Trump ponders whether to move forward with Iran deal but hasn't yet decided
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump met with his advisers for about two hours but has not yet made a decision on whether to move forward with a deal to extend the Iran ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said the agreement has not been finalized. Ahead of Friday's meeting, Trump said he was looking to make a “final determination.” A senior administration official later said the roughly two-hour meeting with national security aides had concluded without a decision. The official wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Judge says Kennedy Center board broke law putting Trump's name on building, blocks closure
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations. Trump said in response that he’s backing away from his proposed renovation and returning control of the arts institution to Congress. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Kennedy Center board’s March 16 vote to close the facility was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained” with no regard for its legal obligations. Cooper also concluded that the board “overstepped its statutory bounds” by unilaterally adding Trump’s name to the center. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it, he said.
Judge temporarily blocks payouts from Trump's $1.776 billion 'anti-weaponization' settlement fund
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's administration from paying any claims through a new $1.776 billion settlement fund for the Republican president's allies who believe they were victims of a weaponized government. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday also barred the government from moving forward with the fund’s creation while litigation is pending to challenge it. The judge scheduled a June 12 hearing for arguments on whether to extend the order blocking payouts from an “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which the government created to resolve Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. The White House declines to comment.
Bondi refuses to answer lawmakers' questions about Trump's involvement in Epstein files release
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Attorney General Pam Bondi has finished her interview with House lawmakers about the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files. Bondi stood behind the Trump administration’s release of the Epstein files but refused to answer questions on President Donald Trump’s involvement in it. Democratic lawmakers said Friday that Bondi told them she would not speak about the Republican president in the closed-door interview. Several survivors of Epstein’s abuse gathered outside the Capitol office where lawmakers were interviewing Bondi. The survivors tried to make their presence known to Bondi as she entered the room but say they were shoved aside by police officers.
Louisiana enacts new congressional districts in a bid to give the GOP another seat
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana is enacting a plan to try to help Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House in November. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed the redistricting plan into law Friday in a bid to give Republicans a better chance to pick up an additional seat. The state’s Republican-controlled Legislature passed the plan in response to late April’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Louisiana’s congressional district map constituted an illegal racial gerrymander. It’s the latest flare-up in a heated national redistricting battle, spurred along by President Donald Trump. The map makes Louisiana one of several Southern states taking steps to eliminate a majority-Black congressional district that elected a Democrat.
Bus hits cars in Virginia, killing 5 people and injuring 34, state police say
Virginia State Police say a bus crashed into vehicles slowing for a work zone on Interstate 95 early Friday, killing five people in two cars and sending dozens to hospitals. The crash happened at about 2:35 a.m. on southbound I-95 in Stafford County. A state police statement says all five of those killed were from Massachusetts. Most of the injured were taken to hospitals in Stafford and Fredericksburg. Three were in critical condition, police said. Police said the crash is under investigation and charges are pending. The southbound lanes were reopened by noon, with traffic backups.
Federal judge says New Hampshire must make it easier to prove citizenship when registering to vote
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A federal judge says New Hampshire must make it easier for voters to prove their U.S. citizenship. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot did not rule directly on whether requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration is constitutional. Instead, she said it was unconstitutional to remove one method of proof, namely signing an affidavit attesting to their citizenship. The case was seen as the first major legal test of an election reform that has been pushed nationally by President Donald Trump and has gained favor among many Republicans. Her ruling late Thursday night underscored the potential perils of implementing strict requirements for voters to document their U.S. citizenship so they can cast a ballot.
US adult cigarette smoking rate hits another all-time low
NEW YORK (AP) — The cigarette smoking rate among U.S. adults dropped to another all-time low last year. A government survey shows that about 1 in 11 adults said they were current smokers. The preliminary findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were posted online this week. In the mid-1960s, 42% of U.S. adults were smokers. The rate has been gradually dropping for decades, and last year it was 9%. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and it’s long been considered the leading cause of preventable death.
Blue Origin investigates rocket explosion as public is warned about possible wreckage washing ashore
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is assessing damage to its Florida launch pad after a rocket exploded during a test firing. The company fueled the massive New Glenn rocket Thursday night, hoping to briefly ignite the engines ahead of a satellite launch next week. But the 321-foot rocket blew up, taking part of the pad with it. Emergency officials are warning the public to avoid any wreckage that might wash ashore and instead call 911. New Glenn is the rocket that Blue Origin plans to use to launch landers to the moon for NASA.
Djokovic's French Open loss to teenager Fonseca ensures a new men's Grand Slam winner
PARIS (AP) — There will be a new men’s champion at the French Open after Novak Djokovic followed Jannik Sinner out of the door at Roland Garros in a five-set thriller. Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca beat 24-time major winner Djokovic 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in the third round to follow Thursday’s huge upset when four-time Grand Slam winner Sinner lost to 56th-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo. But second-seeded Alexander Zverev, the 2024 runner-up, advanced. Along with Daniil Medvedev, Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka all the men’s major winners are out. So a new pair of hands will raise the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy on June 7.
