The Latest: Trump blocks $4.9 billion in foreign aid approved by Congress

In a letter sent Thursday to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, President Donald Trump said he would not be spending $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid — effectively cutting the budget without going through the legislative branch. The letter was posted Friday morning on the X account of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Trump’s move rests on a tool not used in nearly 50 years, known as a pocket rescission: A president submits a request to Congress to not spend approved funds toward the end of the fiscal year so that Congress can’t act on the request in the 45-day time frame, and the money goes unspent as a result. The fiscal year draws to a close at the end of September.

Such a move, if standardized by the White House, could effectively bypass Congress on key spending choices and potentially wrest some control over spending from the House and the Senate.

Here’s the latest:

Trump vows appeal of court ruling that his sweeping tariffs are unconstitutional

“If allowed to stand, this Decision would literally destroy the United States of America,” the president said on his social media platform.

Appeals court finds Trump’s sweeping tariffs unconstitutional but leaves them in place for now

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that the president had no legal right to impose the sweeping tariffs but left in place for now his effort to build a protectionist wall around the economy.

The court found that Trump was not legally allowed to declare national emergencies and impose import taxes on almost every country, largely upholding a decision by a specialized federal trade court.

But the court tossed out a part of that ruling striking down the tariffs immediately, allowing the administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The decision complicates Trump’s ambitions to upend decades of trade policy unilaterally. Trump has alternative laws for imposing import taxes, but they would limit the speed and severity with which he could act.

His tariffs — and their erratic rollout — have shaken global markets, alienated trading partners and allies and raised fears of inflation and slower economic growth.

Missouri’s Republican governor orders redraw of US House districts as redistricting fight expands

Gov. Mike Kehoe is calling Missouri lawmakers into a special session to redraw the state’s districts as part of a growing national battle between Republicans and Democrats seeking an edge in next year’s congressional elections.

Kehoe’s announcement Friday came just hours after Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a new congressional voting map designed to help Republicans gain five more seats in the midterm elections.

It marked a win for President Donald Trump, who has been urging Republican-led states to reshape districts to give the party a better shot at retaining control of the House.

Republican-led Texas took up the task first and was quickly countered by Democratic-led California. Missouri would become the third state to pursue an unusual mid-decade redistricting for partisan advantage.

Missouri is represented in the House by six Republicans and two Democrats. Republicans hope to gain one more seat.

The special session is to begin Sept. 3.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has US visa revoked

Abbas and 80 other Palestinian Authority officials had their visas revoked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of next month’s annual high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.

That’s according to a State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity Friday to discuss visa issues that are normally confidential.

The State Department said earlier in a statement that the move was in “our national security interests” and accused the officials of “undermining the prospects for peace.”

The Palestinian Authority said it “expressed its deep regret and astonishment” at the visa decision, which “contravenes international law and the Headquarters Agreement, especially since the State of Palestine is an observer member of the United Nations.”

— Matthew Lee

Senator says Trump administration plans to remove 700 Guatemalan children

A U.S. Senator says the Trump administration is planning to remove nearly 700 Guatemalan children who had come to the U.S. without their parents.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said in a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement that according to reports from unidentified whistleblowers the office has finalized a plan to deport the children in their custody back to Guatemala.

Wyden said the removals would violate the office’s “child welfare mandate and this country’s long-established obligation to these children.”

The office within the Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for migrant children who arrive in the U.S. alone.

The White House and the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest move, which was first reported by CNN. The Guatemalan government declined to comment.

US warns Russia to move toward peace and meet with Ukraine or face possible sanctions

A senior U.S. diplomat at the United Nations delivered the warning at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine saying Russia’s latest drone and missile attacks resulting in numerous civilian casualties “cast doubt on the seriousness of Russia’s desire for peace.”

“These strikes must stop immediately,” Minister-Counselor John Kelley said. “Russia must decide now to move toward peace. The leaders of Russia and Ukraine must agree to meet bilaterally.”

Kelley noted President Donald Trump’s warning that the U.S. could take “further economic measures … if Russia instead chooses to continue this war, measures which could have far-reaching impact on Russia’s future economic prosperity.”

“The United States calls on the Russian Federation to avoid these consequences by stopping the violence and engaging constructively to end the war,” said Kelley, who is the U.S. Mission’s political coordinator.

Trump administration tells states to change sex ed lessons or lose funding

The Department of Health and Human Services this week told 40 states to change parts of sex ed lessons that focus on LGBTQ+ issues.

If they don’t comply in 60 days, they’ll lose federal money for the lessons.

The money comes through the Personal Responsibility Education Program and is aimed at teaching homeless students, those in foster programs, minorities and those in rural areas and places with high rates of teen pregnancy.

The push to change the lessons is part of a broader effort to eliminate what Trump calls “gender ideology.”

But some states have laws that require teaching about LGBTQ+ issues.

Administration cancels grants for offshore wind, continuing attack on industry Trump hates

The Transportation Department on Friday canceled $679 million in federal funding for a dozen offshore wind projects.

The move was the latest attack by the Trump administration on the reeling U.S. offshore wind industry and comes days after the administration abruptly halted construction last week of a nearly complete wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Funding for projects in 11 states was rescinded, including $435 million for a floating wind farm in Northern California and $47 million to boost an offshore wind project in Maryland that the Interior Department has pledged to cancel.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that under Trump, “we are prioritizing real infrastructure improvements over fantasy wind projects that cost much and offer little.”

UN says US withholding over $1 billion will make finances challenging

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations will follow up with U.S. authorities to get more details on Friday’s White House announcement.

Trump said in a letter he would not be spending $4.9 billion in foreign aid approved by Congress including $520 million for the U.N. regular budget and other U.N. agencies and $838 million for international peacekeeping.

“What can I tell you?,” Dujarric said. “This is going to make our budget situation, our liquidity situation that much more challenging.”

Appeals court blocks Trump administration from ending legal protections for 600,000 Venezuelans

A federal appeals court on Friday blocked the Trump administration’s plans to end protections for 600,000 people from Venezuela who have had permission to live and work in the United States.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling that maintained temporary protected status for Venezuelans while the case proceeded through court.

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of San Francisco found in March that plaintiffs were likely to prevail on their claim that the administration overstepped its authority in terminating the protections and were motivated by racial animus in doing so. Chen ordered a freeze on the terminations, but the Supreme Court reversed him without explanation, which is common in emergency appeals.

It is unclear what effect Friday’s ruling will have on the estimated 350,000 Venezuelans whose protections expired in April. Protections for another group of 250,000 Venezuelans are set to expire Sept. 10.

▶ Read more about Venezuela immigrants

Texas governor signs new voting maps pushed by Trump to gain five GOP seats in Congress in 2026

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday signed into law a new congressional voting map designed to help Republicans gain more seats in the 2026 midterm elections, delivering a win for President Donald Trump and his desire to hold onto a slim GOP majority in the U.S. House.

The Texas map drafted in rare mid-decade redistricting prompted fierce protests from Democrats and sparked a gerrymandering tug-of-war for voters in states across the country.

Before Texas lawmakers passed their new map, California had passed a bill that will ask voters to approve new Democratic-leaning districts to counter any Republican gains in Texas.

The incumbent president’s party usually loses congressional seats in the midterm election. On a national level, the partisan makeup of existing districts puts Democrats within three seats of a majority.

▶ Read more about redrawn Texas maps

Trump is planning to send officers to Chicago for an immigration crackdown, AP sources say

The Trump administration is planning to send officers to Chicago for an immigration crackdown in its latest move to expand federal law enforcement presence in major Democratic-run cities.

That’s according to two U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because plans have not been made public.

A Homeland Security Department official says operations in the nation’s third-largest city are expected to last about 30 days and may start as early as Sept. 5. Another U.S. official said timing for what could be a sustained operation resembling Los Angeles is awaiting final approval.

The Trump administration asked the military this week for use of the Naval Station Great Lakes, north of Chicago, to support immigration enforcement.

— Rebecca Santana and Elliot Spagat

Republican chair of Senate Appropriations Committee criticizes Trump’s funding move

Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, says in a carefully-worded statement that its an “attempt to undermine the law” for President Donald Trump’s to cancel roughly $5 billion in foreign aid that was already approved by lawmakers.

“Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law,” Collins, a Maine Republican, said.

She has been pushing for Congress to work through a series of annual appropriations bills — something it has not done successfully for years. But as Trump seeks to dominate the federal government, Collins, a moderate Republican, has found herself increasingly at odds with the president.

“Instead of this attempt to undermine the law, the appropriate way is to identify ways to reduce excessive spending through the bipartisan, annual appropriations process,” she said.

Dems say government funding negotiations face setback after Trump cancels foreign aid

President Donald Trump’s move to cancel nearly $5 billion in foreign aid without congressional approval is enraging Democrats, setting up a clash over funding ahead of a potential government shutdown at the end of September.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who was essential to preventing a government shutdown in March, said in a statement that Trump’s move was a sign that Republicans would not work across the aisle to pass another funding package in the coming weeks.

Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but will need votes from some Democrats to meet the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.

“Today’s announcement of the administration’s plan to advance an unlawful ‘pocket rescission’ package is further proof President Trump and congressional Republicans are hellbent on rejecting bipartisanship and ‘going it alone’ this fall,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a statement.

Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have been calling on Republican leaders to meet with them to discuss a funding package, but say they have so far refused.

Palestinian UN ambassador says the Palestinians will respond to US revocation of visas of Palestinian officials

Riyad Mansour told U.N. reporters that he had just learned about Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to revoke visas of a number of Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization officials ahead of next month’s annual gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly.

“We will see exactly what it means and how it applies to any of our delegation, and we will respond accordingly,” he said.

Mansour said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is leading the delegation to the high-level meetings and is expected to address the General Assembly –- as he has done for many years –- and to attend a high-level meeting on the afternoon of Sept. 22 on a two-state solution co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.

The State Department said Palestinian representatives assigned to the Palestinian Authority mission at the United Nations, which is led by Mansour, will be granted waivers so they can continue their New York-based operations.

Trump’s ‘pocket rescission’ is a rarely used flex on Congress. Here’s why some say its illegal

Trump’s budget office is telling Congress it won’t spend funding for nearly $5 billion in foreign aid projects that had already been approved by lawmakers, just weeks before the end of the fiscal year.

It’s a flex on Congress’s authority that hasn’t been used in nearly 50 years, in part because it’s so legally dubious. Here’s why.

Usually, funding rescissions from the White House have to be approved by Congress, but because this rescission request was made so close to the end of the fiscal year, Congress doesn’t have time to act within the 45-day window it’s given under law to either accept or reject the request.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office, which acts as a watchdog for Congress, has already weighed in to say that such a move — called a “pocket rescission” — is illegal. Essentially, it allows a president to subvert Congress’ constitutional power over government funds.

But the White House went ahead and did it anyway, setting up a clash with lawmakers as they try to work out a funding package in the coming weeks.

Here’s what the White House is withholding funds for

The White House is targeting nearly $5 billion in funds, using a maneuver known as a pocket rescission that essentially defies the will of Congress. Here are the programs affected:

— $3.2 billion for development assistance grants, which included programs like food security research, a fund meant to counter Chinese influence abroad, initiatives meant to spur businesses to engage in climate solutions

— $520 million for the UN regular budget, and other organizations such the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization

— $838 million for contributions to international peacekeeping operations

— $322 million for the Democracy Fund, which is meant to encourage democracy and inclusiveness in other nations