Donald Trump will announce a new trade deal with the UK this morning. Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at Columbia University. And a disability slur is inching back into the mainstream.
Here’s what to know today.
Trump to announce trade deal with Britain this morning
President Donald Trump said early this morning that he will sign a trade deal with Britain, America’s first since he announced sweeping global tariffs that hammered markets and threaten to upend the global economy.
In posts on Truth Social ahead of an expected 10 a.m. ET press conference, the president said “the agreement with the United Kingdom is a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come.”
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“Because of our long time history and allegiance together, it is a great honor to have the United Kingdom as our FIRST announcement. Many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation, to follow,” Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that foreign nations are eager to ink a deal with Washington to avoid the worst effects of the wave of levies he announced last month, but this would be the first such deal.
Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro raised the prospect of “90 deals in 90 days” after the tariffs were announced — but 36 days since “liberation day”, the deal with Britain would be the first.
On Tuesday, an obviously frustrated Trump told reporters that he wishes they would, “you know, stop asking, ‘How many deals are you signing this week?’ Because one day we’ll come and we’ll give you 100 deals. And they don’t have to sign.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said his planned meeting this weekend with Chinese officials in Switzerland amounts to an early phase of negotiations that is not as far along as talks with less-crucial nations. Bessent also told a House subcommittee this week that negotiations were occurring with just 17 trading partners and that the majority should be wrapped up by the end of the year — not within the three-month window Trump set last month.
More politics news:
- The White House withdrew the nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat to serve as U.S. Surgeon General, days after right wing provocateur Laura Loomer criticized Nesheiwat. Trump’s new nominee is Dr. Casey Means, a Stanford graduate who has close ties to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and is a proponent of metabolic health.
- Why Trump’s recent mention of Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a potential successor in 2028 is notable — but not surprising.
- The House is expected to vote today on legislation that would make the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America federal law.
- Trump’s first major foreign trip of his second term will be next week to Saudi Arabia, repeating his 2017 decision and once again bypassing other longtime allies.
- Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration believes Russia is “asking for too much” during talks to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump’s words undermine DOJ’s argument about deportations to El Salvador
Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg used the words of President Donald Trump and members of his administration at a hearing yesterday in questioning a Justice Department attorney about who has constructive custody of the men sent to El Salvador’s CECOT facility. Plaintiffs have “a lot of facts in your favor” in arguing that the U.S., not El Salvador, has “constructive custody,” which refers to the legal notion that people can be held at the behest of the government even if they are not held in its physical custody.
Boasberg brought up the instance last week in which Trump said that he “could” have Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was wrongly deported, returned to the U.S. with a phone call. In addition, press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said the U.S. was paying El Salvador “approximately $6 million” to keep the men, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said CECOT was “one of the tools in our tool kit” that the U.S. could use.
So, “was the president telling the truth” or not, Boasberg asked in yesterday’s hearing. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Abishek Kambli responded, “That goes towards the president’s belief about influence he has. Influence does not equate to constructive custody.” Read the full story here.
The case regarding the men sent to El Salvador continues to be litigated as the Trump administration reportedly aims to send migrants from the Philippines, Vietnam and Laos, among other countries, to Libya as early as this week. Yesterday, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order preventing migrants from being sent to the north African country or any other third country after immigration attorneys filed an emergency motion.
Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at Columbia University
At least 80 people were detained last night after protesters took over a room of Columbia University’s Butler Library in a resurgence of the on-campus pro-Palestinian demonstrations that rocked the nation last spring.
Around 3:30 p.m. yesterday, demonstrators, many wearing keffiyehs, stormed into Butler Library, chanting slogans and facing off with police and campus security officers.
Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a group that calls on the university to divest its ties from Israel, publicized an “emergency rally” on social media and said more than “100 actionists” reclaimed the reading room.
The university, which says two Columbia Public Safety Officers were injured in a “crowd surge” as people tried to “force” their way into the library, waited hours after the disruptions began to request police assistance.
Here’s what else we know about the protest.
Black smoke, no pope as wait continues on day 2 of the conclave
Black smoke was seen over the Vatican again this morning, indicating that the more than 130 red-robed cardinals from around the world have yet to select a replacement for Pope Francis. All eyes are on the chimney above the Sistine Chapel for the results of the morning and afternoon votes. Black smoke, as seen yesterday evening at the end of Day 1, signals the cardinals have not selected a new pope. White smoke will mean a new pope has been selected. Follow our live blog for updates throughout the day.
Read All About It
- Pilots and air traffic controllers said they work in constant fear of losing radio contact with pilots as planes fly in and out of Newark airport, but the FAA has done little to fix outdated technology or staffing shortages.
- Three former Memphis police officers were cleared of all state charges in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, whose death two years ago sparked nationwide protests.
- The best and brightest young scientists at the University of Washington, at top school for biomedical research, are looking at opportunities beyond the U.S. as federal funding cuts throw their plans into question.
- A Virginia homeowner has been charged with second-degree murder and other charges in the fatal shooting of a teenager who was filming a ding-dong ditch pink for a TikTok video.
Staff Pick: The ‘R-word’ inches back into the mainstream
Once a nickname for a medical term, the “R-word” became an insult by the 1990s and early 2000s. Now, according to people in right-leaning and anti-political correctness worlds, the word is back, and they consider it a triumph in the cultural battle over language.
We noticed the word being used more in the last few months, including by high-profile figures like Joe Rogan and Elon Musk. Sure, the “R-word” has percolated in the comedy world for years and has been used by some on the left and condemned by others on the right. But this time, the word’s resurgence serves as the latest example that the tide has turned both culturally and politically against those seeking to keep it out of the lexicon. — Pilar Melendez, breaking news editor
NBCU Academy: A day in the life of an NBC News field producer
The stories you see on NBC Nightly News wouldn’t happen without a field producer. Field producers pitch, write, edit, coordinate logistics, direct the news shoot and decide how the story will unfold on-air. In other words, they make sure the news gets made.
As NBC News field producer Shanshan Dong explains it: “You do the planning. You work out the execution. You are there to make sure everything runs smoothly, and to step up when there are problems and fix them.”
Watch as Dong’s team coordinates a story in the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires.
NBCU Academy is a free, award-winning education program for developing new skills and advancing careers in journalism, media and tech.
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
The NBC Select team has tested out dozens of running shoes. Here are our favorite men’s running shoes for beginners and seasoned athletes alike. Plus, are you frustrated with messy sunscreens? These expert-recommended sunscreen sticks can help protect your skin without the residue.
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