President Trump on Monday said the Iran cease-fire is on “life support” after he rejected the country’s latest proposal for not including a nuclear concession.
The president also told reporters that he would suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder higher fuel prices caused by the war.
See a recap.
Trump nominates Cameron Hamilton to lead FEMA, a year after he was fired from the role — 4:52 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Hamilton’s nomination Monday to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency is a surprising comeback for the former Navy SEAL who was fired from his role as FEMA’s temporary leader last year after he defended its existence.
His nomination comes as the Trump administration has increasingly signaled it is backing away from promises to dismantle FEMA, an agency that has faced withering criticism by the president. The nomination of Hamilton, who argued abolishing FEMA was not in the country’s best interests, is the latest indication of that change.
If confirmed, Hamilton would be the principal adviser to Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on emergency management and FEMA’s first permanent administrator in Trump’s second term. The agency has gone through three temporary leaders, including Hamilton’s brief tenure from January to May 2025.
Trump taps Lake, Mastriano for ambassadorships — 4:27 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president is choosing two loyalists and failed statewide political candidates as his nominees for two vacant ambassadorships.
Trump is nominating Kari Lake, who most recently served as the acting head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, as the U.S. envoy to Jamaica. While she ran the agency which oversees Voice of America, Lake had effectively shut down the government-run news outlet. But a federal judge earlier this year ruled that Lake did not have the legal authority to take such actions.
Lake was the GOP’s gubernatorial nominee in Arizona in 2022 and then the party’s Senate nominee in 2024. She lost both times.
Trump is nominating Doug Mastriano to be U.S. ambassador to the Slovak Republic. He ran for Pennsylvania governor in 2022, losing to Democrat Josh Shapiro.
Democrats ask the Supreme Court to halt a Virginia ruling blocking new congressional districts — 4:08 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Democrats on Monday filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to halt a Virginia ruling invalidating a ballot measure that would have given their party an additional four winnable U.S. House seats.
The move came after the Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a constitutional amendment that voters narrowly passed just last month. The 4-3 state court decision found that the Democratic-controlled legislature improperly began the process of placing the amendment on the ballot after early voting had begun in the Virginia’s general election last fall.
Democrats argued unsuccessfully that the U.S. Supreme Court has held that, even if early voting is underway, an election does not happen until Election Day itself.
Supreme Court temporarily extends women’s access to a widely used abortion pill — 4:02 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Justice Samuel Alito’s order Monday allows women seeking abortions to continue obtaining the pill at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor. It prevents restrictions on mifepristone imposed by a federal appeals court from taking effect for the time being.
The court is dealing with its latest abortion controversy four years after its conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.
The case before the court stems from a lawsuit Louisiana filed to roll back the Food and Drug Administration’s rules on how mifepristone can be prescribed. The state claims the policy undermines the ban there, and it questions the safety of the drug, which was first approved in 2000 and has repeatedly been deemed safe and effective by FDA scientists.
Lower courts concluded that Louisiana is likely to prevail, and a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that mail access and telehealth visits should be suspended while the case plays out.
Treasury tells US banks to flag suspected Iranian money-laundering networks — 3:43 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Trump administration is calling on banks to flag certain customers who may launder funds for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard — including newly formed companies moving unusually large amounts of money, firms that route payments through multiple intermediaries or transactions connected to Iranian crypto firms, among other indicators.
As part of the U.S. initiative to monitor Iranian oil sales, banks are being asked to watch out for oil labeled as “Malaysian blend” to disguise its Iranian origin, missing or falsified shipping documents or ship-to-ship oil transfers that obscure where cargo came from.
A Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network report released Monday says oil firms linked to Iran conducted roughly $4 billion in transactions in 2024. And dozens of shipping companies based in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong — all connected to transporting sanctioned Iranian oil — processed about $707 million through U.S. accounts in 2024.
White House says 17 CEOs will travel to China as part of the US delegation — 2:52 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Executives who are scheduled to join Trump in Beijing this week represent American tech, finance and agricultural companies, according to a White House official.
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the executives include Apple’s Tim Cook, Blackrock’s Larry Fink, Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, Cargill’s Brian Sikes, Citi’s Jane Fraser, Cisco’s Chuck Robbins, Coherent’s Jim Anderson, GE Aerospace’s H. Lawrence Culp, Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon, Illumina’s Jacob Thaysen, Mastercard’s Michael Miebach, Meta’s Dina Powell McCormick, Micron’s Sanjay Mehrotra, Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon, Tesla/SpaceX’s Elon Musk and Visa’s Ryan McInerney.
Satellite images appear to show oil slick drifting south of Iran’s Kharg island — 1:49 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The images from Monday reviewed by The Associated Press appear to show an oil slick drifting in the Persian Gulf southward from the island, Iran’s primary crude oil terminal.
The slick is believed to be the same one observed last week off the western side of Kharg Island.
The slick was first observed a week ago through Satellite images. It’s unknown whether the spill was caused by a malfunction, an airstrike or something else.
On Monday, it looked like the slick had spread out, apparently dissipating. It is currently 47 miles (75 km) wide and appeared to be 28 miles (45 km) south of Kharg Island.
Trump can’t suspend the federal gas tax on his own — 1:35 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Congress would have to approve the move, and lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax suspension, saying it would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses.
As of Monday, the average national gas price was $4.52 a gallon, according to the AAA motor club, 50% higher than the average price of just under $3 a gallon before Trump began the war against Iran.
The federal tax is currently set at 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel, an amount that does not include state taxes, which often are higher.
Trump to sign executive orders on beef supply — 1:26 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The two orders, according to a White House official, are meant to address short-term supply issues in the U.S. beef market.
The official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the orders in advance of their signing, said the plans will expand beef imports and support the renewal of America’s domestic cattle herd.
The orders were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Officials tout new website for mothers — 1:13 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump administration officials shared more details Monday about the website they stood up in time for Mother’s Day, at the URL moms.gov.
“It is one-stop shopping for IVF, for prenatal care, for postnatal care, for nutrition, for baby formula, and of course, for TrumpRx,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in the Oval Office.
The website centralizes government-led guidance on nutrition and health surrounding pregnancy and links out to Trump’s website for discounted drugs, TrumpRx.
The site also prominently displays a link to a pregnancy center resource called Option Line run by the anti-abortion group Heartbeat International. It signaled the administration staking out its side on the abortion debate as the Supreme Court weighs whether to restrict access to abortion pills by mail nationwide.
Trump likens Jimmy Lai to Comey as he plans to discuss case with Xi — 1:10 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The U.S. president said he’ll bring up the plight of Jimmy Lai in China this week but he compared the pro-democracy activist to one of his most detested foes.
“Jimmy Lai, you know, he caused a lot of bedlam,” Trump told reporters Monday. “It’s like saying to me, ‘if Comey ever went to jail, would you let him out?’ That might be a hard one for me.”
Trump is referring to former FBI director James Comey, whom he fired in 2017 over his handling of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. The Justice Department is now prosecuting Comey on charges of making threats against the president. Its first indictment of Comey was dismissed.
“Jimmy Lai, he caused lots of turmoil in China. He tried to do the right thing. He wasn’t successful, went to jail, and people would like him out,” Trump said. “And I’d like to see him get out too.”
Asked about hantavirus, Trump says ‘I hope it’s fine’ — 1:01 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump made the comment Monday in the White House as countries around the world repatriated passengers from a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak.
“I hope it’s fine. All I can do is everything that a president can do, which is something — which is actually somewhat limited,” Trump said.
Among the cruise ship passengers who tested positive were a French woman and an American. Some experts have said U.S. authorities were slow to respond, but Trump said he thought the response was, “I think fine.”
“The one thing with this one is that it’s much harder to catch,” Trump said. “It’s been around for a long time, people are very familiar with it.”
What is a gas tax holiday? — 12:38 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A gas tax holiday is a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax, currently set at 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. That does not include state taxes, which often are higher.
The tax provides more than $23 billion per year in revenue for federal highway and public transit programs.
The president cannot suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move.
Both the House and Senate are controlled by Republicans.
Trump says he’ll suspend federal gas tax to help address high fuel prices — 12:17 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump answered yes when asked if he would suspend the federal gas tax amid higher prices stemming from the war with Iran.
He said the price of oil and gas would drop “like a rock” as soon as hostilities are over. Asked how long the suspension would last, he said “until it’s appropriate.”
The federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Trump says Iran cease-fire is on ‘life support’ — 11:58 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump on Monday said the Iran ceasefire is on “life support” after he rejected the country’s latest proposal for not including a nuclear concession.
Asked if the ceasefire was still in place, Trump said he’d say it’s “unbelievably weak” and on “life support.”
“I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us,” Trump said during an unrelated appearance in the Oval Office. “I didn’t even finish reading it.”
Trump administration announces new rule establishing a fertility benefit — 11:28 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump held an event in the Oval Office on Monday to announce that the Labor Department was issuing a new regulation to formally create a fertility benefit option for employers that could be offered to workers outside normal health insurance plans.
The Trump administration said in October that it had struck a deal with a drugmaker to reduce the cost of fertility medication.
Trump asked his guests at the event to speak quickly because generals were waiting for him to discuss the war in Iran.
Two regional diplomats say one issue frustrating Trump is Iran’s demand for war damages — 10:50 a.m.
By the Associated Press
They noted that, traditionally, reparations are paid by the defeated side and Trump is wary of the term “reparations” appearing in Iranian proposals, as agreeing to it could be seen as acknowledging defeat.
Both diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the ongoing negotiations.
One diplomat added that Pakistan is working to broker a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the war and maintaining broader dialogue on unresolved issues.
He said Islamabad has support from other regional countries, and that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have been in contact with both sides, as well as regional governments, to help ensure the ceasefire holds, the war ends and the parties agree to in-person talks next week.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz? — 10:29 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Maritime experts say granting Iran exclusive sovereignty over the strait — or allowing it to collect tolls on ships passing through — would violate a basic and enduring principle of international maritime trade: freedom of peaceful navigation. It’s an ancient idea that was codified by the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea, which took effect in 1994.
Before the war, the strait was an international waterway through which ships were meant to pass freely.
Agreeing to Iranian sovereignty would cement the country’s control over the waterway — eroding the freedom of navigation on which global trade depends and potentially making other global choke points subject to geopolitical power plays.
Suspect’s lawyers seek to have Justice Department officials recused from the case — 10:24 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Cole Tomas Allen’s lawyers are asking US District Judge Trevor McFadden to disqualify at least two top Justice Department officials from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a potential conflict of interest.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and US Attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner when Allen ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer, authorities said. Defense attorney Eugene Ohm said the defense likely would seek to disqualify Pirro’s entire office from involvement in the case.
McFadden didn’t rule from the bench on that question but asked Allen’s attorneys to elaborate on the possible scope of their recusal request.
Allen is scheduled to return to court on June 29.
Man charged in White House correspondents’ dinner attack pleads not guilty — 10:10 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The California man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner while armed with guns and knives has pleaded not guilty to charges that he attempted to kill President Trump and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer who tried to stop the attack.
Cole Tomas Allen was handcuffed and shackled and wearing an orange jail uniform when he appeared in federal court for his arraignment Monday.
Allen didn’t speak during the brief hearing. One of his attorneys entered the plea on his behalf.
Oil prices rise after Trump rejects Iran’s latest peace proposal, but US stocks hold steady — 9:47 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Oil prices are rising as the war with Iran threatens to drag on for longer, but the US stock market is nevertheless holding near its record heights.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil rose 1.7 percent to above $103 Monday after President Trump blasted Iran’s latest proposal to end their war as totally unacceptable. The rejection keeps the two sides in an uneasy limbo, one that’s already driven the price of Brent up from roughly $70 per barrel before the war.
But the S&P 500 slipped just 0.1 percent from its record. The Dow fell 0.1 percent, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.2 percent.
Voter confusion and headaches for election officials follow hasty GOP push to redraw US House seats — 8:43 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Thousands of Louisiana voters have already cast early ballots for congressional candidates in what soon could be the wrong districts. Alabama’s primaries are a week away, but the state could force a do-over for voting on US House races. A new congressional map in Tennessee upended races that had been underway for months.
Republicans’ rush to gerrymander congressional districts across several Southern states after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling hollowed out the Voting Rights Act is confusing voters and creating logistical headaches for local election officials. The changes are hitting while primary season is in progress.
The chaotic upheaval to an election season that could determine which party controls the US House is the latest fallout from an intensely partisan gerrymandering battle initiated by President Trump last year to protect Republicans’ slim majority.
Trump’s deal making with Xi may determine Hong Kong jailed activist Jimmy Lai’s fate — 7:55 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai once hoped Trump could help stop the imposition of a controversial national security law. The law not only took effect but was also used to sentence him to 20 years in prison.
Ahead of an anticipated trip by Trump to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, Lai’s son said his family is now hoping that Trump can help secure his father’s release.
Lai, a prominent critic of Beijing, founded a pro-democracy newspaper that was shut down during a crackdown following the city’s massive anti-government protests in 2019.
Trump is expected to discuss trade, the Iran war and Taiwan with Xi. But he said he is also planning to bring up Lai, telling conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, “there’s a little bitterness, I would say, with him and Jimmy Lai.”
Lai’s son says his family is hopeful that Trump could help, adding that it’s easier to resolve than many of the other complex geopolitical issues the leaders will discuss.
By the Associated Press
World shares were mixed after Wall Street set more records, and oil rose more than 2 percent following President Trump’s rejection of Tehran’s response to the latest US proposal on ending the war in Iran.
US futures edged less than 0.1 percent lower.
In early European trading, Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 0.2 percent to 10,253.99. Germany’s DAX fell less than 0.1 percent to 24,328.17, and France’s CAC 40 lost 0.8 percent to 8,049.31.
In Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.5 percent to 62,417.88 after briefing reaching another record high in intraday trading at above 63,300. Technology-focused investment holding company SoftBank Group, one of Japan’s largest stocks, fell more than 6 percent.
South Korea’s Kospi gained 4.3 percent to 7,822.24. It also hit an all-time intraday high, led by gains from tech-related stocks including Samsung Electronics and memory chip maker SK Hynix.
Democrats vow to fight $1 billion Senate security proposal for White House ballroom — 5:21 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Republicans returning to Washington on Monday are facing questions about a $1 billion Senate security proposal that could help pay for President Trump’s ballroom as Democrats say they will try to defeat it.
Senate Republicans added the money for White House security to a spending bill that would restore funding for immigration enforcement agencies that Democrats have blocked since February. The steep security proposal was put forward after a man was charged with trying to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner last month.
Republicans are using a partisan budget maneuver to push the spending legislation through Congress without any Democratic votes. But in a letter to colleagues Monday morning, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats will fight it in other ways, including by pushing the Senate parliamentarian to strike the ballroom security money from the budget bill and offering amendments forcing Republicans to vote on it.
Trump rejects Iran’s peace offer as ‘unacceptable’ — 1:36 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran sent its response to the latest US proposal to end the Iran war via Pakistani mediators on Sunday, but President Trump quickly rejected it in a social media post as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” — the latest setback to efforts to resolve the standoff in the Persian Gulf that has throttled shipping and sent energy prices soaring.
Iranian state television reported that Tehran rejected the US proposal as amounting to surrender, insisting instead on “war reparations by the United States, full Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and the release of seized Iranian assets.”
Washington’s latest proposal addressed a deal to end the war, reopen the strait, and roll back Iran’s nuclear program.