The Latest: Wall Street dips as world stock markets take Trump’s tariffs in stride

Despite the uncertainty, the White House is confident businesses will ramp up new investments and jump-start hiring in ways that can rebalance the U.S. economy as a manufacturing power.

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US doubles reward to $50 million for arrest of Venezuela’s president to face drug charges

The Trump administration accuses Nicolás Maduro of being one of the world’s largest traffickers and working with cartels to flood the U.S. with fentanyl-laced cocaine.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice, and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video recording announcing the reward.

Maduro was indicted in Manhattan in 2020, during the first Trump presidency, along with several allies on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. At the time, the U.S. offered a $15 million reward for his arrest. That was later raised by the Biden administration to $25 million — the same amount offered for the capture of Osama bin Laden following 9/11.

Maduro remains entrenched, however, after defying the U.S., the European Union and several Latin American governments who condemned his 2024 reelection as a sham.

Texas Democrats plead for donations to extend their walkout and block Trump’s redistricting plan

After leaving for Illinois to prevent a legislative vote on a Republican redistricting plan, state House Democratic leader Gene Wu needed a means to project his voice and viewpoints to a national audience. So he tapped his campaign account to buy a microphone for news conferences.

When it came to covering the hefty hotel bill for Wu and his roughly 50 colleagues, Wu said, he relied on money from his chamber’s Democratic Caucus.

Now Texas Democrats are pleading for donations to help finance what could be a walkout lasting weeks, if not months, in a high-stakes attempt to prevent the Republican majority from passing a plan sought by the president to help maintain GOP control of the U.S. House next year.

“We’re getting a lot of small-dollar donations,” Wu told AP, “and that’s going to be used to help keep this thing going.”

▶ Read more about the walkout

US pauses most visa applications from Zimbabwe

The U.S. announced the pause Thursday for all routine visa applications for citizens of Zimbabwe, the latest restriction on travelers from Africa.

It came days after the U.S. unveiled a pilot project requiring citizens of two other African countries, Malawi and Zambia, to pay a bond of up to $15,000 for tourist or business visas that will be forfeited if they overstay.

The State Department said the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe would pause all routine visa services starting Friday “while we address concerns with the Government of Zimbabwe.”

The embassy described the measure as temporary and part of the administration’s efforts to “prevent visa overstay and misuse.” Most diplomatic and official visas are to be exempt.

The U.S. has enforced new travel restrictions on citizens from several African countries under Trump’s broader immigration enforcement policies.

Q&A: Can Trump hold a census in the middle of a decade and exclude immigrants in the US illegally?

On Thursday the president instructed the Commerce Department to have the Census Bureau start work on a new census that would exclude immigrants who are in the country illegally from the head count, which determines political power and federal spending.

Experts said it was unclear what exactly Trump was calling for, whether it was changes to the 2030 census or a mid-decade census, and, if so, whether it would be used for a mid-decade apportionment, which is the process of divvying up congressional seats based on population.

Can Trump do this?

It would be extremely difficult to conduct a mid-decade census, if not impossible, according to experts. Any changes in conducting one would require alterations to the Census Act and approval from Congress, which has oversight responsibilities, and there likely would be a fierce fight.

▶ Read more about questions raised by the president’s action

Trump says Armenia and Azerbaijan will sign ‘historic’ peace deal at White House

The president said he is looking forward to hosting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Friday.

In a post on his social media site, he billed the event as “historic” and said the two leaders would participate in a “Peace Signing Ceremony.”

Trump said his “administration has been engaged with both sides for quite some time” and added that he was “very proud of these courageous Leaders for doing the right thing.”

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter conflict over territory since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control over the Karabakh province and nearby territories.

White House pauses tour bookings as it begins installing new ballroom Trump ordered

However there have been no cancelations of bookings due to the ballroom, Nick Clemens, spokesperson for first lady Melania Trump, said in a statement Thursday evening.

“Instead, new tour bookings were paused proactively while a collaborative group of White House, U.S. Secret Service, National Park Service, and Executive Residence staff work to determine the best way to ensure public access to the White House as this project begins and for the duration of construction,” the statement said.

Clemens added that the “White House tour route has evolved over presidencies.”

The White House recently announced that construction on the new $200 million ballroom will begin in September.

JD Vance went kayaking for his birthday. The Secret Service had the Ohio river’s level raised

The action was taken last weekend to accommodate the kayaking trip, which the vice president and his family took for his 41st birthday.

The Secret Service said it requested the increased waterflow for the Little Miami River to ensure motorized watercraft and emergency personnel “could operate safely” while protecting Vance, whose home is in Cincinnati.

It prompted criticism of Vance as entitled, amid the Trump administration’s sweeping government cuts. The vice president’s office said Vance was unaware the river had been raised.

The Army Corps of Engineers declined to address any financial impact. Spokesperson Gene Pawlik said outflows from the Caesar Creek Lake into the Little Miami were slightly and temporarily increased, and the move met operational criteria and fell within normal practice.

Pawlik also said it was determined that water levels down- or upstream would not be adversely affected.

Dean Cain, former TV Superman and Trump backer, will be sworn in as honorary ICE officer

Dean Cain wants to join the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. In an interview with Fox News, Cain said he has already spoken to the agency, which is responsible for the president’s mass deportations agenda.

Homeland Security spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Cain will be sworn in as an “honorary ICE Officer” in the coming month. McLaughlin referenced Cain’s 1990s role in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” in saying, “Superman is encouraging Americans to become real-life superheroes.”

Earlier this week Cain posted a video encouraging others to join ICE, which aims to expand hiring after a massive infusion of cash from Congress. Cain, 59, told Fox News he was already a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police officer.

It was not immediately clear what his duties as an honorary officer would entail.

Cain has been outspoken in his conservative viewpoints and endorsed Trump in three elections.

Trump honors Purple Heart recipients, including 3 who sent him medals after attempt on his life

The president recognized nearly 100 recipients at the White House on Thursday at a ceremony in the East Room of the White house. He offered “everlasting thanks to you and your unbelievable families.”

But Trump had special words for the trio of veterans who sent him their medals after the 2024 attempt on his life at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Trump said they “showed me the same unbelievable gesture of kindness.”

“What a great honor to get those Purple Hearts. I guess, in a certain way, it wasn’t that easy for me either, when you think of it,” Trump said of the attempt on his life. “But you went through a lot more than I did, and I appreciate it very much.”

Trump signs order for colleges to prove they do not consider race in admissions

The order follows a Supreme Court ruling in 2023 against affirmative action. The court allowed colleges to consider how race has shaped students’ lives if applicants shared that information in essays.

The administration accuses colleges of using personal statements as proxies to consider race.

The order signed Thursday has similarities to parts of agreements with Brown and Columbia universities, which agreed to provide data on race as part of settlements to restore their federal funding.

Conservatives argue that colleges still consider race through proxy measures, but no clear pattern emerged in the racial makeup of last year’s freshman class.

Trump orders federal regulators to probe alleged bank discrimination against conservatives

The president signed an executive order mandating a probe into whether banks have discriminated against conservatives and certain industries like gun manufacturers and cryptocurrency companies, invoking vast powers to go after entities he alleges have discriminated against him and his allies.

The order deals with an issue known as debanking, which is when banks close accounts of individuals or decline to go into business with certain industries. Trump has accused JPMorgan and Bank of America of debanking him and his companies in the past, something both have denied.

Trump ordered federal regulators to make sure banks do not discriminate against individuals or companies for their political or religious beliefs. He also ordered regulators to probe when banks may have allegedly discriminated and refer cases to the Department of Justice within 120 days.

The move could open banks to potential civil or criminal investigations, fines or other punishments.

Administration asks Supreme Court to lift restrictions on Southern California immigration stops

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to lift a court order blocking immigration stops that a judge found to be indiscriminate in Southern California.

The emergency petition comes after an appeals court refused to lift the temporary restraining order.

Judge Maame E. Frimpong found there was a “mountain of evidence” that federal immigration enforcement tactics were violating the Constitution.

The administration argues that her order hinders immigration enforcement.

Trump notes that he’s reached his 200th day in office

The president briefly noted that Thursday marked his 200th day in office during a White House event commemorating Purple Heart Day.

“This is 200 days already,” Trump said at the start of the event. “Time flies.”

The 100-day mark is a key benchmark early in a presidential administration, and Trump celebrated the first 100 days of his second term with a speech and rally in Michigan.

But the 200-day milestone is not usually noted.

Senior Russian UN diplomat says he hasn’t heard of any meeting planned with Ukraine’s president at summit

Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky also told U.N. reporters that a location for the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald next week has been agreed “that they don’t want to discuss.”

Asked what Russia’s aim is for the meeting, Polyansky said, “Russia’s aims are always peace and security in the world. They are not changing, and that’s the same aim that we pursue in this kind of negotiations.”

He said he hasn’t heard of a meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but added, “I’m not in the loop. I think that these things are now being very actively commented through the channels of two presidents.”

Trump says he would meet with Putin even if Putin won’t meet with Zelenskyy

Trump says he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin even if the Russian leader won’t meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump, when asked Thursday by a reporter if Putin would need to meet with Zelenskyy in order to secure a meeting with the U.S., said, “No, he doesn’t. No.”

Stephen Moore appears at White House with Trump

The White House hastily invited journalists into the Oval Office Thursday afternoon for a surprise appearance by conservative economist Stephen Moore.

Trump and Moore, flanked by charts, had some economic data to present.

Moore is a favorite of Trump and the president nominated hi to the Federal Reserve board in his first White House term, but Moore could not get confirmed in the Senate.

Trump opens the door for private equity and crypto as 401(k) retirement plan options

Millions of Americans saving for retirement through 401(k) accounts could have the option of putting their money in higher-risk private equity and cryptocurrency investments, according to an executive order signed Thursday by President Donald Trump that could give those financial players long-sought access to a pool of funds worth trillions.

There is no immediate change in how people invest part of their work earnings. Federal agencies would need to rewrite rules and regulations to allow the expanded choices, and that would take months or more to complete. But once done, employers could offer a broader array of mutual funds and investments to workers, according to the White House. New plans could invest in alternative assets, particularly private equity, cryptocurrencies and real estate.

The Republican president’s order directs the Labor Department and other agencies to redefine what would be considered a qualified asset under 401(k) retirement rules.

▶ Read more about retirement plans

Florida Republican House Speaker says his chamber will take up congressional redistricting

Florida, the third most U.S. populous state, is preparing to join a widening fight among states grappling for political advantage ahead of the 2026 elections, after Florida’s Republican House Speaker Daniel Perez announced Thursday that his chamber will take up congressional redistricting this fall.

“As many of you are aware, there are national conversations ongoing in other states related to midterm redistricting,” Perez wrote in a memo to state lawmakers detailing plans for a select committee on redistricting.

The announcement comes as President Donald Trump is pushing GOP-controlled states to redraw their maps to favor Republican candidates and boost his party’s prospects ahead of the midterm elections, as his political standing falters.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has voiced support for mid-decade redistricting, telling the public to “stay tuned.”

Trump picks economics aide Miran to fill remainder of Federal Reserve spot

Stephen Miran, the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, is Trump’s pick to fill the final months of the Fed governorship held by Adriana Kugler, who resigned from the post last week.

Miran has been a major defender of Trump’s income tax cuts and tariff hikes, arguing that the combination will generate enough growth to reduce budget deficits and drive faster economic growth. He also has played down the risk of Trump’s tariffs generating higher inflation, a major source of concern for Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who Trump has criticized for holding off on cuts to the central bank’s benchmark interest rate.

Miran, who has an economics doctorate from Harvard University, would be in the position until Jan. 31, 2026, when the term is set to expire.