Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US will begin revoking the visas of Chinese students

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, “including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” His announcement Wednesday adds to the uncertainty for America’s international students, who have faced intensifying scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s administration. China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the United States, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the U.S. On Tuesday, Rubio halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students.

Federal court blocks Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under emergency powers law

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal court is blocking President Donald Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law. The ruling from a three-judge panel came after several lawsuits arguing Trump has exceeded his authority, leaving U.S. trade policy dependent on his whims. At least seven lawsuits are challenging the levies, the centerpiece of Trump’s trade policy. Trump says he has the power to act because the country’s trade deficits amount to a national emergency. The court found the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the use of tariffs. The plaintiffs argued that the trade deficit is not an emergency because the U.S. has run a trade deficit with the rest of the world for 49 consecutive years.

Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration after leading effort to slash federal government

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy. The billionaire entrepreneur posted Wednesday about his decision on X, his social media website. “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote. A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk about the change, confirmed that Musk was leaving. Musk’s departure comes one day after he criticized the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda, saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his “big beautiful bill.”

Trump says he warned Netanyahu to hold off on an Iran strike to give US more time for nuclear talks

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on an Iran strike to give his administration more time time to push for new nuclear deal with Tehran. Trump told reporters at the White House that he told Netanyahu a strike “would be inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution.” Trump's comments on Wednesday came as the head of the U.N.'s atomic watchdog group said that “the jury is still out” on negotiations between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. But Rafael Mariano Grossi described the continuing negotiations as a good sign.

Israel says it will establish 22 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Thursday it would establish 22 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. They would include new settlements and the legalization of outposts already built without government authorization. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and the Palestinians want it to be the main part of their future state.

Caves, other hideouts in mountains are part of hunt for fugitive known as 'Devil in the Ozarks'

There are plenty of hideouts in the rugged terrain of the Ozark Mountains where searchers are hunting for an ex-lawman known as the “Devil in the Ozarks.” Others are not only off the grid but beneath it, in the hundreds of caves that lead to vast subterranean spaces. A spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Corrections says caves in the area have been a priority for searchers. He said they present one of multiple challenges for authorities searching for Hardin. He escaped Sunday from the North Central Unit — a medium-security prison also known as the Calico Rock prison — by impersonating a corrections officer.

Stylist says Cassie confided that Sean 'Diddy' Combs pressured her into sex marathons

NEW YORK (AP) — A friend and former stylist of the R&B singer Cassie is the latest witness to testify at Sean “Diddy” Combs federal sex trafficking trial. The stylist, Deonte Nash, told jurors that the hip-hop mogul insisted his then-girlfiend Cassie have an unwanted sex marathon after celebrating her birthday with friends. In his testimony Wednesday, Nash also corroborated Cassie's account that Combs frequently beat and tormented her, as well as threatened to ruin her reputation by leaking sexual recordings. Nash said he remains close with Cassie, even advising her on her trial wardrobe. He said he contacted her Tuesday to congratulate her on the birth of her third child.

Germany's Merz offers to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missiles to hit Russia

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems that would be free of any Western-imposed limitations on their range and targets. Some of the advanced weapon systems that Kyiv’s allies have supplied to Ukraine to repel Russia's invasion were subject to such restrictions. The limits have been a fraught political issue. There are fears that if the weapons struck Russia, the Kremlin might retaliate against the country that provided them. That could draw NATO into Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. Later, Russia's foreign minister invited Ukraine to hold direct peace talks in Istanbul on June 2.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 34 as Thunder top Timberwolves 124-94 to advance to NBA Finals

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 to win the Western Conference finals series 4-1 and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012. Chet Holmgren had 22 points, seven rebounds and three blocks and Jalen Williams added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City will play the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks in the finals. Indiana leads the Eastern Conference finals series 3-1 with Game 5 to be played in New York City on Thursday.

Defending champion Panthers head back to Stanley Cup Final with 5-3 Game 5 win over Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe broke a tie off a feed from Aleksander Barkov with 7:39 left and the defending champion Florida Panthers advanced to their third straight Stanley Cup Final, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Wednesday night in Game 5. The Panthers beat the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final for the second time in three seasons. The Panthers will face the winner of the Western final between Dallas and Edmonton, with the Oilers up 3-1 to put them within a win of a rematch with Florida for the Cup. Sam Bennett added an empty-net goal with 54 seconds left by skating down a loose puck straight out of the penalty box after Florida had held up against a critical late power play for the Hurricanes.