In our news wrap Thursday, a group of states is suing the Trump administration over its planned 15% global tariff, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Latin American countries to step up their fight against drug cartels and Cuban officials say Washington’s oil blockade of the island is at least partly to blame for a widespread blackout that left millions in the dark.
Amna Nawaz:
The day’s other headlines.
A group of more than 20 states is suing the Trump administration over its planned 15 percent global tariff, saying the president is overstepping his power. The lawsuit is led by the Democratic attorneys general from Oregon, New York, California and Arizona. They argue that the president cannot — quote — “sidestep the Supreme Court” after the justices struck down the president’s original slate of tariffs.
It comes a day after a federal judge ruled that companies who paid tariffs before the Supreme Court’s decision should be refunded. The Trump administration is likely to appeal that ruling.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Latin American countries today to step up their fight against drug cartels, or the U.S. would, in his words, go on the offense alone. Hegseth was speaking to military officials from more than a dozen governments at what the Pentagon called the first Americas Counter Cartel Conference.
He also said a failure to act could threaten their shared Christian heritage. His comments were echoed by Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who compared the fight against cartels to past battles against Islamic extremist groups.
Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff: The cartels that operate in this hemisphere are the ISIS and the al-Qaida of the Western Hemisphere and should be treated just as brutally and just as ruthlessly as we treat those organizations.
Amna Nawaz:
Today’s meeting comes after months of U.S. military strikes on suspected drug boats in the region that have killed at least 150 people. President Trump is due to host a group of Latin American leaders for a security summit at his Florida golf club this weekend.
Meanwhile, in Cuba, officials say Washington’s oil blockade of the island is at least partly to blame for a widespread blackout that left millions in the dark. Musicians played on darkened streets by Havana’s famous seawall as locals were forced to play dominoes by the glow of a rechargeable lightbulb.
Crews have been working day and night to restore power, and state media reported today just over half of Havana is back online. But for those enduring yet another outage, the frustration and anger are growing.
Miguel Leyva, Havana, Cuba, Resident (through interpreter):
Bad. I’m bad. I don’t have words to describe what I’m going through, heat, mosquitoes and no electricity. The food could go bad. I know all the problems there are, but it’s been more than 24 hours now.
Amna Nawaz:
Cuba has long struggled with an aging electric grid and the Trump administration’s blockade of the island has only made matters worse for locals. Officials warn it could take up to four days to fully restore power.
Turning now to the war in Ukraine, 200 Ukrainians returned home today, as did 200 Russians, in the latest prisoner swap between the two countries. In Ukraine, there were tearful reunions. Some of the freed prisoners were captured as early as 2022 during the siege of Mariupol. That’s according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who also thanked the U.S. for — quote — “making the exchange possible.”
Negotiations to end the war remain at a standstill, but Kyiv and Moscow have regularly agreed to swaps like this. Officials say another one could come tomorrow.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says more than 50 medical schools have agreed to teach more about nutrition after pressuring universities to embrace his recommendations for months. He made the announcement today alongside Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Kennedy said the schools will now require 40 hours of what he called comprehensive nutrition education.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary: More than 30,000 physicians each year will now graduate equipped with nutrition education to help prevent, treat, and reverse chronic disease. This is how we implement the MAHA agenda.
Amna Nawaz:
Kennedy and McMahon insisted the initiative was not a mandate, but some universities have expressed concern about federal interference. And it comes as Kennedy has been pivoting away from talking about his controversial push to overhaul vaccine policy and focusing more on food and nutrition.
On Wall Street today, stocks sank after the price of oil spiked to levels not seen since 2024. By the close, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped nearly 800 points. The Nasdaq fell around 60 points. The S&P 500 also ended the session lower.
