Trump marks his first 100 days in office in campaign mode, focused on grudges and grievances
WARREN, Mich. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday celebrated the 100th day of his second term — yet spent much of his rally marking it in campaign mode, fixated on past grudges and grievances.
He repeatedly mocked his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, attacking his mental acuity and even how he appears in a bathing suit. He again uttered the lie that he won the 2020 presidential election. And he attacked polling and news coverage not favorable to him.
And Trump again and again returned to immigration, his signature issue, at the rally that marked his largest political event since returning to the White House — boasting about his administration's “mass deportation” efforts that have sent arrests for illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border plummeting.
“Removing the invaders is not just a campaign pledge,” Trump said in his 90-minute speech. “It's my solemn duty as commander-in-chief. I have an obligation to save our country.”
He paused his remarks to play a video of migrants who Trump asserts are gang members arriving at a notorious prison in El Salvador, with rallygoers cheering as images of deportees having their heads shaved were played. And while Michigan has seen unemployment rise since Trump reclaimed the White House, Trump used his speech to defend his administration’s steep tariffs on cars and auto parts — hours after the White House announced it was softening those.
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Canada's Liberals fall short of a majority in Parliament in the wake of comeback election victory
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ’s Liberals fell short of winning an outright majority in Parliament on Tuesday, a day after the party scored a stunning comeback victory in a vote widely seen as a rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The vote-counting agency Elections Canada finished processing nearly all ballots in an election that could leave the Liberals just three seats shy of a majority, which means they will have to seek help from another, smaller party to pass legislation.
The Liberal party seemed likely to find the extra votes necessary, but it was not clear whether they would come from the progressive party, which backed the Liberals under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, or from a separatist party from French-speaking Quebec.
Carney's rival, populist Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, was in the lead until Trump took aim at Canada with a trade war and threats to annex the country as the 51st state. Poilievre not only lost his bid for prime minister Monday but was voted out of the Parliament seat that he held for 20 years.
That capped a swift decline in fortunes for the firebrand Poilievre, who a few months ago appeared to be a shoo-in to become Canada’s next prime minister and shepherd the Conservatives back into power for the first time in a decade.
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Trump to offer automakers some relief on his 25% tariffs, after worries they could hurt US factories
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed executive orders Tuesday to relax some of his 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, the White House said, a significant reversal as the import taxes threatened to hurt domestic manufacturers.
Automakers and independent analyses have indicated that the tariffs could raise prices, reduce sales and make U.S. production less competitive worldwide. Trump portrayed the changes as a bridge toward automakers moving more production into the United States.
“We just wanted to help them during this little transition, short term," Trump told reporters. "We didn’t want to penalize them. ”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who spoke earlier at a White House briefing on Tuesday, said the goal was to enable automakers to create more domestic manufacturing jobs.
“President Trump has had meetings with both domestic and foreign auto producers, and he’s committed to bringing back auto production to the U.S.,” Bessent said. “So we want to give the automakers a path to do that, quickly, efficiently and create as many jobs as possible.”
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Wisconsin high court suspends Milwaukee judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended a judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities, saying Tuesday that it is in the public interest to relieve her of her duties as she faces two federal charges.
The FBI took Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan into custody Friday morning at the county courthouse. She has been charged with concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest and obstructing or impeding a proceeding.
In its two-page order, the court said it was acting to protect public confidence in Wisconsin courts during the criminal proceedings against Dugan. The order noted that the court was acting on its own initiative and was not responding to a request from anyone. Liberal justices control the court 4-3.
“It is ordered ... that Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah C. Dugan is temporarily prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the state of Wisconsin, effective the date of this order and until further order of the court,” the justices wrote.
In a statement, Dugan's legal team said it was disappointed “that the Court acted in unilateral fashion. We continue to assert Judge Dugan’s innocence and look forward to her vindication in court.”
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Vietnam celebrates 50 years since war’s end and focuses on peace
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam celebrated the end of the war with the United States and the formation of its modern nation 50 years ago Wednesday with a military parade and a focus on a future of peace.
Thousands camped overnight on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City — once known as Saigon — to watch the parade, drinking strong black coffee and their faces painted with the Vietnamese flag. The parade included a float that carried the Lac Bird, Vietnam’s emblem, another carrying a portrait of Ho Chi Minh and finally one that represented 50 years of reunification between North and South Vietnam.
Chinese, Laotian and Cambodian troops marched behind Vietnamese army formations, including some wearing uniforms similar to what was worn by northern Vietnamese troops during the war. Helicopters carrying the national flag and jets flew over the parade near Independence Palace, where the war ended when a North Vietnamese tank smashed through its gates.
Sitting next to Vietnam's leader were Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen and Laotian Communist Party General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith.
Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary To Lam said the victory was a “glorious landmark," ending a 30-year fight for independence and ending colonialism, and he gave credit to the former Soviet Union, China, Laos and Cambodia.
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Illinois town mourns the 4 youngsters killed when a car barreled through their after-school camp
CHATHAM, Ill. (AP) — Residents of a small central Illinois city on Tuesday mourned the loss of three children and a teenager killed in a startling crash in which a car barreled through a building used for a popular after-school camp. Authorities said it didn't appear to be a targeted attack.
The car on Monday left a road, crossed a field and smashed into the side of the building in Chatham used by Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors, also known as YNOT, according to Illinois State Police. It traveled through the building, striking people before exiting the other side. Six children were also hospitalized, including one left in critical condition.
The Sangamon County coroner identified those killed as 18-year-old Rylee Britton of Springfield and three Chatham children: Ainsley Johnson, 8, and Kathryn Corley and Alma Buhnerkempe, both 7.
On Tuesday evening, with red ribbons tied in bows lining Main Street, hundreds of people gathered for a vigil in the town square, where heart-shaped boards bore the names of the four who died. Dozens of people signed messages to each.
“You were a great counselor,” 9-year-old Coralie Glessner wrote on the heart for Britton. Coralie, who has participated in YNOT’s program in the past, said she liked that Britton played four square with her. Asked for a memory of her, Coralie said, “Greeting me when I got off the bus” each day at YNOT.
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Disgraced Cardinal Becciu formally withdraws from participation in conclave to elect pope
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Italian cardinal at the heart of the Vatican’s “trial of the century” announced Tuesday he was withdrawing from participating in the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope for “the good of the church,” ending days of drama that had overshadowed the proceedings.
Cardinal Angelo Becciu’ s status has dominated discussions in the days after Pope Francis’ death amid questions about whether he would participate in the conclave to elect Francis' successor or not.
After his 2020 downfall, Becciu had said he would not participate in any future conclave. But in recent days he had asserted he had a right to enter the Sistine Chapel with other cardinals on May 7.
On Tuesday, the 76-year-old Italian issued a statement through his lawyers that said: “Having at heart the good of the church, which I have served and will continue to serve with fidelity and love, as well as to contribute to the communion and serenity of the conclave, I have decided to obey as I have always done the will of Pope Francis not to enter the conclave while remaining convinced of my innocence.”
Becciu was once an influential Vatican chief of staff who was a leading papal contender himself. But he fell from grace in 2020 when Francis forced him to resign his job as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and his rights as a cardinal because of allegations of financial misconduct.
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Hegseth boasts about ending 'woke' program on women and security. Trump signed it into law
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boasted on social media Tuesday that he had dismantled a program supporting women on security teams, an initiative that he called “woke” but actually was signed into law by his boss, President Donald Trump.
In a post on the social platform X, Hegseth called the “Women, Peace & Security” program at the Defense Department "a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it.”
It was, in fact, bipartisan legislation that Trump signed into law in 2017 that recognized the role women have in achieving security goals, especially overseas when their male counterparts may not be able to question or have direct access to women for cultural or religious reasons.
It’s the latest controversial move from Hegseth as the Pentagon works to nix programs or content seen as promoting diversity, equity or inclusion. After Trump ordered federal agencies to purge DEI content, the Pentagon issued a broad edict to the military services that ignited public outcry when online images of national heroes like Jackie Robinson were briefly removed.
Some of Trump's Cabinet officials supported the Women, Peace and Security program when it was moving through the legislative process. And Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress this month that the program had helped troops in battle.
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US consumer confidence plummets to Covid-era low as trade war stokes anxiety
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' confidence in the economy slumped for the fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as anxiety over the impact of tariffs takes a heavy toll.
The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 7.9 points in April to 86, its lowest reading since May 2020. Nearly one-third of consumers expect hiring to slow in the coming months, nearly matching the level reached in April 2009, when the economy was mired in the Great Recession.
The figures reflect a rapidly souring mood among Americans, most of whom expect prices to rise because of the widespread tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. About half of Americans are also worried about the potential for a recession, according to a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center.
“Rattled consumers spend less than confident consumers," said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, in an email. “If confidence sags and consumers retrench, growth will go down.”
A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market plunged 12.5 points to 54.4, the lowest level in more than 13 years. The reading is well below 80, which typically signals a recession ahead.
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Key things to know about the upcoming summer movie season
Superman already has a lot on his shoulders. It seems unfair to add the fate of the summer movie season to his list. But he's not alone — Marvel Studios is also returning to theaters in a big way with two movies this summer, “Thunderbolts” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the movie business to a halt, and two years after the strikes, the industry has yet to fully recover. Critics may have complained of superhero fatigue, but after several summers of depleted offerings, it’s clear that they’re a vital part of the mix.
Superheroes alone don't make for a healthy marketplace, however, and this year studios have set a full slate for every kind of moviegoer, with over 40 wide releases spanning genres.
“This is the summer where all this product that we’ve all been working on for the last few years is finally coming into the marketplace, so I’m very optimistic,” says Joseph Kosinski, who directed “F1” with Brad Pitt.
Summer begins early in Hollywood, on the first weekend in May and that kick-off can make or break that pivotal 123 day corridor that has historically accounted for around 40% of the annual box office.
The Associated Press
