Some countries have stopped shipping small parcels to U.S.

Some countries have stopped shipping small packages to the U-S. As of last Friday, low-value packages shipped to the U-S are no longer exempt from tariffs. President Trump has eliminated a customs exemption for international shipments worth 800 dollars or less. That means import taxes will have to be paid on small parcels from all over the world, which will be a change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Mexico, the EU, and several other countries have suspended package shipments to the U-S as they seek more clarity on the new policy.

Judge halts U.S. deportation of Guatemalan children

A judge has blocked the Trump administration from deporting Guatemalan children who had crossed the border without their families. In a dramatic scene, the federal judge issued her order as a group of migrant Guatemalan children ages 10 to 17 had already been boarded onto planes. She issued a temporary restraining order halting removal of the children for 14 days. Government lawyers maintain that the children weren’t being deported, but were being reunited with their parents or guardians. The children’s lawyers dispute that portrayal, at least in some cases.

Trump administration will soon expand ICE operations in Chicago

The Trump administration will soon expand its immigration operations in Chicago. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed plans for a stepped up presence of federal agents in the nation’s third-largest city. She told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that more resources will be added to ICE operations in Chicago. President Trump has lashed out at Illinois’ Democratic governor and Chicago’s mayor for crime problems. Mayor Johnson and Governor Pritzker are planning to sue if the president moves forward with the plan.

Trump denies being a dictator, but claims ultimate authority

President Trump denies he’s a “dictator,” but he’s also claiming ultimate authority. At last week’s Cabinet meeting, the president declared that he has unlimited executive power. “I have the right to do anything I want to do. I’m the President of the United States,” he said. But in the same meeting, he insisted that his anti-crime efforts don’t make him a dictator. Donald Trump has pushed the boundaries of presidential power during his second term through nearly 200 executive orders.

White House touts lowest Labor Day gas prices since 2020

The White House is drawing attention to gas pump prices on this holiday weekend. With many Americans traveling over Labor Day weekend, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt points to a bright spot in the economy. The national average price for gas is about 3-15 per gallon — the lowest Labor Day price at the pump since 2020. According to GasBuddy, gas this Labor Day weekend is about 15 cents a gallon lower than last year.

Trump bypasses Congress and blocks billions in foreign aid

President Trump is bypassing Congress and blocking billions of dollars in foreign aid already approved by lawmakers. The president is using what’s known as a pocket rescission — when a president submits a request to Congress to not spend approved funds toward the end of the fiscal year. He has told the House Speaker that he won’t be spending nearly 5 billion dollars in approved foreign aid. The president is essentially cutting the budget without going through the legislative branch. This rarely used procedure was last used by President Carter in 1977.

Federal appeals court blocks Trump plan to end Venezuelan protections

A federal appeals court has blocked the Trump administration’s plans to end protections for 600-thousand people from Venezuela. The Trump administration announced an end to the Temporary Protected Status that allows eligible Venezualans to live and work in the United States. The White House argued that many migrants no longer merit protections. But a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the administration acted unlawfully when it rolled back temporary protections. And that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem likely lacked authority to cancel the Biden-ear decision.

Trump revokes Secret Service protection for former VP Harris

Low-value packages shipped to U-S are no longer exempt from tariffs

President Trump has eliminated a customs exemption for international shipments worth 800 dollars or less. It’s part of his wide-reaching trade agenda. That means import taxes will have to be paid on small parcels from all over the world, which will be a change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Mexico, the EU, and several other countries have suspended package shipments to the U-S as they seek more clarity on the new policy.

Trump wants cities, states to invite the feds to fight crime

President Trump wants mayors and governors across the U-S to invite the federal government to help them address crime. Following the rollout of National Guard troops in Washington and the federal takeover of DC’s police department, the White House says other cities can get assistance — if they simply ask.

While the president talks of expanding his federal control, 19 Democratic governors issued a joint statement, condemning his actions, arguing it’s an “alarming abuse of power.”

RFK, Jr adviser to serve as acting CDC chief during agency turmoil

A top RFK Jr. adviser will serve as the acting CDC chief after the director was fired. Jim O’Neill, a top deputy to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, will serve as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The previous director, Susan Monarez, was pushed out by President Trump because she wasn’t “aligned with the president’s mission.” Monarez, who had been serving as CDC director for only four weeks, is fighting to keep her job. Four other agency leaders resigned this week in protest.

Trump signs order to limit labor unions in the federal gov’t

Ahead of Labor Day weekend, President Trump is blocking various federal agencies from participating in labor unions. The president’s latest executive order is meant to prohibit union organization at agencies including the Commerce Department, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service, and NASA. It’s part of a broader Trump administration push to limit labor unions’ influence, and to restrict public sector employees’ ability to collective bargain for higher wages and benefits.

Trump may recommend a GOP convention before ’26 midterms

President Trump is proposing a pre-midterm Republican convention next year. The president posted online that he’s “thinking of recommending a national convention to the Republican Party,” just prior to next November’s midterm elections. Conventions are typically held during presidential election years so that parties can formally nominate candidates following state primaries. Donald Trump’s proposal comes a day after Axios reported that senior Democrats were considering holding their own national convention before the 2026 midterms.

CDC director is fired by Trump, other top directors resign

The director of the nation’s top public health agency has been terminated. After only four weeks on the job, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been removed. A White House spokesman said Susan Monarez isn’t “aligned with” President Trump’s agenda. Her lawyers issued a statement, saying Monarez “chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda” and that “she has been targeted.” Following her ouster, several of the agency’s top scientific leaders resigned.

Trump calls Minnesota governor after deadly school shooting

President Trump has spoken with Minnesota’s governor in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at a Catholic school. The president called Governor Tim Walz about the shooting. Earlier, he posted online that he had been fully briefed on the incident and that the FBI quickly responded. The president described the shooting as “tragic” and “horrible” and asked people to join him “in praying for everyone involved.”

Trump to take control of Washington, DC’s Union Station

The Trump administration is taking control of Union Station — Washington, DC’s main train station. In its latest move exerting power over the nation’s capital, the administration is taking away management of Union Station from Amtrak. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Union Station had “fallen into disrepair” when it should be a “point of pride” for the city. President Trump, who has deployed National Guard troops to patrol DC streets, has also said he wants to beautify the District of Columbia and will be seeking two billion dollars from Congress.

Trump denies being a dictator, but claims ultimate authority

President Trump denies he’s a “dictator,” but he’s also claiming ultimate authority. At this week’s Cabinet meeting, the president declared that he has unlimited executive power. “I have the right to do anything I want to do. I’m the President of the United States,” he said. But in the same meeting, he insisted that his anti-crime efforts don’t make him a dictator. Donald Trump has pushed the boundaries of presidential power during his second term through nearly 200 executive orders.

Trump seeks death penalty for murders in Wash. DC

President Trump is seeking capital punishment for murder in the nation’s capital. In his ongoing crackdown on crime in Washington, DC, the president said he wants murderers to pay the ultimate price. During a Cabinet meeting at the White House, he said he doesn’t know if the country is ready for capital punishment, but insisted “we have no choice.” D.C. and nearly two dozen states have abolished the death penalty.

MAGA upset with Trump allowing 600,000 Chinese students into U.S.

Trump allies are unhappy with the president allowing 600-thousand Chinese students into American universities. After previously announcing a crackdown on foreign college students, President Trump is open to the idea of hundreds of thousands of Chinese students enrolled in U-S universities. Trump supporters including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, former adviser Steve Bannon, and far-right activist Laura Loomer all rejected the idea of welcoming more Chinese students.

Fed Governor Cook to sue Trump over her firing

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook plans to sue the Trump administration over her firing. Attorney Abbe Lowell said that President Trump “has no authority to remove” Cook. No president has ever fired a Fed governor before, but the president said Cook “seems to have had an infraction.” The law that governs the central bank allows for the removal of Fed governors “for cause.” The Trump administration alleges that Cook committed mortgage fraud.

Court rejects Trump’s lawsuit against all MD federal judges

A court has rejected President Trump’s lawsuit against Maryland federal judges. A federal judge threw out the Trump administration’s lawsuit against Maryland’s entire federal bench. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen, who was nominated by Donald Trump, slammed the suit as “potentially calamitous.” He also criticized the administration’s verbal attacks on the judiciary. At issue in the lawsuit was an order by the chief judge of the Maryland district court that stopped the immediate deportation of migrants.

Trump wants to rename the Department of Defense

President Trump wants to rename the Department of Defense. Since 1949, it’s been known as the Department of Defense. President Trump likes the name “Department of War” and said there might be an update on the potential name change “over the next couple weeks.”

Trump to act “strongly” if no Russia-Ukraine peace talks soon

President Trump isn’t sure if Russian President Putin will agree to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Asked about Putin’s failure to commit to a sit-down with Zelensky, Donald Trump said the Russian and Ukrainian presidents don’t like each other very much. He said he’ll have to intervene if there’s no movement. Following recent meetings with Putin and Zelensky, separately, the president had hoped for a breakthrough in peace talks.

Trump says he’s firing Fed Governor Cook over fraud allegations

President Trump says he’s firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. In a letter posted on his social media platform, the president said he’s removing Cook because of allegations that she committed mortgage fraud. Cook had said she wouldn’t leave her post despite the president previously calling for her to resign. The move is a sharp escalation in his battle to gain greater control over the nation’s central bank, which historically has enjoyed political independence. For months, Donald Trump has berated Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates.