Trump Calls US 'Stupid' Over Birthright Citizenship:
By Amanda Castro
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President Donald Trump said Thursday morning that the country is "stupid" for allowing birthright citizenship in the U.S., adding that it "leads to the dysfunction of America." The president urged the Supreme Court to test the limits of the 14th Amendment, which reads: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." His remarks came ahead of the Supreme Court's decision to hear oral arguments on several other emergency requests from the Trump administration.
What to know:
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the U.S. is "the only Country in the World" with such a policy, adding, "We are, for the sake of being politically correct, a STUPID Country."
He wrote that birthright citizenship encourages people to "scam our Country" and benefits drug cartels.
Trump argued the law was intended only for the children of slaves following the Civil War.
The case before the Supreme Court could determine how broadly birthright citizenship is applied.
Trump urged justices to remember the historical context of the 14th Amendment.
Stay with Newsweek for the latest updates.
Now
10:33 AM EDT
NATO ministers debate U.S. call for major defense spending hike
NATO foreign ministers met Thursday in Turkey to discuss a U.S. proposal urging allies to boost defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2032, a significant jump from the current 2% target. The push comes as the U.S. shifts focus toward global security threats beyond Europe, including China.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said greater investment is needed to prepare for long-term threats from Russia, terrorism, and emerging global powers. "We need to do much, much more," he said, warning that Russia could rebuild its military within five years once the war in Ukraine ends.
The U.S. proposal includes spending 3.5% of GDP on defense and another 1.5% on infrastructure and related areas, a move that would redefine how NATO calculates military investment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the plan reflects "the threats of the 21st century."
Currently, 22 of 32 NATO members meet the current 2% target, while countries like Italy, Spain, and Canada still fall short. European officials acknowledged the difficulty of meeting the higher target but said rising threats demand urgent action.
The discussion comes ahead of a key summit in the Netherlands this June, where leaders, including Trump, will shape the alliance's future approach to Ukraine and defense cooperation.
Now
10:20 AM EDT
Trade tensions stall export growth in Asia-Pacific, APEC warns
Rising trade tensions dampen export growth across the Asia-Pacific region, with officials from 21 member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) sounding the alarm on declining trade momentum.
In a new report, APEC projected export volume growth at just 0.4% for 2025, a sharp drop from 5.7% in 2024. The group also revised its regional economic growth forecast to 2.6%, down from 3.6% last year.
Carlos Kuriyama, director of APEC's Policy Support Unit, cited tariff hikes, retaliatory measures, and rising non-tariff barriers as key disruptors. "We are witnessing an environment that is not conducive to trade," he said, adding that uncertainty is damaging business confidence and delaying investments.
Much of the strain centers on the U.S. and China, which have moved to ease tariffs this week while continuing broader trade negotiations. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with Chinese envoy Li Chenggang on the sidelines of the APEC session in Jeju, South Korea, though no further details were released.
Now
10:08 AM EDT
Trump says Iran has 'sort of' agreed to nuclear deal terms
Trump said Thursday that the U.S. and Iran have "sort of" agreed to terms on a nuclear deal, signaling cautious optimism as talks progress. Speaking in Doha, Qatar, Trump described negotiations as "very serious" and focused on achieving "long-term peace."
The president said Iran appeared open to limiting uranium enrichment and allowing international inspections, though Tehran is pushing for immediate sanctions relief. Trump reiterated his core demand: "They can't have a nuclear weapon."
While emphasizing diplomacy, Trump warned that military options remain if talks fail. He also visited U.S. troops at Al-Udeid Air Base, stressing a preference for ending conflicts rather than starting them.
Now
09:54 AM EDT
China pauses sanctions on US companies in trade war climbdown
China has walked back nontariff measures imposed in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff hikes.
The suspension, announced Wednesday by the country's Commerce Ministry, covers both trade and investment bans on 17 U.S. companies and a pause on export restrictions involving dual-use civilian-military goods.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via email.
The moves are part of a broader effort to de-escalate the tit-for-tat trade war launched during Trump's first term, which sharply intensified after his April tariff hikes and led to an effective trade embargo on U.S.-China trade.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng reached a temporary deal over the weekend to cut tariffs by 115 percent on both sides.
Trump, who hailed the deal as a "total reset," seeks to revive U.S. manufacturing and close the almost $300 billion trade deficit with China—an outcome critics call unlikely given that China exports more than three times as much to the U.S. as Washington exports to Beijing.
Read the full story by Micah McCartney on Newsweek.
09:40 AM EDT
National Urban League president warns of racial justice setbacks five years after George Floyd's death
National Urban League President Marc Morial appeared on CNN This Morning to reflect on the progress and challenges in racial justice since the murder of George Floyd in 2020. In conversation with anchor Audie Cornish, Morial addressed both the rollback of police reform efforts and the decline in corporate diversity commitments.
Morial voiced concern over efforts to pause federal consent decrees with local police departments, calling the moves political and counterproductive. "It has nothing to do with quality policing. It has nothing to do with the Constitution," he said. He noted that during the Biden administration, significant strides were made—including the investigation of a dozen police departments and the conviction of 180 officers—but warned that momentum is now in danger of reversing.
On the corporate front, Morial described the retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs as "almost insulting." Still, he praised leaders like JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and companies like Apple and Costco for standing by their commitments. "Equal opportunity is important for my company, my customers, and the nation," he said, echoing their stance.
Morial emphasized that despite loud opposition to DEI initiatives, the majority of Americans continue to support them. He urged continued vigilance and action, saying, "We can't let the headline be the only story in this moment. This conversation is going to continue."
09:24 AM EDT
Countries with unrestricted birthright citizenship
Unrestricted birthright citizenship means that someone automatically becomes a citizen of a country by being born there, no matter the immigration or citizen status of their parents.
The following countries have unrestricted birthright citizenship:
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chad
Chile
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Ecuador
El Salvador
Fiji
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Jamaica
Lesotho
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Tanzania
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
The United States
Uruguay
Venezuela
09:11 AM EDT
U.S. wholesale prices dropped unexpectedly in April for the first time in more than a year
Wholesale prices in the U.S. dropped for the first time in over a year last month despite subdued Trump tariffs on imported goods. On Thursday, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the producer price index, which measures inflation at the wholesale level, declined 0.5% in March but remained 2.4% higher than in April 2024.
Core wholesale prices, excluding volatile food and energy costs, dropped 0.4% from March and rose 3.1% from the same period last year. Economists were expecting a slight rise in producer prices for the month, but a 0.7% drop in service costs was one reason for the drop.
Meanwhile, consumer prices rose 2.3% in April from a year ago, the lowest year-over-year increase in more than four years. Though some economists predict Trump's tariffs will propel prices upward, most anticipate inflationary pressures becoming more apparent in June or July.
08:58 AM EDT
Vance and Rubio to attend Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass in Vatican
Vice President Vance and Senator Rubio will attend Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass in Vatican City, NBC News reports. The new pope will lead the formal installation mass on Sunday.
Vance, a Catholic, briefly met with Pope Francis before his death last month. The U.S. delegation will also include Second Lady Usha Vance.
Pope Leo XIV is the first U.S.-born pope, elected by a conclave last week.
08:43 AM EDT
About SCOTUS arguments in the birthright citizenship case
The Supreme Court is considering whether judges can issue nationwide injunctions in a case stemming from Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship.
Trump signed the order on his first day back in office, denying citizenship to children born in the U.S. if neither parent is a citizen or a lawful resident. The administration argues those children are not "subject to the jurisdiction" of the U.S., but lower courts quickly blocked the move.
Now, justices are hearing emergency appeals focusing on judicial authority, but the debate could touch on the constitutional right to citizenship under the 14th Amendment. That right has been settled since a 1898 Supreme Court decision confirmed citizenship for nearly all children born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents' immigration status.
08:26 AM EDT
Trump admin selects 120,000 H-1B visa applications: What to know
ICE
File photo shows U.S. visa. AP
The Trump administration has selected 120,141 H-1B visa applications for the fiscal year 2026, according to newly released data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
President Donald Trump has previously expressed support for employment-based visas, especially the H-1B program. The announcement comes amid renewed scrutiny of employment-based immigration and signals a more restrained approach compared to previous years.
The FY 2026 H-1B cap season experienced a notable decline in both total registrations and eligible applicants compared to previous years. USCIS received 358,737 H-1B registrations, of which 343,981 were deemed eligible. This represents a 27% drop in eligible registrations from the 470,342 reported for FY 2025.
Additionally, the number of unique applicants fell sharply. For FY 2026, approximately 336,000 individuals submitted applications, down from 423,000 the previous year, signaling either reduced participation or stricter eligibility criteria.
A detailed look shows that 336,153 eligible registrations came from individuals with only one registration, while just 7,828 registrations were from beneficiaries with multiple submissions. This is a significant decrease compared to prior years when multiple filings made up a larger share of total registrations.
Read the full story by Billal Rahman on Newsweek.
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