The Senate to fund President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration enforcement agencies early Friday morning, after weeks of delays and fierce backlash to an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that threatened to derail the bill.
Also, Trump said Thursday that , his , would not be his 鈥減ermanent鈥� choice for the critical security post following bipartisan pushback on Capitol Hill in recent days over Pulte鈥檚 lack of national security experience.
Here’s the latest:
Democratic Wisconsin senator says Trump鈥檚 stop in the swing state shows he鈥檚 nervous
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin says President Trump鈥檚 visit to a rural swing district in Wisconsin shows he knows Republicans are in trouble in the midterms.
The stop on Friday for a farmer-focused round table in Chippewa Falls marks the first time Trump has visited Wisconsin in his second term. It comes just four days after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. toured a dairy farm in the congressional district held by Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden.
鈥淭hey know they鈥檙e in trouble,鈥� Baldwin said of Republicans. 鈥淭hey know across the country they鈥檙e in trouble.鈥�
Baldwin says Trump鈥檚 visit is 鈥渘ot going to do the job in convincing our farmers they are doing better than they鈥檙e doing. They know the reality.鈥�
Trump is scheduled to be joined by Van Orden, one of his most vocal supporters. Democrats have targeted that district this year.
US boards an oil tanker linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean
American forces have boarded a sanctioned oil tanker linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean, the U.S. military said Friday as the U.S. pushes to prevent the Islamic Republic from profiting off its oil and other goods.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command posted on X that the U.S. forces boarded the MT Davina. The post lacked further details, but U.S. forces around the world have been directed to stop ships tied to Tehran or those suspected of carrying supplies that could help its government.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy is enforcing a blockade of Iran鈥檚 ports as part of an effort to force Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept a deal to extend a tenuous ceasefire in the war.
US set to hold latest oil and gas lease sale for Alaska鈥檚 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Trump administration鈥檚 push to expand oil and gas development in Alaska faces a new test Friday, with the set for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Opponents of drilling in the refuge鈥檚 coastal plain have pointed to a in the prior held there and ongoing changes in Alaska鈥檚 arctic region due to climate change as proof the region should be off-limits to drilling. But supporters of drilling see the coastal plain, which is roughly the size of Delaware, as a potential untapped resource that could boost U.S. oil production and generate new revenue and jobs.
A coalition of conservation groups this spring sent a letter to leaders of 11 petroleum companies including major ConocoPhillips and Hilcorp, both major players in Alaska, urging them to not participate in the sale. The letter cited ongoing litigation over the leasing program, dating to President Trump鈥檚 first term, and warned of 鈥渇inancial, operational and reputational risks.鈥�
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Trump looms large over upcoming primary elections in Washington, DC
The last time Washington, D.C., residents chose and in the same election, gas was $1.33 a gallon and George H.W. Bush was president.
This fall they鈥檒l do it again 鈥� under starkly different circumstances.
As the city heads toward pivotal primaries this month to pick candidates for those roles, on is shaping up as a major campaign issue. The fresh slate of candidates is weighing how best to approach Trump鈥檚 Republican administration and congressional control over the heavily Democratic city鈥檚 affairs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a big sea change in city politics, no matter how the elections shake out,鈥� said Amanda Huron, a professor at the University of the District of Columbia who teaches courses on D.C. history and politics. But Washington鈥檚 lack of full autonomy brings 鈥渁ll sorts of peculiarities around the city鈥檚 governance.鈥�
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Trump says he will attend NBA Finals game in New York to root for his hometown Knicks
Trump, a longtime New York Knicks fan, said he plans to attend an game at Madison Square Garden next week at the invitation of the team鈥檚 owner.
Describing himself as a 鈥渂ig fan鈥� of the team and owner James Dolan, Trump said Thursday that he will be in the arena for at least one game next week. The NBA believes it would make him the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game.
鈥淭he answer is yes 鈥� he鈥檚 invited me, I鈥檓 going,鈥� Trump said of Dolan鈥檚 invitation. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he was eyeing Game 3 on Monday but didn鈥檛 rule out Game 4 on Wednesday. 鈥淢aybe I鈥檒l do both.鈥�
Trump, who is simultaneously contending with a war in Iran, strife in Congress and looming midterm elections, said he made sure to catch some of Game 1 on Wednesday as the and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
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Water begins refilling Reflecting Pool after Trump鈥檚 renovation to repaint it 鈥楢merican flag blue鈥�
Water began refilling the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Thursday, Trump announced from the Oval Office.
Trump showed a video during an unrelated event with water bubbling into the freshly painted basin at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 clean, beautiful water,鈥� the president said.
Live video showed water accumulating in the center of the basin, with workers and trucks still inside the pool.
Trump noted the work to paint the shallow basin a deep shade, which he calls 鈥淎merican flag blue,鈥� was completed Wednesday. The administration said in that it was set to be filled with water no later than Sunday.
Trump also announced a plan to build a 鈥減romenade鈥� that would allow pedestrians to walk from the back of the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River.
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Trump says Pulte won鈥檛 be his nominee for director of national intelligence
Trump said Thursday that federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte, his , would not be his 鈥減ermanent鈥� choice for the critical security post.
The Republican president鈥檚 disclosure that he was ruling out installing Pulte in the position full-time came after bipartisan pushback on Capitol Hill in recent days over Pulte鈥檚 lack of national security experience. The position requires Senate confirmation, something that lawmakers indicated was unlikely if Pulte were the nominee.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not going to be permanent because, you know, I don鈥檛 think he鈥檇 want to be permanent,鈥� Trump said while taking questions in the Oval Office after He called Pulte a 鈥渧ery smart guy鈥� and said he may look at past elections that Trump claims, without credible evidence, were against him.
Senate OKs $70B immigration bill after rejecting efforts to permanently ban Trump鈥檚 settlement fund
The Senate passed legislation to fund Trump鈥檚 immigration enforcement agencies early Friday, after weeks of delays and fierce backlash to an unrelated that threatened to derail the bill.
Senators voted 52-47 to pass to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for the next three years, through the end of Trump鈥檚 term, after Democrats had . The bill will now head to the House, which is expected to take it up next week.
The final vote came just before 5 a.m., after Republicans narrowly defeated multiple attempts by members of both parties to add language to the bill that would permanently ban Trump鈥檚 settlement fund for .
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