Page 2 - Us Government

Taiwan's President pledges to buy more American goods as 32% tariff looms

Taiwan's president on Tuesday pledged to buy more American goods, including natural gas and oil, as the self-governing island seeks closer ties with the US while threatened with a 32% tariff from the Trump administration. By purchasing more US products that also include weapons and agricultural goods, Taiwan would not only create "more balanced bilateral trade" with the US but also boost its energy autonomy and resilience, said Lai Ching-te, the island's leader, while hosting a US congressional delegation. Lai also said the island would be willing to participate in US efforts to reindustrialise and lead the world in artificial intelligence. Rep. Bruce Westerman, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, told Lai that the US produces a lot of food and fibre and is "always looking for more friends to share that with." Trade and economic ties between Taiwan and the US have grown closer in recent years. The island faces rising pressure from China, which sees the island as part of

US govt set to get golden share in US Steel-Nippon Steel acquisition deal

The plan, which would give the government de facto veto rights on certain company decisions and appointments, is part of ongoing talks between authorities and the companies

Trump honours fallen soldiers, calls them America's 'best and bravest'

President Donald Trump paid tribute to fallen service members during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, in an address that honoured the great, great warriors" yet also briefly veered into politics as he boasted of a nation he is fixing after a long and hard four years. Though the holiday is one that US presidents typically treat with pure solemnity, Trump began it with an all-caps Memorial Day social media post that attacked his predecessor and called federal judges who have blocked his deportation initiatives "monsters who want our country to go to hell. Yet at Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 400,000 have been laid to rest, Trump commemorated the sacrifice of US service members and singled out several Gold Star families to tell the stories of their fallen relatives. We just revere their incredible legacy," Trump said. We salute them in their eternal and everlasting glory. And we continue our relentless pursuit of America's destiny as we .

White House National Security Council fires many staffers after Trump order

President Donald Trump is ordering a massive overhaul of the National Security Council that will shrink its size and return many career appointees back to their home agencies, according to two US officials and one person familiar with the reorganization. The move is expected to significantly reduce the number of staff at the NSC, according to the officials, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel matter. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been serving as national security adviser since early this month following the ouster of Mike Waltz, who was nominated to serve as Trump's ambassador to the United Nations. The NSC has been in a continual state of tumult for much of the early going of Trump's second go-around in the White House. Waltz was ousted weeks after Trump said that he'd fired several NSC officials, just a day after far-right activist Laura Loomer raised concerns directly to him about staff loyalty. The White House days into the administration sidelined .

Singapore PM Lawrence Wong says government to engage US-China honestly

A key priority for Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will be to deepen the trade-focused country's relations with the major powers, especially the US and China, engaging them honestly in a principled manner while not getting caught in their rivalry. Speaking after his newly re-elected government was sworn-in on Friday, Wong stressed, Where our interests align, we will work with them (the US and China). Where they do not, we will stand firm and protect Singapore's security and sovereignty. He also added that the first priority would be to secure an "assured place" for Singapore in this "changed world". Singapore, said Wong, will also seek new ties with countries in parts of the world, like Africa and South America, where it does not have much presence yet. In a world of shifting alliances, we will be a steady and constructive partner, one willing and able to contribute to peace and stability, to advance dialogue and fraternity, and support a rules-based global order, he said.

Trump signals approval of Nippon deal, US Steel to Stay in Pittsburgh

President Donald Trump said on Friday that US Steel will keep its headquarters in Pittsburgh as part of what he called a planned partnership that seemed to signal that he'll approve a bid by Japan-based Nippon Steel to buy the iconic American steelmaker. Still, Trump's statement left it vague as to whether he is approving Nippon Steel's bid after he vowed repeatedly to block it. But investors seemed to take it as a sign that he would approve it, sharply pushing up US Steel's shares. Nippon Steel's nearly USD 15 billion bid to buy US Steel was blocked by former President Joe Biden on his way out of office and, after Trump became president, subject to another national security review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Trump said in a statement that after much consideration and negotiation, US Steel will REMAIN in America, and keep its Headquarters in the Great City of Pittsburgh. What Trump called a planned partnership will create at least 70,000 jobs and ad

Harvard needs to meet these 6 conditions to keep its international students

US government sets conditions after cancelling Harvard's certification to host foreign students

DOGE targets Census Bureau, raises concerns over US data infrastructure

The group run by Elon Musk and his aides to cut federal spending in the second Trump administration is targeting some surveys conducted by the US Census Bureau it claims are wasteful," worrying users of federal data already concerned about the health of the nation's statistical infrastructure. The Department of Government Efficiency said on social media this week that five surveys costing $16.5 million that are conducted by the statistical agency for other federal agencies have been terminated but didn't specify which ones. Some of the questions on the eliminated surveys asked about alcohol consumption and the frequency that respondents used the internet in their home, according to the post. Other surveys are being reviewed one-by-one, said Tuesday's post on DOGE's X account. The Census Bureau didn't respond this week to an inquiry seeking comment. Based on the post, it's highly possible that the eliminated surveys included the Survey of Inmates in Local Jails, which gathered ...

Israeli embassy couple killed in DC shooting days before engagement

The shooting happened close to the FBI's Washington Field Office. Israeli officials called it a "depraved act of anti-semitic terrorism"

US government didn't follow court order on deportations, says judge

The White House violated a court order on deportations to third countries with a flight linked to the chaotic African nation of South Sudan, a federal judge said Wednesday, hours after the Trump administration said it had expelled eight immigrants convicted of violent crimesbut refused to reveal where they would end up. The judge's statement was a notably strong rebuke to the government's deportation efforts. In an emergency hearing he called to address reports that immigrants had been sent to South Sudan, Judge Brian E. Murphy in Boston said the eight migrants aboard the plane were not given a meaningful opportunity to object that the deportation could put them in danger. Minutes before the hearing, administration officials accused activist judges of advocating the release of dangerous criminals. The department actions in this case are unquestionably in violation of this court's order, Murphy said Wednesday, arguing that the deportees didn't have meaningful opportunity to object to

Most US states now restrict cellphone use in schools, with more to follow

Florida was the first state to pass a law regulating the use of cellphones in schools in 2023. Just two years later, more than half of all states have laws in place, with more likely to act soon. Bills have sprinted through legislatures this year in states as varied as New York and Oklahoma, reflecting a broad consensus that phones are bad for kids. Connecticut state Rep Jennifer Leeper, a Democrat and co-chair of the General Assembly's Education Committee, on May 13 called phones a cancer on our kids that are driving isolation, loneliness, decreasing attention and having major impacts both on social-emotional well-being but also learning. Republicans express similar sentiments. This is a not just an academic bill, Republican Rep Scott Hilton said after Georgia's bill, which only bans phones in grades K-8, passed in March. This is a mental health bill. It's a public safety bill. So far, 26 states have passed laws, with eight other states and the District of Columbia implementing r

New book 'Original Sin' claims Biden, aides hid details of his poor health

US President Donald Trump expressed surprise that the public had not been informed about former President Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis "a long time ago"

Chicago suburb-area town planning to seize Pope Leo XIV's childhood home

Dolton, a town near Chicago, plans to seize Pope Leo XIV's childhood home via eminent domain and work with the Archdiocese to preserve it as a historic site, officials said in a letter Tuesday

Rubio defends Trump's foreign policy amid Gaza aid, South Africa questions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Democratic senators sparred Tuesday over the Trump administration's foreign policies, ranging from Ukraine and Russia to the Middle East, Latin America, the slashing of the U.S. foreign assistance budget and refugee admissions. Rubio defended the administration's decisions to his former colleagues during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, his first since being confirmed on President Donald Trump's inauguration day. He said America is back and claimed four months of foreign-policy achievements, even as many of them remain frustratingly inconclusive. Among them, the resumption of nuclear talks with Iran, efforts to bring Russia and Ukraine into peace talks and efforts to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. America's top diplomat praised agreements with El Salvador and other Latin American countries to accept migrant deportees, saying secure borders, safe communities and zero tolerance for criminal cartels are once again the guidi

Trump keeps increasing claim of Mideast countries' investment amount in US

President Donald Trump loves big numbers and he's always happy to talk them up. Trump, who coined the phrase truthful hyperbole in his book The Art of the Deal, over the last few days has been steadily increasing the amount of money he says that countries in the Mideast pledged to invest in the US when he visited the region last week. He didn't provide underlying details. The figure has gone from $2 trillion last week to potentially $7 trillion as of Tuesday, according to statements by Trump and the White House. A look at how the number has bounced around: THURSDAY: With his Mideast trip still under way, Trump told reporters on Air Force One: We just took in $4 trillion. FRIDAY: A White House statement said Trump's first official trip was a huge success, locking in over $2 trillion in great deals. MONDAY: We brought back about $5.1 trillion," Trump said in remarks to the Kennedy Centre's leadership. That's not bad. And, it's being credited as one of the, maybe, the most successf

Biden's 'last known' prostate cancer screening was in 2014, says his office

Former president Joe Biden's last known prostate cancer screening was in 2014, and he had never been diagnosed with the disease before last week, his office said Tuesday. Biden's aides released the new details about his diagnosis amid intense scrutiny of Biden's health during his presidency and skepticism that the disease could have progressed to an advanced stage without being detected. Although Biden's cancer can possibly be controlled with treatment, it has spread to his bones and is no longer curable. The brief statement from Biden's office did not disclose the results of his 2014 PSA blood test. PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen. President Biden's last known PSA was in 2014. Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the statement said in its entirety. Biden's cancer was announced on Sunday, prompting a wave of sympathy but also suggestions from some of his critics, including his successor Donald Trump, that the former president and

More severe storms hit central US as thousands recover from tornadoes

More tornadoes ploughed through the central US on Monday, ripping apart buildings and knocking out power as people from Texas to Kentucky continued to clean up from days of severe weather that killed more than two dozen people and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings. At least four tornadoes were confirmed in Oklahoma and Nebraska on Monday evening, according to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service. Across Oklahoma, at least 10 homes were destroyed and multiple buildings were damaged, including a fire station that was wiped out, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. A spokesperson for the agency said they have not received any reports of injuries or deaths. Around 115,000 customers were without power in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, according to PowerOutage.us. Parts of several highways were also closed due to flooding or storm damage. In northwest Arkansas, severe weather caused a Halsey concert to be cancelled. And in Oklahoma,

US Secretary of State Rubio urges release of 11th Panchen Lama after 30 yrs

On May 17, 1995, just three days after the Dalai Lama recognised him, the six-year-old Panchen Lama and his family were abducted by the Chinese Communist Party

Trump to enforce tariffs if nations don't negotiate in good faith: Bessent

He did not say what would constitute "good faith" negotiations or clarify the timing to announce any decisions to return a country to the various rates Trump initially imposed on April 2

White House slams Moody's downgrade to US credit as 'political decision'

Trump has argued that his economic agenda, centered on tax cuts, reduced regulations and sweeping tariffs to bring more manufacturing jobs to the US, would promote strong growth