<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Kai Trump, left.<\/p>\n
Mark Schiefelbein\/AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein<\/p>\n
Workers continue building the stage for a future UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, June 7, 2026.<\/p>\n
Rod Lamkey\/AP Photo\/Rod Lamkey<\/p>\n
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies before the House Appropriations Committee, Tuesday, June 2, 2026 in Washington.<\/p>\n
Allison Robbert\/AP Photo\/Allison Robbert<\/p>\n
A federal judge has struck down the Trump administration\u2019s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, contradicting an earlier federal court ruling upholding the fee hike. The administration announced the much-higher fee as a way of preventing foreign workers from taking American jobs. Schools and states say filling teacher and doctor jobs was already hard enough before the fee hike.<\/p>\n
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President Donald Trump says he’ll nominate Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general, tapping his former personal lawyer who has aggressively pursued the Republican president\u2019s agenda while leading the Justice Department in an acting role.<\/p>\n
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And as he looks forward to celebrating his 80th birthday party Sunday with a UFC cage match, Trump has begun suggesting that the eight-sided, wire-mesh cage could become a permanent South Lawn fixture.<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s enforcers are poised to ramp up deportations<\/p>\n
The Senate completed its work last week, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska the only Republican to oppose it. If the House approves, Trump\u2019s signature would all but assure an essentially uninterrupted flow of funds for his immigration enforcement and deportation agenda into 2029.<\/p>\n
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The Department of Homeland Security is under new leadership after Trump replaced Kristi Noem with new Secretary Markwayne Mullin. He has vowed<\/a> to keep the department out of the headlines, but the administration is under pressure from anti-immigration advocates to deliver on Trump\u2019s campaign promise of the largest deportation operation<\/a> in American history.<\/p>\n So far, the administration has not hit its goal of 1 million deportations a year, but Trump\u2019s border czar, Tom Homan, has promised more to come, including hinting at enforcement in New York, the nation\u2019s biggest city, which is heavily Democratic.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n House Majority leader says ICE funding is long overdue. Top Democrat calls it a blank check<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to fund border security and immigration enforcement, and it\u2019s sad that Republicans have to do it on our own,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n The Republican-controlled Congress already provided nearly $140 billion for ICE and Customs and Border Protection as part of Trump\u2019s tax and spending cuts bill.<\/p>\n Democrats wanted significant changes after the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis \u2014 insisting for example that agents be required to display their ID badges and get a judicial warrant before entering private property. Instead, the funding will come with virtually no strings attached.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe that taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for the American people \u2013 not give ICE another $70 billion blank check so that they can unleash brutality on American citizens and violently target law-abiding immigrant communities,\u201d House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.<\/p>\n House set to fund Trump\u2019s immigration actions for rest of his term<\/p>\n House Republicans hope to get nearly $70 billion for immigration enforcement over the finish line Tuesday, enough to fund a pair of Homeland Security agencies through the rest of President Donald Trump\u2019s time in office.<\/p>\n Speaker Mike Johnson will need near perfect attendance and GOP unity for the final votes. The legislation got sidetracked when Republicans sought to include $1 billion for enhanced White House security amid Trump\u2019s new ballroom construction, and a $1.8 billion compensation fund for Trump\u2019s allies. Both proved politically toxic and were scrapped.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Now, the bill is focused entirely on fueling Trump\u2019s deportation agenda, a topic Republicans hope will carry them to victory in this year\u2019s midterm elections. The bill provides $38 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $26 billion for the Border Patrol and another $5 billion to cover unforeseen costs.<\/p>\n House set to fund Trump\u2019s immigration actions for rest of his term<\/p>\n House Republicans hope to get nearly $70 billion for immigration enforcement over the finish line Tuesday, enough to fund a pair of Homeland Security agencies through the rest of President Donald Trump\u2019s time in office.<\/p>\n Speaker Mike Johnson will need near perfect attendance and GOP unity for the final votes. The legislation got sidetracked when Republicans sought to include $1 billion for enhanced White House security amid Trump\u2019s new ballroom construction, and a $1.8 billion compensation fund for Trump\u2019s allies. Both proved politically toxic and were scrapped.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Now, the bill is focused entirely on fueling Trump\u2019s deportation agenda, a topic Republicans hope will carry them to victory in this year\u2019s midterm elections. The bill provides $38 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $26 billion for the Border Patrol and another $5 billion to cover unforeseen costs.<\/p>\n Maine primary tests Platner\u2019s support following mounting scandals<\/p>\n Voters across Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota are casting ballots in another day of primary elections in America, but much of the political world will be focused on Maine\u2019s high-stakes U.S. Senate contest.<\/p>\n Neither Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins nor Democratic challenger Graham Platner faces serious opposition for their party\u2019s nomination, but the vote will test Platner\u2019s credibility after his progressive campaign has been rocked by controversy over his past behavior.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Trump\u2019s clout within the GOP will be tested anew in states where he\u2019s endorsed primary candidates.<\/p>\n \u25b6 Follow the latest election-related developments<\/p>\n With jet fuel costs soaring 78% higher, airlines profits could drop by half<\/p>\n Oil and jet fuel costs have soared since the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran halted most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. airlines spent more than $6 billion on jet fuel in April, up 78% from a year earlier, according to government data.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Delta, American and United all gained between 1% and 2% overnight, but the airline industry\u2019s top global trade group warned that soaring energy costs could nearly halve this year\u2019s profits for major carriers, even as they raise airfares, cancel flights and trim schedules.<\/p>\n Elevated oil prices have sent broader inflation higher, increasing household bills. They\u2019ve also hiked bond market yields worldwide, which threatens to slow economies and undercut all kinds of investments. The 10-year Treasury yield was holding around 4.55% early Tuesday, up from 4.01% before the Iran war.<\/p>\n The U.S. government will issue its wholesale prices data on Tuesday and consumer prices on Wednesday.<\/p>\n From tennis to T-ball, the White House\u2019s South Lawn is no stranger to sports. But not like the UFC<\/p>\n The White House and its storied South Lawn are no strangers to sporting events. But they\u2019ve never seen anything like the UFC bout President Donald Trump is hosting to celebrate his 80th birthday on Sunday or the eight-sided, wire-mesh cage complete with an open overhead dome featuring large screens that are surrounded by thousands of arena seats.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Sometimes called America\u2019s backyard, the South Lawn was until now known for low-contact sports and joyful events geared toward children or bipartisanship, like the annual Easter Egg Roll or the congressional picnic.<\/p>\n The same space being used for blood sport, feting a president who relishes it and playing out in a hulking structure featuring a complicated overhead lighting scheme known as The Claw, illustrates yet another of the White House norms that Trump is gleefully laying to rest \u2014 or, in UFC parlance, forcing to tap out.<\/p>\n That the president has begun suggesting that he could make the cage-fighting venue a permanent South Lawn fixture further underscores just how far from T-ball the White House has come.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Donald Trump booed by the crowd during the anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals<\/p>\n Trump was booed loudly by fans inside MSG when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem as he became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game.<\/p>\n Chants of \u201cU-S-A! U-S-A!\u201d echoed through the arena as Avery Wilson sang \u201cThe Star-Spangled Banner,\u201d but they gave way to boos moments later as Trump was displayed on the jumbo screens giving a military salute. The jeers ended when the U.S. flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs also elicited vociferous boos.<\/p>\n The president was unfazed. \u201cIt was, I think, mostly cheers,\u201d he told reporters after the game before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington. \u201cIt was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Trump watched Game 3 from Knicks owner James Dolan\u2019s suite, along with granddaughter Kai, personal adviser Boris Epshteyn and Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy and Doug Burgum. He sat next to Dolan for the first quarter and spent part of the second talking to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman.<\/p>\n Trump administration will offer expedited visa interviews at select embassies for $750<\/p>\n The State Department will offer a \u201cpremium\u201d expedited service for foreigners seeking business or tourist visas to come to the United States that will set applicants back $750 \u2014 on top of the initial fee of $185.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In a notice to be published in the Federal Register this week, the department will unveil a pilot program that will allow visa applicants to pay the $750 to schedule an appointment for an interview within 10 days of the payment at select U.S. embassies and consulates.<\/p>\n The pilot program will run from July 1 to Dec. 31, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press and a State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the program has not yet been announced.<\/p>\n The move is a potential effort to ease conditions caused by the Trump administration\u2019s push to make entering the United States more difficult. The administration has cracked down on most forms of migration for foreigners \u2014 demanding that bonds of up to $15,000 be paid for visa processing in some, mainly African, countries and requiring years of personal history, including social media accounts, to be vetted.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Republican senators warn surveillance program may lapse after Trump intel pick backlash<\/p>\n Republicans are warning the White House that a critical surveillance authority is likely to lapse this week amid bipartisan backlash over Trump\u2019s pick to temporarily lead the nation\u2019s intelligence community.<\/p>\n Sen. Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sounded the alarm in a letter over the weekend after a failed procedural vote to extend the program.<\/p>\n The senators urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also acts as the president\u2019s National Security Advisor, to prepare \u201cfor a potential significant gap in foreign intelligence collection\u201d if the authority expires. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, set to lapse June 12, allows agencies, including the CIA, National Security Agency and FBI to collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In a response obtained by The Associated Press, Rubio replied to the senators that he understands the \u201cpolitical challenges\u201d but said he is \u201cdeeply disappointed\u201d that Democrats are opposing the legislation.<\/p>\n Federal judge strikes down Trump\u2019s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas<\/p>\n A federal judge on Monday struck down the Trump administration\u2019s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, contradicting an earlier federal court ruling upholding the fee hike.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The administration announced the much-higher fee as a way of preventing foreign workers from taking American jobs.<\/p>\n But U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston sided with 20 states and struck down the visa policy, concluding that the executive branch exceeded its authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Court finds that the Policy imposes a tax on H-1B petitions without the requisite delegation by Congress,\u201d Sorokin wrote.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n H-1B visas are meant for high-skilled jobs that are difficult to find American workers to fill. Deep-pocketed technology companies are the biggest users, with nearly three-quarters of approvals going to workers from India. The states argued that using the H-1B program to fill vacancies for much-needed doctors and teachers was already difficult before the higher fee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":329226,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[90345,58529,117613,11725,117612,117135,32533,145,84860,31231,114919,6058,94088,117611,10745,17266,71979,6681,23681,59373,59371,59372,61261,61262,51248,82,84,83,24468,54322,87420,117136,29202,117610],"class_list":["post-329225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-adam-silver","tag-alex-pretti","tag-boris-epshteyn","tag-boston","tag-bruce-blakeman","tag-chuck-grassley","tag-district-of-columbia","tag-donald-trump","tag-doug-burgum","tag-iran","tag-james-dolan","tag-kristi-noem","tag-lee-zeldin","tag-leo-sorokin","tag-lisa-murkowski","tag-marco-rubio","tag-markwayne-mullin","tag-mike-johnson","tag-package-100024-ap-online","tag-package-100373-mc-complete-state-national","tag-product-30598-ap-national-news-report-a-wire","tag-product-31998-ap-online-national-news","tag-product-32520-ap-online-other-u-s-government-news","tag-product-46986-ap-online-top-stories","tag-renee-good","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-headlines","tag-san-antonio-news","tag-sean-duffy","tag-susan-collins","tag-todd-blanche","tag-tom-cotton","tag-tom-homan","tag-trump-booed-visas-blanche"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=329225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/329226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=329225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=329225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=329225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}