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Donald Trump Administration
The Trump administration is preparing to ramp up funding by hundreds of millions of dollars for programs designed to counter China's growing influence around the world, after it had put a halt to many of those initiatives last year during a flurry of budget and personnel cuts. The administration notified Congress late last week that it intends to spend USD 175.8 million to replace outdated and aging undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America to prevent China from moving in. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the notification on Monday. The administration has expressed deep concern about China's activities in the Americas, pushing back on Chinese ownership of ports at either end of the Panama Canal, infrastructure projects funded by China's Belt and Road initiative in the region, and Chinese investment in the telecommunications sector. A State Department official said China's economic activities in the Western Hemisphere pose risks to US national ...
A US federal appeals court has refused to stay a lower court order striking down the Trump administration's decision to impose a USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. The three-judge bench at the Boston-based First Circuit Court of Appeals denied the federal government's motion to stay US District Judge Leo T Sorokin's June 8 ruling that struck down the fee, terming it an unlawful tax not authorised by Congress. "...we deny the defendants' motion to stay pending appeal to this Court, the district court's June 8, 2026, Memorandum and Order and accompanying Judgment," the bench ruled on Friday. The judges agreed with the plaintiffs -- 20 Democrat-ruled states -- that "the question here is not whether Congress may delegate the authority in question. It is whether Congress has done so". President Donald Trump had issued a proclamation in September last year imposing a USD 100,000 fee for obtaining new H-1B visas. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that .
The House adopted a Republican-only USD 95 billion budget proposal Wednesday, a long-shot effort to fund the Iran war and other White House priorities over objections from Democrats and a few GOP holdouts in a final push before the midterm elections. House Republicans were divided over the plan, with conservatives wary because there are no offsetting budget cuts. But Speaker Mike Johnson plunged ahead, viewing the go-it-alone process as the best chance to usher President Donald Trump's priorities through the split Congress, despite scepticism in the Senate. The vote tally was 216-214, with all Democrats opposed. "Just bullets and bombs to finish the job," said Rep Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the chairman of the Budget Committee. Democrats argued the money should be spent at home, particularly on efforts to lower costs for Americans. "Republicans plan to spend tens of billions of dollars on Trump's failed war in Iran," said Rep Pete Aguilar of California, chairman of the House Democr
Trump approves nuclear agreement that may allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, two AP sources say. President Donald Trump has approved an agreement with Saudi Arabia that could potentially provide the kingdom with uranium enrichment capability for its civilian nuclear program, according to two people familiar with the matter. The people, who were not authorised to comment publicly about the yet to be formally announced decision, said the agreement is expected to be announced publicly as early as Wednesday. The deal is expected to last 30 years and is also expected to involve US firms in developing the programme. The deal could allow for the building of a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia following a joint US-Saudi study. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision, which was first reported on by the Wall Street Journal.
President Donald Trump's media company is planning to charge for special high-speed access to Truth Social posts, including possibly his own affecting national security and financial markets. The move announced Thursday would allow Wall Street trading firms and other institutions to get news from Truth Social contributors in milliseconds so they could profit off subsequent moves in stocks, bonds and interest rates. Called Truth PSI, it would mimic paid access at other platforms with one key difference: The most popular Truth Social poster is the president himself and, as the biggest shareholder of the public traded parent company, would directly benefit. "He's selling expedited, privileged access to information about what he is doing as president," said Kathleen Clark of Washington University School of Law and an expert in government conflicts of interest rules. "It's yet more brazen corruption, an improper exploitation of government power to enrich himself." The Trump family compan
President Donald Trump's teleprompter operator is on unpaid leave after reports that he used his inside knowledge to make bets about the president's speeches on the online prediction market Kalshi, the White House said Thursday. The firm's enforcement chief said Kalshi contacted federal regulators about bets allegedly made about what the president would say in public addresses. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is aware of the situation, which she described as "unfortunate" and "a disgrace." "The White House has extremely strict ethical guidelines with respect to issues like this," Leavitt told reporters, saying the aide is on unpaid leave. ABC News reported Thursday that Gabriel Perez, who has been operating Trump's teleprompter since 2016, used his inside knowledge to win more than USD 100,000 betting on what the president would say in big speeches, including the State of the Union address earlier this year. Robert Denault, Kalshi's lawyer and head
The US Mint has begun producing a new USD 1 coin bearing President Donald Trump's face that will be released in the fall, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. The final design for the commemorative coin to help celebrate America's 250th birthday was approved earlier this year by the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump. But the finished product unveiled Wednesday differs from that version in a few aspects, including that it is not made of gold but rather has a gold finish. The coin is intended "to honour the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X. "Featuring President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all." Trump, a Republican, has a penchant for putting his name and likeness in the historical record, following his renaming of the US Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center performing arts ven