The Senate is finding itself in a familiar position, working to with just hours to spare Friday. Democrats have only painful options: allow passage of a bill they believe gives vast discretion on spending decisions, or vote no and give Trump free rein. gave members of his caucus days to vent their frustration before he will not allow a government shutdown.
Also Friday, it's Trump's move now that two federal judges requiring his administration to rehire thousands of probationary federal workers let go in . Trump also plans a Justice Department rally for what he's calling a And his Education secretary announced probes of more than 50 schools for as part of Trump鈥檚 campaign to that his officials say exclude white and Asian American students.
Here's the Latest:
Dr. Mehmet Oz would oversee Medicare, Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage
A Senate Finance Committee hearing has begun for Trump鈥檚 pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The 64-year-old Oz who became a popular TV pitchman. Now Trump wants him to oversee health insurance for about 150 million Americans.
Republicans likely will ask Oz how he鈥檒l from Medicare and Medicaid. Democrats will probably focus on cuts he would make to insurance coverage and his televised comments supporting privatized Medicare.
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Consumer sentiment falls sharply amid worries about Trump鈥檚 policies
The University of Michigan鈥檚 consumer sentiment measure has fallen for three straight months and is down 22% from December 2024.
Declining confidence showed up 鈥渃onsistently across all groups by age, education, income, wealth, political affiliations, and geographic regions,鈥� survey director Joanne Hsu said.
鈥淢any consumers cited the high level of uncertainty around policy and other economic factors; frequent gyrations in economic policies make it very difficult for consumers to plan for the future, regardless of one鈥檚 policy preference,鈥� Hsu鈥檚 statement said.
Sentiment collapsed by more than a third among Democrats since December, nearly 20% among independents, and only slightly among Republicans. But a measure of Republicans鈥� economic outlook dropped by 10% just this month.
Senate Majority Leader hopes he has the votes to prevent a midnight shutdown
John Thune says the chamber is ready to vote later in the day, and he鈥檚 鈥渉opeful that enough Democrats will reject their party鈥檚 threat of shutting down the government to get this bill passed today.鈥�
With a 53-47 majority, and some dissent within his won Republican ranks, the GOP leader still needs at least eight Democrats to cross party lines to clear the 60-vote threshold.
House Democrats express fury at Senate counterparts over GOP spending bill
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated that House Democrats would not be 鈥渃omplicit鈥� in the GOP spending plan.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York expressed frustration that Democratic senators aren鈥檛 aligning with the members 鈥渨ho have won Trump-held districts in some of the most difficult territories in the United States, who walked the plank and took innumerable risks in order to defend the American people.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 still time,鈥� said Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico at a press conference of the Democratic Women鈥檚 Caucus. 鈥淭he American people are shouting: Please do not hand the keys over to Elon Musk.鈥�
Trump administration investigating more than 50 universities in anti-DEI campaign
The Education Department announced the new investigations Friday, one month after warning America鈥檚 schools and colleges that they could lose federal money over 鈥渞ace-based preferences鈥� in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life.
鈥淪tudents must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,鈥� Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. 鈥淲e will not yield on this commitment.鈥�
Most of the new inquiries 鈥� 45 鈥� are focused on colleges鈥� partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business with the goal of diversifying the business world.
Department officials said that the group limits eligibility based on race and that colleges that partner with it are 鈥渆ngaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.鈥� They include public universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State and Rutgers, and prestigious private schools including Yale, Cornell, Duke and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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AP EXCLUSIVE: US and Israel look to Africa for resettling Palestinians from Gaza
The U.S. and Israel have reached out to officials from three East African governments to discuss using their territories as potential destinations to resettle more than 2 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
That鈥檚 according to American and Israeli officials who spoke to The Associated Press. The contacts were with Sudan, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland.
The idea of a mass transfer of Palestinians was once considered a fantasy of Israel鈥檚 ultranationalist fringe, but since Trump presented the idea at a White House meeting last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed it as a 鈥� .鈥�
There鈥檚 strong opposition to displacing Gaza's population. Palestinians have and dismiss Israeli claims that the departures would be voluntary. Arab nations are vehemently against it, offering an that would leave the Palestinians in place. Rights groups said forcing or pressuring Palestinians to leave could be a .
Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a secret diplomatic initiative, U.S. and Israeli officials confirmed the contacts with Somalia and Somaliland, while the Americans confirmed Sudan as well. They said it was unclear how much progress has been made. The White House declined to comment on the outreach efforts.
By Josef Federman, Matthew Lee and Samy Magdy
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Allies wrap up a G7 meeting overshadowed by Trump鈥檚 tariffs and Canada taunts
The Group of 7 talks in Canada have been overshadowed by Trump鈥檚 trade and foreign policies and his repeated taunts aimed at the host. Top diplomats hope to reach consensus nevertheless on a final communique after hours of late-night negotiations.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said 鈥渢here is a great deal of unity within the G7,鈥� pointing to support for the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.
And she said Canada will be working on off-ramps from Trump鈥檚 trade war, even as it puts 鈥渕aximum pressure鈥� on their neighbor. 鈥淭he Trump tariffs are going to hurt Americans. That鈥檚 our message, that鈥檚 our approach,鈥� she said.
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House Democrats express fury at Senate counterparts over GOP spending bill
After Schumer announced he鈥檇 vote for the package, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated that House Democrats 鈥渞emain strongly opposed鈥� and would not be 鈥渃omplicit鈥� in the GOP spending plan.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York expressed frustration that some members 鈥渨ho have won Trump-held districts in some of the most difficult territories in the United States, who walked the plank and took innumerable risks in order to defend the American people鈥� now have to watch Senate Democrats consider acquiescing.
鈥淭here鈥檚 still time,鈥� said Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico at the Democratic Women鈥檚 Caucus in Virginia. 鈥淭he American people are shouting: please do not hand the keys over to Elon Musk.鈥�
Meanwhile, Schumer is winning praise from the president: 鈥淐ongratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing 鈥� Took 鈥済uts鈥� and courage!鈥� Trump posted on his social media account.
AP EXCLUSIVE: Hundreds of federal offices could begin closing this summer at DOGE鈥檚 behest
Federal agencies will begin to vacate hundreds of offices across the country this summer under push by Elon 惭耻蝉办鈥檚 budget-cutting advisers to that they say waste money.
惭耻蝉办鈥檚 maintains a list of canceled real estate leases on its website, but internal documents obtained by The Associated Press contain a crucial detail: when those cancellations are expected to take effect. The documents from inside the General Services Administration, the U.S. government鈥檚 real estate manager, list expected to end by June 30, with hundreds more slated over the coming months.
The rapid pace of cancellations has raised alarms, with some agencies and lawmakers appealing to DOGE to exempt specific buildings. Several agencies are facing 20 or more lease cancellations in all, including the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Geological Survey.
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Why Democrats are concerned about the spending bill
Both defense and non-defense spending is lower than what was agreed to when Congress in return for spending restraints. And they're even more worried about the discretion it gives the Trump administration on spending decisions. Many Democrats are referring to it as a 鈥渂lank check.鈥�
Hundreds of the specific funding directives for key programs that come with most bills fall away under this continuing resolution, so the administration will have more leeway to decide where the money goes.
Democrats also object to the treatment of the District of Columbia, which would have to cut current spending by $1.1 billion, and the clawing back of $20 billion in special IRS funding, on top of the $20 billion rescission approved the year before, which essentially cuts in half the funding boost that Congress intended to give the agency.
What to know about the bill being debated by the Senate
Congress has been unable to pass the annual appropriations bills designed to fund the government, so they鈥檝e resorted to passing short-term extensions instead. The legislation before the Senate marks such continuing resolution for the current fiscal year, now nearly half over.
The legislation would fund the federal government through the end of September. It would trim non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increase defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion.
The Republican-led House the spending bill on Tuesday and then adjourned. The move left senators with a decision to either take it or leave it. And while Democrats have been pushing for a vote on a fourth short-term extension, GOP leadership made clear that option was a non-starter.
A procedural vote Friday will provide a first test of whether the package has the 60 votes needed to advance, ahead of final voting likely later in the day. At least eight Democrats will need to join with Republicans to move the funding package forward.
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Trump will visit a Justice Department he's sought to reshape with loyalists
Trump is expected to use his visit to deliver a speech outlining his administration鈥檚 tough-on-crime agenda. But the appearance doubles as a victory lap after he emerged legally and politically unscathed from two federal prosecutions that were .
The visit is the first by Trump and the first by any president in a decade. It brings Trump into the belly of an institution he has disparaged in searing terms for years but one that he has sought to reshape by and members of his personal defense team in top leadership positions.
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Judges order Trump to rehire probationary workers let go in mass firings
Two federal judges handed down orders on Thursday requiring Trump鈥檚 administration to rehire thousands, if not tens of thousands, of probationary workers let go in across multiple agencies, slowing down for now the president鈥檚 dramatic downsizing of the federal government.
Both judges separately found legal problems with the way the mass terminations were carried out and ordered the employees at least temporarily brought back on the job.
The Trump administration has already appealed the first ruling. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt cast it as an attempt to encroach on the president鈥檚 power to hire and fire employees. 鈥淭he Trump Administration will immediately fight back against this absurd and unconstitutional order,鈥� she said in a statement.
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Schumer gives Democrats room to side with Republicans to avoid a government shutdown
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer gave members of his caucus days to vent their frustration about the options before them, but late Thursday he will not allow a government shutdown. His move gives Democrats room to side with Republicans and allow the continuing resolution, often described as a CR, to come up for a vote as soon as Friday.
Schumer said on the Senate floor that the choice between the GOP spending bill and a government shutdown is 鈥渘o choice at all鈥� but that a shutdown would be 鈥渁 far worse option.鈥�
A procedural vote Friday will provide a first test of whether the package has the 60 votes needed to advance, ahead of final voting likely later in the day. At least eight Democrats will need to join with Republicans to move the funding package forward.
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Pentagon continues purge of images it sees as pro-DEI, including 3 related to the Enola Gay
The Pentagon is continuing its purge of photographs it considers promote DEI, and although it said historical photographs would be protected, at least three images related to the B-29 Superfortress bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, have been removed 鈥� likely because the aircraft was called the Enola Gay.
The images that have disappeared include a historical black-and-white photo of the Enola Gay 鈥渦ndergoing modification at Oklahoma City Air Depot to be able to drop atomic weapons,鈥� according to a thumbnail of the photograph, which remains. Two others that mention a grandson of a member of the original Enola Gay crew flying a refurbished B-29 to honor his family have also been deleted, although their thumbnails are also still visible.
A request for comment to the Pentagon on why the Enola Gay images were removed was not immediately returned.
The Associated Press
