A Trump administration policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, a divided panel of federal appeal court judges .
The majority opinion by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit upholds a March 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C. Reyes concluded that President Donald Trump鈥檚 executive order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights.
Meanwhile, the energy price spike triggered by the Iran war has seeped into the that , causing to climb in ways that are , and creating a in November鈥檚 midterm elections.
Also, the United States said Monday that after Tehran shot down an American drone over the weekend. Iran then said it launched a strike of its own, and Kuwait reported incoming fire.
The between Iran and the U.S. has been repeatedly tested with such back-and-forth attacks, even as officials from both countries try to negotiate an end to the war.
Here’s the latest:
Asked if Vance would be a great president, second lady says he鈥檇 be great at anything
The second lady told ABC 海角社区app of her husband: 鈥淚 think he would make a great anything he鈥檇 like to be.鈥�
She said she鈥檇 been asked a couple of times about misconceptions of the vice president, and said, 鈥淚 think people don鈥檛 understand what a fundamentally gentle person he is.鈥�
Second lady won鈥檛 say if she wants vice president to seek the White House in 2028
Asked during an interview with ABC 海角社区app if she鈥檇 like to see Vice President JD Vance run for president, second lady Usha Vance offered a careful dodge.
鈥淚鈥檓 not a particularly ambitious person,鈥� she said, after a pause. 鈥淚 would like to see him happy.鈥�
The second lady added of her husband, 鈥淚 would like to see him making contributions that matter. And whatever form that takes is a form that I鈥檒l be supportive of.鈥�
Trump reconsidering pursuing $1.8B fund meant to compensate his allies
That鈥檚 according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss the president鈥檚 thinking.
The potential retreat is a recognition of the legal setbacks the fund has encountered since it was announced two weeks ago, as well as a mounting political backlash from Republicans concerned by a perceived lack of oversight of the money disbursement and the potential for payouts to participants in the
The Justice Department has said it would temporarily pause its implementation to comply with a court order.
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Trump administration shares more information about new Medicaid work rules
The Trump administration on Monday provided more details for how Americans on Medicaid will be able to claim exemptions from new work mandates.
A reveals that starting in 2028, if health or government data doesn鈥檛 prove exemptions, some Medicaid enrollees will need to prove they are eligible with documentation.
The rule also puts forth a stricter-than-expected definition for who can qualify for exemptions based on being 鈥渕edically frail.鈥� To meet that qualification, a person鈥檚 health condition must significantly impair their ability to comply with the work requirements, according to the text of the rule.
The work requirements were part of a 2025 law. Starting in 2027, they鈥檒l require some working-age Medicaid participants to work or do community service at least 80 hours a month, or be enrolled in school at least half the time.
States have warned implementing the changes will be expensive and time consuming. Advocates say they鈥檒l cause millions to lose their health insurance.
Monday鈥檚 rule will be open to public comment before it is finalized.
Trump to head to Wisconsin on Friday
The White House says the president will head to Chippewa County, located in the northwest part of the state.
The trip will highlight the administration鈥檚 efforts to benefit farmers, particularly on taxes and trade.
鈥淲isconsin families put their faith in President Trump in 2024, and he has spent every single day since taking office fighting and delivering for them,鈥� White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said.
The visit is part of a series of trips that are intended for Trump to promote his economic agenda and achievements.
Trump administration says it will comply with court order that temporarily paused $1.8 billion compensation fund
The Trump administration said Monday it will comply with a court ruling temporarily blocking a meant to compensate allies of the president, effectively agreeing to pause the plan for at least two weeks after setbacks in the courts and a fierce backlash from Republicans who objected to potential payouts to participants in the
The announcement from the Justice Department comes in response to a Friday court ruling by a federal judge in Virginia who ordered plans for the fund halted pending additional arguments later this month. The department said in a statement that it 鈥渄isagrees strongly鈥� with the ruling but would abide by it.
The Trump administration had defended the $1.776 billion 鈥淎nti-Weaponization Fund,鈥� established to resolve Trump鈥檚 lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, as an appropriate corrective measure to make up for what officials insist was a weaponized law enforcement during the Biden administration.
Thune says Trump dropping anti-weaponization fund is 鈥榖est way to handle鈥�
Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated Monday he was hopeful the White House would move to drop the designed to compensate Trump鈥檚 allies.
鈥淚 do think the best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves,鈥� Thune told reporters.
The fund had caused a standoff between the White House and the Senate after Republican senators without passing legislation to fund Trump鈥檚 immigration enforcement agencies. The Senate returns today.
US to drastically slash the number of embassies in Africa that can process visas
The State Department plans to drastically slash the number of U.S. embassies and consulates in Africa that can seeking to come to the United States.
The almost 50 U.S. embassies and consulates that are processing visa applications will be reduced to 20 in the coming weeks, according to three U.S. officials and an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. There is not yet a set date for the change, but it is expected in June, according to the officials, who were not authorized to comment to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move is part of the Trump administration鈥檚 effort to crack down on as part of its broader aim to limit immigration to the U.S. and but then overstay them. The administration also has scaled back personnel at embassies and consulates around the world.
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Trump says Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting
President Donald Trump said Monday that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting after he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communicated with the Lebanon-militant group through mediators.
Trump announced the development in a social media post following his call with Netanyahu.
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Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, appeals court panel rules
A Trump administration policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, a divided panel of federal appeal court judges .
The majority opinion by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit upholds a March 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C. Reyes concluded that President Donald Trump鈥檚 executive order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights.
The administration appealed after Reyes issued a preliminary injunction requested by attorneys for who are active-duty service members and two others seeking to join the military. The appeal court鈥檚 majority decided that the injunction should be narrowed to the plaintiffs currently serving in the military but not those seeking to join.
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Colorado elections clerk released from prison after governor commutes sentence
Tina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by President Trump, was released from prison Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado鈥檚 Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.
Peters鈥� release was confirmed by the Colorado Department of Corrections. The state agency said it would have no more information about the 70-year-old inmate. Her sentence was shortened by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis last month after Trump waged a lengthy pressure campaign against the governor and his state.
Colorado elections clerk set to be released from prison based on her sentence commutation
Former Colorado elections clerk and is scheduled to be released from prison Monday after serving less than a quarter of a nine-year sentence for her role in a scheme to copy her county鈥檚 election system.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, commuted last month following pressure from President Trump.
The Colorado Department of Corrections would not confirm the time of Peters鈥� release, and a representative for her attorney said Peters would not speak to the media when she鈥檚 freed.
Peters was the first local election official to be charged with breaching security after the 2020 election. She snuck in an outside computer expert affiliated with My Pillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell 鈥� who himself in 2020 鈥� and the person copied the county鈥檚 Dominion Voting Systems computer server as it was updated in 2021.
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Crude oil prices rise after latest US-Iran fighting, and US stocks slip
Oil prices are rising following the latest fighting to threaten the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, but Wall Street isn鈥檛 very worried.
The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% early Monday, falling a bit below the record it set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 166 points, and the Nasdaq composite was little changed.
Brent crude climbed 4.7%, and Treasury yields moved higher in the bond market. Tech stocks held up better than the rest of the market.
Science Applications International Corp. soared after becoming the latest U.S. company to report bigger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.
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Tensions linger between Republicans and White House over the 鈥榓nti-weaponization鈥� fund
A standoff between the White House and the Senate remains unresolved after Republican senators without passing legislation to fund President Trump鈥檚 immigration enforcement agencies.
Senate Republicans who are returning to Washington on Monday say they won鈥檛 have the votes to pass the Homeland Security spending bill until the White House works with them to place parameters on the new designed to compensate Trump鈥檚 allies. But Trump has shown little interest in doing so, even after a judge .
It鈥檚 unclear how they鈥檒l settle the dispute.
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Jerome Powell uses JFK award speech to warn against political pressure on Fed, courts and schools
Former Federal Reserve Chair used one of his first major public appearances since leaving office to defend independent institutions while accepting an award Sunday honoring his efforts to preserve the central bank鈥檚 independence.
Speaking at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library overlooking Boston Harbor, Powell called universities, courts, Congress and the central bank 鈥渢he foundation and the embodiment of our democracy鈥� and argued that the Fed鈥檚 independence was a 鈥減riceless asset鈥� that must be protected.
It was one of his most direct defenses of Fed independence, warning that a single administration鈥檚 decision to remove bank officials over policy differences would open the way for future elected officials to follow suit, ultimately undermining the credibility that the Fed has spent decades building.
Powell, who frequently clashed with Trump during his eight years as chair, stepped down as his term expired in May. He was succeeded by , whom Trump selected to lead the central bank.
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Trump vents about judge who blocked the Kennedy Center renovation and fumes over his legal setbacks
Trump on Saturday branded the federal judge who of the Kennedy Center as 鈥渁n anti Trump Hater鈥� and predicted that the nation鈥檚 premier performing arts center, which he wanted , will 鈥渟oon be closed, probably never to open again.鈥�
In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, Trump fumed about the Friday decision from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who also ordered removed from the center. Clearly angered by his latest legal setback, he said it was 鈥渋mpossible for me to be treated fairly,鈥� tying Cooper鈥檚 ruling to earlier losses, including the Supreme Court鈥檚 rejection in February of his .
His post aimed to make the case for the project even as he says he鈥檚 giving up on it. Hours after Cooper鈥檚 decision, Trump said he was backing away from the renovations and making arrangements to relinquish control to Congress of what, until the Republican president鈥檚 second term, had been known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
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Trump set to headline 鈥楪reat American State Fair鈥� for nation鈥檚 250th anniversary after artists drop out
An upcoming celebration of America鈥檚 250th anniversary, 鈥淭he Great American State Fair,鈥� recently had partly over the event鈥檚 ties to President Trump. Now, Trump himself is slated to headline the festivities, the organizers said Saturday.
鈥淚 understand Artists are getting 鈥榯he yips鈥� having to do with their performance,鈥� Trump posted to his social media platform Truth Social Saturday, adding that he was thinking of bringing 鈥渢he man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate 鈥楢rtists.鈥欌��
The group organizing the June fair on Washington鈥檚 National Mall, Freedom 250, confirmed the billing in a statement, writing, 鈥淲e are excited to announce that President Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24.鈥�
Freedom 250 is billed as nonpartisan, but was launched last year by Trump and is led by a former State Department appointee from Trump鈥檚 first term. Several artists, including Bret Michaels, the Commodores and Martina McBride dropped out last week.
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US bombs Iranian military sites and Kuwait is hit by drone and missile fire
The United States said Monday that it bombed radar and drone sites in Iran after Tehran shot down an American drone over the weekend. Iran then said it launched a strike of its own, and Kuwait reported incoming fire.
The between Iran and the U.S. has been repeatedly tested with such back-and-forth attacks, even as officials from both countries try to negotiate an end to the war. It鈥檚 to a deal 鈥� and there is always the risk that an attack could derail those talks.
In the meantime, Iran has maintained its chokehold on the , disrupting global energy supplies and driving up the price of fuel around the world, with .
Fighting has also escalated between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, despite their nominal ceasefire. Israel has extended its , and Hezbollah 鈥� which joined the war in support of its main backer, Iran 鈥� continues to launch drones into Israel.
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Trump is facing a new inflation warning from the bond market, adding to his midterm challenges
The world is getting more uptight about lending money to President government 鈥� causing to climb in ways that are , and creating a in November鈥檚 midterm elections.
The energy price spike triggered by the Iran war has seeped into the that help fund the U.S. government. Interest rates on a 10-year U.S. Treasury note are topping 4.44%, up from 3.95% before the war started at the end of February. Average have climbed to their highest levels in nine months, while auto sales are slumping.
The challenge is global in scale, as interest rates have risen for multiple countries as the world has been adjusting to the prospect of higher inflation, mounting questions about the sustainability of government debt and a dramatic surge in .
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