President Donald Trump announced that a US-China trade deal is ‘done’ — and that in exchange for Chinese magnets and rare-earth minerals and a 55% tariff on Chinese goods, the U.S. will provide China “what was agreed to,” including allowing Chinese students to attend American colleges and universities.

Trump’s lawyers meanwhile plan to argue that appellate judges should erase his criminal hush money conviction and/or move the case from New York to federal court where he can try to get the verdict thrown out.

And billionaire Elon Musk stepped back from his explosive feud with Trump, writing on X that he regrets that some of his posts went “too far.”

Here’s the latest:

FAA administrator nominee says $12.5 billion budgeted for upgrades is just a downpayment

“The system is old,” Bedford said. “So we have to do better.”

Pilots’ unions and Democrats have raised concerns that Bedford may support weakening the 1,500-hour experience standard for airline pilots that was adopted after a 2009 crash, or might consider allowing some airlines to operate with only one pilot.

Senators Maria Cantwell and Tammy Duckworth pressed him on maintaining the rule, noting that he had funded and lobbied to change it while he was running an airline. Bedford refused to make that commitment.

“I don’t believe safety is static,” Bedford said, adding later: “I can commit to you that we will not have anything that will reduce safety.”

Trump’s FAA administrator nominee gets grilled about crashes and near misses

Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration is facing tough questions about safety after a string of crashes and near misses since January’s deadly collision over the Potomac River.

Much of the industry, including the major airlines and their trade groups, supports Bryan Bedford’s nomination. But pilots unions and Democrats have raised concerns that he might weaken pilot training standards.

Bedford has been CEO of regional airline Republic Airways since 1999 and has more than three decades of experience in the industry. He has pledged to make safety the FAA’s top priority and work to restore public confidence in flying. Bedford also said he’ll work with Congress on Trump’s multi-billion-dollar plan to overhaul the nation’s air traffic control system.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said the FAA should have acted before the crash in Washington, D.C., because there had been 85 near misses reported around Ronald Reagan National Airport in the years prior. The FAA has banned some helicopter routes to keep helicopters and planes from sharing airspace, but there have been more near misses since then.

Hegseth says Qatar still has not signed memo to release Trump 747 to Pentagon

The defense secretary confirmed reports that the Qataris have not come to an agreement with the Trump administration over a memo that would allow the Department of Defense to take possession of the 747 jet, which Trump wants as his temporary Air Force One. This also means that no contracts have been signed to move forward on overhauling the aircraft.

“A memorandum of understanding remains to be signed,” Hegseth said, while refusing to answer senator’s questions on the cost or potential timeframe of refurbishing the aircraft — even though data on two other 747s being reconditioned to serve as Air Force One by Boeing is public.

Trump toured the Qatari plane in February when it was parked at an airport near Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort.

Hegseth says Europe needs to increase support for Ukraine

The defense secretary told senators that the Pentagon budget includes hard choices and “reflects the reality that Europe needs to step up more for the defense of its own continent. And President Trump deserves the credit for that.”

Questioned at a defense appropriations hearing about U.S. security support for Kyiv Hegseth did not respond when asked if the U.S. will send the remaining $3.8 billion in aid already approved.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warned that Russia will not stop with its assault on Ukraine and said the U.S. has to end the war. Hegseth said a negotiated peace in Ukraine will make America look strong.

Treasury Secretary says he has not spoken with Trump about Harvard’s tax status

Testifying in front of the House Ways and Means committee, Scott Bessent was asked about Trump’s stated desire to punish Harvard University and other non-profit organizations by directing the IRS to revoke their tax-exempt status.

Federal law prohibits the executive branch from exerting influence over taxpayer audits and other investigations.

Bessent told lawmakers: “The president and I have never had a conversation about Harvard’s tax status.”

Asked whether he would commit to report back to the committee in 30 days as to whether he’d been directed by the executive branch to launch audits of any taxpayers, Bessent said “that is without question that I will follow the law.”

Tough diplomacy: Mexican president to discuss Kristi Noem’s comments accusing her of inciting violence

Claudia Sheinbaum said she would discuss the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary’s accusation with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Wednesday as he visits Mexico.

She rejected Noem’s comments as “completely false” the day before, publishing a video of her in her morning press briefing calling for Mexicans to act in peace in the Los Angeles protests.

Sheinbaum added more details Wednesday — claiming her opponents had “completely taken out of context” her previous comments suggesting that Mexicans could protest a tax on remittances proposed by Trump.

“We have never called for a violent demonstration,” she said. “We are against all violent acts. We’ve always supported peaceful protests.”

Senators critical of Defense Secretary as hearing kicks off

Pete Hegseth met with bipartisan criticism Wednesday as the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee hearing kicked off.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, slammed him, saying that “more of your time so far has been spent inside the building on culture wars, rather than outside the building, deterring real ones.”

He criticized Hegseth’s moves to fire the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other “qualified uniformed leaders” and said the Pentagon is worried more” about each other than America’s enemies.

The chairman, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, expressed frustration that the Trump administration has yet to provide Congress with a full defense budget. He said current funding isn’t enough to support the nation’s defense, and the administration’s limited budget request has no funding for Ukraine security assistance — casting doubt on the potential for “lasting peace.”

Hegseth said he has moved quickly to kill wasteful programs and redirect funding to Trump’s priorities as his department assembles a comprehensive budget request.

GOP puts $40 million for Trump’s “Garden of Heroes” in his big tax cuts bill

The new spending line was tucked inside Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, whose chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., has been at times a Trump critic.

The $40 million allotment would go to the National Endowment for the Humanities to build Trump’s long-sought statue garden. He first proposed the idea in 2020 during a time of political turmoil in the U.S. over honoring people with racist and other views, and followed up with executive orders.

Trump’s initial proposal for 30-plus “heroes” features Founding Fathers and presidents, civil rights pioneers and aviation innovators, explorers and generals, and the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Absent from Trump’s initial list were any Native American, Hispanic or Asian-American individuals.

Trump to attend Wednesday’s opening night of ‘Les Misérables’ at the Kennedy Center

The president and first lady Melania Trump plan to attend the Kennedy Center’s musical at a fraught moment, after he replaced the previous leadership with loyalists, had himself installed as chairman and pledged to rid the performing arts venue of programming he has complained is “woke” and too focused on leftist ideology and political correctness.

His takeover has upset some of the center’s patrons and performers. Sales of subscription packages are said to have declined, “Hamilton” canceled its planned run and other artists scrapped appearances or resigned. Understudies may perform Wednesday night due to boycotts by “Les Misérables” cast members.

In March, the audience booed Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, after they slipped into upper-level seats in the Concert Hall to hear the National Symphony Orchestra. Trump appointed Usha Vance to the Kennedy Center board along with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Fox News Channel hosts Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham, among other supporters.

General Motors shares rise on $4 billion investment to move plants from Mexico to US

Trump signed executive orders in April relaxing some of his 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, a significant reversal as the import taxes threatened to hurt domestic manufacturers. Trump portrayed the changes as a bridge toward automakers moving more production into the United States.

But automakers and independent analyses say the remaining tariffs could raise prices, reduce sales and make U.S. production less competitive worldwide. Last month GM lowered its profit expectations for the year, estimating the impact of remaining auto tariffs at $5 billion for the company.

GM said it will add production of the gas-powered Chevrolet Blazer and Chevrolet Equinox, which are made in Mexico, to its plants in Spring Hill, Tennessee and Kansas City, Kansas in 2027. GM will also begin making gas-powered full-size SUVs and light duty pickup trucks in Orion Township, Michigan.

CEO Mary Barra said Tuesday that GM is committed to building vehicles in the U.S. through 50 U.S. plants and parts facilities that support nearly 1 million American jobs.

Chinese rare earth minerals produced through forced labor, rights group says

The Netherlands-based Global Rights Compliance says Avon, Walmart, Nescafe, Coca-Cola and paint supplier Sherwin-Williams may be among companies linked to titanium sourced from Xinjiang, where rights groups allege the Chinese government runs coercive labor practices targeting predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities.

The report found 77 Chinese suppliers in the titanium, lithium, beryllium and magnesium industries operating in Xinjiang are at risk of participating in China’s “labor transfer programs,” in which Uyghur are forced to work in factories as part of a long-standing campaign of assimilation and mass detention.

The named companies didn’t immediately comment.

A U.N. report from 2022 found China may have committed crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, where more than 1 million Uyghurs are estimated to have been arbitrarily detained as China targets terrorism and separatism. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the forced labor allegations are “nothing but a lie.”

President Joe Biden signed a law blocking imports from Xinjiang unless businesses can prove they were made without forced labor.

Trump announces that US-China trade deal is ‘done’

Trump says US will get magnets and rare earth minerals from China in a deal imposing 55% tariffs on Chinese goods — up sharply from the 30% set in Switzerland during talks in May.

In return, Trump said the U.S. will provide China “what was agreed to,” including allowing Chinese students to attend American colleges and universities.

Trump recently had begun to clamp down on Chinese nationals on U.S. college campuses.

Inflation up slightly, costing Americans more for food

U.S. inflation picked up a bit last month as food costs rose, though overall inflation remained mostly tame.

Consumer prices increased 2.4% last month compared to a year ago, according to a Labor Department report released Wednesday. That is up from a 2.3% yearly increase in April. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.8% for the third straight month. Economists pay close attention to core prices because they generally provide a better sense of where inflation is headed.

The figures suggest inflation remains stubbornly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, which would make it less likely that the Fed will cut its key short-term interest rate. Trump has repeatedly urged the central bank to reduce borrowing costs.

Last week, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, which compiles the inflation data, said it is reducing the amount of data it collects for each inflation report. Economists have expressed concern about the cutback, and while it isn’t clear how sharp the reduction is, most analysts say it is likely to have a minor impact. Still, any reduction in data collection could make the figures more volatile.

▶ Read more about the inflation report

Trump hails appeals court ruling in favor of his tariffs as a ‘great’ win for the US

Trump commented on the ruling on Wednesday on his social media site, saying, “A Federal Appeals Court has just ruled that the United States can use TARIFFS to protect itself against other countries. A great and important win for the U.S.,” he wrote.

Veterans are divided over the Army’s big parade, being held on Trump’s birthday

Until recently, the Army’s long-planned birthday celebration did not include a big parade. Trump’s addition, featuring hundreds of military vehicles and aircraft and thousands of soldiers, has divided veterans.

Some liken it to the military chest-pounding commonly seen in North Korea, a step toward authoritarianism or a perverse birthday party for Trump.

Others see it as a once-in-a-lifetime accounting of the Army’s achievements and the military service of millions of soldiers over centuries. The parade is not about Trump, they say, but the public seeing the faces of soldiers when so few Americans serve.

The Army expects up to 200,000 people could attend and says the parade will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million.

Trump, speaking at Fort Bragg this week, said Saturday would be “a big day” and noted “we want to show off a little bit.”

▶ Read more about veteran reactions to Saturday’s parade

Appeals court lets Trump administration keep collecting tariffs while challenges continue

The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit extends a similar ruling it made after another federal court struck down the tariffs May 28, saying Trump had overstepped his authority.

The case involves 10% tariffs the president imposed on almost every country in April and bigger ones he imposed and then suspended on countries with which the United States runs trade deficits. It also involves tariffs Trump plastered on imports from China, Canada and Mexico to pressure them to do more to stop the illegal flow of immigrants and synthetic opioids across the U.S. border.

In declaring the tariffs, Trump had invoked emergency powers under a 1977 law. But a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled he had exceeded his power.

The tariffs upended global trade, paralyzed businesses and spooked financial markets.

Elon Musk backs off from feud with Trump, saying he regrets social media posts that ‘went too far’

Early Wednesday morning, he posted “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.”

Musk’s break with a president whom he spent hundreds of millions of dollars to elect appeared to put an end to his influence in the White House and prompted concerns about effects on his companies. As a major government contractor, Musk’s businesses could be particularly vulnerable to retribution, and Trump has already threatened to cut Musk’s contracts.

Musk earlier deleted a post in which he claimed without evidence that the government was concealing information about the president’s association with infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, other posts that irritated Trump, including ones in which Musk called the spending bill an “abomination” and claimed credit for Trump’s election victory, remained live.

On Sunday, Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker that he has no desire to repair their relationship and warned that Musk could face “ serious consequences ” if he tries to help Democrats in upcoming elections.

A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments in Trump’s bid to erase his hush money conviction

Trump’s quest to erase his criminal conviction heads to a federal appeals court Wednesday. It’s one way he’s trying to get last year’s hush money verdict overturned.

A three-judge panel is set to hear arguments in Trump’s long-running fight to get the New York case moved from state court to federal court, where he could then try to have the verdict thrown out on presidential immunity grounds.

The Republican is asking the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene after a lower-court judge twice rejected the move. As part of the request, Trump wants the federal appeals court to seize control of the criminal case and then ultimately decide his appeal of the verdict, which is now pending in a state appellate court.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which prosecuted Trump’s case, wants it to stay in state court.

▶ Read more about Trump’s bid to erase his conviction