President Donald Trump on Thursday revealed his intention to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution with an executive order that targets funding for programs that advance "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology," the latest step in a broadside against culture he deems too liberal.

Here's the Latest:

Vance says Denmark hasn't kept Greenland's people safe

In remarks while visiting a U.S. military base, the vice president also said Denmark has "underinvested" in the island's security and demanded changes to the situation.

His comments came as Trump continued to promote the idea of a U.S. takeover of Greenland.

"Our message to Denmark is very simple," Vance said. "You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland."

Thousands of US Health and Human Services employees await pink slips

As many as 10,000 employees are expected to start receiving termination notices as soon as today, according to an emailed notice union representatives received from the department on Thursday.

The notice says between 8,000 and 10,000 people will be terminated.

Public health agencies are expected to be hit hardest, with HHS saying on Thursday it will eliminate 3,500 people from the Food and Drug Administration, which inspects prescriptions and foods; 2,400 jobs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and 1,200 jobs at the National Institutes of Health.

Trump attorney Alina Habba is New Jersey's new US attorney

Habba was sworn into office by Attorney General Pam Bondi in a ceremony held in the Oval Office as Trump looked on.

The New Jersey native defended Trump in some of his civil lawsuits. He later brought her to the White House with the title of counselor to the president.

"She counseled me very well," Trump said. He said she'll work "tirelessly to weed out crime and corruption and restore law and order to the Garden State."

Habba thanked the president and said, "I would not be standing here today if it was not for the man to my right," meaning Trump.

She promised to "make New Jersey great again."

Press advocates sue Musk's DOGE in Northern California district court for information

Freedom of press advocates are asking a federal court in California to rule that Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service is subject to the federal Freedom of Information Act and to comply with FOIA requests made of it.

The nonprofit First Amendment Coalition and MSW Media, a female-led podcast network, filed on Friday in the U.S. District for Northern California.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled earlier in March that the U.S. DOGE Service was likely subject to FOIA and issued a preliminary injunction requiring the preservation of documents in a case brought by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics.

The plaintiffs in California have sought emails and other electronic text communications sent or received by Musk and by Department of Government Efficiency employees. The agency has not responded to the FOIA requests.

Trump dodges question about expanding US military presence in Greenland

As Vance visits the island, Trump was asked if the trip could mean a larger U.S. military presence being deployed there eventually.

Trump didn't answer the question. Instead, he told reporters in the Oval Office, "We get along very well with Greenland."

"I think everybody wants to see that work out," Trump said of the U.S. controlling the island, which is a Danish territory. He also said the U.S. gets along well with Denmark.

Trump added, "We need Greenland" for "international security."

The president repeated his previous claims that many countries have military and other ships in waters around Greenland. He said greater U.S. influence in Greenland is "important for the peace of the world."

Trump says Stefanik did him 'a big favor' by staying in Congress

Trump says Rep. Elise Stefanik did him "a big favor" by agreeing to stay in Congress instead of going to the UN.

Trump announced Thursday that he had pulled the New York Republican's nomination as U.N. ambassador, saying he was concerned about Republicans' razor-thin majority in the House.

He said Friday that he didn't want to risk Democrats possibly winning Florida's two special elections for the U.S. House next week. He noted all the money the party has spent to flip those seats.

"We don't want to take any chances. It's as simple as that. It's basic politics," he said.

Trump says he doesn't think people should rush to buy autos to beat 25% tariff

Asked if Americans should buy their cars now to avoid higher prices from his 25% tariffs, the president suggested they had little reason for concern.

"No, I don't think so," Trump said about people pulling forward their auto purchases.

Trump is betting that his tariffs will cause the U.S. economy to boom. But his threats of multiple tariffs, with autos being just the latest example, have caused consumer sentiment to slump as people fear higher prices and fewer job opportunities.

Administration says it's ending USAID's independence, firing most staff

A Musk associate sounded a death knell Friday for most remaining staffers and independent functions of the U.S. Agency for International Development, asserting that "substantially all" USAID positions not required by law would be eliminated.

Jeremy Lewin, a former member of Musk's Department of Government Efficiency teams appointed to senior duties at the agency earlier this month, also asserted that the allows the Trump administration to eliminate the agency's "independent operation."

Lewin's announcement appeared in a notice to USAID staff obtained by .

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a separate notice that the administration had formally notified Congress Friday of its plans.

US stocks are tumbling following discouraging updates on inflation and household spending

The S&P 500 fell 2% Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 722 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 2.7%.

Lululemon Athletica had stronger profits last quarter but lost 14.8%, after the sportswear maker warned of slowing revenue growth with shoppers spending less because of concerns about inflation and the economy. It was just the latest in a line of retailers making similar warnings.

Markets could remain shaky worldwide as Trump's April 2 deadline for more tariffs approaches. Treasury yields also fell despite a worse-than-expected report on inflation.

A report on Friday morning showed all types of U.S. consumers are getting more pessimistic about their future finances, including Republicans, independents and Democrats.

? Read more on reactions to Trump's market-moving decisions

Vance confirms: Greenland is cold!

Vance and the second lady entered the mess hall at Pituffik Space Base and used some colorful language to describe the freezing temperatures outside.

"It's cold as s--t here. Nobody told me," Vance said, drawing laughs. Temperatures in Greenland were around -5 Fahrenheit.

The vice president said the flight from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to Greenland was beautiful.

"The president is really interested in Arctic security, as you all know," Vance said. "And it's only going to get bigger over the coming decades."

Mass reductions at HHS are turning it into the 'Department of Disease,' senator says

Sen. Patty Murray said the Trump administration and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are putting Americans' lives in jeopardy.

During a call with the nation's top former public health officials, the Democratic senator and others warned that nursing home safety, food and drug inspections, and clinical trials and scientific research are all being disrupted and dismantled by the DOGE cuts.

Murray said Americans need to know what's at stake.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized the department he oversees as an inefficient "sprawling bureaucracy" in a video announcing the restructuring, and faulted its 82,000 workers for a decline in Americans' health.

"I want to promise you now that we're going to do more with less," Kennedy said.

? Read more on the impact of cuts at Health and Human Services

Musk promised he'd go to Wisconsin to deliver $2 million to voters -- then deleted his message

Now the billionaire has deleted a social media post in which he had announced plans to hold a rally in Wisconsin to "personally hand over" $2 million to a pair of voters who have already cast their ballots in the state's hotly contested Supreme Court race.

The post disappeared from Musk's social media platform, X, about 12 hours after he initially posted it late Thursday night.

Musk had posted that he planned to give $1 million each to two voters at the event on Sunday, just two days before the election that will determine ideological control of the court.

Wisconsin law explicitly prohibits giving anything of value in exchange for a vote.

Congressional Democrats question Attorney General on firing of immigration judges

Their letter to Pam Bondi says the firing of 20 immigration judges in February could add to the strain on backlogged immigration courts.

Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrats on committees overseeing the judicial system, along with over 60 other Democratic lawmakers, said the dismissal of the judges "is particularly baffling, given the immense pressure the immigration courts are under to adjudicate roughly 3.6 million immigration cases."

The Vances begin their whirlwind Greenland visit

Soon after arriving, JD and Usha Vance sat down for lunch with American troops stationed at the Pituffik Space Base for lunch.

Vance told them he's "really interested in Arctic security."

"As you all know, it's a big issue and it's only going to get bigger over the coming decades," Vance said.

Following the lunch, Vance was scheduled to receive briefings from military officials and deliver more formal remarks to troops.

The Trump administration hasn't said if or how it will respond to Asia quake disaster. Cuts leave that uncertain

The U.S. Agency for International Development contracts with American urban disaster-response teams. Before the Trump cuts to foreign aid, USAID-backed search and rescue teams from Los Angeles County and Fairfax County, Virginia could head off to distant quakes in as few as 24 hours, said Sarah Charles, who oversaw the teams in the Biden administration.

The Trump administration is believed to have cut the commercial-transport contracts that get disaster crews, their dog search teams, and heavy equipment to disasters to pull out survivors and bodies, Charles said.

Now, as Trump faces the first major natural disaster of his second term, "the well-built system that we had ... those are in shambles," Charles said.

? Read more about responses to Friday's earthquake

Vance, his wife and other senior US officials have arrived at the American military base in Greenland

Friday's one-day visit is limited to the U.S. Space Force outpost at Pituffik, on the northwest coast of Greenland about 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

The itinerary change removed the risk of potentially violating diplomatic custom by sending a delegation without an official invitation. It also reduces the likelihood that Vance and his wife will cross paths with residents angered by Trump's announcements.

During his visit, Vance was expected to receive briefings and deliver remarks to U.S. service members, according to the vice president's office. His delegation includes the national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, as well as second lady Usha Vance.

? Read more about the northernmost US base

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. challenges West Virginia's governor to lose 30 pounds

Kennedy also pressured Gov. Patrick Morrisey to commit to monthly weight check-ins, and said he'll be his personal trainer.

"The first time I saw him, I said: You look like you ate Gov. Morrisey," Kennedy said. That comment drew nervous laughter from the crowd in West Virginia, which this week became the first state to sign a sweeping statewide ban on synthetic dyes in cereals, drinks and candies.

Kennedy and Morrisey also talked about adding more restrictions to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that millions of poor Americans use to buy food.

Trump and Mark Carney, the newly-minted prime minister of Canada, share phone call

The U.S. president, in a social media post, called it an "extremely productive call."

"We agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canada's upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors, that will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada," Trump wrote.

Canadians vote on April 28.

Who has been detained or deported as the US cracks down on pro-Palestinian protests?

The scholars taken into custody or deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in recent weeks include:

1. Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University

2. Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist at Columbia University

3. Yunseo Chung, a Columbia student who came from Korea as a child

4. Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown scholar from India

5. Leqaa Kordia, Palestinian in New Jersey accused of protesting at Columbia

6. Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student at Columbia

7. Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral student from Iran at the University of Alabama

8. Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese kidney transplant specialist hired by Brown University

9. Momodou Taal, a citizen of the UK and Gambia studying at Cornell University

? Read more about the detentions and deportations

US, Lithuania forces struggle to drain swamp to recover 4 US soldiers

Their armored vehicle was discovered submerged in 15 feet of water after the soldiers went missing. Teams have been unable to get inside it or pull it out.

U.S. Army Europe and Africa said Friday that cranes, a large-capacity pump and more than 30 tons of gravel have been brought in to help drain the water, dig out the mud and pull out the M88 Hercules. A U.S. Navy dive crew is being brought in, and Polish Armed Forces have volunteered to send equipment and 150 personnel.

The site is "incredibly wet and marshy and doesn't support the weight of the equipment needed for the recovery of the 70-ton vehicle without significant engineering improvements," an Army statement said.

The soldiers' identities have not been released. They're part of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

? Read more on the recovery effort in Lithuania

US targets Lebanese network that allegedly evades sanctions to support Hezbollah

The U.S. sanctions name five people and three companies, accusing them of evading sanctions to support the militant group's finance team through a Lebanon-based network.

Included are Rashid Qasim al-Bazzal, Mahasin Mahmud Murtada, Fatimah 'Abdallah Ayyub, Hawra' 'Abdallah Ayyub, and Jamil Mohamad Khafaja.

Bradley T. Smith, the Treasury Department's acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Friday that this "underscores Treasury's determination to expose and disrupt the schemes that fund" Hezbollah.

DNC chair weekending in Florida amid rising Democratic hopes of flipping a seat

The chair of the Democratic National Committee will spend the weekend in Florida's 6th congressional district, where the GOP candidate has raised concerns among Republicans ahead of a special election that was supposed to result in a landslide for conservatives.

Ken Martin will be visiting Daytona Beach and St. Augustine for get out the vote events in support of Democrat Josh Weil, who has raised $9 million for his campaign.

That's nearly 10 times what Trump-endorsed Randy Fine has reported raising. Fine told he is spending $600,000 of his own money for his campaign.

Trump asks Supreme Court to allow deportations of Venezuelans to El Salvador during legal challenge

The emergency appeal follows a 2-1 vote by a panel of judges that left in place an order by U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg temporarily prohibiting deportations of the migrants under the rarely used Alien Enemies Act.

The Justice Department argued that federal courts shouldn't interfere with sensitive diplomatic negotiations, and that the migrants should make their case in a federal court in Texas, where they are being detained

Trump invoked the 18th century wartime law for the first time since World War II to justify the deportation of hundreds of people under a presidential proclamation calling the Tren de Aragua gang an invading force.

? Read more on Trump's appeal to the Supreme Court over deportations

Trump's restrictions on federal funding show how much colleges rely on it

The Trump administration's squeeze on higher education underscores how much American colleges depend on the federal government. It provides grants and contracts that have amounted to close to half the total revenue of some research universities, according to an Associated Press analysis.

Trump has been using the funding spigot to seek compliance with his agenda, threatening to cut money for schools the administration has deemed as illegally pushing diversity, equity and inclusion or for not doing enough to combat antisemitism.

The AP analysis looked at federal funding for nearly 100 colleges currently under investigation. For most, around 10% to 13% of their revenue is federal money. That's not counting federal student aid.

? Read more on the AP analysis of federal funding for higher education

Vance expected to hammer Danish leadership during visit to Greenland

The vice president is expected to make the case during his visit to Greenland on Friday that Danish leaders have "spent decades mistreating the Greenlandic people, treating them like second class citizens and allowing infrastructure on the island to fall into disrepair, according to a senior White House official.

He'll deliver the message during an hourslong visit as Trump continues to say he intends for the U.S. to take control of the icy, mineral-rich island where American forces already have a strategic base.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity to preview the vice president's message, added that Vance will emphasize the importance of bolstering Artic security in places like Pituffik Space Base, where American troops are based.

VP will spend entirety of visit to Greenland on US base

Vance is expected to meet with U.S. troops on Pituffik Space Base, receive a briefing and deliver a speech during a quick visit, a day after Greenlandic lawmakers agreed to form a new government together to resist Trump's efforts to annex the Arctic island.

"As the Vice President has said, previous U.S. leaders have neglected Arctic security, while Greenland's Danish rulers have neglected their security obligations to the island," said Taylor Van Kirk, the vice president's press secretary. "The security of Greenland is critical in ensuring the security of the rest of the world, and the Vice President looks forward to learning more about the island."

Usha Vance had announced she would visit the island with one of her children and attend a dogsled race as well as other cultural events. Vance then announced he was tagging along with his wife and the itinerary changed.

? Read more on Vance's trip to Greenland

Planned Parenthood to counter anti-abortion lobbying with Washington rally

The organization's president, Alexis McGill Johnson, slammed efforts to eliminate Medicaid funding for its health care services as she announced a Wednesday rally in Washington, D.C. ahead of the Supreme Court hearing a case in April that could strip its funding in South Carolina.

"Lawmakers want to impose their beliefs on everyone else, this time by trying to dictate where patients get their health care," she said.

Planned Parenthood provides a wide range of services besides abortion, providing contraceptives, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and cancer screening and prevention procedures, especially for low-income patients.

"That care is under vehement, targeted attacks," Johnson said.

Trump effect: Fewer Americans now see Canada as a close US ally

Americans are less likely to see Canada and the U.S. as close allies than they were two years ago, the latest indication that Trump's tariff threats and talk of taking over the neighboring ally are souring a critical economic and military relationship.

A new poll from -NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggests that about half of Democrats see Canada and the U.S. as close allies now, down from 7 in 10 before Trump's return. Among Republicans, this dropped from 55% to 44%.

Very few see the U.S. and Canada as outright "enemies." Almost no Americans see either Russia or China as a close ally.

"He's turning everybody against us," bemoaned Lynn Huster, a Democrat in York, Pennsylvania.

Shaya Scher, a Republican in New Jersey, said "he's just doing it to make them freak out so they can get a deal."

? Read more about the AP-NORC poll on Trump and America's allies

US inflation remained elevated last month as consumer spending recovered

An inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve remained high last month even before the impact of most tariffs has been felt.

Friday's report from the Commerce Department showed that consumer prices increased 2.5% in February from a year earlier, matching January's annual pace. Excluding volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.8% compared with a year ago, higher than January's figure of 2.7%. Economists watch core prices as a better guide of where inflation is headed.

Inflation remains a top economic concern for most Americans, even as it has fallen sharply from its 2022 peak. Trump rode dissatisfaction with higher prices to the presidency and promised to quickly bring down inflation, but the yearly rate is higher now than during the Biden administration in September, when it briefly touched 2.1%.

? Read more on the latest U.S. inflation numbers

Panama port deal pleased Trump. Beijing, not so much

Chinese anti-monopoly authorities will review a Hong Kong-based conglomerate's tentative deal to sell its port assets at the Panama Canal to a consortium that includes U.S. investment firm BlackRock Inc.

That's according to a state-backed media outlet Friday in the latest sign of Beijing's disapproval over the sale.

China's Hong Kong affairs offices have posted scathing commentaries over the deal by CK Hutchison Holdings, which is controlled by the family of Li Ka-shing, the city's richest man.

Several Hong Kong media outlets quoted anonymous sources Friday saying the conglomerate would not sign the definitive documentation next Wednesday, as was expected in a timeline released by Hutchison in early March. The South China Morning Post newspaper reported that it understood next Wednesday was not a real deadline.

Trump-backed Byron Donalds opening campaign to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis

The 2026 Florida governor's race is already heating up as Rep. Byron Donalds -- backed by President Donald Trump -- opens his campaign Friday evening with a hometown rally in Bonita Springs.

The event at the Sugarshack venue comes a month after Donalds officially announced his run to succeed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose term is expiring.

DeSantis hinted previously that his wife, Casey DeSantis, would be a worthy candidate to continue his administration's legacy. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz said in January that too he was considering a run.

? Read more on Republicans running to succeed Gov. DeSantis in Florida

Elon Musk heads to Wisconsin

The billionaire entrepreneur is returning to the campaign trail for the first time since helping to elect Trump.

He posted on X overnight that he would be holding an event in Wisconsin on Sunday night. The battleground state is holding a pivotal Supreme Court race, which will determine whether liberals maintain their 4-3 majority.

"This is super important," Musk wrote. He also said he'll hand out two $1 million checks to voters, part of a sweepstakes he's used to generate interest.

Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for Musk's political action committee, declined to say Friday whether the two would include the $1 million Musk previously said was going to a voter in Green Bay.

? Read more on Musk's influence campaign in Wisconsin

Citing national security, Trump orders an end to end collective bargaining at many federal agencies

Trump is moving to end collective bargaining with federal labor unions in agencies with national security missions across the federal government, citing authority granted him under a 1978 law.

The order, signed without public fanfare and announced late Thursday, appears to touch most of the federal government. Affected agencies include the Departments of State, Defense, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Health and Human Services, Treasury, Justice and Commerce and the part of Homeland Security responsible for border security.

Police and firefighters, the order says, are an exception.

Trump said the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 gives him the authority to end collective bargaining with federal unions in these agencies because of their role in safeguarding national security.

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers, said late Thursday that it is "preparing immediate legal action and will fight relentlessly to protect our rights, our members, and all working Americans from these unprecedented attacks."

? Read more about Trump's order on collective bargaining

Stanford, Cal and UCLA investigated race-based admissions policies

The Trump administration on Thursday opened investigations into the admissions policies at Stanford University and three campuses within the University of California system, including UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine.

The Department of Justice said it's investigating whether the schools' policies comply with the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in college admissions.

Stanford said it took immediate steps in 2023 to ensure its admissions process complied with the law. The school said it had not been told specifically why it was being investigated.

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has attempted to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs at colleges and elsewhere.

? Read more about the anti-DEI investigation

Trump aims to reshape Smithsonian museums and zoo by targeting funding for 'improper ideology'

Trump revealed his intention to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution with an executive order that targets funding for programs that advance "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology," the latest step in a broadside against culture he deems too liberal.

It's the Republican president's latest salvo against cultural pillars of society, such as universities and art, that he considers out of step with conservative sensibilities.

The president said there's been a "concerted and widespread" effort to rewrite American history by replacing "objective facts" with a "distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth."

The order puts Vice President JD Vance in charge of an effort to "remove improper ideology" from the Smithsonian Institution, including its museums, education and research centers and the National Zoo. It specifically names the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The executive order also hints at the return of Confederate statues and monuments, many of which were taken down or replaced around the country after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, which is detested by Trump and other conservatives.

The order also calls for improvements to Independence Hall in Philadelphia by July 4, 2026, in time for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

? Read more about Trump's executive order on the Smithsonian