Today in one sentence: Trump will lift all U.S. sanctions on Syria, ending a decades-long policy that labeled the country a state sponsor of terrorism; Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a $1 trillion package of Saudi investments in U.S. defense, energy, tech, infrastructure, and health care; Chuck Schumer placed a hold on all Justice Department political nominees over Trump’s plan to accept a $400 million jet from Qatar; inflation rose 0.2% in April, and 2.3% from a year earlier; U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained a U.S. citizen and Global Entry member for nearly two hours at Chicago O’Hare Airport after his return from France; the Episcopal Church cut ties with the U.S. refugee resettlement program after the Trump administration asked it to help resettle white South African Afrikaners; in a first, a federal judge in Pennsylvania backed Trump’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. waded into Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek with his grandchildren over the weekend, despite federal warnings that the water contains unsafe levels of bacteria; Biden’s top aides privately discussed putting him in a wheelchair if he won a second term; and Senator Mike Lee introduced a bill that would make most pornography a federal crime by expanding the legal definition of obscenity.

1/ Trump will lift all U.S. sanctions on Syria, ending a decades-long policy that labeled the country a state sponsor of terrorism. “We’re taking them all off,” Trump said, calling the sanctions “brutal and crippling.” Trump said the decision aimed to “give them a chance at greatness,” despite Syria’s new president Ahmad al-Sharaa’s past leadership of a jihadist group tied to al-Qaeda. The White House confirmed Trump will meet Sharaa on Wednesday – the first U.S.-Syria presidential encounter in 25 years. The move follows pressure from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and others to reengage Damascus after the Assad regime collapsed in December. (CNBC / Axios / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN / ABC News)

2/ Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a $1 trillion package of Saudi investments in U.S. defense, energy, tech, infrastructure, and health care. Official figures, however, don’t match. Conference signage listed $300 billion in deals; the White House cited $600 billion. Trump offered no documentation, but declared that “We did this in essentially two months” even though many agreements are nonbinding. At the same time, the Trump Organization is expanding business projects across the Gulf, including a $5.5 billion luxury golf resort in Qatar, a high-rise hotel in Dubai, and ongoing real estate developments in Saudi Arabia. Trump’s family is also tied to a cryptocurrency venture that recently secured a $2 billion investment from an Emirati firm. The White House has not released a list of participants or clarified whether any announced deals involve Trump-linked entities. (Bloomberg / The Hill / Washington Post / CNN / Axios / Associated Press)

3/ Chuck Schumer placed a hold on all Justice Department political nominees over Trump’s plan to accept a $400 million jet from Qatar, calling it “naked corruption” and a “grave national security threat.” The jet would serve as Air Force One during Trump’s term, then transfer to his presidential library. Attorney General Pam Bondi approved the deal, but also previously lobbied for Qatar. Schumer demanded Bondi testify and the DOJ disclose Qatari activity tied to Trump. Top Republicans have also raised concerns, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune saying there were “lots of issues” with the gift. Sen. Rand Paul called it “the wrong signal.” Trump continued to dismiss the backlash, saying: “Only a stupid person would turn down that kind of an offer.” Trump Organization recently closed a $5.5 billion business deal with Qatari Diar, a state-owned firm. (New York Times / Politico / The Hill / NBC News / Axios / NBC News / CNBC / CNN / New York Times / Popular Information)

4/ Inflation rose 0.2% in April, and 2.3% from a year earlier – the slowest annual pace since February 2021. The figures show little immediate impact from Trump’s April tariffs, which included a 10% duty on all imports and a 145% levy on goods from China (later cut to 30% in a 90-day deal). Core inflation held at 2.8%, with price increases concentrated in housing and utilities. Analysts warned that the effects from Trump’s tariffs haven’t hit yet as businesses continue to sit on pre-tariff inventory. Economists expect prices to rise as new shipments arrive. (Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / Associated Press / NPR / CNBC)

5/ U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained a U.S. citizen and Global Entry member for nearly two hours at Chicago O’Hare Airport after his return from France. Twitch streamer Hasan Piker said agents questioned him about Trump, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. “They kept saying stuff like, ‘Do you like Hamas?’” he told viewers. Piker said the agent clearly knew his identity and pushed him to say something incriminating. Homeland Security denied targeting him, calling his story “lying for likes.” DHS official Tricia McLaughlin added: “Our officers are following the law, not agendas.” Piker responded on Twitter: “the dhs response is so funny cus they’re not even disputing that it happened, they’re omitting the insane questions that were asked, & instead claiming that i wasn’t targeted for my political beliefs. why’d y’all ask me about trump, israel, houthis, hamas and my twitch bans then?” (Washington Post / TechCrunch / User Mag / HuffPost / The Hill / Rolling Stone / The Guardian)

6/ The Episcopal Church cut ties with the U.S. refugee resettlement program after the Trump administration asked it to help resettle white South African Afrikaners. “We are not able to take this step,” Bishop Sean Rowe said, citing the church’s opposition to racial favoritism and its ties to anti-apartheid leaders in Southern Africa. Trump granted refugee status to Afrikaners through an executive order, claiming they face “genocide” and “race-based discrimination” in South Africa. Meanwhile, the administration has stopped nearly all other refugee admissions, including those from war zones and religious persecution cases. (NPR / The Guardian / NBC News / New Republic)

7/ In a first, a federal judge in Pennsylvania backed Trump’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines – a Trump appointee – ruled that Trump can invoke the law against individuals he designates as part of a foreign terrorist group, but said the administration must give 21 days’ notice in a language migrants understand. Despite intelligence officials rejecting that Tren de Aragua has direct ties to Venezuela’s government, Haines said Trump’s designation nevertheless carries legal weight: “There is a factual basis for President Trump’s conclusions.” Other courts, however, have blocked the same policy, calling it an illegal stretch of a wartime law never used outside formal war. Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. wrote earlier this month that Trump’s action “exceeds the scope of the statute” and fails to show any invasion “by the military of any foreign nation.” The ACLU, meanwhile, said it will appeal, calling the law “not intended to cover migration or ordinary criminal activity.” (Politico / Washington Post / Axios / The Hill)

The midterm elections are in 539 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. waded into Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek with his grandchildren over the weekend, despite federal warnings that the water contains unsafe levels of bacteria, including E. coli. Kennedy posted photos showing himself submerged and fully clothed – apparently in jeans. “A swim with my grandchildren […] in Rock Creek,” he wrote. Swimming has been banned in all District waterways since the 1970s due to contamination from sewage overflow. The National Park Service warns that “contact with the water [is] a hazard to human […] health.” The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to questions. (New York Times / ABC News)

  2. The Trump administration cut another $450 million in federal grants to Harvard, adding to the $2.2 billion already revoked over claims of antisemitism and race discrimination. A government letter said Harvard “forfeited the school’s claim to taxpayer support” by failing to confront harassment and bias, calling the campus a “breeding ground for virtue signaling.” The administration also threatened Harvard’s tax-exempt status, foreign student program, and access to future federal grants. (Associated Press / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

  3. The Democratic National Committee moved to invalidate David Hogg’s election as vice chair weeks after he pledged to spend $20 million backing primary challengers against safe-seat Democratic incumbents. The DNC Credentials Committee voted 13–2 to recommend a new election for Hogg and fellow vice chair Malcolm Kenyatta, citing a procedural complaint that the February vote violated gender equity rules. While the complaint predates Hogg’s campaign, the ruling gives party leadership a clear path to remove him. (Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News)

  4. Biden’s top aides privately discussed putting him in a wheelchair if he won a second term, according to Original Sin, a new book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson. The book says that “Biden’s physical deterioration – most apparent in his halting walk – had become so severe” that staff delayed any use of a wheelchair until after the election. Physician Kevin O’Connor warned that one more fall could require it. After Biden tripped over a sandbag in 2023, aides changed his routines: shorter walking routes, sneakers instead of dress shoes, and extra handrails. They also walked beside him across the White House lawn to catch him if he fell. (Axios / The Hill / CNN / The Guardian / Rolling Stone)

  5. Senator Mike Lee introduced a bill that would make most pornography a federal crime by expanding the legal definition of obscenity. The proposal mirrors Trump-backed Project 2025, which calls for jailing porn producers and shutting down tech companies that host adult content. “This content can be taken down and its peddlers prosecuted,” Lee said, though the bill leaves penalties for possession unclear. (Gizmodo)

Last year today: Day 1210: "Just do it."
Four years ago today: Day 114: "A great day for America."
Six years ago today: Day 844: Rules and norms.