President Donald Trump posted a letter to social media Thursday evening announcing 春色直播 goods will be subject to a 35% tariff rate starting Aug. 1, an aggressive increase to the 25% tariff first announced by Trump in February.
Trump justified the as necessary to manage , which he said was partially due to fentanyl being smuggled into the U.S. via Canada.
The two countries have been at the negotiating table discussing trade after Canada dropped plans for following pressure from the White House.
Trump closed by suggesting if Canada assists the U.S. in preventing fentanyl from entering the country, then Trump would 鈥減erhaps鈥 consider adjusting the tariff rates.
Earlier Thursday, said he'll certify a class action lawsuit including all children who'll be affected by President Donald Trump鈥檚 executive order ending birthright citizenship and issue a preliminary injunction blocking it.
Here's the latest:
UN investigator tells AP she was shocked by US sanctions
An independent U.N. investigator and outspoken critic of Israel鈥檚 actions in Gaza said Thursday that 鈥渋t was shocking鈥 to learn that the Trump administration had imposed sanctions on her.
Francesca Albanese said in an interview with The Associated Press that the powerful were trying to silence her for defending those without any power of their own, 鈥渙ther than standing and hoping not to die, not to see their children slaughtered.鈥
鈥淭his is not a sign of power, it鈥檚 a sign of guilt,鈥 the Italian human rights lawyer said.
The State Department鈥檚 decision to impose sanctions on Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, followed an unsuccessful U.S. pressure campaign to force the the U.N.鈥檚 top human rights body to remove her from her post.
She has been vocal about what she has described as the 鈥済enocide鈥 by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza. Both Israel and the U.S. have strongly denied that accusation.
Trump says he鈥檒l hike tariffs on goods imported from Canada to 35%
His assertion in a letter to 春色直播 Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday deepens a rift between two North American countries that have suffered a debilitating blow to their decades-old alliance.
The letter constitutes an aggressive increase to the 25% tariff first announced by Trump in February, allegedly in an effort to get Canada to crack down on fentanyl smuggling despite the relatively modest trafficking of the drug.
While multiple countries have received tariff letters this week, Canada, as America鈥檚 second-largest trading partner after Mexico, has become something of a foil to Trump. It has imposed its own retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods and pushed back on Trump鈥檚 taunts of making Canada the 51st state.
Head Start will be cut off for immigrants without legal status, Trump administration says
The Trump administration will restrict immigrants in the country illegally from enrolling in , a federally funded preschool program, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday.
The move is part of a broad effort to limit access to federal benefits for immigrants who lack legal status.
People in the country illegally are largely ineligible for federal public benefits such as food stamps, student loans and financial aid for higher education. But for decades they have been able to access some community-level programs such as Head Start and community health centers.
HHS said it will reclassify those programs as federal public benefits, excluding immigrants in the country illegally from accessing them.
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One way to influence Trump: Nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize
World leaders, lawmakers and even one Native American tribe are deploying a novel strategy for remaining on good terms with President : Praise his peacemaking efforts and nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.
The nomination announcements are piling up for the mercurial Republican president, who has long coveted the prestigious award. The honor, according to Albert Nobel鈥檚 wishes, is given to 鈥渢he person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.鈥
Peace prize nominations for Trump date to his first term, but he鈥檚 talking more in his second about how he鈥檚 helping to end conflicts, how he wants to be known as a peacemaker and how much he wants to be awarded a prize.
Fellow leaders, politicians and others have taken notice. Critics say Trump policies that have sown division in the U.S. and around the world make him unfit for a peace prize and that he鈥檚 being manipulated with the nominations.
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Firing notices for some coming soon, the State Department tells employees
The State Department formally advised staffers Thursday it would be sending layoff notices to some of them 鈥渋n coming days.鈥
The workforce cuts and reorganization of the country鈥檚 diplomatic corps has been planned for months. A recent ruling by the Supreme Court cleared the way for the firings to start while lawsuits challenging the legality of the cuts continue to play out.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has not said exactly how many of what had been roughly 8,100 State employees will be fired.
Deputy State Department Secretary Michael Rigas issued a statement Thursday advising select staffers would be getting their notices soon. Rigas called it part of the department鈥檚 biggest reorganization in decades.
Critics say the scale of cuts floated will lessen U.S. influence globally and make it hard for many departments to carry out their missions.
Mahmoud Khalil files $20 million claim against Trump administration
The claim alleges the 30-year-old recent Columbia University graduate student was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemite as the government sought to deport him over his prominent role in pro-Palestinian campus protests.
Khalil was released from custody two weeks ago after 104 days. The deportation case against him continues to wind its way through the immigration court system.
Khalil鈥檚 10-week-old son was born while he was detained in an immigration jail in Louisiana.
鈥淚 cannot describe the pain of that night,鈥 Khalil said of being unable to attend his child鈥檚 birth. 鈥淭his is something I will never forgive.鈥
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Brazil threatens retaliatory tariffs against US
Brazilian President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva says he will impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States if follows through on a over the South American country鈥檚 criminal trial against his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 no negotiation, the reciprocity law will be put to work. If he charges 50 (% tariffs) from us, we will charge 50 from them,鈥 Lula told TV Record in excerpts of an interview that will be fully aired later in the day. 鈥淩espect is good. I like to offer mine and I like to receive it.鈥
Lula鈥檚 comments raise the risk of a tariffs war erupting between the two countries, similar to what has happened between the U.S. and China. Trump has vowed to respond forcefully if countries seek to punish the U.S. by adding tariffs of their own.
The tariffs letter that Trump sent to Brazil 鈥 and posted on social media Wednesday 鈥 railing against the 鈥渨itch hunt鈥 trial against Bolsonaro is opening up a new front in his trade wars, with the U.S. leader directly using import taxes to interfere with another nation鈥檚 domestic politics.
Trump has already tried to use tariffs to ostensibly combat fentanyl trafficking and as a negotiating tool to change how other nations tax digital services and regulate their economies.
Agency that built 鈥榖unker buster鈥 bombs waiting on data to see if they reached Iranian targets
The U.S. agency that built the deeply penetrating bombs carried by B-2 stealth bombers last month to target Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities said Thursday that it was still waiting for data to be able to determine whether those munitions successfully reached their targets.
Two officials from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which spent decades designing the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs specifically to destroy Iran鈥檚 facilities, said they still did not know if the munitions had reached the depths for which the bombs had been engineered.
Whether the bombs reached the deeply buried enrichment labs and destroyed Iran鈥檚 nuclear weapons development has been a matter of contention, with an initial Defense Intelligence Agency report finding the program had only been set back a matter of months. President Donald Trump has insisted that the sites were 鈥渙bliterated.鈥
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details on the bombs that had not been previously announced.
White House sends Federal Reserve chair a letter regarding the renovation of it headquarters
White House budget director Russell Vought suggested in a Thursday letter that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell misused government money in the renovation of the Fed鈥檚 headquarters.
Writing to Powell, Vought called the renovation plans an 鈥渙stentatious overhaul鈥 with rooftop terrace gardens, VIP dining rooms and premium marble. Vought also suggested that Powell misled Congress by saying the headquarters had never had a serious renovation, saying that a 1999-2003 update of its roof and building systems counts as a 鈥渃omprehensive鈥 renovation.
Vought sent Powell a series of questions about whether the project complies with federal standards.
President Donald Trump has called for Powell鈥檚 dismissal for not cutting the Fed鈥檚 benchmark interest rates, with Powell saying the central bank needs to see how Trump鈥檚 tariffs influence inflation.
For his part, Trump has engaged in redecorating projects in the White House and ordered the paving over of the grass in the Rose Garden.
Netanyahu is wrapping up US visit but a breakthrough on a ceasefire not clear
The Israeli leader said in a video Thursday that he is trying to wrap up the U.S.-backed 60-day deal, but stresses it will be 鈥渢emporary.鈥
He says that during the truce, the sides will begin talks on ending the war altogether. But for there to be a permanent ceasefire, Hamas must agree to give up power and lay down its weapons 鈥 a demand it so far has rejected.
鈥淭hese are our basic conditions,鈥 Netanyahu says. 鈥淚f this can be achieved through negotiations - so much the better. If it is not achieved through negotiations in 60 days, we will achieve it in other ways -- by using force, the force of our heroic army.鈥
Netanyahu attends Washington memorial for slain Israeli embassy staffers
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a memorial service in Washington on Thursday for two Israeli embassy staffers shot to death outside the embassy in May.
Family members of the two were among those attending the memorial, held at the Israeli embassy, the prime minister鈥檚 office said in a statement.
Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, were fatally shot May 22. A suspect was charged with state and federal murder charges. The two colleagues had been on the verge of getting engaged.
Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister鈥檚 wife, and a psychologist, also attended the memorial, and signed a letter of condolence at the embassy.
Netanyahu was leaving the U.S. Thursday after meeting with President Donald Trump, lawmakers and others over Israel鈥檚 war against Hamas in Gaza and other Middle East conflicts and issues.
Top UN official blasts US sanctions on Albanese as 鈥榰nacceptable鈥
The United Nations is reeling from what some have called the unprecedented sanctions issued Wednesday against Francesca Albanese, who is the independent investigator tasked with probing human rights abuses in Gaza and the West Bank.
Stephane Dujarric, the U.N. spokesperson, told reporters Thursday that imposing sanctions against U.N. officials or experts sets a 鈥渄angerous precedent.鈥
He added that while member states like the U.S. are entitled to their views and to 鈥渄isagree with reports鈥 issued by independent investigators, there are ways to deal within the U.N. system.
鈥淭he use of unilateral sanctions against special rapporteurs or any other UN expert or official is unacceptable,鈥 Dujarric said.
Trump administration rescinds policy against LGBTQ+ discrimination in school nutrition programs
Under the Biden administration, schools were told that protections for LGBTQ+ students extended to food assistance programs.
That Agriculture Department policy was challenged in a lawsuit filed by the Rapides Parish School District in Louisiana and the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal organization.
The 春色直播 Women鈥檚 Law Center said the administration is encouraging schools to look away from discrimination toward marginalized youth.
The move is the latest from the Trump administration to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ people across federal agencies.
Judge鈥檚 order puts birthright citizenship issue on fast track back to US Supreme Court
The justices could be asked to rule whether the in New Hampshire complies with their decision last month that limited judges鈥 authority to issue nationwide injunctions.
That ruling from the justices did not address the merits of President Trump鈥檚 bid to enforce his executive order signed in January that seeks to deny citizenship to children who are born to people who are living in the U.S. illegally or temporarily.
Federal Judge Joseph LaPlante paused Trump鈥檚 order but included a weeklong stay of that decision Thursday to allow the government to appeal, which is expected. The federal appeals court in Boston would be asked to weigh in first before the matter could reach the high court.
Whistleblower turns over emails, text message to lawmakers weighing Trump鈥檚 judicial pick
The records released by the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee seek to bolster the allegations of a former Justice Department lawyer of suggesting the Trump administration might have to ignore court orders to carry out the president鈥檚 deportation plans.
Bove, who was a criminal defense attorney for Trump before joining the Justice Department as a top official, is being considered for a seat on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Erez Reuveni, who was fired from the department, alleges that Bove said during a meeting that the department would need to consider telling the courts 鈥渇--- you.鈥
Text messages between Reuveni and a colleague from March seem to reference that profane comment though they don鈥檛 mention Bove by name.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said Reuveni鈥檚 account is false. And Bove told lawmakers during his confirmation hearing a department lawyer to defy court orders.
Liberians confused and angry after Trump鈥檚 鈥榗ondescending鈥 praise for Boakai鈥檚 鈥榖eautiful English鈥
鈥淪uch good English,鈥 Trump said Wednesday to Liberian President , with visible surprise. 鈥淪uch beautiful English.鈥
English has been the west African nation鈥檚 official language since the 1800s. But Trump .
鈥淲here did you learn to speak so beautifully?鈥 he continued, as Boakai murmured a response. 鈥淲here were you educated? Where? In Liberia?鈥
The exchange took place during a between Trump and five West African leaders, amid a pivot from aid to trade in the U.S. foreign policy.
Liberia has had deep ties with the United States for centuries. It was first established with the aim of relocating freed slaves from the United States.
Foday Massaquio, chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots, said that while the remarks were typical of Trump鈥檚 engagement with foreign leaders, what some saw as the condescending tone was amplified by the fact that the leaders were African.
鈥淎s a matter of fact, it also proves that the West is not taking us seriously as Africans,鈥 he said. 鈥淧resident Trump was condescending, he was very disrespectful to the African leader.鈥
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But didn鈥檛 the Supreme Court limit nationwide injunctions?
Several federal judges had issued nationwide injunctions stopping Trump鈥檚 order from taking effect, but the in a June 27 ruling that gave lower courts 30 days to act. With that time frame in mind, opponents of the change quickly returned to court to try to block it.
In a Washington state case before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the judges have asked the parties to write briefs explaining the effect of the Supreme Court鈥檚 ruling. Washington and the other states in that lawsuit have asked the appeals court to return the case to the lower court judge.
As in New Hampshire, a plaintiff in Maryland seeks to organize a class-action lawsuit that includes every person who would be affected by the order. The judge set a Wednesday deadline for written legal arguments as she considers the request for another nationwide injunction from CASA, a nonprofit immigrant rights organization.
What to know about the class action lawsuit over birthright citizenship
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a pregnant woman, two parents and their infants, is among numerous cases challenging Trump鈥檚 January order denying citizenship to those born to parents living in the U.S. illegally or temporarily. The plaintiffs are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and others.
At issue is the Constitution鈥檚 14th Amendment, which states: 鈥淎ll persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.鈥 The Trump administration says the phrase 鈥渟ubject to the jurisdiction thereof鈥 means the U.S. can deny citizenship to babies born to women in the country illegally, ending what has been seen as an of U.S. law for more than a century.
鈥淧rior misimpressions of the citizenship clause have created a perverse incentive for illegal immigration that has negatively impacted this country鈥檚 sovereignty, national security, and economic stability,鈥 government lawyers wrote in the New Hampshire case. 鈥淭he Constitution does not harbor a windfall clause granting American citizenship to 鈥 the children of those who have circumvented (or outright defied) federal immigration laws.鈥
New Hampshire judge to pause Trump鈥檚 birthright citizenship order
The federal judge in New Hampshire said Thursday he鈥檒l certify a class action lawsuit including all children who will be affected by President Trump鈥檚 executive order ending birthright citizenship and issue a preliminary injunction blocking it.
Judge Joseph LaPlante announced his decision after an hour-long hearing and said a written order will follow. The order will include a seven-day stay to allow for appeal, he said.
The class is slightly narrower than that sought by the plaintiffs, who originally included parents as plaintiffs.
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Civil rights probe targets DEI at George Mason University
The Trump administration is investigating the school over diversity practices the government says amount to illegal discrimination.
The Education Department announced the review Thursday in response to a complaint from multiple professors at Virginia鈥檚 largest public university. It represents an expansion of the administration鈥檚 campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which has focused more on K-12 schools and elite, private universities.
The complaint accuses George Mason of adopting DEI policies that favor underrepresented groups and advance 鈥渁nti-racism鈥 starting in 2020 鈥 the year the university鈥檚 president, Gregory Washington, took office. It accuses Washington of renaming the campus DEI office without changing hiring practices.
Similar complaints were leveled against University of Virginia President Jim Ryan, who resigned in June amid a Justice Department investigation into DEI practices.
Last week the Education Department opened a separate investigation into allegations of antisemitism at George Mason.
Rubio says he expects other would-be scammers will use AI to try to impersonate him
That鈥檚 after several such instances were discovered last month.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just the reality of this AI technology that鈥檚 going on and it鈥檚 a real threat,鈥 Rubio told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Rubio said he found about the attempted impersonation 鈥 which targeted at least three foreign ministers, one member of Congress, and a governor 鈥 from the senator who got a suspicious message purporting to be from him.
鈥溾橠id you call and just try to reach me鈥 and (he) actually sent me a voice recording,鈥 Rubio said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 really sound like me, if you fell for that call, you know. But maybe there was a better one that I didn鈥檛 see because it was on Signal.鈥
鈥淭his is just the reality of the 21st century with AI and fake stuff that鈥檚 going on,鈥 he said. 鈥淕enerally, I communicate with my counterparts around the world through official channels for a reason and that鈥檚 to avoid this.鈥
State Department move to sanction independent UN investigator on Gaza gets mixed response
Outside groups who鈥檇 been criticizing Francesca Albanese celebrated what they called a long-awaited move, while advocates for the end of the war in Gaza condemned the action.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of the nongovernmental watchdog UN Watch, had been pushing for years for Albanese to be removed from her post, accusing her of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias. He called it 鈥渁 bold and courageous move鈥 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that was unprecedented.
鈥淭hen again, no UN official has ever been condemned for Holocaust distortion and antisemitism by France, Germany, Canada, and both Democratic and Republican US administrations,鈥 he said in a statement.
But Muslim and human rights organizations blasted the effort as an attack on free speech and against an independent investigator.
鈥淭hese sanctions reflect a dangerous attempt to silence international accountability for human rights abuses and war crimes. This is a blatant attempt to intimidate human rights officials who dare to speak the truth about Israel鈥檚 ongoing genocide in Gaza,鈥 the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement.
Rubio says pause in Ukraine weapons deliveries has been 鈥榤ischaracterized鈥
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a brief pause in some weapons deliveries to Ukraine was part of a temporary pending review of certain munitions left in America鈥檚 stockpiles.
Speaking to reporters after a Southeast Asian regional security conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rubio said the pause was 鈥渕ischaracterized鈥 as a withdrawal of U.S. support for Ukraine.
鈥淭hat decision unfortunately was mischaracterized,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t was a pause pending review on a handful of specific type munitions that frankly is something that is logical that you would do, especially after an extended engagement that we saw both in defense of Israel and in defense of our own bases.鈥
Trump has no public events today
The only event on his White House schedule is an intelligence briefing at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Rubio says the US and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks
It comes after he met with his Russian counterpart in Malaysia on Thursday.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a new and a different approach,鈥 Rubio told reporters after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 characterize it as something that guarantees a peace, but it鈥檚 a concept that, you know, that I鈥檒l take back to the president.鈥
He didn鈥檛 elaborate.
Rubio said President Trump has been 鈥渄isappointed and frustrated鈥 that there鈥檚 not been more flexibility from Russia to end the conflict. 鈥淲e hope that can change ... and we鈥檙e going to continue to stay involved where we see opportunities to make a difference,鈥 he said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds talks with Russia鈥檚 Lavrov as Ukraine tensions soar
They met Thursday in Malaysia as tensions between the countries rise over Moscow鈥檚 increasing attacks on Ukraine and whether Russia鈥檚 leader is serious about a peace deal.
Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the annual Regional Forum, which brings together 10 ASEAN members and their most important diplomatic partners including Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, European nations and the U.S.
The meeting lasted around 50 minutes. Rubio was seen winking at Lavrov afterward as reporters shouted questions, which they both ignored.
The meeting was their second encounter since Rubio took office, although they鈥檝e spoken by phone several times.
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US weapons deliveries to Ukraine will not stall peace talks, Kremlin says
The Kremlin insisted Thursday that the resumption of weapons deliveries between the United States and Ukraine and harsher rhetoric from Trump would not stall peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
鈥淲e are still waiting for a signal from Kyiv鈥檚 representatives as to their desire or unwillingness to enter into a third round of direct negotiations,鈥 Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists. 鈥淲e have always said that we would prefer to use peaceful political and diplomatic means. But until this happens, the military operation continues,鈥 Peskov said, using the Kremlin鈥檚 euphemism for the invasion of Ukraine.
