Trump Tariffs Face Legal Hurdles Amid Trade War Push
By Ana Swanson The legitimacy of President Trump’s tariffs is being questioned by U.S. courts, but the president is showing no signs of backing off his favorite tool. On Wednesday, the tariffs that Mr. Trump imposed on foreign steel and aluminum are set to double to 50 percent, a move that the president has said will better protect domestic metal makers. In the coming days, the U.S. government is set to face off with states and businesses that have sued over the president’s tariffs, and both sides will be required to submit more information as judges work toward final decisions
Musk Resigns as Special Govt Employee Amid Spending Dispute
Written By Lexx Thornton Musk departed as a “special government employee” a day after he expressed disappointment over a spending package Trump has been rallying Republicans to support. Musk’s monthslong stint as a special government employee tasked with slashing federal spending formally ended Wednesday evening. He has served the designated 130 days out of 365 in the year as a special government employee. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, announced his departure Wednesday on X, after he said he was “disappointed” by a domestic package Trump rallied House Republicans to get behind. Musk stated, “CBS Sunday Morning” in an
Senate to Weigh Cuts to Immigrant Benefits, Higher Fees
By Ximena Bustillo The Senate will soon consider a measure that cuts social safety net programs for several groups of legal immigrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, and aims to make the immigration process more expensive. The House last week passed a sweeping bill to advance much of President Trump’s agenda, including immigration-related measures that deal with food assistance, health care and education. The goal is to save money and send a signal that Republicans are tough on immigration. But, if approved by the Senate, immigration advocacy groups say hundreds of thousands of legal immigrants could lose access to vital
The Filibuster’s Decline: Senate Rules and Political Battles
The filibuster is on life support. Both parties have vowed to protect it, but both have chipped away at it. The latest blow came last week, when the parliamentarian, Senate’s independent rules referee, said a measure to strike down a California air pollution law was not exempt from the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold — and Republicans found a way to maneuver around her, pushing the bill through with a simple majority. The next test for the filibuster is coming soon, when members consider a sprawling bill that carries much of President Trump’s domestic agenda. Republicans are moving it through Congress using
Court Blocks Trump Tariffs, Citing Overreach of Power
By Joe Walsh A federal court on Wednesday froze most of the sweeping tariffs imposed by President Trump on virtually every foreign nation, ruling the levies exceed the president’s legal authority. The ruling — issued by a panel of judges on the U.S. Court of International Trade — halted the sweeping 10% tariffs Mr. Trump assessed on virtually every U.S. trading partner on “Liberation Day” last month, with higher tariffs threatened for dozens of countries. The court also blocked a separate set of tariffs imposed on China, Mexico and Canada by the Trump administration, which has cited drug trafficking and
Trump Admin Seeks to Cancel $100M in Harvard Contracts
The Trump administration is asking federal agencies to cancel their remaining federal contracts with Harvard University, worth an estimated $100 million, according to a government official. A letter from the U.S. General Services Administration, which is dated Tuesday, tells agencies to submit a list of contracts they have terminated with the university by June 6. “Going forward, we also encourage your agency to seek alternative vendors for future services where you had previously considered Harvard,” reads the letter, signed by Josh Gruenbaum, the commissioner of the GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service. The government official, who did not want to be named
Supreme Court Backs Trump on Firing Agency Officials
By Lawrence Hurley and Steve Kopack The Supreme Court on Thursday granted a Trump administration request that allows the president to fire members of independent federal agencies while suggesting that its legal reasoning would not apply to the Federal Reserve. The move to pause a lower court ruling formalizes a temporary decision along similar lines on April 9 that allowed President Donald Trump to fire Gwynne Wilcox, a member of the National Labor Relations Board, and Cathy Harris, a member of the Merit Systems Protection Board. “The stay reflects our judgment that the government is likely to show that both
Trump Honors Fallen Soldiers, Blasts Rivals on Memorial Day
President Trump memorialized the nation’s fallen soldiers in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, recognizing the families of servicemen and servicewomen who died fighting for their country hours after airing grievances and attacking his political opponents on social media. In remarks commemorating Memorial Day, Mr. Trump thanked those who had fought in some of the nation’s defining battles, and cited specific stories of sacrifice by soldiers and their families. “We certainly know what we owe to them,” Mr. Trump said. “Their valor gave us the freest, greatest and most noble republic ever to exist on the face of
Harvard Sues Trump Administration over International Enrollment Ban Directive
Harvard files suit against Trump administration’s international enrollment ban, defending SEVP status and protecting global student body. Overview of Harvard’s International Enrollment Ban Lawsuit Harvard University is suing the Trump administration over a directive that bars the university from enrolling international students. This action stems from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) revocation of Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), essential for admitting foreign students. The administration justified this move by accusing Harvard of fostering antisemitism, harboring anti-American sentiments, and maintaining ties with Chinese institutions. In response to the Department of Homeland Security’s abrupt revocation of
House passes Trump’s sweeping tax-cut bill and sends it to Senate
The Trump tax cut bill passed the House, extending cuts while raising Medicaid work requirements and adding $2.3 trillion to the deficit. Republicans in the House of Representatives won passage on Thursday of a major bill that would enact Donald Trump’s tax and spending priorities while adding trillions of dollars to the US debt and potentially preventing millions of Americans from accessing federal safety net benefits. The One Big Beautiful Bill act was approved in the early morning hours mostly along party lines by the slim Republican majority, with 215 votes in favor and 214 against. Its passage ended weeks
