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A Trump-appointed federal judge blocked the administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants, calling the move unlawful and outside of Trump’s authority. Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. said Trump’s claim of an “invasion” by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua “exceeds the scope of the statute” and misrepresents the law’s original meaning. “The Proclamation makes no reference to […] an organized, armed group of individuals entering the United States,” Rodriguez wrote. The decision marks the first permanent ruling against the administration’s use of the 18th-century wartime law to carry out peacetime mass deportations without hearings. (
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Trump removed national security adviser Mike Waltz after 102 days. The move comes following Signalgate, the group chat where Waltz added a journalist and exposed military plans for strikes in Yemen. The messages included timing, weapons systems, and intelligence from Israel. “President Trump lost confidence in him a while ago,” one White House official said. Trump said Waltz would instead be nominated as U.N. ambassador. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, will serve as interim adviser. (
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The Senate failed to pass a bipartisan resolution to roll back Trump’s tariffs, deadlocking 49-49 after two senators missed the vote. Three Republicans – Rand Paul, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski – joined Democrats in an effort to end the emergency powers Trump used to impose his tariffs. Senate Republicans then called in JD Vance to break a tie on a second attempt and table the measure. “Tariffs are taxes, plain and simple,” Paul said, while Democrats linked Trump’s tariffs to a new report showing a 0.3% drop in GDP. “They own the Trump tariffs and higher costs on America’s middle-class families,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. Republican leaders dismissed the vote as symbolic and said negotiations on trade deals are underway. (
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The House voted 246-164 to block California from banning gas car sales by 2035, targeting a state rule approved under a federal EPA waiver granted in 2022. Eleven other states, including New York and Massachusetts, have adopted California’s zero-emission rule, meaning the vote could impact nearly 40% of the U.S. auto market. Congress moved ahead despite warnings from the Senate parliamentarian and Government Accountability Office that the waiver isn’t subject to repeal under the Congressional Review Act. California’s waiver stems from a unique legal authority under the Clean Air Act, which allows the state to set stricter vehicle emission standards due to its long history of severe air pollution. “Congress, not California, is the only body that can regulate the interstate automotive market,” Rep. John Joyce said, who introduced the resolution. But when asked about the legal opinions against the vote, Joyce admitted: “I am not clued in on that.” Thirty-five Democrats joined Republicans in support; no Republicans opposed the measure. The resolution now heads to the Senate, where Republicans will need a simple majority (51 votes) to pass it under the Congressional Review Act. (
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The U.S and Ukraine signed a deal giving Washington priority access to Ukraine’s oil, gas, and mineral projects. The agreement creates a jointly managed investment fund that gives the U.S. first claim on profits, but includes no military aid or security guarantees. Trump framed the deal as repayment for U.S. support, saying: “We made a deal where our money is secure.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the agreement “signals clearly to Russia” that the U.S. is committed to Ukraine’s recovery, but emphasized that “no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit.” Ukrainian officials stressed that they still retain ownership of their resources. (
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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will require all new vaccines to be tested in placebo-controlled trials — a move that HHS described as “a radical departure from past practices.” The department gave no details on how the rule will be applied or what qualifies as a “new” vaccine, but said it won’t affect the seasonal flu shot. However, experts said the policy could delay vaccines already proven safe, leave people exposed to preventable diseases, and undermine trust by requiring placebo trials when effective vaccines already exist. (
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The Trump administration cut $1 billion in mental health grants for schools, ending a key part of a bipartisan law passed after the Uvalde school shooting that killed 21 people. The Education Department claimed the Biden-era grants violated civil rights law and were used for “race-based actions like recruiting quotas,” but gave no examples of violations. School leaders said the cuts will force layoffs and reduce mental health services. “To be able to provide those services and then have it ripped away […] it’s horrible,” one Oregon superintendent said. (
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The midterm elections are in 551 days.
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