• Schumer’s move against the Qatari jet: Over the weekend, President Donald Trump suggested that he would accept a gift of a $400 million 747-8 jumbo jet from the Qatari government. Much has been said about whether this would violate the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which states that Congress must approve gifts from foreign governments. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has decided he must get to the bottom of this by … holding up new Justice Department nominees. Of course, Democrats were likely to hold up these nominations anyway, but it makes good theater to blame Trump. Schumer has a plethora of questions he wants answered about the nature of the jet upon delivery — for example, whether it will already have its security systems in place. While questions like this are appropriate, Schumer is likely just trying to score a headline.

• Syria sanctions lifted: Donald Trump is on a Middle East tour in which he aims to reset U.S. relations there. On Tuesday, he flew into Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he was warmly met by the nation’s leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It was a stark contrast to Joe Biden’s 2022 visit. Trump spoke favorably of Saudi Arabia, stating, “It’s my fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia, a place I have so much respect for … will soon be joining the Abraham Accords. I think it will be a tremendous tribute to your country.” To further encourage Saudi Arabia to join, Trump announced that he was dropping sanctions against Syria “in order to give them a chance at greatness.” He added, “I say good luck, Syria. Show us something very special, like they’ve done in Saudi Arabia.”

• Court case on tariff “emergency”: President Trump’s tariff “emergency” is facing its first legal test in the U.S. Court of International Trade. The target is Trump’s claim that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) gives him the power to impose tariffs. On Tuesday, the plaintiffs — five small businesses — argued that Trump’s rationale represents unchecked power. The judges challenged the plaintiffs to provide a specific legal standard that signifies when the president does or does not have the power to declare an emergency. Jeffrey Schwab, lawyer for the plaintiffs, contended that this is “so outside of what is normally considered an emergency.” Justice Department lawyer Eric Hamilton claims that the president’s power under IEEPA is “beyond judicial review.” The case is ongoing, with more to come.

• A deportation ruling in Trump’s favor: Yesterday, Donald Trump got a judicial win on his use of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA), which he invoked to fast-track the removal of illegal alien members of the criminal Tren de Aragua gang. U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines ruled that since Tren de Aragua has been officially designated a terrorist organization, the Trump administration’s use of the AEA to deport the gang’s members comports with the law as written. Haines’s ruling lifts the temporary hold she issued last month so that she could analyze the issue. Her 43-page decision notes, “The Court now leaves it to the Political Branches of the government, and ultimately to the people who elect those individuals, to decide whether the laws and those executing them continue to reflect their will.”

• Wisconsin judge indicted: Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, who infamously sought to prevent a criminal illegal alien from being taken into custody by federal immigration officials outside her courtroom, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday. The FBI arrested Dugan following her actions, charging her with “concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest.” The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan late last month pending the outcome of this case. Dugan has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Following her indictment, Sen. Josh Hawley responded, “Let every other judge and member of Congress out there take a lesson from this: You are not above the law.”

• Trump admin cuts another $450M in grants to Harvard: The Trump/Harvard saga continues. On Monday, Harvard President Alan Garber wrote a three-page letter defending the institution, arguing that it handled campus anti-Semitism appropriately. Yesterday, the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, including officials from the General Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Education, announced another $450 million cut in Harvard grants across eight federal agencies. The announcement contends that Harvard has “forfeited the school’s claim to taxpayer support.” One of the changes the Trump administration would like to see is tighter screening of international students. Garber argues against this, saying there is no evidence that international students are more “prone to violence, disruption or other misconduct” than anyone else.

• Report finds Chinese spies infiltrating prestigious U.S. universities: “There are Chinese spies at Stanford,” said the authors of a report published in the Stanford Review. Garrett Molloy and Elsa Johnson tell the story of “Anna,” a Stanford student who received unexpected messages from one “Charles Chen,” likely a Chinese spy who worked to make Anna an intelligence source for the Chinese government. Anna reported Chen to American authorities, who found that he had posed as a Stanford student for years, slightly altering his name and persona while targeting primarily women researching Chinese topics. Chen was likely an agent of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS). Other students refused to tell similar stories even on encrypted messaging. Chinese international students are asked to share even private research, especially on topics like AI and robotics, with threats to family back home as a motivator.

• Rose and Jackson made eligible for MLB Hall of Fame: The late Pete Rose may finally make it into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame after MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced a new policy: Lifetime bans are lifted upon a player’s death. “Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game,” Manfred reasoned, “Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve.” This decision will remove 17 former MLB players from the list, including all-time hits leader Rose, as well as “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, who, like Rose, was banned from baseball for gambling-related infractions. However, unlike Rose, Jackson took money to throw games. Manfred’s decision also appears to be a nod to Donald Trump, who blasted MLB’s permanent ban of Rose.

Headlines

• For first time, U.S. charges Sinaloa Cartel leaders with narco-terrorism (Center Square)

• RFK Jr. moves to get rid of fluoride supplements for kids (Newsweek)

• Menendez brothers eligible for parole after serving more than 30 years behind bars for shotgun slayings of parents (NY Post)

• Democrats plotted wheelchair presidency for Biden’s second term (Washington Free Beacon)

• Humor: Jake Tapper uncovers startling evidence that Biden’s decline was covered up by Jake Tapper (Babylon Bee)

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