NTD News Today

Israel says it has conducted further airstrikes in Iran, hitting industrial sites used to manufacture missiles. An Israeli paramedic service said Iranian missiles struck a residential area in southern Israel, causing damage to buildings. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appears to be traveling to Geneva for meetings with the European Union's top diplomat and counterparts from the UK, France, and Germany.The U.S. Supreme Court on June 20 unanimously upheld a law that empowers Americans harmed by terrorist attacks abroad to sue in U.S. courts. The majority opinion in the 9–0 decision was written by Chief Justice Roberts. The decision reverses a federal appeals court that found U.S. courts lacked authority to hear cases based on terrorist attacks taking place outside the country.

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he extended the June 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the U.S. assets of short-video app TikTok for 90 more days. "I've just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025)," he said in a Truth Social post, which included a copy of the document.An Iranian missile hit the main hospital in southern Israel early on Thursday, causing “extensive damage” but no serious injuries, the medical facility said. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz blamed Iranian leader Ali Khamenei for the strikes and said the Israeli military “has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist.”The U.S. State Department announced new vetting requirements on June 18, including social media screening for all student visa applicants. While student visa interviews—previously paused as the government reviewed its visa policy—have resumed, applicants will now be expected to set their social media profiles to “public” to allow screening by U.S. diplomatic officials. Failure to do so could be interpreted as an effort to conceal certain online activity.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to answer reporters' questions on whether the U.S. was planning to strike Iran or its nuclear facilities, and said the Iranians had reached out but he feels "it's very late to be talking."Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has warned that the United States would face “irreparable harm” if the U.S. military were to join Israel's attacks on Iranian targets and rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's call for Iran's “unconditional surrender.” The statement follows a post by Trump on Truth Social saying the United States knows exactly where Khamenei is hiding and that he'd be an easy target—but that he's safe for now.The Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday as its policymakers assess signs of a cooling economy, the risk of higher inflation from U.S. import tariffs, and the escalating crisis in the Middle East. The current benchmark interest rate was set at the 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent range in December.

President Donald Trump has said that he wants a genuine end to Iran's nuclear program, dismissing French President Emmanuel Macron's claim that the United States had made an offer to secure a cease-fire between Israel and Iran. Trump later posted on Truth Social that his early departure from the G7 summit in Canada had nothing to do with a cease-fire in the Israel–Iran conflict. In a subsequent post, Trump said that he had not contacted the Iranian government to engage in any form of peace talks.Russia flattened a section of an apartment block in Kyiv in its deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year, part of a huge barrage of hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles that killed at least 16 people and wounded 124 others. Ukrainian officials declared a day of mourning on Wednesday for the victims of what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described as one of the most horrific attacks on the capital since the start of the war.The man charged with killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another had dozens of apparent targets, including officials in at least three other states. Suspect Vance Boelter allegedly made it to the homes of two other legislators on the night of the attacks. However, one was on vacation while the suspect left the other house after police arrived, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said on Monday.

President Donald Trump arrived in Alberta, Canada, on Sunday for the G7 summit. Over the three-day summit meeting, Trump will engage with the leaders of six of the world's most advanced economies to tackle pressing economic challenges and escalating geopolitical crises—with a particular focus on the Middle East, given the recent escalation to direct conflict. This year's gathering unfolds against the backdrop of active conflict between Israel and Iran, with both countries exchanging strikes for a third consecutive day as of June 15.A man accused of killing a Democratic state lawmaker while posing as a police officer is expected to appear in a Minnesota court on Monday afternoon on state murder charges, after a massive two-day manhunt ended with his arrest on Sunday night.Iran fired a new wave of missile attacks at Israel early on Monday, triggering air raid sirens across the country as emergency services reported at least five killed and dozens more wounded in the fourth day of a conflict between the two countries that showed no sign of slowing. Iran said on Sunday that Israel had struck oil refineries, killed the intelligence chief of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, and hit population centers in intensive aerial attacks.

The U.S. Army's 250th anniversary parade marched through downtown Washington on Saturday—but protests cast a shadow over the celebration.The National Mall buzzed with festivities for the Army's 250th birthday. NTD's Melina Wisecup brings you the sights and sounds from the heart of the celebration.As Israel and Iran exchange direct missile strikes for a third consecutive day, the world watches closely. Our expert panelists discuss what the strategic aims are behind the escalation, and how the United States is responding.A historic U.S.–China trade deal has been finalized: U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods will remain as high as 55 percent, while China has agreed to supply rare earth minerals and magnets. Our expert panelists discuss what this means for American businesses and consumers.You might be straining your eyes without even realizing it. Here's how to find your true lens prescription—and give your vision the relief it deserves.And with Father's Day coming up, it's the perfect opportunity to help the men you love put their health first. We've got some simple tips to get started.

Israel launched large-scale strikes against military and nuclear targets in Iran on Friday. President Donald Trump suggested that Iran had brought the attack upon itself by resisting U.S. demands in talks to restrict its nuclear program, and urged it to make a deal, "with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal." Washington said it had no part in the operation. Oil prices jumped nearly 9 percent on Friday to near multi-month highs after the Israeli strikes.A black box has been recovered from the crash site of the Air India aircraft that went down on June 12 in India's western city of Ahmedabad, according to two police sources. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has begun its investigation into the cause of the crash of the Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board, which crashed moments after it took off, the country's Civil Aviation Minister said on Thursday.

At least 30 people were killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed in a residential area minutes after taking off from the Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, with the toll expected to climb further, authorities said. The plane was headed for Gatwick Airport, which lies south of the British capital.The governors of New York, Illinois, and Minnesota are due to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday after days of protests in downtown Los Angeles over the Trump administration's enforcement of immigration law. The 3 states are among the 14 states and the hundreds of cities and counties recently listed by the Department of Homeland Security as “sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration law.” The list was later removed from the department's website after criticism that it mistakenly included some local governments that support the Trump administration's immigration policies.

President Donald Trump says the United States has reached a deal with China as both sides wrapped up their trade talks in London. In a Truth Social post, the president confirmed that the agreement will ensure China supplies the necessary rare earths and full magnets. “We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%. Relationship is excellent!” the president wrote in all caps.Protests that began in Los Angeles against immigration enforcement operations spread to more cities on Tuesday, with further demonstrations planned for this weekend. Protesters have begun gathering in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Washington, and Chicago, and are calling for an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations targeting illegal immigrants. In some locations, demonstrators have clashed with law enforcement, and protesters have been arrested.Elon Musk has stepped back from his recent feud with President Donald Trump. Musk wrote on social media platform X: "I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far." He did not say which specific posts he meant, though he has deleted several that were critical of Trump. One of those signaled support for impeaching the president.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is testifying before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Lawmakers are expected to ask Hegseth about the military's deployment to Los Angeles amid the current riots, the department's budget request for fiscal year 2026, and other issues.President Donald Trump on Tuesday will visit Fort Bragg, home to about 50,000 active-duty soldiers, to speak to U.S. soldiers ahead of a major celebration on Saturday in Washington—a long-scheduled commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army. Trump has mobilized 700 Marine Corps soldiers and another 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles as the unrest enters its fifth day.Nine people were killed in a shooting at a school in the city of Graz, Austria, on Tuesday, according to the city's mayor, Elke Kahr. The suspected perpetrator also died in the incident, making a total of 10 deaths so far, according to Kahr. The fatalities include several students and at least one adult. Kahr said that many people were taken to hospitals with injuries.

High-level delegations from the United States and China are meeting in London on Monday in a renewed effort to break the deadlock after last month's Geneva talks failed to produce meaningful results. A delegation led by the Chinese regime's vice premier, He Lifeng, is due to meet U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at an undisclosed location in the city. The talks are due to last at least a day.Police declared all of downtown Los Angeles to be an unlawful assembly area and ordered protesters to go home on Sunday night after a third day of violence hit protests against President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Authorities in Los Angeles said some protesters had thrown concrete projectiles, bottles, and other items at police.

LA Immigration Prtests & National Guard DeploymentProtests in California against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations took a violent turn, prompting the federal government to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles. Clashes and arrests followed, and state officials condemned the move as inflammatory.Secretary Noem's Efforts Against Illegal ImmigrationAs Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem has swiftly curbed illegal immigration and increased deportations. Legal challenges have stalled some operations amid accusations of political showmanship.Trump–Musk Feud Shifts GOP LandscapeA public spat over Trump's proposed spending bill has sparked talk of impeachment, with Musk mulling a new “America Party” and Vice President JD Vance emerging as a potential new GOP powerbroker.

White House adviser Peter Navarro said on Friday that a meeting on trade between Trump administration and Chinese officials is expected to happen within seven days.President Donald Trump said he won't be speaking with Elon Musk “for a while” in the aftermath of the feud between the two billionaires. “I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem. The poor guy's got a problem,” Trump told CNN.U.S. employers added a solid 139,000 jobs in May. Hiring fell from a revised 147,000 in April, the Department of Labor said on Friday. The job gains last month were slightly higher than the 130,000 economists had forecast. The unemployment rate stayed at a low 4.2 percent. Average hourly wages rose 0.4 percent from April and 3.9 percent from a year earlier—a little higher than forecast.

President Donald Trump is hosting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House on Thursday to discuss a wide range of pressing issues, with the Ukraine war, defense spending, and transatlantic trade tensions topping the list. The meeting marks the chancellor's first visit to Washington since his election victory in May. Merz, the leader of Germany's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has established a personal rapport with Trump, according to German media. The meeting comes just 10 days ahead of the G7 summit in Alberta, Canada, where both leaders are scheduled to attend.Trump and Chinese communist party leader Xi Jinping agree to send delegations for a meeting on trade. The two spoke by phone Thursday as tensions remain high over the ongoing US-China trade dispute.Israel has recovered the bodies of two Israeli American hostages taken in the Hamas terrorist organization's attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of elderly married couple Judith Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel in a special operation by the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet internal security agency. Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel announced the deaths of Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 72, both of whom had Israeli and U.S. citizenship, in December 2023. Weinstein was also a Canadian citizen.

President Donald Trump's 50 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum went into effect on June 4, after midnight, following through on last week's announcement at a U.S. Steel facility. Enacted through an executive order signed on Monday, the measure doubles the previous 25 percent rate with the intention of boosting domestic production. Meanwhile, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was “extremely hard to make a deal with,” after aides said Trump is expected to have a trade negotiations call with Xi this week.Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) “brutal crackdown” of the June 4, 1989, student protests in Tiananmen Square, in a social media post ahead of the anniversary. “We remember the Chinese Communist Party's brutal crackdown 36 years ago in Tiananmen Square and commemorate the courage of the innocent people killed and imprisoned that day. Freedom, democracy, and self-rule are human principles the CCP cannot erase,” he wrote on X.

Employment vacancies unexpectedly rose in April, reaffirming the health of the U.S. labor market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS), job openings climbed by 191,000 to 7.391 million, from the upwardly revised 7.2 million in March.The suspect accused of a June 1 firebombing attack on peaceful pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, had allegedly planned to kill them all but appeared to have had second thoughts, according to authorities. Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly had 18 Molotov cocktails but threw just two during Sunday's attack, police said. He didn't carry out his alleged full plan “because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before,” police wrote in an affidavit.

The suspect in the attack in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday is in the U.S. illegally, according to the White House and Homeland Security. "The Colorado Terrorist attack suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is illegally in our country. He filed for asylum in September 2022,” A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security wrote on X. The suspect is now facing multiple felony charges and is expected to appear in court on Monday.Delegations from Russia and Ukraine ended their latest peace talks Monday in Turkey after just over an hour, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian state media said. Speaking in Vilnius, Lithuania, Zelenskyy said both sides "exchanged documents through the Turkish side, and we are preparing a new release of prisoners of the war.”

In this episode, we discuss the Trump administration's move to revoke some visas of Chinese students in the United States, particularly those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party, in an effort primarily aimed at protecting intellectual property.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also signed a new law aimed at protecting Texans from foreign political coercion and intimidation. The bill creates new ways to prosecute transnational repression and the unauthorized enforcement of foreign laws. The law takes effect on Sept. 1.

President Donald Trump on Friday said China had violated an agreement on tariffs with the United States. "China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.Trump announced that he would hold a press conference on Friday with Elon Musk, the outgoing head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).The Supreme Court has temporarily stayed a lower court decision that halted the Trump administration's attempt to remove a protection known as parole for immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

A U.S. District Court judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration not to make any changes to Harvard's student visa program. That's after Justice Department attorneys said in a notice that the government will give Harvard University 30 days to provide evidence in response to the White House's move to strip the Ivy League college of its ability to enroll foreign students.The Trump administration filed an appeal with the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit after a federal trade court ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority by using emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs on U.S. trading partners.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday new visa restrictions against foreign nationals involved in censoring the speech of U.S. citizens. “For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights,” Rubio announced in a post on social media platform X.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas Gaza chief, Mohammad Sinwar, one of its most wanted and the younger brother of the deceased group's leader, Yahya Sinwar, had been eliminated.The U.S. and Argentina are calling on other nations to follow their lead in leaving the World Health Organization. After a meeting between US health secretary RFK Jr. and the Argentine President Javier Milei on Tuesday, the two nations are now proposing an alternative to the WHO.

The Trump administration will request federal agencies to cut off their contracts with Harvard University in response to what it says is the school's handling of anti-Semitism and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. There are 30 federal contracts worth about $100 million, according to the General Services Administration (GSA). A letter to the agencies is scheduled to be sent on May 27, a GSA spokesperson told The Epoch Times.Four people were "very, very ill in hospital" after sustaining injuries when a car ploughed into a crowd of Liverpool fans during a Premier League title parade, the city's mayor said on Tuesday, adding he hoped they would "pull through."FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said the bureau is looking at launching investigations into possible public corruption cases. Bongino says he and FBI Director Kash Patel made the decision to either reopen or allocate additional resources to the cases shortly after swearing in.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks and participates in a Wreath-Laying Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.Trump said on Sunday that he was surprised by Russian leader Vladimir Putin's escalation of attacks on Ukraine amid ongoing cease-fire talks, expressing his discontent with Putin's actions. “I'm not happy with what Putin is doing. He's killing a lot of people. And I don't know what the hell happened to Putin,” Trump told reporters at the airport in New Jersey before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from New Jersey.

Praising their choice of a life in service, President Trump addressed graduates at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where the next generation of Army leaders is trained. He spoke of what he called a “golden age” for the nation and highlighted recent changes in the military under his leadership.Meanwhile, the FourLeaf Air Show returns to Jones Beach this Memorial Day Weekend, signaling the unofficial start of summer on Long Island. The 2025 lineup features the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and other elite military aviation teams, thrilling crowds and honoring the spirit of service.Across the country, Americans mark Memorial Day by honoring the sacrifice of servicemembers at cemeteries and monuments. But for those whose heroism ended overseas and decades ago, there's a growing push to bring their stories closer to home—ensuring they are remembered not just in history, but in the hearts of local communities.House Republicans passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to implement President Donald Trump's agenda in an early morning session on May 22, with a 215–214 vote. It now heads to the Senate. What's in Trump's ‘Big Beautiful Bill'? Experts weigh in.

A federal judge has blocked a Trump administration decision to revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students. The temporary restraining order stops the government from pulling Harvard's certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which allows the school to host international students with visas to study in the U.S.President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on Apple for any iPhones sold, but not manufactured, in the United States. Trump also said he would recommend a 50 percent tariff on the European Union to begin on June 1, which would result in stiff levies on luxury items, pharmaceuticals, and other goods produced by European manufacturers.

A small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood, setting about 15 homes on fire as well as vehicles. Authorities say that multiple people on that private plane are dead.U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a bid led by two Catholic dioceses to establish in Oklahoma the nation's first taxpayer-funded religious charter school in a major case involving religious rights in American education.The House of Representatives approved legislation to enact more of President Donald Trump's agenda, capping off weeks of negotiations and uncertainty within the House Republican conference. The House narrowly approved the bill in a party-line 215–214 vote.Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed on Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum in the city, with the suspect yelling, “free, free Palestine,” after he was arrested, police said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Lischinsky was a research assistant, while Milgrim organized visits and missions to Israel.

President Donald Trump is hosting a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House on Wednesday. Trump has accused the country's government of allowing a “genocide” to take place against its minority white farmers. Ramaphosa pushed for the meeting with Trump in an attempt to salvage his country's relationship with the United States.Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly of Virginia has died aged 75, his family said in a statement posted to his account on social media platform X on Tuesday following his cancer diagnosis last year.

President Donald Trump is heading to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to meet with congressional Republicans as they aim to reach an agreement on a sweeping tax-cut bill, with their narrow majority divided over the scope of spending cuts. The bill would extend the 2017 tax cuts that were Trump's signature first-term legislative achievement, while adding tax breaks on income from tips and overtime pay that were part of his 2024 campaign pledge.Secretaries Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are testifying before Senate committees on Tuesday regarding their departments' budget requests for fiscal year 2026.

President Donald Trump said he plans to speak by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the morning of May 19, followed by calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO allies, to broker a cease-fire in the Russia–Ukraine war. Trump's remarks come on the heels of the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv since 2022, which were held in Istanbul on May 16 but which failed to produce a cease-fire.Former President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone. In a post on social media platform X on Monday morning, Biden posted a photo of himself and his wife, Jill Biden, and wrote: “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”

As Harvard and the Trump administration continue their funding feud, we examine what's at stake. The administration says the university is politically biased and wants Harvard to fundamentally change its hiring practices, admissions processes, student and faculty composition, and more. Over $2.2 billion in federal funding is set to be terminated, and the esteemed university's tax-exempt status is on the chopping block. Harvard is suing the Trump administration to halt the funding freeze. What are the implications of this clash at the highest levels of academia? Here to discuss are Manhattan Institute Fellow Colin Wright and Professor Emeritus at Golden Gate University School of Law and UC San Francisco Law, Timothy Alan Simon.

House Republicans failed Friday to push their big package of tax breaks and spending cuts through the Budget Committee, as a handful of conservatives joined all Democrats in a stunning vote against it.President Donald Trump departed Abu Dhabi on Friday following his tour of the Gulf region. Trump said on Friday the United Arab Emirates and the United States had agreed to create a path for the Gulf country to buy some of the most advanced artificial intelligence semiconductors from U.S. companies. Trump wrapped his Gulf tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE with a pledge by Abu Dhabi to hike the value of its energy investments in the U.S. to $440 billion in the next decade.New Jersey rail engineers walked off the job after marathon contract talks stalled, setting off a strike at a transit system that serves some 350,000 rail passengers a day, including tens of thousands of commuters into New York City. At a Friday press conference, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy blamed the work stoppage on the union and said, "It did not have to come to this.”

President Donald Trump landed in United Arab Emirates, and was received by UAE president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Before arriving in the UAE, President Trump visited Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, delivering a speech to nearly 2,000 soldiers. Trump thanked the troops for making America “incredibly proud.” The base played a pivotal role during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, serving as the primary logistical and operational hub for evacuating tens of thousands of people.The Supreme Court hears oral arguments on May 15 over President Donald Trump's order restricting birthright citizenship and whether federal judges went too far in their decisions to block his directive nationwide. It's the first major hearing of Trump's second term and could offer insight into how the justices view the ongoing legal challenges to his agenda. So far, federal judges have blocked a long list of the president's second-term policies while provoking criticism from Republicans alleging they abused their authority.

Agreements signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Wednesday will "generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion," the White House said in a fact sheet summarizing some of the deals' details. The agreements include a $96 billion deal with Qatar Airways to buy up to 210 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X airplanes with GE Aerospace engines, the fact sheet said.It was markup day for the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee on May 13—one day after Republicans released the full text of their long-awaited tax legislation—as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle engaged in testy exchanges. The committee pushed the bill forward overnight, passing it along party lines with a 26–19 vote.Sean "Diddy" Combs' criminal trial will enter its third day on Wednesday with his former girlfriend Casandra Ventura expected to resume testifying about how the rapper and hip-hop mogul made her a central figure in his alleged sex trafficking.

President Donald Trump secured a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to invest in the United States after the oil power accorded him a gala welcome at the start of a tour of Gulf states. The U.S. agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, according to a White House fact sheet that called it "the largest defense cooperation agreement" Washington has ever done.The U.S. annual inflation rate eased to its lowest level in more than four years, as President Donald Trump's tariffs started stretching throughout the U.S. economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the annual inflation rate declined to 2.3 percent in April, from 2.4 percent in March. This represented the third consecutive monthly slowdown and the lowest reading since February 2021.UnitedHealth Group on Tuesday suspended its 2025 forecast, just weeks after lowering its outlook, and announced the surprise exit of CEO Andrew Witty, sending its shares down 8 percent premarket. Stephen Hemsley, who served as CEO from 2006–2017, will take over from Witty. The announcement also pulled down shares of other health insurers such as Humana, CVS, and Elevance between 1 percent and 3 percent.

An Israeli-American soldier held hostage for more than 19 months in the Gaza Strip was released Monday. The Israeli military confirmed that Edan Alexander had been turned over to the Red Cross and was being brought to Israeli forces. Alexander is the last known living American hostage held in Gaza.Wall Street's main indexes were set to open sharply higher on Monday as the United States and China reached a deal to reduce tariffs, signaling a truce in a punishing trade war that had kept markets on edge for weeks. The U.S. will cut extra tariffs it imposed on Chinese imports in April this year to 30% from 145% and Chinese duties on U.S. imports will fall to 10% from 125%, the two countries said on Monday. The new measures are effective for 90 days.President Donald Trump will visit the Middle East from May 13 to 16, with scheduled stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The trip marks his first major foreign trip of his second term, following a recent visit to the Vatican for Pope Francis's funeral two weeks ago. Trump is expected to announce a series of major investment deals aimed at attracting Gulf money into key U.S. sectors such as defense, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). His meetings will also focus on pressing regional issues, including the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group and ongoing nuclear talks with Iran.

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 11)

President Donald Trump said on Friday that 80 percent tariffs on Chinese goods "seems right." He said in a Truth Social post that "China should open up its market to USA—would be so good for them!!! Closed markets don't work anymore!!!" Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and chief trade negotiator Jamieson Greer will meet Chinese economic czar He Lifeng in Switzerland this weekend for talks that could be the first step toward resolving the trade dispute.Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first mass as pope on Friday in the Sistine Chapel, where he was elected less than 24 hours earlier. He warned the congregation of the dangers caused by a lack of faith, and expressed his hope that the Catholic Church could be a beacon of light in the world's "dark nights."

The United States and Britain announced plans for a trade deal on Thursday. “The final details are being written up,” President Donald Trump told reporters. “In the coming weeks, we'll have it all very conclusive.” The president said that the agreement would lead to more beef and ethanol exports to the U.K., which would also streamline the processing of U.S. goods though customs.The House passed a bill that would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and direct federal agencies to update their documents and maps to incorporate the new name.White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel and the bells of St. Peter's rang out, signaling that cardinals have elected a new pope to succeed Pope Francis and take charge of the Roman Catholic Church.

At least 31 people are dead after India fired missiles into several areas of Pakistan and territory it controls on Wednesday. India says the strikes aim to "preempt" and "deter" cross-border terror attacks. The escalation follows the massacre of Hindu tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir last month. Pakistan has dismissed India's allegations of its harboring terrorist camps as unfounded. Meanwhile, the leader of a U.N.-designated terrorist group in Pakistan reported that ten of his family members had been killed in the attacks.President Donald Trump is to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of David Perdue as the U.S. Ambassador to China. Perdue served as a Senator for the State of Georgia, was a former Fortune 500 CEO, and is recognized as a strong China critic who lived in Hong Kong for a time during his 40-year business career. Perdue was confirmed by the Senate in a 67–29 vote on April 29. Perdue's ambassadorship comes amid deepening bilateral trade tensions between the two countries.

President Donald Trump is hosting Canada's new prime minister, Mark Carney, at the White House on Tuesday for high-stakes talks focused on trade and security. The meeting comes amid heightened tensions between the neighbors in the wake of Trump's imposing steep tariffs on Canadian products and ongoing remarks suggesting that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state. This marks the first meeting between the two leaders since Carney's Liberal Party secured victory in Canada's federal election on April 28.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is testifying before Congress on Tuesday for the first time since his confirmation hearing. The House Appropriations Committee is set to question him regarding the Trump administration's tariff policies, trade negotiations, and the need for a debt limit increase.

The Trump administration will offer a $1,000 stipend and travel assistance to migrants who elect to voluntarily "self deport" from the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday. The stipend and potential airfare for migrants who voluntarily depart would cost less than an actual deportation, the agency said.President Donald Trump announced on May 4 that he was authorizing his administration to impose a 100 percent tariff on movies produced outside the United States. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the Department of Commerce and the U.S. trade representative would immediately start to process the implementation of the levy on all movies “produced in foreign lands.” Trump said the move was necessary to protect the once globally dominant U.S. movie industry.The Chinese Communist Party's systematic forced organ harvesting is in the spotlight on Capitol Hill. Later on Monday, lawmakers in the House will vote on two bills—the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025 and the Falun Gong Protection Act—to hold China's communist regime accountable for its systematic forced organ harvesting, which targets the persecuted faith group Falun Gong.

The United States and Ukraine signed a partnership agreement on April 30 focused on Ukraine's rare earth minerals and other natural resources.As China continues to tighten its grip on critical minerals—especially following the imposition of U.S. tariffs—control of rare earths becomes increasingly important. These minerals are essential for producing modern technologies, including electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, and advanced weapons systems.Why does the U.S.–Ukraine rare earth deal matter? Where is this heading? Experts break it down.

President Donald Trump on Friday said he would strip Harvard University of its tax-exempt status, as a battle between his administration and the Ivy League school continues. “We are going to be taking away Harvard's Tax Exempt Status. It's what they deserve,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He did not elaborate on the details, including when it may happen.Trump is planning to unveil a budget blueprint that calls for slashing federal spending on key nondefense programs by $163 billion, targeting renewable energy, education, and foreign aid, according to a White House official.The U.S. economy added a stronger-than-expected 177,000 jobs in April. It was more than the 135,000 jobs economists were expecting the economy to add last month. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2%, a historically low level.America's top intelligence agency is posting a "help wanted" notice specifically for Chinese officials. The Central Intelligence Agency published two short videos on its platforms on Thursday, describing the opportunity as a way out for Chinese officials struggling to survive amid the Chinese communist regime's infighting and massive internal struggles.

President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and his deputy will be leaving their positions, according to reports. A senior White House official did not confirm or deny a report in comments to The Epoch Times on Thursday and advised to pay attention to an announcement from President Donald Trump later in the day.The Senate rejected a resolution on April 30 to nullify President Donald Trump's April 2 tariffs on most trading partners. The measure failed with a tied vote of 49-49. The resolution was supported by Democrats and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). While Trump has since suspended most of the reciprocal tariffs for 90 days—with tariffs on China a notable exception—he left in place a 10 percent tariff on those countries in accordance with the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which allows the U.S. president to unilaterally enact tariffs for national security reasons. The failed resolution sought to undo the 10 percent tariffs.Management at Tesla has firmly denied reports by The Wall Street Journal that the company began looking for a new boss to replace Elon Musk weeks ago. Board chair Robyn Denholm called the report “absolutely false,” and said the company was “highly confident” Musk could execute the firm's growth plans. Musk said last week that he would cut back on his government role, and spend more time running his companies.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Americans should be patient in the face of a first quarter economic contraction, arguing that his tariffs would eventually lead to a boom in the U.S. economy. The economy declined by 0.3 percent in the first quarter, down from the 2.4 percent expansion in the previous quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said in a statement. Trump wrote on Truth Social: "This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS, only that he left us with bad numbers, but when the boom begins, it will be like no other. BEPATIENT!!!"Ukraine and the United States could sign a minerals deal within the next 24 hours after the final details are worked out, Ukraine's prime minister said on Wednesday. The reworked agreement has become a "real partnership deal," which could consider future U.S. aid as part of contributions to the fund, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in televised remarks.

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on auto tariffs on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a news briefing. "President Trump is building an important partnership with both the domestic automakers and our great American workers," Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement provided by the White House.The Liberals won Canada's general election on Monday and will form a government for the fourth consecutive term, with Mark Carney remaining as prime minister. Preliminary election results also showed Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh losing their seats. Poilievre said he'll stay on as party leader, while Singh said he would step down.

The White House highlights a massive drop in illegal border crossings in President Trump's first 100 days, while border czar Tom Homan says there could still be around 20 million illegal immigrants in the country. Meanwhile, Trump plans to sign an executive order to identify the cities and states that are not complying with federal immigration laws, the White House said Monday.Cars and vehicles ground to a halt in Madrid on Monday after a widespread power outage caused chaos across Spain and Portugal.Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced a three-day cease-fire in Ukraine, starting on May 8. The Kremlin said Putin had ordered a full cessation of hostilities on “humanitarian grounds” to mark the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Ukraine, which agreed to a cease-fire earlier this month, has not yet responded to the announcement.

President Donald Trump has launched a global tariff campaign. Will it continue and where is it headed?As the Trump administration seeks to renegotiate trade deals with the rest of the world, the stock market has experienced increased volatility, causing panic among some investors. What should people do?

The funeral mass for Pope Francis will take place on Saturday. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentinian President Javier Milei, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, and other world leaders are heading to Rome for the funeral.U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff met President Vladimir Putin for three hours in Moscow on Friday to discuss the U.S. plan to end the Ukraine war, and the Kremlin said the two sides' positions had moved closer.The FBI arrested a Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, circuit judge for allegedly assisting an illegal immigrant in evading arrest, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Friday. Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested on obstruction charges, Patel confirmed in a post on X.

U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere at the White House on April 24. Accompanied by his finance minister, Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian leader's visit underscores the delicate balance of transatlantic relations amid rising trade disputes and shared security imperatives. Topics of discussion will include trade and regional security, among other issues, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing on April 22.Russia attacked Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 70, according to Ukrainian officials. It appears to have been Russia's biggest attack on the Ukrainian capital in nine months. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk told investors on Tuesday that the time he is spending with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will “drop significantly” as he moves to spend more time on his auto company. The remarks came as Tesla announced on April 22 that both revenue and profits fell significantly in the first quarter of 2025, with the company struggling to deal with competitive pressure and negative political sentiment against Musk.Fire officials said Wednesday that the wildfire in southern New Jersey has been contained. Since Tuesday, the blaze has burned more than 11,500 acres and caused the evacuation of more than 3,000 people.At least 26 people were killed and 17 others wounded after assailants opened fire on a group of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir, the worst assault targeting civilians in years. Tuesday's attack took place in the picturesque town of Pahalgam in the Himalayan mountains, a popular vacation place for Indian visitors. Police accused rebels of masterminding the attack, which sparked outrage and drew international condemnation, including from U.S. President Donald Trump.