Live updates: Trump news on Harvard, student visas, GOP policy bill and tariffs
Update:
Date: 20 min ago
Title: Trump will swear in Jeanine Pirro as acting US attorney today
Content:
The White House plans to officially swear in Jeanine Pirro today, after President Donald Trump named her interim US attorney for Washington, DC earlier this month.
The swearing-in ceremony for Pirro, who has been acting as the top federal prosecutor in Washington, is scheduled to take place in the Oval Office at noon. Attorney General Pam Bondi swore in Pirro earlier this month, while Trump was on a trip in the Middle East.
Prior to being named to the role, Pirro appeared on Fox News' 'The Five' program and previously on her own weekend evening show called 'Justice with Judge Jeanine.' She used her platform and her legal background to bellicosely defend Trump and deride his critics.
Update:
Date: 17 min ago
Title: Trump plans to privatize mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Content:
President Donald Trump announced yesterday that he plans to release Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from government conservatorship — but he also said the two mortgage giants could still count on a government bailout in a crisis.
Such a move would end 17 years of federal government control over the two companies, which play a central role in America's housing finance system by providing liquidity to the mortgage market.
'Our great Mortgage Agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, provide a vital service to our Nation by helping hardworking Americans reach the American Dream — Home Ownership,' Trump wrote on Truth Social yesterday. 'I am working on TAKING THESE AMAZING COMPANIES PUBLIC, but I want to be clear, the U.S. Government will keep its implicit GUARANTEES, and I will stay strong in my position on overseeing them as President.'
'These Agencies are now doing very well, and will help us to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' he added.
The announcement came less than a week after Trump said he was giving 'very serious consideration' to bringing Fannie and Freddie public.
Fannie and Freddie essentially grease the wheels of America's home lending market by buying mortgages from lenders and repackaging them for investors. The government conservatorship of the two companies was initiated in 2008 after Fannie and Freddie played a role in America's housing market crash. The conservatorship was never meant to be permanent, but untangling them from the government could be tricky.
Privatizing Fannie and Freddie could spook investors who buy up mortgage loans, leading them to demand a higher return for their investments and pushing up mortgage rates, experts warn.
Update:
Date: 35 min ago
Title: Vance visits Israeli Embassy to honor couple killed outside Capital Jewish Museum
Content:
Vice President JD Vance visited the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, yesterday to honor Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were killed last week leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum.
The Israeli ambassador to the US posted photos on X and thanked the vice president for visiting.
'Thank you @VP Vance for coming to the Embassy to honor our dear colleagues and friends, Sarah and Yaron. The care and compassion you and the Trump administration have shown in the wake of this murderous attack are testaments to the enduring friendship between our two countries and peoples, and our mutual battle against terrorism,' Ambassador Yechiel Leiter wrote.
Vance is seen in one photo writing inside a book at the young couple's memorial table inside the embassy, where their picture is up on a posterboard next to a vase of flowers.
The ambassador previously said Lischinsky, 30, and Milgrim, 26, who worked at the embassy, were about to be engaged.
The Department of Justice is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism and a hate crime.
Update:
Date: 9 min ago
Title: Chaos erupts on first day of US-backed aid distribution in Gaza after weeks of hunger
Content:
Thousands of Palestinians overran a newly established aid site in southern Gaza yesterday that is part of a controversial new Israeli- and US-approved aid distribution mechanism that began after months of blockade.
Videos from the distribution site in Tel al-Sultan, run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), showed large crowds storming the facilities, tearing down some of the fencing and appearing to climb over barriers designed to control the flow of the crowd.
Several residents trying to access the aid told CNN they were grateful for the food they received, but described walking long distances to reach the distribution center, hours-long lines and general confusion.
A diplomatic official called the chaos at the site 'a surprise to no one.'
The GHF acknowledged the pandemonium, saying 'the GHF team fell back to allow a small number of Gazans to take aid safely and dissipate. This was done in accordance with GHF protocol to avoid casualties.' A security source said American security contractors on the ground did not fire any shots and that operations would resume at the site on Wednesday.
The Israel Defense Forces said their troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound and that the situation was brought under control. They denied carrying out aerial fire toward the site.
'It's a big failure that we warned against,' said Amjad al-Shawa, director of Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network.
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Update:
Date: 35 min ago
Title: US State Department orders embassies to pause new student visa appointments
Content:
The US State Department has instructed US embassies and consulates around the world to pause new student visa appointments as it moves to expand 'social media screening and vetting' to all applicants for student visas, according to a diplomatic cable seen by CNN.
It's the latest move from the Trump administration that could deter international students from studying at universities in the United States.
The cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio comes as the Trump administration has revoked scores of student visas and has attempted to stop foreign students from studying at Harvard University — a move that has been halted by a judge for the time being.
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UPI
18 minutes ago
- UPI
Senators propose $15-per-hour federal minimum wage
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Boston Globe
19 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
UK and others sanction two far-right Israeli Cabinet ministers for ‘inciting extremist violence'
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Miami Herald
19 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Is Elon Musk right to oppose the budget bill? What Americans said in a new poll
During his public falling out with President Donald Trump, Elon Musk slammed the president's proposed spending bill — dubbed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' — claiming it will balloon the deficit. It turns out, most Americans agree with his critique, new polling reveals. In the latest Economist/YouGov poll, half of respondents were asked to react to a statement from Musk on the GOP-backed spending bill, which passed in the House without a single Democratic vote. The legislation, Musk wrote on X on June 3, 'will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion and burden (American) citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.' A majority of respondents, 56%, said they agreed with this statement, while just 17% said they disagreed. More than one-quarter, 27%, said they were unsure. The answers were largely linked to partisan affiliation, with Democrats largely siding with Musk for a change. Seventy-two percent of Democrats said they concurred with the billionaire's statement about the spending bill, as did 55% of independents. Among Republicans, a plurality, 44%, said they agreed. The poll — which sampled 1,533 U.S. adults June 6-9 — posed the same statement before the other half of respondents, but this time, it did not attribute it to Musk. Without reference to Musk, a slightly smaller share, 49%, said they agreed with the statement, while 23% said they disagreed. Smaller shares of Republicans, independents and Democrats agreed, though Democrats saw the largest decrease in support — from 72% to 60%. The poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. More on the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' The spending bill, which provides funding for fiscal year 2025, passed in the House in a 215-214 vote in late May and is now under consideration in the Senate. It contains many pieces of Trump's agenda, including a road map to extend the 2017 tax cuts, as well as an increase in funding for the Pentagon and border security, according to previous reporting from McClatchy News. At the same time, it slashes funding for social programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Further — to Musk's point — it would increase the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion over the next 10 years, according to an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan agency. In addition to Musk, the bill has received criticism from several other prominent conservatives in Congress. One of the most vocal opponents has been Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who wrote on X that 'the spending proposed in this bill is unsustainable, we cannot continue spending at these levels if we want to truly tackle our debt.' Other Republican lawmakers have come out in defense of the bill, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has said the legislation will deliver 'historic tax relief, ensure our border stays secure, strengthen our military, and produce historic savings.' Meanwhile, Democrats have been united in their opposition. In a statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries labeled the bill 'the GOP Tax Scam' and said it would rip 'healthcare and food assistance away from millions of people in order to provide tax cuts to the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected.'
