In our news wrap Thursday, the agency overseeing construction on federal property approved President Trump’s White House ballroom project, the Army’s chief of staff is stepping down immediately, Democratic Party leaders are suing to block President Trump’s executive order targeting mail-in voting and the president is imposing a 100% tariff on some imported pharmaceuticals.
In the day’s other headlines: President Trump’s White House ballroom project got final approval today from the agency overseeing all construction on federal property in Washington, D.C. The 12-member National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by Trump appointees, voted overwhelmingly to allow the project to proceed.
“It addresses a real operational need, while contributing a building that is dignified, harmonious with its surroundings, and worthy of the White House campus and the American people. And for those reasons, I support moving forward with it.”
Despite today’s approval, the plan still faces legal hurdles. A judge earlier this week ordered construction to stop, but allowed two weeks for the administration to appeal. That ruling said President Trump is — quote — “steward and not owner” of the White House, and that Congress must also approve the project. The president argues none of that should be necessary.
The Army’s chief of staff, General Randy George, is stepping down effective immediately. The “News Hour” has confirmed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked that he agree to take early retirement. George’s ouster is just the latest of more than a dozen high-level dismissals of top generals and admirals by Hegseth since he took over the Pentagon last year.
George will be replaced on an acting basis by General Christopher LaNeve, who until February was Hegseth’s senior military adviser.
Democratic Party leaders are suing to block President Trump’s executive order targeting mail-in voting. The lawsuit was filed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with other party groups. It argues that — quote — “President Trump possesses no such authority to order such a sweeping change to American elections.”
Trump’s order calls for the creation of a federal list of those eligible to vote by mail. It also threatens to withhold federal funds from states that don’t comply. Responding to the lawsuit, a White House spokesperson criticized Democrats for being — quote — “upset about lawful efforts to secure American elections.”
In Colorado, an appeals court today ordered former county clerk and election denier Tina Peters to be resentenced. She’s been serving a nine-year prison term related to her efforts to find fraud in the 2020 election, which Joe Biden won. The judges today said that her continued promotion of election conspiracies should not have been a factor in her sentencing in 2024, saying it violated her free speech.
But they also rejected President Trump’s attempt to pardon Peters, since she remains convicted of state crimes.
In Northern California, a 4.6-magnitude earthquake struck early this morning, rattling millions as they slept. The quake struck near the small mountain town of Boulder Creek, but was felt up to 100 miles away, including around San Francisco. There have been no reports of serious damage.
In the meantime, a more serious quake struck clear across the globe today in Indonesia.
“The kids were shouting: ‘Mom, mom, come down quick.’ So we went downstairs, found the emergency stairwell, and hid in the storage room.”
The 7.4-magnitude quake sent this hospital patient and her family scrambling for safety. Many more fled their homes and public spaces, as dozens of aftershocks followed.
The quake toppled parts of buildings into streets and caved in roofs and ceilings. At least one person was killed. The earthquake originated underwater, generating a small tsunami, but authorities say that danger has now passed.
The Trump administration said today it will impose a 100 percent tariff on some imported pharmaceuticals. But companies can avoid the new levies by agreeing to lower prices or by establishing new factories to serve the U.S. market.
That’s one of two executive orders signed by President Trump today, with the other focusing on metals. The U.S. is revamping the way it assesses tariffs on foreign steel, copper, and aluminum, with the stated aim of simplifying the system for U.S. companies.
Today’s steps for the administration’s first such moves since the Supreme Court ruled in February that the president’s sweeping global tariffs were illegal. They also come exactly one year to the day since President Trump rolled out those worldwide tariffs on what he called liberation day.
That included tariffs on many of America’s closest trading partners. Despite largely being struck down, their broader economic and political impacts are still playing out.
In the meantime, on Wall Street today, it was Iran, not tariffs, that was top of mind for investors. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped about 60 points on the day. The Nasdaq shook off early losses to post a modest gain of nearly 40 points. The S&P 500 also closed a touch higher.
And the world’s oldest land animal, Jonathan the tortoise, is alive and well after reports of his death spread on social media yesterday. Officials from his home island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic posted a proof of life photo with images of today’s headlines in the background.
Condolences had poured in yesterday after an X post claiming to be from Jonathan’s veterinarian announced he had died. It was viewed more than two million times. His real vet later clarified that it was a hoax aimed at soliciting crypto donations. Jonathan is believed to be 193 years old. This photo is from the 1880s. That means he was born about five years before Queen Victoria’s coronation and nearly five decades before the invention of the lightbulb.
