The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether , the longtime advice columnist , lied during the course of civil litigation against the Republican president, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Also, a federal judge has declined to halt Trump鈥檚 , creating a federal voter list and limiting mail voting, in how American elections are run shortly before this year鈥檚 midterm elections.
Here’s the latest:
Iran鈥檚 UN envoy calls US action against Venezuela, Iran and now Cuba `dangerous鈥�
Iran鈥檚 U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that the U.S. actions reflect a pattern 鈥渙f coercion, intimidation and interference鈥� which violates the U.N. Charter, threatens the countries鈥� sovereignty and independence, and endangers international peace and security.
U.S. forces arrested Venezuela鈥檚 president and the Trump administration now oversees the country, and it鈥檚 pressuring Cuba by blocking the delivery of oil.
Iravani defended Iran鈥檚 right to respond to the U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran on Feb. 28 and to close the Strait of Hormuz, accusing unnamed countries of ignoring the root causes of the current situation in the region and unfairly shifting the blame to Iran.
鈥淚ran鈥檚 actions are lawful and consistent with international law,鈥� Iravani said. 鈥淚ran could not allow such a critical waterway to be used as a corridor for hostile action and military aggression against its sovereignty, territory and vital interests.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 DOJ sues 4 Democratic-run states over denying undercover license plates for federal agents
It鈥檚 the latest front in the wider struggle between the White House and Democratic-led states over the Republican president鈥檚 .
The Department of Justice alleges in separate lawsuits filed Wednesday that , , are imposing unconstitutional restrictions it says impede law enforcement and threaten agents鈥� safety.
鈥淏y denying undercover license plates to DHS components, including ICE, while issuing them to their own state agencies, these governors are pursuing discriminatory and obstructionist policies against federal law enforcement,鈥� said acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a statement.
鈥淭hese actions undermine federal immigration enforcement, allow dangerous criminals to escape justice, and terrorize American communities,鈥� Blanche added.
The Justice Department filed individual suits in U.S. district courts in the respective states. The four state governments are accused of trying 鈥渢o obstruct the Federal Government鈥檚 immigration enforcement efforts, even though control over immigration and the nation鈥檚 borders is an exclusive federal power.鈥�
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US boosts Ebola response aid to Congo and Uganda by $80M
The Trump administration says it鈥檚 boosting its Ebola response assistance to Congo and Uganda by $80 million, bringing the U.S. contribution to those efforts to more than $112 million over the past two weeks.
The State Department said Thursday the additional money would pay for personal protective equipment for health care workers, Ebola test kits, supporting health screening at airports and other points of entry into Central and East Africa, and contact tracing of potential virus victims in the Congo and Uganda.
The U.S. has been criticized for massive reductions in assistance since Trump began his second term, including dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development. But current officials say the new aid procedures are more effective and less costly.
In addition to the bilateral assistance it has pledged, the State Department said it also committed $50 million to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to fund up to 50 Ebola clinics and has earmarked $300 million through the agency for regional humanitarian initiatives.
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she won鈥檛 run for president in 2028
She put to rest speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid, saying Thursday that she won鈥檛 join what鈥檚 expected to be a crowded primary field after leaving office at the end of this year.
Whitmer has long been viewed by some Democrats as a possible White House contender after her decisive election victories in the closely contested state Trump has carried twice in presidential votes. For months, however, Whitmer had offered about her political future.
But she delivered her clearest response yet in an interview Thursday with Fox 2 Detroit.
鈥淚 think there will be a robust group of people running for president. I will not be one of them in 2028,鈥� Whitmer said.
Her comments came during Michigan鈥檚 annual Mackinac policy conference, where Whitmer is set to be honored and deliver remarks later Thursday.
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Justice Department scrutinizing statement Carroll made that no one else was paying her legal fees
It later became public that a Chicago-based organization backed by Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, had helped fund Carroll鈥檚 case.
Trump鈥檚 lawyers in the civil case accused Carroll of concealing that information, which they said called into question whether the case was politically motivated.
Oil prices climb, but US stocks hold near their records
Oil prices are clawing back some of their from earlier in the week Thursday, but U.S. stocks are remaining near their records as companies like Dollar Tree, Snowflake and Hormel Foods keep piling up profits.
The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% from its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 219 points, or 0.4%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.2% lower after both indexes also set records the day before.
Stocks appear to be less beholden to swings in the oil market, where prices climbed Thursday following the in the United States鈥� war with Iran. U.S. Central Command said Kuwait had intercepted missiles launched by Iran late Wednesday night, following earlier by the U.S. military on missile launch sites and minelaying boats in southern Iran.
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Trump says he鈥檚 been invited to watch the Knicks play in the NBA Finals
Trump told reporters Wednesday that owner James Dolan has invited him to the NBA Finals, when the Eastern Conference champion Knicks host either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs next month at Madison Square Garden.
New York, which is riding an 11-game postseason winning streak after in the conference finals, is scheduled to host Game 3 on June 8 and Game 4 on June 10.
Trump, a New York native, said he initially planned to attend Game 5 of the conference finals at MSG before the Knicks finished off the Cavaliers in four games. The president called Dolan a 鈥済reat guy鈥� and marveled at New York鈥檚 run.
Trump called the club鈥檚 return to the finals for the first time since 1999 鈥済reat to see.鈥�
Trump has routinely dropped in on prominent sporting events during his time in politics. He鈥檚 taken in the and caught a prime-time NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets .
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Zelenskyy says he鈥檚 pressing US for more Patriot missiles for Ukraine to counter Russian strikes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that he鈥檚 being 鈥渧ery persistent鈥� in pressing the United States to provide his country with more Patriot air defense missiles that can counter .
Zelenskyy said he hasn鈥檛 yet received a reply to a letter he sent earlier this week to President Trump and Congress asking for more of the American-made ammunition. He warned that deliveries to Ukraine are falling dangerously short as diverts and .
鈥淚 believe (the U.S.) must act quicker. We are being very persistent,鈥� Zelenskyy told reporters during a visit to Sweden.
Zelenskyy is keen to secure more deliveries of foreign weaponry that it can鈥檛 produce itself as it battles , which began on Feb. 24, 2022. In exchange, he鈥檚 offering to share the Ukraine has built up during the war.
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Carroll has said a flirtatious, chance encounter with Trump in 1996 ended violently
She said Trump slammed her against a dressing room wall at Bergdorf Goodman鈥檚 Fifth Avenue store, pulled down her tights and forced himself on her. Trump has called the allegations a 鈥渕ade-up scam.鈥�
A jury in 2023 for sexually abusing Carroll, awarding her $5 million. The following year, another jury awarded Carroll related to Trump鈥檚 social media attacks on her.
A court entry earlier this month said Trump won鈥檛 have to pay the award until the U.S. Supreme Court gets a chance to review the case or reject an appeal. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to a request by one of Trump鈥檚 lawyers that it let the president to Carroll, though it required that he post a $7.4 million bond to cover any additional interest costs, a request Carroll鈥檚 attorney had made.
Justice Department opens investigation into E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of assault: AP source
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether , the longtime advice columnist who鈥檚 said Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store 30 years ago, lied during the course of civil litigation against the Republican president, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The person who confirmed the existence of the investigation wasn鈥檛 authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing inquiry and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The perjury investigation is being led by the federal prosecutors鈥� office in Chicago, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has had no involvement because of his prior work as Trump鈥檚 personal attorney, the person said.
Lawyers for Carroll did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Thursday.
It鈥檚 the latest in a series of investigations the Trump administration Justice Department has opened into perceived adversaries of the president.
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鈥� Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker
Key inflation gauge worsens as Americans shell out more for gasoline
Inflation jumped to 3.8% in April compared with a year ago, the Commerce Department said Thursday, up from 3.5% in March and the highest since May 2023. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.4%, down from the 0.7% jump in March.
The report showed prices have risen for many items in addition to gas, indicating inflation could persist and pose problems for congressional Republicans in this year鈥檚 midterm elections. Inflation is also notably above the Federal Reserve鈥檚 target of 2%, which means Fed policymakers may decide to to their key short-term interest rate this year. Some officials have signaled their next move could be a hike rather than a cut.
Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core inflation rose to 3.3% in April from 3.2% the previous month. It鈥檚 the highest core figure since November 2023. One positive sign in the report: Core prices rose just 0.2% in April from March.
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The Minneapolis immigration crackdown ended months ago. For these little kids, trauma remains
The little girl approached the therapy dog outside the school library, reaching out to touch her fluffy blond coat. Social worker Nicole Herje leaned in.
鈥淗ow does it feel when you pet Sage?鈥� Herje said.
鈥淚 like it,鈥� the girl said. 鈥淚n Ecuador, I had a dog.鈥�
A few months earlier, this girl and many of her classmates at Valley View Elementary were to avoid the immigration officers flooding their suburban Minneapolis community. Attendance plummeted as families kept their kids from school during the Trump administration鈥檚 enforcement surge.
Sage the goldendoodle is not just a cute diversion. She鈥檚 part of a broader strategy to address the psychological wounds of children who witnessed arrests, lost relatives to deportation or endured anxious weeks indoors.
Immigration officers made more than 4,000 arrests and before 鈥淥peration Metro Surge鈥� wound down in February, leaving an imprint on the psyches of young children that could haunt them for years, mental health providers say.
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Republicans鈥� recent stumbles in Congress highlight the difficult road ahead for their agenda
A roughly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement through the remainder of President Trump鈥檚 term was supposed to be an easy lift for Republicans.
But over concerns about the inclusion of White House ballroom security funding in the package and the creation of to finance claims of government mistreatment. The stumble hasn鈥檛 only delayed action on a top GOP priority but also is raising questions about other parts of the party鈥檚 legislative agenda, including whether Republicans can enact another catchall, party-line bill referred to in Washington parlance as 鈥淩econciliation 3.0.鈥�
Republicans have spent recent weeks laying the groundwork for such a bill, which they hope will serve as a final sales pitch to voters going into the midterms.
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Federal judge refuses to block Trump order to create federal voter list and limit mail voting
A federal judge has declined to halt Trump鈥檚 , creating a federal voter list and limiting mail voting, clearing the way for potential sweeping changes in how American elections are run shortly before this year鈥檚 midterm elections.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington, D.C., a Trump appointee, late Wednesday rejected the request by Democrats and civil rights groups who had argued that Trump鈥檚 order would because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules. Nichols agreed with the Trump administration鈥檚 contention it was too early to issue the order because it has yet to be implemented.
The legal battle against the provision now shifts to Boston, where voting rights groups have a separate lawsuit against the executive order in federal court.
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US military says Iran fired missiles at Kuwait in the latest challenge to the fragile ceasefire
The U.S. military said that Kuwait had intercepted missiles launched by Iran late Wednesday night, calling the Iranian attack on one of the U.S. top allies in the Persian Gulf an 鈥渆gregious ceasefire violation.鈥�
The attack on Kuwait was the latest flare-up to shake the fragile ceasefire reached last month between the U.S. and Iran.
Kuwait had earlier announced an attack on its territory, and Iran announced it had retaliated after strikes earlier in the week on a U.S. base in a Gulf state it did not name.
The Iranian strike came after, earlier in the week, the U.S. said it had struck Iranian missile launch sites, minelaying boats and attack drones it said posed threats near the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
US military strikes another alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, killing 2
The U.S. military on Wednesday struck another vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two men.
U.S. Southern Command posted showing a boat resting on the water before being struck by an explosion. The last few seconds of the video show smoke and fire rising from the boat.
A day earlier, U.S. forces had launched a strike on an alleged drug vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing one man and leaving two survivors. Southern Command said it 鈥渋mmediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors.鈥�
The Trump administration鈥檚 campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters, including the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, has and killed at least 196 people in total. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.
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AP Exclusive: Trump administration tells prosecutors to stand down on Venezuela leader, sources say
The Trump administration has quietly instructed federal prosecutors in Miami to avoid pursuing criminal investigations into Venezuela鈥檚 acting , a longtime target of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, according to current and former U.S. law enforcement officials, in the latest sign of warming relations between the White House and .
It鈥檚 unclear whether prosecutors had implicated Rodr铆guez in any crimes or whether investigators were moving toward an indictment. A Justice Department spokesperson said in an email, 鈥淭here was never an investigation into her to shut down.鈥�
But earlier this year show she consistently surfaced on the radar of federal law enforcement dating to at least 2018, though she has never been criminally charged in the U.S. like several other senior Venezuelan officials.
The directive to pause scrutiny into Rodr铆guez was meant to avoid upsetting the administration鈥檚 efforts to stabilize Venezuela after the capture of her predecessor, , among other reasons, the official said. It was not clear whether the White House, which deferred comment to the Justice Department, was involved in the decision.
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World shares decline and oil prices gain more than $2 after US strikes on Iran
World shares declined Thursday following more of what the U.S. were defensive strikes against Iran.
Oil prices gained more than $2 a barrel after having dropped sharply a day before.
In early European trading, Germany鈥檚 DAX was nearly unchanged at 25,175.63 and the CAC 40 in Paris lost 0.4% to 8,172.84. Britain鈥檚 FTSE 100 slumped 0.9% to 10,416.62.
The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% lower.
On Wednesday, U.S. stocks inched to more records after oil prices declined more than 4%, easing pressure on consumers and businesses worldwide.
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US military conducts another strike against Iran after Trump says Iran is 鈥榥egotiating on fumes鈥�
U.S. forces carried on Iran on Wednesday after Trump asserted that Iran is 鈥渘egotiating on fumes鈥� and insisted that in the United States won鈥檛 make him rush into a deal to end the nearly .
U.S. Central Command forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The U.S. military also struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone, the officials said.
Details about the strikes emerged after Trump, at a Cabinet meeting earlier Wednesday, expressed confidence that his administration was making headway on settling the war, even though the talks still remain very much in .
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