A three-judge panel blocked most of Donald Trump’s tariffs in a new ruling. Marco Rubio said the U.S. will start to “aggressively” revoke Chinese students’ visas. And how a real video from Gaza led to claims of an AI hoax.
Here’s what to know today.
Federal trade court rules against several Trump tariffs
A federal trade court blocked most of the tariffs President Donald Trump has rolled out so far in his second term, ruling yesterday that several of them exceed his authority as president.
A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of International Trade said in their judgement that the tariffs lacked “any identifiable limits.” They also found that the decades-old International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the federal law Trump has cited in many of his executive orders, did not “delegate an unbounded tariff authority to the President.”
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The ruling applies to the 10% rate applied to most trading partners and those on China. It also includes fentanyl-related levies on Canada and Mexico.
The Trump administration quickly moved to appeal. White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended the president’s trade policies in a statement, saying deficits “have created a national emergency” that has weakened the country. “It is not for unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency,” Desai added.
The panel’s judgement pertained to two lawsuits — one filed by a group of states led by Arizona and Oregon, and other led by several small businesses. Both suits argued that Trump had exceeded his authority.
Read the full story here.
More politics news:
- Trump insisted he’s not “chickening out” on tariffs and that his on-again, off-again threats have helped the U.S. gain ground in negotiations.
- Elon Musk has started offboarding from his White House role.
- Trump pardoned several people yesterday, including reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, and said he would look into pardoning the men convicted of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whtimer. The president also commuted the six life sentences of Larry Hoover Sr., a Chicago gang founder.
- Battle lines are forming over Medicaid spending cuts in the bill for Trump’s agenda, and the fight has the potential to become a midterms flashpoint.
- The Trump administration has emerged as a staunch defender of a far-right German political party with Nazi echoes.
- In his intensifying war on Harvard University, Trump is testing out a new tactic: pitting the Ivy League against the working class and trade schools.
U.S. to go after Chinese students’ visas, Rubio says
The U.S. will start to “aggressively revoke” the visas of Chinese students, Secret of State Marco Rubio said yesterday, adding that visa criteria will also be revised to “enhance scrutiny” of all future applications from China. The decision comes just days after the Trump administration stopped scheduling new interviews for foreign nationals seeking student visas in its latest move against elite universities.
Those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields could be affected, though it is unclear what those fields are. Both the U.S. and China have expressed concern about each other’s advancements in sensitive areas such as biotechnology and artificial intelligence. Read the full story here.
More immigration news:
- A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration’s effort to deport pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil on foreign policy grounds is most likely unconstitutional.
- Immigration courts have dismissed cases for at least 14 men deported to El Salvador in recent weeks, potentially cutting off their return to the U.S.
- A Harvard scientist detained by ICE was granted bail but remains in custody on a separate smuggling charge.
FDA chief on Covid vaccine for pregnant women: Consult a doctor
Pregnant women’s decision of whether to get a Covid vaccine should come down to conversations with their doctors, not a recommendation by the federal government, FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Mak said in an interview. Earlier this week, Mak took part in Health and Human Services Secret Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement revoking the CDC’s recommendation that Covid shots should be offered to pregnant women and healthy children.
Mak claims that data on Covid vaccines for pregnant women “is a mixed set of data.” But vaccine experts say such an assertion isn’t supported by evidence, and OB-GYNs quickly raised alarms over patient access to the vaccine.
While the CDC doesn’t mandate vaccination, it traditionally relies on a panel of independent vaccine experts to recommend vaccinations for certain groups of people based on data, and the CDC can endorse those recommendations. Kennedy’s decision skipped the usual process of consulting the panel and could jeopardize whether insurance companies will cover the vaccine at no cost to patients. Read the full story here.
OKC Thunder advance to the NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the best in the West, just three years after finishing with one of the worst records in the Western Conference. The Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the conference finals last night, 124-94, at one point leading by 39 points. League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed to the blowout defeat with 34 points.
It’ll be OKC’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2012, a feat made even more remarkable by the team’s stunning turnaround in the past few years. Read the full story here.
So which team will OKC face in the finals? There could be an answer as early as tonight, when the New York Knicks face the Indiana Pacers and attempt to stay in the Eastern Conference finals. New York, which heads into the game in a 3-1 deficit, has seen great individual moments from star players Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns — but together, the duo has faltered in one very important area. Here’s what needs to change if New York wants to avoid elimination.
And it almost goes without saying that part of the fun of watching the playoffs has been the famous courtside spectators. One postseason mainstay: actor Timothée Chalamet. With the series returning to Madison Square Garden tonight, expect to see more celebs.
Read All About It
- Family members of the suspect in the violent attack at the mansion of Beanie Babies billionaire Ty Warner said they repeatedly tried to warn authorities in the days before the incident — but never heard back.
- Kevin Costner was sued by a “Horizon 2” stunt performer who claims she was put in an unscripted rape scene without warning or proper safety protocols.
- Cassie Ventura gave birth to her third child, two weeks after she took the stand as a star witness in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial.
- Bed bugs have been nipping at humans for 60,000 years, a new study shows, predating even cockroaches and rats as the “first true urban pest.”
Staff Pick: Gaza video ignites debate over AI-generated media
A video released by the U.S.-backed aid distributors Gaza Humanitarian Foundation caused a heated debate on social media — not because of what it showed, but over whether it was another AI hoax. The video, which hit social media on Tuesday, shows a person making a heart sign and a “shaka” sign in front of a large crowd of Palestinians who cheer and wave from behind rows of barriers as they wait to collect food at a distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip.
An analysis by NBC News’ social newsgathering team and cybersecurity company Get Real Security found the video is real after all. While the war in Gaza has been a hotbed for misinformation, there are certain clues in the footage that prove its authenticity. — Colin Sheeley, senior social newsgathering reporter
NBCU Academy: How nature is helping teens after L.A. wildfires
More than 9,000 homes were destroyed in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, in Janu. To help young fire survivors heal, nonprofit Outward Bound Adventures is taking local teens on camping trips in the mountains not far from their hometown.
“I’ve heard the youth say, ‘I feel peace when I’m here. I feel like I can be myself and not have to hide how I’m actually feeling right now,’” said Outward Bound Adventures development coordinator Brandon Hammerli.
See how these teens are grieving — and healing — together.
NBCU Academy is a free, award-winning education program for developing new skills and advancing careers in journalism, media and tech.
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
One thing you shouldn’t do when you get a sunburn is peel your skin. So here are the best sunburn treatments to try instead. Plus, menopause can do a number on women’s teeth. Here’s how to protect your smile and avoid dry mouth.
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