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Israeli airstrikes killed at least 14 people in the Gaza Strip, hospital officials said Friday, while Hamas was reviewing a new Israeli-approved ceasefire proposal after giving it an initial cool response. President Donald Trump's Mideast envoy had expressed optimism this week aboutbrokering an agreementthat could halt the Israel-Hamas war, allow more aid into Gaza, and return more of the 58 hostages still held by Hamas, around a third of whom are alive. Experts say a nearly three-month Israeli blockade of Gaza —slightly eased in recent days— has pushed the population of roughly 2 million Palestiniansto the brink of famine. Israel's war in Gaza has killed around 54,000 Palestinians, mostlywomen and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. The war began with Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which left around 1,200 dead. Here's the latest: At least 14 dead in Gaza strikes, medics say Hospital officials and paramedics say Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 14 people and wounded others. Officials at Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza said the bodies of 12 people, including three women, were brought Friday from the nearby Jabaliya refugee camp. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the bodies of two people as well as nine others who were wounded were taken to Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City. It said one of the wounded is a doctor who works at the same hospital. Hamas reviewing a new ceasefire proposal Hamas said Friday it was reviewing a new Israeli-approved ceasefire proposal. The White House said Thursday that Israel accepted a new U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas. Hamas officials, however, gave the draft a cool response, saying that it seeks to perpetuate Israel's policies of killing and starving people in Gaza. Still, the group said it was going to thoroughly review it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to end the war until all the hostages are released and Hamas is either destroyed or disarmed and sent into exile. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages for a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu undergoes a routine colonoscopy Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent a routine colonoscopy on Friday morning in Jerusalem, his office said. The office did not provide further information about whether Netanyahu was moderately sedated or under general anesthesia for the procedure. Netanyahu, 75, underwentsuccessful surgery in Decemberto have his prostate removed. Netanyahu has gone to great lengths to bolster a public image of himself as a healthy, energetic leader, as he manages multiple crises including thewar in Gazaand histrial for alleged corruption, despite a series of recent health setbacks.

PresidentDonald Trumpannounced Paul Ingrassia, who is currently a White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, as his pick to head the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. "Paul is a highly respected attorney, writer, and Constitutional Scholar, who has done a tremendous job serving as my White House Liaison for Homeland Security," Trump wrote in aTruth Social poston May 29. He graduated from Cornell Law School in 2022 and worked at a law firm for 10 months, according to hisprofile on LinkedIn. The Office of Special Counsel investigates and prosecutes allegations of prohibited personnel practices (PPPs) of federal employees and applicants, especially retaliation for whistleblowing. The office also investigates allegations of wrongdoing within the executive branch and enforces the Hatch Act, which restricts partisan political activity by government employees. In a post on X, Ingrassia wrote that he would make "every effort to restore competence and integrity to the Executive Branch — with priority on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal workforce and revitalize the Rule of Law and Fairness in Hatch Act enforcement." The previous occupant of the position, Hampton Dellinger, was fired by Trump in February. He sued to keep his job, and while a federal judge initially issued a temporary restraining order blocking Trump, aU.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuitissueda rulingclearing the way for his firing. Dellinger ended his legal battle against Trump on March 6. In February, Dellinger wrote in a statement that the mass firings of probationary employees led by the Department of Government Efficiencyappear illegal. He asked a specialized labor board to pause the terminations of six employees in six different federal agencies so the watchdog organization could investigate. Dellinger wrote in a statement that the terminations appear "contrary to a reasonable reading of the law," particularly the law about reductions in force. Federal law generally requires 60 days' notice for a reduction in force and prohibits probationary employees from being fired for reasons unrelated to performance or conduct. Ingrassia also briefly served as the White House liaison for the Department of Justice shortly after Trump returned to office in January. But he was reassigned to DHS after pushing to recruit candidates showing "exceptional loyalty" to Trump, and his efforts sparked clashes with Attorney GeneralPam Bondi's top aide, Chad Mizelle, ABC News reported in February. Contributing: Erin Mansfield This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Paul Ingrassia picked to head U.S. Office of Special Counsel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump praised Elon Musk on Thursday and said he will hold a press conference with the billionaire, whose tenure in the administration is ending, on Friday at 1:30 p.m. EST (1730 GMT) in the Oval Office. "This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Elon is terrific!" Musk announced he was stepping down from his White House stint on Wednesday, givingTeslainvestors some succor after shares slumped this year in part due to the backlash to his support of Trump and right-wing parties in Europe. The billionaire spearheaded Trump's so-called Department of Government Efficiency, charged with cutting federal spending. On Tuesday, Musk criticized the price tag of Republicans' tax and budget legislation making its way through Congress. In addition, he had recently pledged to spend less money on politics after he plunked down nearly $300 million on Trump's presidential campaign and on other Republican candidates last year. (Reporting by Jasper Ward, Costas Pitas and David Shepardson; editing by Chris Sanders)

(Reuters) -U.S. federal authorities are investigating an effort to impersonate White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The report said Wiles had told associates that some of her cellphone contacts had been hacked, allowing the impersonator to access private phone numbers. The incident affected her personal phone, not her government phone, the report said. The Journal reported that in recent weeks, senators, governors, top U.S. business executives and other figures received messages and calls from a person who claimed to be Wiles, citing the people familiar with the messages. The White House and FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House has struggled with information security. A hacker who breached the communications service used by former Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz earlier this month intercepted messages from a broad swathe of American officials, Reuters reported recently. And late last year, a White House official said the U.S. believed that an alleged sweeping Chinese cyber espionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon targeted and recorded telephone calls of "very senior" American political figures. As Wiles is a key Trump lieutenant and a lynchpin of the White House's operation, the content of her personal phone would be of extraordinary interest to a range of foreign intelligence agencies and other hostile actors. Wiles has reportedly been targeted by hackers at least once before, in the final months of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. At the time, hackers alleged by U.S. authorities to be acting on behalf of Iran approached journalists and a political operative with a variety of messages sent to and from Wiles, some of which were eventually published. (Reporting by Costas Pitas and Raphael Satter; Editing by Michael Perry and Sonali Paul)

By Emily Green MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Falling investment, slowing growth, and the changing whims of U.S. President Donald Trump have led Mexico to support an early review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement, a sharp U-turn on its previous plan to hold off for as long as possible. Three Mexican officials told Reuters the shift was due in part to the need to gain some longer-term certainty around the country's trade relationship with its largest export market. But they said it was also key that Trump appeared to want an earlier review, because the U.S. president holds better cards and trying to keep on his good side has been a core Mexican strategy that has shown positive results. Mexico's Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said this week he expects the review's "formal start" to begin as soon as September, despite being scheduled in the agreement for 2026. It is clear that Trump has more leverage, said Juan Carlos Baker, Mexico's former chief negotiator for USMCA. "If he believes Mexico is not playing ball, you might be risking he will one day show up and announce the U.S. is exiting the agreement altogether," he said. Mexico is looking for any clarity it can find. The uncertainty over trade rules has already impacted its economy. Foreign direct investment in the first quarter of the year fell 21% compared to the same period last year, according to figures from Mexico's Central Bank. Some of that may be related to business community jitters about Mexico's judicial reform. Still, uncertainty over tariffs has played a significant role. On Wednesday, the central bank cut its GDP forecast for this year to just 0.1%. The International Monetary Fund prediction is even worse at -0.3%. "Uncertainty kills investment," said Emilio Romano, president of Mexico's Bankers Association, noting that 40% of Mexico's GDP is U.S.-dependent. Mexico's reliance on the U.S. makes the USMCA negotiations almost existential to the country's economy and a huge priority for Sheinbaum. Over 80% of total Mexican goods exports go to the U.S. and free trade with its northern neighbor drove Mexico to overtake China as the U.S.'s top trading partner and turned it into one of the world's largest auto manufacturers. Mexican officials are worried enough about angering Trump that they have held off signing an updated trade agreement with the European Union for fear it could jeopardize trade talks with the U.S., according to one European official. UNRELIABLE NEGOTIATIONS Mexico had originally wanted to wait as long as possible before opening talks on USMCA, so it could first resolve bilateral issues like the tariffs imposed due to fentanyl trafficking and migration, and so U.S. consumers would begin to feel inflationary pressures from Trump's tariffs. That approach tallies with Canada's, with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying this week he wanted to make progress on bilateral issues with the U.S. before opening talks on USMCA. Amid the uncertainty, Ebrard and his deputy Luis Rosendo Gutierrez have for months been almost constantly shuttling between Mexico and Washington, to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a billionaire investor, and Jamieson Greer, a former Air Force officer who is Trump's top trade official. "It's important to be in Washington just to take care of any issues that can come suddenly to the table. And it's important to be present," said a Mexican official familiar with the negotiations. "We are taking care of our place in relative terms with other countries." But negotiations with the Trump administration can be unreliable. In April, as the screwworm parasitic fly threatened to decimate Mexico's billion-dollar cattle market, officials reached an agreement that the U.S. would not close its border to livestock in exchange for Mexico doing more to fight the pest. Just 11 days later, the U.S. abruptly shut the border anyway, catching frustrated Mexican officials flat-footed. The question mark hovering over USMCA's future has overshadowed victories by Mexico's negotiating team, including convincing the Trump administration to suspend tariffs on USMCA-compliant auto parts. "We left intensive care. Now we are in intermediate care," said Francisco Gonzalez, executive director of Mexico's National Auto Parts Association. Until the USMCA review is complete, he said new investment is "pretty much suspended, basically on standby." (Reporting by Emily Green; additional reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by David Gregorio)

By Bo Erickson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump would have the power to retaliate against countries that impose special digital service taxes on large U.S. technology companies like Amazon and Alphabet, under a provision in the sweeping tax bill that Congress is considering. "If foreign countries want to come in the United States and tax US businesses, then those foreign-based businesses ought to be taxed as well," said Representative Ron Estes, a Kansas Republican who helped craft the provision. Some 17 countries in Europe and others around the world impose or have announced such taxes on U.S. tech products like Meta's Instagram. Germany announced on Thursday it was considering a 10% tax on platforms like Google. The levies have drawn bipartisan ire in Washington. Democrats who oppose much of the tax bill have not spoken out against the retaliatory tax provision, found in Section 899 of the 1,100-page bill. Trump has been pressing foreign countries to lower barriers to U.S. commerce. Under the bill, Congress would empower his administration to impose tax hikes on foreign residents and companies that do business in the U.S. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to decide on taxes and spending. The provision could raise $116 billion over the next decade, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. But some experts warned that an unintended consequence of retaliatory taxes could be less foreign investment in the U.S. "This new Section 899 provision brings a sledgehammer to the idea that the United States will allow itself to be characterized as a tax haven by anyone," said Peter Roskam, former Republican congressman and head of law firm Baker Hostetler's federal policy team. The House of Representatives narrowly passed the bill on May 22, and it now heads to the Senate. Democrats broadly oppose the Republicans' tax and spending bill, which advances many of Trump's top priorities such as an immigration crackdown, extending Trump's 2017 tax cuts and ending some green energy incentives. Section 899 would allow the Treasury Department to label the foreign tech taxes "unfair" and place the country in question on a list of "discriminatory foreign countries." Some other foreign taxes also would be subject to scrutiny. Once on the list, a country's individuals and its companies that operate in the U.S. could face stiffer tax rates that could increase each year, up to 20 percentage points. Joseph Wang, chief investment officer at Monetary Macro, said Section 899 could help Trump reduce trade imbalances because if foreign investment decreases it could depreciate the U.S. dollar. This in turn could spur exports of U.S. products by making them cheaper overseas. Portfolio interest would remain exempt from any tax Trump imposes, but some experts cautioned that taxing foreigners could quell foreign investment in the U.S. "Foreign investors may change their behavior to avoid the taxes in various ways, including potentially by simply investing elsewhere," said Duncan Hardell, an advisor at New York University's Tax Law Center. PUSH BACK TO GLOBAL MINIMUM TAX The new approach follows the 15% minimum global corporate tax deal negotiated by the administration of Democratic former President Joe Biden. Republicans, led by Representative Jason Smith of Missouri, chairman of the House tax committee, opposed that approach, arguing it unfairly benefits Chinese companies. Foreign countries have invoked that global minimum to slap higher taxes on U.S. tech firms, if they concluded that generous U.S. tax credits for research and development pushed their tax burden below that 15% threshold. Trump in February directed his administration to combat foreign digital taxes, but they were not addressed in the trade deal announced in May between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, which imposes a 2% levy on foreign digital services. It was unclear if the Treasury Department would actually use the new authority if it becomes law, or if the mere threat of action would convince other countries to change course. The department did not share its intended strategy when asked. (Reporting by Bo Erickson; editing by Andy Sullivan and David Gregorio)

Good morning!🙋🏼‍♀️ I'mNicole Fallert. Ask a friendif they can spell"éclaircissement." An appeals court allowed President Donald Trumpto keep tariffswhile an appeal plays out. Former government workersare running for public office— and winning. A Swiss glacier collapsedin a dramatic displayof the impact of climate change. The Trump administration won temporary reprieve Thursday after an appeals court ruled the White House can keep up tariffs while challenging a court order that had blocked them. Trade whiplash: The quick reversal came a day after the United States Court of International Trade invalidated Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to impose tariffs. The administration quickly appealed and won a short-term break.Trump attacked the judges who blocked his tariffs, a ruling later temporarily paused on appeal, and blamed a conservative legal group for giving him bad advice on judicial picks. No tariff on Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog:Adding to the mix, a second federal court blocked Trump tariffs Thursday — this time for Illinois companies that import Spike, among other kids' toys. White House officials have vowed to keep pressing the issue in court.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the Trump administration expects the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve the issue. Itir Cole tried to take some time off after quitting her job with the federal government early in the Trump administration. Then her husband mentioned offhand that there was an open seat on her New Jersey town's governing body. No one else like her was running, so she did — and won her mid-May race by 49 votes. Cole is among a flood of federal workers looking to run for public office.Many say they want to continue serving Americansafter leaving the government either voluntarily or through mass layoffs, as Trump dramatically downsizes the federal workforce. As the summer months approach,lightning activitywill soon ramp up. Tariffs and AIhave altered the job marketfor 2025 grads. Heavy smoke is expected to hit the U.S.as dangerous Canadian wildfiresforce evacuations. The White House blamed"formatting" for errors in RFK Jr.'s MAHA report.Authors pushed back. Public housing failed miserably in Chicago.Why is the city now opening a housing museum? What's the weather today?Check your local forecast here. A Boston federal judge said at a hearing Thursday that she planned to issue a preliminary injunction that blocks the Department of Homeland Security from revoking Harvard's ability to enroll foreign exchange students. The comments from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs came as the Trump administration attempted to walk back its May 22 directive that immediately revoked Harvard's participation in a federal exchange student program.Students from around the worldattended commencementat the Ivy League on the same day as the hearing. America's birth rate has been on a steady decline since 2007, and pronatalists − both in and outside the White House − are determined to raise it. But when partners struggle to conceive, the burden is rarely distributed evenly between men and women. Fertility experts say we're missing a key component of the conversation – male infertility. Experts say male and female infertility factors often coexist, yet a high number of men do not undergo testing before their female partner begins IVF.Advocates saycharacterizing fertility solely as a woman's issueis part of a "broader cultural misunderstanding." Exploring the gulfbetweenMartin Luther King Jr. and Donald Trumpin a divided nation. Beyoncéfulfilled a fan's requestwith an onstage gender reveal. The internet has thoughtsabout Sydney Sweeney's bathwater. Paige DeSorbois sippinga Dunkin' pink refresher. Who is "Mia"?Why you won't see photosof Diddy's ex-personal assistant during trial. Air traffic controller staffing has been a major issue for the Federal Aviation Administration for years. As a result, it's been a major issue for travelers, too, even if it's not always as top of mind for the average passenger when there are delays. According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the FAA is short about 3,000 air traffic controllers nationwide, but those shortages aren't spread evenly throughout the system.This map showsthe disparity between staffing in different facilities across the country. Reuters reports that 90% of Blatten, Switzerland, is engulfed by ice, mud and rock after a glacier collapsed on a nearby mountain.These photos capturehow the disaster unfolded. Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY,sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Daily Briefing: Trade whiplash