The Latest: US orders nonessential staff to leave Baghdad Embassy as Iran tensions rise

Here's the latest:

Immigration officers intensify arrests in courthouse hallways on a fast track to deportation

Many asylum-seekers dutifully appeared at routine hearings before being arrested outside courtrooms last week, a practice that has jolted immigration courts across the country as the White House works toward its promise of mass deportations.

The large-scale arrests that began in May have unleashed fear among asylum-seekers and immigrants accustomed to remaining free while judges grind through a backlog of 3.6 million cases, typically taking years to reach a decision. Now they must consider whether to show up and possibly be detained and deported, or skip their hearings and forfeit their bids to remain in the country.

The playbook has become familiar. A judge will grant a government lawyer’s request to dismiss deportation proceedings. Moments later Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers — often masked — arrest the person in the hallway and put them on a fast track to deportation, called “expedited removal.”

▶ Read more about the courthouse arrests

Trump’s mass deportations leave Democrats more ready to fight back

California Gov. Gavin Newsom looked straight into the camera and staked out a clear choice for his Democratic Party.

The governor positioned himself as not only a leader of the opposition to Trump's mass deportation agenda, but a de facto champion of the immigrants now being rounded up in California and across the country. Many of them, he said in the video address, were not hardened criminals but hard working people scooped up at a Home Depot lot or a garment factory, and detained by masked agents assisted by National Guard troops.

It's a politically charged position for the party to take, after watching voter discontent with illegal immigration fuel Trump's return to the White House. It leaves Democrats deciding how strongly to align with that message in the face of blistering criticism from Republicans who are pouring billions of dollars into supporting Trump's strict immigration campaign.

▶ Read more about Democrats and deportations

Mix of applause and boos greet Trumps at Kennedy Center

The mixed reception came as an announcer said the Trump family had arrived.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump,” the announcer said at the 7:30 p.m. start of “Les Miserables.”

The audible reaction stopped after a round of chants of “USA.”

JD Vance made a brief trip to Montana to speak to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, AP sources say

The vice president spoke to media mogul Rupert Murdoch; his son Lachlan Murdoch, the head of Fox News and News Corp.; and a group of other Fox News executives, according to two people familiar with the Tuesday trip.

They said Vance met with the group at the Murdoch family ranch in southwest Montana near Dillon. They confirmed the visit to AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it.

It’s not clear why Vance addressed the group or what they spoke about.

A spokesperson for Fox News Channel did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The vice president’s office does not release a schedule for Vance and did not offer advance notice of the trip, so the surprise arrival of Air Force Two in Butte set off local speculation as his motorcade was seen driving away.

— Michelle L. Price

Trump plays ‘Les Miserables’ songs at his rallies

Trump is a huge fan of the musical. He often played songs from the soundtrack at Mar-a-Lago and at his rallies, particularly “Do You Hear the People Sing?”

EPA says power plant carbon emissions aren’t dangerous. We asked 30 scientists: Here’s what they say

The administration's Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday proposed a new ruling that heat-trapping carbon gas "emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants do not contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution.'′

AP asked 30 different scientists, experts in climate, health and economics about the scientific reality behind this proposal. Nineteen responded, all saying the proposal was scientifically wrong, and many of them called it disinformation. Here’s what eight said.

“This is the scientific equivalent to saying that smoking doesn’t cause lung cancer,” said climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of the tech firm Stripe and the temperature monitoring group Berkeley Earth. “The relationship between CO2 emissions and global temperatures has been well established since the late 1800s, and coal burning is the single biggest driver of global CO2 emissions, followed by oil and gas. It is utterly nonsensical to say that carbon emissions from power plants do not contribute significantly to climate change.”

▶ Read more about the other scientists' responses

A night out for the Trumps

A tuxedo-wearing president walked along the red carpet with first lady Melania Trump.

“We’re going to save the Kennedy Center,” he said. “We’re going to make it incredible.”

Trump brushed off reports of actors boycotting the performance because of his presence and his remaking of the arts institution: “I couldn’t care less.”

He said his first theatrical production was probably “Cats,” while Melania said hers was “Phantom of the Opera.”

Trump expected to sign measure blocking California’s vehicle emissions rules

The president is expected to sign the measure Thursday, a White House official told AP. It would block California’s rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.

The resolution, which Congress approved last month, aims to quash the country's most aggressive attempt to phase out gas-powered cars. He also plans to approve measures to overturn state policies curbing tailpipe emissions in certain vehicles and smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution from trucks.

The timing of the signing was confirmed by a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to share plans not yet public.

According to the official, Trump is expected to sign resolutions that block California’s rule phasing out gas-powered cars and ending the sale of new ones by 2035. He will also kill rules that phase out the sale of medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles and cut tailpipe emissions from trucks.

— Michelle L. Price and Sophie Austin

▶ Read more about Trump and California emissions rules

Senate Republicans block Democrats’ efforts to temporarily block arms sales to Qatar and UAE over Trump dealings in region

Democrats forced two procedural votes Wednesday to protest Qatar's donation of a $400 million plane to be used as Air Force One and a $2 billion investment by a UAE-backed company using a Trump family-linked stablecoin, a form of cryptocurrency.

Sen. Chris Murphy, who led the Democratic effort, said the Senate should not “grease the wheels” for the president.

“We can do that by voting to block these two arms sales to Qatar and to the UAE — not permanently, but until both countries commit to deny Trump’s requests for personal enrichment as part of the bilateral relationship,” Murphy said.

Trump's administration is still sorting out the legal arrangement for accepting a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family and how the plane would be modified so it is safe for the president, who has called the arrangement a "no brainer" as a new Air Force One has faced delays at U.S.-based Boeing.

About 500 National Guard troops in LA are trained to accompany agents on immigration raids

About 500 of the National Guard troops deployed to the Los Angeles protests have been trained to accompany agents on immigration operations, the commander in charge said Wednesday. And while some troops have already gone on such missions, he said it's too early to say if that will continue even after the protests die down.

Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, speaking in an interview with The Associated Press and ABC, also warned that he expects the protest situation will escalate. “We are expecting a ramp up,” he said, noting that protests across the nation are being planned and discussed now. “I’m focused right here in LA, what’s going on right here. But you know, I think we’re, we’re very concerned.”

Sherman, commander of Task Force 51 that is overseeing the more than 4,000 Guard troops and 700 Marines deployed, initially said that National Guard troops had already temporarily detained some civilians. He later said he was incorrect, and that he had based his comments on photos and footage he had seen that turned out to not be a representation of Guard members in Los Angeles.

___

This item has been corrected. The commander initially told the AP that National Guard members had already detained some civilians. He later said his information was incorrect and Guard members have not detained civilians.

Trump’s plan to begin ‘phasing out’ FEMA burdens states, experts warn

The president's plan for the federal agency that responds to disasters after the 2025 hurricane season is likely to put more responsibilities on states to provide services following increasingly frequent and expensive climate disasters, experts said.

While there has been bipartisan support for reforming the agency, experts say dismantling it completely would leave gaps in crucial services and funding.

“It just causes more concern on how states should be planning for the future if the federal government’s not going to be there for them,” said Michael Coen, FEMA chief of staff during the Obama and Biden administrations.

Disaster response is already locally led and state-managed, but FEMA supports by coordinating resources from federal agencies, providing direct assistance programs for households and moving money to states for repairing public infrastructure.

▶ Read more about Trump's plan on phasing out FEMA

Non VIP crowd mingles at Kennedy Center before Trump arrives for Les Miserables

After going through magnetometers and bag searches, the guests are mingling on the center’s Cross Hall-style red carpet.

Some patrons are availing themselves of several concession stands selling turkey or chicken salad sandwiches, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and boxes of candy.

A canned soda costs $8, and a glass of wine $19.

House uses procedural vote to amend big GOP tax bill

That means Trump’s massive tax and immigration bill finally will make its way to the Senate.

The changes struck some provisions from the bill that had been flagged as problematic by the Senate parliamentarian.

Provisions that were dropped include $2 billion to enhance military intelligence and about $500 million for the development of cruise missiles.

The House also dropped increased penalties for fraud committed through the employee retention tax credit established during the COVID pandemic.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said most of the changes were technical corrections, but he said the vote also gave Republicans who have expressed concern about the bill a chance to stop it.

“Now you have a second chance to actually stop this one big, ugly bill and the provisions you disagree with,” Jeffries said.

Raids in Southern California rattle immigrant communities — including those in the US legally

Jacob Vasquez began working at a clothing warehouse in Los Angeles soon after arriving from Mexico less than three years ago. Now he is among dozens of workers detained by federal immigration authorities in a series of raids in Southern California.

Vasquez has a three-month-old baby, according to his family, who spoke to reporters outside the Ambiance Apparel warehouse, a clothing company founded in 1999 where he worked.

“Jacob is a family man and the sole breadwinner of his household,” said his brother Gabriel, speaking in Spanish during a news conference this week.

“We don’t know where he is.”

Immigrant advocates say the workers who were detained do not have criminal histories and are being denied their due process rights.

▶ Read more about the raids and immigrant communities

GOP Sen. Rand Paul — a Trump bill critic — says he was disinvited from White House picnic

Paul told reporters that his family, including his young grandson — who has his own MAGA hat — were planning on attending the annual event for members of Congress.

The senator said he expects the disinvitation is part of a broader campaign against him over his stated opposition to the deficit numbers in Trump’s big bill.

“It’s people who choose to stand up to the president, and I have stood up to the president on the debt — but no differently than I stood up to Biden or to Obama,” he said.

“They don’t like it, and they don’t want to have a reasonable argument or a discussion over the policy,” he said. “They think they’re gonna somehow needle me or get me me disinvited — my grandson — to the picnic.”

“I think it’s just really petty and juvenile and, I think they should be called out for it.”

Judge says government must release Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil

The judge ruled that the government cannot deport and must release Khalil, the student whom the Trump administration jailed over his participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University.

U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz said Khalil has shown that his continued detention is causing irreparable harm to his career, his family and his free speech rights.

Farbiarz gave the government until Friday to appeal. He also required Khalil to post a $1 bond.

Khalil was detained by immigration agents March 8 in the lobby of his university-owned apartment in New York. He was then taken to an immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana.

Khalil’s lawyers have challenged the legality of his detention. They say the administration is trying to crack down on free speech.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he has the power to deport Khalil because his presence in the U.S. could harm foreign policy.

Farbiarz had ruled earlier that expelling Khalil on those grounds was likely unconstitutional.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. names 8 vaccine committee replacements, including COVID shot critic

The U.S. health secretary named the new vaccine policy advisers to replace the panel that he abruptly dismissed earlier this week.

They include a scientist who researched mRNA vaccine technology and transformed into a conservative darling for his criticisms of COVID-19 vaccines, and a leading critic of pandemic-era lockdowns.

Kennedy’s decision to “retire” the previous 17-member panel was widely decried by doctors’ groups and public health organizations, who feared the advisers would be replaced by a group aligned with Kennedy’s desire to reassess — and possibly end — longstanding vaccination recommendations.

The new appointees to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices include Dr. Robert Malone, the former mRNA researcher who emerged as a close adviser to Kennedy during the measles outbreak.

Malone, who runs a wellness institute and a popular blog, rose to popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as he relayed conspiracy theories around the outbreak and the vaccines that followed.

At concert in Berlin, Bruce Springsteen criticizes Trump administration again

The veteran rock star, a longtime and high-profile critic of the president, called the administration “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous.”

Springsteen was addressing tens of thousands of fans Wednesday at a stadium built for the 1936 Olympic Games that still bears the scars of World War II and contains relics from the country's dark Nazi past.

“Tonight we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices, stand with us against authoritarianism and let freedom reign,” he said.

Springsteen has made increasingly pointed and contentious public statements in recent concerts.

He denounced Trump’s politics during a show last month in Manchester, calling him an “unfit president” leading a “rogue government” of people who have “no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American.”

Trump gave a less-than-optimistic view about reaching a deal with Iran

The president told the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast that he was “getting more and more less confident about” a deal over Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.

“They seem to be delaying, and I think that’s a shame. I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them,” he said in the interview recorded Monday and released Wednesday.

The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions that the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.

Bessent says tariff delays ‘highly likely’ for countries negotiating in good faith

The treasury secretary made his comment before the House Ways and Means Committee.

Trump imposed tariffs on countries around the world in early April, then set the pause button and promised 90 deals in 90 days.

The clock is ticking as the U.S. has come up with an framework agreement with the United Kingdom, delayed tariffs for the European Union and reached a plan on minerals and foreign students with China.

“It is highly likely that those countries that are negotiating in good faith, we will roll the date forward to continue good faith negotiations,” Bessent said.

“If someone is not negotiating, then we will not.”

Hundreds of laid-off CDC employees are being reinstated

More than 460 laid-off employees at the nation’s top public health agency are being reinstated, according to a union representing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workers.

The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed reinstatement notices went out, but provided few details.

About 2,400 CDC employees lost their jobs in a wave of cuts across federal health agencies in early April. Whole CDC programs were essentially shut down.

An estimated 200 of the reinstated workers are based at a CDC center focused on sexually transmitted diseases. Also reinstated are dozens of employees at the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health.

▶Read more about the reinstatements

US Central Command confirms Hegseth OK’d voluntary departure of military dependents

The command confirmed the authorization in a statement.

It says it “is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East.”

Warning issued to ships in the Middle East region

Earlier Wednesday, a statement from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, a Mideast-based effort overseen by the British navy, issued a warning that it “has been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners.”

It urged caution in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. It did not name Iran, though those waterways have seen Iranian ship seizures and attacks in the past.

US military authorizes ‘voluntary departure’ of troops’ dependents across the Mideast amid Iran tensions, officials say

The U.S. military has authorized the voluntary departure of troops’ dependents from locations across the Middle East amid tensions with Iran, two U.S. officials say.

One U.S. defense official said the order came from defense secretary Hegseth.

That official said the U.S. military was working with the State Department and its allies in the region “to maintain a constant state of readiness.”

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision that had yet to be made public.

— By Matthew Lee, Tara Copp and Jon Gambrell

White House confirms voluntary evacuation at Baghdad embassy

“The State Department regularly reviews American personnel abroad, and this decision was made as a result of a recent review,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.

EPA set to roll back rules that limit greenhouse gases and mercury from power plants

The Environmental Protection Agency is poised to eliminate the rules for power plants fueled by coal and natural gas.

It’s part of a wide-ranging rollback of environmental regulations that Administrator Lee Zeldin has said would eliminate trillions of dollars in costs and “unleash” American energy.

The agency also plans to weaken a regulation that requires power plants to reduce emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants that can harm brain development of young children and contribute to health problems in adults.

The rollbacks are set to be announced Wednesday.

—By Matthew Daly

▶Read more about the EPA's move

US prepares to order departure of nonessential staff from embassy in Baghdad over regional tensions, officials say

Two U.S. officials say the order will not affect a large number of personnel, but the State Department also is authorizing the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait.

That gives them an option on whether to leave the country.

The Pentagon is standing by to support a potential evacuation of U.S. personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, another U.S. official said.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail plans that had not been made public.

—By Matthew Lee and Tara Copp

Tensions in the region have been rising in recent days

That’s because talks between the U.S. and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse.

Meanwhile, the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency was set to potentially vote on a measure to censure Iran. That could set in motion an effort to snap back United Nations sanctions on Iran via a measure in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that’s still active until October.

Amid the reports of preparations for embassy departures, Iran’s mission to the U.N. posted on social media that “threats of overwhelming force won’t change the facts.”

▶Read more about this developing story

Trump reviewing trade framework with China ahead of signing measure to continue negotiations

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump “is reviewing the details” of the framework agreement with China “with his trade team right now.”

The Trump administration has said Tuesday’s yet-to-be-signed agreement would allow trade talks to continue between the world’s two largest economies.

“What the president heard, he liked,” Leavitt said at Wednesday’s briefing. “China has agreed to open their markets to the United States separately of this deal.”

Leavitt said Trump’s team did a “fantastic job” in the negotiations, which will allow the U.S. to get access to critical minerals exports from China.

“We’re in a great place right now,” Leavitt said.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump announced that a U.S.-China trade deal was “done” — and that in exchange for China's acceptance of 55% tariffs on Chinese goods and an agreement to sell Chinese magnets and rare earth minerals, the U.S. will provide China “what was agreed to,” including allowing Chinese students to attend American colleges and universities.

White House continues criticism of Democratic leaders over LA protests

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt began her Wednesday briefing by continuing to lambaste California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

“Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom fanned the flames and demonized our brave ICE officers,” Leavitt said.

While protests have been largely peaceful, Leavitt continue to criticize the California leaders for failing to restore order. She asserted that local law enforcement efforts have been “kneecapped by incompetent Democrat policies” that prevent coordination with federal immigration authorities.

Lawyers for the first president found guilty of a crime argue to erase the conviction

Trump’s lawyer argued in a federal appellate court Wednesday that the case belongs in federal court, where his administration can throw it out. The Manhattan district attorney’s office — which prosecuted the case and wants it to remain in state court, argued the contrary.

The judges — two nominated by President Barack Obama and one by President Joe Biden — were at turns skeptical and receptive to both sides’ arguments on weighty and seldom-tested legal issues.

The one thing everyone agreed on: It is a highly unusual case. Trump lawyer Jeffrey Wall said Trump is in “a class of one.”

The judges said they would issue a ruling at a later date.

Trump was convicted in May 2024 of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels, whose affair allegations threatened to upend his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump denies her claim and said he did nothing wrong. It was the only one of his four criminal cases to go to trial.

Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board resigns in protest

All 12 members of the board overseeing Fulbright scholarships have resigned in protest of what they call Trump administration meddling with the program established by Congress nearly 80 years ago as a non-ideological, bipartisan pillar of American diplomacy.

A statement published by the board members said the administration "usurped" the board's authority by denying awards to scholars who already had been selected for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The resignations were first reported by The New York Times. A message seeking comment was left with the State Department, which runs the international scholarship program.

“We believe these actions not only contradict the statute but are antithetical to the Fulbright mission and the values, including free speech and academic freedom, that Congress specified in the statute,” the statement said. “It is our sincere hope that Congress, the courts, and future Fulbright Boards will prevent the administration’s efforts to degrade, dismantle, or even eliminate one of our nation’s most respected and valuable programs.”

Trump says he could forgive Musk but it’s not a priority

Trump was the first guest on a new podcast launched Wednesday by New York Post columnist Miranda Devine. She asked the president if he could reconcile with or forgive Musk.

“I guess I could,” Trump said, “but, you know, we have to straighten out the country and my sole function now is getting this country back to a level higher than it’s ever been.”

Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles called Musk on Friday and urged him to end his feud with Trump, according to two people familiar with the call who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The call was first reported Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal.

— Michelle Price

Credit: AP

Credit: AP