Japan’s Prime Minister to Meet With Trump: Starting Line

‘Extremely Difficult’

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi

Photographer: Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP via Getty Images

Before leaving Japan for today’s White House meeting, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament she anticipates “an extremely difficult” visit, Alastair Gale and Sakura Murakami report.

“She has the bad luck of being one of the first allies to meet with him in person since the start of the war,” said Tobias Harris of the political risk advisory firm Japan Foresight.

President Donald Trump had endorsed her election bid, and Tokyo has announced a combined $36 billion investment in US oil, gas, and critical mineral projects, so maybe Takaichi walks in with at least a small reservoir of goodwill. But the timing of the visit is a challenge, coming amid Trump’s new effort to add a layer of import taxes to replace tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court and right after Japan said no to sending battleships to the Middle East. Read More

See Also:

• Stock Traders’ Guide to Navigating Takaichi-Trump Summit
• Why Trump’s Call for Help on Iran Put Japan in a Bind: Explainer

Oil Talks

Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials plan to meet today with oil executives to talk about rising fuel prices, Annmarie Hordern and Ari Natter report. However, analysts say options are limited, since Trump has already ordered the release of 172 million barrels of oil from the US emergency reserves as part of a coordinated global effort to distribute 400 million barrels. Read More

Also Read:

• Vance Searches for Fine Line Between Current Role and Ambitions
• Weeks of War Are Reshaping Global Gas Market for Years to Come

Iran Update

Trump Demands Halt to Energy Facility Attacks as Prices Soar

US President Donald Trump called on Israel and Iran to stop attacks on energy facilities as the war in the Middle East escalated, with damage to key oil and gas infrastructure triggering a fresh surge in prices.

Trump Waives US Shipping Law for Oil and Gas Amid Iran War

President Donald Trump temporarily waived a century-old shipping mandate to lower the cost of transporting oil, gas and other commodities around the US, marking his latest bid to combat the rise in energy prices spurred by his war in Iran.

China Gains Edge From Trump’s War With Iran, Officials Say

China’s military has been studying President Donald Trump’s war on Iran for lessons that could prove helpful in any future conflict of its own, according to Western officials familiar with the matter, scrutinizing US offensive capabilities as it sees the strategic balance shifting in its favor in the Indo-Pacific.

Critic Investigated

The FBI has opened an investigation into former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who publicly broke with Trump over the war and resigned this week, Myles Miller reports.

The probe is focused on alleged unauthorized disclosures of classified information, according to a person familiar with the matter. Kent did not immediately respond to a text message last night seeking comment.

Kent, a former Green Beret and CIA officer, said in a resignation in a letter posted on X that he could not support “sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people.” He argued that Iran did not pose an imminent threat. Read More

Also Read: Gabbard Dodges Questions on Whether Iran Was ‘Imminent Threat’

Powell’s Staying

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says he’ll stay at the central bank until after the DOJ’s investigation is complete.

Catarina Saraiva reports that yesterday’s comments were the first time he’s told the public that he intends to continue serving his term as a governor after his term as chair expires in May.

As for whether he’ll serve out his full term as a governor after the DOJ investigation ends, Powell said, “I will make that decision based on what I think is best for the institution and for the people we serve.” Read More

See Also: Fed Holds Rates Steady, Still Projects One Rate Cut in 2026

Abortion Probe

The Trump administration is taking a new approach to opposition to abortion. It’s investigating whether states are violating a provision of federal law that prohibits discrimination against insurers or providers that won’t provide, cover, or make referrals for ending pregnancies.

Ian Lopez reports that the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights isn’t naming the states under investigation, though the type of mandate under scrutiny is in place in California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, and New York. Those states require abortion coverage for enrollees of Medicaid, private insurance, and plans offered on the Affordable Care Act marketplace, according to health policy research group KFF.

An official who briefed reporters said the civil rights office doesn’t have any current complaints “with respect to these states.” The probe is happening under HHS’s authority to do compliance reviews, the official said.

FISA Limbo

House leaders are in a bind: they don’t want a spying law to expire, and also don’t have enough majority-party support to advance an extension without the help of Democrats. Roxana Tiron and Maeve Sheehey report that, at the moment, their plan for renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is no plan.

“That decision hasn’t been made yet,” said Majority Leader Steve Scalise after an all-member briefing.

The expiring statute allows agencies to collect the electronic communications abroad of non-US citizens. A point of contention is that there are circumstances under which it’s OK as part of the warrantless process to gather the private messages of Americans in contact with a foreign surveillance target. Read More

Campaign Corner

Texas Republicans are divided, and Trump’s silence about a top-tier Senate race is creating a larger gap as Democrats try to make good on their decades-long goal of turning Texas blue, Alexandra Samuels reports. Read More

State corporate law could be used to challenge political dark money as organizers of a movement try to push new campaign finance limits in 23 states, Mike Leonard reports. Read More

Losses in Illinois primaries by candidates backed by the crypto industry’s super PAC network are prompting questions about the sector’s influence on the midterms, Kate Ackley reports. Read More

There may be no Black Republican House members next year, undoing the party’s progress just four years after reaching record representation, Maeve reports. Read More

Before You Go

House Democrats Walk Out of Bondi Briefing on Epstein Files

Congressional Democrats walked out of a briefing with US Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche that was intended to cover the Justice Department’s handling of files related to sex trafficking investigations of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

US Tells Companies to Secure Microsoft System After Stryker Hack

The US government is warning businesses to secure their corporate accounts within a popular Microsoft Corp. management tool, following a cyberattack on Stryker Corp. last week.

Rand Paul Opposes Trump DHS Pick Mullin Over ‘Anger Issues’

The Republican chairman overseeing hearings on Senator Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security blasted the Oklahoma Republican for “anger issues,” arguing they disqualified him from leading an agency enmeshed in controversy over aggressive tactics.

Trump Aims to End Court Review of Migrant Deportation Protection

With losses mounting in lower courts, Trump officials are asking the US Supreme Court to quash judges’ ability to hear challenges to its elimination of temporary deportation protections for more than a million immigrants.

California Rep. Kiley Loses Committee Spots After GOP Exit

Rep. Kevin Kiley lost his committee assignments after leaving the Republican Party to become an independent, according to messages read on the House floor Wednesday.

As Lutnick Sold Cantor to His Children, Tether Gave Them a Loan

Representatives for the financial services firm and the US Commerce secretary’s family declined to reveal the amount. An ethics expert said the loan may be ‘another favor his family owes Tether.’