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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
President Trump yesterday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “playing with fire,” adding that “if it [were not for Trump], lots of really bad things would have already happened in Russia.” Separately, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CN) are leading a bipartisan push on a Russia sanctions bill in the Senate. The White House did not answer questions seeking an update on Trump’s stance on sanctions. Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports for the New York Times; Stef W. Kight reports for Axios.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said that Germany and other major allies of Kyiv no longer impose any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine. In response to comments from the Kremlin that a decision to lift range restrictions would be “quite dangerous,” Merz yesterday said that the restrictions have not been in place “for months.” AP News reports; Jessie Yeung and Inke Kappeler report for CNN.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russia has amassed more than 50,000 troops near Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region in what appears to be preparation for a major summer offensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday. Kyiv has taken steps to counter Russia and is ready for further peace talks in any format, Zelenskyy added. Max Hunder reports for Reuters.
Russia is building power lines in the occupied southeastern Ukraine to link its electricity grid to the captured Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to a review of satellite imagery Greenpeace shared with the New York Times. If successful, Moscow’s effort would be the first time a warring nation seized another country’s nuclear facility and then used it for its own energy needs. Constant Méheut reports.
Putin’s reliance on the war to fuel Russia’s economy made the military industry the driver of Russia’s economic growth and could prove difficult to unwind if a peace deal is implemented, experts say. Thomas Grove reports for the Wall Street Journal.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — AID SUPPLY
Chaos erupted at the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) first attempt to distribute aid at a site in southern Gaza yesterday, with Israeli troops “firing warning shots” and the U.S. contractors overseeing the site briefly withdrawing as thousands of desperate Palestinians rushed to receive food supplies. Gaza residents trying to access the aid described walking long distances to reach the distribution center, hours-long lines, and general confusion, while a diplomatic official called the chaos “a surprise to no one.” Jeremy Diamond, Kareem Khadder, Abeer Salman, and Mohammad Al Sawalhi report for CNN; Ephrat Livni, Patrick Kingsley, Ameera Harouda, and Aaron Boxerman report for the New York Times.
At least one Palestinian was killed and 48 others injured when Israeli military forces opened fire as crowds of Palestinians overran the GHF’s aid distribution site, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said yesterday. Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy, and Jamey Keaten report for AP News.
The activities of GHF are a “distraction from what is needed,” a U.N. spokesperson said yesterday, calling for an end to Israel’s “cherry picked” restrictions on the type of aid allowed to enter the territory. Emma Farge reports for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz yesterday described Israel’s air strikes on Gaza as “no longer comprehensible” or justified by the need to fight Hamas. Separately, the German foreign minister threatened unspecified measures against Israel and said Berlin would not export weapons used to break humanitarian law, a significant shift in tone from the leaders of a country that had long remained in support of Israel’s conduct. Sarah Marsh, Matthias Williams, and Rachel More report for Reuters.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff yesterday said that a ceasefire and hostage deal for Israel and Hamas is currently “on the table” and that “Hamas should take it.” According to Witkoff, Israel “will agree to a temporary ceasefire/hostage deal that would see half of the living and half of the deceased return” and lead to permanent truce negotiations that Witkoff agreed to preside over. Jeremy Diamond, Abeer Salman, and Oren Liebermann report for CNN.
IRAN-U.S. NUCLEAR TALKS
Trump last week cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to not take any action that could jeopardize the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, according to a White House official. Netanyahu has been threatening to upend the talks by striking Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities, officials briefed on the situation say, leading to a flurry of high-level meetings and a Trump-Netanyahu phone call in recent days. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Julian E. Barnes, David E. Sanger, Maggie Haberman, and Ronen Bergman report for the New York Times.
Iran might allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to send U.S. inspectors to Iranian sites if the Washington-Tehran nuclear talks succeed, Iran’s nuclear chief said today. Reuters reports.
GLOBAL AFFAIRS
International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was preparing to seek arrest warrants for Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir before he went on leave over sexual assault allegations investigation, current and former court officials say. The cases focus on Smotrich and Ben-Gvir’s roles in expanding Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, and are currently handled by Khan’s deputies, the sources add. Matthew Dalton reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Syria and Israel are engaged in direct talks aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border regions, sources say. Timour Azhari and Suleiman Al-Khalidi report for Reuters.
The European Union yesterday approved the creation of a 150 billion-euro ($170.7 billion) EU arms fund, the final legal step in setting up a scheme allowing joint EU borrowing to be used for joint defense projects loans. Andrew Gray reports for Reuters.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The United States and Canada are in talks for a new economic-and-security deal that Canada hopes would remove the U.S. tariffs, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said yesterday. Paul Vieira reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Trump yesterday claimed that Canadian officials were considering a proposal for Canada to participate in the United States’ planned Golden Dome project for free in exchange for agreeing to become the 51st U.S. state. Carney reiterated that Canada has no interest in becoming a U.S. state during his meeting with Trump earlier this month. Sareen Habeshian reports for Axios.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem yesterday told Poles gathered at a Conservative Political Action Conference gathering that the U.S. “needs [them] to elect the right leader,” days before a tightly contested presidential election is set to take place in Poland. Vanessa Gera reports for AP News.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
The State Department yesterday ordered all U.S. embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants as the Trump administration weighs requiring all foreign students applying to study in the United States to undergo social media vetting, according to a cable obtained by POLITICO. If implemented, the vetting process could severely slow down student visa processing. Nahal Toosi reports.
TRUMP’S PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS
Trump yesterday informed the children of imprisoned reality television couple Todd and Julie Chrisley that he plans to pardon their parents. The Chrisleys sought pardons from Trump in February after an Atlanta jury found them guilty of fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy to defraud the United States of more than $36 million in 2022. Zoë Richards reports for NBC News.
Trump this week issued a pardon to Scott Jenkins, a former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, and a prominent local Trump supporter. Jenkins was convicted last year of bribery for accepting $75,000 in bribes in the form of campaign contributions and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times.
Trump pardoned Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive who had pleaded guilty to tax crimes, after Walczak’s mother was invited to a $1-million-per-person fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago last month, sources say. In his pardon application, Walczak argued that his criminal conviction was motivated by his mother’s fundraising efforts for Trump and connections to an effort to publicize the addiction diary of former President Biden’s daughter, a source added. Kenneth P. Vogel reports for the New York Times.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Threats against federal judges have risen sharply since Trump took office, with roughly a third of the judiciary receiving a threat this fiscal year, according to data compiled by the U.S. Marshals Service. Mattathias Schwartz reports for the New York Times.
Trade crime is soaring in the United States, with the rises in U.S. tariffs sparking a flood of fraudulent activity, company executives and government officials say. Ana Swanson and Lazaro Gamio report for the New York Times.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
The Trump administration yesterday asked federal agencies to cancel about $100 million worth of federal contracts held by Harvard University, according to a letter obtained by the New York Times.
A persisting rift among Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s senior advisers is causing a continued “cold war” at the Pentagon, behind-the-scenes dysfunction, and internal speculation about Hegseth’s long-term viability in his Cabinet post, multiple sources say. Dan Lamothe reports for the Washington Post.
Security officers yesterday escorted the Bureau of Land Management’s Deputy Director for Administration and Programs, Michael “Mike” Nedd, out of the agency’s building, sources say. While it was not clear why Nedd was escorted out, POLITICO yesterday reported that Nedd has clashed with the BLM’s DOGE appointee over how BLM employees should fulfill the agency’s duties. Maxine Joselow reports for the Washington Post; Ben Lefebvre reports.
Trump yesterday threatened to strip “large scale” federal funding from California over the state’s policy allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls’ and women’s sports. Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Laurel Rosenhall report for the New York Times.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
The Trump administration yesterday filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to lift a lower court’s ruling that the government cannot rapidly deport people to countries that are not their own and without an opportunity to claim they would be subject to torture. In the appeal, Solicitor General John Sauer argued that the lower court’s order “disrupts sensitive diplomatic, foreign-policy, and national-security efforts.” Josh Gerstein reports for POLITICO.
Trump’s executive order targeting the law firm WilmerHale unconstitutionally infringed on freedoms preserving an “independent bar willing to tackle unpopular cases, however daunting,” a federal judge ruled yesterday. Striking down the order “in its entirety,” the judge said that “to rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers!” C. Ryan Barber reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Attorneys for 14 states who had sued Elon Musk, DOGE and Trump in February made a credible case that Musk “occupies a continuing position” and “exercises significant authority” in leading DOGE without “proper appointment” by Congress, a federal judge ruled yesterday. Lora Kolodny reports for CNBC.
DOGE staffers who underwent training and vetting procedures may access sensitive Treasury data, a federal judge ruled yesterday. In her decision, the judge found that the government had complied with her earlier requests to demonstrate it is equipped to screen and train employees before granting them access. Kelly Kasulis Cho reports for the Washington Post.
A federal judge yesterday temporarily barred the Trump administration from withholding federal funds for New York City in order to pressure the city to drop its congestion pricing plan. Jack Morphet and Joseph De Avila report for the Wall Street Journal.
The National Public Radio (NPR) and three Colorado public radio stations yesterday filed a federal lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive order that sought to cease all funding for the NPR and PBS. The lawsuit argues that in addition to “usurping” Congress’ power to direct how federal money is to be spent, the order violates the broadcasters’ First Amendment rights. David Folkenflik reports for NPR.
The Trump administration yesterday filed a federal lawsuit accusing North Carolina’s election board of violating the 2002 Help America Vote Act by failing to ensure voter registration records of some applicants contained identifying numbers. Gary D. Robertson reports for AP News.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
