Tulsi Gabbard resigns as director of national intelligence, citing her husband's health
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tulsi Gabbard has resigned as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence, saying she needed to leave office as her husband battles cancer. She is the fourth Cabinet member to depart during Trump’s second term, all of them women. In her resignation letter, which she posted on social media, Gabbard said she told Trump she would leave her job on June 30. She said her husband had recently been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months.” Trump posted that her principal deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as acting director of national intelligence.
Warsh is sworn in as the Fed chair after Trump's bid for greater control over the independent bank
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has overseen the White House swearing-in of the new Federal Reserve chair. Trump said Friday that he'd like Kevin Warsh’s help in stimulating the economy even as the president tried to emphasize that the nation’s central bank would remain independent. Trump has spent months criticizing Warsh’s predecessor, Jerome Powell, for being reluctant to cut interests rates. Warsh noted the Fed’s mandate “is to promote price stability and maximum employment" and he pledged that the central bank would pursue those aims with “independence and resolve.” It was unusual that the ceremony didn't take place at the Fed's headquarters.
Behavior of teen in mosque shooting led police to seize family guns a year before attack
Court records reveal new details about one of two teenagers who killed three people at a San Diego mosque. The records show that Caleb Vazquez was flagged to police for idolizing Nazis and mass shooters last year, and that his parents locked away their collection of 26 guns as a precaution under a protective order. Court records and a family statement say Vazquez had a history of mental health issues and was involuntarily hospitalized. His family said they tried to help him, but experts say online radicalization is difficult to combat. Authorities say Vazquez and Cain Clark met online, and that Clark's mother reported guns missing hours before the shooting.
Rubio arrives in India ahead of Quad talks as US tries to reset strained ties
NEW DELHI (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in India ahead of a meeting next week with his counterparts from India, Australia, and Japan, members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance known as the Quad. The visit comes as Washington is seeking to stabilize relations with India after ties soured over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which raised duties on several Indian exports. Much of Rubio’s four-day visit, however, will focus on a multi-city tour, along with a gala reception in New Delhi marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
Trump veers off-topic during speech in New York that was supposed to be on the economy
SUFFERN, New York (AP) — President Donald Trump has begun testing his midterm message, focusing on the economy. But in New York, he quickly veered off-topic, discussing voter ID, crime and transgender women in sports. He eventually highlighted his tax cuts, claiming Democrats opposed them. Trump appeared with Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, praising him for supporting the tax law that expanded state and local tax deductions. Lawler, up for reelection, said he will embrace Trump to energize Republican voters. The White House aims to spotlight Trump's economic achievements amid declining approval ratings.
Coal mine gas explosion in China kills 82 people, state media say
BEIJING (AP) — A gas explosion at a coal mine in China’s northern province of Shanxi has killed at least 82 people. State media reported earlier Saturday that dozens were trapped underground. Official news agency Xinhua said the accident at Changzhi city’s Liushenyu coal mine happened on Friday evening and 247 workers were trapped underground. The agency initially reported early Saturday eight people were killed and 38 were trapped underground. The cause of the explosion was under investigation, Xinhua reported, and rescue work is pressing on.
Judge dismisses criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia in Tennessee has been dismissed without a trial. Abrego Garcia's mistaken deportation to El Salvador last year became an embarrassment for President Donald Trump’s administration when it was ordered to return him to the U.S. Abrego Garcia claimed the timing of the criminal charges and inflammatory statements about him by top Trump officials demonstrated the prosecution was vindictive. A federal judge in Tennessee on Friday agreed to dismiss the charges. Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran citizen with an American wife and child who has lived in Maryland for years, although he immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager.
Rubio reports 'slight progress' in Iran talks as Pakistan renews efforts to mediate a peace deal
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says “slight progress” has been made during talks with Iran. Rubio made the comment Friday as Pakistan’s army chief traveled to Tehran in a renewed effort to mediate a peace deal and uncertainty loomed over whether war will resume. The secretary of state's remark comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike against the Islamic Republic because negotiations were underway. Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could end if Iran does not make a deal.
Senators from both parties push Hegseth for action on Ukraine aid
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators is pushing back on delays by the Department of Defense in sending roughly $600 million in security aid to Ukraine and other allies in eastern Europe. They sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday that calls for the funding to be disbursed. Friction has grown between Congress and the Trump administration in recent weeks as lawmakers push for updates on what has happened with $400 million in Ukraine aid and $200 million more for defense programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that was allocated by Congress last year. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley led the letter. Republican Sens. Kevin Cramer and Thom Tillis, as well as Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and Catherine Cortez Masto also signed it.
Congo curtails funeral wakes in Ebola outbreak as WHO upgrades risk assessment
BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Authorities in northeastern Congo have banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people to curb a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak. The World Health Organization says the outbreak poses a “very high" risk for Congo, with 82 cases and seven deaths confirmed. The outbreak is believed to be larger, with 750 suspected cases. Supplies are being rushed to Ituri Province, where nearly a million people have been displaced by conflicts. Efforts to contain the virus face challenges, including misinformation and clashes with local customs. The United Nations has released $60 million to aid the response.
