News for May 11, 2025

President Donald Trump’s administration is sending the first group of White South Africans granted refugee status to the United States, in a fast-tracked move that has sparked debate with South Africa.

Hamas said it will release Edan Alexander, the last known living U.S. hostage in Gaza, as part of an agreement tied to ceasefire efforts and aid access.

Hamas said it will release Edan Alexander, the last living U.S. citizen held hostage since the Oct. 7 attack, as talks continue over a ceasefire and more hostage releases.

United Airlines passengers at Newark are facing major delays and cancellations, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the airport will keep running with reduced capacity while repairs and fixes continue.

The White House is discussing whether to accept a luxury jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One, a move that has sparked legal and ethical concerns.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham warned that deep Medicaid cuts could hurt health care access, while also criticizing the Trump administration’s border crackdown as heavy-handed and unconstitutional.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said flying remains safe despite recent Newark Airport outages, but he warned that the FAA needs a major upgrade to keep air travel reliable this summer.

Cardinal Blase Cupich said Pope Leo XIV is likely to speak out on major global issues such as immigration and climate change, including matters that affect the future of humanity.

Zelensky said he is ready to meet Putin in Turkey, after Trump pushed Ukraine to hold direct talks with Russia.

India said its military strikes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir killed more than 100 militants, but a U.S.-backed ceasefire with Pakistan quickly came under strain after fresh clashes in Kashmir.

Top U.S. officials said the United States and China made “substantial progress” in trade talks, and President Donald Trump was briefed on a possible deal, but no details were released yet.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Democrats would have been better served by a 2024 presidential primary, as she looked back on Joe Biden ending his reelection bid and Kamala Harris becoming the nominee.

Federal workplace safety workers say cuts at the CDC’s NIOSH agency will weaken job safety efforts and could lead to preventable deaths and injuries, prompting appeals to Senator Bernie Sanders and Congress to intervene.

Sen. John Barrasso would not say whether he would support suspending habeas corpus for undocumented immigrants, and he said he did not think the issue would reach Congress.

Pope Leo XIV was elected quickly after a short conclave, showing strong unity inside the Vatican around a path that continues Pope Francis’ legacy.

Donald Trump is considering suspending habeas corpus, a rare step that could make it easier to hold and deport immigrants by limiting court challenges to detention.

Trump praised “friendly, constructive” trade talks with China after US and Chinese officials said they made progress on easing their tariff fight.