Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Thursday in Antalya, Turkey with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, the State Department said. It's the first such meeting in 15 years.
Why it matters: It's another step in normalizing relations between the countries after President Trump met President Ahmed al-Sharaa and made the shocking pronouncement that the U.S. would lift its crippling sanctions on the country.
Angela Rye isn't waiting on Washington. She's betting on — and investing in — the people.
Why it matters: Led by Rye and fueled by local organizers and national partners, the 10-city State of the People Power Tour aims to meet urgent needs while building lasting infrastructure in Black communities.
President Trump's challenge to birthright citizenship, a 19th-century constitutional doctrine,reachedthe Supreme Court on Thursday as it weighs courts' restrictions on Trump's executive orders.
The big picture: Though a core part of American citizenship, unrestricted birthright citizenship is mostly a facet of the Western Hemisphere.
Vice President Vance will lead a U.S. delegation to Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass in Vatican City on Sunday, his office announced Thursday.
Why it matters: Leo is the first American pope, who took over the papacy at a time of deep political divide in his home country. Notably, some of his views appear to conflict with the administration's policies, particularly on migrants' rights.
The Trump administration gave Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal during the fourth round of negotiations on Sunday, a U.S. official and two other sources with direct knowledge tell Axios.
Why it matters: It was the first time since the nuclear talks started in early April that White House envoy Steve Witkoff presented a written proposal to the Iranians.
Sen. Tom Cotton is trying to build a public pressure campaign to encourage the Trump White House to hold the line on an Iran nuclear deal.
Why it matters: Key players hope President Trump's desire for a deal doesn't end with too much compromise. Cotton (R-Ark.) has influence in Trump circles but represents a hawkish brand of Republican going out of style in the MAGA movement.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has decided to skip the summit with Ukraine he called for and send a lower level delegation for the direct talks planned to take place in Istanbul on Thursday.
The latest: PresidentTrump responded to the decision on Thursday, telling reporters: "I don't believe anything is gonna happen, whether you like it or not, before Putin and I get together."
The Israeli government has agreed to resume humanitarian aid delivery to Palestinians in Gaza, the new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said in a statement on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Israel has frozen all supplies of food, water and medicine to Gaza for two months, and the UN has warned food supplies will run out within days. The foundation said Israel had agreed to resume aid imminently though the Israeli government has not confirmed that.
President Trump met Wednesday with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and urged him to sign a peace deal with Israel, the White House said in a statement.
Why it matters: The extraordinary meeting in Riyadh between Trump and al-Sharaa — who remains on the U.S. terrorist list due to his past ties with al-Qaeda — marks the first meeting between a U.S. and Syrian president in 25 years.
The Trump administration is cracking down on ultra-cheap goods sold on Chinese e-commerce sites hugely popular among Americans, new scrutiny that is spreading across the globe.
Why it matters: For the first time in more than 80 years, U.S. bound low-value packages from China are subject to tariffs.
In the hours before and after Air Force One touched down in Riyadh, President Trump's team plunged into a frenetic diplomatic blitz, aiming to defuse four of the world's most volatile crises — all at once.
Why it matters: Trump came to the Middle East chasing $1 trillion in foreign investment. But under the pageantry of the Gulf summits, he's betting that a whirlwind of personalized diplomacy can succeed where decades of U.S. policy have failed.
A coalition of 20 Democratic attorneys general is suing President Trump's administration over threats to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding if they don't follow his immigration enforcement polices.
The big picture: California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who's leading the two lawsuits, said at a Tuesday briefing that threats to cut funds for emergency services and infrastructure maintenance represented "a blatantly illegal attempt to bully states" into enacting Trump's agenda.
