President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is directing the opening of a detention center at Guantanamo Bay to hold up to 30,000 immigrants who are living illegally in the United States. People who are in the United States illegally and are accused of theft and violent crimes would have to be detained and potentially deported even before a conviction.
Trump made the announcement right before he signed into law as his administration鈥檚 first piece of legislation.
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The Cuban government criticized Trump鈥檚 announcement to send immigrants to the U.S. Guantanamo naval base
Cuban President Miguel D铆az-Canel deemed the decision as 鈥渁n act of brutality鈥 in a message on his X account, and he described the based as one 鈥渓ocated in illegally occupied #Cuba territory.鈥
The Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodr铆guez also lambasted the announcement.
鈥淭he US government鈥檚 decision to imprison migrants at the Guantanamo Naval Base, in an enclave where it created torture and indefinite detention centers, shows contempt for the human condition and international law,鈥 Rodriguez said on X.
How does the U.S. government use the base at Guantanamo Bay?
While the U.S. naval base in Cuba is best-known for the suspects brought in after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, it also has a separate facility used for decades to hold migrants.
The Migrant Operations Center holds those detained at sea, many from Haiti and Cuba.
The nonprofit International Refugee Assistance Project said in a report last year that the migrants are held in 鈥減rison-like鈥 conditions. It said migrants there were 鈥渢rapped in a punitive system鈥 indefinitely, with no accountability for the officials running it.
The U.S. has leased Guantanamo from Cuba for more than a century. Cuba opposes the lease and typically rejects the nominal U.S. rent payments.
Does the U.S. have sufficient space for Trump鈥檚 plans?
Trump has vowed to deport millions of people living illegally in the U.S., but the current Immigration and Customs Enforcement budget only has enough funds to detain about 41,000 people.
ICE detains migrants at its processing centers and privately operated detention facilities, along with local prisons and jails. It has no facilities geared toward detention of families, who account for roughly one-third of arrivals on the southern U.S. border.
During Trump鈥檚 first term, he . In 2014, then-President Barack Obama temporarily relied on military bases to detain immigrant children while ramping up privately operated family detention centers to hold many of the tens of thousands of Central American families caught illegally crossing the border.
U.S. military bases have been used repeatedly since the 1970s to accommodate the resettlement of waves of immigrants fleeing Vietnam, Cuba, Haiti, Kosovo and Afghanistan.
Pentagon agency pauses celebrations for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month and more
The Defense Department鈥檚 intelligence agency has paused observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance and other cultural or historical annual events in response to President Donald Trump鈥檚 programs in the federal workplace.
The instructions were published Tuesday in a Defense Intelligence Agency memo obtained by The Associated Press and affect 11 annual events, including Black History Month, which begins Saturday, and 春色直播 Hispanic Heritage Month.
The memo鈥檚 authenticity was confirmed by a U.S. official who said the pause was initiated by the DIA and appears not to be policy across the Defense Department. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Uncertainty and fear grip those affected by Trump decision to revoke deportation protections
Caren A帽ez, a 41-year-old single mother who requested in 2023 and received it in 2024, after arriving in the U.S. on a tourist visa, said she is very concerned about the latest decision by the Trump administration to revoke deportation protections.
鈥淚鈥檓 scared even though I鈥檓 here legally and I arrived legally,鈥 said A帽ez. 鈥淚 am distraught, seeing how else I can stay here legally.鈥
A帽ez said she left Venezuela because she feared being arrested for working as an independent news reporter for a Venezuelan site. She now works as office manager in Texas and said returning home is not an option.
鈥淚 cannot enter Venezuela because my life is in danger,鈥 she said.
More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left their home country since 2013, when its economy unraveled and President took office. Most settled in Latin America and the Caribbean, but after the pandemic, migrants increasingly set their sights on the U.S.
Trump administration revokes deportation protections for 600,000 Venezuelans
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday that the Trump administration has revoked that would have protected roughly 600,000 people from Venezuela from deportation, putting some at risk of being removed from the country in about two months.
Noem signed a notice reversing a move by her predecessor, Alejandro Mayorkas, in the waning days of the Biden administration to extend . The change is effective immediately and comes amid the Trump administration works to make good on promises to crack down on illegal immigration and carry out the in U.S. history.
鈥淏efore he left town, Mayorkas signed an order that said for 18 months they were going to extend this protection to people that are on Temporary Protected Status, which meant that they were going to be able to stay here and violate our laws for another 18 months,鈥 Noem told 鈥淔ox and Friends.鈥
鈥淲e stopped that,鈥 Noem said.
Former Clinton administration official who helped lead federal job reductions sees problems with Trump plan
A former U.S. official who worked on streamlining the federal workforce during former President Bill Clinton鈥檚 administration is seeing flaws in President Donald Trump鈥檚 federal buyout plan.
Elaine Kamarck, who is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, says buyouts tend to be taken by younger, more talented, employees who have an easier time moving around in the job market. She says that鈥檚 particularly troubling for information technology, because the private IT sector pays much better than the government, and there鈥檚 a risk of the government losing the most talented people in that field.
During the Clinton administration, Kamarck helped lead a reduction in about 426,000 federal jobs. She says they did it through the lens of restructuring government and with thorough reviews.
She also notes that it鈥檚 possible too many employees in general will opt to take buyouts under the Trump plan. If too many people leave, that could result in programs not being run effectively.
Senate confirms Zeldin to lead Environmental Protection Agency as Trump vows to cut climate rules
The Republican-controlled Senate has confirmed Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. It鈥檚 a key role to help President Donald Trump fulfill his pledge to roll back major environmental regulations, including those aimed at slowing climate change and encouraging use of electric vehicles.
The vote was 56-42 in Zeldin鈥檚 favor.
Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from New York, is a longtime Trump ally. He has pledged to be a good steward of the environment and support career staff at EPA, but has declined to commit to specific policies. Trump led efforts to dismantle more than 100 environmental protections during his first term and has promised to do so again.
Trump鈥檚 Office of Management and Budget nominee Russ Vought comes under scrutiny
Democrats are taking a closer look at Russ Vought in the aftermath of the Office of Management and Budget executive orders.
Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee sent a letter to acting director of the Office of Management and Budget Matthew J. Vaeth demanding to know if Vought is currently on the White House payroll.
Is Vought currently serving as 鈥渁n employee, advisor, or consultant to OMB or any other part of the Executive Office of the President?鈥 Merkley asked. 鈥淚s he working out of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building?鈥
Vought is expected to advance toward Senate confirmation in a committee vote this week.
Rubio meets with 春色直播 FM as Trump tariff threat looms
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has met with his 春色直播 counterpart ahead of a looming weekend threat from President Donald Trump to impose massive tariffs on imports from Canada.
Rubio and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly held talks at the State Department on Wednesday amid concerns and counterthreats from 春色直播 officials over the potential 25% tariffs that could be announced on Saturday.
Neither Rubio nor Joly spoke as they posed for photographs before their meeting and they ignored questions from journalists.
Trump insists the tariffs, which could also apply to imports from Mexico, are necessary to convince the countries to crack down on illegal immigration and the smuggling of Fentanyl precursors.
Rubio this weekend will embark on his first foreign trip as secretary of state, traveling to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic beginning on Saturday.
Students can now apply for federal college aid. Officials hope for a smoother rollout this year
In the confusion surrounding the temporary freeze on federal grants and loans that the Trump administration imposed on Monday and rescinded on Wednesday, many students were asking online about the impact to the used to apply for financial aid.
But the form apparently remained available. The 春色直播 Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators said Wednesday it had not received complaints about FAFSA availability from administrators at any schools.
The U.S. Department of Education said the pause would not have applied to direct assistance to Americans such as federal student loans.
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Trump directs opening of a detention center at Guantanamo Bay to hold up to 30,000 migrants in US illegally
Speaking at a signing ceremony for the Laken Riley Act, which is focused on detaining and potentially deporting people in the country illegally if they鈥檙e accused of theft and other violent crimes, Trump proclaimed: 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to send them out to Guantanamo.鈥
The U.S. military base in Cuba has been used to house detainees from the U.S. war on terrorism.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell declined to respond to Trump鈥檚 call for lower rates
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to have any response or comment whatsoever on what the president said,鈥 Powell told reporters at a Wednesday news conference. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not appropriate to do so.鈥
Powell said he鈥檚 had no contact with Trump.
The Fed has wanted to base its choices on short-term rates based on jobs data, inflation and other economic factors, rather than political pressures. The political independence has meant Powell has not publicly engaged much with Trump鈥檚 desire to shape its policies.
The Fed said Wednesday after its top official met that its short-term rates would be unchanged.
What is the Office of Personnel Management?
Trump is relying on the relatively obscure federal agency to reshape government.
The Office of Personnel Management was created in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter and is the equivalent of the government鈥檚 human resources department. It helps manage the civil service, including pay schedules, health insurance and pension programs.
The agency has offered millions of federal workers eight months of salary if they voluntarily choose to leave their jobs by Feb. 6.
The unconventional plan shows both Trump鈥檚 desire to bring the bureaucracy under control and the downsizing tendencies of Elon Musk, who鈥檚 leading the president鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency.
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Trump says he appreciates the bipartisan support for the Laken Riley Act
It鈥檚 the president鈥檚 first move to toughen the country鈥檚 immigration laws.
The bill is named after the who was killed by a person in the U.S. illegally while out on a run 鈥 a case that served as a rallying cry in his bid to return to the White House.
Welcoming lawmakers and Riley鈥檚 family in the White House East Room, Trump said 鈥渋t鈥檚 so sad we have to be doing it,鈥 but added, 鈥渉er name will live forever in the laws of our country.鈥
The legislation requires the detention of people in the U.S. illegally who are accused of theft and violent crimes. The bill won bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a landmark law that we鈥檙e doing today,鈥 Trump said.
Kennedy appeared unaware of broad Alzheimer鈥檚 research
Kennedy wrongly claimed at his confirmation hearing that the 春色直播 Institutes of Health ignores any potential causes of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease other than a sticky gunk called amyloid.
鈥淭he NIH shut down studies of any other hypothesis,鈥 Kennedy said.
Scientists don鈥檛 know exactly how the mind-robbing disease forms. There鈥檚 disagreement over just how big a role amyloid plays but two drugs that showed modest slowing of the worsening of Alzheimer鈥檚 鈥 Leqembi and Kisunla 鈥 work by targeting that sticky amyloid plaque.
But the NIH鈥檚 $3.8 billion budget for Alzheimer鈥檚 and similar dementias includes researching a range of other factors that may underlie how Alzheimer鈥檚 develops, who鈥檚 most vulnerable and potential treatments.
Among them: Another abnormal brain protein called tau 鈥 drugs that target it are now in testing. NIH also funds research into the potential role of viruses, inflammation, brain stimulation, exercise and sleep. One recent NIH-funded clinical trial showed hearing aids can help reduce cognitive decline in certain people.
Federal workers sue Trump administration to maintain civil service protections
Two unions sued Wednesday asking a court to block Trump鈥檚 executive order rolling back 鈥淪chedule F,鈥 a regulation that protects the rights of government workers.
The American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees say Trump鈥檚 order illegally exceeded his authority.
鈥淭his scheme seeks to put politics over professionalism, contrary to the laws and values that have defined our career civil service for more than a century,鈥 the lawsuit states.
The AFGE labor union and others also filed a lawsuit last week over Trump鈥檚 creation of a Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump signs antisemitism executive order that threatens to cancel student visas for Hamas sympathizers
The president鈥檚 order calls on the Justice Department to 鈥渁ggressively prosecute terroristic threats, arson, vandalism and violence against American Jews.鈥
Perhaps most notable is the order鈥檚 focus on reports of antisemitism on many college campuses during protests following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that prompted Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza.
鈥淭o all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you,鈥 Trump said in statement issued by the White House.
鈥淚 will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.鈥
Trump鈥檚 Commerce Secretary nominee, Howard Lutnick, vows to sell his business interests in 90 days
鈥淚 will divest, I will sell all of my interests, my business interests, all of my assets, everything,鈥 Lutnick said in a confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. 鈥滻 made the decision I鈥檝e made enough money in my life.鈥
Lutnick, head of the investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, has complicated business dealings. His showed he had positions in more than 800 businesses and other private organizations.
Lutnick was introduced by Vice President JD Vance, who called him 鈥渏ust a good dude.鈥
Lutnick has emerged as an outspoken supporter of Trump鈥檚 hardline trade policies.
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During the hearing, senator called out misinformation about abortions later in pregnancy
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island clarified the circumstances during which most abortions later in pregnancy take place after Kennedy said he agreed with Trump in opposing 鈥渓ate-term abortions.鈥
鈥淚t is a childbirth gone wrong,鈥 Whitehouse said. 鈥淭he family has painted the room. It has bought the crib, maybe even decided on the baby鈥檚 name and has gone to the hospital to welcome the new baby into the family...and then things went wrong.鈥
鈥淎nd the question became who lives and who dies,鈥 he added. 鈥淭he mom鈥檚 life is often at risk.鈥
Trump has previously spread misinformation about abortions later in pregnancy, which are exceedingly rare and often the result of serious complications.
Kennedy exits the hearing with applause from the room
The crowd at the Senate hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been overwhelmingly supportive of him, groaning when Democrats grilled him and applauding when Republicans praised him.
As the hearing concluded and Kennedy exited, most spectators stood and applauded, cheering in support of President Trump鈥檚 nominee.
Sen. Schumer calls for Vought鈥檚 nomination to be rescinded
Trump nominated Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget, which acts as a nerve center for funding allocations and spending decisions across the executive branch. The OMB issued a memo late Monday to freeze federal grants and loans that鈥檚 caused widespread confusion and concern.
鈥淒onald Trump just rescinded his horrible OMB freeze. He should now rescind Russell Vought鈥檚 nomination for OMB,鈥 Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters.
鈥淲e believe they鈥檒l come back and try to do this in other ways,鈥 Schumer said without elaborating on other measures the administration may take. 鈥淩ussell Vought sat in my office and said he was going to do it.鈥
鈥楩ix our food supply鈥
Kennedy mentioned the number of ingredients in U.S. foods and suggested ultraprocessed foods are contributing to chronic disease.
鈥淲e need to fix our food supply and that鈥檚 number 1,鈥 he said.
have been linked to a host of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and more.
But those studies have shown associations, not causes, and experts say more research is needed to confirm exactly how these foods can lead to poor health outcomes.
Kennedy's statements about antidepressants were challenged
Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota challenged Kennedy鈥檚 unsupported suggestions that rising rates of school shootings could be related to increased prescribing of antidepressants.
Kennedy responded that 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone can answer that question.鈥 And called for more research.
Antidepressants and other prescription drugs are subject to multiple, large clinical trials that evaluate safety and efficacy before they are approved. Additionally, the FDA has multiple systems for monitoring emerging side effects with drugs after they鈥檙e on the market.
鈥淭hese statements you鈥檝e made linking antidepressants to school shootings reinforce the stigma that people who experience mental health face every single day,鈥 said Smith, who added that she benefited from antidepressants as 鈥渁 young woman.鈥
White House suspends order on federal grant freeze after widespread backlash and confusion
A two-sentence memo from the Office of Management Budget canceled a previous memo issued two days before that had directed federal agencies to 鈥渢emporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.鈥
The move comes amid opposition from Democrats and advocates and lawsuits that have already been filed to oppose the original order.
Kennedy talks about trust
In a response to Wyoming Sen. Todd Young鈥檚 question about public skepticism of health care institutions, the HHS nominee said the reason people don鈥檛 trust health agencies is that they 鈥渉aven鈥檛 been trustworthy鈥
He pledged to rebuild that trust through 鈥渞adical transparency.鈥
Sen. Tina Smith called Kennedy 鈥榙angerous鈥 to abortion pill access
鈥淭he answers you have given tell me that the Trump administration is more than willing to restrict or even ban medication abortion without a single act of Congress and even in states where abortion is legal,鈥 she said during his confirmation hearing.
Legal clinics pause help for poor taxpayers, worried about losing federal funds
Some legal clinics that help prepare returns have stopped accepting cases altogether.
The possibility of a suspension of federal aid is 鈥渄eeply concerning,鈥 said Beverly Winstead, director of the University of Maryland鈥檚 Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.
鈥淲e fear that our ability to protect taxpayer rights may be compromised if a funding freeze is applied to the LITC or extended beyond the February 10 deadline,鈥 Winstead said.
At the Erie County Bar Association鈥 s Volunteer Lawyers Project in Buffalo New York, Executive Director Gretchen Gonzalez said it will be catastrophic for her organization if the feds permanently freeze the program鈥檚 15 grants 鈥 including 3 that come from the federal government.
Republican senator tells Kennedy he has a 鈥榙ivine鈥 purpose
Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, told Kennedy that 鈥淕od has a divine purpose for you鈥 and that he looked forward to working with him to help 鈥渕ake America healthy again.鈥
The line drew some cheers and applause from those in the hearing room, reflecting how Kennedy has drawn enthusiastic support from many Christians skeptical of health authorities.
Kennedy鈥檚 pledge to include Native Americans in medical research runs into Trump actions
Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Lujan pressed Kennedy about his commitment to studying drugs and other medical products in Native Americans to make sure they work.
Kennedy pointed to work by his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, on native issues, including the Indian Health Service.
As part of the Trump administration鈥檚 sweeping crackdown on government diversity initiatives, the FDA recently removed a long-awaited guidance designed to enhance drug testing in minority patient groups.
Under questioning from Lujan, Kennedy said he would make sure the guidance is implemented.
For decades, medical products have been tested primarily in white patients, leaving gaps in understanding about how they perform in other racial and ethnic groups.
Senators repeatedly question Kennedy鈥檚 shift on abortion after backing Trump
鈥淚鈥檝e never seen any major politician flip on that issue quite as quickly as you did when Trump asked you to be HHS secretary,鈥 said Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Kennedy repeatedly leaned on the phrase, 鈥淚 have always believed abortion is a tragedy.鈥
President Trump appeals his New York hush money conviction
Trump鈥檚 lawyers filed a notice of appeal Wednesday, asking the state鈥檚 mid-level appeals court to overturn his conviction last May on .
The case, involving an alleged scheme to hide to porn actor Stormy Daniels during Trump鈥檚 2016 Republican campaign, was the only one of his criminal cases to go to trial.
A notice of appeal starts the appeals process in New York. Trump鈥檚 lawyers will have an opportunity to expand on their grievances in subsequent court filings.
The Manhattan district attorney鈥檚 office will have a chance to respond in court papers. A message seeking comment was left with the office Wednesday.
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Kennedy to Sen. Elizabeth Warren: 鈥榊ou鈥檙e making me sound like a shill鈥
The Massachusetts Democrat interrogated Kennedy about whether he鈥檒l keep making money as a private lawyer off his work related to health care and drug companies.
It got heated. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e making me sound like a shill,鈥 Kennedy said.
A particularly intense back-and-forth came when Warren asked Kennedy, who has profited from an arrangement with a law firm that specializes in suing drug companies, to commit to not earning money from such lawsuits while secretary and for four years afterward.
Kennedy said he would comply with all ethics rules but wouldn鈥檛 directly answer whether he鈥檇 forego the income after leaving office.
Baby onesies become a topic at the Senate confirmation hearing
鈥淎re you supportive of these onesies?鈥 Sen. Bernie Sanders sternly asked Kennedy.
It was a moment that drew a bit of laughter during an otherwise tense series of questions from Sanders, an independent from Vermont.
Sanders was pressing Kennedy on his evolving stances on childhood vaccines and a onesie the Children鈥檚 Health Defense, a group Kennedy chaired from 2015 and 2023, was selling for $26 and printed with anti-vaccine slogans.
Kennedy pointed out that he鈥檚 since resigned from the organization鈥檚 board in December and said he supports vaccines.
Kennedy has a years-long record of anti-vaccine activism despite saying he supports vaccines
Kennedy has said 鈥 鈥 while leading his anti-vaccine .
He鈥檚 often said he wants 鈥渟afe鈥 vaccines, while also using slanted information, cherry-picked facts and conspiracy theories to sow distrust of vaccines.
Kennedy said in a podcast interview that 鈥淭here鈥檚 no vaccine that is safe and effective,鈥 he still believes in the debunked idea that vaccines can cause autism, and urged people in 2021 to 鈥渞esist鈥 CDC guidelines on when kids should get vaccines.
鈥淚 see somebody on a hiking trail carrying a little baby and I say to him, better not get them vaccinated,鈥 Kennedy said.
Kennedy said he was called 鈥榗onspiracy theorist鈥 for 鈥榬ed dye causes cancer鈥
鈥淎nd now the FDA has revoked it,鈥 he said.
The FDA the color additive known as Red 3 because of evidence that it causes cancer in male laboratory rats.
The agency took the long-awaited action because of a federal statute known as the Delaney Clause, which prohibits additives that cause cancer in animals or people.
However, the evidence shows that the way the dye causes cancer in rats doesn鈥檛 occur in humans.
Tens of thousands of refugees in the US at risk of losing money for food and rent
Refugee resettlement agencies are scrambling after the Trump administration halted their federally funded work. It鈥檚 unclear how they鈥檒l continue supporting refugees already in the United States.
Religious organizations shoulder the bulk of U.S. refugee resettlement work.
鈥淧resident Trump has said he will defend persecuted Christians,鈥 said Matthew Soerens of World Relief, an evangelical resettlement agency. 鈥淎nd the U.S. refugee resettlement program is one of the primary ways that the U.S. government protects Christians and others fleeing persecution.鈥
The federal refugee program, a form of legal migration to the U.S., assists those who鈥檝e escaped war, natural disaster or persecution.
Republican senator: 鈥榃e need to heal and unify this divided nation鈥
Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who was during the COVID-19 pandemic, framed his comments to Kennedy around unity.
He brought up a conversation he had with Kennedy when the former Democrat was considering joining forces with Trump. The senator called it an answer to his prayers.
鈥淲e need to heal and unify this divided nation,鈥 Johnson said. 鈥淐an鈥檛 we come together as a nation and do this?鈥
Trump to sign order establishing task force to plan 鈥榞rand celebration鈥 of 250th independence anniversary
Trump, during his campaign, had said his 鈥淪alute to America 250鈥 celebration would be 鈥渢he most spectacular birthday party.鈥
The order is also expected to revive plans to create a 鈥湸荷辈 Garden of American Heroes鈥 with statues memorializing 250 historical figures. It will commission artists for the first 100.
During his first term, Trump had curated a list of who was to be included 鈥 Davy Crockett, Billy Graham, Whitney Houston, Harriet Tubman and Antonin Scalia, among others 鈥 but no site was selected and the garden was never funded by Congress.
Kennedy seemed unaware of federal law that guarantees emergency room help
The longstanding federal law ensures any person who presents at an emergency room in the U.S. is offered stabilizing treatment.
Sen. Cortez Masto asked how Kennedy would enforce that law when it came to living in abortion ban states who need the procedure to save their health or life.
Kennedy struggled to answer, finally saying: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we have a law enforcement branch at HHS.鈥
HHS does, in fact, enforce the law, called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act and fines for emergency rooms that don鈥檛 comply with it.
Democrats say Trump assistance freeze puts bipartisan budget talks in 鈥榡eopardy鈥
Democrats kicked off Day 2 of protesting Trump鈥檚 decision to halt federal assistance programs with a news conference highlighting the 鈥渁valanche鈥 of calls they鈥檙e receiving from constituents and local leaders in their state about the decision.
As part of their response, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed that protesting certain Trump Cabinet nominees was on the table for his members if the administration did not backtrack on its decision.
Sen. Patty Murray, a top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, also indicated that Trump鈥檚 move could affect Democrats鈥 willingness to come to the table and negotiate with Republicans ahead of the March deadline to fund the government.
Sen. Lankford misstates facts surrounding abortion pill mifepristone
While questioning Kennedy, Lankford said Biden鈥檚 Food and Drug Administration eliminated requirements that doctors report side effects with the drug in virtually all cases, 鈥渦nless she dies.鈥
Mifepristone was first approved in 2000 under a highly restrictive set of regulations that required doctors to report all negative reactions with the drug. That鈥檚 different than almost any other medication, where only serious injury and death are required to be reported by doctors.
In 2016, the FDA determined mifepristone was safe enough to be subject to the same safety regime as other drugs. The FDA continues to get reports of both serious and non-serious side effects from the drug鈥檚 manufacturer, which is required to regularly submit them to regulators.
Kennedy urged to support emergency abortion access
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada urged Kennedy to recognize that a federal law known as the would require emergency rooms to provide emergency abortions when a woman鈥檚 health or life is at stake 鈥 a position taken by the Biden administration.
鈥淵ou will be enforcing EMTALA laws, and it鈥檚 important you understand their impact and don鈥檛 play politics with the patient presenting at the ER based on a position this administration has taken,鈥 she said.
Trump executive order would redirect federal education money to private school vouchers
The order Trump is expected sign Wednesday tells several agencies to repurpose federal money to expand initiatives.
It directs the Education Department to use its discretionary money to prioritize school choice and to issue new guidance to states exploring how to use federal funds for K-12 voucher programs.
It also directs other agencies to find ways to help states and families use federal money for private schooling and other school choice options.
The order says traditional public schools have failed the nation鈥檚 students and the Trump administration will reverse course 鈥渂y opening up opportunities for students to attend the school that best fits their needs.鈥
Anti-vaccine advocates are celebrating Kennedy鈥檚 committee appearance as a 鈥榟istoric鈥 event
The anti-vaccine nonprofit group Kennedy used to lead, Children鈥檚 Health Defense, live-streamed it on its website. In a post she made to X, CEO Mary Holland encouraged people to 鈥淟isten to history being made.鈥
Kennedy鈥檚 former running mate, Nicole Shanahan, said the hearing represented a 鈥減ivotal moment in our nation鈥檚 history,鈥 in a post on X.
She also threatened to personally fund primary challengers to any senator 鈥 Democrat or Republican 鈥 who votes against Kennedy鈥檚 confirmation. Shanahan, who was formerly married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, helped finance Kennedy鈥檚 run for president.
In a tense exchange, Sen. Maggie Hassan grilled Kennedy about his shifting views on abortion
鈥淢r. Kennedy, I鈥檓 confused,鈥 she said. 鈥淵ou have clearly stated in the past that bodily autonomy is one of your core values. The question is: Do you stand for this value or not? When was it that you decided to sell out the values you鈥檝e had your whole life in order to be given power by President Trump鈥
In response, Kennedy repeated again that he agrees with Trump that 鈥渆very abortion is a tragedy.鈥
Democratic senator tells Kennedy 鈥榝rankly you frighten people鈥
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, told Kennedy that 鈥淎mericans are going to need to hear a clear and trustworthy recantation of what you have said on vaccinations,鈥 including to 鈥渘ever say vaccines aren鈥檛 medically safe when they are and making it indisputably clear that you support mandatory vaccinations against diseases where that will keep people safe.鈥
鈥淵ou鈥檙e in that hole pretty deep,鈥 Whitehouse said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e just had a measles case in Rhode Island, the first since 2013, and frankly you frighten people.鈥
Kennedy says he鈥檒l implement Trump鈥檚 policies on the abortion pill mifepristone
Sen. Steve Daines of Montana questioned Kennedy about his views on access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The FDA approved in 2000 as a safe and effective way to end early pregnancies, yet access to the drug and its FDA approval has been .
鈥淧resident Trump has asked me to study the safety of mifepristone,鈥 Kennedy said. 鈥淗e has not yet taken a stand on how to regulate it. Whatever he does, I will implement those policies.鈥
鈥楻emarkably poor judgment鈥: Wall Street Journal criticizes Trump鈥檚 moves
Conservative media has been enthusiastic overall for Trump鈥檚 first week back in office, but Rupert Murdoch鈥檚 Wall Street Journal is hitting some brakes.
The Journal has editorialized against Trump鈥檚 , called Kennedy suggested Trump give up trying to end and said he鈥檚 wrong to of former officials threatened by Iran.
It said Trump showed in selling $Trump brand crypto coins and described as his order delaying implementation of a law to shut down TikTok.
The Murdoch-owned Fox News Channel meanwhile explored Monday whether Trump into Mount Rushmore.
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Sen. John Fetterman, a cosponsor of the Laken Riley Act, will attend Trump鈥檚 signing ceremony Wednesday
鈥淚 believe a secure border creates a more secure nation and it鈥檚 just common sense,鈥 Fetterman said in a statement, adding that he was elected 鈥渢o work with both sides of the aisle.鈥
Once signed into law, the legislation will require federal officials to detain any immigrant in the U.S. illegally who鈥檚 arrested or charged with crimes like theft or assaulting a police officer, or offenses that injure or kill someone.
It鈥檚 set to be the first piece of legislation signed by Trump this term, who was elected promising a sharp crackdown on illegal immigration to the U.S.
Kennedy distances himself from a campaign email celebrating Trump鈥檚 pause on health agency reports
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, questioned Kennedy about a fundraising email his campaign sent Monday celebrating Trump鈥檚 .
The email came from an address used by Kennedy鈥檚 presidential campaign and was labeled as paid for by his candidate committee.
鈥淭his pause will prevent unelected bureaucrats from further undermining our health freedom,鈥 the email read. Then it directed recipients to 鈥渃hip in鈥 to reduce $2 million in Kennedy鈥檚 campaign debt. A hyperlink went to a donation webpage.
Kennedy denied his campaign sent the email, saying, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think my campaign exists anymore, senator.鈥
鈥淪omebody鈥檚 out there soliciting money for it,鈥 Warner said. 鈥淢aybe you ought to find out who is.鈥
Kennedy agrees to support Trump鈥檚 Title X policies
Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford questioned Kennedy on how he would approach the family planning program Title X.
The previous Trump administration prohibited Title X grantees from referring clients for abortion services 鈥 a policy reversed by President Joe Biden.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to support President Trump鈥檚 policies on Title X,鈥 Kennedy said.
Kennedy added that he agrees with Trump that 鈥渢he states should control abortion.鈥
Sen. Bennet pressed Kennedy on a number of controversial claims he鈥檚 made
Reading from podcast transcripts and his own writings, Bennet asked Kennedy about his prior statement that COVID-19 was engineered to target white and Black people while sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
Kennedy responded that he was citing federal research.
Bennet also asked Kennedy about a claim that Lyme disease is 鈥渓ikely a militarily engineered bioweapon.鈥
鈥淚 probably did say that,鈥 Kennedy responded.
鈥淭his is a job where it is life and death for the kids that I used to work in Denver public schools and for families all over this country that are suffering,鈥 Bennet said.
Kennedy says his 2019 trip to Samoa had 鈥榥othing to do with vaccines鈥
He as health officials were trying to get the vaccine program back on track after vaccine rates plummeted following the deaths of two children who died when injected with a vaccine that was improperly mixed with a muscle relaxant.
While there, Kennedy met with government officials as well as with anti-vaccine activists, including an anti-vaccine influencer who posted a photograph of . She called the meeting 鈥減rofoundly monumental鈥 for the movement.
A few months later, a measles epidemic broke out, killing 83 people, mostly infants and children in a population of about 200,000.
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An item that incorrectly said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were law school roommates has been removed. Whitehouse said Wednesday he roomed with Kennedy鈥檚 brother Michael not with the nominee.
