AP THE MORNİNG WIRE by Sarah Naffa - MAy 29, 2025 - Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump; a federal court on Wednesday blocked Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under an emergency-powers law; and COVID-19 cases are rising again as a new variant begins to circulat

 

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By Sarah Naffa May 29, 2025

In the news today: Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump; a federal court on Wednesday blocked Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under an emergency-powers law; and COVID-19 cases are rising again as a new variant begins to circulate. Also, efforts are underway in Cyprus to save a language that long had no written script or alphabet. President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) POLITICS Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration after leading effort to slash federal government Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy. A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk about the change, confirmed Musk’s departure. Read more.

Why this matters: His departure marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reams of litigation. He dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending — from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion — and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals. Musk announced his decision one day after CBS released part of an interview in which he criticized the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda by saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his “big beautiful bill.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US will begin revoking the visas of Chinese students   A judge refuses to toss states’ lawsuit against Elon Musk and DOGE   Judge refuses to temporarily block the Trump administration from removing Copyright Office director   US files motion to dismiss lawsuit over Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation   Trump administration says it’s working to return a Guatemalan man deported to Mexico   Judge says US effort to deport Mahmoud Khalil on foreign policy grounds is likely unconstitutional   Judge rules that Trump administration wrongly ended humanitarian parole for hundreds of thousands   Trump administration revokes parole of Mexican girl receiving lifesaving care in US, lawyer says   Judge: Harvard researcher charged with smuggling frog embryos was unlawfully detained by ICE   Ex-Trump defense lawyer Emil Bove, a top Justice Dept. official, is picked to be federal judge   Trump pardons former NY Rep. Michael Grimm after tax fraud conviction   Ex-Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who resigned amid a corruption scandal, pardoned by Trump   Trump pardons rapper NBA Youngboy, who was sentenced for gun-related charges   Trump pardons a labor union leader on the eve of sentencing for failing to report gifts   WATCH: Daughter, fans welcome pardons of reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley   WATCH: Trump says he warned Netanyahu to hold off on Iran strike to give US more time for nuclear talks   Senior Canadian diplomat compares Trump’s Golden Dome missile program to a ‘protection racket’   $14 billion in clean energy projects have been canceled in the US this year, analysis says   South Carolina Supreme Court rejects inmate’s request for more firing squad details   South Carolina’s budget passes with a big raise in lawmaker pay POLITICS Federal court blocks Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under emergency powers law A federal court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law, swiftly throwing into doubt Trump’s signature set of economic policies that have rattled global financial markets, frustrated trade partners and raised broader fears about inflation intensifying and the economy slumping. Read more.

Why this matters: The ruling amounted to a categorical rejection of the legal underpinnings of some of Trump’s signature and most controversial actions of his four-month-old second term. The administration swiftly filed notice of appeal — and the Supreme Court will almost certainly be called upon to lend a final answer — but it casts a sharp blow. For now, Trump might not have the threat of import taxes to exact his will on the world economy as he had intended, since doing so would require congressional approval. Trump might still be able to temporarily launch import taxes of 15% for 150 days on nations with which the U.S. runs a substantial trade deficit. The ruling notes that a president has this authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ What happens to Trump’s tariffs now that a court has knocked them down? Nvidia overcomes tariff-driven turbulence to deliver Q1 results that eclipsed projections Fed minutes: Uncertainty ‘elevated’ as risks of higher inflation and unemployment rise SCIENCE A new variant of COVID-19 may be driving up cases in some parts of the world, WHO says  COVID-19 cases are rising again as a new variant begins to circulate in some parts of the world. The World Health Organization said Wednesday the rise in cases is primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions. Read more.

What to know: The new variant is called NB.1.8.1. It arrives as the United States’ official stance on COVID-19 vaccination is changing. On Tuesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts. The WHO said some western Pacific countries have reported increases in COVID cases and hospitalizations, but there’s nothing so far to suggest that the disease associated with the new variant is more severe compared to other variants. The WHO has designated it a “variant under monitoring” and considers the public health risk low at the global level with current vaccines expected to remain effective.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Will you be able to get a COVID-19 shot? Here's what we know so far Trump administration cancels $766 million Moderna contract to fight pandemic flu US measles case count climbs slightly to 1,046 cases, while Indiana’s outbreak ends ADVERTISEMENT IN OTHER NEWS READ West Bank: Israel authorizes more settlements in the occupied West Bank. Strikes on Gaza kill 13, officials say Influencer brothers: Andrew and Tristan Tate face rape and trafficking charges in the UK Migrant smuggling: Leader of human smuggling plot gets 10 years after family of 4 froze to death on US-Canada border Birch Glacier: Man remains missing after a Swiss glacier collapsed and destroyed 90% of an Alpine village Georgia: Former officer who fatally shot naked man pleads guilty to aggravated assault Ancient hunter-gatherers: DNA reveals a new group of people who lived near land bridge between the Americas Today in History: In 1985, 39 people were killed at the European Cup Final in Brussels, Belgium, when rioting broke out and a wall separating British and Italian soccer fans collapsed WATCH Celebrating public education: Philadelphia honors Quinta Brunson with key, mural at alma mater that inspired 'Abbott Elementary' Behind the scenes: What's it like being a photographer at Cannes? A CHANGE OF PACE Catholic Maronite faithful pass under the icon of St. George during a traditional procession on the saint's Feast Day outside St. George Church in the Maronite village of Kormakitis, April 23. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) US measles case count climbs slightly to 1,046 cases, while Indiana’s outbreak ends There are only 900 people in the world who speak Cypriot Maronite Arabic, or Sanna. The tongue, an offshoot of Syrian Arabic that has absorbed some Greek, has been passed from generation to generation in a windswept community in Cyprus. Until less than two decades ago, there was no written script, or even an alphabet, since parents transmitted it to children in conversation.

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