Concerns over the weaponization of the federal government are growing following President Trump’s recent actions that target his opponents — namely, opening an investigation into a Democratic-aligned fundraising platform and the arrest of a Milwaukee judge who allegedly helped a migrant evade immigration authorities.
Meanwhile, 19 states that refused to comply with a Trump administration directive aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public schools went a step further Friday, filing a federal lawsuit challenging what they consider an illegal threat to cut federal funding.
The lawsuit filed in Massachusetts by Democratic attorneys general seeks to block the Department of Education from withholding money based on its April 3 directive ordering states to certify their compliance with civil rights laws.
See how Friday unfolded.
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‘This has been chaos’: Stakeholders react to reversal of international students’ status — 8:55 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Trump administration suddenly restored the legal status of thousands of international students Friday, bringing at least a temporary reprieve on an issue that has rattled the international community at public and private universities.
The change, disclosed during a court hearing in Washington state, follows a flurry of lawsuits filed by students in federal courts challenging the revocation of their status, which was often done without notice or explanation.
The reversal set off a fresh round of questions for students, professors, and others whose academic lives have been upended by President Trump’s hard-line stance on immigration. On Friday, lawyers and academics warned the reprieve could be temporary, and cautioned that further uncertainty lies ahead.
Some see Trump weaponizing government in targeting of judge and Democratic fundraising site — 7:52 p.m.
By the Associated Press
On Thursday, President Trump directed his Department of Justice to investigate Act Blue, the Democratic Party-aligned fundraising site that has fueled so many successful challenges against his own party.
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The next day, amid a long-running feud with judges who have put some of his initiatives on hold because they may violate the Constitution, Trump’s FBI arrested a Milwaukee judge, alleging she had helped a migrant evade immigration authorities.
The two acts sent shockwaves through the legal and political worlds, which already have been reeling as Trump has used his office to target law firms, media outlets, and individuals with whom he disagrees.
The investigations are the latest version of a clear pattern in Trump’s second term: The president has harnessed the power of the federal government to punish his enemies and anyone he sees as standing in his way.
The US oversees a peace pledge for east Congo — 7:07 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has overseen the signing by Congo and Rwanda of a pledge to work toward a peace deal that would ease U.S. access to critical minerals in resource-rich eastern Congo.
The deal would bring U.S. influence to bear in a minerals trade that has helped fuel conflict that has killed millions over the past three decades.
Rubio’s participation in Friday’s ceremony is an early step in what the Trump administration says is a rebuilding of U.S. foreign policy to focus on transactions of direct financial or strategic benefit to the United States. Congo and Rwanda hope U.S. involvement will calm the violence that has defied peacekeeping and negotiation since the mid-1990s.
Trump calls for Ukraine and Russia to meet for ‘very high level’ talks — 6:30 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump posted on his Truth Social site shortly after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral that it was a “good day” of talks and meetings between the two sides. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, had made a visit to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
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“They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off,’” Trump wrote. “Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”
Kennedy Center events scheduled for LGBTQ+ pride celebration have been canceled — 6:00 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Organizers and the Kennedy Center have canceled a week’s worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer’s World Pride festival in Washington, D.C.
The events at the center had been planned for June 5 to 8.
Multiple artists and producers involved in the center’s Tapestry of Pride schedule told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues.
Washington’s Capital Pride Alliance has disassociated itself from the Kennedy Center.The Kennedy Center’s website still lists Tapestry of Pride on its website with a general description. The center didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Justice Department to resume issuing subpoenas to journalists as part of leaks crackdown — 5:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The US Justice Department is poised to crack down on leaks of information to the news media, authorizing prosecutors to issue subpoenas to news organizations as part of leak investigations, serve search warrants when appropriate and force journalists to testify about their sources.
New regulations, announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi in a memo to the workforce obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, rescind a Biden administration policy that protected journalists from having their phone records secretly seized during leak investigations — a practice long decried by news organizations and press freedom groups.
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Trump arrives in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral — 5:46 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, will overnight at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Rome.
He said he may meet with some people Friday night and Saturday on the sidelines of the funeral service at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Judge blocks Trump administration from nixing collective bargaining for most federal employees — 5:31 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A key part of Trump’s March 27 order can’t be enforced at roughly three dozen agencies and departments where employees are represented by the National Treasury Employees Union, US District Judge Paul Friedman ruled.
The union said the order would cancel collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees. The union also said it would lose more than half of its revenue and over two-thirds of its membership if the judge denied its request for a preliminary injunction.
Schumer says Trump can’t just arrest US judges — 4:54 p.m.
By the Associated Press
“There are no kings in America,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said.
Schumer called the Wisconsin judge’s arrest “a dangerous escalation, an attack on the separation of powers.”
“We will fight this with everything we have,” he said.
19 states sue Trump administration over push to end diversity programs in public schools — 4:54 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Nineteen states that refused to comply with a Trump administration directive aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public schools went a step further Friday, filing a federal lawsuit challenging what they consider an illegal threat to cut federal funding.
The lawsuit filed in Massachusetts by Democratic attorneys general seeks to block the Department of Education from withholding money based on its April 3 directive ordering states to certify their compliance with civil rights laws, including the rejection of what the federal government calls “illegal DEI practices.” States also were told to gather signatures from local school systems certifying their compliance by April 24.
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Trump says he’ll be meeting with world leaders in Rome but suggests doing so may be ‘a little disrespectful’ — 4:36 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump is repeating his plans to meet with “some people in Rome” including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
But he also suggested to reporters on Air Force One flying to Rome that such meetings would come “a little bit quickly” and added, “Frankly, it’s a little disrespectful to have meetings when you’re at the funeral of a Pope.”
Trump nonetheless insisted, “I’ll be talking to people. I’ll be seeing a lot of people.”
One person he doesn’t expect to see is former President Joe Biden. Trump said he didn’t know his predecessor would be at Pope Francis’ funeral and, asked if they’d meet, said, “It’s not high on my list. It’s really not.”
What’s next in Dugan’s case? — 3:56 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Dugan has a court case, not as a prosecutor or judge but as a defendant. She is due back in court May 15.
Outside the courthouse Friday, dozens of people gathered to protest.
The judge’s arrest could discourage people from reporting crimes — even reporting a fire, for example — for fear of arrest, they said.
Who is Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan? — 3:13 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A judge in Milwaukee is accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities, a case that has immediately become a high-profile confrontation between the Trump administration and the judiciary over the Republican administration’s immigration policies.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested Friday.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the move via social media, saying Dugan “increased danger to the public” by letting Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer leave her courtroom through a jury door on April 18 to help avert his arrest, according to an FBI affidavit.
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Flores-Ruiz, a native of Mexico, had been in court on a battery charge.
Here’s what we know about the case so far.
Wisconsin’s Democratic governor accuses Trump of undermining the judiciary ‘at every level’ — 3:10 p.m.
By the Associated Press
In a statement on the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan, Democratic Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers accused the Trump administration of repeatedly using “dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level.”
“I have deep respect for the rule of law, our nation’s judiciary, the importance of judges making decisions impartially without fear or favor, and the efforts of law enforcement to hold people accountable if they commit a crime,” Evers said. “I will continue to put my faith in our justice system as this situation plays out in the court of law.”
A senior Republican senator pushes back on Trump’s plans for Ukraine — 2:56 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, is pushing back on Trump’s plans to make concessions to Russia as he seeks to end the war in Ukraine.
In a social media post, Grassley asks Trump to put “the toughest of sanctions” on Russian President Vladmir Putin. He says the Republican president should be able to see that his Russian counterpart “is playing America as a patsy.”
Republican senators have been reticent to publicly push back on Trump’s foreign policy plans, even though traditional Republicans are often at odds with his aims. However, with Congress taking a break from Washington this week, a few hawkish GOP senators like Grassley and Senator Roger Wicker have taken to social media to decry Putin.
Similarities to another judge prosecuted during Trump’s first term — 2:52 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest is similar to a case during the first Trump administration against a Massachusetts judge accused of helping a man sneak out a back door of a courthouse to evade a waiting immigration enforcement agent.
That prosecution sparked outrage from many in the legal community, who slammed the case as politically motivated. Prosecutors dropped the case against Newton District Judge Shelley Joseph in 2022 under the Democratic Biden administration after she agreed to refer herself to a state agency that investigates allegations of misconduct by members of the bench.
Senator Tammy Baldwin slams the arrest of Judge Dugan — 2:45 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Baldwin, a Democrat who represents Wisconsin, called the arrest of a sitting judge a “gravely serious and drastic move” that “threatens to breach” the separation of power between the executive and judicial branches.
“Make no mistake, we do not have kings in this country and we are a Democracy governed by laws that everyone must abide by,” Baldwin said in an emailed statement after Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested.
“By relentlessly attacking the judicial system, flouting court orders, and arresting a sitting judge, this President is putting those basic Democratic values that Wisconsinites hold dear on the line,” she said.
Iran talks are progressing, Trump says — 2:12 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president expressed confidence that negotiations between Washington and Tehran will lead to a deal that “would be good for humanity.”
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon would ultimately save the country “billions and billions of dollars.”
“Having a nuclear weapon is really expensive,” he said. “But it’s also very dangerous. And they can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump once again hinted at the possibility of violence if an agreement isn’t reached.
“There are some people who want to make a different kind of a deal, a much nastier deal,” he said. “And I don’t want that to happen to Iran if we can avoid it.”
Melania Trump gets an unexpected trip to Rome and an airplane meal for her 55th birthday — 2:11 p.m.
By the Associated Press
“She’s got a working birthday,” Trump told reporters accompanying him aboard Air Force One. The Trumps are flying to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, which is also the first lady’s 55th birthday.
Asked if he’ll take her to dinner, Trump said amid some laughter that, “I’ll take her for dinner on the Boeing. I’ll take her for dinner on Air Force One.”
Trump on Texas GOP Senate primary: ‘I’ll make a decision somewhere along the line’ — 1:46 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president is leaving open the possibility that he’ll endorse in the already-nasty Texas Senate primary race between Senator John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general.
“I like Paxton, I like Cornyn, they’re both good people,” Trump told reporters traveling on Air Force One en route to Rome on Friday. “So I’ll make a decision somewhere along the line. But you have two very good men.”
He added: “In a way, I wish they weren’t running against each other.”
Trump can’t rule out insider trading by staff as tariff policies cause markets to whipsaw — 1:34 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump said he couldn’t rule out members of his administration sharing tips on his tariff policies and trade negotiations with traders on Wall Street, saying “I can commit to myself, that’s all I can commit to.”
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said that while he couldn’t be sure, he hires “honorable people” and that “I have thousands of people that work for me, but I can’t imagine anybody doing that.”
He was responding to news reports that some administration officials have provided non-public updates to traders and financial executives amid market turmoil caused by Trump’s steep tariffs on American imports.
Deportation fears raise ethical issues for student journalists — 1:27 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Student journalists on college campuses across the country are fielding requests to remove previously published content, offer anonymous sourcing and retract bylines.
That comes amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on student protesters, fears of deportation for international students and what critics have described as unprecedented attacks on campus speech.
Many young editors are beginning to reconsider long-standing journalistic practices around transparency, in order to protect the people who appear in their reports. The Student Press Law Center and other media rights groups have responded by issuing a guidance urging student journalists to be more flexible about requests to take down content.
Trump seeks ‘common sense’ discipline in schools; critics warn of civil rights rollback — 1:25 p.m.
By Christopher Huffaker, Globe Staff
A new executive order by Trump aims to undo school discipline guidance issued by the Obama and Biden administrations that sought to combat discriminatory actions against students of color.
The guidance issued by the Democratic administrations was based on concerns that racism was prevalent in school discipline as Black students were disciplined at much higher rates than their peers. Trump’s directive, issued Wednesday, orders his education secretary to overturn that guidance, with the president saying his executive order will remove racial bias from schools.
Talk of raising taxes on millionaires swirls as Republicans draft Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ — 1:13 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Why not tax the millionaires?
As Congress begins drafting a massive package for Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” with trillions of dollars in tax breaks and federal program cuts, it’s a question that won’t seem to go away.
Trump himself has mused he’d “love” to tax wealthier Americans a little bit more, but the Republican president has also repeatedly walked it back. This week, the president dismissed a tax hike as “disruptive” when asked about it at the White House.
But still it swirls.
ICE is reversing the termination of legal status for international students around US, lawyer says — 12:51 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Many of those students have filed court challenges around the United States. Judges had already issued temporary orders restoring the students’ records in a federal database of international students maintained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
The records had been suddenly terminated in recent weeks, often without the students or their schools being notified.
‘Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest,’ attorney says — 12:05 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Judge Hannah Dugan, a Milwaukee judge who was arrested by the FBI on accusations she helped a man evade immigration authorities, appeared briefly in federal court before being released from custody.
Her next court appearance is May 15.
“Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety,” her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, said during the hearing. He declined to comment to an Associated Press reporter following her court appearance.
The arrest comes amid a growing feud between the Trump administration and the judiciary over the White House’s immigration enforcement policies.
FBI director: Wisconsin judge accused of helping someone evade immigration agents has been arrested — 11:12 a.m.
By the Associated Press
FBI Director Kash Patel made the announcement in a post on X and said his office believes Judge Hannah Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse.”
Patel identified the subject as Eduardo Flores Ruiz and said Dugan’s actions allowed Ruiz to evade arrest.
The Justice Department didn’t immediately have a comment Friday. A person answering the phone Friday at Dugan’s office said he couldn’t comment. The Associated Press left an email and voicemail Friday morning seeking comment from Milwaukee County Courts Chief Judge Carl Ashley.
The arrest marks an escalation in the Trump administration’s fight with the judiciary over the White House’s sweeping immigration enforcement policies. The Justice Department had previously signaled it was going to crack down on local officials thwarting federal immigration efforts.
Environmental groups fear Trump’s order to speed deep-sea mining will harm ecosystems — 11:10 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The groups are decrying an executive order signed by President Trump to expedite deep-sea mining for ores and minerals, saying it could irreparably harm marine ecosystems and ignores an ongoing process to adopt international rules for the practice.
Trump’s order Thursday directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to fast track permits for companies to mine the ocean floor in both US and international waters.
The move comes as China controls many critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese used in high-tech manufacturing, including for military uses. Trump said his order “establishes the US as a global leader in seabed mineral exploration and development both within and beyond national jurisdiction.”
Municipalities in several Republican-led states sue Trump administration for cutting federal money — 11:04 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The billions in federal dollars supported COVID-19 initiatives and other public health projects throughout the country.
The City of Columbus — the capital of Ohio, and the largest city in the state — filed the suit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Thursday.
It alleges that some $11 billion in funding cuts to such programs had already been approved by Congress and so are being unconstitutionally withheld. The litigation further charges that the administration’s actions violate Department of Health and Human Services regulations.
In a statement, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, a Democrat, said the cuts have forced the city to fire 11 of its 22 infectious disease staffers, even as measles outbreaks are spreading to multiple US states and diseases like whooping cough and mpox are on the rise.
The cities of Kansas City, Missouri; and Nashville, Tennessee; as well as Harris County, Texas; home to Houston, also joined the suit.
Former President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, will attend Pope Francis’ funeral — 10:49 a.m.
By the Associated Press
That’s confirmed by his office.
Biden was only the second Roman Catholic American president, and frequently attended church while in office and met with the pope at least twice during his term.
They were to meet in January days before Biden left office Jan. 20, but the trip was called off because of devastating wildfires in California.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth travels to the southern border — 10:43 a.m.
By the Associated Press
He’s traveling to the southern border corridor that was recently turned over to the Defense Department as part the Trump administration’s effort to detain migrants crossing into the US.
Kingsley Wilson, a Pentagon spokesperson, said he was going to the New Mexico National Defense area.
The long sliver of land, known as the Roosevelt Reservation, is a 60-foot-wide federal buffer zone that ribbons along the border from New Mexico to California, except where it encounters tribal or privately owned land. It had been run by the Interior Department until Trump directed control be transferred to the Defense Department in a presidential memo earlier this month.
By taking control of the land and turning it over to the Army, US troops will now be able to detain anyone who’s trespassing on military land.
Chinese embassy gives no comment on Trump’s claim of getting a call from Xi — 10:33 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday said it has no comment when asked if Chinese President Xi Jinping has had a recent call with Trump, as claimed by the US president.
In an interview with Time magazine, Trump said he’d received a call from Xi but didn’t make it clear when and if such a call took place. This morning, he provided no clarity when speaking to reporters while leaving the White House for his trip to Rome to attend Pope Francis’ funeral.
Earlier Friday, the Chinese foreign ministry again denied any consultation or negotiation with the US on tariffs.
“The U.S. should stop creating confusion,” said Guo Jiakun, a ministry spokesman.
Trump says he’s ‘being inundated’ with requests to seek a third term — 10:21 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump insists “there are some loopholes” to the constitutional bar preventing presidents from seeking a third term.
During an interview with Time magazine, Trump was asked about saying he was “not joking” about seeking a third term previously. He responded, “There are some loopholes.”
But, Trump added, “I don’t believe in using loopholes.”
The 22nd Amendment states, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
A possible way around that would be for Vice President JD Vance to be elected president in 2028, then step aside in favor of Trump.
Trump said he didn’t “know anything about” that possibility, but also noted, “I am being inundated with requests.”
Wall Street’s rally fades as more CEOs talk about uncertainty ahead because of Trump’s trade war — 9:58 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Wall Street’s three-day rally is running out of momentum Friday and US stocks are drifting in mixed trading as they near the end of another roller-coaster week.
The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher in early trading, though the majority of stocks within it were falling. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 10 points, or less than 0.1% , as of 9:40 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% higher.
Intel weighed on the market after the chip company said it’s seeing “elevated uncertainty across the industry” and gave a forecast for upcoming revenue and profit that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Its stock fell 7.6% even though its results for the beginning of the year topped expectations.
Trump calls Pope Francis ‘a fantastic kind of guy’ while leaving for his funeral — 9:55 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The president and first lady Melania Trump are heading to Rome for the funeral.
Speaking to reporters before boarding a helicopter to Air Force One, the president said, “We’re going to Rome to pay our respects and we’ll be leaving that same day.”
He repeated his predictions that he’ll be meeting with foreign leaders on the sidelines of the funeral. But exactly what that might entail is unclear. Trump even suggested that a meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was possible. He added of the possibility of several meetings: “It’s going to be very interesting.”
Trump said he met Francis twice and that the pope “loved the world, actually, and he was just a good man.”
“I thought he was a fantastic kind of a guy,” Trump said.
A call with Chinese President Xi Jinping? — 9:50 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump raised eyebrows in an interview with Time magazine when he claimed to have received a call from Xi.
If true, it would be a notable development in the tariff standoff between the world’s two largest economies.
But it’s unclear when or if such a call took place, and Trump provided no clarity when speaking to reporters while leaving the White House for his trip to Rome to attend Pope Francis’ funeral.
“I don’t want to comment on that,” Trump said. “I’ve spoken to him many times.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has previously denied negotiations have been taking place. The National Security Council did not immediately return a request for comment.
Trump and Zelenskyy among dignitaries converging on Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis — 9:13 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Heads of state and royalty will start converging on Rome on Friday for the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square, but the group of poor people who will meet his casket in a small crosstown basilica are more in keeping with Francis’ humble persona and disdain for pomp.
Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei are among the leaders arriving Friday, the last day the Argentine pope will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica before his coffin is sealed in the evening in preparation for his funeral Saturday.
The Vatican says 130 delegations are confirmed, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns.
Negotiations between Iran and the US over Tehran’s nuclear program return Saturday to Oman — 8:37 a.m.
By the Associated Press
There, experts on both sides will start hammering the technical details of any possible deal.
The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the US has imposed on the Islamic Republic closing in on half a century of enmity.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Hegseth had an unsecured internet line set up in his office to connect to Signal, AP sources say — 8:33 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, two people familiar with the line told The Associated Press.
The existence of the unsecured internet connection is the latest revelation about Hegseth’s use of the unclassified app and raises the possibility that sensitive defense information could have been put at risk of potential hacking or surveillance.
Known as a “dirty” internet line by the IT industry, it connects directly to the public internet where the user’s information and the websites accessed do not have the same security filters or protocols that the Pentagon’s secured connections maintain.
Other Pentagon offices have used them, particularly if there’s a need to monitor information or websites that would otherwise be blocked.
Trump orders Justice Department to investigate Democrats’ top fundraising platform — 8:29 a.m.
By the Associated Press
In an executive order signed Thursday, Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate allegations that Republicans have raised that ActBlue allows illegal campaign donations.
Democrats, who had anticipated they would be targeted, condemned the move Thursday and ActBlue called it an “oppressive use of power” by the White House.
“The Trump Administration’s and GOP’s targeting of ActBlue is part of their brazen attack on democracy in America. Today’s escalation by the White House is blatantly unlawful and needs to be seen for what it is: Donald Trump’s latest front in his campaign to stamp out all political, electoral and ideological opposition,” ActBlue said in a statement.
ActBlue said it would pursue “all legal avenues to protect and defend itself.”
Trump’s order directs Bondi, in consultation with the Treasury Department, to investigate allegations that online fundraising platforms, and specifically ActBlue, have been used by some to “make ‘straw’ or ‘dummy’ contributions or foreign contributions to political candidates and committees.”
Trump says Russia should keep Crimea — 8:26 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump sat down with Time magazine for an interview marking 100 days in office, a milestone that he crosses next week.
During the conversation, which was published on Friday, Trump said “Crimea will stay with Russia.” The strategic peninsula was seized by Russia in 2014, years before the full-scale invasion in 2022.
“Everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time,” the president said. “It’s been with them long before Trump came along.”
How the public’s shift on immigration paved the way for Trump’s crackdown — 8:25 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Since returning to the White House, President Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. But unlike in his first term, Trump’s efforts have not sparked the kind of widespread condemnation or protests that led him to retreat from some unpopular positions.
Instead, immigration has emerged as one of Trump’s strongest issues in public polling, reflecting both his grip on the Republican base and a broader shift in public sentiment that is driven in part, interviews suggest, by anger at the policies of his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden.
The White House has seized on this shift, mocking critics and egging on Democrats to engage on an issue that Trump’s team sees as a win.
Immigration is Trump’s strongest issue, but many say he’s gone too far, a new AP-NORC poll finds — 8:15 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump’s handling of immigration remains a point of strength as he takes wide-ranging actions to ramp up deportations and target people in the US illegally, according to a new poll.
The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 46% of US adults approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, which is nearly 10 percentage points higher than his approval rating on the economy and trade with other countries.
While Trump’s actions remain divisive, there’s less of a consensus that the Republican president has overstepped on immigration than on other issues. Still, there’s little appetite for an even tougher approach. About half of Americans say he’s “gone too far” when it comes to deporting immigrants in the US illegally. They’re divided on the deportation of Venezuelan immigrants who are accused of being gang members to El Salvador, and more oppose than support revoking foreign students’ visas over their participation in pro-Palestinian activism.
Swiss leader says Trump administration foresees ‘privileged’ talks with 15 countries on US tariffs — 5:31 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Swiss president says Switzerland is among 15 countries with which the United States plans to conduct “privileged” negotiations to help reach a deal in the wake of sweeping US tariffs on dozens of countries that have shaken global markets.
Karin Keller-Sutter, in an interview with broadcaster SRF published Friday, said she was “satisfied” with talks in Washington this week that included an International Monetary Fund conference and her one-on-one meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Keller-Sutter also serves as Switzerland’s finance minister.
Windsor and Detroit were close-knit cities on the US-Canada border. Then Trump ripped them apart. — 5:08 a.m.
By Jim Puzzanghera, Globe Staff
The annual fund-raising auction for the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent this month was off to a fantastic start. A 42-year-old bottle of Canadian whiskey that auctioneer Greg Hetherington figured would sell for $750 went for $1,500. A $1,000 local shopping spree sold for $1,700.
“Oh, this is awesome,” Hetherington, owner of a local radio station, said he thought after the first two items. “We are rocking now.”
Then came the next item: four courtside seats at a Detroit Pistons game.
Normally, those would be a major attraction for the 145 well-heeled attendees who ponied up $750 each to attend the auction and raise money for a worthy cause. The Pistons, who play a short drive away, are the local NBA team. And for decades, residents in this finger of sprawling Ontario have thought nothing of making the quick trip from Windsor across the river that separates Canada from the United States to attend a sporting event, go shopping, or have dinner in Detroit.
As immigrant arrests surge, complaints of abuse mount at America’s oldest detention center in Miami — 1:20 a.m.
By the Associated Press
As hundreds of migrants crowded into the Krome Detention Center in Miami on the edge of the Florida Everglades, a palpable fear of an uprising set in among its staff.
As President Trump sought to make good on his campaign pledge of mass arrests and removals of migrants, Krome, the United States’ oldest immigration detention facility and one with a long history of abuse, saw its prisoner population recently swell to nearly three times its capacity of 600.
Fears of racial profiling swirl over registration policy for immigrants in the US illegally — 12:33 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Trump administration’s plan to strictly require anyone illegally in the U.S. to register with the government and carry documentation is stirring up fears of he
ightened racial profiling even among legal residents, immigrants’ rights advocates say.
For some, it’s a return to a climate from the recent past in which police departments and other law enforcement agencies’ insistence on documentation drove immigrants underground and increased public safety concerns.