WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has announced the creation a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate allies of the Republican president who believe they have been unjustly investigated and prosecuted. The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” was announced by the Justice Department on Monday as part of a deal to resolve President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. Democrats and government watchdogs immediately pledged to fight what they called a “corrupt” and unprecedented resolution. Trump’s lawyers disclosed the dismissal of the IRS lawsuit in a filing in federal court in Florida, where the president sued earlier this year.
DENVER – Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is commuting the sentence of a former county clerk and election conspiracy theorist following pressure from President Donald Trump. The announcement Friday stated Tina Peters will be released on June 1. The former Mesa County clerk had been serving a nine-year state prison sentence. Peters was convicted in a scheme to make a copy of her county’s election computer system in 2021. Since returning to office, the Trump administration has cut funding to Colorado as the president pressured the Democratic governor to free Peters.
BEIJING – President Donald Trump says he’s not yet made a decision on whether a major sale of U.S. arms to Taiwan can move forward following his three-day visit to China. The president spoke to reporters Friday as he flew back on Air Force One. Trump’s Republican administration has authorized the sale, but it has yet to proceed. Some Republicans in Congress expressed displeasure at the president’s comments on weapons to Taiwan. China opposes the deal and has suggested that Washington’s relationship with the self-governing island is the key factor in China-U.S. relations. Trump also says he raised a potential three-way nuclear deal involving the U.S., Russia and China.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The United Arab Emirates says drones that targeted its Barakah nuclear power plant all came from Iraq. The announcement Tuesday means that Iranian-backed Shiite militias were likely behind Sunday’s nuclear plant attack. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he’s willing to give Iran a few days – possibly until early next week – to make progress in peace negotiations before the United States resumes military strikes. No group has claimed responsibility for the UAE attack, though Iran and its proxies had been suspected. Such militias have launched repeated drone attacks targeting Gulf Arab states after Israel and the United States began their war against Iran on Feb. 28.
– The Associated Press
