Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen met Thursday in El Salvador with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was sent there by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation.
Van Hollen posted a photo of the meeting on X, saying he also called Abrego Garcia’s wife “to pass along his message of love.” The lawmaker did not provide an update on the status of Abrego Garcia, whose attorneys are fighting to force the Trump administration to facilitate his return to the US.
See a recap.
Abrego Garcia has not had contact with family or lawyers, says Van Hollen — 9:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Sen. Van Hollen said Abrego Garcia has not had any contact with his family or his lawyers.
“There has been no ability to find out anything about his health and well-being,” Van Hollen said. He said Abrego Garcia should be able to have contact with his lawyers under international law.
“We won’t give up until Kilmar has his due process rights respected,” Van Hollen said. He said there would be “many more” lawmakers coming to El Salvador.
Van Hollen was denied entry at the prison where Abrego Garcia is detained. Several Republicans have visited before. — 9:55 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Thursday’s meeting came hours after Sen. Van Hollen said he was denied entry into an high-security El Salvador prison Thursday while he was trying to check on Abrego Garcia’s well-being and push for his release.
The Democratic senator said at a news conference in San Salvador that his car was stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint about 3 kilometers (about 2 miles) from the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, even as they let other cars go on.
While Van Hollen was denied entry, several House Republicans have visited the notorious gang prison in support of the Trump administration’s efforts. Rep. Riley Moore, a West Virginia Republican, posted Tuesday evening that he’d visited the prison where Abrego Garcia is being held. He did not mention Abrego Garcia but said the facility “houses the country’s most brutal criminals.”
“I leave now even more determined to support President Trump’s efforts to secure our homeland,” Moore wrote on social media.
Missouri Republican Rep. Jason Smith, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, also visited the prison. He posted on X that “thanks to President Trump” the facility “now includes illegal immigrants who broke into our country and committed violent acts against Americans.”
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is also considering a trip to El Salvador, as are some House Democrats.
Bukele says Abrego Garcia will return to custody after meeting Van Hollen — 9:39 p.m.
By the New York Times
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador wrote in a social media post that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia will return to custody following his meeting at a San Salvador hotel with Senator Van Hollen. This is the first time anyone has been able to make contact with Abrego Garcia since was deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration on March 15.
Sen. Van Hollen meets with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador — 9:27 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen met Thursday in El Salvador with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was sent there by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation.
Van Hollen posted a photo of the meeting on X, saying he also called Abrego Garcia’s wife “to pass along his message of love.” The lawmaker did not provide an update on the status of Abrego Garcia, whose attorneys are fighting to force the Trump administration to facilitate his return to the U.S.
El Salvador’s Presidnet Nayib Bukele posted images of the meeting minutes before Van Hollen shared his post, saying “Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture’, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!”
After tensions with pope, Vance, a Catholic convert, to visit Vatican — 8:19 p.m.
By the Associated Press
After JD Vance invoked a medieval Catholic concept to defend the Trump administration’s migrant crackdowns, Pope Francis responded with a rebuke. Vance, a converted Catholic, then extended something of an olive branch, calling himself a “baby Catholic” who had things to learn while paying homage to the leader of the world’s largest Christian faith.
Now, Vance is set to travel to Rome for a three-day trip that includes high-level meetings at the Vatican, where his balancing act between faith and politics could face scrutiny again. The presidential surrogate will enter a Holy See some Trump supporters deride as the home of a “woke” pope.
Vance is set to meet Saturday with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state and Francis’s No. 2. Still unannounced is whether Vance will meet with the pope.
Judge declines to halt DOGE takeover of US Institute of Peace for now — 7:40 p.m.
By the Associated Press
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said he will not issue an emergency order directing the team of billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk’ to stop its takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace.
In doing so Howell denied a request from former staffers and nonprofit organizations who sued Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, this month, saying the takeover is illegal and puts diplomats abroad at risk.
The plaintiffs said Congress established the institute as an independent nonprofit organization — not a government entity — and so it cannot legally be taken over by DOGE. They also contend that DOGE is usurping lawmakers’ authority by preventing it from carrying out programs mandated by Congress.
DOGE attorneys counter that the institute is an executive branch agency, noting that the board members are presidentially appointed and it is required to publish certain notices in the federal register. They also say the institute is still doing the work mandated by Congress.
US to withdraw 600 troops from Syria — 7:24 p.m.
By the Associated Press
An official said Thursday that the U.S. will withdraw the troops, leaving fewer than 1,000 to work with Kurdish allies to counter the Islamic State group. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet announced publicly.
The troops have been critical not only in operations against IS but as a buffer for Kurdish forces against Turkey, which considers them to be aligned with terror groups.
Trump tried to withdraw all forces from Syria during his first term, but that met opposition from the Pentagon because it was seen as abandoning allies and led to the resignation of former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
The withdrawal will return force levels to where they were for years after the U.S. and allies waged a multiyear campaign to defeat IS.
Trump administration could stop thousands of international students from studying at Harvard. Some are fighting back. — 6:47 p.m.
By Giulia McDonnell, Nieto del Rio and Spencer Buell, Globe Staff
The news circulated rapidly among international students at Harvard University late Wednesday night: The Trump administration had escalated its threats against them. This time, it had ordered the university to turn over disciplinary records of its international students.
If Harvard didn’t comply, the administration said, the federal government would rescind its right to host foreign students, who make up more than one-fourth of the Harvard student body.
And so, well into the early hours of Thursday morning, about a half dozen students gathered in a Harvard University common room, preparing to take a public stance against what they view as the Trump administration’s attempts to intimidate Harvard, and to cast international students as a toxic presence on campus.
By noon, a crowd of hundreds of students and professors holding signs with slogans like “PATRIOTS STAND UP TO TYRANTS” and “FREE SPEECH INCLUDES PALESTINE” had formed in Harvard Yard, ready to hear from the students directly.
AP and the Trump administration argue over presidential access before appeals judges — 6:09 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The two sides returned to a courtroom Thursday as part of the high-stakes battle over who can control which journalists are able to question the president.
Lawyers argued before a U.S. Court of Appeals panel about putting in place a lower court order last week that the administration stop excluding AP from events in places like the Oval Office and Air Force One. It’s not clear when a ruling may come.
On Friday they will go before the author of last week’s decision, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden. AP has asked him to enforce his ruling.
AP reporters and photographers have been blocked since Trump objected to the outlet’s decision not to rename the Gulf of Mexico. McFadden said the AP shouldn’t be excluded just because the president disagrees with them.
AP says the White House is ignoring that order and continuing to bar its journalists; Trump’s team says it has a new rotation system for such events and it hasn’t been AP’s turn yet.
Trump plans executive order to boost Maine lobster fishing — 5:42 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The president plans to sign the order next week. It’s not clear what it would involve, except that it could widen the range that lobster boats can travel.
Speaking in the Oval Office in front of reporters, an aide offered to get the order to Trump. The president suggested that existing laws result in a shortage of Maine lobsters.
Layoffs hit Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as Trump’s government downsizing continues — 5:31 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Trump is drastically shrinking the size and the mission of the agency, the latest step in an extraordinary reshaping of the federal government.
Roughly 1,500 employees will be cut from the CFPB, leaving around 200 people, according to an administration official who wasn’t authorized to disclose the figure publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Fox Business first reported the number of layoffs.
Employees started receiving layoff notices on Thursday. Their access to agency systems, including email, ends Friday evening.
“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau identified your position being eliminated and your employment is subject to termination in accordance with reduction-in-force (RIF) procedures,” the emails said.
Trump says universities ‘abuse’ tax-exempt status — 5:30 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The president said tax-exempt status is a “privilege” that more schools than just Harvard are abusing.
He recently targeted Harvard in a social media post, questioning whether it should remain tax-exempt “if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’”
Harvard recently rejected Trump administration demands for changes to its curriculum and operations. The administration responded by cutting off billions of dollars in federal funding.
The IRS is said to be reviewing the university’s tax-exempt status.
“It’s something that these schools will have to be very, very careful with,” Trump said Thursday.
Reversing himself, Trump says trade deals could be done within a month — 5:28 p.m.
By The Associated Press
After saying he was in no rush to finish trade deals, the president said he thought he could wrap up talks “over the next three or four weeks.”
That timeline would be ambitious, as Trump’s tariffs have sent nations scrambling to Washington. Yet it’s still unclear what he wants, and he still seems committed to imposing tariffs.
Trump has indicated that tariff rates can change, but he said his biggest limitation is that “there’s only so many hours in the day.”
The president’s timeline was about making a deal with China and “everybody.”
White House proposes eliminating Head Start funding as part of sweeping budget cuts — 5:17 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The Trump administration is asking Congress to eliminate funding for Head Start, a move that would cut early education for more than half a million of the nation’s neediest children and child care for their families.
The proposal is tucked in a 64-page internal draft budget document obtained by The Associated Press that seeks deep cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start. It is still in a highly preliminary phase as the White House prepares to send Congress its budget request for the 2026 fiscal year.
It is not clear if the proposed cuts will be accepted by lawmakers. While Congress often ignores a president’s budget request, the proposed elimination of Head Start highlights the administration’s priorities as Trump seeks to overhaul education in the United States.
Court hearing on elections executive order wraps up with no ruling yet — 5:12 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The hearing to consider three lawsuits from nonprofits and Democrats against Trump’s order on elections has finished.
US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington said she will take the arguments under advisement and aims to rule on the plaintiffs’ pleas for a preliminary injunction by April 24.
Trump signs executive orders on fisheries — 4:59 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The president invited reporters back to the Oval Office as he signed directives meant to boost US commercial fishing in the Pacific Ocean.
He was flanked by residents of American Samoa who thanked him for his efforts, saying they would boost the seafood-dependent local economy.
“It’s so horrible and so stupid, it’s so stupid,” Trump said. “We’re talking about a massive ocean, and they’re forced to travel four to seven days to go and fish.”
Trump calls FSU shooting ‘a shame’ — 4:54 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Talking again at the White House, the president was asked about the shooting at Florida State University.
“It’s a shame,” he said, calling himself a “big advocate” of the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms.
“The gun doesn’t do the shooting, the people do,” Trump said.
He added that he has an “obligation” to protect the Second Amendment.
House Oversight Committee is opening an investigation into Harvard — 4:28 p.m.
By The Associated Press
In a letter sent Thursday by Republican Chairman James Comer and Rep. Elise Stefanik, who’s chairwoman of the House Republican Leadership, the committee accused Harvard of a “lack of compliance with civil rights laws” and directed the school to provide documents relating to hiring, admissions and diversity, equity and inclusion.
The congressional inquiry follows Harvard’s refusal to comply with demands from the Trump administration related to admissions, campus activism and hiring. The executive branch has pressured Harvard by withholding more than $2 billion in federal research funding and threatening the school’s tax-exempt status and ability to host international students.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart — 3:56 p.m.
By The Associated Press
It was on the same day he met with Ukrainian and European officials about US efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Rubio gave Sergey Lavrov the same message he conveyed to the delegations in Paris, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
“President Trump and the United States want this war to end, and have now presented to all parties the outlines of a durable and lasting peace,” Bruce’s statement said.
The talks Thursday were the first time since Trump took office that American, Ukrainian and European officials are known to have met to discuss an end to the war.
“The encouraging reception in Paris to the US framework shows that peace is possible if all parties commit to reaching an agreement,” Bruce said.
Appeals court calls Trump administration’s defiance over mistakenly deported man ‘shocking’ — 3:36 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The Trump administration’s claim that it can’t do anything to free Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an El Salvador prison and return him to the US “should be shocking,” a federal appeals court said Thursday in a scathing ruling.
A three-judge panel from the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously refused to suspend a judge’s decision to order sworn testimony by Trump administration officials to determine if they complied with her instruction to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return.
The panel said Trump’s government is “asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order.”
“Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody that there is nothing that can be done. This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans far removed from courthouses still hold dear,” they wrote.
Federal court hearing on lawsuits challenging Trump’s executive order on elections — 3:09 p.m.
By The Associated Press
A hearing is underway in the nation’s capital to consider three lawsuits in federal district court challenging President Trump’s sweeping executive order on elections.
The Democratic National Committee, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the League of Women Voters Education Fund and others are seeking to block parts of Trump’s sweeping overhaul of federal election processes, including its directive to add a proof-of-citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form.
Danielle Lang, counsel for the nonpartisan groups suing the Trump administration, said requiring citizenship proof would complicate her clients’ voter registration drives at grocery stores and other public places.
It would make them “far more cumbersome, far more difficult, and far less effective,” she said.
Medal of Honor winner for heroism in Afghanistan is rejoining the military — 3:08 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Dakota Meyer, a Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in the Afghanistan War but later became a sharp critic of the Biden administration over its chaotic withdrawal from that conflict, is reenlisting in the military and will serve in the Marine Reserves.
In a briefing with reporters Thursday before his reenlistment ceremony, Meyer said he’s returning to military service after 15 years out of uniform because he felt he “had more to give.” He’s also close to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
But Meyer said he would refrain from politics while in uniform.
“The great part about being in the reserves is I’m still a citizen when I’m not on orders,” he said. “When I’m on orders, I’ll comply obviously with whatever the standard is.”
Trump says he’s in ‘not in a rush’ for military action on Iran — 2:57 p.m.
By The Associated Press
“I’m not in a rush to do it because I think that Iran has a chance to have a great country and to live happily without death, and I’d like to see that,” Trump told reporters as he hosted Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni at the White House. “That’s my first option. If there’s a second option, I think it would be very bad for Iran.”
Trump’s latest comments on Iran’s nuclear program comes as his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are set to gather Saturday for a second round of talks.
The New York Times reported that Israel had recently developed a plan to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, but Trump wanted to give negotiations more time.
Asked about the report, Trump said “I wouldn’t say waved off,” while reiterating his position that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
“It’s really simple,” Trump added. “We’re not looking to take their industry. We’re not looking to take their land. All we are saying is you can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Despite their ‘great’ relationship, Trump says Meloni didn’t change his mind on tariffs — 2:56 p.m.
By The Associated Press
“No, tariffs are making us rich. We were losing a lot of money under Biden,” the US president said. “And now that whole tide is turned.”
Trump took time to lavish praise on the Italian prime minister, however.
“She’s doing a great job, certainly one of our great allies,” he said. “She’s a fantastic person and doing a great job and our relationship is great.”
IRS is investigating Harvard, but White House says it’s not because of Trump — 2:54 p.m.
By The Associated Press
After Harvard defied the Trump administration’s demands, the president suggested on social media the university should lose its tax-exempt status “if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’”
The White House suggested IRS scrutiny of Harvard’s tax status predated Trump’s post Tuesday on Truth Social. Federal tax law prohibits senior members of the executive branch from requesting that an IRS employee conduct or terminate an audit or investigation.
“Any forthcoming actions by the IRS will be conducted independently of the President, and investigations into any institution’s violations of its tax status were initiated prior to the President’s TRUTH,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in an email Thursday.
But a person familiar with the matter said the Treasury Department directed Andrew De Mello, the IRS’s acting chief counsel, to begin the process of revoking Harvard’s tax exempt status shortly after Trump’s post. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.
Voting rights advocates warn of state proof of citizenship voting requirements — 2:26 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Many conservative states, including Florida, Texas and Indiana, have recently introduced bills aiming to create or expand proof of citizenship voting requirements amid legal challenges to an executive order attempting to make the mandate national.
“Even if not a single tenet of this executive order stands up to legal challenge, the goal of the executive order was and is to send clear marching orders to the states and Congress to tell them exactly what President Trump wants them to be doing,” said Liz Avore, senior policy advisor at the Voting Rights Lab. “And they’re listening.”
Avore said 22 states this year are considering or have considered bills that require proof of citizenship, which voting rights advocates say risks disenfranchising millions of Americans without ready access to the proper documents.
Supreme Court keeps hold on Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship but sets May arguments — 2:17 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for the children of people who are in the US illegally has been halted nationwide by three district courts around the country.
The Republican administration had sought to narrow those orders to allow for the policy to take effect in parts or most of the country while court challenges play out. That’s expected to be the focus of the high court arguments.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: Administration working on ‘big 15 economies’ first on trade deals — 2:12 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Trump asked Bessent to comment on the trade negotiations during the president’s Oval Office meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Bessent noted that he and other administration officials held talks Wednesday with Japan. He said South Korean officials will be visiting next week.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes slams SAVE Act as ‘trash’ — 2:09 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The bill, which the House passed last week, aims to require proof of US citizenship when registering to vote for federal elections. It’s one of Trump’s top election-related priorities and Democrats and voting rights advocates have warned it risks disenfranchising millions of Americans without ready access to the proper documents.
“It makes no sense,” Fontes said. “This is an alleged solution that searching desperately for a problem. And the solution is far more dangerous to the rights of American voters.”
Fontes also criticized Trump’s executive order on elections as a “nonsensical attack” on trust in elections.
“American citizens’ rights are under attack, and it’s a damn tragedy it’s coming from the White House,” he said.
Trump says mineral deal with Ukraine is ready — 2:05 p.m.
By The Associated Press
After lots of false starts, the president said the US is ready to deal with Ukraine on access to critical minerals in the country.
“We have a minerals deal,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were originally supposed to sign such an agreement when the Ukrainian leader visited the White House, only to have their meeting end in acrimony.
Trump continued to criticize Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell — 2:00 p.m.
By The Associated Press
“Oh, he’ll leave,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he welcomed Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. “If I ask him to, he’ll be out of there.”
He did not respond to a follow-up question on whether he would try and remove the Federal Reserve chairman.
Trump responds to the shooting at Florida State University — 1:54 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The president opened his Oval Office meeting with the Italian premier with comments on the shooting.
Trump said he’d been “fully briefed.”
“It’s a horrible thing. It’s horrible that things like this takes place,” he said.
Senator Van Hollen says he was denied entry to El Salvador prison where Kilman Abrego Garcia is held — 1:25 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is in El Salvador to push for Abrego Garcia’s release after he was sent there by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation. He said in a video posted on X that his car was stopped when he tried to enter the prison Thursday to check on Abrego Garcia’s health.
“Today’s purpose was just to see what his health condition is,” Van Hollen said in the video. He said his car was stopped by soldiers about 3 kilometers from the prison, even as they let other cars go on.
Abrego Garcia is a a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland when he was deported.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni invites Trump to visit Italy — 12:42 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The official invitation came at the start of their White House meeting.
Vice President JD Vance is already scheduled to head to Rome later this week and will meet with Meloni while he’s there.
Trump visited Italy during his first term when he attended the 2017 Group of Seven summit in Taormina.
Trump says he’s in ‘no rush’ to reach any trade deals — 12:25 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The president played down the likelihood of reaching any trade agreements as a result of his tariffs.
Trump told reporters while meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that “at a certain point” deals would come together.
“We’re in no rush,” said Trump, saying he liked the revenues he expected the tariffs to generate for the US government.
US Treasury says no decision has been made on the future of the Direct File program — 12:20 p.m.
By The Associated Press
That’s according to a Treasury spokesperson who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the agency’s thinking on the topic.
Direct File is an electronic system for filing tax returns directly to the agency for free, developed during the Biden administration. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the Trump administration plans to eliminate the program according to two people familiar with the decision.
The Treasury official, in an emailed statement, said the department viewed Direct File as a “very disappointing” program that costs tens of millions of dollars a year and was used by about 200,000 people out of 300 million, or less than 0.1 percent of taxpayers.
However, the program wasn’t available in all 50 states. It was launched as a pilot in 2024 in 12 states, then made permanent and expanded to 25 states for the 2025 filing season and was still growing. The agency accepted 140,803 submitted returns in 2024.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has arrived at the White House for her meeting with Trump — 12:19 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The two leaders posed for photos together before heading inside.
Giorgia Meloni is the first European leader to have a face-to-face with the president since he announced, and then suspended, 20 percent tariffs on European exports. She’s been in close contact with EU leaders ahead of the trip.
Former Pentagon spokesperson tied to online DEI purge asked to resign, official says — 11:42 a.m.
By The Associated Press
John Ullyot was one of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s initial communications office hires and oversaw some of its most visible but controversial moves, including a broad edict to the military services to strip away online images that were considered a promotion of diversity, equity or inclusion.
That directive led to public outcry when images of national heroes like Jackie Robinson and others were removed.
Ullyot told Politico on Wednesday he decided to resign.
A senior defense official told The Associated Press on Thursday that Hegseth’s office asked Ullyot to resign. The official familiar with the decision spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details that haven’t been made public.
The departure isn’t tied to an investigation into unauthorized disclosures of information, which so far has led three other senior Pentagon aides to be put on leave.
European Central Bank cuts interest rates for 7th time as global trade tensions escalate — 10:41 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The rate cuts Thursday are to counter worries about economic growth fueled by President Trump’s tariff onslaught.
The bank’s move should support economic activity in the 20 countries that use the euro currency by making credit more affordable for consumers and businesses.
ECB President Christine Lagarde said at a post-decision news conference that “the major escalation in global trade tensions and the associated uncertainty will likely lower euro area growth by dampening exports.”
“And it may drag down investment and consumption,” she said.
Talks between Iran and US over Tehran’s nuclear program are ‘in a very crucial’ stage — 10:19 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The comments Thursday come from the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog while on a visit to the Islamic Republic.
Speaking in Tehran, Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency also acknowledged his agency likely would be key in verifying compliance by Iran should a deal be reached. Iran and the US will meet again Saturday in Rome for a new round of talks after last weekend’s first meeting in Oman.
The stakes of the negotiations and the wider geopolitical tensions in the Mideast couldn’t be higher, particularly as the Israel-Hamas war rages on in the Gaza Strip. President Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Homeland Security Department threatens to revoke Harvard’s ability to host international students — 9:35 a.m.
By The Associated Press
That’s if the university doesn’t agree to turn over “detailed records on Harvard’s foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities” by April 30.
More than 27 percent of Harvard’s student body comes from another country.
The department also said it was cancelling two grants totaling $2.7 million to the university.
The moves are an escalation of the Trump administration’s crackdown on Harvard, which so far has defied the administration’s demands in a battle over federal funding, diversity policies and campus activism.
Schumer wants DOJ to find out if attack on Pennsylvania governor’s home is federal hate crime — 9:33 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is calling on the Justice Department to investigate whether the arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s official residence qualifies as a federal hate crime.
The suspect, Cody Balmer, has “admitted to harboring hatred” toward Shapiro, who’s Jewish, according to a police affidavit. Police obtained warrants to search Balmer’s writings or notes for any references to “the name of Josh Shapiro (or a) reference to Palestine, Gaza, Israel or the current conflict in Gaza.”
In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, Schumer said the incident “warrants immediate and serious federal scrutiny.”
“I appreciate your strong condemnation of the attack and urge you to ensure that the federal government does everything in its power to pursue justice and uphold the fundamental values of religious freedom and public safety,” wrote Schumer, who’s the highest-ranked Jewish official in the US.
Ukraine’s future is at the center of talks in Paris with Rubio, Witkoff and top European officials — 9:02 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Paris is hosting the series of talks Thursday about Ukraine and its security, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, French President Emmanuel Macron and top Ukrainian and European officials.
Rubio and Witkoff were having lunch discussions with Macron and “talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
The meetings come as concerns grow about Trump’s readiness to draw closer to Russia, and after weeks of U.S. efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. There’s also frustration over the Trump administration’s other moves, from tariffs on some of its closest partners to rhetoric about NATO and Greenland.
Trump’s schedule for Thursday — 8:49 a.m.
By The Associated Press
At 12 p.m., the president will greet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to the White House schedule for Thursday. The pair are scheduled to participate in a bilateral lunch followed by a meeting in the oval office, where they may speak to the White House Press Pool.
Meloni is the first European leader to have a face-to-face with Trump since he announced, and then suspended, 20 percent tariffs on European exports. Meloni secured the meeting at a critical juncture in the trade war as Italy’s leader, but she also has, in a sense, been “knighted” to represent the European Union. She’s been in close contact with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the trip, and “the outreach is … closely coordinated,” a commission spokesperson said this week.
At 4:00 p.m., Trump is scheduled to sign Executive Orders.
Federal judge will hear arguments as groups try to block Trump’s executive order on elections — 8:38 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The judge will hear arguments Thursday in three cases from national Democrats and voting rights groups that are challenging President Trump’s recent executive order on elections, which, among other changes, would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
The Democratic National Committee, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the League of Women Voters Education Fund and others are seeking to block Trump’s sweeping overhaul of federal election processes, alleging the changes he wants are unconstitutional.
The Republican president’s executive order says the US has failed “to enforce basic and necessary election protections” and calls on states to work with federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election crimes. It threatens to pull federal funding from states where election officials don’t comply.
Trump says Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell ‘termination cannot come fast enough’— 8:28 a.m.
By The Associated Press
President Trump hinted at moving to fire Powell, whose term doesn’t expire until next year, as he reiterated his frustration that the Fed hasn’t aggressively cut interest rates.
The president’s broadside comes a day after Powell said in a speech that Trump’s broad-based tariffs have left the Federal Reserve seeking “greater clarity” on the impact of policy changes in areas such as immigration, taxation, regulation, and tariffs before making potential cuts.
“Oil prices are down, groceries (even eggs!) are down, and the USA is getting RICH ON TARIFFS,” Trump said in a social media post. He added that Powell “should have lowered Interest Rates, like the ECB, long ago, but he should certainly lower them now. Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!”
Powell was initially nominated by Trump in 2017, and appointed to another four-year term by President Joe Biden in 2022. At a November new conference, Powell indicated he would not step down if Trump asked him to resign. He has also said the removal or demotion of top Fed officials was “not permitted under the law.”
Trump administration issues order to stop construction on New York offshore wind project — 8:26 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The Trump administration issued an order Wednesday to stop construction on a major offshore wind project to power more than 500,000 New York homes, the latest in a series of moves targeting the industry.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt construction on Empire Wind, a fully-permitted project. He said it needs further review because it appears the Biden administration rushed the approval.
Trump has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind. His first day in office, Trump signed an executive order temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pausing the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects. Last month, the administration revoked the Clean Air Permit for an offshore wind project off the coast of New Jersey, Atlantic Shores. Construction on that wind farm had not yet begun.
Trump joins tariff talks with Japan as US seeks deals amid trade wars — 8:13 a.m.
By The Associated Press
President Trump on Wednesday inserted himself directly into trade talks with Japanese officials, a sign of the high stakes for the United States after its tariffs rattled the economy and caused the administration to assure the public that it would quickly reach deals.
The Republican president attended the meeting alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, top economic advisers with a central role in his trade and tariff policies.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Thursday in Tokyo that his chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, told him from Washington that the talks were “very candid and constructive.”
Ishiba said he will closely watch how ministerial talks go and plans to visit Washington to meet with Trump at an appropriate time.
Trump’s choice to get directly involved in negotiations points to his desire to quickly finalize a slew of trade deals as China is pursuing its own set of agreements.
Judge says labor unions’ lawsuit over DOGE access to Labor Department systems can move forward — 8:11 a.m.
By The Associated Press
A federal judge says he won’t dismiss a lawsuit from labor unions seeking to block Elon Musk’s team from accessing systems at the Labor Department.
The labor unions say that allowing Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to access the systems violates the federal Privacy Act because they contain medical and financial records of millions of Americans. They also contend DOGE doesn’t have the legal authority to direct the actions of congressionally created agencies like the Department of Labor.
In a ruling Wednesday, US District Judge John Bates said those claims could move forward in court. But some other, more specific arguments made by the unions — including that the US Health and Human Services Department violated health care privacy laws by allowing DOGE access — were dismissed by the judge.
The federal Privacy Act generally prohibits an agency from disclosing records about a person to another agency, unless the person has first given written permission.
DOGE targets a community service program in its latest cost-cutting effort — 8:10 a.m.
By The Associated Press
A 30-year-old community service program that sends young adults to work on projects across the US was the latest target of the Trump administration ’s campaign to slash government spending.
AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps informed volunteers Tuesday that they would exit the program early “due to programmatic circumstances beyond your control,” according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.
The unsigned memo to corps members said NCCC’s “ability to sustain program operations” was impacted by the Trump administration’s priorities and Trump’s executive order creating the Department of Government Efficiency. Members would be officially dismissed April 30.
More than 2,000 people ages 18 to 26 serve for nearly a year, according to the program’s website, and get assigned to projects with nonprofits and community organizations or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It celebrated its 30th year last year.
The organization said on social media last month that teams have served 8 million service hours on nearly 3,400 disaster projects since 1999.
Trump administration’s pro-logging ‘emergency’ draws ire of environmentalists in N.H. and Vermont — 5:06 a.m.
By Steven Porter, Globe Staff
Environmentalists are voicing outrage over the Trump administration’s move to invoke emergency powers to ramp up timber production from national forests in northern New England and across the country.
The bulk of the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and much of the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont were included in US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’s announcement earlier this month that an “emergency situation” exists across 112.6 million acres of federally managed land.
Japan reports a $63 billion trade surplus with the US as tariff talks continue — 4:10 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Japan recorded a trade deficit in its March-April fiscal year but racked up a surplus with the US, the Finance Ministry reported Thursday.
Japan’s global trade deficit totaled $37 billion for the fiscal year through March, for the fourth straight year of deficits, according to the provisional statistics.
The surplus with the US ballooned to $63 billion.
Exports to the US are a contentious issue for US President Trump and Japanese negotiators are in Washington to argue their case against higher US tariffs. Japan is a key longtime US ally and major investor in the US, employing hundreds of thousands of Americans.