The Senate is finding itself in a familiar position, working to avoid a partial government shutdown with just hours to spare Friday. Democrats have only painful options: allow passage of a bill they believe gives President Donald Trump vast discretion on spending decisions, or vote no and give Trump free rein. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer gave members of his caucus days to vent their frustration before making clear he will not allow a government shutdown.
Also Friday, it's Trump's move now that two federal judges handed down orders Thursday requiring his administration to rehire thousands of probationary federal workers let go in mass firings. Trump also plans a Justice Department rally for what he's calling a tough-on-crime agenda. And his Education secretary announced probes of more than 50 schools for alleged racial discrimination as part of Trump’s campaign to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs that his officials say exclude white and Asian American students.
Here's the Latest:
Trump’s tariffs forge a rare bipartisan alliance among Kentucky’s leaders
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul came together to lament brewing trade wars that could stagger the bourbon industry.
Bourbon distillers who have cultivated markets in Europe and Canada are now worried about becoming “collateral damage” in escalating tit-for-tat disputes. It intensified this week when Trump threatened a 200% tariff on European wine, Champagne and other spirits if the EU goes forward with a planned tariff on American whiskey.
In solidly Republican Kentucky, the governor and senators have been in lockstep in their disapproval of the tariffs. Beshear, who is seen as a potential presidential contender in 2028, has been especially critical.
▶ Read more about Kentucky’s bourbon sector.
JD Vance suggests Trump’s promised boom won’t be ‘easy’ nor ‘happen overnight’
The vice president toured a plastics facility in Bay City, Michigan and promised “a great American comeback” in manufacturing — even as he urged patience for it to fully materialize.
“The road ahead of us is long,” Vance told the crowd of about 100 people at Vantage Plastics.
The Trump administration’s tariffs on Canada has especially concerned some businesses in the border state, but Vance defended them as a way to increase domestic manufacturing.
“If you want to be penalized, build outside of America,” he said.
Immigration officials arrest second person who protested at Columbia
Immigration officials have arrested a second person who participated in Pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, and have revoked the visa of another student, they announced Friday.
Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from the West Bank, was arrested by immigration officers for overstaying her student visa, the Department of Homeland Security said. Kordia’s visa was terminated in January 2022 for “lack of attendance,” the department said. Kordia was previously arrested for her involvement in protests at Columbia in April 2024, it added.
The Trump administration also revoked the visa of Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen and doctoral student, on March 5 “for advocating for violence and terrorism.” On Tuesday, Srinivasan opted to “self-deport,” the department said.
The announcement comes after the recent arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who helped lead student protests at the school and is facing deportation.
▶ Read more about the Trump administration’s arrest of pro-Palestinian protesters
Rubio denies the US is giving up on demand that Russia agree to immediate cease-fire
Rubio was speaking to reporters Friday after talks in Moscow between a U.S. envoy and Putin ended with no word of an agreement on a cease-fire with Ukraine.
“We will get there,” Rubio said. “We’re certainly at least talking about peace for the first time in three years.”
Rubio says Canada as a 51st state came out of Trump-Trudeau talks
Rubio says Trump’s repeated calls for Canada to become the 51st state began with a chat the president had with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Rubio said Trudeau told Trump that Canada “couldn’t survive as a nation-state” if the U.S. went ahead with threatened tariffs on Canadian imports.
“At which point the president said, well, then you should become a state. And that’s where this began,” Rubio told reporters.
Trump “loves Canada,” Rubio insisted. He simply “made an argument for why Canada would be better off joining the United States from an economic perspective and the like. He’s made that argument repeatedly, and I think it stands for itself.”
▶ Read more about Canada’s response to Trump tariffs
Protesters organize outside the Department of Education
Ringing cowbells and chanting, organizers, teachers, former employees and locals gathered in Washington to protest personnel cuts in the Department of Education on Friday morning. Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii joined teachers’ union representatives and advocacy organizations to speak at the event. Dozens of cars and trucks, along with tour buses and a Metro bus, honked in support of the line of protesters along Independence Avenue.
“This isn’t just about a department and a building, this is about federal streams of money that help students live into their full potential,” said Kim Anderson, National Education Association executive director. “This agenda is about cutting funding and shipping it to public schools.”
The Education Department plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees as part of an effort to halve the organization’s staff — a prelude to Trump’s plan to dismantle the agency.
Rubio says Trump administration will be revoking more student visas
It comes after the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a well-known Palestinian activist now detained in Louisiana over his role in protests at Columbia University against the war in Gaza. Khalil is a legal U.S. permanent resident with no criminal history and a pregnant American citizen wife.
Rubio said they’ll keep looking for people with student visas who wouldn’t have been let into the country by the Trump administration “had we known they were going to do what they’ve done.”
“But now that they’ve done it, we’re going to get rid of them,” Rubio said.
Rubio says Americans are cautiously optimistic on Ukraine ceasefire after talking with Putin
Rubio said Friday he’s “cautiously optimistic” about Russian President Vladimir Putin agreeing to a cease-fire with Ukraine after Putin’s meeting with a U.S. envoy on the war.
Trump administration officials plan to spend the weekend debriefing presidential envoy Steve Witkoff on his session with Putin and on next steps, Rubio said. Rubio spoke to reporters at the end of a Group of Seven meeting in Canada.
The talks with Putin did not appear to secure the immediate agreement for a ceasefire that Rubio had said Americans would press Putin for. Still, he said “we certainly feel like we’re at least some steps closer to ending this war.”
Among Senate Democrats, four NOs and a maybe
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, NV: She said she’s “still weighing the impact” of her vote.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, WA: “It’s so important for my state to have infrastructure investment. They’re cutting 40% out of the Army Corps of Engineers. The lifeblood of my state is growing agriculture product and getting it to destinations all around the globe.” She said she’d vote no on the continuing resolution.
Sen. Tina Smith, MN: “I’m voting no on the CR. I believe that the CR would do terrible damage. It’s not even a CR. It’s a it’s a new bill written exclusively by Republicans that would do great damage to Minnesota.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, RI: “The real danger here is this Trump-Musk cabal that is out to break government, destroy agencies, fire off thousands of people, ruined government services. Also they can give data probably and tax breaks to billionaires.” He said he’d vote no on the resolution.
Sen. Ben Lujan, NM: “Colleagues are having to make those decisions. If you’re ask if I support Chuck Schumer, I support Chuck Schumer. And, I announced I’ll be voting no. And I’m, right now, that’s where I’m standing.”
Secretary of State says tariffs aren’t a ‘hostile move’ against allies
Marco Rubio says the Trump administration’s tariffs are about making trade fair.
He told reporters Friday after the Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Canada that Trump wants to “charge other countries what they charge us.”
Rubio acknowledged that those benefiting from previous arrangements likely do “feel it is hostile to change the status quo.”
But he said “This is not meant as a hostile move against Japan or Germany or anybody else. This is about balancing and fairness and trade.”
Tariffs and other Trump policies overshadowed the meeting of G7 allies, but they were able to find consensus on peace in Ukraine and other topics.
Pelosi warns Senate Democrats it’s ‘unacceptable’ not to fight GOP funding bill
In a scathing rebuke to Senate leadership, the House Speaker Emerita said Trump and Musk are offering a false choice between the bill and a shutdown.
Instead Rep. Nancy Pelosi is imploring Senate Democrats to “listen to the women” — top Democratic appropriators Sen. Patty Murry and Sen. Rosa DeLauro — and fight in favor of their 30-day stopgap plan. “We must fight back for a better way,” she said.
Notably, Pelosi’s statement mentions Trump’s first-term shutdown, which was the longest in history when Democrats refused to provide funding for his promised U.S-Mexico border wall.
“America has experienced a Trump shutdown before — but this damaging legislation only makes matters worse,” Pelosi said.
House Democrats tamp down talk of primarying Democratic senators
“There’s always going to be an election cycle. This is not about politics. This is about what is best for the American people. We made that vote with that interest in mind,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the Democratic caucus chair.
Aguilar reiterated that House Democrats feel that supporting the bill makes lawmakers “complicit” in Trump’s agenda. But he said “we have all the respect in the world for our Senate colleagues” — a message they’re sharing while lobbying them on the phone.
“This has really been about what are our tactics and strategies to defending Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, from what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are seeking to do each every day,” he said.
Mark Carney is sworn in as Canada’s new prime minister amid Trump’s trade war
Carney, a former Goldman Sachs executive with no experience in politics, becomes Canada’s 24th prime minister, and will now try to steer his country through Trump’s trade war.
Carney has said he’s ready to meet with Trump if he shows “respect for Canadian sovereignty″ and is willing to take ”a common approach, a much more comprehensive approach for trade.″
Trump put 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products April 2. He has threatened economic coercion in his annexation threats and suggested the border is a fictional line.
▶ Read more about Canada’s new prime minister
Musk met with NSA, US Cyber Command in sign that DOGE could soon focus on spy agencies
The billionaire’s meeting with the leader of the National Security Agency suggests his push to slash spending and personnel may soon focus on the nation’s intelligence community.
The agency said Friday that Elon Musk met Wednesday with Gen. Timothy Haugh, who directs the NSA as well as U.S. Cyber Command, which coordinates the Pentagon’s cybersecurity work.
An NSA statement said the meeting was intended to ensure both organizations are “aligned” with the new administration’s priorities.
Like the CIA, the NSA has offered buyouts to personnel as Trump and Musk push deep cuts to the federal workforce.
Trump said ‘tariff’ is the ‘most beautiful word.’ Elon Musk’s car company isn’t sure
Tesla warned a top Trump trade official that retaliatory tariffs could add to the costs of its cars sold abroad.
“U.S. exporters are inherently exposed to disproportionate impacts when other countries respond to U.S. trade actions,” Tesla wrote this week in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, first reported by the Financial Times.
The carefully worded letter expresses support for Trump’s “fair trade” efforts while also aligning with most economists who say tariffs do more harm than good. The retaliation by China, Canada and Europe comes as Tesla’s sales plunge overseas amid competition by foreign EV makers and calls for boycotts.
Tesla’s stock rocketed after Trump’s election, but it has plummeted 50% since its mid-December high, wiping out hundreds of billions of dollars of wealth.
Nonprofits sue Trump for freezing funding for clean energy and conservation projects
Their federal lawsuit filed in Rhode Island argues that Trump’s “Unleashing American Energy” executive order freezing billions of dollars already approved by Congress is arbitrary and capricious, lacks statutory authority and violates the Administrative Procedure Act.
Americans are being harmed, they say, by the freeze on weatherization programs, programs aimed at reducing food waste and work to protect giant sequoias and other large trees.
The suit by the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, National Council of Nonprofits, Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District and Green Infrastructure Center demands the resumption of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act as well as Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
U.S. allows energy license with Russia to expire, tightening pressure for ceasefire
The license allowed U.S. firms to do business with Russian energy companies through sanctioned Russian banks.
A Treasury Department representative confirmed the expiration. The official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, telling The Associated Press that the Trump administration is focused on fostering negotiations to end the war.
The expiration of the license, which was issued during Joe Biden’s presidency, adds pressure on Russia to accept a ceasefire deal crafted by the U.S., which Ukraine has accepted.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said the Trump administration would go “all in” on Russia sanctions in order to end the war raging since February 2022.
By Fatima Hussein
Schumer vows a long-term fight over the Trump agenda
Facing a groundswell of Democratic dissent, Schumer insists that voting for the Republican funding bill is better than a federal shutdown, which he says would give Trump and Musk free rein to gut the government.
“A shutdown would allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer warned as the Senate opened.
Schumer said Democrats are not backing down and vowed a long-term fight against the Trump agenda.
Dr. Mehmet Oz would oversee Medicare, Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage
A Senate Finance Committee hearing has begun for Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The 64-year-old Oz was a respected heart surgeon who became a popular TV pitchman. Now Trump wants him to oversee health insurance for about 150 million Americans.
Republicans likely will ask Oz how he’ll trim fraud from Medicare and Medicaid. Democrats will probably focus on cuts he would make to insurance coverage and his televised comments supporting privatized Medicare.
▶ Read more about Oz’s confirmation hearing
Consumer sentiment falls sharply amid worries about Trump’s policies
The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment measure has fallen for three straight months and is down 22% from December 2024.
Declining confidence showed up “consistently across all groups by age, education, income, wealth, political affiliations, and geographic regions,” survey director Joanne Hsu said.
“Many consumers cited the high level of uncertainty around policy and other economic factors; frequent gyrations in economic policies make it very difficult for consumers to plan for the future, regardless of one’s policy preference,” Hsu’s statement said.
Sentiment collapsed by more than a third among Democrats since December, nearly 20% among independents, and only slightly among Republicans. But a measure of Republicans’ economic outlook dropped by 10% just this month.
Senate Majority Leader hopes he has the votes to prevent a midnight shutdown
John Thune says the chamber is ready to vote later in the day, and he’s “hopeful that enough Democrats will reject their party’s threat of shutting down the government to get this bill passed today.”
With a 53-47 majority, and some dissent within his won Republican ranks, the GOP leader still needs at least eight Democrats to cross party lines to clear the 60-vote threshold.
House Democrats express fury at Senate counterparts over GOP spending bill
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated that House Democrats would not be “complicit” in the GOP spending plan.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York expressed frustration that Democratic senators aren’t aligning with the members “who have won Trump-held districts in some of the most difficult territories in the United States, who walked the plank and took innumerable risks in order to defend the American people.”
“There’s still time,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico at a press conference of the Democratic Women’s Caucus. “The American people are shouting: Please do not hand the keys over to Elon Musk.”
Trump administration investigating more than 50 universities in anti-DEI campaign
The Education Department announced the new investigations Friday, one month after issuing a memo warning America’s schools and colleges that they could lose federal money over “race-based preferences” in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life.
“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “We will not yield on this commitment.”
Most of the new inquiries — 45 — are focused on colleges’ partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business with the goal of diversifying the business world.
Department officials said that the group limits eligibility based on race and that colleges that partner with it are “engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.” They include public universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State and Rutgers, and prestigious private schools including Yale, Cornell, Duke and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
▶ Read more about the new investigations into colleges’ DEI practices
AP EXCLUSIVE: US and Israel look to Africa for resettling Palestinians from Gaza
The U.S. and Israel have reached out to officials from three East African governments to discuss using their territories as potential destinations to resettle more than 2 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
That’s according to American and Israeli officials who spoke to The Associated Press. The contacts were with Sudan, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland.
The idea of a mass transfer of Palestinians was once considered a fantasy of Israel’s ultranationalist fringe, but since Trump presented the idea at a White House meeting last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed it as a “ bold vision.”
There’s strong opposition to displacing Gaza's population. Palestinians have rejected the proposal and dismiss Israeli claims that the departures would be voluntary. Arab nations are vehemently against it, offering an alternative reconstruction plan that would leave the Palestinians in place. Rights groups said forcing or pressuring Palestinians to leave could be a war crime.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a secret diplomatic initiative, U.S. and Israeli officials confirmed the contacts with Somalia and Somaliland, while the Americans confirmed Sudan as well. They said it was unclear how much progress has been made. The White House declined to comment on the outreach efforts.
By Josef Federman, Matthew Lee and Samy Magdy
▶ Read more about the US and Israel’s efforts to resettle Palestinians
Allies wrap up a G7 meeting overshadowed by Trump’s tariffs and Canada taunts
The Group of 7 talks in Canada have been overshadowed by Trump’s trade and foreign policies and his repeated taunts aimed at the host. Top diplomats hope to reach consensus nevertheless on a final communique after hours of late-night negotiations.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said “there is a great deal of unity within the G7,” pointing to support for the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.
And she said Canada will be working on off-ramps from Trump’s trade war, even as it puts “maximum pressure” on their neighbor. “The Trump tariffs are going to hurt Americans. That’s our message, that’s our approach,” she said.
▶ Read more on the G7 talks
House Democrats express fury at Senate counterparts over GOP spending bill
After Schumer announced he’d vote for the package, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated that House Democrats “remain strongly opposed” and would not be “complicit” in the GOP spending plan.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York expressed frustration that some members “who have won Trump-held districts in some of the most difficult territories in the United States, who walked the plank and took innumerable risks in order to defend the American people” now have to watch Senate Democrats consider acquiescing.
“There’s still time,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico at the Democratic Women’s Caucus in Virginia. “The American people are shouting: please do not hand the keys over to Elon Musk.”
Meanwhile, Schumer is winning praise from the president: “Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took “guts” and courage!” Trump posted on his social media account.
AP EXCLUSIVE: Hundreds of federal offices could begin closing this summer at DOGE’s behest
Federal agencies will begin to vacate hundreds of offices across the country this summer under a frenetic and error-riddled push by Elon Musk’s budget-cutting advisers to terminate leases that they say waste money.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency maintains a list of canceled real estate leases on its website, but internal documents obtained by The Associated Press contain a crucial detail: when those cancellations are expected to take effect. The documents from inside the General Services Administration, the U.S. government’s real estate manager, list dozens of federal office and building leases expected to end by June 30, with hundreds more slated over the coming months.
The rapid pace of cancellations has raised alarms, with some agencies and lawmakers appealing to DOGE to exempt specific buildings. Several agencies are facing 20 or more lease cancellations in all, including the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Geological Survey.
▶ Read more about the canceled leases and see a list of the offices that are impacted
Why Democrats are concerned about the spending bill
Both defense and non-defense spending is lower than what was agreed to when Congress lifted the debt ceiling two years ago in return for spending restraints. And they're even more worried about the discretion it gives the Trump administration on spending decisions. Many Democrats are referring to it as a “blank check.”
Hundreds of the specific funding directives for key programs that come with most bills fall away under this continuing resolution, so the administration will have more leeway to decide where the money goes.
Democrats also object to the treatment of the District of Columbia, which would have to cut current spending by $1.1 billion, and the clawing back of $20 billion in special IRS funding, on top of the $20 billion rescission approved the year before, which essentially cuts in half the funding boost that Congress intended to give the agency.
What to know about the bill being debated by the Senate
Congress has been unable to pass the annual appropriations bills designed to fund the government, so they’ve resorted to passing short-term extensions instead. The legislation before the Senate marks the third such continuing resolution for the current fiscal year, now nearly half over.
The legislation would fund the federal government through the end of September. It would trim non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increase defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion.
The Republican-led House passed the spending bill on Tuesday and then adjourned. The move left senators with a decision to either take it or leave it. And while Democrats have been pushing for a vote on a fourth short-term extension, GOP leadership made clear that option was a non-starter.
A procedural vote Friday will provide a first test of whether the package has the 60 votes needed to advance, ahead of final voting likely later in the day. At least eight Democrats will need to join with Republicans to move the funding package forward.
▶ Read more about the scramble to avert a government shutdown
Trump will visit a Justice Department he's sought to reshape with loyalists
Trump is expected to use his visit to deliver a speech outlining his administration’s tough-on-crime agenda. But the appearance doubles as a victory lap after he emerged legally and politically unscathed from two federal prosecutions that were dismissed after his election win last fall.
The visit is the first by Trump and the first by any president in a decade. It brings Trump into the belly of an institution he has disparaged in searing terms for years but one that he has sought to reshape by installing loyalists and members of his personal defense team in top leadership positions.
▶ Read more about Trump’s visit to the Justice Department
Judges order Trump to rehire probationary workers let go in mass firings
Two federal judges handed down orders on Thursday requiring Trump’s administration to rehire thousands, if not tens of thousands, of probationary workers let go in mass firings across multiple agencies, slowing down for now the president’s dramatic downsizing of the federal government.
Both judges separately found legal problems with the way the mass terminations were carried out and ordered the employees at least temporarily brought back on the job.
The Trump administration has already appealed the first ruling. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt cast it as an attempt to encroach on the president’s power to hire and fire employees. “The Trump Administration will immediately fight back against this absurd and unconstitutional order,” she said in a statement.
▶ Read more about the orders on mass firings
Schumer gives Democrats room to side with Republicans to avoid a government shutdown
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer gave members of his caucus days to vent their frustration about the options before them, but late Thursday made clear he will not allow a government shutdown. His move gives Democrats room to side with Republicans and allow the continuing resolution, often described as a CR, to come up for a vote as soon as Friday.
Schumer said on the Senate floor that the choice between the GOP spending bill and a government shutdown is “no choice at all” but that a shutdown would be “a far worse option.”
A procedural vote Friday will provide a first test of whether the package has the 60 votes needed to advance, ahead of final voting likely later in the day. At least eight Democrats will need to join with Republicans to move the funding package forward.
▶ Read more about the vote to avoid a government shutdown
Pentagon continues purge of images it sees as pro-DEI, including 3 related to the Enola Gay
The Pentagon is continuing its purge of photographs it considers promote DEI, and although it said historical photographs would be protected, at least three images related to the B-29 Superfortress bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, have been removed – likely because the aircraft was called the Enola Gay.
The images that have disappeared include a historical black-and-white photo of the Enola Gay “undergoing modification at Oklahoma City Air Depot to be able to drop atomic weapons,” according to a thumbnail of the photograph, which remains. Two others that mention a grandson of a member of the original Enola Gay crew flying a refurbished B-29 to honor his family have also been deleted, although their thumbnails are also still visible.
A request for comment to the Pentagon on why the Enola Gay images were removed was not immediately returned.
The Associated Press
