The Trump administration released new guidance late Friday night on its tariff on China, exempting electronic devices such as smartphones and laptops.

The guidance, posted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees collecting taxes on imports, could relieve some anxiety among consumers and tech giants like Apple and Microsoft, which manufacture many of their products in China, The Wall Street Journal reported. Around 20 electronic products — which also include memory cards and machines used to make flatscreens and tablets — will now be exempted from Trump’s massive “reciprocal” tariff on China. The exemption comes after the president increased the tariff on China in recent days in response to China’s retaliatory tariff on U.S. goods.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security adviser, wrote on X, “These products are subject to the tariff under the original IEEPA [International Emergency Economic Powers Act] on China of 20 percent.” The IEEPA tariff was the first one Trump imposed on China after taking office in January. The tariff was levied on China, along with Canada and Mexico, in an attempt to “hold” the countries “to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.”

The Trump administration has suggested that the tariff on China will encourage companies, including Big Tech companies, to manufacture their products on U.S. soil, arguing that the move would be better for the economy and national security.

“President Trump has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Saturday, according to the Wall Street Journal. She added, “Companies are hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible.”

Last week, Trump announced a “90-day pause” on tariffs for most countries, citing their willingness to negotiate. The tariff “pause” didn’t end tariffs on foreign nations, but instead dropped them to a baseline 10% tariff rate, except for products from China, which he raised to 125%. With the IEEPA tariff factored in, the tariff on Chinese goods stands at 145%.

China responded to Trump’s move by increasing the tariff on U.S. imports to 125%, a move that will mostly affect American soybeans, pharmaceutical drugs, and airplanes. Trump is accusing China of “ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries,” while China says it will not respond to “pressure, threats, and blackmail.”

Trump remains hopeful that China will come to the negotiating table to work out a new trade deal, but so far, the Chinese government has shown no signs of backing down from the trade war.

“A deal is going to be made with China,” the president said earlier this week. “A deal is going to be made with every one of them [countries], and there will be fair deals. I just want fair.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized on Friday the importance of the language used in the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to his home country by the Trump administration last month.

In an unsigned unanimous opinion, the high court ruled partially against the Trump administration on Thursday, saying that the lower court’s ruling “requires the government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” The high court stated, “The intended scope of the term ‘effectuate’ in the district court’s order is, however, unclear, and may exceed the district court’s authority.”

During the White House press briefing on Friday, Leavitt highlighted use of the word “facilitate,” saying that the Supreme Court was “very clear” that “it’s the administration’s responsibility to facilitate the return, not to effectuate the return” of Abrego Garcia.

.@PressSec: "The Supreme Court made their ruling last night very clear that it's the administration's responsibility to facilitate the return, not to effectuate the return," of the deported MS-13 gang member and human trafficker. pic.twitter.com/olKbsjbaTN

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 11, 2025

In its ruling, the Supreme Court added, “The district court should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the executive branch in the conduct of foreign affairs. For its part, the government should be prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps.”

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis amended her order following the Supreme Court ruling and required that the Trump administration “take all available steps to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia to the United States as soon as possible.” The Trump administration missed its Friday deadline to provide its plan for returning Abrego Garcia to Maryland. Justice Department lawyers argued that the timeline was “impractical” and asked for a Tuesday deadline, The Washington Post reported.

On March 12, Abrego Garcia was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the parking lot of an Ikea while his autistic son was in the back seat of his vehicle. The Salvadoran national, who the Trump administration says is an MS-13 gang member, was then deported to El Salvador on March 15. However, the deportation was an “administrative error,” an ICE official admitted in a statement to a judge. In a 2019 order, an immigration judge deemed Abrego Garcia likely to be a danger to the community, but protected him from being deported back to El Salvador as the judge agreed that he would likely face persecution or torture.

The Trump administration has argued that it cannot bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States after transferring him over to El Salvador’s custody, but a federal judge ordered the administration to return the Salvadoran man, stating that he was arrested “without any lawful authority” and placed “with his persecutors.”

The White House maintains that Abrego Garcia “was a member of the brutal and vicious MS-13 gang” and alleged that he was involved in human trafficking.

An American serving as a missionary in South Africa was kidnapped at gunpoint by a group of men during a church service in Motherwell, just outside the city of Gqeberha, on Thursday.

Josh Sullivan, a Tennessee native, was preaching a sermon at Fellowship Baptist Church when four masked men armed with firearms stormed into the church, robbed people of their cell phones, and abducted the 45-year-old missionary, according to police, The Straits Times reported. Around 30 people were at the church service, including Sullivan’s wife and six children, when the kidnappers entered the building. No one else was harmed, and only Sullivan was taken captive.

The captors reportedly sped away with Sullivan in his silver Toyota Forerunner. The missionary’s vehicle was later found abandoned. The U.S. State Department told the BBC on Friday that it is aware of Sullivan’s kidnapping and added that there is no “greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens abroad.”

Reverend Jeremy Hall, who also pastors in the Gqeberha area, said the kidnapping was likely “financially related,” but there is some concern that Sullivan was targeted for his faith. The kidnappers reportedly knew Sullivan’s name when they entered the church, and Fellowship Baptist Church was the target of threats last year, according to human rights group International Christian Concern.

Sullivan and his family moved to South Africa in 2018 and planted Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell in 2021. The church is a sister church of Fellowship Baptist in Maryville, Tennessee, where the Sullivans were members before going to the mission field. In the Sullivans’ most recent prayer letter update, which was published on March 3, the missionaries said they had just visited fellow missionaries in Mozambique, adding that the “trip was a wonderful opportunity to see another African country and grow our burden for the African people.”

Kidnappings have spiked in South Africa over the past decade, jumping 264%, according to the BBC. In 2023-2024, there were more than 17,000 kidnappings in the country. Just two days before Sullivan was taken by armed men, a Chinese national was kidnapped in Gqeberha, according to police.

President Donald Trump urged Russia on Friday to seek an end to its three-year-long war against Ukraine.

Trump, who has directed most of his criticism toward Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky, is ramping up the pressure on Russia, pushing the authoritarian country to reach a peace deal and end the fighting. Hundreds of thousands of people, including soldiers and civilians on both sides, have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

“Russia has to get moving. Too many people are DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war – A war that should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened, if I were President!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump’s message to Russia comes as his envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrived in the country to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss potential pathways to peace, Axios reported. The White House appears eager to restart talks with Russia after negotiations have stalled. If the meeting goes through, it would be Witkoff’s third meeting with Putin since the Trump administration took over in January.

The president’s frustration with Putin has grown in recent weeks. Last month, Trump told NBC News that he was “very angry, pissed off, when Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility and started talking about new leadership in Ukraine.”

“He considers Zelensky not credible, he’s supposed to be making a deal with him whether you like him, you don’t like him,” he later told reporters. “So I wasn’t happy with that. But I think he’s going to be good.”

During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump remained hopeful that a deal would be made with Russia and Ukraine to end the war.

“We are making progress. We hope that we are getting relatively close to getting a deal between Russia and Ukraine to stop the fighting,” Trump said.

Last month, the White House said it had secured an agreement from Russia and Ukraine “to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.” The agreement also banned both countries from conducting strikes on energy facilities. Shortly after the apparent agreement on the Black Sea ceasefire, however, both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of targeting energy facilities.

A Spanish couple killed when a helicopter crashed in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday was identified by authorities as the investigation into the tragedy continues.

Agustín Escobar, a senior executive at German technology firm Siemens, and his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, were both killed after a tourist helicopter appeared to break apart mid-air before falling into the water, NBC News reported. Three minors, who are reportedly the children of Escobar and Montal, were also killed but have not been identified. The name of the pilot who died in the crash has also not been released as of Friday morning.

Escobar brought his family to New York City after a business trip, and the family was celebrating Montal’s 40th birthday on Thursday when they went on the tourist helicopter flight, according to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who added that the children were all 11 years old and under. The Spanish newspaper El Diario reported that the trip was to celebrate the birthday of one of the children.

A video posted on social media showed the Bell 206 helicopter falling from the sky after it appeared to lose its propellers. Witnesses described hearing a loud boom and then seeing the helicopter “split in half.” One witness told ABC News that she “heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river.”

Authorities quickly recovered all six bodies from the Hudson River Thursday evening. Four of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and two more were transported to a hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. Later that night, the helicopter was removed from the river.

Michael Roth, the CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, said the pilot called in before the crash to say that he needed fuel and was preparing to return, The Telegraph reported. Roth added, “It should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive.”

“We’re all devastated,” he said.

Leaders in the United States and Spain mourned the deaths. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, called the crash “an unimaginable tragedy.” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “The footage of the accident is horrendous.”

“God bless the families and friends of the victims,” he added. “Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!”

Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) announced on Thursday that she won’t run for re-election in 2026, becoming the second Democratic senator this year to declare her intentions to retire when her term ends in 2027.

In a video posted on X, the 66-year-old senator said her decision is “not political” but based on a desire to “spend more time with [her] family.” Smith has served in the Senate since 2018 after she won a special election to replace former Sen. Al Franken, who resigned following sexual misconduct allegations against him. Before her time in the Senate, Smith was Minnesota’s lieutenant governor from 2015 to 2018, and prior to that stint, she worked as an executive at Planned Parenthood of Minnesota.

“This decision is not political,” Smith said. “It is entirely personal, but it’s not lost on me that our country is in need of strong progressive leadership, right now maybe more than ever.”

“So, there are two things on my mind about this,” she continued. “The first is that I have nearly two full years left in my Senate term, and I plan to use every single day working to represent your interests in the United States Senate. … And also, since I don’t have to worry about running a re-election campaign, I can focus entirely on this job right now.”

I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026.

This job has been the honor of a lifetime. For the rest of my term, I’ll work as hard as I can for Minnesotans and our country.

Thank you so much, Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/3sWVib8nKJ

— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 13, 2025

Smith added that Minnesota Democrats have a “deep bench of political talent.” Democrats have held both Minnesota Senate seats since 2009. According to Cook Political Report’s first 2026 Senate forecast, which was released before Smith announced her retirement, Democrats are “likely” going to keep her seat, but the party’s longtime hold on the state has shown signs of slipping in recent elections. In the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President Kamala Harris won Minnesota by just four percentage points after former President Joe Biden won the state by seven points in 2020. Smith won her 2020 re-election bid by five points.

Last month, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan announced he would not seek re-election in 2026, blowing the Senate race wide open in the Great Lakes State. Peters said he “always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation,” adding, “I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life.”

Republicans are currently favored to hang on to control of the Senate in the 2026 midterms and have a good chance to build on their 53-seat majority.

Egypt is reportedly working on a plan to fund and facilitate the rebuilding of Gaza within three to five years after President Donald Trump proposed that the U.S. take control of the war-torn territory.

According to multiple reports, Egypt’s proposal for the reconstruction of Gaza includes Arab-led nations, the European Union, and the United Nations — with no mention of cooperation with the U.S. government. Egypt’s reported plan comes as Trump has doubled down on his goal to relocate around two million Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab countries, allowing for the United States to “take over.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that Egypt’s plan includes keeping Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and setting up a “committee of technocrats drawn from across Gaza to administer the enclave.” Security for Gaza would be provided by Palestinians who are trained by Arab forces. The Egyptian proposal reportedly kicks the question of “Palestinian statehood” down the road and instead focuses entirely on the immediate reconstruction of Gaza.

“For the Arab world, recognizing that Trump actually means what he says in terms of Gaza means the necessity of coming up with an alternative to push forward,” Middle East security expert H.A. Hellyer told the Journal.

On Tuesday, Trump met with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House, where the two leaders discussed the situation in Gaza and how to address the rebuilding. During the meeting, King Abdullah said his country would take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza, an offer Trump said was “beautiful.” Before agreeing to help with any more refugee resettlement, King Abdullah said he would wait for Egypt to present its plan.

Last week, the president said that the United States would seek control of Gaza to create an economy that would “supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.” Days later, Trump elaborated on that plan, writing that America would work “with great development teams from all over the World” to rebuild the territory that has been controlled by Hamas terrorists, adding that no U.S. troops would be needed on the ground.

“With the United States being in control of that piece of land … you can have stability in the Middle East for the first time,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. “And the Palestinians, or the people that live now in Gaza, will be living beautifully in another location.”

King Abdullah, however, said that every Arab-led nation would reject Trump’s proposal.

Trump invited Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to discuss the issue, but Al Sisi has not yet accepted the offer. Earlier this week, Egypt said it would host a summit of Arab leaders at the end of the month to discuss “the new and dangerous developments in the Palestinian issue.”

Trump has given Israel the green light to let “hell break out” if Hamas doesn’t release the remaining hostages by Saturday at noon. Hamas suspended the release of hostages after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Inflation in the U.S. increased 3% in January compared to the previous year, rising for the fourth straight month and presenting an economic challenge for the new administration in the White House.

The Consumer Price Index’s increase was higher than economists predicted, as grocery prices in January also ticked up 0.5% from the previous month and 1.9% year-over-year. The January CPI numbers mark the final report for former President Joe Biden’s time in office and the first days of the new Trump administration.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report released on Wednesday, “The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.9 percent over the month, as the index for eggs increased 15.2 percent.” The massive increase in the cost of eggs is due to widespread bird flu, which resulted in a nationwide egg shortage. Along with raising prices, grocery stores across the U.S. have limited the number of egg cartons customers can purchase in one trip, and some restaurants are charging more for orders that include eggs.

The price jump for eggs was the largest increase since June 2015 and “accounted for about two thirds of the total monthly food at home increase,” according to the BLS. Foods other than eggs rose 0.3% in January. The energy index also rose 1.1% in January as gas prices jumped 1.8%.

Trump commented on the inflation report with a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, simply writing, “BIDEN INFLATION UP!” Earlier in the morning, Trump said that interest rates “should be lowered,” adding that it would “go hand in hand with upcoming Tariffs!!!” The rise in inflation, however, will give the Federal Reserve a reason to keep interest rates where they currently stand.

In his first weeks back in office, Trump has focused much of his economic policy on tariffs and energy production. Earlier this week, the president imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, which the White House argues will help revitalize U.S. industry and boost production. However, some worry that the steel and aluminum tariffs will hurt American manufacturers and workers.

Inflation skyrocketed to more than 9% under President Biden before gradually falling to 2.4% in September 2024. Since September, inflation has slowly ticked back up each month. After Trump vowed on the campaign trail to “immediately” alleviate the stress on Americans’ wallets, the administration suggested that plan could take some time. Vice President JD Vance told CBS News last month, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” adding that “it’s going to take a little bit of time” before Americans see their grocery bills go down.

“Donald Trump has already taken multiple executive actions that are going to lower energy prices, and I do believe that means consumers are going to see lower prices at the pump and at the grocery store, but it’s going to take a little bit of time,” Vance told CBS News host Margaret Brennan.

President Donald Trump, joined by Elon Musk in the Oval Office, signed an executive order on Tuesday to give the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project more oversight of the federal government workforce.

Under Trump’s order, the heads of federal agencies are directed to “coordinate and consult” with DOGE in the hiring process and to “limit hiring to essential positions.” The order promises to “significantly reduce the size of government,” an effort the Trump administration has already begun by gutting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and turning its sights on eliminating the Department of Education, a promise Trump made on the campaign trail.

Musk and his team at DOGE have already looked into nearly 20 agencies, identifying spending cuts and suggesting complete program overhauls, The New York Times reported. Answering questions from reporters in the Oval Office with Trump on Tuesday night, Musk emphasized the importance of dismantling the excessive federal bureaucracy.

“If there’s not a good feedback loop from the people to the government, and if you have rule of the bureaucrat, if the bureaucracy is in charge, then what meaning does democracy actually have?” Musk asked. “If the people cannot vote and have their will be decided by their elected representatives in the form of the president and the Senate and the House, then we don’t live in a democracy; we live in a bureaucracy.”

The executive order was endorsed by Russell Vought, who was confirmed by the Senate last week as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

“Again, this is more action and activities that we can do. The president can move forward unilaterally using the laws that are on the books to have reductions in force,” Vought said in an interview with Fox News.

Democrats have pushed back against Musk’s work in the Trump administration, arguing that DOGE — a project created by Trump — should not get access to sensitive government databases. Some on the Left have even called Musk’s efforts a “hostile takeover” of government financial systems.

Trump told reporters that he would prevent Musk from working on projects if there were “a lack of transparency or a conflict of interest.” He added that he hopes “the court system is going to allow us to do what we have to do.”

“We got elected to, among other things, find all of this fraud and abuse and all of this horrible stuff going on,” the president said. “We’ve already found billions of dollars, not like a little bit — billions, many billions of dollars, and when you get down to it, it’s probably going to be close to a trillion dollars.”

A federal judge in New York temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing Treasury Department data after 19 state attorneys general sued to prevent DOGE from accessing sensitive data. The Department of Justice is fighting back, seeking to end the judge’s order, which it called a “remarkable intrusion.”

“Basic democratic accountability requires that every executive agency’s work be supervised by politically accountable leadership, who ultimately answer to the president,” the DOJ wrote.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, defended Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to scrap “stupid” government spending.

Jordan made the remarks in an interview with Morning Wire as the Left ramps up its attacks on President Donald Trump and Musk’s influence on the Trump administration. After Trump put Musk to work last month, DOGE found government waste totaling billions of dollars. In his interview with Morning Wire, Jordan slammed Democrats for raging against Musk’s “common sense” actions.

“I think the American people view it this way: they’re saying like, ‘Wow, we were spending our tax money on these stupid things?’ And of course, the Left, instead of attacking the stupid things and stopping the stupid things that, you know, taxpayer money is being spent on, they attack the guy who’s exposing it,” Jordan told Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley.

“I think the country, deep down, appreciates [that] President Trump said he was going to do this,” the Republican added.

Jordan said the Left was busy defending “career bureaucrats” after “77 million people said, we want President Trump making these decisions.”

“It’s not the career experts — the Dr. Faucis of the world — who run the country. It’s the people who put their names on a ballot and get elected. They make the decisions,” Jordan added.

Last week, Democratic leaders joined protesters in Washington, D.C., to denounce what they described as Musk’s “hostile takeover” of government financial systems. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told the crowd, “Every American’s information is at risk. What does Elon Musk do with everything he touches? He makes money!”

A federal judge in New York temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing Treasury Department data after 19 state attorneys general sued to stop DOGE’s access to sensitive data. Despite the challenge to DOGE’s work, Republicans remain supportive of Musk taking a flamethrower to government spending.

“It’s a very aggressive agenda that was promised to the voters. Remember, [Trump is] delivering on campaign promises right now,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on Monday. “We are going to be codifying a lot of these changes, and what they’ve uncovered is, frankly, shocking. There are a lot of expenditures of the federal government that Congress has not been aware of, in spite of our best efforts to do oversight, some of this has been hidden.”

Jordan added that Trump “has said he’s going to use Elon Musk and his team, and God bless them for what they’re exposing and showing. And the platform they have to really get that out there for the American people to see and understand, I think it’s a good thing.”

Democrats are staring at a difficult path ahead of the 2026 Senate elections, as the first forecast from Cook Political Report shows Republicans with the edge to keep control and potentially flip two more Democratic seats while Democrats have no clear path to winning back the Senate.

After riding a wave of support from President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, Republicans now hold a 53-seat majority, giving the party control of Congress and the White House. Of the 35 seats up for election in 2026, two seats currently controlled by Democrats are at risk of flipping to the GOP. According to Cook Political Report, the race for Democratic Sen. John Ossoff’s seat in Georgia is rated a “toss-up,” as is the race for the open Senate seat in Michigan, which is being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

Of the 12 Democrat-held seats up for election in 2026, one of them, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), is “lean D,” and another, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), is “likely D,” while the rest of the races are safely in the Democrats’ hands as of today. Republicans, meanwhile, have two races that Cook Political Report has rated “lean R” — Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) — and one race rated “likely R” — Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH).

For Democrats to regain control of the Senate, they would have to pull off upsets in each of the three races where Republicans hold an advantage and pull off a major upset in one of the 19 seats considered safely Republican.

🚨 #BREAKING: First 2026 Senate forecast by Cook Political Report
🔴 Republican: 53
🔵 Democratic: 45
🟡 Tossup: 2 pic.twitter.com/XQhblnrJ1c

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 11, 2025

Georgia and Michigan will likely be the most closely followed races during the 2026 campaign. Ossoff, who won the seat in 2020 after going to a runoff election, will face a tough challenge to keep his seat. Multiple Georgia Republicans, including Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, have been floated as potential candidates, but none have officially announced a campaign.

In Michigan, Democrat Pete Buttigieg has been floated as a potential candidate for Sen. Peters’ seat. The former presidential candidate and Biden Secretary of Transportation moved to Traverse City, Michigan, around two years ago. Michigan Republican Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt announced his campaign for the Senate seat last month, and longtime Detroit Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan announced in December that he is running for the position as an independent. Other Republicans reportedly considering a run for the Senate in Michigan include Rep. John James, former Rep. and 2024 Senate candidate Mike Rogers, and conservative media personality Tudor Dixon, the 2022 Michigan GOP nominee for governor.

Another interesting race to watch will be the Florida Senate election. Ashley Moody, appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, will run to keep the seat that formerly belonged to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Cook Political Report labels that race as “solid R.”

Vice President JD Vance addressed world leaders at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris on Tuesday, pointing to the U.S. as the global leader on “one of the most promising technologies we have seen in generations.”

The conference included world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and tech executives. In his speech, the vice president outlined four key points he says the Trump administration will strive for in its AI policy: making America the “gold standard” of AI, fighting excessive regulation in the industry, preventing political bias in AI, and advocating for American workers as the technology continues to develop.

“This administration will continue to ensure that American AI technology continues to be the gold standard worldwide,” Vance said. “And we are the partner of choice for others, foreign countries, and certainly businesses, as they expand their own use of AI.”

To “safeguard” America’s place at the top of AI development, Vance said the Trump administration will “ensure that the most powerful AI systems are built in the U.S. with American designed and manufactured chips.” He emphasized that while the U.S. will strive to independently develop AI technology, the Trump administration also desires a partnership with other countries.

“We want to embark on the AI revolution before us with a spirit of openness and collaboration, but to create that kind of trust, we need international regulatory regimes that foster the creation of AI technology rather than strangle it,” Vance remarked. “And we need our European friends in particular to look to this new frontier with optimism rather than trepidation.”

Citing President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on AI, Vance said the U.S. would pursue an “AI action plan that avoids overly precautionary regulatory regime while ensuring that all Americans benefit from the technology and its transformative potential.” One day after being sworn into office, Trump announced a $500 billion investment to build AI infrastructure in the U.S., a move the president said would help America compete with foreign adversaries such as China.

Vance called out foreign governments that were “tightening the screws” on AI development by regulating tech companies “with international footprints.” He said that “America cannot and will not accept that,” adding that heavy regulation on the tech sector is “a terrible mistake, not just for the United States of America, but for your own countries.”

Vance said he strongly agrees with the argument previously put forward by Prime Minister Modi that AI will “facilitate” the creation of more jobs.

“It is not going to replace human beings. It will never replace human beings,” Vance added. “And I think too many leaders in the AI industry — when they talk about this fear of replacing workers — I think they really miss the point. AI, we believe, is going to make us more productive, more prosperous, and more free.”

The vice president also commented on the Trump administration’s desire to keep ideological bias out of AI and protect Americans’ right to free speech as AI progresses. He reminded the audience of when AI systems generated historically inaccurate images of George Washington as a black man and American infantrymen in World War I as women.

“Now, we laugh at this now, and of course it was ridiculous, but we have to remember the lessons from that ridiculous moment,” Vance said. “And what we take from it is that the Trump administration will ensure that AI systems developed in America are free from ideological bias and never restrict our citizens’ right to free speech.”

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December, has accepted nearly $300,000 from thousands of individual donations for his criminal defense, Fox News reported on Monday.

Mangione, 26, pled not guilty to charges of murder and terrorism in New York and also faces federal murder charges, which make him eligible for the death penalty. The Ivy League grad is accused of gunning down Thompson from behind in Midtown Manhattan on December 4 as the CEO was on his way to a company conference at the Hilton hotel. Mangione has been turned into a folk hero for some people on the Left who view the alleged assassin’s actions as retribution for health care companies.

Mangione’s lead defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said that the “outpouring of support” and donations to her client is appreciated, adding that Mangione “plans on utilizing it to fight all three of the unprecedented cases against him.”

The fundraiser, organized by the December 4 Legal Committee and set up on GiveSendGo, raised over $295,000, according to the New York Post.

“We are thrilled that the money raised by this campaign will go toward building the strongest possible defense against these insulting charges,” the organizers wrote. “We remain committed to a world where our survival and wellbeing are no longer sacrificed for another’s wealth.”

The donations were celebrated by Jamie Peck and Sam Beard, who speak on behalf of the fund and also host the podcast “Party Girls,” which focuses on “communism and gossip.”

“Luigi has seen a literally unprecedented wave of support from tens of millions of hard-working Americans,” Beard said in a video. “All of this has sort of re-jumpstarted a longstanding conversation in this country about how the cruel and unusual for-profit health care system in America is rotten to its very core.”

December 4 Legal Committee hopes to raise $500,000 as the fundraiser will continue throughout Mangione’s trial. Mangione’s next appearance in state court is scheduled for February 21.

Thompson, a husband and father of two children, was killed by a masked assassin who was caught on video firing multiple shots into the UnitedHealthcare CEO before fleeing the scene. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after the murder.

After arresting Mangione in Pennsylvania, authorities recovered a notebook allegedly belonging to him that includes a passage where the writer mentions taking out “the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention.” Mangione also allegedly had a manifesto on him that accused UnitedHealthcare of prioritizing profit over patients.

Authorities said on Friday that there are no survivors after finding a Bering Air Cessna Caravan with 10 people on board that crashed on sea ice after going missing over the Norton Sound in Alaska on Thursday.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, rescuers looking for the missing aircraft spotted the wreckage from a helicopter, the Associated Press reported. The Cessna Caravan, which is a single-engine propeller plane, left Unalakleet, Alaska, at 2:37 p.m. local time and was supposed to land in Nome, Alaska, which is a short flight across the Norton Sound. At around 4:00 p.m., Alaska State troopers received word around 4:00 p.m. that the plane was overdue, and authorities began search operations.

The Coast Guard said that at 3:18, the airplane had “some kind of event which caused them to experience a rapid loss in elevation and a rapid loss in speed.” Visibility was poor at the time of the crash as the area experienced light snow and fog.

All 10 people onboard the flight, which included nine passengers and one pilot, were adults, Lt. Ben Endres of the Alaska State Troopers said, according to the AP. Bering Air is based in Nome and operates passenger and charter airline services. Since the sea ice is unstable, authorities are trying to move fast to recover the bodies and any parts of the plane that will aid officials in their investigation into the crash.

#UPDATE (1/2) #USCG has ended its search for the missing plane after the aircraft was located approx. 34 miles southeast of Nome. 3 individuals were found inside and reported to be deceased. pic.twitter.com/XndzBYHdCE

— USCGAlaska (@USCGAlaska) February 8, 2025

“They are on the ice as we speak,” said Nome Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jim West. “The conditions out there are dynamic, and so we’ve got to do it safely and the fastest way we can.”

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski addressed the crash during a press conference, saying, “It’s hard to accept the reality of our loss.” Nome Mayor John Handeland added, “Nome is a strong community, and in challenging times we come together and support each other. I expect the outpouring of support to continue in the coming days as we all work to recover from this tragic incident.”

The crash is the third on U.S. soil in 2025. Last month, an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three service members collided with an American Eagle flight that had 64 people on board. The crash sent both aircraft into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people involved. Days later, a medical jet carrying a pediatric patient crashed in north Philadelphia, killing all six people on board and one person on the ground and injuring more than 20 others.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Friday that it was a massive mistake for the U.S. military to use the phrase “diversity is our strength.”

Hegseth, who was confirmed by the Senate late last month, spoke to an audience at the Pentagon auditorium, where he addressed issues such as NATO and Afghanistan and ripped diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Reuters reported.

“I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is ‘our diversity is our strength,'” he said. “I think our strength is our unity. Our strength is our shared purpose, regardless of our background, regardless of how we grew up, regardless of our gender, regardless of our race.”

“In this department, we will treat everyone equally. We will treat everyone with fairness. We will treat everyone with respect, and we will judge you as an individual by your merit and by your commitment to the team and the mission,” he added. “That’s how it has been and that’s how it will be. Any inference otherwise is meant to divide or create complications that otherwise should not and do not exist.”

.@SecDef Pete Hegseth: "The single dumbest phrase in military history is 'our diversity is our strength.' I think our strength is our unity. Our strength is our shared purpose." pic.twitter.com/xgXobOndeo

— CSPAN (@cspan) February 7, 2025

After his confirmation, Hegseth quickly got to work gutting DEI programs from the U.S. military. President Donald Trump tasked the Defense Secretary with reforming DoD’s selection and promotion process, eliminating DEI-based quotas, and prohibiting Critical Race Theory, DEI, and radical gender theory instructions. Hegseth also put an end to celebrating Black History Month and Women’s History Month, saying that “efforts to divide the force – to put one group ahead of another – erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution.”

During his speech on Friday, Hegseth also said that America’s actions in recent years on the global stage have “created the perception … of American weakness.”

“Chaos happens when the perception of American strength is not complete. And so we aim to reestablish that deterrence,” he added.

The Defense Secretary said that he will prioritize looking into “what happened in Afghanistan” after the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from the country in 2021. Hegseth said the investigation is “not to be retrospective, not for retribution, but to understand what went wrong and why there was no accountability for it.”

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would sign an executive order next week ending the federal government’s “ridiculous” push for paper straws.

Last year, the Biden administration announced that it would “phase out” single-use plastic utensils such as cutlery, cups, and straws across federal departments. The move was part of President Joe Biden’s “ambitious actions … to end plastic pollution,” the New York Post reported. In a Truth Social post on Friday morning, Trump said the U.S. government would again use plastic straws.

“I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. BACK TO PLASTIC!” the president wrote.

In recent years, some restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops have begun using paper straws instead of plastic in the name of saving the environment. A Belgian study published in 2023, however, showed that out of plastic, paper, glass, and bamboo straws, paper straws contain the most perfluoroalkylate and polyfluoroalkylate substances (PFAS), which are often referred to as “forever chemicals.”

“PFAS were more frequently detected in plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo,” the study’s authors noted, adding, “The presence of PFAS in plant-based straws shows that they are not necessarily biodegradable and that the use of such straws potentially contributes to human and environmental exposure of PFAS.”

Until Trump officially rolls out his executive order, it’s unknown how his action could affect state laws and business operations across the country. Some states, such as California and New Jersey, have single-use plastic bans in effect, prohibiting restaurants from handing out plastic straws or cutlery unless a customer specifically asks for them.

Trump’s executive action on paper straws will likely be popular among conservative Americans. After the Biden administration began cracking down on paper straw use in the federal government, Republican lawmakers blasted the move.

“The world’s on fire and [Biden’s] worried about plastic forks,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) told The Daily Mail.

“Look, I certainly understand that plastics are a pollutant, we need to do a better job with it,” Rounds added. “But I’m a little bit hesitant to say that this plastic ban will be a good thing.”

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) added, “They should shrink the government if they want it to be less of a consumer. The reason it’s the largest consumer is because … it employs so many people, and it’s doing so many things it was probably never intended to do. So if they want to reduce the impact of the U.S. government environmentally, they should right-size the government.”

President Donald Trump gave his pre-Super Bowl analysis in a Truth Social post on Friday morning, praising players on both the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadephia Eagles while ripping the NFL’s new kickoff rule.

Trump is expected to be in attendance at the big game in New Orleans on Sunday, becoming the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl. In his social media post, Trump had some nice words for both teams’ coaches, quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Trump saved his highest praise for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

“Two great Quarterbacks in this game. Also, an unbelievable running back, and the absolute best tight end in football (Ever!),” the president wrote. “Incredible coaching!”

Trump’s praise of Kelce comes after the tight end told reporters earlier this week that “it’s a great honor” to have Trump in attendance at the Super Bowl. “I think you know, no matter who the president is, I know I’m excited because it’s the biggest game of my life, you know, and having the president there — it’s the best country in the world — and that’s pretty cool,” Kelce said.

Trump harshly criticized Kelce’s superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift during the 2024 presidential campaign after she endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris. In a Truth Social post in September, Trump wrote, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”

In his Friday post, Trump blasted the new kickoff rule the NFL instituted at the beginning of the 2024 season, which is meant to cut back on injuries. He also reminded people that he would sit down for an interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier before the game. The pre-Super Bowl presidential interview was a tradition before President Joe Biden skipped it in 2023 and 2024.

“If they would only get rid of that really weird looking new Kickoff ‘deal,’ which actually makes football more dangerous, they would be doing everybody, especially the fans, a big favor,” Trump added. “ANYWAY, IT WILL BE A GREAT GAME!!! I’ll be doing the interview, before the game, at 3:00 P.M. There hasn’t been one in four years (Gee, I wonder why?).”

A plane with 10 people aboard went missing while flying from Unalakleet to Nome, Alaska, on Thursday, sparking a search and rescue operation from state and federal authorities.

The Bering Air Caravan airplane with one pilot and nine passengers left Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. local time, and Alaska State troopers received word around 4:00 p.m. that the plane was overdue in Nome, CBS News reported. The plane appeared to be traveling over the Norton Sound when it potentially encountered near-whiteout fog. FlightRadar data showed a Bering Air Caravan plane last reporting data at 3:16 p.m.

“U.S. Coast Guard District 17 responded to an aircraft emergency notification from Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at 4:30 p.m. today for a Cessna Caravan that reported to have 10 people aboard,” U.S. Coast Guard Alaska said in a statement. “An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Kodiak to search their last known position. The aircraft was 12 miles offshore transiting from Unalakleet to Nome when its position was lost. More information to follow as it becomes available.”

The Bering Air Cessna Caravan is a single-engine propeller plane. Bering Air is based in Nome and operates passenger and charter airline services.

Due to low visibility, the search plane flew over the water and along the shoreline with equipment that could help locate the missing aircraft. Authorities told people not to form their own search parties due to the weather. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department said, “We continue to expand search efforts to as many avenues as possible until the plane is located.”

In an update at 12:30 a.m. local time on Friday, the fire department said the plane was still missing.

“We do not have any updated information on the location of the missing aircraft. Crews are still searching on the ground, canvassing as much area as possible,” the fire department statement added. “The National Guard C-130 reported they found nothing found so far. The Airforce also sent a C-130 resumed the search and also have reported no visuals, and have one hour of flight search time remaining. If nothing further is reported, the next update will be at 9am.”

The incident comes after an Army Black Hawk helicopter with three service members collided with an American Eagle flight that had 64 people on board. The crash sent both aircraft into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people involved. Days later, a medical jet carrying a pediatric patient crashed in north Philadelphia, killing all six people on board and one person on the ground and injuring more than 20 others.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “targeted” more than 100 members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Aurora, Colorado, on Wednesday.

The federal agents — which included officials from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Customs and Border Protection, and the FBI — went door-to-door to speak to residents at an apartment complex in Aurora, ABC News reported. Aurora made headlines last year after a Republican city official sounded the alarm on TdA members taking over some apartment complexes in the Denver suburb.

ICE did not specify how many arrests were made at the complex, adding that the investigation is “ongoing.”

100+ members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were targeted for arrest and detention in Aurora, Colo., today by ICE and its partners @FBI @DEAHQ @CBP @ATFHQ & @USMarshalsHQ in an ongoing investigation. pic.twitter.com/LzIVDjsee6

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) February 5, 2025

Fernando Martinez, a 54-year-old man who was not arrested in the raid, told USA Today that he was sleeping in one of his friend’s apartments at Cedar Run Apartments when ICE agents busted down the door.

“They come in with their guns drawn,” he said. “They flash banged me like three times.”

Acting Director Caleb Vitello said on Wednesday that the raid was necessary because local authorities are refusing to work with federal immigration agents.

“Unfortunately we have to come to the communities because we don’t get the cooperation that we need from the jails,” Vitello said. “It would be so much easier and so much safer for our officers and agents if we could take these people into custody from a safe environment. But if we have to come out in the community to do this, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Time and again, criminal aliens prey on their own communities with sanctuary policies, knowing they’re free to commit crimes without repercussion. ICE & its partners @FBI @DEAHQ @CBP @ATFHQ & @USMarshalsHQ are in Aurora, Colo., today to remove this very real public safety threat. pic.twitter.com/L0KtxySl0f

— ERO Denver (@ERODenver) February 5, 2025

After Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky brought attention to the gang’s activity in Aurora last August, Fox News obtained video showing armed men walking through an Aurora apartment building and entering an apartment after knocking on the door with guns drawn. Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, however, dismissed the concerns over TdA taking over any apartments, saying the “purported invasion is largely a feature of Danielle Jurinsky’s imagination.”

President Donald Trump quickly ramped up arrests and deportations of violent illegal immigrants after being sworn into office on January 20, and it’s not the first time Aurora has been targeted in a large raid under the Trump administration. Last month, DEA agents busted nearly 50 members of associates of TdA at a makeshift nightclub in Aurora, where authorities seized drugs, weapons, and cash.

President Donald Trump signaled on Wednesday that he will seek a “Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement” with Iran that will prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons while allowing it to “grow and prosper.”

Trump posted about his goal on Truth Social after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday and saying at a press conference that the U.S. would take control of Gaza. The president also said in his social media post that he has no intention of taking extreme military action against Iran.

“I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote. “Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens, ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED. I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!”

With his post, Trump appears to be opening the door for Iran to come to the negotiating table after he signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum on Tuesday to apply “maximum pressure” on the U.S. nemesis and deny “Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon.”

On Tuesday, Trump also told reporters in the Oval Office that he “left instructions” for how the U.S. should respond if Iran assassinates him. Trump said it “would be a terrible thing for them to do” because “they would be obliterated.” The president also shot back at a reporter who claimed that Netanyahu “wants” the U.S. to “strike Iran.”

“You don’t know what he wants,” Trump replied. “What do you know about anything?”

While the president said he wants to pursue peaceful negotiations with Iran, he suggested that he might use U.S. troops to take control of Gaza, adding that long-term ownership of Gaza is a possibility.

“I think we will be a great keeper of something that is very, very strong, very powerful, and very, very good for the area, not just for Israel, for the entire Middle East,” Trump said. “There will be jobs for everyone.”

“Everyone I have spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent,” he added.

Trump’s remarks on Tuesday came after he campaigned on ending America’s foreign entanglements. Trump also said during his inaugural address that his foreign policy success will be measured “perhaps most importantly [by] the wars we never get into.”