Senate Republicans narrowly voted down a Democratic resolution that would have blocked global tariffs announced by President Donald Trump earlier this month, giving the president a modest win as lawmakers in both parties have remained skeptical of his trade agenda.
And after months of tense negotiations, the U.S. and Ukraine that’s 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.
Here’s the latest:
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.
鈻 Read more about
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.
鈻 Read more about
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 agency. 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.
鈻 Read more about
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
鈻 Read more about
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.
鈻 Read more about
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
鈻 Read more about
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.
鈻 Read more
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.
鈻 Read more
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.
鈻 Read more
