Noem’s claim that Afghan refugees can safely go home is ‘just absurd,’ advocates say
The Trump administration says Afghan refugees can safely return to Afghanistan despite warnings from rights groups and lawmakers that Afghans who worked for the U.S. military face the threat of persecution, imprisonment, and even execution by the Taliban regime. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday it had stripped legal protections for thousands of Afghans in the U.S., saying that the security and economic situation in Afghanistan no longer justified granting them temporary protected status, or TPS. “We’ve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. “Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevents Afghans from returning to their home country,” she said.
Trump leaves Saudi Arabia for Qatar
Trump has left Saudi Arabia and is en route to the next stop on his Middle East trip, Qatar. After landing in Doha, he begins his state visit with an arrival ceremony at the Amiri Diwan Royal Court, followed by the introduction of delegations, a ceremonial tea and coffee, a bilateral meeting, a working lunch, and a signing ceremony. Trump’s trade war wins so far: More talk, uncertainty, and deadlines More than a month after President Donald Trump’s tariff-focused “Liberation Day,” just about all America has won is more deadlines and assurances of ongoing talks. With China, the U.S. has secured no major changes other than offsetting step-downs of recent import duties and import restrictions.
Analysis: Lifting of sanctions is hugely significant for Syria and the region
Syria has always been the heart of the Middle East as its cultural capital. This development is hugely significant both for Syrians and for the Middle East in general. The Gulf is the business center, it’s where the oil and gas are in the kingdoms and the emirates and it’s the commercial engine that drives the region. But Syria is the home of the ancient capitals. It has two of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the planet in Aleppo and the capital Damascus and it is dotted with ancient palaces: Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic ruins and art. It has a fantastic layered history. This vital country has been gone since the civil war began more than a decade ago. After that, it became a no-go, chaotic death-zone, one of the most dangerous places on the planet.
Trump encourages Syrian president to recognize Israeli statehood
In a meeting this morning in Saudi Arabia, Trump encouraged Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to recognize Israel’s statehood, according to a White House readout. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was also present and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, joined by phone. The readout said both leaders praised Trump’s decision to lift longstanding sanctions on Syria, where Sharaa became president in January after the fall of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad. Trump meets with Syrian president in Saudi Arabia. Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia this morning, a day after saying he plans to lift longstanding sanctions on Syria. Sharaa, who became Syria’s president in January, had previously led a rebel group that helped overthrow Assad, whose family ruled the country with an iron fist for more than 50 years.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to testify on Capitol Hill
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will testify today on Capitol Hill, where he is certain to face tough questions about persistent problems with the air traffic control system at Newark International Airport. Duffy will testify before the House Appropriations Committee in the morning to defend the White House budget proposal for his department. RFK Jr. to testify on Capitol Hill for the first time since a confirmation hearing Health and Human Service Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to testify today in both the House and Senate to discuss the White House budget proposal. It will be the first time he has testified before a congressional committee since his confirmation hearing for his Cabinet post. When he speaks before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, it will be the first time in two decades that an HHS secretary has testified about the president’s budget, according to the panel.
