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Trump proposes $163bn minimize to non-defense spending in federal price range blueprint for fiscal yr 2026
Donald Trump unveiled his price range proposal blueprint – or “skinny price range” – for the 2026 fiscal yr, which would come with a $163bn minimize to federal spending, eliminating greater than a fifth of the non-military spending excluding obligatory packages, in keeping with a launch by the Workplace of Administration and Price range.
The proposed price range would elevate protection spending by 13% and homeland safety spending by almost 65% in comparison with 2025 enacted ranges, in keeping with the workplace. Non-defense spending can be decreased by roughly 23%, the bottom stage since 2017. It’s thus very a lot according to the second Trump administration’s efforts to drastically shrink the scale of the federal authorities by staffing cuts and workplace closures, and its aggressive anti-immigration agenda.
Russ Vought, OMB director, mentioned within the assertion:
At this essential second, we want a historic Price range—one which ends the funding of our decline, places People first, and delivers unprecedented assist to our army and homeland safety.
The “skinny price range” is a abstract of price range proposals that presidents typically launch of their first time period, adopted in a while by the standard full price range books that embody all spending and income projections. It isn’t binding and it’s right down to Congress to craft laws, however per Politico “it provides Hill leaders a unfastened roadmap of Trump’s price range request gear as much as transfer on the fiscal 2026 appropriations course of”.
Per NPR: “Whereas it’s Congress’ job to applicable cash, the president is required by regulation to ship lawmakers a price range proposal annually. The proposal will not be binding — it’s extra of a listing of the president’s coverage priorities, with value tags connected.
“Congress doesn’t must abide by what a president needs. However this specific price range could also be extra significant than traditional, exactly as a result of this Congress has not been inclined to disregard President Trump’s needs.”
NPR additionally notes that the cuts proposed this morning are for spending that Congress authorizes annually — which doesn’t embody spending on security nets like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Safety.
However the blueprint does come at a time when congressional Republicans are preventing to bridge inner divisions over proposed cuts in federal spending so as to pay for Trump’s landmark tax-cut invoice. As Politico notes: “The destiny of the megabill, at this level, seems to hinge virtually totally on the Medicaid query: Are deep cuts to Medicaid one thing to be prevented? Or are they the entire level of pursuing the laws? That conflict is enjoying out in each private and non-private as lawmakers race to stamp Trump’s “huge, stunning invoice” earlier than Memorial Day.”
Government order to chop funding for public broadcasters is ‘illegal’, says CPB head
Company for Public Broadcasting (CPB) mentioned Trump’s government order instructing it to stop funding to NPR and PBS is “illegal” as it isn’t topic to president’s authority and is “exploring all choices”.
In a press release, CPB president and CEO Patricia Harrison, mentioned:
CPB will not be a federal government company topic to the President’s authority. Congress instantly licensed and funded CPB to be a non-public nonprofit company wholly unbiased of the federal authorities.
In creating CPB, Congress expressly forbade ‘any division, company, officer, or worker of america to train any path, supervision, or management over academic tv or radio broadcasting, or over [CPB] or any of its grantees or contractors…’ 47 U.S.C. § 398(c).
Canadian PM Mark Carney to fulfill Donald Trump at White Home subsequent week – report
Canada’s newly-elected prime minister Mark Carney is ready to fulfill Donald Trump on the White Home on Tuesday, Bloomberg Information (paywall) is reporting, amid rising tensions over Trump’s tariff conflict and annexation threats to Canada.
Shortly after his election final week, Carney mentioned that after they did meet he the US president would converse “like two sovereign nations”. Carney’s victory was largely propelled by Trump’s repeated – and seemingly earnest – solutions about annexing Canada and making it the 51st US state. In his victory speech Carney mentioned:
President Trump is attempting to interrupt us so America can personal us. That can by no means – that can by no means, ever occur.
In an interview with the BBC the day after his win, Carney mentioned his nation deserves and expects respect from the US and can solely enter commerce and safety talks with Trump “on our phrases”. He added that he would solely go to Washington when there was a “severe dialogue available” that revered Canada’s sovereignty.
Talks with Trump can be “on our phrases, not on their phrases,” he mentioned, including:
There’s a partnership available, an financial and safety partnership … It’s going to be a really completely different one than we’ve had previously.
Canada was the “largest shopper for greater than 40 states” within the US, Carney famous:
We deserve respect. We anticipate respect and I’m certain we’ll get it sooner or later once more, after which we will have these discussions.
Trump says US economic system in ‘transition’ and once more urges Fed to chop charges
Trump mentioned the US economic system is in a “transition stage”, citing sturdy employment and his tariff plan whereas reiterating his name for the US Federal Reserve to decrease its rate of interest. It adopted the discharge of information that confirmed US job progress slowed marginally for April.
He wrote on Fact Social:
Gasoline simply broke $1.98 a Gallon, lowest in years, groceries (and eggs!) down, power down, mortgage charges down, employment sturdy, and rather more excellent news, as Billions of {Dollars} pour in from Tariffs. Identical to I mentioned, and we’re solely in a TRANSITION STAGE, simply getting began!!! Customers have been ready for years to see pricing come down. NO INFLATION, THE FED SHOULD LOWER ITS RATE!!! DJT
Trump says he needs to rename Veterans Day as ‘Victory Day for World Warfare I’ and eight Could as ‘Victory Day for World Warfare II’
Talking of the army, final evening Trump mentioned he wished to rename 11 November – Veterans Day – as ‘Victory Day for World Warfare I’ and rename 8 Could as ‘Victory Day for World Warfare II’.
The 8 Could date – not at the moment a federal vacation and Trump wasn’t clear if he wished it to grow to be one – is an fascinating alternative for a US president to mark victory within the second world conflict. Whereas 8 Could is certainly marked as Victory Day in Europe as Trump factors out (for Russia it’s 9 Could), American troopers famously continued preventing Japan within the Pacific theatre for one more three months after the conflict was declared over on the western entrance in opposition to Nazi Germany. Japan didn’t formally give up till 2 September 1945.
There’s additionally little doubt that Trump’s declare that the US “did greater than every other nation, by far, in producing a victorious outcome” won’t sit effectively with former allied powers who suffered heavy losses and casualties in addition to appreciable harm from German bombing.
Veterans Day, in the meantime, began out as a commemoration of the armistice on 11 November 1918, not as a celebration of American “victory” as Trump is framing it. The scope of the vacation was later widened to honor all US veterans, together with of contemporary wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Trump’s put up makes no point out of these conflicts.
Right here’s the put up from Fact Social:
A lot of our allies and pals are celebrating Could eighth as Victory Day, however we did greater than every other Nation, by far, in producing a victorious outcome on World Warfare II. I’m hereby renaming Could eighth as Victory Day for World Warfare II and November eleventh as Victory Day for World Warfare I. We gained each Wars, no one was near us by way of energy, bravery, or army brilliance, however we by no means have fun something — That’s as a result of we don’t have leaders anymore, that understand how to take action! We’re going to begin celebrating our victories once more!
Military plans for a possible parade coinciding with Trump’s birthday name for six,600 troopers – report
Detailed military plans for a possible army parade on Donald Trump’s birthday in June name for greater than 6,600 troopers, at the least 150 automobiles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and probably a pair thousand civilians, the Related Press experiences.
The planning paperwork, obtained by the AP, are dated 29 and 30 April and haven’t been publicly launched. They signify the military’s most up-to-date blueprint for its long-planned 250th anniversary competition on the Nationwide Mall and the newly added factor – a big army parade that Trump has lengthy wished however remains to be being mentioned.
The military anniversary simply occurs to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday on 14 June.
Whereas the slides don’t embody any value estimates, it will seemingly price tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to placed on a parade of that dimension. Prices would come with the motion of army automobiles, gear, plane and troops from throughout the nation to Washington and the necessity to feed and home hundreds of service members.
Excessive prices halted Trump’s push for a parade in his first time period, and the tanks and different heavy automobiles which might be a part of the military’s newest plans have raised issues from metropolis officers about harm to roads.
Requested about plans for a parade, military spokesperson Steve Warren mentioned Thursday that no closing selections have been made.
Others accustomed to the paperwork, who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the plans haven’t been finalized, mentioned they signify the military’s plans because it prepares for any White Home approval of the parade. The White Home didn’t instantly reply to an AP request for remark.
The seeds have been sown for the ousting of Mike Waltz as nationwide safety adviser lengthy earlier than “Signalgate”, notes Politco.
The outlet experiences that his strategy to the job was unpopular and Waltz was seen as too cocky. One particular person near the White Home mentioned:
He’s a employees, however he was performing like a principal.
As has now been broadly reported, quite a lot of insiders – together with Trump – wished Waltz gone instantly after the Sign group chat leak fiasco, however didn’t wish to give opponents the satisfaction. Paradoxically, Signalgate – in hindsight the tipping level – purchased him time. One White Home ally advised Politico on the time:
Waltz has been on skinny ice for some time. [Signalgate] made the ice thinner however on the similar time … may very well save him for now as a result of they don’t wish to give [Jeffrey] Goldberg a scalp.
However by that time, Politico notes, Waltz had misplaced sufficient allies that his eventual departure was inevitable – the one query was when he would go. Against this, protection secretary Pete Hegseth – additionally in sizzling water over the scandal – had extra White Home assist and was more durable to fireside as his position requires Senate affirmation.
Whereas Waltz minimize a lonely determine within the administration, along with his relationship with chief of employees Susie Wiles eroded specifically, at the least partially attributable to his “too huge for his britches” perspective, one White Home ally advised Politico. And even when he did have some assist amongst GOP lawmakers, these in Maga circles have been extra sceptical of him, viewing him as an outsider to the motion and too hawkish on overseas coverage.
Trump to remove Harvard’s tax exempt standing
President Donald Trump on Friday mentioned his administration will strip Harvard College of its tax exempt standing.
“We’re going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Standing. It’s what they deserve!” Trump mentioned in a put up on his social media platform.
Rachel Leingang
When Donald Trump selected a Venture 2025 writer to steer a key federal company that will perform the underpinnings of the conservative manifesto’s goals, he solidified the challenge’s position in his second time period.
Shortly after he gained re-election, the US president nominated Russ Vought to steer the workplace of administration and price range. Vought wrote a chapter for Venture 2025 about consolidating energy within the government department and advances a idea that enables the president to withhold funds from companies, even when Congress has allotted them. Consolidating energy, partially by firing a supposed “deep state” and hiring loyalists, is a significant plank of the challenge – and of Trump’s first 100 days.
Trump tried, repeatedly, to distance himself from the challenge, led by the conservative thinktank the Heritage Basis, on the marketing campaign path after the left used it as shorthand for the dismantling of presidency that will happen if he gained. Since he’s taken workplace, the phantasm that his concepts have been drastically completely different from the challenge has fallen.
“The entire distancing themselves from Venture 2025 could have pulled some voters,” mentioned Manisha Sinha, a historical past professor on the College of Connecticut, however “my sense is that they’re going to attempt to push all of the gadgets inside Venture 2025 as a lot as they will”.
A lot of Trump’s strikes in his first 100 days come instantly from Venture 2025, which concerned greater than 100 conservative organizations and represented a type of consensus among the many Trumpist proper about what he ought to do in a second time period. In some cases, he has gone past the challenge’s solutions. And in different instances, as a result of the challenge was written in 2023, subsequent coverage concepts from the Heritage Basis have formed his actions and objectives.
Democrats goal susceptible Home Republicans over plan to chop social security web

Chris Stein
Democrats plan to place the squeeze on 4 of essentially the most susceptible Republicans in Congress because the GOP gears as much as move a large invoice which will slash the social security web to pay for tax cuts.
The Democratic Nationwide Committee (DNC) on Friday introduced the “Struggle to Save Medicaid”, a strain marketing campaign that goals to derail the invoice’s passage within the Home of Representatives, the place Republicans maintain solely a three-seat majority.
The plan targets Nebraska’s Don Bacon, New York’s Mike Lawler and Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick, all of whom signify districts that Kamala Harris carried in final November’s election. Additionally within the cross-hairs is Tom Barrett, a freshman lawmaker whose district in Michigan went for Trump by solely a slim margin.
The DNC will organise “individuals’s city halls” within the 4 lawmakers’ districts this month, in partnership with its Home marketing campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee (DCCC).
The occasion may also encourage voters to name and e-mail the lawmakers to share their views on the invoice, maintain in-person gatherings and put up on social media, all ways to which Democrats nationwide have these days turned as they give the impression of being to claw again energy in Washington.
President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed his intent to rename each 8 Could and 11 November “Victory Day” in his newest try to change the nation’s nomenclature, AFP reported.
“I’m hereby renaming Could eighth as Victory Day for World Warfare II and November eleventh as Victory Day for World Warfare I,” he wrote on his Fact Social platform.
Victory Day, noticed by the European Union on 8 Could and in former Soviet nations on 9 Could, marks the anniversary of the formal acceptance of Germany’s unconditional give up.
The conflict continued in Asia till the give up of Japan in early September 1945 after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Naqasaki.
Although some in america mark the event, 8 Could will not be a public vacation or celebrated as broadly as in Europe.
“A lot of our allies and pals are celebrating Could eighth as Victory Day, however we did greater than every other Nation, by far, in producing a victorious outcome on World Warfare II,” Trump’s put up mentioned.
In the meantime, 11 November was initially named “Armistice Day” by former US president Woodrow Wilson to mark the anniversary of 1918 armistice ending the armed battle within the first world conflict.
It’s now a public vacation celebrated in america as “Veterans Day” and meant to honor People who’ve served within the US armed forces.
“We gained each Wars, no one was near us by way of energy, bravery, or army brilliance, however we by no means have fun something – That’s as a result of we don’t have leaders anymore, that understand how to take action!” Trump continued. “We’re going to begin celebrating our victories once more!”
Trump threatens Nato summit no-show if allies do not act on spending, Spiegel experiences
Washington’s envoy has warned that US president Donald Trump may skip the upcoming Nato summit if different members of the defence alliance don’t act on burden-sharing, the Spiegel information journal reported on Friday, citing European diplomatic sources.
Germany specifically has come beneath strain to spice up its defence spending significantly, with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth having spoken along with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius on the difficulty final week, the report added.
China ‘evaluating’ US supply to speak tariffs
Beijing is “evaluating” a proposal from Washington to carry talks over US president Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs, China’s commerce ministry mentioned on Friday, though it warned america to not interact in “extortion and coercion.”
Washington and Beijing have been locked in a cat-and-mouse recreation over tariffs, with each side unwilling to be seen to again down in a commerce conflict that has roiled world markets and upended provide chains, Reuters reported.
The commerce ministry mentioned america has approached China to hunt talks over Trump’s tariffs and Beijing’s door was open for discussions, signalling a possible de-escalation within the commerce conflict.
The assertion comes a day after a social media account linked to Chinese language state media mentioned Washington had been searching for to begin talks, and per week after Trump claimed discussions have been already beneath approach, which Beijing denied.
“The US has not too long ago taken the initiative on many events to convey info to China by related events, saying it hopes to speak with China,” the assertion mentioned, including that Beijing was “evaluating this”. “Trying to make use of talks as a pretext to interact in coercion and extortion wouldn’t work,” it mentioned.
The US must be ready to take motion in “correcting misguided practices” and cancel unilateral tariffs, the commerce ministry mentioned, including that Washington wanted to indicate “sincerity” in negotiations.
Former nationwide safety adviser John Bolton has known as on protection secretary Pete Hegseth to step down, citing issues for his private security.
Talking on CNN, Bolton – who additionally served as US ambassador to the United Nations beneath President George W Bush – was requested whether or not Hegseth ought to stay in his place.
“No, I believe he ought to resign for his personal security’s sake, if nothing else,” Bolton replied.
He particularly pointed to current experiences that Hegseth had shared delicate details about US strikes on Yemen through the messaging app Sign.
The messages have been reportedly despatched to group chats that included Hegseth’s spouse, brother, private legal professional, and – mistakenly, in a separate chat meant for cabinet-level officers – Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.
Bolton added that it “is a essential time for the American army. We perceive the Trump administration will rightly suggest huge price range will increase for protection. We want it. “
“We want a secretary who can get the job executed, not anyone who spends his time on Sign discussion groups,” he mentioned.
Media rights group RSF warned Friday about “an alarming deterioration in press freedom” in america beneath Trump.
Paris-based Reporters With out Borders, which has been monitoring press freedom for the final 23 years, highlighted how Trump had made tough circumstances worse by axing US monetary assist for state-backed broadcasters equivalent to Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), in addition to US overseas growth support that assisted media retailers abroad.
After a fall of 11 locations in 2024, america declined one other two to 57th place on the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, one behind previously war-torn Sierra Leone in west Africa.
The index, calculated in keeping with the variety of violent incidents involving journalists and different information compiled by specialists, was topped by oil-rich Norway for the ninth yr in a row. Estonia and the Netherlands have been second and third.
“In america, Donald Trump’s second time period as president has led to an alarming deterioration in press freedom, indicative of an authoritarian shift in authorities,” RSF mentioned.
“His administration has weaponised establishments, minimize assist for unbiased media, and sidelined reporters.”
Massive elements of america have been now “information deserts,” RSF mentioned.
Trump introduced Wednesday that he was contemplating authorized motion in opposition to The New York Occasions, in his newest assault on a media outlet.
He’s additionally suing media group Paramount over a pre-election interview final yr of his Democratic rival Kamala Harris on its CBS channel.
Trump alleges it was edited to take away an embarrassing response, though many authorized analysts view the case as baseless and more likely to be dismissed or fail attributable to constitutional protections for freedom of the press.
Trump indicators government order to chop funding for public broadcasters
Good morning and welcome to the US reside weblog amid information that Donald Trump has pulled funding from information retailers NPR and PBS, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are solely partly funded by the US taxpayer and rely closely on personal donations.
The US president has lengthy had an antagonistic relationship with most mainstream information media, beforehand describing them because the “enemy of the individuals”.
A notable exception is the highly effective conservative broadcaster Fox Information, a few of whose hosts have taken on main roles in his administration.
“Nationwide Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) obtain taxpayer funds by the Company for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump mentioned in his government order. “I subsequently instruct the CPB board of administrators and all government departments and companies to stop Federal funding for NPR and PBS.”
You’ll be able to learn our story from Agence France-Presse right here:
In different information:
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Mike Waltz was relieved of his duties after clinging on for greater than a month after the information broke that he had by chance invited a journalist Trump hates to hitch a Sign group chat to plan strikes on Yemen in March.
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After a morning of reporting on Waltz’s firing, the administration, put out a brand new line: Waltz had not been fired however promoted, since he had been nominated to be the brand new US ambassador to the UN. That framing was delivered on Fox Information by Peter Doocy, a community correspondent, after which JD Vance, the vice-president.
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A Reuters {photograph} of Wednesday’s cupboard assembly that was beforehand neglected confirmed that Waltz was nonetheless utilizing Sign on his cellphone as not too long ago as yesterday, to speak with senior officers together with Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff, Tulsi Gabbard and JD Vance.
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Waltz seems to have put in third-party software program on his cellphone that enables Sign to be archived, but additionally makes it much less safe.
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US Supreme Court docket Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson forcefully rejected what she known as “relentless assaults” on the federal judiciary.
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The US Military has developed detailed plans for a possible army parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday in June
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Senate Democrats responded to the firing of Waltz by calling for one more participant within the chat, protection secretary Pete Hegseth, to be fired.
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Hegseth’s use of Sign to share confidential assault plans along with his spouse and brother is reportedly beneath investigation by the Pentagon’s performing inspector normal.