(COVER PHOTO: U.N. building. Satellite photo via Google Maps)
Trump orders travel bans
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation last night to ban travel from 12 countries to the U.S., citing the need to protect the country from “foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats.” The travel ban, which will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on June 9, will restrict the entry of nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar (also known as Burma), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. People from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will face a partial restriction. During his first term, Trump barred travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations from coming to the U.S. That policy was challenged in court before President Joe Biden repealed it in 2021.
U.S. vetoes U.N. resolution calling for Israel-Hamas ceasefire
The U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent” ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the “unconditional lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.” The U.S. was the only council member nation to oppose the resolution on Wednesday. As for humanitarian aid, a controversial organization backed by the U.S. and Israel issued a 24-hour pause on aid after Palestinians en route to the distribution sites came under fire. Earlier today, the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages kidnapped by Hamas were returned to Israel. Judy Weinstein-Haggai, 70, and Gadi Haggai, 72, were killed near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Their remains were recovered during a military operation.
Trump defies judge in another move against Harvard
President Trump continued his feud with Ivy League schools by signing a proclamation to suspend international visas for new students at Harvard University. The move came after a federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to not make any changes to Harvard’s international student visa program indefinitely. The administration has demanded that Harvard change its hiring and admission requirements, eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and alter rules for on-campus protests. But the school has resisted those orders and filed a lawsuit claiming the government’s actions violate the First Amendment. Harvard wasn’t the only target of the Trump Administration’s ire on Wednesday. The Department of Education also threatened Columbia University’s accreditation for allegedly tolerating antisemitism on campus. Accreditation is needed for students to gain access to federal money, including grants and loans. Columbia said it was “aware of the concerns raised” and had already addressed them.
Oil spill at Baltimore’s waterfront
An estimated 2,000 gallons of dyed diesel have stained part of Baltimore’s waterfront red. According to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott, the fuel originated at a Johns Hopkins Hospital facility in East Baltimore. When Hopkins reported the spill on Wednesday morning, the facility estimated it was 100 gallons. Seven hours later, that amount was increased to about 2,000 gallons. Emergency crews from nearly a dozen state and city agencies have been working through the night with the US Coast Guard to remove the red-tinted fuel from the water.
Europeans cut interest rates
The European Central Bank on Thursday cut its main interest rate again, citing slowing price rises. The move lowers the European Central Bank’s main rate to 2% and marks the eighth time the central bank has slashed borrowing costs since last June as inflation has tumbled from multi-decade highs. Year-on-year consumer price inflation across the 20 countries using the euro dropped to 1.9% last month. Two percent inflation is the target sought by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Trump has pressured the FED to lower U.S. interest rates even though inflation remains above the 2% target. The Fed has opted to wait and see how Trump’s trade wars will impact inflation.
Closings and job cuts
The restaurant chain Hooters is closing about 30 restaurants in a handful of states while it proceeds with Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Hooters said the move was part of its efforts to streamline operations. Proctor & Gamble announced that it is cutting up to 7,000 jobs. P&G said the cuts amount to about 15% of is non-manufacturing workforce. It says the cuts will be made over the next two years. The company estimated that Donald Trump’s tariffs will cost it about $600 million during fiscal year 2026. The news agency Reuters reported today that Trump’s trade war has cost companies more than $34 billion in lost sales and higher costs so far.
