Trump says US will lift steel tariffs to 50 percent at Pennsylvania rally
United States President Donald Trump has announced his administration is raising tariffs on steel imports from 25 percent to 50 percent. Speaking to steelworkers and supporters at a rally outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Trump framed his latest tariff increase as a boon to the domestic manufacturing industry. “We’re going to bring it from 25 percent to 50 percent, the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States,” Trump told the crowd. “Nobody’s going to get around that.” How that tariff increase would affect the free-trade deal with Canada and Mexico – or a separate trade deal struck earlier this month with the United Kingdom – remains unclear. Also left ambiguous was the nature of a deal struck between Nippon Steel, the largest steel producer in Japan, and the domestic company US Steel. Still, Trump played up the partnership between the two companies as a “blockbuster agreement”. “ There’s never been a $14bn investment in the history of the steel industry in the United States of America,” Trump said of the deal. Advertisement A tariff hike on steel Friday’s rally was a return to the site of many election-season campaign events for Trump and his team. In 2024, Trump hinged his pitch for re-election on an appeal to working-class voters, including those in the Rust Belt region, a manufacturing hub that has declined in the face of the shifting industry trends and greater overseas competition. Key swing states like Pennsylvania and Michigan are located in the region, and they leaned Republican on election day, helping to propel Trump to a second term as president. Trump, in turn, has framed his “America First” agenda as a policy platform designed to bolster the domestic manufacturing industry. Tariffs and other protectionist policies have played a prominent part in that agenda. In March, for instance, Trump announced an initial slate of 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminium, causing major trading partners like Canada to respond with retaliatory measures. The following month, he also imposed a blanket 10-percent tariff on nearly all trade partners as well as higher country-specific import taxes. Those were quickly paused amid economic shockwaves and widespread criticism, while the 10-percent tariff remained in place. Trump has argued that the tariffs are a vital negotiating tool to encourage greater investment in the US economy. But economists have warned that attempting a “hard reset” of the global economy – through dramatic tax hikes like tariffs – will likely blow back on US consumers, raising prices. Advertisement Rachel Ziemba, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said the latest tariff hike on steel also signals that negotiating trade deals with Trump may result in “limited benefits”, given the sudden shifts in his policies. Further, Friday’s announcement signals that Trump is likely to continue doubling down on tariffs, she said. “The challenge is that hiking the steel tariffs may be good for steel workers, but it is bad for manufacturing and the energy sector, among others. So overall, it is not great for the US economy and adds uncertainty to the macro outlook,” Ziemba explained. Trump’s tariff policies have also faced legal challenges in the US, where businesses, interest groups and states have all filed lawsuits to stop the tax hikes on imports. On Thursday, for instance, a federal court briefly ruled that Trump had illegally exercised emergency powers to impose his sweeping slate of international tariffs, only for an appeals court to temporarily pause that ruling a few hours later. A deal with Nippon Steel Before the tariff hike was announced, Friday’s rally in Pittsburgh was expected to focus on Nippon Steel’s proposed acquisition of US Steel, the second largest steel producer in the country. “We’re here today to celebrate a blockbuster agreement that will ensure this storied American company stays an American company,” Trump said at the outset of his speech. But the merger between Nippon Steel and US Steel had been controversial, and it was largely opposed by labour unions. Advertisement Upon returning to the White House in January, Trump initially said he would block the acquisition, mirroring a similar position taken by his predecessor, former US President Joe Biden. However, he has since pivoted his stance and backed the deal. Last week, he announced an agreement that he said would grant Nippon only “partial ownership” over US Steel. Speaking on Friday, Trump said the new deal would include Nippon making a “$14bn commitment to the future” of US Steel, although he did not provide details about how the ownership agreement would play out. “Oh, you’re gonna be happy,” Trump told the crowd of steelworkers. “There’s a lot of money coming your way.” The Republican leader also waxed poetic about the history of steel in the US, describing it as the backbone of the country’s economy. “The city of Pittsburgh used to produce more steel than most entire countries could produce, and it wasn’t even close,” he said, adding: “If you don’t have steel, you don’t have a country.” For its part, US Steel has not publicly communicated any details of a revamped deal to investors. Nippon, meanwhile, issued a statement approving the proposed “partnership”, but it also has not disclosed terms of the arrangement. The acquisition has split union workers, although the national United Steelworkers Union has been one of its leading opponents. In a statement prior to the rally, the union questioned whether the new arrangement makes “any meaningful change” from the initial proposal. Advertisement “Nippon has maintained consistently that it would only invest in US Steel’s facilities if it owned the company outright,” the union said in a statement, which noted firmer details had not yet been released. “We’ve seen nothing in the reporting over the past few days suggesting that Nippon has walked back from this position.” The rally on Friday comes as Trump has sought to reassure his base of voters following a tumultuous start to his second term. Critics point out
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,192
Here’s where things stand on Saturday, May 31: Fighting Eight people, including two teenagers, were injured in a Russian attack on the village of Vasyliv Khutir in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched 90 drones and two ballistic missiles against Ukraine that targeted the country’s Kharkiv, Odesa and Donetsk regions. The Kharkiv region’s main city came under Russian drone attack, which targeted a trolleybus depot and injured two people, the city’s Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. He said more than 30 nearby apartment buildings were damaged, while one trolleybus was completely destroyed, and 18 others sustained varying degrees of damage. Ceasefire Ukraine has resisted US and Russian pressure to commit to attending another round of peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, saying it first needs to see Russian proposals for a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia “is doing everything it can to ensure that the next potential meeting brings no results”. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the planned second round of talks between Ukraine and Russia will pave the way for peace in a phone call with Zelenskyy, according to a readout issued by the Turkish presidency. Erdogan said it is important that both parties join the talks with strong delegations. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also said Kyiv needed to see the Russian ceasefire proposals in advance for the talks to be “substantive and meaningful”, without spelling out what Kyiv would do if it did not receive the Russian document or a deadline for receiving it. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky will again head Russia’s delegation in Istanbul for the second round of Russia-Ukraine talks and will bring a memorandum and other ceasefire proposals to the meeting. Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told the UN Security Council that Moscow was ready to consider a ceasefire, provided Western states stopped arming Ukraine and Kyiv stopped mobilising troops. Advertisement Influential US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on a visit to Kyiv that the Republican-led US Senate is expected to move ahead with a bill on sanctions against Russia next week. Graham, who met Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday, said he had talked with Donald Trump before his trip and the US president expects concrete actions now from Moscow. Trump told reporters that both Putin and Zelenskyy were stubborn and that he had been surprised and disappointed by the Russian bombing of Ukraine while he was trying to arrange a ceasefire. Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said Russia’s concern over the eastward enlargement of NATO was fair and Washington did not want to see Ukraine in the US-led military alliance. Commenting on Kellogg’s statement, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was pleased, adding that a Russian delegation would be travelling to Istanbul and ready for talks with Ukraine on Monday morning. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters in Kyiv that the next step after talks in Istanbul would be to try to host a meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy. Economy Ukraine’s finance ministry has announced that it would not be paying more than half a billion dollars due to holders of its GDP warrants – fixed income securities indexed to economic growth – marking the first payment default since it created the financial instruments in 2015. Ukraine owes $665m on June 2 to holders of the $3.2bn worth of warrants, based on 2023 economic performance. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
‘Unfriendly and meddling’: Cuba reprimands US diplomat amid rising tensions
Cuba’s Foreign Ministry has issued a statement of protest against the head of the United States mission to the island, Michael Hammer. In a news release published on Friday, the Foreign Ministry accused Hammer, a career diplomat, of “unfriendly and meddling behaviour” since his arrival to Cuba in late 2024. “By inciting Cuban citizens to commit extremely serious criminal acts, attacking the constitutional order, or encouraging them to act against the authorities or demonstrate in support of the interests and objectives of a hostile foreign power, the diplomat is engaging in provocative and irresponsible conduct,” the Foreign Ministry wrote. “The immunity he enjoys as a representative of his country cannot be used as cover for acts contrary to the sovereignty and internal order of the country to which he is assigned, in this case Cuba.” The Foreign Ministry said the message was delivered by its director of bilateral affairs with the US, Alejandro Garcia del Toro. Friday’s statement is the latest indication of increasingly rocky relations between Cuba and the US, particularly since President Donald Trump began his second term in January. Advertisement A history of tensions Diplomatic ties between the two countries, however, have been icy for decades, stretching back to the Cold War in the 1960s. After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the US government imposed strict trade restrictions on the island and backed efforts to topple the newly established Communist government. But there have been efforts to ease the tensions, notably during the administrations of Democratic presidents like Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the US. In 2016, for instance, Obama sought to normalise relations with Cuba, only to see those efforts rolled back during the first Trump administration, starting in 2017. Likewise, President Biden — who formerly served as Obama’s vice president — removed Cuba from the US’s list of “state sponsors of terrorism” in the waning days of his term in January. But upon taking office for his second time on January 20, Trump reversed course once more, putting Cuba back on the list that very same day. Trump also included in his presidential cabinet several officials who have taken a hardline stance towards Cuba, most notably former Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Born to Cuban immigrants, Rubio is an outspoken supporter of continuing the trade embargo against the island. The Cuban government, meanwhile, has continued to accuse the US of attempting to destabilise its leadership. In Friday’s statement, the Cuban Foreign Ministry accused Hammer of “public and insulting manipulation” for his recent visit to the tomb of a 19th-century national hero, Jose Marti. Advertisement The US Embassy to Cuba posted a video of the visit with a voiceover of Marti’s words, “Respect for the freedom and thoughts of others, even of the most unhappy kind, is my passion: If I die or am killed, it will be for that.” Critics have interpreted that citation as an implied endorsement of dissent on the island. Ramping up pressure In recent months, there have also been signs that Trump plans to once again tighten the screws on the Cuban government, in a return to the “maximum pressure” campaigns that typified foreign policy during his first term. In February, for instance, the Trump administration announced it would yank visas from anyone who works with Cuba’s medical system, which sends thousands of healthcare workers abroad each year, particularly in the Caribbean region. Critics have criticised the healthcare programme for its low pay and hefty restrictions on its employees. Trump and Rubio, meanwhile, have claimed the medical system amounts to a form of “forced labour” that enriches the Cuban government. But leaders in Havana have denied that allegation. Then, in April, the US government condemned Cuba for re-arresting a group of dissidents, among them prominent figures like Jose Daniel Ferrer and Felix Navarro. Cuba had initially agreed to release Ferrer and Navarro as part of a bargain brokered by the Vatican earlier this year. Cuba was expected to release 553 prisoners, many of whom were swept up in anti-government protests, and in exchange, the US was supposed to ease its sanctions against the island. The sanctions relief, however, never came. Advertisement An additional measure was taken against Cuba just this month. The State Department, under Rubio’s direction, determined that “Cuba did not fully cooperate with U.S. counterterrorism efforts in 2024”. It accused Cuba of harbouring 11 fugitives, some of whom faced terrorism-related charges in the US. “The Cuban regime made clear it was not willing to discuss their return to face justice in our nation,” the State Department wrote in a news release. “The United States will continue to promote international cooperation on counterterrorism issues. We also continue to promote accountability for countries that do not stand against terrorism.” As punishment, Cuba was labelled as a “not fully cooperating country” under the Arms Export Control Act, a designation that limits its ability to purchase weaponry and other defence tools from the US. Furthermore, Hammer had recently signalled that new sanctions were on the way for the island. But in the face of Friday’s reprimand, the US. State Department indicated it was undeterred and would continue to support dissidents against Cuba’s “malign influence”. Adblock test (Why?)
Bill that would ban cellphones in Texas public schools heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk
Research shows cellphones interfere with students’ ability to focus in class. Texas would join at least nine other states that ban students from using their phones during the school day.
Hunter Biden seen driving Toyota rental in South Africa after his Secret Service detail was terminated
Hunter Biden was seen out and about with his family in Cape Town, South Africa, Friday amid Republicans’ investigation into an alleged “conspiracy” related to his father’s cognitive decline as president. The embattled son of the former president toured Cape Town with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, and son, Beau Biden Jr., driving a rented Toyota sedan, a big change from the black Chevy Suburbans he was used to traveling in before President Donald Trump yanked his Secret Service detail. In March, Trump terminated Hunter Biden’s Secret Service detail after former President Joe Biden extended his son’s detail indefinitely. Typically, children of former presidents only enjoy Secret Service protection if they are 16 or younger. Trump’s move to remove Hunter Biden’s detail came as the former president’s son was once again vacationing in South Africa. FBI REOPENING INVESTIGATION INTO COCAINE FOUND AT BIDEN WHITE HOUSE Hunter Biden and his family were seen on the Sea Point Main Road, a main thoroughfare in a wealthy part of Cape Town, paying for parking and stopping into the local butcher. Based on the images, it is apparent Hunter no longer has the luxury of a Secret Service detail. The new pictures also mark the first time Hunter Biden has been seen publicly since his father’s public cancer announcement. JAKE TAPPER UNLOADS ON HUNTER BIDEN AS ‘DEMONSTRABLY UNETHICAL, SLEAZY AND PRONE TO HORRIBLE DECISIONS’ Republicans are launching a new investigation into the alleged “conspiracy” behind former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline. Senstors Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, announced plans to hold a Senate Judiciary hearing June 18 to look into the alleged cover-up of the 82-year-old former president’s mental decline while in office by the media and those closest to him. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The lawmakers are still gathering witnesses for the probe, which would be the first full congressional committee hearing on the subject.
Trump tariff plan faces uncertain future as court battles intensify
A federal appeals court paused a lower ruling blocking President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, siding with the administration Thursday in a legal fight over the White House’s use of an emergency law to enact punishing import taxes. The back-and-forth injected more volatility into markets this week after several weeks of relative calm, and court observers and economists told Fox News Digital they do not expect the dust to settle any time soon. Here’s what to know as this litigation continues to play out. TRUMP DENOUNCES COURT’S ‘POLITICAL’ TARIFF DECISION, CALLS ON SUPREME COURT TO ACT QUICKLY The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit temporarily stayed a lower court ruling Thursday that blocked two of Trump’s sweeping tariffs from taking force. The ruling paused a decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) allowing Trump to continue to enact the 10% baseline tariff and the so-called “reciprocal tariffs” that he announced April 2 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. It came one day after the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled unanimously to block the tariffs. Members of the three-judge panel who were appointed by Trump, former President Barack Obama and former President Ronald Reagan, ruled unanimously that Trump had overstepped his authority under IEEPA. They noted that, as commander in chief, Trump does not have “unbounded authority” to impose tariffs under the emergency law. Now, lawyers for the Trump administration and the plaintiffs are tasked with complying with a fast schedule with deadlines in both courts. Plaintiffs have until 5 p.m. Monday to file their response to the Court of International Trade, according to Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel and director of litigation of the Liberty Justice Center, which represents five small businesses that sued the administration. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit gave plaintiffs until Thursday to file a response to the stay and the Trump administration until June 9 to file a reply, Schwab told Fox News Digital in an interview. The goal is to move expeditiously, and lawyers for the plaintiffs told Fox News they plan to file briefs to both courts before the deadlines to mitigate harm to their clients. “Hopefully,” Schwab said, the quick action will allow the courts to issue rulings “more quickly than they otherwise would.” The Trump administration praised the stay as a victory. The appellate court stay on the CIT ruling “is a positive development for America’s industries and workers,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. “The Trump administration remains committed to addressing our country’s national emergencies of drug trafficking and historic trade deficits with every legal authority conferred to the president in the Constitution and by Congress.” But some economists warned that continuing to pursue the steep tariffs could backfire. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS 5 TRUMP TARIFF EXECUTIVE ORDERS The bottom line for the Trump administration “is that they need to get back to a place [where] they are using these huge reciprocal tariffs and all of that as a negotiating tactic,” William Cline, an economist and senior fellow emeritus at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said in an interview. Cline noted that this had been the framework laid out earlier by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who had embraced the tariffs as more of an opening salvo for future trade talks, including between the U.S. and China. “I think the thing to keep in mind there is that Trump and Vance have this view that tariffs are beautiful because they will restore America’s Rust Belt jobs and that they’ll collect money while they’re doing it, which will contribute to fiscal growth,” said Cline, the former deputy managing director and chief economist of the Institute of International Finance. “Those are both fantasies.” ‘AMERICAN HERO’ OR ‘FAILURE’: ELON MUSK’S DOGE DEPARTURE DIVIDES CAPITOL HILL Plaintiffs and the Trump administration wait. But whether that wait is a good or bad thing depends on who is asked. Economists noted that the longer the court process takes, the more uncertainty is injected into markets. This could slow economic growth and hurt consumers. For the U.S. small business owners that have sued Trump over the tariffs, it could risk potentially irreparable harm. “Some of the harm has already taken place. And the longer it goes on, the worse it is,” said Schwab. The White House said it will take its tariff fight to the Supreme Court if necessary. But it’s unclear if the high court would choose to take up the case. The challenge comes at a time when Trump’s relationship with the judiciary has come under increasing strain, which could make the high court wary to take on such a politically charged case. Lawyers for the plaintiffs described the case as “very likely” to be appealed to the Supreme Court, but it’s unclear whether it will move to review it. “It’s possible that because the case is before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, which essentially applies to the country, unlike specific appellate courts, which have certain districts, that the Supreme Court might be OK with whatever the Federal Circuit decides and then not take the case,” Schwab said. For now, the burden of proof shifts to the government, which must convince the court it will suffer “irreparable harm” if the injunction remains in place, a high legal standard the Trump administration must meet. Beyond that, Schwab said, the court will weigh a balancing test. If both sides claim irreparable harm, the justices will ask, “Who is irreparably harmed more? “And I think it’s fair to say that our clients are going to be more irreparably harmed than the United States federal government. Because our clients might not exist, and the United States federal government is certainly going to exist.”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump Notches Supreme Win on Deportations
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a lower court order that blocked the Trump administration from deporting roughly 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The decision is a near-term victory for President Donald Trump as he moves to crack down on border security and immigration priorities in his second term. The order stays, for now, a lower court ruling that halted Trump’s plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for some migrants living in the U.S., which allows individuals to live and work in the U.S. legally if they cannot work safely in their home country due to a disaster, armed conflict or other “extraordinary and temporary conditions.” The stay, like many emergency orders handed down by the high court, was unsigned, and did not provide an explanation for the justices’ thinking…READ MORE OUT AND ABOUT: Obamas seen together for first time in six months as analyst sees ‘no love lost’ amid divorce murmurs IMPOSTER AT LARGE: Alleged attempt to impersonate White House chief of staff under federal investigation ‘SCRIPTED’ PRESIDENT: New book exposes Biden’s ‘scripted’ Cabinet meetings amid alleged cognitive decline cover-up CAMPUS SPIES: Spy surge sparks Trump visa crackdown on Chinese students FULL ‘MAGA’ AHEAD: All aboard the WMAGA? Florida congressman wants to rename DC transit for Trump MISSION OVER: Elon Musk’s official role at Trump’s DOGE ends, but his political impact lingers ahead of midterms DOGE’S BARK AND BITE: The budget cuts Musk couldn’t complete and what’s next for DOGE ELON EXODUS: Elon Musk’s DOGE departure divides Capitol Hill OLD GUARD CHALLENGED: Two longtime House Democrats face primary challenges from younger opponents MIDNIGHT MANEUVERS: Inside the late-night drama that led to Trump’s tax bill passing by one vote SANCTUARY SHOWDOWN: Top congressional committees launch probe into Nashville mayor accused of blocking ICE AFTER THE FALL: Since Floyd riots culled monuments 5 years ago, leaders in ex-Confederate capital lament ‘s—t didn’t change’ FEWER, FASTER, GONE: CBP ends use of temporary migrant processing sites as apprehensions plummet ‘UGLY’ INDICTMENT: Wisconsin judge claims ‘absolute immunity,’ calls DOJ indictment an ‘ugly innovation’ ‘PARTY LEFT ME’: Kentucky Senate Democrat switches to GOP in major blow to Dem gov Andy Beshear CAMPUS CLASH: Harvard DHS lawsuit revives Supreme Court conflict of interest questions OFF THE STREETS: ICE agents in Boston arrest migrant murderer, child rapists as Fox News rides along SANCTUARY SHOWDOWN: Dem county executive dings Trump admin over sanctuary jurisdiction designation Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
EXCLUSIVE: ICE issues detainers for alleged illegal immigrant burglars
EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued seven detainers for removal against illegal immigrants who allegedly committed two burglaries in Tempe and Mesa, Arizona, last week. The suspects are allegedly part of a South American Theft Group that committed two burglaries in the Phoenix area cities May 23, and they were arrested by the Scottsdale Police Department at the short-term rental the group was staying in. “Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, criminal illegal aliens are being held accountable for victimizing Americans,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. 7 MEMBERS OF SOUTH AMERICAN THEFT GROUP ARRESTED FOR PHOENIX BURGLARIES “ICE is working alongside partner law enforcement agencies throughout the country to ensure that South American Theft Groups — like the one allegedly responsible for burglaries in California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona — are dismantled and deported once and for all. We will not allow criminal illegal aliens to terrorize American communities,” McLaughlin added. The suspects are Nicolas Rojas Leon, 23, Joan Sebastian Orozco-Vargas, 26, Andres David Sanchez-Novoa, 38, Natalia Isabella Ortiz-Daza, 26, Martha Juliana Echiverri-Guzman, 28, Lady Johanna Gueito, 32, and Angie Paola Herandez-Manrique, 25. According to DHS, the group operates out of California but is originally from Colombia. GUN-TOTING NOEM JOINS ICE AGENTS TO GO AFTER CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS IN ARIZONA Scottsdale Police were informed by Burbank Police in California about the SATG organization May 20 after it allegedly committed other burglaries in California, Oregon and Washington. Golden State authorities shared information, like vehicle descriptions, to help them find the suspects. A French Bulldog was stolen in one of the California break-ins, and it will be returned, according to police. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The police department was alerted to the group May 20 by the Burbank Police Department in California. It was warned about a SATG group from Colombia that had allegedly committed burglaries in California, Oregon and Washington and how it could be making its way to Arizona next. Each suspect was ordered held in the Maricopa County Jail pending “numerous criminal charges” on $150,000 cash-only bonds. TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBER ARRESTED IN NYC WAS ‘TRYING TO BUY GRENADES,’ NOEM SAYS South American Theft Groups have been prevalent throughout communities in California, Arizona, Colorado and nationwide, particularly in affluent areas. Although this group originated in Colombia, SATGs, like those from Chile, have triggered bipartisan calls for visa waiver program reform. A string of “dinner-time burglaries” in recent years in the Grand Canyon State has ties to SATGs, Arizona’s Family reported in March 2024. When Fox News Digital reached out to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, it noted comments County Attorney Rachel Mitchell made at a press conference earlier this week before ICE formally announced the detainers. “Obviously that’s a federal issue,” Mitchell said when asked about the possibility of suspects being deported. “But my understanding is that there is an ICE file stop on each of the individuals.” Scottsdale police said they do not comment on ICE-related matters and deferred to the county attorney’s office. There are no sanctuary jurisdictions listed by the DHS in Arizona. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Government employee held after attempt to share classified information with foreign country
A government employee in Virginia accused of attempting to share classified information with a foreign country was held pending a detention hearing, and could face up to life in prison, or even death, depending on the details of the case brought against him, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Virginia-based Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick ordered that 28-year-old Nathan Laatsch be held pending a detention hearing scheduled for June 4. Laatsch allegedly attempted to transmit classified national defense information or documents to a foreign government. Depending on the details of the case, Laatsch faces “any term or years, or life…or even death,” according to DOJ prosecutor Gordon Kromberg. US IT SPECIALIST ARRESTED AFTER ATTEMPTING TO SHARE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENT: DOJ Laatsch, an IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) since 2019, appeared in court on Friday wearing street clothes, which were presumably the same clothes he wore when he was arrested the day before. He was arrested after the FBI received a tip in March that someone was willing to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government. Laatsch was a civilian employee in the DIA’s Insider Threat Division and held a top-secret security clearance, according to the DOJ. FORMER US ARMY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST SENTENCED FOR SELLING SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS TO CHINESE NATIONAL An email to the FBI said that the person — later identified as Laatsch — didn’t “agree or align with the values” of the Trump administration and would be willing to share classified information that he could access, including “completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.” Laatsch communicated with an FBI agent, whom he believed to be a foreign government official, multiple times and would confirm that he was ready to share classified information that he transcribed onto a notepad at his desk, the DOJ said. He allegedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace multiple times over a three-day period in preparation. The FBI set up an operation at a northern Virginia park where Laatsch was to deposit classified information “for the foreign government to retrieve,” according to the DOJ. He was observed by the FBI on or around May 1 depositing an item at the specified location. PENTAGON LEAKER JACK TEIXEIRA RECEIVES 15 YEARS FOR SECRETS LEAK Once he left, the DOJ said FBI agents retrieved a thumb drive from the area found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents with information portion-marked for Secret or Top-Secret levels. His message allegedly indicated that he was sharing “a decent sample size” of classified information to demonstrate the types of things he has access to. On May 7, after Laatsch learned that the thumb drive had been retrieved, he allegedly sent a message to the undercover agent appearing to say that he was seeking something in exchange for providing the information. The following day, he specified that he was interested in “citizenship for your country” because he didn’t expect things in America “to improve in the long term,” the DOJ said. He also allegedly said he was “not opposed to other compensation,” but not in a place where he needed “material compensation.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Laatsch was told on May 14 by the FBI agent that the “foreign government” was ready for additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, he transcribed more information and began to remove it from the building by folding the notes and hiding them in his clothing. On Thursday, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia to drop the information off to the “foreign country.” He was arrested once the FBI received the documents. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.
Trump offers his marital advice after viral video of Macron’s wife shoving his face
President Donald Trump offered his marital advice to French President Emmanuel Macron, after video footage was released of Macron’s wife, Brigitte, pushing the French leader in the face. “Make sure the door remains closed. That is not good,” Trump told reporters Friday. “No, I spoke to him, and he’s fine, they’re fine. Two really good people I know very well. And, I don’t know what that was all about, but, I know him very well, and they’re fine.” MACRON DISMISSES VIRAL MOMENT WITH WIFE AS ‘JOKING AROUND’ AFTER DISINFORMATION CLAIMS BACKFIRE Trump’s comments come after video footage from the Associated Press emerged where Macron and his wife exited a plane upon landing in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sunday as part of a southeast Asia tour. The video depicts Macron at the door of the plane, and a woman’s hands appearing to shove him in the face. The couple, who have been married since 2007, were subsequently photographed departing the aircraft together. Meanwhile, Macron’s office later said the couple was engaging in a playful moment at the time of the incident. EMMANUEL MACRON’S WIFE SEEN SHOVING HIM IN THE FACE IN VIRAL CLIP AS FRANCE’S FIRST COUPLE ARRIVES IN VIETNAM “It was a moment where the President and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around. It’s a moment of complicity. It was all that was needed to give ammunition to the conspiracy theorists,” Macron’s office said in a statement Tuesday. The French leader met his now wife, Brigitte, while still a student in high school and she was a married teacher. Macron visited Trump at the White House in February. He was the first European leader to visit the White House after Trump’s inauguration for his second term. FRANCE’S MACRON MEETS WITH TRUMP AT THE WHITE HOUSE