WASHINGTON (AP) — Water has started flowing into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after President Donald Trump’s renovation, which include…
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A federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that made it harder for immigrants from dozens of countries to enter and stay in the U.S. The judge criticized the policy for putting immigrants' lives in "indeterminate legal limbo" and accused the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of ignoring the law. Also Friday, the Senate passed a $70 billion bill to fund Trump's immigration enforcement agencies after weeks of delays. And the American job market shows surprising strength, with employers adding 172,000 jobs in May, despite high costs from the Iran war.
The Chicago Bears are looking to build a stadium in Northwest Indiana after a proposal to provide financial incentives for the NFL team to build its new home in Illinois stalled in the state legislature. The Bears’ board of directors voted Thursday to move forward with a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana. The team had been doing its due diligence on a tract of land near Wolf Lake, but it says an exact site has not been selected. The Bears say in a team statement that a stadium in Northwest Indiana "will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.” Indiana Gov. Mike Braun welcomed the team’s announcement.
With virtually no strings attached, Congress is on the verge of providing a massive infusion of cash to the Homeland Security Department. The $70 billion package that was approved overnight by the Senate and now goes to the House will be able to power President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda for the remainder of his term. A pro-immigration advocate says it's an “ATM for ICE.” But for those aligned with Trump’s campaign promise for the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, it all but guarantees an uninterrupted flow of money to carry out the administration’s immigration enforcement operations.
AP Wire
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a face-to-face meeting, saying he sees “no point” in it. Speaking Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin described Zelenskyy’s open letter proposing the meeting as “boorish.” It was the first public message Zelenskyy has sent directly to Putin since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and was a critique of the Russian leader’s 26 years in power as well as taunting him about his age. The 73-year-old Putin pointed at other global leaders who are older, adding that “the main thing is the ability to work.” In an earlier speech, Putin criticized the West's unilateral sanctions.
Lebanon’s president and prime minister are criticizing Iran for rejecting the latest ceasefire deal between the Lebanese government and Israel. In separate remarks on Friday, they said their country should not be used by Tehran as a “bargaining chip” in its talks with Washington. The comments by the Lebanese leaders came as the Israeli military struck multiple parts of southern Lebanon and issued evacuation warnings for nine villages, including one that has sheltered thousands of people displaced by the three-month war. The strikes killed nine people in six locations in southern Lebanon, the state news agency reported.
President Donald Trump says he wants his new acting director of national intelligence to cut the office, which has already been significantly scaled back during his second term. Trump noted aboard Air Force One the size of the office has been “way too high for way too long” and if Bill Pulte cuts it, he "wouldn’t mind.” The Republican president said in an earlier interview with The Wall Street Journal he has asked Pulte to start the process of firing employees. Trump says Pulte will stay in the acting position depending on how long it takes to get his successor confirmed. The president says he's considering five people but hasn't named them.
AP Wire
A federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy enacted after the shooting of two National Guard members that made it harder for immigrants from dozens of countries to stay and enter the country. In a ruling harshly criticizing the administration, U.S. District Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. said the policy “threw the lives of countless immigrants living in the United States into indeterminate legal limbo,” and he accused the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of ignoring the law. The policies, enacted after the National Guard shooting last year, meant that immigrants from dozens of countries 39 have been “categorically barred” from receiving final decisions on, among other things, their asylum and work permits green card.
Inflation is rising again, squeezing budgets and making essentials harder to afford. Inflation hit 3.8% in April, the highest in three years. Larry Kudlow asked Kevin Hassett about this on Fox Business. The director of the National Economic Council claimed inflation is “on a deep downward dive,” especially if blue states are excluded. However, experts say this is false. Inflation is high across all regions, driven by rising gas prices from Middle Eastern conflicts. The Labor Department’s data shows both blue and red states experiencing high inflation. Core inflation is also rising, contradicting Hassett’s claims of a downward trend.
June is Pride Month across the U.S. But in some Republican-controlled states it's now officially Fidelity, Nuclear Family or Strong Families Month. Some of the proclamations for the newly branded months define families in a ways that exclude LGBTQ+ people. Some critics of LGBTQ+ rights present the latest proclamations as a way to counter-program against Pride events. Pride organizations say the efforts to rename the month won't affect their parades and other celebrations. The festivities were born out of protest more than 50 years ago and organizers say that remains essential to their purpose.