US Secretary of State Rubio presses to open sanctions investigation into Harvard, NYT reports
June 11 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pushing to investigate whether Harvard University violated federal sanctions, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by the newspaper.
Rubio is pushing to investigate if Harvard violated sanctions by collaborating on a health insurance conference in China that may have included officials blacklisted by the U.S., the report said.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
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Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump's tax-cut bill could hold back US critical minerals projects
WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill would make it harder for American critical minerals companies to compete with China because it eliminates a tax credit for boosting domestic production of nickel, rare earths and other materials used in advanced electronics and weaponry. With Trump and Republican lawmakers aiming to cut government support for green energy projects, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a version of his "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" last month that eliminates the so-called 45X credit. The Senate is now debating the bill. Former President Joe Biden's 2022 climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act, created the 10% production credit - a reduction in corporate taxes for critical minerals extraction and processing. The tax break also covers solar, battery and wind projects. The version of the bill that passed the House treats government incentives for wind turbines the same as those for mining projects that many view as crucial for national security. Critical minerals companies now say their projects are collateral damage to the political feud over renewable energy. The tax credit is already law and part of the current federal budget. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which scores the cost of legislative proposals when asked by Congress, has not studied how much would be saved by removing the credit. The Republican majority in Congress is seeking savings to fund other priorities such as tax cuts, defense and balancing the budget. This month, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus said it "will not accept", opens new tab attempts to "water down, strip out, or walk back the hard-fought spending reductions and IRA Green New Scam rollbacks achieved in this legislation." Miners, though, say they need the credit to compete with China. Beijing has halted exports of some critical minerals, used its control of rare earths to strike a trade agreement with Washington, and flooded global markets with cheap supply of nickel, cobalt and lithium. The traditionally conservative mining industry now finds itself in the unusual position of needing Washington's support to grow and, in some cases, survive. The owner of the only U.S. cobalt mine went bankrupt this year after Chinese miners depressed global prices of that metal. "If we do not have that tax credit, critical minerals producers in the U.S. are at risk of succumbing to closures," said KaLeigh Long, founder and CEO of Westwin Elements, which is building the country's only commercial nickel refinery. Westwin might not be able to service its debt without the tax credit, Long said, noting the company's loans were modeled using the expectation it would be permanent. Last month, Long wrote a letter asking the Senate to keep the credit. It was co-signed by 30 industry executives. Any changes the Senate makes to the bill must be reconciled with the House version before being sent to Trump. Several House members have admitted they did not read the entire bill before voting for it, including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, a Georgia Republican, and Congressman Mike Flood, a Nebraska Republican. House Democrats unanimously voted against the bill but their criticism has focused on tax cuts they say will widen the deficit while requiring cuts in health care, food assistance, education, scientific research and other programs. "There's so many issues right now under consideration in Congress and this one isn't breaking through, but it will certainly break through when we have a shortage of minerals in five years," said Jeff Green, a critical minerals industry consultant. Senator John Hickenlooper, a Colorado Democrat who voted for the IRA in 2022, said in a statement to Reuters that cutting the credit would "kill jobs ... just to fund tax breaks for the ultra-weathy" and would be a "bad deal" for the country. Trump, who has issued several executive orders aimed at boosting U.S. minerals production, has not commented publicly on the 45x debate. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. "The tax credit just adds a phenomenal bump to a project's economics and gives us advantages that China already gives its own companies," said Alex Grant, CEO of magnesium processing startup Magrathea, who signed the letter. China controls most of the world's production of the metal, used in alloys for steel and aluminum. Abigail Hunter, executive director of SAFE's Center for Critical Minerals Strategy, described the tax credit as the "only tool currently available to support industry exposed to market manipulation." The House version also removes any remaining IRA funding for the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office (LPO), which under Biden awarded billions of dollars in loans to Nevada lithium projects from ioneer ( opens new tab and Lithium Americas ( opens new tab. Potential for the LPO's closure led miners to rush to finalize loans last year, as Reuters reported in August. Republican senators this week said they were in discussions about how to extend some green energy tax credits, especially for businesses with large capital investments. No firm commitments have been made. For Mahesh Konduru, CEO of minerals processing startup Momentum Technologies, the credit is one way for Washington to show industry support. "We need to have the appropriate tools to build, nurture and grow that supply chain inside the United States," he said.
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
The Latest: California challenges Trump's use of military in Los Angeles
Opponents of President Donald Trump 's administration are set to rally in hundreds of cities on Saturday during the military parade in Washington for the Army's 250th anniversary — which coincides with Trump's birthday — as protests grow in response to his immigration policies. The 'No Kings' protests have been called, organizers say, to protect America's democracy as Trump vows to increase his deployment of military forces inside the United States. A federal court hearing is scheduled for Thursday challenging Trump's use of the National Guard and Marines to support immigration raids in Los Angeles. California Gov. Gavin Newsom warns that the military intervention is the onset of a much broader effort by Trump to overturn norms at the heart of America's political system. Testifying Thursday before Congress, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called it 'an assault on our American values.' Here's the Latest: Abbott said Thursday he's ordered more than 5,000 Texas National Guard troops and more than 2,000 state police to be deployed around Texas to assist local law enforcement in managing protests against Trump and to support federal immigration raids. Abbott had not previously detailed how many guard troops he had mobilized and his statement did not detail where the guard troops were sent. Some troops were seen at a protest Wednesday night in downtown San Antonio near the Alamo. More protests are planned in cities such as Houston and Austin as part of the national 'No Kings' demonstrations scheduled for Saturday. 'Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles in response to President Donald Trump's enforcement of immigration law,' said Abbott. 'Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be arrested and held accountable to the full extent of the law. Don't mess with Texas — and don't mess with Texas law enforcement.' Harvard researcher released from custody A judge released a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher charged with smuggling frog embryos into the United States on bail Thursday. Kseniia Petrova, 30, has been in federal custody since February. Petrova was returning from a vacation in France, where she had stopped at a lab specializing in splicing superfine sections of frog embryos and obtained a package of samples for research. She was later questioned about the samples while passing through a U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoint at Boston Logan International Airport. She told The Associated Press in an interview in April that she did not realize the items needed to be declared and was not trying to sneak anything into the country. After an interrogation, Petrova was told her visa was being canceled. ▶ Read more on the Harvard researcher's case Trump calls Jerome Powell a 'numbskull' and says rate cuts would save taxpayers money Trump renewed his attacks on the Federal Reserve chairman for not lowering the central bank's benchmark interest rate. Powell has resisted rate cuts, given Trump's tariffs uncertainty and the deficit-expanding tax cuts package that passed the House and being debated in the Senate. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at the 75th anniversary conference of the Federal Reserve Board's International Finance Division at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Trump asserted that inflation has fallen enough for Powell to afford to cut a full percentage point off the federal funds rate that determines what banks charge each other for overnight loans. He said this would save the U.S. $300 billion a year in debt service costs. The president is operating on the premise that a lower federal funds rate would also bring down the roughly 4.4% rate on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes. Fed policy choices can influence that rate, but the interest charged on U.S. debt is ultimately determined by investors in the financial markets. Was it classified or not? Hegseth, Marine Corps veteran go rounds on Signal use at Congressional hearing In a dizzying exchange on the military strike information that Hegseth shared on at least two group Signal chats — one including Cabinet members and a second group chat that included his wife and brother — Hegseth tried to argue that the classification markings of any information about those military operations details could not be discussed with lawmakers at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday. That became a quick trap, as Hegseth has tried to argue that nothing he posted — on strike times and munitions dropped on Houthis in Yemen — was classified. Marine veteran Rep. Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat, jumped on the disparity. 'You can very well disclose whether or not it was classified,' Moulton said. 'What's not classified is that it was an incredible successful mission,' Hegseth responded. Pentagon Inspector General report on Hegseth Signal use expected in days, lawmaker says Rep. Seth Moulton harshly questioned Hegseth on his use of the Signal app to share military attack plans. Moulton revealed that the Pentagon's inspector general report of the secretary's Signal is expected in days. Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat who served in the military as a Marine, asked Hegseth whether he would hold himself accountable if the inspector general finds that he placed classified information on the app. Hegseth would not directly say if he would hold himself accountable, saying only that he serves 'at the pleasure of the president.' Trump begins event on California car rule The president held an event at the White House to sign a resolution blocking California from enforcing stricter rules on vehicle emissions. However, he had a lot of other things on his mind. He mentioned 'they had a problem in India today,' a reference to a deadly plane crash. He praised Energy Secretary Chris Wright but joked that 'I was going to call and really start screaming at you' because oil prices had ticked up. And he repeated his desire for Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell to lower interest rates. 'I'm not going to fire him,' Trump said, while calling Powell a 'numbskull.' Republicans accuse Democratic governors of protecting criminals Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, opened Thursday's hearing with large, full-color posters on display showing men who the Republicans said were in the country illegally when arrested for crimes in Illinois, Minnesota and New York. 'Sanctuary policies do not protect Americans, they protect criminal illegal aliens,' Comer told the states' Democratic governors. There's no legal definition of a sanctuary jurisdiction. It generally refers to governments with policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Courts have upheld the legality of such laws, but Trump's administration has sued several states and cities, asserting their policies violate the U.S. Constitution or federal law. Illinois, Minnesota and New York also were among 14 states and hundreds of cities and counties listed by the Department of Homeland Security as 'sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration law.' ▶ Read more about the Congressional hearing on 'sanctuary jurisdictions' Hegseth tells Congress Pentagon has military plans for potential Panama, Greenland invasions The defense secretary revealed it in a heated exchange with Washington Democrat Rep. Adam Smith, confirming that the Pentagon has drafted plans to take Greenland and Panama by force if necessary. 'I don't think the American people voted for President Trump because they were hoping we would invade Greenland,' Smith said. 'I think the American people would want the Pentagon to have plans for any particular contingency,' Hegseth responded. Drawing up contingency plans for potential conflicts is not unusual at the Pentagon, but Trump wants to increase U.S. influence in Panama and has suggested the U.S. military take Greenland, which has become more strategic as the U.S. seeks to bolster defenses against China. 'Greenland is not for sale,' said Jacob Isbosethsen, the government's representative to the U.S., pushing back Thursday at an Arctic Institute forum in Washington. Third day of Pete Hegseth testimony: No answers, no budget, and frustrated lawmakers The defense secretary offered no additional details on the defense budget and did not address questions on many of the programs lawmakers still do not have information on to fund — criticism that came from both the leading Republican and Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. Hegseth also faced scathing criticism from Washington Democrat Adam Smith, the ranking member, that his emphasis on social changes instead of programs is leading the Pentagon in the wrong direction. Smith asked Hegseth why he has focused so much time on pulling books from academy shelves, or images from DOD websites, instead of giving lawmakers a budget. Hegseth ignored the comments and reiterated that his goal is to 'restore the warrior ethos.' Democratic governors tell Congress they're complying with immigration law Democratic governors have been called before Congress to defend their states' immigration policies. Several condemned Trump's crackdown on immigrants and stressed that enforcing immigration law is not the role of local and state governments. 'Illinois follows the law. But let me be clear, we expect the federal government to follow the law too,' Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday. 'We will not participate in abuses of power. We will not violate court orders.' Pritzker, Hochul and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are testifying before the House Oversight committee, whose Republicans claim sanctuary policies make states unsafe. The governors said to the contrary — crime is down. Hochul pointed to Los Angeles in her opening. 'As we speak, an American city has been militarized over the objections of their governor,' she said. 'This is a flagrant abuse of power and nothing short of an assault on our American values.' Federal authorities arrest a man accused of distributing face shields to rioters Federal authorities say they've arrested a man on suspicion of distributing face shields to suspected rioters this week during Los Angeles protests against the White House's immigration crackdown. Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, says the FBI took the man into custody Thursday morning. He could face a charge of conspiracy to commit civil disorders. The man handed out the face shields to people Tuesday as a demonstration grew unruly in a downtown neighborhood, Essayli said in a post on X. Footage aired by FOX 11 and posted online by Essayli shows a man passing out face shields from a box in the back of a pickup truck. Military involvement escalates in Los Angeles, could spread around US Demonstrations have picked up across the U.S. with protests popping up in more than a dozen major cities and police containing the crowds. The Trump administration meanwhile said it is willing to send troops to other cities to assist with immigration enforcement and controlling disturbances, as Trump promised during last year's campaign. Some 2,000 Guard soldiers are in Los Angeles, soon to be joined by 2,000 more and about 700 Marines, said the operation's commander, Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman. About 500 of the Guard troops have been trained to accompany agents on immigration operations, he said. 'We are expecting a ramp-up,' said Sherman. 'I'm focused right here in LA, what's going on right here. But you know, I think we're, we're very concerned.' US governors are divided along party lines about military troops deployed to protests Newsom is suing to try to stop Trump's military intervention against protests over immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, calling it an assault on democracy. Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is putting the National Guard on standby in Texas cities where demonstrations are planned. Their divergent approaches illustrate how both parties' governors are trying to navigate national politics and executive power. All 22 other Democratic governors signed a statement Sunday calling Trump's deployments 'an alarming abuse of power.' In Republican-controlled states, governors have not said when or how they're planning to deploy the military at protests. ▶ Read more on how US governors are reacting to Trump's military deployment Hearing set on Trump's use of National Guard and Marines to help with immigration raids California Gov. Newsom requested emergency intervention against the military deployment in the nation's second largest city, warning that it's part of a much broader effort to overturn political and cultural norms at the heart of the nation's democracy. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass says the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines is unnecessary and meant to intimidate the large immigrant population. Trump has described Los Angeles in dire terms that Bass and Newsom say are nowhere close to the truth. The Trump administration called Newsom's lawsuit a 'crass political stunt endangering American lives.' The Democratic governor argues that sending troops to help support immigration raids would only promote civil unrest. Protests have already spread to other cities, and Trump has vowed to deploy more troops. ▶ Read more about California's legal challenge of Trump's military deployment AP/NORC survey: Americans weigh in on Trump parade The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend and says putting on the celebration will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million. That's OK with Carol Sue Quillen, 69, of Live Oak, Florida, who describes herself as a Trump supporter and said 'I don't necessarily think we appreciate our military as much as we should.' But Matt Wheeler, 40, said the 'extremely wasteful' military display 'just sends a bad message.' Wheeler, who works in nonprofit fundraising in Los Angeles and described himself as a lifelong Democrat, compared it to 'old throwbacks to the USSR or things you see out of North Korea. .... that isn't in line with what I thought our country really was.' The poll also shows that approval of Trump's handling of immigration stands at 46% overall. ▶ Read more about the AP-NORC Poll on Trump's military parade AP-NORC poll: Most say Trump's military parade is not a good use of money A new survey finds that U.S. adults are more likely to approve than disapprove of Trump's decision to hold a military parade that officials have said will cost tens of millions of taxpayer dollars. The survey found that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults 'somewhat' or 'strongly' approve of the parade, while about 3 in 10 'somewhat' or 'strongly' disapprove. About 6 in 10 Americans say Saturday's parade is 'not a good use' of government money — including the vast majority of people, 78%, who neither approve nor disapprove of the parade overall, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Attendees of the military parade in Washington this weekend will hear a familiar voice. Trump announced Thursday morning that Greenwood will be performing at the parade on Saturday, which marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and also happens to be the president's 79th birthday. Greenwood is the singer behind 'God Bless the USA,' which has been Trump's walk-on song at rallies for years. 'What a day it will be!!!' Trump wrote on his social media site. What to know about the 'No Kings' protests planned for Saturday The 'No Kings' protests are set to take place to counter what organizers say are Trump's plans to feed his ego this Saturday during a military parade on what is also Trump's 79th birthday. The 'No Kings' theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of everyday Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement. Protests earlier this year have denounced Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk, the now former leader of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, a government organization designed to slash federal spending. Protesters have called for Trump to be 'dethroned' as they compare his actions to that of a king and not a democratically elected president.
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
RFK Jr picks new US vaccine committee after sacking previous members
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has appointed eight new people to the committee that issues official government recommendations on immunisations, days after removing all 17 previous members. In an announcement on X, Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic, said reconstituting the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) was a "major step towards restoring public trust in vaccines". Kennedy said the new members "have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations."Health experts have criticised his questioning of the safety and efficacy of vaccines, although he previously told the Senate he is "not going to take them away". Kennedy named the new members as Joseph R Hibbeln, Martin Kulldorff, Retsef Levi, Robert W Malone, Cody Meissner, James Pagano, Vicky Pebsworth and Michael A Ross to the committee. Some of new members are close allies of Kennedy and have histories of vaccine praised the new members in his accouncement, saying this slate includes "highly credentialed scientists, leading public-health experts, and some of America's most accomplished physicians", he said in his post. "All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense," the health secretary added. On Monday, Kennedy announced in a Wall Street Journal editorial that he was "retiring" all 17 members of the Acip over conflicts of interest. Eight of the 17 panellists were appointed in January 2025, in the last days of President Biden's noted that if he did not remove the committee members, President Trump would not have been able to appoint a majority on the panel until 2028."The committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine," Kennedy critics and former members said the board adhered to rigorous conflict of interest and ethical standards. Kennedy claimed that health authorities and drug companies were responsible for a "crisis of public trust" that some try to explain "by blaming misinformation or antiscience attitudes."After the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves vaccines based on whether the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks, Acip recommends which groups should be given the shots and when, which also determines insurance coverage of the shots.
