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Day 1897: “Take care of it.”
1/ Trump told U.S. allies to “go get your own oil,” “go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT,” accusing NATO partners of refusing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after several limited direct support, including reported restrictions on access to airspace and bases. He then warned that “the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore,” while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said other countries “ought be prepared to step up.” But Trump later said he wasn’t pulling the U.S. military out of the strait “quite yet,” saying U.S. allies would eventually have to “come in and take care of it.” (Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / The Hill / Bloomberg / CBS News / Washington Post / CNBC / Associated Press / ABC News / Axios)
2/ U.S. gas prices rose above $4 a gallon for the first since the summer of 2022, which was caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One month ago, the national average price for a gallon of gas was less than $3. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war has pushed oil above $100 a barrel, tightening global fuel supplies. (Axios / NPR / Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times)
3/ The Supreme Court ruled against Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors. The justices sent the case back to the lower courts, finding that the law was an “egregious assault” on free speech and the First Amendment. The law banned licensed mental health providers in Colorado from trying to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity through talk therapy. More than 20 states have similar laws. (ABC News / NBC News / Associated Press / New York Times / Washington Post)
4/ A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop construction on the White House ballroom, ruling that Trump can’t proceed with the $400 million project without congressional authorization. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the National Trust for Historic Preservation was likely to succeed because “no statute comes close” to giving the president the authority he claimed, writing that the president is the White House’s “steward,” not its owner. The ruling comes after the East Wing had already been demolished and two days before the National Capital Planning Commission was expected to consider the project. (ABC News / Associated Press / Washington Post)
5/ A federal judge ruled that Trump’s executive order cutting off federal funding for NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment and permanently blocked the administration from enforcing it. The judge said the government can’t use “the power of the purse” to punish speech, writing that the order amounted to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination, because targeted broadcasters over coverage that Trump described as biased. Congress, however, has already rescinded public media funding and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has shut down. (Associated Press / NPR / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / CNN)
6/ Rep. Eric Swalwell demanded that the FBI stop any release of old investigative files tied to his contacts with a suspected Chinese operative. The cease and desist letter followed reports that FBI Director Kash Patel had agents review and redact the files for possible public release, even though Swalwell was never charged and the House Ethics Committee later closed its review without action. Swalwell, a Trump critic, is running for governor of California. (Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press)
The 2026 midterms are in 217 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 952 days.