Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here.
A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
The United States has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine alongside a military aid freeze, in what officials say is part of a pressure campaign to force Ukraine’s government to cooperate with President Trump’s plans to end the war with Russia. White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said yesterday the suspension will continue until a date is confirmed for peace talks with Russia. Julian E. Barnes, Michael Shwirtz, Eric Schmitt, and Adam Entous report for the New York Times; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
France will consider protecting European allies with its nuclear arsenal, French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday, while warning that Europe must be ready for the United States to not “remain by our side” in the Russia-Ukraine war. France’s defense minister also said yesterday that Paris is offering intelligence to Ukraine. Joseph Ataman and Jessie Yeung report for CNN.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Brussels for a summit with European leaders. President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called the summit “a watershed moment for Europe,” adding that “Ukraine is part of that family.” BBC News reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
Trump has issued what he said was a “last warning” to Hamas to release all of the hostages in Gaza immediately, adding that he would send Israel “everything it needs to finish the job” if Hamas “don’t do as I say.” In response, Hamas said that Trump’s threat is only encouraging Israel to evade a ceasefire deal. Kit Maher, Michael Rios, and Mick Krever report for CNN.
The United States has been holding unprecedented direct talks with Hamas over the release of U.S. hostages in Gaza and the possibility of a deal to end the war, sources told Axios. Barak Ravid reports.
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent yesterday. In a statement, Smotrich highlighted the “importance” of the meeting after four years of no ministerial-level meetings between the U.S. Treasury and the Israeli government under the Biden administration. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israel has outlined a plan to directly control all humanitarian aid entering and distributed inside Gaza, according to agencies briefed on the initiative. Under the plan, which aid agencies say they are unlikely to cooperate with as it stands, only one entry point from Israel into Gaza would remain open. Karen DeYoung, Claire Parker, and Missy Ryan report for the Washington Post.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Trump is expected to issue an executive order aimed at abolishing the Education Department as soon as today, with a draft of the order directing the Education Secretary to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” based on “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.” Matt Barnum, Ken Thomas, and Tarini Parti report for the Wall Street Journal.
The Trump administration is reopening a large detention center in South Texas for migrant families facing deportation, reinstating the practice of detaining children four years after the Biden administration halted it, the private prison contractor operating the facility said. Maria Sacchetti, Arelis R. Hernández, and Douglas MacMillan report for the Washington Post.
The Trump administration is reportedly rethinking its Guantánamo immigrant detention plan amid cost concerns and agency clashes over operational responsibility, sources say. Courtney Kube, Carol E. Lee, Julie Tsirkin, and Julia Ainsley report for NBC News.
The Veterans Affairs is planning to fire 70,000 employees, officials said yesterday, with its secretary adding that the cut would not affect healthcare or benefits for veterans or beneficiaries and that the department would still be hiring for mission-critical roles. Victoria Albert, Ken Thomas, and Lindsay Ellis report for the Wall Street Journal.
Carmakers have been granted a monthlong reprieve from the tariffs imposed on all goods from Canada and Mexico, the Trump administration announced yesterday. The New York Times reports.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
China responded to Trump’s rising trade tariffs with some of the strongest rhetoric so far, saying in a post on X, “If war is what the [United States] wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.” Laura Bicker reports for BBC News.
South Africa is crafting a new trade deal to present to Trump, aiming to align with his transactional approach to foreign policy and help repair tensions with Washington, a spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said this week. John Eligon reports for the New York Times.
A new travel ban by Trump could bar people from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the United States as soon as next week, sources say. Jonathan Landay, Ted Hesson, and Humeyra Pamuk report for Reuters.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The Justice Department announced yesterday that 12 Chinese citizens have been charged in a global cyberespionage scheme that allegedly targeted U.S. government agencies, contractors, journalists, and critics, with stolen data sold to clients, including the Chinese government. Jeremy Roebuck and Cate Cadell report for the Washington Post.
Several DOGE employees were blocked from entering the offices of the African Development Foundation yesterday by agency employees. The standoff, which lasted about an hour in Washington, is one of the latest acts of protests from federal employees against DOGE’s reshaping of the government. Brianna Tucker and Emily Davies report for the Washington Post.
The Senate yesterday confirmed 52-46 Todd Blanche, Trump’s criminal defense attorney, to be the deputy attorney general, holding the second most important position at the Justice Department. Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Russia is reportedly chasing a deal to keep its military bases in Syria and expand its economic footprint there, in a surprising rapprochement since Moscow labeled the Syrian rebels in power as terrorists. Benoit Faucon and Thomas Grove report for the Wall Street Journal.
Hong Kong’s top court today overturned the convictions of three former organizers of an annual vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, a rare win for the city’s pro-democracy activists. Kanis Leung reports for AP News.
Romania has detained six people in an alleged organized criminal group accusing them of treason and conspiracy with Russia. The group allegedly worked with “agents of a foreign power” and was formed in a “military-type structure,” both on Romanian and Russian territory. The Guardian reports.
New Zealand’s most senior envoy to the U.K. has lost his job over remarks made at an event in London this week that questioned Trump’s grasp of history, New Zealand’s foreign minister said today. Charlotte Graham-Mclay reports for AP News.
Syria’s foreign minister told the global chemical weapons watchdog that the new government is committed to eliminating any remaining stockpiles produced under former President Bashar al-Assad. David Gritten reports for BBC News.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A divided Supreme Court yesterday ruled 5-4 that the Trump administration can be compelled by a district court to pay foreign aid, clearing the way for the State Department and USAID to restart nearly $2 billion in payments for work already completed. Justin Jouvenal, Annie Gowen, and Ann E. Marimow report for the Washington Post.
A federal appeals court yesterday allowed Trump to temporarily remove the head of the Office of Special Counsel, Hampton Dellinger, while the judges decide whether the president has authority to fire him without cause. Derek Hawkins reports for the Washington Post.
Nearly 6,000 Agriculture Department employees who were fired last month by the Trump administration must be reinstated in their old positions for at least 45 days, a board that handles federal worker disputes ordered yesterday. Eileen Sullivan reports for the New York Times.
The National Endowment for Democracy, a nonprofit that has bipartisan support since its founding in the Reagen era, is suing the U.S. government and cabinet officials for freezing $239 million in congressional appropriations, arguing that the withholding of funds is illegal. Edward Wong and Mattathias Schwartz report for the New York Times.
A federal judge in Boston yesterday blocked the Trump administration from carrying out cuts totaling billions of federal grant funding for medical research, ruling that the policy created an “imminent risk of halting life-saving clinical trials.” Nate Raymond reports for Reuters.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
