WASHINGTON – Republicans are struggling to find the votes to dismiss legislation that would compel President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran. They have delayed planned votes on the matter into June. The House had scheduled a Thursday vote on a war powers resolution brought by Democrats that would rein in Trump’s military campaign. But as it became clear that Republicans would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, GOP leaders declined to hold a vote on it. Republicans are also working to ensure they have the votes to dismiss another war powers resolution in the Senate that advanced to a final vote earlier this week.
HELSINGBORG, Sweden – NATO allies and defense officials have expressed bewilderment at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland. That came just weeks after he ordered the same number of forces pulled out of Europe. The apparent change of mind came after weeks of statements from Trump and his administration about reducing the American military footprint in Europe. Trump’s initial order set off a flurry of action among military commanders and left allies already doubtful about America’s commitment to Europe’s security to ponder what forces they might have to backfill on NATO’s eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.
BUNIA, Congo – The head of the World Health Organization says the Ebola outbreak in Congo is spreading rapidly and poses a “very high” risk at the national level. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the U.N. health agency has revised its assessment of the risk within Congo from high to very high. The risk remains high for regional spread and low at global levels. He noted that 82 cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with seven confirmed deaths. There are almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. The situation in neighboring Uganda is stable.
NEW YORK – The U.S. stock market is rising toward the finish of an eighth straight winning week. The S&P 500 climbed 0.7% Friday and pulled closer to its all-time high set in the middle of last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 408 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6%. Ross Stores, Workday and Zoom Communications helped drive the market higher after reporting stronger profits than analysts expected. Such reports are keeping stocks near records even after a survey showed sentiment among U.S. households fell to a record low on worries about inflation caused by the war with Iran.
WASHINGTON – The Associated Press has learned that officials at the Food and Drug Administration were blindsided by a recent policy change allowing more electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches to hit the U.S. market. Two FDA staffers who spoke under condition of anonymity say some agency officials only learned of the change the night before it was published. The new guideline breaks with longstanding FDA policy requiring nicotine products to undergo scientific review before launching. The staffers say there is confusion within the FDA about how the guidelines were developed. The policy was published days before former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned under pressure from vaping lobbyists.
– The Associated Press
