The European Union Wednesday, focusing new duties on U.S. industrial and farm products from Republican-led states, within hours of the Trump administration鈥檚 25% . Trump promises , but his seesawing threats are and raising fears of an economic slowdown.
The announced plans to a prelude to Trump鈥檚 plan to entirely . And the Trump administration that helps keep tens of thousands of units livable for low-income Americans, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.
Here's the latest:
EPA administrator declares 鈥榤ost consequential day of deregulation in American history鈥
administrator Lee Zeldin announced rollbacks Wednesday of 31 environmental regulations including rules on pollution from coal-fired power plants, climate change and electric vehicles.
鈥淲e are driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion and ushering in America鈥檚 Golden Age,鈥欌 Zeldin said in an essay in the Wall Street Journal.
Zeldin says these actions will eliminate trillions of dollars in regulatory costs and 鈥渉idden taxes,鈥 lowering the cost of living for American families and reducing prices for buying cars, heating homes and operating businesses.
Zeldin said he and the president support rewriting the agency鈥檚 2009 finding that planet-warming greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare 鈥 a Clean Air Act underpinning of climate regulations on pollution sources.
Environmentalists and climate scientists say any attempt to undo this bedrock of U.S. law won鈥檛 succeed.
鈥淚n the face of overwhelming science, it鈥檚 impossible to think that the EPA could develop a contradictory finding that would stand up in court,鈥 said David Doniger, a climate expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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Trump says the friendship between the US and Ireland is 鈥榮trong and unbreakable鈥
The president made the comment during the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon, also attended by Irish Prime Minister Miche谩l Martin, on Capitol Hill.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson toasted the relationship between the two countries and the Irish dance group 鈥淩iverdance鈥 鈥 which is performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. 鈥 made a surprise appearance to round out the event.
Martin called Trump 鈥渁 great friend of Ireland鈥 and said he hopes to welcome him back to the country soon.
Trump noted he missed the luncheon in 2020, the last year of his first term, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do this at least three more times,鈥 Trump said of the remaining years in his term, to laughter in the room. 鈥淲hen I say 鈥榓t least鈥 they go crazy.鈥
Layoffs hit nearly half the staff at the Education Department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights
The layoffs effectively gut an office that was already facing a backlog of thousands of complaints from students and families.
Among a total of more than 1,300 layoffs announced Tuesday were roughly 240 in the department鈥檚 civil rights office, according to a list obtained and verified by The Associated Press. Seven of the civil rights agency鈥檚 12 regional offices were entirely laid off, including busy hubs in New York, Chicago and Dallas.
Some staffers who remain say there鈥檚 no way to pick up all of their fired colleagues鈥 cases, which involve families trying to get school services for , allegations of bias related to race and , and complaints over at schools and college campuses.
Department officials insist the cuts will not affect civil rights investigations.
Research group says state-required abortion reporting should be scaled back
A research organization that advocates for abortion rights is calling on state governments to stop requiring providers to submit .
Data can be collected voluntarily and in the aggregate instead, says the Guttmacher Institute, which noted that Trump has appointed abortion opponents to key federal jobs.
鈥淚t would be a mistake for anyone to assume now that the information a state could collect about abortion would not be used to harm people,鈥 said Kelly Baden, Guttmacher鈥檚 vice president for public policy.
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Trump talks with Irish PM about his passion for mixed martial arts
The topic came up during the president鈥檚 meeting with Miche谩l Martin in the Oval Office when a reporter asked Trump to name his favorite person in Ireland.
鈥淚 do like your fighter. He鈥檚 got the best tattoos I鈥檝e ever seen,鈥 Trump says of the MMA fighter Conor McGregor. 鈥淐onor鈥檚 great, right?鈥
鈥淚reland鈥檚 always had a lot of good fighters,鈥 he continues. 鈥淵ou know why? Because they are tough people. They are smart people and they are passionate people.鈥
Trump attended multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts during the 2024 presidential campaign.
The president notes that Martin鈥檚 father was an acclaimed boxer then motions to Martin saying, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e so smooth.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 a pretty good defensive boxer,鈥 Martin jokes in reply.
Federal Trade Commission requests delay to Amazon Prime deceptive practices trial
The commission asked a federal judge for more time to prepare, citing staffing and budgetary challenges. The FTC filed the suit in 2023 and the trial is scheduled for September.
鈥淥ur resource constraints are severe and really unique to this moment,鈥 Jonathan Cohen, an FTC attorney, told Judge John Chun during a status hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. 鈥淲e have lost employees in the agency, in our division and on the case team.鈥
When Chun asked if this was in reference to recent cuts in the federal government, Cohen said it was, adding that some employees who resigned could not be replaced due to the federal hiring freeze.
Trump and Vance show guarded optimism about Russia accepting ceasefire proposal
Vice President JD Vance says the administration believes it is in a 鈥渧ery good place鈥 as it pushes the Kremlin to sign off on a U.S.-backed proposal to pause the fighting with Ukraine for 30 days.
He says U.S. officials will have conversations with their Russian counterparts by phone and in person in the coming days.
Trump says he has received some good feedback to the proposal. He has offered no details.
鈥淚鈥檝e gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing. This is a very serious situation,鈥 Trump said. 鈥淭his is a situation that could lead to World War III.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten half of it as a ceasefire,鈥 Trump added. 鈥淎nd if we can get Russia to stop then we have a full ceasefire. And I think it鈥檒l never go back to war.鈥
Dems want to see the economic impact from Trump鈥檚 tariffs
Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and other Democratic senators are proposing a bill that would require the International Trade Commission to investigate the impact of tariffs on consumers, companies and the job market.
鈥淭he last thing we need are tariffs that will raise prices,鈥 Alsobrooks says in a statement. 鈥淢y bill will force a nonpartisan study on this Administration鈥檚 tariffs and how they will impact everyday Americans.鈥
The proposed Tariff Transparency Act would force the Trump administration to provide details of the latest taxes on imports for evaluation by the commission, just as the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation evaluate the impact that Congress鈥 proposals could have on the economy.
Trump says 鈥榠t鈥檚 up to Russia now鈥 as US presses for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine
鈥淎nd hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia,鈥 Trump said during an extended exchange with reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Miche谩l Martin, the Taosich of Ireland. 鈥淎nd if we do, I think that would be 80% of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath鈥 ended.
The president again made veiled threats of hitting Russia with new sanctions.
鈥淲e can, but I hope it鈥檚 not going to be necessary,鈥 Trump added.
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President Trump pauses inflation comments to mention Vice President JD Vance鈥檚 ... socks
鈥淏y the way, I love these socks. What鈥檚 with these socks. I鈥檓 trying to stay focused, but I鈥檓 very impressed with the VP鈥檚 socks,鈥 Trump said, sparking chuckles in the Oval Office during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.
Vance was sporting socks patterned with small, green shamrocks, as a nod to the coming St. Patrick's Day.
Trump also repeated his assertion that the European Union was created to take advantage of the United States, and that includes Ireland.
鈥淥f course they are,鈥 he said, adding that the EU is doing what it needs to for the its countries, but it 鈥渃reates ill will.鈥
Catholic Charities group says Trump administration owes it $42 million 鈥 and counting
A federal judge is weighing a request by Catholic Charities of Fort Worth to force the Trump administration to resume payments under its contract to provide aid to refugees.
The charity says the money owed is growing by the day since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services paused payments in January.
An attorney for HHS said the pause is temporary, meant to ensure the money is being spent properly.
But Catholic Charities attorney Edward Waters said the funding freeze appears part of an effort to 鈥済rind this program to a halt.鈥
Republican rejoice that a Democratic senator is not running for reelection
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen鈥檚 decision brings to an end the 78-year-old New Hampshire senator鈥檚 long political career and deals a significant blow to Democrats, who are already facing a difficult path to reclaiming the Senate majority.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who leads the Senate Republican campaign arm, wrote on X, that 鈥淣ew Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans 鈥 and will do so again in 2026!鈥
The GOP already holds 53 seats in the Senate compared with the Democrats鈥 47, including two independents who caucus with Democrats.
Critics say Trump, who campaigned as free speech protector, now threatens it
boasted in his to Congress last week that he has 鈥渂rought back to America.鈥
First Amendment advocates say they鈥檝e never seen this freedom so under attack.
Trump鈥檚 Republican administration has threatened to investigate Democratic members of Congress for criticizing conservatives, pulled federal grants that include language it opposes, sanctioned law firms that represent Trump鈥檚 political opponents and which Trump called 鈥渢he first arrest of many to come.鈥
鈥淵our right to say something depends on what the administration thinks of it, which is no free speech at all,鈥 said Will Creeley, legal director of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan First Amendment group.
Even some Trump allies seem uncomfortable with targeting people over their language
鈥淭here鈥檚 almost no one I don鈥檛 want to deport,鈥 conservative commentator Ann Coulter wrote on X, 鈥渂ut, unless they鈥檝e committed a crime, isn鈥檛 this a violation of the first amendment?鈥
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Election winners have a message for Trump: Greenland is not for sale
Trump told that the U.S. would get Greenland 鈥渙ne way or the other.鈥
The surprise winners in Greenland鈥檚 parliamentary elections are pushing back, saying the results show Greenlanders alone will decide their future.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to be Americans. No, we don鈥檛 want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders. And we want our own independence in the future,鈥 Demokraatit leader Jens-Friederik Nielsen .
The strategically important territory holds reserves of and is home to a U.S. air base straddling North Atlantic air and sea routes.
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Emirati diplomat identified as carrying Trump letter meets with Iran鈥檚 foreign minister
Iranian state television showed Emirati official Anwar Gargash meeting with Abbas Araghchi. Garachi was identified by Iran as carrying a letter from seeking to jumpstart talks over Iran鈥檚 rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Trump said its intended recipient is who has said he鈥檚 not interested in talks with a 鈥渂ullying government.鈥
But Iran continues to struggle with economic woes, and Trump has imposed even more sanctions over its nuclear program. That pressure, coupled with internal turmoil and direct attacks by Israel, has put the theocracy in one of its most-precarious positions yet.
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US Jewish groups are sharply divided over Trump effort to deport campus protester
The Anti-Defamation League welcomed , a legal U.S. resident who led pro-Palestinian campus protests that accused Israel鈥檚 military of 鈥済enocide鈥 in Gaza and pushed the university to end investments in Israel.
鈥淲e appreciate the Trump Administration鈥檚 broad, bold set of efforts to counter campus antisemitism,鈥 the ADL said. 鈥淲e also hope that this action serves as a deterrent to others who might consider breaking the law on college campuses or anywhere.鈥
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said the the Trump administration 鈥渋s exploiting real concerns about antisemitism to undercut democracy: from gutting education funding to deporting students to attacking diversity, equity, & inclusion."
"This makes Jews 鈥 & so many others 鈥 less safe,鈥 she posted on Bluesky.
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Trump says the latest inflation numbers are 鈥榲ery good news鈥
U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September and a measure of underlying inflation fell to a four-year low, even as threaten to send prices higher.
A reporter asked the president for his thoughts on the inflation numbers Wednesday as he greeted Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin, who is visiting the White House.
The US imposes sanctions on the Foxtrot Network
The Sweden-based group is suspected of orchestrating an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm in January 2024 on behalf of Iran, and of trafficking drugs and carrying out attacks on Israelis and Jews in Europe.
鈥淚ran鈥檚 brazen use of transnational criminal organizations and narcotics traffickers underscores the regime鈥檚 attempts to achieve its aims through any means, with no regard for the cost to communities across Europe,鈥 Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said.
鈥淭reasury, alongside our U.S. government and international partners, will continue to hold accountable those who seek to further Iran鈥檚 thuggish and destabilizing agenda,鈥 Bessent said.
Wisconsin governor: 鈥楾his is a clown show we have to stop鈥
Gov. Tony Evers said he expects Democratic state attorneys general to sue over the Education Department cuts. A former teacher, school administrator and state superintendent, he joined two other former teachers, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, on a conference call.
Walz said Minnesota will prioritize schools, but states can鈥檛 possibly replace the federal education funding being cut. He said 鈥渢his is undermining our economic well being for the future,鈥 as well as 鈥渢he moral authority that every child truly matters.鈥
Meyer said he and other governors spoke Tuesday with Education Secretary Linda McMahon, but are getting mixed messages: 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure they know what they鈥檙e doing,鈥 he said.
Congressional hearing ends abruptly after GOP rep. calls transgender colleague a man
Texas Republican Rep. Keith Self introduced the first openly transgender lawmaker in Congress as 鈥淢r. McBride.鈥
Rep. Sarah McBride responded by referring to Self as 鈥淢adam Chair,鈥 and tried to move on to her remarks.
But the subcommittee鈥檚 top Democrat, Rep. William Keating, called Self 鈥渙ut of order,鈥 asking, 鈥淗ave you no decency?鈥
Keating insisted that Self 鈥渋ntroduce a duly elected representative the right way.鈥
Self adjourned the meeting instead.
Republican lawmakers have targeted McBride and refused to acknowledge trans people鈥檚 identity after President Donald Trump signed executive orders declaring only two sexes.
鈥淣o matter how I鈥檓 treated by some colleagues, nothing diminishes my awe and gratitude at getting to represent Delaware in Congress,鈥 McBride later posted. 鈥淚 simply want to serve and to try to make this world a better place.鈥
The United Nations secretary-general says there are no winners in a trade war
Antonio Guterres was responding to a question on the threat of a trade war following tariffs imposed by Trump and retaliatory tariffs on American products, including by Canada, China and the European Union.
Guterres said we all live in a global economy where everything is interlinked.
鈥淎nd obviously one of the great advantages of having a situation of free trade is to create conditions for all countries to benefit,鈥 he told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York.
鈥淲hen we enter into a trade war, I believe all will lose,鈥 Guterres said.
Chinese commerce officials meet with Walmart representatives over tariffs
China鈥檚 state broadcaster CGTN says the Chinese officials warned the U.S retail giant that its demand for lower prices to absorb the impact from tariffs could disrupt the supply chain and hurt both sides.
CTGN indicated in its blog post that Beijing would like to see American and Chinese businesses working together to cope with the challenges caused by the tariffs.
United Nations secretary-general calls Ukraine ceasefire proposal `a positive first step鈥
Antonio Guterres hopes Russia agrees and a ceasefire 鈥渨ill materialize.鈥
鈥淎nd we hope that it will pave the way for peace 鈥 a just peace鈥 he told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York.
Guterres stressed in response to questions from reporters that a just peace must be based on the U.N. Charter, which requires every country to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all other countries, international law and U.N. General Assembly resolutions, which have demanded the withdrawal of all Russian troops.
Canada and Europe retaliate quickly to Trump鈥檚 steel and aluminum tariffs
Canada will announce retaliatory tariffs that add up to $21 billion in U.S. dollars, according to a senior Canadian government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren鈥檛 authorized to speak before the announcement.
The European Union also announced retaliatory trade action with new duties on U.S. industrial and farm products, responding within hours to the Trump administration鈥檚 increase in to 25%.
Canada is the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S.
US inflation cooled last month, though trade war threatens to lift prices
U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September and a measure of underlying inflation fell to a four-year low, even as additional tariffs on steel and aluminum that threaten to send prices higher.
The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday鈥檚 from the Labor Department showed. Sticky inflation could create problems for Trump, who promised while campaigning to 鈥渒nock the hell out of inflation.鈥
Grocery prices were unchanged overall last month from January, but the cost of eggs jumped 10.4% and are nearly 60% more expensive than a year ago.
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Vance breaks fast with Irish PM at vice president鈥檚 residence
JD Vance welcomed Miche谩l Martin to Washington with a breakfast reception, the first of several events during the Irish leader鈥檚 visit to celebrate St. Patrick鈥檚 Day.
Next up is an Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump, a lunch on Capitol Hill and another White House event Wednesday afternoon.
Vance reminisced about a recent trip to Ireland and joked that his wife, Usha, could finally wear her green pants: 鈥淪he鈥檚 had these in the closet for years.鈥
Martin thanked the United States for being 鈥渁 steadfast friend鈥 and praised Trump for working to end the war in Ukraine, saying 鈥淲e are ready to play our part.鈥
Trump pressured Ukraine for a peace deal. Will it push Russia as well?
Rubio wouldn鈥檛 say as he spoke with reporters en route to talks with U.S. allies in Canada.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 constructive to stand here today and say what we鈥檙e going to do if Russia says no,鈥 Rubio said, adding he wants to avoid statements about Russia that 鈥渁re abrasive in any way.鈥
The Trump administration cut off military and intelligence support to Ukraine for a week to get Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy鈥檚 agreement to talks. Trump and Vice President JD Vance also angrily confronted Zelenskyy in a televised White House meeting.
Rubio did note that Biden administration sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin over his 2022 invasion of Ukraine remain in place.
Rubio defends arrest of pro-Palestinian Columbia student
The secretary of state says that if a green card holder supports Hamas, riles up anti-Jewish activities and shuts down college campuses, 鈥渨e鈥檙e going to kick you out. It鈥檚 as simple as that.鈥
鈥淭his is not about free speech. This is about people that don鈥檛 have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card,鈥 Rubio said.
Mahmoud Khalil, a legal U.S. resident born in Syria who was a graduate student at Columbia until December, was detained Saturday and flown to an immigration jail in Louisiana.
Student leaders say their broad anti-war movement also includes Jewish students and groups and is not antisemitic.
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US says ball in Russia鈥檚 court on talks to end its war on Ukraine
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is pursuing multiple points of contact to see if Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate an end to his war against Ukraine.
鈥淭he ball is truly in their court,鈥 Rubio said after mediation in Saudi Arabia saw Ukraine agree to start immediate talks with Russia on ending their three-year war.
Rubio spoke to reporters en route to Group of Seven talks with U.S. allies in Canada.
Rubio expressed hopes that Russia will stop attacks on Ukraine within the next few days as a first step, saying 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to start a process when people are shooting at each other and people are dying.鈥
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The Education Department was created to ensure equal access. Who would do that in its absence?
Officials have suggested other agencies could take over the Education Department鈥檚 major responsibilities once it鈥檚 dismantled.
But the question remains about what could happen with a more lofty part of its mission 鈥 promoting equal access for students in an American education system that is fundamentally unequal.
Without the department, advocates worry the federal government would not look out in the same way for poor students, those still learning English, disabled students and racial and ethnic minorities.
The equity goal of the Education Department, which was founded in 1980, emerged partly from the anti-poverty and civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s.
Trump has said he wants to return all control of schools to states.
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President Donald Trump spent the night angry at Rep. Thomas Massie
鈥淕RANDSTANDER!鈥 Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform, at 1:23 a.m.
The Kentucky congressman was the only House Republican to vote against legislation to .
The president previously suggested Massie would face a primary challenge, although he鈥檚 been able to maintain support in his home state .
Massie said the funding legislation didn鈥檛 do enough to address the federal deficit. Trump and other Republicans have said that will be addressed in other measures this year.
Education Department cuts half its staff, a prelude to Trump's elimination
The plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees, a prelude to Trump鈥檚 plan to .
The Trump administration had already been whittling the agency鈥檚 staff, through buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesday鈥檚 layoffs, the department鈥檚 staff will sit at roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said.
The layoffs are part of a directed by Trump as he moves to reduce the footprint of the federal government. Thousands of jobs are expected to be cut across the , the and other agencies.
Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions such as the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell Grants.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said when she got to the department, she wanted to reduce bloat to be able to send more money to local education authorities.
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Trump鈥檚 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports go into effect
Trump officially increased to 25% on Wednesday, promising that the taxes would help create U.S. factory jobs at a time when his seesawing tariff threats are and raising fears of an economic slowdown.
Trump on the metals, in addition to increasing the tariffs on aluminum from 10%. His moves, based off a February directive, are to disrupt and transform global commerce.
Trump told CEOs in the Business Roundtable on Tuesday that the tariffs were causing companies to invest in U.S. factories. The 8% drop in the S&P 500 stock index over the past month on fears of deteriorating growth appears unlikely to dissuade him, as Trump argued that higher tariff rates would be more effective at bringing back factories.
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UK calls Trump tariffs disappointing but doesn鈥檛 retaliate
The British government called the on global steel and aluminum imports 鈥渄isappointing,鈥 but said that it won鈥檛 impose retaliatory measures.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, however, did not rule out future tariffs on U.S. imports and said he would 鈥渃ontinue to engage closely and productively with the U.S. to press the case for U.K. business interests.鈥
Britain is not part of the European Union, which Wednesday , ranging from steel and aluminum to bourbon, peanut butter and jeans in response to Trump鈥檚 move.
Center-left U.K. Prime Minister has worked to build , in hope of avoiding the tariffs levied on many other U.S. trading partners.
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The EU retaliates against Trump's tariffs, slapping duties on produce from Republican states
The European Union on Wednesday announced retaliatory trade action with new duties on U.S. industrial and farm products, responding within hours to the Trump administration鈥檚 increase in to 25%.
The world鈥檚 biggest trading bloc was expecting the U.S. tariffs and prepared in advance, but the measures still place great strain on already tense transatlantic relations. Only last month, Washington warned Europe that it would have to .
The EU measures will cover goods from the United States worth some 26 billion euros ($28 billion), and not just steel and aluminum products, but also textiles, home appliances and agricultural goods.
The EU duties aim for pressure points in the U.S. while minimizing additional damage to Europe. The tariffs 鈥 taxes on imports 鈥 primarily target Republican-held states.
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The Associated Press
