A look at what happened in the US government this week

Table of Contents

President Donald Trump announced a new travel ban, Trump and Elon Musk feuded publicly, Kilmar Abrego Garcia returned to the U.S. to face federal charges, Trump's spending bill faces an uncertain future, and the administration is targeting Harvard again.

Here are the top stories from the U.S. government this past week.

New travel ban

• President Donald Trump announced a new travel ban Wednesday night, which will affect 19 countries.
• A dozen countries, mostly from the Middle East and Africa , face a complete ban, while seven others face heightened restrictions. Here's everything you need to know about the policy.
• Trump also instituted a travel ban during his first term. Here's how the new one is different from the original.
• Here’s a look at the potential effects of the travel ban on upcoming international events, including the World Cup and the Olympics being held in the U.S.
• Afghans who worked for the U.S. during its war against the Taliban urged Trump to exempt them from a travel ban that could lead to their being deported.

Video below: Trump’s new travel ban differs from his first term

Trump-Musk feud

• Trump and Elon Musk traded jabs Thursday as the relationship between the once-close allies seemingly disintegrated in grand fashion.
• The heated exchange hit a crescendo when Trump threatened to cut Musk’s government contracts and Musk said, without providing evidence, that Trump's administration hasn't released all the records related to sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein because Trump is mentioned in them.
• The likely catalyst for the blow-up was Musk's public opposition to Trump's spending bill, calling it earlier in the week a "disgusting abomination."
• As the Republican Party braces for aftershocks from Trump's spectacular clash with Musk, lawmakers and conservative figures are urging them to settle their differences.

Video below: Trump and Musk feud threatens U.S. space operations, Musk's government contracts

In other news

• Kilmar Abrego Garcia , the Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador , was returned to the U.S. on Friday to face criminal charges related to what the administration said was a massive human smuggling operation that brought immigrants into the country illegally.
• Support in the Senate is waning for Trump's "one big beautiful bill," which proposes tax cuts and increased spending on the military, border security, and fossil fuels.
• An analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows the bill would increase deficits by $2.8 trillion over the next decade, potentially leaving nearly 11 million people without Medicaid health insurance.
• Trump said he wants to sign the spending bill by Independence Day .
• A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a proclamation by Trump that banned incoming foreign students from entering the U.S. to attend Harvard University .
• The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a Catholic charity is exempt from state unemployment taxes, citing religious freedom.
• Additionally, the court sided with an Ohio woman who claimed she didn’t get a job and then was demoted because she is straight, citing reverse discrimination.
• The Supreme Court also cleared the way Friday for the DOGE to access Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans .
• U.S. and Chinese officials will meet in London next week for a new round of trade talks.
• Trump is directing his administration to investigate Joe Biden’s actions as president, alleging aides masked his predecessor’s “cognitive decline.”
• A federal judge ruled against a Trump-era executive order, ensuring continued hormone therapy for transgender inmates.
• A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that migrants sent to an El Salvador prison must get a chance to challenge their removals and contest gang allegations.
• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled new sanctions to target the International Criminal Court for its attempts to investigate the United States and Israel for alleged war crimes.
• The U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution Wednesday demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza because it’s not linked to the release of hostages.
• The DOJ is suing Texas for allowing young adult migrants, commonly referred to as " Dreamers ," to access in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
• The Trump administration addressed concerns after the acting FEMA chief reportedly said he was unaware that the U.S. had a hurricane season.
• Get the facts on the cost and scale of the upcoming Army’s birthday military parade.

Video below: Kilmar Abrego Garcia returns to the U.S. to face human smuggling charges

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