Trump bans trans athletes from women’s sports; Gaza comments fallout continues: Live

[Karoline] Leavitt’s statement that any relocation of Palestinians currently in Gaza would not be a permanent displacement was a 180-degree reversal from what Trump had said during a press conference on Tuesday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It was a scene few had ever witnessed. As the opening words of “The Star-Spangled Banner” were sung by Elizabeth Irving in Vancouver’s Rogers Arena before a Tuesday night hockey game between the Canucks and the Colorado Avalanche, the crowd erupted in boos. Those boos continued throughout the song, and only abated when she began her rendition of “O Canada.”

On the same night, a similar scene played out as the NBA’s only Canadian franchise — the Toronto Raptors — hosted the New York Knicks.

Ben Stiller has denied social media reports that his humanitarian trip to Ukraine was funded by USAID, dismissing the claims as Russian “lies.”

The site also hosted several viral posts related to the agency, including one that included a fake E! News video and claimed that US tax dollars had been spent sending celebrities to Ukraine. The post claimed Angelina Jolie’s visit had cost taxpayers $20 million, Sean Pean’s had cost $5 million and Ben Stiller’s cost $4 million.

On Tuesday afternoon, Schumer led chants of “We will win!” in front of the Treasury building to display disapproval for Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency which, despite being an unofficial organization, has rapidly amassed authority.

However, some people did not find Schumer’s chant to be an effective form of action. He was mocked online for chanting about “winning” just months after losing the presidential election and control of both houses of Congress. Tim Ryan, a former Democratic representative from Ohio, took note as well calling it “depressing.”

The federal department of Health and Human Services is investigating four top U.S. medical schools after receiving allegations of antisemitic incidents during their 2024 commencement ceremonies, it announced this week.

“Every student deserves access to educational opportunities free from discrimination and harassment,” Anthony Archeval, Acting Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the department, said in a statement.

The investigation will reportedly target Harvard, Columbia, Brown, and Johns Hopkins, The Wall Street Journal reports, each institution among America’s most prestigious medical schools.

According to the latest research by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals, if fully enacted, would be the largest tax increase in at least a generation (since 1993 or before).

The incoming Trump administration has threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on most goods from Canada and Mexico (except Canadian energy, which faces a 10 percent tariff) and a 10 percent increase in tariffs on goods from China. The direct cost of these actions to the typical, or median, US household would be a tax increase of more than $1,200 a year.

The tariffs against Canada and Mexico have been postponed by 30 days to allow for negotiation over what each country and say or do to mollify Trump’s concerns about fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration across the northern and southern borders of the U.S.

These announcements mark the first wave of tariffs expected from the new Trump administration. Trump has threatened the entire world with tariffs. Governments abroad will retaliate; both Canada and Mexico have already announced retaliatory measures. Future waves of US tariffs and retaliation will increase these substantial consumer costs alongside the other economic harms of tariffs: reduced economic growth, a shrinking export sector, and supply chain disruption.

While movements in exchange rates or declines in exporter prices could reduce harm to consumers, prior evidence clearly shows that the effects of exchange rates only partially dampen this harm (with any relief coming at the expense of the export sector). A careful analysis of the 2018–19 trade war with China consistently found that foreign exporters to the United States did not lower their prices when faced with U.S. tariffs; instead, U.S. buyers of imports bore the burden of the tax.

There are additional factors to consider. First, domestic producers competing with the newly tariffed imports will raise their prices in accordance with the increases in import prices. This will further burden US consumers, causing their costs to exceed those illustrated in this figure. Overall, higher prices, coupled with recessionary effects from retaliation and supply chain disruptions, will adversely affect most US households.

The biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate is expected to announce his campaign formally this month. Though it is currently a long road to the statehouse, he told the Wall Street Journal that if successful, he intends to be a two-term governor.

“Those eight years will go by quickly,” he told the outlet.

Catholic Relief Services, founded in 1943 by U.S. Catholic bishops, is the single largest recipient of funds from the development agency, which funds around half of the religious aid group’s $1.5 billion budget.

Leaders of the group, where layoffs have already begun, warned staff of major changes because of the political climate, according to an email obtained by the National Catholic Reporter.

Several Fox News hosts on Wednesday heaped praise on Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and forcibly relocate nearly 2 million Palestinians to build the “Riviera of the Middle East,” saying the plan — that’s been labeled “ethnic cleansing” by many — shows the president is playing “four-dimensional chess.”

Justin Baragona has the story.

Scott Turner was confirmed Wednesday as the housing secretary, a role central to President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda at a time when most Americans say the cost of living around necessities are a top concern.

The former NFL player, Texas state representative and White House senior aide was confirmed in a 55-44 vote. Only two Democrats backed Turner—Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is tasked with enforcing and coordinating federal housing law. The vast majority of HUD‘s budget goes toward housing assistance for lower-income families, the elderly and disabled as well as community development and homelessness programs. The department will be at the forefront of issues ranging from rising housing costs to spurring economic development in struggling cities and lowering homelessness rates, especially among veterans.

Turner will be the second professional football player to lead HUD, after former Rep. Jack Kemp served in the role under President George H. W. Bush. Turner is the only Black American member of Trump’s Cabinet; Ben Carson, who served as HUD secretary of Trump’s first term, was the only Black American member of that Cabinet.