arrests for illegal crossings along the US-Mexico border plummeting.

By the Associated Press

President Trump signed executive orders to relax some of his 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, a significant reversal as the import taxes threatened to hurt domestic manufacturers.

Automakers and independent analyses have indicated that the tariffs could raise prices, reduce sales and make US production less competitive worldwide.

The amended order provides a rebate for one year of 3.75% relative to the sales prices of domestically assembled vehicles. That figure was reached by putting the 25% import tax on parts that make up 15% of a vehicle’s sales price. For the second year, the rebate would equal 2.5% of a vehicle’s sales price, as it would apply to a smaller share of the vehicle’s parts.

A senior Commerce Department official, insisted on anonymity to preview the order on a call with reporters, said automakers told Trump that the additional time would enable them to ramp up the construction of new factories, after automakers warned that it would take time for them to shift their supply chains.

By Danny McDonald and Joey Flechas, Globe Staff

When Ciro Valiente saw the footage of the screaming Tufts University PhD student being whisked away from a Somerville street by masked officials, it stirred frightening memories of his own from more than a decade ago.

He immediately recalled the terror of government agents sweeping him off the street twice in Venezuela, and beating him for hours with the butts of guns.

“The fear comes back to me, for sure. It’s like it’s happening to me again,” he said. “Just for speaking out about something, I can’t believe you can go up to someone walking on a street and arrest him or her.”

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By the Associated Press

American businesses are cancelling orders from China, postponing expansion plans, and hunkering down to see what trade policy surprises President Trump plans to spring on them next.

The president’s massive and unpredictable taxes on imports seem likely to mean emptier shelves and higher prices for American shoppers, perhaps within weeks.

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