President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he wants the U.S. to take ownership of the Gaza Strip and redevelop it .
He made the remarks in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Earlier Tuesday, 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 Middle East envoy said that a three to five-year timeline for the reconstruction of Gaza is not a viable post-war plan for the battle-torn territory.
This first visit of a foreign leader during 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 second term comes amid lagging support for Netanyahu in Israel. The Israeli prime minister faces competing pressure from his right-wing coalition to end a temporary truce in Gaza and from war-weary Israelis who want the remaining hostages home and the to end.
Here鈥檚 the latest:
Senate confirms Pam Bondi as attorney general
The Senate has confirmed Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general, putting 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 longtime ally at the helm of a Justice Department that has already been rattled by the seen as disloyal to the Republican president.
The vote fell almost entirely along party lines, with only Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, joining with all Republicans to pass her confirmation 54-46.
Bondi, and corporate lobbyist, is expected to oversee a radical reshaping of the department that has been the target of 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 ire over the criminal cases it brought against him.
鈥淧am Bondi has promised to get the department back to its core mission: prosecuting crime and protecting Americans from threats to their safety and their freedoms,鈥� Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.
Trump envisions 鈥榯he Riviera of the Middle East鈥�
Trump seemed to slip into his real estate developer mode when he said he envisions people living in a redeveloped Gaza that he said could look like 鈥渢he Riviera of the Middle East.鈥�
鈥淭his could be something that could be so valuable, this could be so magnificent,鈥� Trump said.
He said 鈥渕ost importantly,鈥� the people that live there would be able to live in peace and added, 鈥淲e鈥檒l make sure that it鈥檚 done world class.鈥�
He said he envisioned 鈥淧alestinians, mostly鈥� living there but also described his vision for Gaza as 鈥渁n international, unbelievable place鈥� where 鈥渢he world鈥檚 people鈥� live.
Press conference ends
The joint press conference with Trump and Netanyahu has wrapped.
It went on for about 40 minutes.
Trump suggests he could travel to Gaza
Trump said at the press conference that he plans to visit Israel and possibly make a trip to Gaza.
The new president has yet to announce where his first foreign trip will be, suggesting it could be to the United Kingdom or Saudi Arabia. But Trump said at the joint event with Netanyahu that he would go to Israel and could go to Gaza.
Trump offers few details on Russia-Ukraine talks but says destruction in Ukraine is worse than Gaza
Turning to the other major conflict, Trump said destruction in Ukraine has cities looking 鈥渁s bad as Gaza, and worse,鈥� but he did not offer details on what kind of peace he鈥檚 seeking in that country鈥檚 war over Russia鈥檚 incursion.
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking to the Russians, we鈥檙e talking to the Ukrainian leadership,鈥� Trump said, without offering details.
He did not answer a question about whether he would demand the Russians leave Ukrainian territory.
Trump says Iran could have 鈥榰nbelievable future鈥� if it doesn鈥檛 develop nuclear weapon
Trump reiterated that he feels Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and said if they get one, 鈥渢hat will be very unfortunate for them.鈥�
But the president said Iran would find it very beneficial if the country can convince him that they won鈥檛 develop a nuclear weapon, saying in that case, 鈥渢hey鈥檙e going to have an unbelievable future.鈥�
Netanyahu likens Israel鈥檚 war with Hamas to the Allies鈥� struggle against the Nazis in World War II
Netanyahu says lasting peace isn鈥檛 possible if Hamas is left standing.
The Israeli prime minister says, 鈥淥bviously you can鈥檛 talk about peace 鈥� either with Hamas or in the Middle East 鈥� if this toxic and murderous organization is left standing, any more than you could make peace in Europe after World War II if the Nazi regime was left standing and the Nazi army was left standing.鈥�
Trump suggests that the US could take ownership of Gaza over the long term
鈥淚 do see a long-term ownership position,鈥� the president said when asked about the U.S. controlling the region for an extended period.
Trump suggested that the U.S. doing so would promote stability in the region and added, 鈥淭his is not a decision made lightly.鈥�
鈥淓verybody I鈥檝e spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land,鈥� he said.
Trump does not rule out sending US troops to Gaza
Trump is not ruling out sending U.S. troops to secure Gaza, saying in response to a reporter鈥檚 question: 鈥淎s far as Gaza is concerned, we鈥檒l do what is necessary. If it鈥檚 necessary, we鈥檒l do that.鈥�
Netanyahu says 鈥業srael鈥檚 victory will be America鈥檚 victory鈥�
Netanyahu says Trump follows through on promises that at first seem unbelievable.
鈥淎fter the jaws drop, people scratch their heads and say, 鈥榊ou know, he鈥檚 right,鈥欌�� Netanyahu said.
He added, that Israel, in its ongoing fight with Hamas, 鈥渨ill end the war by winning the war鈥� and that 鈥淚srael鈥檚 victory will be America鈥檚 victory.鈥�
Netanyahu calls Trump Israel鈥檚 鈥榞reatest friend鈥�
Netanyahu said of Trump, 鈥淵ou are the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.鈥�
The prime minister opened his comments at a press conference with Trump saying that 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 staunch defense of Israel means that his nation鈥檚 people have enormous respect for him.
Netanyahu added, 鈥淵ou freed up munitions that have been withheld from Israel.鈥� That referred to Trump lifting a Biden administration pause on shipping 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) bombs to Israel amid concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza.
Trump wants US to take ownership of Gaza Strip
Trump says he wants the U.S. to take ownership of the Gaza Strip and redevelop it after resettling Palestinian people in other countries.
The president did not immediately offer details on how the U.S. would manage the site and what it would do with it.
鈥淭he U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We鈥檒l own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,鈥� Trump said.
He said the U.S. would work to economically develop the area after cleaning out the destroyed buildings.
Trump says he and Netanyahu discussed eliminating Hamas
Trump says he and Netanyahu focused in their closed-door meeting on discussing how Hamas can be eliminated and restoring peace 鈥渢o a troubled region.鈥�
Kicking off a joint press conference, Trump slammed his predecessor, Joe Biden, saying 鈥渘obody did anything for four years鈥� in the Middle East except demonstrate incompetence.
鈥淯nfortunately the weakness and incompetence of those years,鈥� Trump said, triggered 鈥済rave damage鈥� all over the globe.
Trump-Netanyahu press conference begins
A joint press conference with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is underway at the White House.
Both leaders met and answered questions from reporters earlier in the Oval Office, before eventually continuing their discussions behind closed doors.
They then headed to a joint press conference in the East Room.
It was so packed with administration officials that some reporters were left without seats and forced to line up on along the sides.
Trump suggests he may be reconsidering his 2020 plan that called for a Palestinian state
President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that he may be reconsidering an independent Palestinian state as part of a broader two-state solution to the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict.
鈥淲ell, a lot of plans change with time,鈥� he told reporters when asked if he was still committed to a plan like the one he laid out in 2020 that called for a Palestinian state.
鈥淎 lot of death has occurred since I left and now came back,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淣ow we are faced with a situation that鈥檚 different 鈥� in some ways better and in some ways worse. But we are faced with a very complex and difficult situation that we鈥檒l solve.鈥�
Unions file federal lawsuit to block Trump administration buyout offer for federal employees
A coalition of government-employee unions has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration offering buyouts to millions of federal employees as long as they agree to resign this week.
The Office of Personnel Management has offered to continue paying more than 2 million federal employees through Sept. 30 if they opt to resign.
It said they have to decide by Thursday, though, and promised future layoffs and additional employment requirements for those who remain in their jobs.
Filed in district court in Massachusetts, the suit says no funds have been appropriated for buyouts, and that the deadline to decide on resignation is illegal.
Trump picks Jacobs to return a head of US weather and oceans agency
President Donald Trump picked Neil Jacobs to return as chief of the nation鈥檚 weather and oceans agency, bringing up the time when Trump dallied with weather forecasting in what was called Sharpiegate.
Jacobs was acting chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when Trump displayed a hurricane forecast map in 2019 that had black scrawl on it to expand a hurricane warning so it would agree with an earlier presidential tweet.
That put Jacobs in the uncomfortable position of his agency chastising Alabama forecasters who were right when they said residents in the state didn鈥檛 have to worry about Hurricane Dorian hitting them. Trump had tweeted otherwise.
Dorian made landfall about 600 miles away from Alabama.
At a meteorologists convention last month, several weather experts said they were hoping Jacobs would return to the job.
Trump and Newsom to meet
Trump will meet Wednesday afternoon with Gavin Newsom while the California governor is in Washington, according to the White House.
The meeting was confirmed Tuesday by a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Trump has long sparred with the Democrat but they鈥檝e met several times over disasters, including a brief meeting in Los Angeles last month while Trump was touring wildfire damage.
鈥擝y Michelle Price
Trump suggests Palestinians from Gaza should 鈥榩ermanently鈥� resettle elsewhere
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think people should be going back to Gaza,鈥� Trump said sitting in the Oval Office with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 live in Gaza right now. I think we need another location,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚 think it should be a location that鈥檚 going to make people happy. You look over the decades, it鈥檚 all death in Gaza. This has been happening for years. It鈥檚 all death. If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes where they can be happy and not be shot and not be killed and not be knifed to death like what鈥檚 happening in Gaza.鈥�
Trump has called on Jordan, Egypt and other Arab countries to take in Palestinians from Gaza temporarily while reconstruction takes place in Gaza after the devastating war between Hamas and Israel. His call Tuesday was the first time he has publicly floated making that resettlement permanent.
鈥淚 hope that we could do something where they wouldn鈥檛 want to go back,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淲ho would want to go back? They鈥檝e experienced nothing but death and destruction.鈥�
Palestinians claim Gaza as part of a future homeland, and many have indicated a desire to remain and rebuild.
People protest Treasury鈥檚 decision to give DOGE access to sensitive data
In front of the north face of the Treasury Department, hundreds of demonstrators stood on Tuesday, holding signs, pounding drums and chanting slogans protesting the Treasury Department鈥檚 decision to hand over access to sensitive payment systems to the Department of Government Efficiency, a committee run by billionaire Elon Musk.
People chanted 鈥淒eport Musk,鈥� 鈥淒own with Trump鈥� and 鈥淒o your job, Congress鈥� as they waited for a group of 15 Democratic lawmakers to speak.
Maureen Jais-Mick showed up to the event to protest the 鈥渂latant power grab鈥� by Musk and the DOGE committee.
鈥淭his amounts to a coup,鈥� Jais-Mick said about DOGE鈥檚 unprecedented access to important payment systems that control Social Security and Medicare payments, among others.
Trump says he
and Xi of China will speak at the 鈥榓ppropriate鈥� time
The leaders have yet to discuss the tariffs that Trump imposed on Chinese goods and retaliatory tariffs that Xi has slapped on some American products.
Trump on Monday agreed to a 30-day pause on tariffs against Canada and Mexico after phone conversations with the leaders of those two U.S. allies.
鈥楾he Gaza thing has never worked,鈥� Trump says before meeting with Netanyahu
Trump top advisers have made the case that a three-to-five-year timeline for reconstruction of the war-torn territory, as laid out in a temporary truce agreement, is not viable.
Trump renewed his call on Arab nations to relocate displaced Palestinians as he prepares to meet later Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
鈥淭he Gaza thing has never worked,鈥� Trump told reporters. 鈥淚f we could find the right piece of land, pieces of land, and build them some really nice places, ... I think that would be a lot better than going back to Gaza.鈥�
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What to know about El Salvador鈥檚 mega-prison after Trump deal to send people there
The administration and the president of El Salvador said Monday that they鈥檇 struck a deal allowing the U.S. to ship both detained migrants and imprisoned citizens to the tiny Central American nation.
The U.S. government cannot deport American citizens and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that 鈥渢here are obviously legalities involved.鈥�
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has made the country鈥檚 stark, harsh prisons a trademark of his aggressive fight against crime. The crown jewel of Bukele鈥檚 fight is the mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, which he opened in 2023.
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Trump wants his education chief to 鈥榩ut herself out of a job鈥�
Trump said he nominated former wrestling executive Linda McMahon to be his Education Secretary despite his call to eliminate the Education Department because he wants her 鈥渢o put herself out of a job.鈥�
鈥淚 told Linda, 鈥楲inda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job.鈥� I want her to put herself out of a job,鈥欌�� Trump told reporters.
The president said he鈥檇 like to leave the business of running schools to the states. He said he鈥檇 try to dismantle the department with an executive order but said he believed he would need to work with Congress to dissolve the agency.
Unwinding the department would likely require Congress to act.
VA nurses say they are considering the government's deferred resignation offer
The largest group of federal employees 鈥� nurses caring for military veterans 鈥� are considering the government鈥檚 deferred resignation offer as a Thursday deadline looms.
VA nurses were among the millions of federal workers who received an email last week offering eight months of paid leave if they agreed to resign.
VA nurses make up the most common occupation in the government, numbering more than 100,000 and accounting for 5% of all federal full-time permanent employees.
Nurses unions are discouraging members from accepting the offer. National Nurses United told its members the offer is 鈥渁 direct threat to the VA and its crucial mission to provide care to our Nation鈥檚 Heroes.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e already facing a staffing crisis in our hospitals,鈥� said Irma Westmoreland, a registered nurse and chair of Veterans Affairs for National Nurses United. 鈥淲e cannot afford to lose any more staff.鈥�
Sixty percent of VA facilities are experiencing a severe nursing shortage, according to a 2024 report from the VA Office of Inspector General.
Trump says he鈥檚 studying the legality of sending dangerous U.S. prisoners to prisons in other countries
President Donald Trump says he鈥檚 studying the legality of sending violent U.S. criminals to prisons in other countries.
鈥淚f we had the legal right to do it, I鈥檇 do it in a heartbeat,鈥� Trump told reporters. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that we do. We鈥檙e looking at it right now.鈥�
Trump didn鈥檛 say which countries might take U.S. prisoners.
But his comments come after Secretary of State said El Salvador had offered to jail some violent American criminals and that the offer was 鈥渧ery generous鈥� -- even tough it raised some legal concerns.
Newsom will travel to Washington this week to advocate for disaster aid for deadly Los Angeles wildfires
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is traveling to Washington D.C. this week to meet with the Trump administration and members of Congress to advocate for disaster aid for the deadly wildfires in Los Angeles that killed 29 and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, his office said Tuesday.
It鈥檚 not clear if Newsom will meet with President Trump during the two-day visit. Newsom, a vocal political adversary of Trump, has mostly abandoned his anti-Trump rhetoric since the fires erupted earlier this year.
The governor also left the state before signing a pair of bills approved by state lawmakers this week to provide new funding for efforts defending the state鈥檚 progressive policies against challenges by the Trump administration.
Democratic senators ask for investigation into Treasury's decision to grant DOGE access to sensitive data
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), have asked for a Government Accountability Office investigation into Treasury鈥檚 decision to grant access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems to the Department of Government Efficiency, run by President Donald 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
The investigation requests the GAO to find out which systems were accessed, which individuals accessed the information and whether they have the appropriate clearances, among other things.
鈥淕iven the threats to Americans鈥� privacy and the national and economic security risks posed by Mr. Musk and his team鈥檚 access to critical federal payment systems, we ask that the GAO conduct this investigation as rapidly as possible,鈥� the letter signed by Warren and Wyden states.
A collection of unions and advocacy groups filed a lawsuit this week against the Trump administration over DOGE鈥檚 access of Treasury payment systems.
Trump says he鈥檚 given his advisers instructions to obliterate Iran if it assassinates him
鈥淚f they did that, they would be obliterated,鈥� Trump said in an exchange with reporters while signing an executive order calling for the U.S. government to impose maximum pressure on Tehran. 鈥淚鈥檝e left instructions if they do it, they get obliterated, there won鈥檛 be anything left.鈥�
The Justice Department announced in federal charges in November that an Iranian plot to kill Trump before the presidential election had been thwarted.
The department alleged Iranian officials had instructed Farhad Shakeri, 51, in September to focus on surveilling and ultimately assassinating Trump. Shakeri is still at large in Iran.
Some Head Start preschools are still locked out of federal funding
A week after President 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 , Head Start centers that serve thousands of preschoolers are still struggling to access their federal grant money, delays that have forced some to abruptly close their doors.
Head Start, which serves some of nation鈥檚 neediest kids and families, when directors discovered they were locked out of the online payment system. Medicaid administrators had the same problems. The website eventually went back online, but administrators are still experiencing intermittent outages. Some have not been able to draw down funding for a week.
It led centers in Michigan and Wisconsin to close temporarily, and at least one center in Pennsylvania is contemplating shutting its doors until it regains access to its funds.
The disruption coincided with a directive from the Trump administration to halt federal grants, a mandate that was not supposed exclude Head Start and Medicaid. The directive was withdrawn after outcry. The White House has not said whether the payment system was purposefully taken offline.
Trump says he and Xi of China will speak at the 鈥渁ppropriate鈥� time
The leaders have yet to discuss the tariffs that Trump imposed on Chinese goods and retaliatory tariffs that Xi has slapped on some American products.
Trump on Monday agreed to a 30-day pause on tariffs against Canada and Mexico after phone conversations with the leaders of those two U.S. allies.
Dr. Mehmet Oz on Capitol Hill to meet with senators
Dr. Mehmet Oz, 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, is on Capitol Hill today to meet with senators.
After meeting with Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wy., Oz said he plans to meet with Sens. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.V., Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., among others.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e all from different parts of the country,鈥� Oz said, which would help him field ideas. He invoked the 鈥淢ake America Healthy Again鈥� slogan in talks with reporters.
鈥淚 promise you, we鈥檙e going to work hard to make sure the American people feel empowered to get their health back,鈥� Oz said.
He declined to say whether he supported Congress reducing the budgets of Medicare or Medicaid.
Maryland congressman creates online portal for federal workers to share concerns
A Maryland congressman is asking federal workers to share their concerns about President Donald Trump administration鈥檚 hiring freeze, deferred resignation program and confusion regarding executive orders.
Rep. Johnny Olszewski, a Democrat, has created an online portal on his congressional website that enables federal workers to share their experiences, either just with his office or publicly. People who participate publicly can choose to identify themselves fully, with their first name and city only, or remain anonymous.
The congressman has included a link at the top of his website that reads: 鈥淔ederal Employees: Share Your Story with Rep. Johnny O.鈥� The first-term congressman says he鈥檚 working to defend Maryland鈥檚 federal workforce from 鈥渢he reckless assault from the Trump Administration.鈥�
All Senate Democrats to oppose 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 budget chief over freeze
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday that Democrats will unanimously oppose the nomination for Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management Bureau after a series of executive orders have cause a frenzy over federal funding in the U.S.
鈥淲e are united in our agreement that Russell Vought is a dangerous and disruptive choice to lead the Office of Management and Budget,鈥� the. New York lawmaker said at a press conference. 鈥淎nd we saw a precursor to his leadership last week during the dangerous federal funding freeze.鈥�
Democrats had been voting in favor of some of 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 Cabinet nominations over the last two weeks but have no decided to halt their support over Vought over 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 decision to halt federal assistance programs.
Canadian minister says problems cited by Trump are overstated
A Canadian official says concerns raised by Trump about an influx of fentanyl and illegal immigration from his country were vastly overstated.
Fentanyl from Canada represents 0.2% of total U.S. seizures of fentanyl, Canada鈥檚 Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said. About the same amount of fentanyl was seized by Canada from the U.S.
Illegal immigration from Canada also is low, Wilkinson said, although officials agree with Trump that 鈥渙ne illegal migrant is too many.鈥�
罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 claims 鈥渨ere made in good faith in the sense that I do think that President Trump is seized with these issues,鈥� Wilkinson said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 also fair to say that there are two borders (for the U.S.) and, and on the southern border, it鈥檚 been a bigger issue.鈥�
鈥淭he problem on the northern border, I think, is smaller than many people, and perhaps even President Trump, understand,鈥� he said.
Tulsi Gabbard, 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 pick to oversee US spy agencies, clears Senate committee
Tulsi Gabbard鈥檚 nomination to be President Donald Trump director of national intelligence cleared a key Senate committee Tuesday despite concerns raised about sympathetic to Russia and a with Syria鈥檚 now-deposed leader.
A former Democratic congresswoman, Gabbard is one of 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 most divisive nominees, with lawmakers of both parties also pointing to her past support for government leaker Edward Snowden. But the Senate Intelligence Committee advanced her nomination in a closed-door 9-8 vote, and it now heads to the full Senate for consideration. A vote has not been scheduled yet.
Until three GOP members seen as swing votes announced their support, it wasn鈥檛 clear her nomination would advance. Gabbard will need almost all GOP senators to vote yes to win confirmation.
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Trump and Musk demand termination of federal office leases through General Services Administration
Office space is next on the hit list for Trump and Musk鈥檚 to fire government employees and curtail operations.
The General Services Administration鈥檚 regional managers got the memo last week to begin terminating leases on all of the roughly 7,500 federal offices nationwide, where more than 1 million federal civilian employees work.
The email shared with The Associated Press by a GSA employee seems to contradict , adding confusion to what was already a scramble by the GSA to bring in remote employees. They may believe they won鈥檛 need as many offices once or been fired.
According to the employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, the office closures are being led by Nicole Hollander, an employee of Musk鈥檚 X company now embedded in the GSA鈥檚 headquarters. Her LinkedIn profile says she has a background in real estate.
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Trump envoy calls Gaza rebuilding timeline 鈥榩reposterous鈥�
Envoy Steve Witkoff said 鈥渋t is unfair to explain to Palestinians that they might be back in five years.鈥�
He鈥檚 reiterating the Trump administration call for Arab nations to temporarily relocate displaced Palestinians from the war-torn territory.
Egypt and Jordan, as well other Arab nations, have rejected 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 calls to take in 2.3 million Palestinians during a post-war rebuilding effort.
Netanyahu and began the daunting work of brokering ahead of the Israeli leader鈥檚 meeting with Trump on Tuesday.
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Canada鈥檚 energy minister proposes closer cooperation on critical minerals, uranium
A 30-day tariff delay allows Canada and the United States time to prevent a 鈥渓ose-lose鈥� cycle of tariffs and retaliation, a Canadian official says.
Instead of treating each other as adversaries, the two longtime trading partners should more closely cooperate on issues such as critical minerals, uranium and other energy, Canada鈥檚 Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Tuesday.
Canada can 鈥渇ind ways to ramp up production of uranium,鈥� thereby reducing U.S. imports from hostile countries such as Russia, Wilkinson said. A number of uranium mines in Canada are not running at full capacity, but 鈥渃ertainly could be,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here certainly are options for enabling the displacement of Russian fuel by Canadian fuel.鈥�
The U.S. has banned imports of Russian uranium under a law Congress passed last year, but exceptions are allowed if approved by the Energy Department. About 12% of the uranium used to produce electricity at U.S. nuclear power plants was imported from Russia in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Wilkinson was in Washington for a speech to the Atlantic Council think tank.
Doctors for America sues the federal government for removing health information from government web sites
Some advocacy groups are suing the federal government over the removal of health information from government web sites, asking a court to order that the information be restored.
Doctors for America, working with the Public Citizen Litigation Group, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in a federal court in Washington, D.C. The suit targets removal of the government health-focused webpages and datasets in the last week, arguing the action creates a dangerous gap in scientific data needed to respond to disease outbreaks and deprives doctors of information they need to treat patients.
Doctors for America is a not-for-profit representing over 27,000 physicians and medical trainees. The organization was born from an earlier organization that pushed for health reform and supported Barack Obama when he was running for president.
The defendants include the Office of Personnel Management, which directed federal health agencies to remove or modify webpages, and government health agencies that took those steps 鈥� the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Secret Service readies for Trump at the Super Bowl
Secret Service agents are on the ground in New Orleans preparing to protect President Trump as he watches Kansas City face Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the agency tasked with protecting the president, said Tuesday that security measures at the game have been 鈥渆nhanced this year, given that this will be the first time a sitting President of the United States will attend the event.鈥�
Guglielmi says the Secret Service has been 鈥渙n the ground for days鈥� working with the NFL and other law enforcement agencies to prepare for the president鈥檚 visit.
More details will be coming soon on what fans can expect especially when it comes to going through security checkpoints.
First military flight to deport migrants to Guantanamo Bay is set to depart, official says
Tuesday鈥檚 flight was confirmed by a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public.
It is the first step in an in the number of migrants held at the Navy base in Cuba.
President Donald Trump has eyed the facility as a holding center and said it has the capacity to hold as many as 30,000.
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鈥榃e have a Constitution鈥� 鈥� Rubio acknowledges 鈥榣egalities鈥� about jailing Americans in El Salvador
said El Salvador鈥檚 offer to accept and jail violent American criminals raises clear legal issues.
鈥淭here are obviously legalities involved. We have a Constitution,鈥� Rubio said Tuesday, a day after reaching an to allow the Central American country to imprison U.S. deportees of any nationality, including American citizens and legal residents convicted of violent crimes.
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 a very generous offer. No one鈥檚 ever made an offer like that 鈥� and to outsource, at a fraction of the cost, at least some of the most dangerous and violent criminals that we have in the United States. But obviously, the administration will have to make a decision.鈥�
Rubio spoke at a joint news conference with President Rodrigo Chaves of Costa Rica, the next stop on his tour.
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FBI agents sue over Justice Dept. effort to ID employees involved in Trump-related investigations
FBI agents who participated in investigations related to President Donald Trump involved, fearing it could lead to mass firings.
The class-action complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington seeks an immediate halt to plans to compile a list of investigators who participated in probes of the at the U.S. Capitol as well as at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
The lawsuit notes 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 repeated campaign promises of 鈥榲engeance鈥� or 鈥榬etribution.鈥� They said even compiling such a list is 鈥渞etaliatory in nature, intended to intimidate FBI agents and other personnel and to discourage them from reporting any future malfeasance鈥� by Trump or his appointees.
A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
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US coal industry leader on Chinese tariffs: We can sell elsewhere
National Mining Association President Rich Nolan says the Chinese tariffs are 鈥渟ignificant,鈥� but noted that global coal demand is at record levels.
鈥淯.S. coal exports go to more than 70 nations and are a critical, stabilizing force in global markets,鈥� Nolan said. 鈥淲hile China tries to damage a core U.S. industry, we expect global demand for high-quality U.S. coal to remain robust.鈥�
U.S. coal exports peaked in 2012 under former President Barack Obama, accounting for about 12% of the fuel mined in the U.S. that year. Now the U.S. is exporting more than 20% of the total mined.
Doug Collins confirmed as veterans affairs secretary
The U.S. Senate confirmed as secretary of veterans affairs on Tuesday, putting the former congressman and Iraq War veteran at the helm of a department that provides crucial care to America鈥檚 veterans.
The former Air Force chaplain was confirmed on a 77-23 vote to join Cabinet.
The Department of Veterans Affairs manages a more than $350 billion budget and oversees nearly 200 medical centers and hospitals nationwide. Collins has promised to cut regulations and elevate the quality of care for veterans.
鈥淚鈥檓 an Iraq War veteran. I understand burn pits because I slept next to one for many months,鈥� Collins said at his confirmation hearing.
Democrat Mazie Hirono of Hawaii dissented over concerns that Collins will limit access to reproductive care. Democrat pressed him not to resort to privatization.
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Trump sings in Cantonese and wins cheers in Hong Kong in an operatic twist
A traditional Hong Kong theater has come alive with an untraditional twist: singing in Cantonese.
The Cantonese production 鈥淭rump on Show鈥� drew crowds to the soon-to-be-closed Sunbeam Theater. Its latest edition of the opera, 鈥淭rump, The Twins President,鈥� featured scenes about and .
Cantonese actor Lung Koon-tin, wearing a blond wig, sang the part of Trump. Roger Chan, in a blue blazer and pearls, played former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
The production, which during 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 first term, sparked laughter and applause from the audience on Monday night.
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Melania 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 2018 Africa trip highlighted US aid agency Trump and Musk want to eliminate
had partnered with Melania Trump for to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt. Each stop called attention the international developmental agency鈥檚 work in Africa.
At a primary school in Malawi, she watched as textbooks were donated by USAID.
Her tour of the pyramids and the Great Sphinx called attention to the agency鈥檚 work with the Egyptian government on lowering groundwater levels to prevent further damage to the landmarks.
President Trump twice proposed to cut the agency鈥檚 budget during his first term.
Trump to attend Super Bowl
President Donald Trump will attend the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday, according to the White House.
It will be his first trip as president to the game, as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 trip was confirmed by a White House official that was not authorized to speak publicly about the president鈥檚 plans.
Trump is also scheduled to sit for an interview with Fox News鈥� Bret Baier as part of the network鈥檚 pre-show programming, which is set to be taped from Florida before the game. It鈥檚 a tradition that鈥檚 been inconsistently followed by Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, who have both in the past opted to skip the interviews.
鈥擝y Michelle Price
New Trump order targets transgender athletes
Trump plans to sign an executive order on Wednesday aimed at preventing people whose assigned sex at birth was male from participating in women鈥檚 or girl鈥檚 sporting events.
That鈥檚 according to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity ahead of the formal announcement.
The precise mechanism or impact of 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 order wasn鈥檛 immediately clear Tuesday. He could direct a reinterpretation of , the law best known for its role in pursuing gender equity in athletics and preventing sexual harassment on campuses.
At minimum, it鈥檚 his latest attempt to use his public influence as president to target medical care and reject the public recognition of transgender people, after the he issued on his first day signaling how the federal government would deal with transgender people and their rights.
China coal tariffs target a US industry that depends on exports
颁丑颈苍补鈥檚 announced Tuesday on . 鈥� a retaliation against 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 across-the-board tariffs on Chinese goods 鈥� targets a sector of the U.S. coal industry that鈥檚 grown in recent years, helping offset a dramatic from domestic customers.
Total U.S. coal exports were on track to top 100 million tons (90 million metric tons) in 2024, with the biggest demand where new coal-fired power plants are fueling expanding economies despite concerns about increasing greenhouse gas emissions causing .
China has followed India as the largest customer for U.S. coal, accepting shipments of about 8.7 million tons (7.9 million metric tons) valued at about $1.2 billion through September, according to the .
JD Vance will meet world leaders in Paris and Munich
is off to Paris next week for a summit of world leaders focusing on artificial intelligence. Then he鈥檒l appear at the annual Munich Security Conference in Germany.
The AI Action Summit on Feb. 10-11 puts top government officials together with corporate executives at the the Elysee Palace amid galloping advances in technology. And the global talks on international security come amid Russia鈥檚 ongoing war against Ukraine as Trump reasserts his 鈥淎merica First鈥� agenda.
Sustaining support for Ukraine, constraining Russia鈥檚 partnership with Iran and containing China are on the table, all while Trump threatens tariffs on friends and foes alike. Other attendees at the AI summit include 颁丑颈苍补鈥檚 Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Trump hosting talks with Netanyahu, warning 鈥榥o guarantees鈥� that peace in Gaza will hold
will meet at the White House Tuesday afternoon as the Israeli prime minister faces competing pressure from his right-wing coalition to end a temporary truce in Gaza and from war-weary Israelis who want the remaining hostages home and the to end.
This first visit of a foreign leader during 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 second term comes amid lagging support for Netanyahu in Israel and could distract from his , which Netanyahu called a 鈥渨itch hunt.鈥�
Netanyahu faces an arrest warrant from which accused him, Israel鈥檚 defense minister and Hamas鈥� slain military chief of during the war in Gaza. The U.S. does not recognize ICC authority over U.S. citizens or territory.
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Musk claims he 鈥榙eleted鈥� IRS鈥� free tax filing program -- it鈥檚 still available
Hours after Musk posted on X that he had 鈥渄eleted鈥� 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as the IRS鈥� Direct File program, there was confusion about whether Direct File is still available to taxpayers.
But the free filing program is still available for now.
An individual with knowledge of the IRS workforce said the Direct File program was still accepting tax returns. They spoke anonymously with The Associated Press because they were not authorized to talk to the press. As of Monday evening, 18F鈥檚 website was still operational, as was the Direct File website. But the digital services agency鈥檚 X account was deleted.
The last year that it would make the free permanent.
Private tax preparation companies have made billions charging people about $140 each to use their software, and have spent millions .
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__By Fatima Hussein and Barbara Ortutay
Senators offer some 鈥榳eird,鈥� 鈥榳ild,鈥� parting words on RFK Jr.
Kennedy鈥檚 quick committee vote did not go without some parting words from senators.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said that maybe Kennedy as a non-health care professional will be just the kind of 鈥渄isrupter鈥� needed to improve the nation鈥檚 health outcomes.
鈥淚 hope he goes wild,鈥� Tillis said, listing all the ways the nominee could shake things up.
But Democratic Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont spoke about Kennedy鈥檚 odd behavior, including leaving a dead bear in New York鈥檚 Central Park.
鈥淭hese are just weird things,鈥� he said before the 14-13 party line vote sent the nomination to the full Senate for confirmation.
Cassidy said JD Vance, White House influenced his vote for RFK Jr.
鈥淚鈥檝e had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning. I want to thank VP JD specifically for his honest counsel,鈥� Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and physician, posted on X. 鈥淲ith the serious commitments I鈥檝e received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes.鈥�
Cassidy had expressed deep concern ahead of the vote about Kennedy鈥檚 views on routine childhood vaccinations. He said he would speak on the Senate floor later Tuesday morning.
Tuesday鈥檚 vote sets up a high stakes campaign to pressure the full Senate to confirm Kennedy in the coming weeks. If four GOP senators and all Democrats vote against his confirmation, it would fail.
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Senate committee advances RFK Jr. for health secretary despite worry over his vaccine stance
cleared his first hurdle to becoming the nation鈥檚 top health official on Tuesday with the Senate finance committee voting to advance his nomination for a floor vote.
Republicans voted together to advance his nomination, while Democrats all opposed.
His nomination now faces the full Senate, where concerns include the work he鈥檚 done to sow doubts around and his potential to profit off lawsuits over drugmakers. To gain control of the $1.7 trillion Health and Human Services agency, Kennedy will need support from all but three Republicans if Democrats uniformly oppose him.
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A key Republican senator enters the RFK hearing
The Senate Finance Committee began a meeting to vote on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 nomination, though one key Republican wasn鈥檛 there at first.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and physician who had raised concerns over Kennedy鈥檚 views on vaccines, finally entered the hearing room several minutes after it was underway. Cassidy鈥檚 jaw was clenched and his face downcast.
Cassidy then voted in favor of advancing Kennedy鈥檚 nomination for health secretary to the Senate floor with a simple 鈥渁ye.鈥�
Trump says Musk is doing his bidding
is rapidly consolidating control over large swaths of the federal government with President 鈥檚 blessing, sidelining career officials, gaining access to sensitive databases and dismantling a leading source of humanitarian assistance.
and scope, the world鈥檚 richest man has created an alternative power structure for the purpose of cutting spending and pushing out employees, none of it with congressional approval, inviting a constitutional clash over .
Trump named Musk a 鈥渟pecial government employee,鈥� subject to less stringent rules on ethics and financial disclosures. He鈥檚 given Musk office space in the White House complex to oversee the so-called sending teams into federal agencies Trump has vowed to abolish to gather information and deliver edicts.
Republicans defend Musk as simply carrying out 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 slash-and-burn campaign promises. Democrats accuse Musk of leading a coup from within by amassing unaccountable and illegal power.
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White House correspondents鈥� group announces Amber Ruffin as dinner entertainer
Ruffin is an Emmy- and Tony-award nominated writer, comedian, host, performer and best-selling author who soon will return for the second season of the comedy-news series, 鈥淗ave I Got News For You,鈥� which she leads with fellow comedians Roy Wood Jr. and Michael Ian Black.
She also writes for and appears on 鈥淟ate Night with Seth Meyers.鈥�
The White House Correspondents鈥� Association鈥檚 annual black-tie dinner is set for April 26 in Washington.
鈥淪he has the ability to walk the line between blistering commentary and humor all while provoking her audience to think about the important issues of the day. I鈥檓 thrilled and honored she said yes,鈥� said Eugene Daniels of Politico, president of the association.
Mexico surges troops to its US border
Mexico began moving troops Tuesday to reinforce its shared border in the United States, part of the deal President Claudia Sheinbaum reached with U.S. President Donald Trump Monday to suspend 25% tariffs that were set to go into effect.
AP observed more than 100 members of the National Guard boarded a plane Tuesday morning in the southeastern city of Merida, bound for Ciudad Juarez. Additional units were scheduled to depart Cancun and Campeche. Still more were going by road.
A similar deal to surge troops and head off tariffs was made in 2019 between Trump and then-President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador. More than 10,000 Mexican troops stationed along the border have been unable to stifle persistent violence or break the tight grip of organized crime on the smuggling of drugs, migrants and guns.
US negotiates to have El Salvador imprison deportees and jailed US citizens
U.S. Secretary of State left El Salvador on Tuesday with an agreement that President Nayib Bukele will accept jailed U.S. citizens as well as deportees from the U.S. of any nationality and put them in his nation鈥檚 prisons.
Bukele 鈥渉as agreed to the most unprecedented, extraordinary, extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world,鈥� Rubio said.
鈥淲e can send them, and he will put them in his jails,鈥� Rubio said of migrants of all nationalities detained in the United States. 鈥淎nd, he鈥檚 also offered to do the same for dangerous criminals currently in custody and serving their sentences in the United States even though they鈥檙e U.S. citizens or legal residents.鈥�
Bukele confirmed the offer in a post on X, saying El Salvador would accept only 鈥渃onvicted criminals鈥� and would charge a fee that 鈥渨ould be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable.鈥�
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What kind of tariffs is China threatening?
China said it would implement a 15% tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas products as well as a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars imported from the U.S. The tariffs would take effect next Monday.
鈥淭he U.S.鈥檚 unilateral tariff increase seriously violates the rules of the World Trade Organization,鈥� the State Council Tariff Commission said in a statement. 鈥淚t is not only unhelpful in solving its own problems, but also damages normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the U.S.鈥�
The impact on U.S. exports may be limited. Though the U.S. is the biggest exporter of liquid natural gas globally, it does not export much to China. In 2023, the U.S. exported 173,247 million cubic feet of LNG to China, representing about 2.3% of total natural gas exports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
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The Associated Press
