The White House asserted to Congress in a letter Friday that hostilities with Iran have “terminated” despite the continued presence of U.S. armed forces in the region.
The message from President Donald Trump effectively skirts a May 1 legal deadline to gain approval from members of Congress to continue the war with Iran. That deadline was already set to pass without action from Republican lawmakers who are deferring to the president.
The letter brings into stark relief the bold but legally questionable assertion of presidential power at the heart of Trump’s war, which he began without congressional approval two months ago.
> Read more
—The Associated Press
(AP Photo)
Trump says a ‘final proposal’ to rescue Spirit Airlines is under consideration
President Donald Trump said Friday his administration is still weighing a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines, with talks ongoing and no final decision yet on whether to move forward with a potential bailout.
Speaking to reporters before departing the White House for Florida, Trump emphasized that a deal to rescue the financially strapped airline remained under review. The president did not provide details but said an announcement could come as soon as later Friday or Saturday.
The possibility of a bailout first emerged publicly last week, when Trump floated the idea of the U.S. government offering Spirit a financial lifeline to help keep the airline from going bust and out of business.
> Read more
—The Associated Press
U.S. military reaches deals with 7 tech companies to use their AI on classified systems
The Pentagon said Friday that it has reached deals with seven tech companies to use their artificial intelligence in its classified computer networks, allowing the military to tap into AI-powered capabilities to help it fight wars.
Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX will provide their resources to help “augment warfighter decision-making in complex operational environments,” the Defense Department said.
The Defense Department has been rapidly accelerating its use of AI in recent years. The technology can help the military reduce the time it takes to identify and strike targets on the battlefield, while aiding in the organization of weapons maintenance and supply lines, according to a report in March from the Brennan Center for Justice.
> Read more
—The Associated Press
Former cellmate alleges he found suicide note by Epstein in 2019; legal wrangling begins over purported document
A federal judge overseeing the case of Nicholas Tartaglione, who was once Jeffrey Epstein’s cellmate, has given parties until Monday to respond to an unsealing request by The New York Times about a purported suicide note written by the late financier and found by Tartaglione seven years ago.
Judge Kenneth Karas said that no extensions would be granted for replies to the letter submitted by the news outlet, seeking to make public a document it contends has been held hidden by the court.
In its filing, an attorney for the Times pointed to a document released by the Justice Department within the past few months as part of its disclosure of some 3.5 million records about its investigations into Epstein and his longtime confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell. A convicted sex offender, Epstein is believed by authorities to have abused more than 1,000 young women and girls over the course of decades.
> Read more
—Spectrum News’ Christina Santucci
Senate bans members, staff from prediction market betting
Acknowledging that lawmakers are often privy to sensitive information, the Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution Thursday to ban its members, officers and staff from placing wagers in prediction markets.
The move came one week after a U.S. soldier was charged with using classified information to bet on the ousting of Venezuela’s then-President Nicolas Maduro in January.
Following the Senate vote to ban its members from prediction market betting, Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, announced she would lead a similar effort in the House of Representatives, writing on X, “Let’s get it done.”
> Read more
—Spectrum News’ Susan Carpenter
More Friday reads
• President says he’ll place 25% tariff on autos from EU, accusing bloc of not complying with trade deal
• Advocates push to renew blood stem cell research funding amid proposed cuts
• House passes Farm Bill, yanks pro-pesticide provision
• ‘Right to repair’ bill would require manufacturers to provide farmers with the resources to fix their own equipment
• America 250 celebration highlights a numerical attraction
