(WASHINGTON) -- Rep. Steve Cohen, a longtime Tennessee Democrat, announced Friday he will not seek reelection and instead retire at the end of his term, after his Memphis district was carved up in the state assembly's redistricting effort.

"This is by far the most difficult moment I've had as an elected official," Cohen said. his voice choked with emotion as he announced he sent a letter Friday to the state capital asking not to appear on the ballot.

"I don't want to quit. I'm not a quitter, but these districts were drawn to beat me. They were drawn to defeat me," Cohen said.

Cohen is the first Democratic representative to opt for retirement after the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which held that race-conscious redistricting under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is unconstitutional.

After the ruling, Tennessee state lawmakers passed a new congressional map that could allow Republicans to flip the state's lone Democratic-held seat.

Cohen's majority-minority district, Tennessee's 9th congressional district, is being split in three. Cohen has sued over the new map in court, as have several civil rights groups.

"Butchered," Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat whose district shares a border with Cohen, told ABC News about the Tennessee district.

"He's represented a majority-minority district as a white person. He's been well. He's had a consistent vote on behalf of his constituents, and all of a sudden, the court says take that opportunity away," Thompson said of Cohen. "But worse than that, Tennessee legislature split Memphis in three different ways. So now, as far as the Congress is concerned, there's no real community of interest in Memphis, because they're so divided."

Cohen is the 22nd House Democrat to opt against reelection to the House this midterm election cycle.

"Memphis is my home, and that's what I fight for, and I want to do it again. If I get the chance, I'll do it, but otherwise I'll be retiring from Congress, and from, I guess, from public life," Cohen said.

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(WASHINGTON) -- After a second day of high-stakes meetings with China's Xi Jinping, President Donald Trump is not committing to approving the latest round of arms sales to Taiwan and brushed off previous U.S. assurances not to consult with Beijing about those sales.

"I'll make a determination over the next fairly short period," Trump said when asked about the arms sales by reporters aboard Air Force One.

The president's remarks came after Xi's stark warning that if the issue of Taiwan is handled "improperly," then the two nations could "come into conflict," according to China's official state news source Xinhua. However, Xi did say that if the issue is handled "properly" then "bilateral relations can remain generally stable."

Trump has been delaying the latest round of arms sales, for months refusing to sign off on the record $14 billion package that was approved in January 2025, despite urging from some lawmakers.   

Trump also told reporters that Xi asked him if he would come to Taiwan's defense if China were to attack, but Trump claims to have not revealed his thinking.  

"That question was asked to me today by President Xi. I said, 'I don't talk about, I don't talk about that,'" Trump said.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh said they are "paying close attention" to the Trump-Xi meeting.

Earlier Friday, Trump participated in a tea and working lunch with Xi.

On Iran, Trump said he and Xi feel "very similar" in wanting the war to end and prohibiting Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"We feel very similar in Iran. We want that to end. We don't want them to have a nuclear weapon. We want the [Strait of Hormuz] opened. We're closing it now. They closed it, and we closed it on top of them, but we want the straits open, and we want them to get it ended, because it's a crazy thing," Trump said at a photo opportunity earlier Friday.

Later, aboard Air Force One, Trump was pressed on whether Xi actually committed to pressuring Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

"I'm not asking for any favors, because when you ask for favors, you have to do favors in return. We don't need favors," Trump said.

Trump was seeking to bolster international support amid a push to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. war with Iran stretches on. China is Iran's principal oil consumer.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, responding to inquiries to confirm whether Trump and Xi discussed Iran, sidestepped the question but reiterated China's position that the ceasefire and negotiations should continue and that the Strait of Hormuz should be reopened.

"There is no need to continue this war that should not have happened," a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said. "Finding a solution earlier is beneficial to the United States and Iran, as well as to the countries in the region and even the whole world."

"Since the door of dialogue is open, it should not be closed again," the spokesperson said.

Before Friday's meeting, Trump met Xi to tour the gardens at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese Communist Party leadership compound.

Xi said he picked the location "especially to reciprocate the hospitality extended to me in 2017 at Mar-a-Lago." Xi said Trump was interested to learn about the plants in the garden including the Chinese roses. Xi said he "agreed" to gift Trump seeds for those roses. 

Tech and trade have also been key themes during the talks. Trump said the two leaders "made some fantastic trade deals."

CEOs Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Tim Cook of Apple and Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, among others, traveled with the president to Beijing. Trump said the business leaders joined him to "pay respects" to Xi.

The White House said one of Trump's goals going into the summit with Xi is to secure purchasing agreements with China in the aerospace, agriculture and energy sectors and the CEOs traveled with the president to help push for that.

Trump said Xi agreed to initially purchase 200 Boeing planes, which could go up to 750 planes if all goes well. Boeing has not confirmed this deal, referring inquiries to the White House. 

Trump also said China has agreed to buy "billions of dollars" of soybeans, though he didn't get into specifics.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had said on Friday that the U.S. expects China to buy tens of billions of dollars worth of American agricultural products in the next few years.

"We expect to also see an agreement for double-digit billion purchases ... over the next three years, per year, coming out of this visit, and that's more general, that's aggregate, that's not just soybeans, that's everything else," Greer told Bloomberg.

ABC News' Karson Yiu, Mariam Khan, Michelle Stoddart and Kevin Shalvey contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Almost a third of the membership of the Congressional Black Caucus -- 19 of its 62 members -- are at risk of losing their seats through the 2028 election cycle as Republicans in southern states where they control the legislature move swiftly to redraw congressional maps less than two weeks after the Supreme Court dealt a blow to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The mid-decade redistricting push is a continuation of an effort that began in 2025 and that President Donald Trump has encouraged in hopes of increasing the likelihood that the GOP will retain control of the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections.

Republicans have argued that they are redrawing congressional maps to comply with the Supreme Court and that the districts that could be changed may still elect Black representatives to Congress.

A spokesperson for the Congressional Black Caucus told ABC News that the group is coordinating with groups such as Elias Law Group and the Legal Defense Fund to challenge the GOP's redistricting efforts.

The Supreme Court on Monday evening opened the door for Alabama to eliminate at least one of its majority-Black congressional districts before this year's midterm elections, potentially handing Republicans an additional House seat in the fight for control of the closely divided chamber.

Following Republicans' redistricting efforts in the South in states like Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed a strong response, listing specific states without sharing specific actions.

"Over the next year or so, what you're going to see in state after state are Democrats making clear that we are not going to unilaterally disarm," Jeffries said.

"And as a result of that, in places like New York, New Jersey, Oregon, as well as Washington, in Colorado and, of course, in Illinois and Maryland, we're going to take the steps necessary to ensure that in advance of the 2028 election, we have a decisive and overwhelming response."

Alabama Rep. Shomari Figures, whose seat is now in jeopardy as a result of the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling, said in a statement to ABC News that the decision "sets the stage for Alabama to go back to the 1950s and 60s in terms of Black political representation in the state."

Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver of Missouri, whose seat was one of the first targeted by redistricting, said that the ongoing redistricting efforts are "trying to send us back to Reconstruction."

Cleaver told ABC News that he is supportive of Jeffries' stance of "maximum warfare" against GOP-led redistricting efforts, but he worries that "if we fight fire with fire, nothing would be left in the station but ash."

Cleaver has held his seat for more than two decades and is running for reelection, but now says he has "no idea" what district he's running in and that Democrats may need to redistrict in states like Illinois, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Colorado to fight back.

Rep. Jim Clyburn, who is also at risk of losing his seat if redistricting succeeds in South Carolina, took aim at a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that he said had enabled this sort of targeting of Black legislators, as well as actions by Trump that he said threaten American democracy.

"You know, this is whether or not you're going to have a democracy. And that's not a one-party thing, that's not a one-person thing; that is, this country has come to grips with the fact that we are on the verge of a kleptocracy," Clyburn said.

While CBC members have continued to push for the passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, Cleaver said that in the current Congress, the legislation "could not get a hearing in the United States of America right now."

Last Thursday, Tennessee became the first state after the Supreme Court's Louisiana ruling to officially redraw and pass a new map at the urging of the president, who called the state's governor about the topic just one day after the ruling. And in one week, a new congressional map was created, presented and passed. The new map will give Republicans a chance to flip the state's lone current Democratic-held, majority-Black district, which is primarily made up of Memphis.

Following the Supreme Court's ruling on Monday evening that opened the door for Alabama to eliminate at least one of its majority-Black districts before this year's midterms, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has set new special primary elections for the affected districts in the state: the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th.

Louisiana and South Carolina are also working through their own redistricting process in hopes of delivering more House seats to the GOP ahead of November's elections. In South Carolina, Republicans on Friday formally unveiled a new proposed congressional map that would redraw the district held by Clyburn.

But as Republicans look to add House seats, Black representation in Congress is at risk of dropping substantially over the next couple of years.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement to ABC News, "We are witnessing a return to Jim Crow. And anybody who is alarmed by these developments -- as everybody should be -- better be making a plan to vote in November to put an end to this madness while we still can."

"This Supreme Court did not dismiss the case, so the litigation will certainly continue. My hope is that this is a temporary setback and that three-Republican appointed judges will again find what they found the first time: that the State of Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black voters in drawing its congressional district lines," Figures added.

ABC News' Oren Oppenheim and Jeff Ballou contributed to this report
 

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(WASHINGTON) -- Michael Banks, the head of U.S. Border Patrol, is stepping down, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott confirmed on Thursday.

"We thank U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks for his decades of service to this country and congratulate him on his second retirement after returning to serve during one of the most challenging periods for border security," Scott said in a statement.

"During his time as Chief, the border was transformed from chaos to the most secure border ever recorded. We wish him and his family well," Scott added.

Banks was tapped to lead the agency by President Donald Trump in January 2025. He has helped oversee the administration's immigration crackdown.

His departure is just the latest in what has been a major shakeup of immigration leadership in recent months. 

In March, the Senate confirmed then-Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary after Noem was removed from the post by President Donald Trump.

That same month, Gregory Bovino retired as commander-at-large of CBP immigration enforcement operations.

Immigration Customs and Enforcement Director Todd Lyons is expected to depart his post at the end of the month. Dave Venturella, a former career ICE agent, is set to take his place.

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(WASHINGTON) -- One of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s top public affairs spokespeople resigned from his post over the FDA's fruit-flavored e-cigarettes authorization and its potential impact on minors, according to a resignation letter to President Donald Trump reviewed by ABC News.

In the letter, Richard Danker, the former assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, accuses senior agency officials in Kennedy's immediate office of approving e-cigarette flavors that would allegedly expose children to "nicotine addiction, lung damage, and a higher risk of cancer."

Danker also said the vape authorization "undermines" the department's recent guidance document related to youth risks of flavored nicotine, according to the letter.

He thanked Trump for the "honor of a lifetime" to serve in both presidential administrations. Danker's work portfolio includes economic regulatory roles, including a senior advisor position at the Department of Treasury during the first Trump administration. Danker hadn't worked in healthcare prior to his time at HHS.

The Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again movement has touted its focus on combatting chronic disease and improving children’s health. In a statement to ABC News, an HHS spokesperson said Kennedy is advancing the MAHA agenda to confront the chronic disease epidemic head-on.

"Political appointees are here to execute that mission with urgency, discipline, and focus," according to the spokesperson.

"Individuals who lose sight of the mission and the responsibility they were entrusted with are free to move on from the agency. HHS remains fully committed to delivering results for the American people," the spokesperson said.

Danker provided ABC News with a copy of the resignation letter, but did not provide further comment.

The White House did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.

The news comes as former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary left office after clashing with the White House over pressure from Trump to authorize the flavored vapes, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The issue has raised concerns with Makary, pediatrician groups and advocacy organizations about the potential impact on minors, ABC News reported.

The FDA approved four new devices made by Glas, including classic menthol, fresh menthol, gold, and sapphire pods. "Gold" is mango-flavored and "sapphire" is blueberry-flavored.

While the FDA said on its website last week that it continues to prioritize the removal of illicit vapes — including those that target minors — the approval of a flavored vape represents a significant shift for the agency.

Makary told ABC News' Linsey Davis in July, "There is not an approved vaping product in the United States that has one of these cutie-fruity flavors."

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(WASHINGTON) -- Senators adopted a resolution by unanimous consent on Thursday to withhold their own pay during government shutdowns.

The legislation, which won't take effect until after the November 2026 election, instructs the secretary of the Senate to place senators' paychecks on hold during the duration of any future federal government shutdowns.

Those payments would be released to lawmakers only after the government reopens. 

The Senate resolution does not need to be passed by the House or signed by President Donald Trump. While multiple similar House bills have been introduced, it's unclear if legislation in the lower chamber will pass.

The measure in the Senate was introduced by Republican John Kennedy and advanced in a unanimous 99-0 vote on Wednesday.

"Take your brain with you, because this is about shared sacrifice. This is about putting our money where our mouth is," Sen. Kennedy said on the Senate floor ahead of Wednesday's vote.

Kennedy's resolution comes after federal workers faced a historic 43-day government shutdown late last year caused by a deadlock between parties over Affordable Care Act subsidies.

During that time, approximately 670,000 federal workers were furloughed, 60,000 workers outside the federal government lost their jobs and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients lost out on benefits all while members of Congress continued to get paid -- highlighting the disparity of financial pain endured by members of Congress and the people they serve. 

Calls for withholding pay from members of Congress continued to grow this year during the record 75-day partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Transportation Security Administration agents, Coast Guard members and other department employees went without pay as a stalemate played out on Capitol Hill over immigration enforcement funding and oversight reforms.

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(BEIJING, China) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a warning to President Donald Trump during their high-stakes summit in Beijing, saying that if the issue of Taiwan is handled "improperly," the two nations could "come into conflict," according to China's official state broadcaster Xinhua.

The trip came at a crucial time for Trump as the war with Iran loomed and was leading to economic consequences for Americans at home. China is Iran's principal oil consumer.

Particularly thorny for China is the issue of Taiwan and the U.S. position on the matter has long been delicate.

However, Xi did say that if the issue is handled "properly," "bilateral relations can remain generally stable."

After a dramatic welcoming ceremony, Trump sat down with Xi on the first day of a multi-day summit, during which Trump said he'd seek to deepen diplomatic and economic ties between the world's two largest economic powers.

Trump and Xi had a “good meeting,” according to a White House official, but the official readout has no mention of Taiwan -- which Xi earlier warned of a “conflict” if the issue was handled improperly.

Iran was also discussed between the leaders, with both sides agreeing that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open. This is a position China has already held.

"The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy. President Xi also made clear China’s opposition to the militarization of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use, and he expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China’s dependence on the Strait in the future. Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”

The meeting also covered investments, economic cooperation, fentanyl and increasing Chinese purchases of American farm products.

The bilateral meeting between the two leaders in the Great Hall of the People lasted about 2 hours and 15 minutes, according to pool reporters traveling with the president.

Ahead of the meeting, after Trump and a slate of other U.S. officials had gathered around the negotiating table, Trump called Xi a "great leader" and touted their relationship.

"Such respect for China, the job you've done. You're a great leader. I say it to everybody. You're a great leader," Trump said. "Sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it's true. I always say the truth."

"We've had a fantastic relationship. We've gotten along," Trump said. "When there were difficulties, we worked it out. I would call you, and you would call me, and whenever we had a problem -- people don't know -- whenever we had a problem, we worked it out very quickly, and we're going to have a fantastic future together."

In his opening remarks, Xi told Trump that China and the U.S. "both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation."

"We should be partners, not rivals, "he continued. "We should help each other succeed and prosper together and find the right way for major countries to get along well with each other in the new era."

According to a bulletin from Xinhua, Xi emphasized that the issue of Taiwan is "the most important issue in China-U.S. relations," saying if they are "if handled improperly, the two countries will clash or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-U.S. relationship into a very dangerous situation."

Ahead of the visit, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News that the U.S. will urge China to take a more assertive role in resolving the U.S.'s war with Iran during Trump's meeting with Xi.

"It's in their interest to resolve this. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they're doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf," Rubio said during an interview taped on Air Force One Tuesday while Rubio and Trump were on their way to Beijing.

"We've made clear to them, you know, that any support for Iran would obviously be detrimental for our relationship. That obviously is going to come up in this conversation," Rubio said.

Ahead of the state dinner, Trump was asked whether the pair would discuss diplomatic ways to end the war with Iran, which is in its third month. China is a key buyer of Iranian oil, which could give it considerable diplomatic leverage over Tehran, experts told ABC News. Trump said the U.S. had Iran "very much under control," adding that it would be among the topics discussed.

"We're either going to make a deal or they're going to be decimated, one way or the other. We win," Trump said. "We're going to be talking about, we're going to be talking with President Xi."

In remarks at the Great Hall this morning, President Trump delivered a history lesson of the “special” US-China relationship, while thanking his “friend” President Xi for a “magnificent welcome like none other.”

Trump called this a “historic visit” that resulted in “extremely positive and productive conversations,” even extending an invite for Xi to visit the U.S on Sept. 24.

The last time Xi visited the White House was in September 2015 when former President Obama hosted him for a State Visit. The visit will be one of four meetings that the leaders wanted to have this year as part of their agreement last fall that put a pause on the tit-for-tat tariff war last year.

Trump said on social media on Tuesday that he planned to ask Xi to "open up" the Chinese economy. The U.S. delegation includes Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. CEOs Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Tim Cook of Apple and Jensen Huang of NVIDIA as well as the president's son Eric Trump and daughter-in-law Lara Trump were also present.

Trump said the business leaders joined him to "pay respects" to Xi.

"We asked the top 30 in the world. Every single one of them said 'yes,' and I didn't want the second or the third in the company. I wanted only the top. And they're here today to pay respects to you and to China, and they look forward to trade and doing business, and it's going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf," Trump said.

The White House said one of Trump's goals going into the summit with Xi is to secure purchasing agreements with China in the aerospace, agriculture and energy sectors and the CEOs traveled with the president to help push for that.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said that the scheduled diplomatic meetings were expected to play "an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance for China-U.S. relations."

"During the visit, the two heads of state will have an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning China-U.S. relations and world peace and development," Guo added, according to a transcript published by the ministry. "China stands ready to work with the U.S. to expand cooperation and manage differences in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit, and provide more stability and certainty for a transforming and volatile world."

ABC News' Mariam Khan and Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) -- ABC News has obtained a one-page breakdown of how the White House says it intends to spend the $1 billion that some Republicans want to approve for President Donald Trump's East Wing renovation to the White House, which includes the construction of Trump's massive ballroom.

The document -- which was provided without elaboration -- was presented by U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran to Senate Republicans during a luncheon on Tuesday.

The price breakdown for each target area of the project area is:

$220 million for White House hardening
$180 million for White House visitor security screening facility
$175 million for Secret Service training
$175 million for enhancements for Secret Service protectees
$150 million for evolving threats and technology
$100 million for events of national significance

Axios was first to report the news.

While the White House has insisted the funding is necessary in the wake of the assassination attempt against Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, Senate Republicans still appeared skeptical of the $1 billion request following Curran's briefing.

"He gave us a list that breaks down the spending in a little more detail, but ... there are still a lot of questions," said Republican Sen. John Kennedy. "It's not the only concern, but one of the biggest concerns on our side is adding to the deficit."

While Senate Majority Leader John Thune remains adamant that the request could be tucked into the ongoing reconciliation process, it faces an uphill battle earning 50 Republican votes.

It's also not clear whether the provision will make it through the Senate's rigorous review process. Democrats are expected to argue before the Senate's parliamentarian that the spending is extraneous and therefore should not be allowed to be included in a reconciliation bill. 
Since news of Republicans' intention to include funding for the ballroom became public last week, Democrats have repeatedly hammered the proposal. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the administration for focusing on the ballroom instead of lowering consumer costs during a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday morning.

"At a time when 77% -- that's 77% -- of Americans say that Donald Trump's policies have increased their cost of living, Trump and the Senate GOP try to force through a bill that would spend a billion taxpayer dollars on a gilded ballroom and not one penny on bringing down costs," Schumer said, referencing a CNN poll out earlier this week that found 77% say that Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living in their own community.

"Trump may be trying to build a ballroom but clearly he is living in the theater of the absurd," Schumer added.

The $1 billion request is in addition to the annual USSS budget, $3.2 billion in FY 2025.

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(WASHINGTON) -- The Army is grappling with a sudden budget crunch and scrambling to slash training costs across broad swaths of the force, according to internal documents reviewed by ABC News and multiple U.S. officials.

The move is to make up for a shortfall of some $4 billion to $6 billion, according to one of the officials, as the service has drastically expanded its operational footprint at home and abroad.

The cuts, which range from elite schools to unit-level training, have triggered a wave of abrupt cancellations and unusually aggressive spending scrutiny months before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

The service's multibillion-dollar shortfall is the product of a widening set of operational demands and rising costs across the force.

Major drivers, a U.S. official noted, have been costs associated with the Iran war and an expanding mission securing the southern U.S. border.

Additionally, expansive National Guard missions, including the ongoing deployment in Washington, D.C., which alone is projected to cost roughly $1.1 billion this year, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

At the same time, the service is absorbing ballooning personnel expenses and stepping in to cover missions tied to Department of Homeland Security funding lapses, including at the southern border and construction projects. The Army is expected to be reimbursed for covering down for some of DHS' expenses incurred during the record 76-day DHS shutdown.

The Army's III Armored Corps, an umbrella of the Army's heavy armor and cavalry units, is expected to bear a lot of the brunt, a document outlining projections to units on consequences of funding cuts shows.

That internal plan warns that the corps' aviation units will deploy next year at "a lower state of readiness," and "career stagnation" of mid-level officers who would oversee key training events and noted it would take a full year for units to rebuild "combat proficiency."

The corps commands some 70,000 soldiers representing nearly half of the service's combat power.

The reductions there include slashing roughly half of the formation's budget and gutting pilots' flight hours down to minimum mandatory levels.

The cuts to flights come as the Army's aviation enterprise faces mounting scrutiny following a string of high-profile mishaps, much of that historically been attributed to fatigue and dwindling pilot flying time in recent years.

Also among the moves: an upcoming Army Sapper Course, the service's premier combat engineering school, was canceled, while an artillery course set to begin Monday at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was abruptly called off. Other units and military training courses are also auditing more closely how many soldiers it can train, two U.S. officials explained.

"Army commanders are taking all necessary measures to prioritize critical readiness and operational requirements, ensuring we operate responsibly within our currently enacted funding levels," Col. Marty Meiners, an Army spokesperson, said in a statement.

The Defense Department declined to say whether similar training cuts are being made across the military or are largely confined to the Army, referring ABC News questions to the individual services.

The cuts come amid skyrocketing fuel costs, which can quickly drive up the price of large-scale training exercises, aviation operations and travel. But it remains unclear whether those soaring costs are directly behind the moves now rippling through Army commands.

The Pentagon's belt-tightening measures were briefly mentioned on Capitol Hill Tuesday as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testified before lawmakers on the Pentagon's request for a $1.5 trillion budget. But defense officials never directly addressed the concerns.

"We need to know the impact of what it's having on the services executing missions beyond the war, the department notified us that the standard fuel price for the services has increased from $154 to $195 a barrel," Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., said Tuesday during a hearing on the Pentagon's budget.

"That's more we have to pay for fuel. Then there's less money available for training and exercise that the services need to perform," she added.

Scaling back training late in the summer as the fiscal year winds down is relatively routine inside the Pentagon. But officials say it is far less common to see such sweeping cuts and cancellations this early in the budget cycle.

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(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump said Americans' financial situation was "not even a little bit" of a motivating factor for him reaching a deal to end the war in Iran, despite a new report that inflation rose for a second consecutive month and hit a three-year high.

Trump made the comment on Tuesday as he took questions from reporters as he left the White House for a high-stakes trip to China.

"Not even a little bit," the president said when asked to what extent Americans' financial situations were motivating him to make a deal with Iran, as the war stretches into its 11th week.

"The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump continued. "I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing: we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all."

ABC News White House Correspondent Karen Travers pressed Trump to clarify whether he was considering the financial impact of the war on Americans. He doubled down.

"The most important thing, by far, is Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said.

"What about the pressure on Americans and prices, right now?" ABC's Travers asked.

"Every American understands," Trump said.

He added, "They understand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If Iran has a nuclear weapon, the whole world would be in trouble because they happen to be crazy."

When pressed on his 2024 campaign promise to bring down inflation in light of Tuesday's report showing prices rose 3.8% in April compared to last year, Trump insisted his policies are "working incredibly."

A recent poll from ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos found about two-thirds of Americans (65%) disapproved of how Trump is handling the economy. About three-quarters of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the cost of living in the U.S. (76%) with just about a quarter approving (23%). Nearly as many disapprove of how he's handling inflation (72%), up from 65% who disapproved in February. 

Several of the poll's participants spoke to ABC News about the financial strain they're experiencing because of soaring gas prices.

As of Tuesday, the national average for a gallon of gas in the U.S. was $4.50, according to data from AAA, up more than $1.50 since the war began in late February.

Trump, who on Monday floated a gas tax holiday to bring some financial relief to Americans, reiterated on Tuesday his belief that prices will go back down once the conflict comes to an end.

"When it’s over, you’re going to have a massive drop in the price of oil," Trump told reporters.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday he does not trust Pakistan and questioned the country's role as a mediator in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran after a recent report suggested the Pakistanis are working closely with Iran. 

"I don't trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them," Graham said during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.

On Monday, CBS News reported U.S. officials told the outlet that Pakistan had allowed Iranian military aircraft to be parked at its airfields, “potentially shielding them from American airstrikes.”

CBS reported the U.S. officials, who spoke only under condition of anonymity to discuss national security issues, said that days after President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire with Iran in early April, Tehran sent multiple aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan.

Leaving the White House on Tuesday for his trip to China, Trump told reporters the Pakistanis have been "great."

"The Pakistanis have been great, the field marshal and the prime minister of Pakistan have been great," he said.

Graham first asked Caine if the report was accurate, but Caine would not comment, citing the classified nature of the intelligence. Graham then asked Caine if such a move would be inconsistent with Pakistan's role as a mediator. 

"I wouldn't want to comment on that based on the ongoing negotiations impact and Pakistan's role," Caine responded.

Graham asked Hegseth the same question.

"Again, I wouldn't want to get in the middle of these negotiations," Hegseth responded.

“I want to get in the middle of these negotiations,” Graham replied. “I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them. If they actually do have Iranian aircraft parked in Pakistan bases to protect Iranian military assets, that tells me we should be looking maybe for somebody else to mediate.”

“No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere,” he added. 

In a statement provided to ABC News, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs "categorically rejected" the CBS News report, suggesting it was misleading and sensationalized. The statement confirmed that Iranian aircraft are in Pakistan but said American aircraft are also allowed to use its airfields.

“Following the ceasefire and during the initial round of the Islamabad Talks, a number of aircraft from Iran and the United States arrived in Pakistan to facilitate the movement of diplomatic personnel, security teams, and administrative staff associated with the talks process,” the statement said. 

“Some aircraft and support personnel remained temporarily in Pakistan in anticipation of subsequent rounds of engagement," the statement said. 

The ministry added that the aircraft within its borders “arrived during the ceasefire period and bear no linkage whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement.”

The ministry defended Pakistan’s stance as an “impartial, constructive, and responsible facilitator in support of dialogue and de-escalation.”

"Assertions suggesting otherwise are speculative, misleading, and entirely detached from the factual context," the statement said.

ABC News' Habi Khan contributed to this report. 

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(WASHINGTON) -- Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, California, was charged with acting as an illegal foreign agent for China, the Justice Department announced on Monday.

Wang agreed to plead guilty, the DOJ said.

The City of Arcadia said Wang resigned from her position on Monday.

Starting in late 2020, Wang and Yaoning "Mike" Sun worked together to operate a website called U.S. News Center that "purported to be a news source for the local Chinese-American community."

The Justice Department said in a plea agreement that Wang and Sun "received and executed directives from PRC (People's Republic of China) government officials to post pro-PRC content on the website, and sometimes sought approval from PRC government officials to circulate other pro-PRC content."

In one instance in November 2021, Wang wanted to circulate an article about the Chinese and Russian ambassador asking for Americans to respect the PRC's "democratic rights."

"This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send," she said.

In her plea agreement she admitted to not notifying the attorney general that she was working for the PRC.

"Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. "It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and executed directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust at all, but particularly so because that relationship with that foreign government had never been disclosed."

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(WASHINGTON) -- FBI Director Kash Patel sparred with the Senate Appropriations Committee's top Democrat over the director's alleged questionable behavior when Patel appeared before the panel for a budget hearing on Tuesday.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, the ranking member of the committee, addressed reports of Patel's alleged misuse of FBI resources and a story in The Atlantic that alleged he has had "bouts of excessive drinking" and job performance issues.

"What we are learning about what's happening at the FBI is anything but normal," Van Hollen said. "Director Patel, as you ask for more taxpayer resources, we cannot look away from the credible, extremely troubling reports about your misconduct at the FBI."

Patel said last month that he's "never been intoxicated on the job," following the report. Patel sued The Atlantic over the article, demanding $250 million in damages.

Van Hollen later grilled Patel on the report asking Patel if, per The Atlantic report, he had "episodes of excessive drinking."

Patel shot back, calling the report a "total farce."

In a heated exchange, Patel then claimed without evidence that Van Hollen was "slinging margaritas" just over a year ago with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the migrant who the government said in court was erroneously deported to El Salvador.

The moment is a reference to when Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia, who had been deported against a judge's orders to the notorious CECOT prison. At the time, the senator said at one point during the meeting monitored by the El Salvador government, El Salvador officials put glasses on the table where they were meeting that appeared to have liquid inside with salt or sugar rims on top.

Van Hollen insisted that neither he nor Abrego Garcia touched those glasses and said it was clear they didn't based on photos of the meeting taken by El Salvadoran officials.

In his opening statement, Patel lauded the men and women of the FBI, listing off a litany of accomplishments including a quick response by FBI agents during a shooting at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner last month.

Patel is appearing alongside other Department of Justice agency heads regarding the agencies' 2027 budget requests. Patel is joined by Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole, United States Marshals Service Director Glady Serralta and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Robert Cekada.

When Patel last testified on Capitol Hill in September 2025, he faced questions from Democrats about the assassination of conservative activist and influencer Charlie Kirk and his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Virginia Democrats are asking the United States Supreme Court to override a decision by the state's highest court last week that struck down a voter-approved redistricting ballot measure ahead of the midterm elections.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon will review whether Sen. Mark Kelly improperly disclosed classified information when the Arizona Democrat and retired Navy captain raised concerns about the strain the war with Iran has placed on U.S. weapons stockpiles.

Hegseth, in a social media post Sunday evening, blasted Kelly for "blabbing on TV" after the senator appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation" that morning and discussed strains on the Pentagon's ammunition inventory. 

"'Captain' Mark Kelly strikes again," Hegseth posted. "Now he's blabbing on TV (falsely & dumbly) about a *CLASSIFIED* Pentagon briefing he received. Did he violate his oath ... again? @DeptofWar legal counsel will review."

During the CBS interview, Kelly pointed to recent open-door Pentagon briefings to Congress, which he says outlined that U.S. stockpiles of key munitions, including Tomahawk and ATACMS missiles, are being rapidly depleted amid the war with Iran.

A Pentagon review of Kelly's comments would mark the second time Hegseth has sought to punish him, the first being after Kelly and several other Democratic military and intelligence service veterans posted a video advising U.S. troops to not follow illegal orders. Hegseth sought to demote Kelly, which would reduce his military pension.

A three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals expressed skepticism over Hegseth’s effort to punish Kelly over the comments during oral arguments last week.

The Pentagon says it has hit some 13,000 targets in the war with Iran. In some cases, those targets may need to be hit several times, it said. Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III told lawmakers in late April that the war had cost at least $25 billion to that point, noting that much of that was for munitions use. 

"It's shocking how deep we've gone into these magazines," Kelly said.

Following Hegseth's threat, Kelly responded on social media, showing a clip from last week's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in which Hegseth is shown saying it would take years to replenish stockpiles to pre-war levels. 

"We had this conversation in a public hearing a week ago and you said it would take 'years' to replenish some of these stockpiles," Kelly said. "That's not classified, it's a quote from you."

An analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that the U.S. has used half of its inventory of munitions fighting Iran, and that it could take up to four years for the pre-war stock to be rearmed. 

The Pentagon briefs members of Congress on classified materials behind closed doors, but it's unclear whether Kelly violated any disclosure laws, as he did not get into specifics on the volume of weapons used or remaining in the CBS interview. 

Hegseth has insisted the U.S. has sufficient ammunition to sustain fighting against Iran, though much of the anxiety inside defense circles is centered less on Tehran and more on the Pentagon's ability to respond to another major conflict.

"That means the American people are less safe. Whether it's a conflict with China or somewhere else in the world, the munitions are depleted," Kelly said on CBS. 

The Pentagon had already been grappling with mounting concerns over its weapon stockpiles and how quickly industry can replenish munitions, with the war with Iran dramatically exacerbating those concerns.  

Those concerns come as the Pentagon pushes for a historic $1.5 trillion defense budget next year, roughly a 50% increase over current spending levels, with a significant share earmarked for munitions production and cheaper, mass-produced drone systems. But the spending plan was largely finalized before the war started and does not fully account for the strain the war is placing on U.S. inventories.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has temporarily extended an order that maintains nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone by mail and through telehealth visits.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would like to temporarily suspend the federal gas tax as prices soar due to the war in Iran.

"Yeah, I'm gonna reduce until the -- let me tell you, as soon as this is over with Iran, as soon as it's over, you're going to see gasoline and oil drop like a rock," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if he would suspend the tax. "Going to be dropping down like a rock."

When pressed how long a suspension would last, Trump said "until it's appropriate."

Oil and gas prices have skyrocketed worldwide during the monthslong war, as the critical Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut. As of Monday, the national average for a gallon of gas in the U.S. was $4.52, according to data from AAA, up more than $1.50 since the wear started.

Lifting the federal gas tax -- currently 18.4 cents per gallon for regular gas and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel -- would require congressional approval.

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley posted on social media on Monday that he would be soon be introducing legislation to suspend the tax.

Trump acknowledged that suspending the gas tax wouldn't substantially decrease costs for Americans, who have reported feeling the financial strain of higher gas prices.

"It's a small percentage, but it's, you know, it's still money," Trump said in the Oval Office.

In 2022, when gas prices surged to a similar level because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, then-President Joe Biden requested a monthslong federal gas tax holiday from Congress. His proposal was rebuffed by lawmakers, some of whom said at the time that suspending the tax would be ineffective at solving the problem.

On the current status of negotiations with Iran, Trump said the ceasefire in place is "on life support" after Iran delivered its counterproposal for a peace deal over the weekend.

"I would call it the weakest right now. After reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn't even finish reading it," the president said.

Still, Trump boasted of his plan to bring the conflict to an end -- though didn't detail what it was.

"You know, a lot of people said, 'Well, does he have a plan?' Yeah, of course I do have a plan. I have the best plan ever," Trump said. He later added, "But the plan is, they cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they didn't say that in their letter."

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(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump sounded off on Sunday about Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett over their joining the majority in the court's opinion on his tariff policy, a ruling that said the president could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose broad tariffs.

"They were appointed by me, and yet have hurt our Country so badly!" Trump wrote on his social media platform on Sunday evening. "I do not believe they meant to do so, but their decision on Tariffs cost the United States 159 Billion Dollars that we have to pay back to enemies, and people, companies, and Countries, that have been ripping us off for years. It’s hardly believable!"

He added, "They could have solved that situation with a 'tiny' sentence, 'Any money paid by others to the United States does not have to be paid back.' Why wouldn’t they have done so?"

In a 6-3 decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Supreme Court in February invalidated most of Trump's sweeping global tariffs, a cornerstone of his economic policy in his second term.

"We claim no special competence in matters of economics or foreign affairs. We claim only, as we must, the limited role assigned to us by Article III of the Constitution," Roberts wrote in the opinion. "Fulfilling that role, we hold that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs."

Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito dissented from the majority, arguing that Trump should have the power to impose tariffs during national emergencies.

Trump in March had railed on social media against the U.S. court system, saying at the time that Gorsuch and Barrett, both of whom the president appointed during his first term, were attempting to go "out of their way, with bad and wrongful rulings and intentions, to prove how 'honest,' 'independent,' and 'legitimate' they are."

Gorsuch and Barrett have been reliable conservative votes on the court, consistently voting in favor of positions backed by the Trump administration. Last year, Barrett authored the landmark 6-3 decision restricting the ability of lower court judges from issuing nationwide injunctions against Trump policies.

Gorsuch last week responded publicly to Trump's previous personal attacks, telling ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis that he is determined to remain "independent" and "fearless" in fulfilling his duty despite harsh criticism from the president who appointed him.

Trump also appeared to suggest on Sunday that Republican-appointed justices should never rule against a Republican president despite the fact that justices have previously ruled against the president that appointed them.  

"With certain Republican Nominated Justices that we have on the Supreme Court, the Democrats don’t really need to 'PACK THE COURT' any longer," he said. "In fact, I should be the one wanting to PACK THE COURT! I’m working so hard to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and then people that I appointed have shown so little respect to our Country, and its people. What is the reason for this? They have to do the right thing, but it’s really OK for them to be loyal to the person that appointed them to 'almost' the highest position in the land, that is, a Justice of the United States Supreme Court."  

Trump on Sunday also said he believed the Supreme Court would block his attempt to limit access to birthright citizenship. The court heard a case on April 1 over Trump's executive order.

"I don't want loyalty, but I do want and expect it for our Country," Trump said.

"Well, maybe Neil, and Amy, just had a really bad day, but our Country can only handle so many decisions of that magnitude before it breaks down, and cracks!!!" he added. "Sometimes decisions have to be allowed to use Good, Strong, Common Sense as a guide. A negative ruling on Birthright Citizenship, on top of the recent Supreme Court Tariff catastrophe, is not Economically sustainable for the United States of America?"

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(WASHINGTON) -- The Pentagon on Friday released declassified UFO files from various federal agencies, some dating as far back as the late 1940s.

­­ The documents, which the Pentagon said includes "never-before-seen" files on unidentified flying objects — called unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) by the U.S. government — were being posted on a new government website.

"The American people can now access the federal government's declassified UAP files instantly. The latest UAP videos, photos, and original source documents from across the entire United States government are all in one place — no clearance required," the Pentagon said in a statement.

The department said it will release more files "on a rolling basis."

Many of the reported sightings of unidentified flying objects were clustered near active military operations, according to the files reviewed by ABC News.

A large share of the alleged encounters date back to the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in Cold War-era hotspots like Germany and the Soviet Union, according to the documents. More recent reports are concentrated in the Middle East —including around the Strait of Hormuz, Iraq and Syria — where the U.S. has maintained a substantial military presence and some of its most sophisticated monitoring capabilities.

The concentration of sightings around military activity is mostly likely a reflection of where the Pentagon is deploying its most advanced equipment and conducting frequent missions. The lion’s share of reported sightings come from military pilots, according to the files. 

In all of the reported incidents, the aerial phenomena posed no apparent threat, with most encounters ending after the mysterious craft abruptly flew away. There was one brief reported encounter in Iraq in 2024 which a mysterious craft zipped across a U.S. aircraft’s surveillance systems at a high rate of speed while that crew was attacking an unrelated target.

In a statement, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth touted the release as "unprecedented transparency." Some of the files are heavily redacted, including several documents with entire pages blacked out. 

The release is in keeping with President Donald Trump's announcement earlier this year that he is directing agencies to make public files related to unidentified flying objects, unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) and "extraterrestrial life."

There are some redactions in the files, but this is the first time ever that complete case files have been released. In recent years, the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has been reviewing these historic documents and has released public summaries and reviews to the public.

So far, none of their reviews have found anything that has led them to conclude that UFOs or UAPs are extraterrestrial in origin.

Trump touted the Pentagon’s release of the first batch of UFO files on Friday, taking credit for offering transparency to the American people.

"In an effort for Complete and Maximum Transparency, it was my Honor to direct my Administration to identify and provide Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Unidentified Flying Objects," Trump wrote on his social media platform. 

Trump added that this document release will allow the American people to "decide for themselves" what is happening with the reported sightings.

For weeks, the president has floated the release of government files on UFOs and UAPs. 

"Well, I think we're going to be releasing as much as we can in the near future. For some reason, and I guess it's just a reason, it's been in the minds of people for a long time," Trump said last month while welcoming the Artemis II astronauts to the Oval Office. 

-ABC News' Emily Chang contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) -- The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday overturned the state's redistricting ballot measure, delivering a major setback to Democrats who hoped the new map would allow them to flip up to four congressional seats.

In a 4-3 ruling, the Virginia Supreme Court said the Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when referring the measure to the ballot. Virginia voters approved the ballot measure in an election last month.

The state's Supreme Court said Virginia will need to use its congressional map from 2021 instead.

The decision is a win for Republicans, who are now currently set to net more seats than Democrats in the ongoing, nationwide mid-decade redistricting scramble.

President Donald Trump celebrated the ruling in a post on his social media platform.

"Huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia," Trump wrote. "The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats' horrible gerrymander. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Virginia currently has six Democratic members of the U.S. House and five Republicans, a balance that will likely stay in place instead of the 10 Democratic and 1 Republican delegation Democrats were hoping to elect under the new map.

The newly passed Republican-favoring congressional maps in Tennessee and Florida are undergoing their own separate legal challenges. The ruling on Friday is specific to Virginia and does not impact those maps.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, a Democrat, wrote that his team is working to pursue "every legal pathway forward to defend the will of the people and protect the integrity of Virginia's elections."

The Virginia Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers missed the deadline to place the redistricting referendum on the ballot because early voting for the 2025 election had already started.

Under Virginia’s constitution, lawmakers must approve a constitutional amendment twice and have an election in between.

Democrats argued that requirement referred only to Election Day itself and not the early voting period. The court said early voting is legally part of the election, meaning the process had already begun before lawmakers acted.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger expended significant political capital on supporting the measure, which became a flashpoint just a few months into her governorship, although it was first championed by the state legislature and during her time on the campaign trail she indicated not being interested in redistricting.

“More than three million Virginians cast their ballots in Virginia’s redistricting referendum, and the majority of Virginia voters voted to push back against a President who said he is ‘entitled’ to more Republican seats in Congress with a temporary and responsive referendum. They made their voices heard,” Spanberger wrote in a statement on Friday.

“I am disappointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia’s ruling, but my focus as Governor will be on ensuring that all voters have the information necessary to make their voices heard this November in the midterm elections because in those elections we — the voters — will have the final say.”

In a dissent, three justices wrote, "Today the majority has broadened the meaning of the word 'election,' as used in the Virginia Constitution, to include the early voting period. This is in direct conflict with how both Virginia and federal law define an election."

The redistricting measure had prompted multiple notable Democrats -- including former Mike Pence aide Olivia Troye and former first lady of Virginia Dorothy McAuliffe -- to launch runs for Congress. The fact that they'd have to now run under the old map may change their plan.

ABC News' Emily Chang contributed to this report.

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