Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff met on Saturday in Miami with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani as part of the efforts to reach a deal to end the war in Iran, according to two sources with knowledge.
Why it matters: The U.S. and Iran are negotiating over a one-page memo to end the war and establish a framework for more detailed negotiations. The Qataris are playing a key role in mediating between the sides.
As the U.S. awaits the Iranian response to the draft agreement to end the war, Vice President Vance met Friday with one of the key mediators, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani.
Why it matters: While Pakistan has been the official mediator between the U.S. and Iran since the beginning of the war, the Qataris have continued working behind the scenes. The White House views them as especially effective in negotiations with Iran, U.S. officials say.
The U.S. labor market has found its footing: A yearlong pattern of whipsawing between job gains and losses is finally breaking, a sign that stabilization is taking hold.
Why it matters: The labor market is holding up despite a wall of headwinds, including an energy shock stemming from the Iran war and the uncertainty that comes with the conflict. So far, the damage that was expected to ripple through hiring simply hasn't shown up.
The Court of International Trade on Thursday ruled that President Trump's newest round of tariffs were illegal — but the duties will keep collecting for most importers while the administration appeals.
Why it matters: It is yet another legal setback for the White House's trade policy — this time ruling against the suite of tariffs that officials imposed to replace those struck down by the Supreme Court.
The U.S. economy added 115,000 jobs in April, while the unemployment rate held at 4.3%, the Labor Department said on Friday.
Why it matters: Employers kept hiring through the Iran war's energy shock, a sign of labor market resilience that complicates the case for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.
The Trump administration appears poised to reshape the U.S. approach to AI security ahead of President Trump's trip to China next week.
Why it matters: What happens next could be the turning point for how the Trump White House handles the proliferation of the most advanced AI models in the world.
