WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - The United States is withdrawing 5,000 troops from NATO ally Germany, the Pentagon announced on Friday, as a rift over the Iran war widens between President Donald Trump and Europe.
Trump had threatened a drawdown in forces earlier this week after sparring with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday the Iranians were humiliating the U.S. in talks to end the two-month-old war.
A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said recent German rhetoric had been "inappropriate and unhelpful."
"The president is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks," the official said.
The Pentagon said the withdrawal was expected to be completed over the next six to twelve months.
The official said the drawdown would bring U.S. troop levels in Europe back to roughly pre-2022 levels, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered a buildup by then President Joe Biden.
A brigade combat team now in Germany will be pulled out of the country and a long-range fires battalion that the Biden administration had planned to begin deploying to Germany later this year will no longer deploy, the official said.
Germany is the U.S. military's biggest basing location in Europe, with some 35,000 active-duty military personnel, and serves as a key training hub.
Trump has singled out Germany even as he has harshly criticized other NATO allies for not sending their navies to help open the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict.
The waterway, a chokepoint for global oil shipments, has remained virtually shut, causing market turmoil and unprecedented disruption in energy supplies.
Merz has said Germans and Europeans were not consulted before the U.S. and Israel started attacking Iran on February 28, and that he had conveyed his scepticism about the conflict directly to Trump afterwards.
"The president has been very clear about his frustrations about our allies' rhetoric and failure to provide support for U.S. operations that benefit them," the senior Pentagon official said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says it has reached deals with seven tech companies to use their artificial intelligence in its classified computer networks This will allow the military to tap into AI-powered capabilities to help it fight wars. The Pentagon said Friday that Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX will provide their resources to help “augment warfighter decision-making in complex operational environments." The Defense Department has been rapidly accelerating its use of AI in recent years. But AI has already raised concerns that its use could invade Americans’ privacy or allow machines to choose targets on the battlefield.
President Donald Trump visited The Villages, Florida on Friday, May 1.
He delivered remarks at The Villages Charter School (Middleton High School) at approximately 3 p.m.
The President's speech focused on his "Working Family Tax Cuts" legislation. Key proposals include: No Tax on Social Security and No Tax on Tips, a Senior Bonus Deduction, providing tax breaks for seniors, and the expansion of Medicare coverage for weight loss drugs starting July 1.
The head of the European Parliament trade committee calls President Donald Trump’s tariff hike on European Union automobiles “unacceptable.” Committee Chair Bernd Lange says the Trump administration “keeps breaking its commitments,” including on import taxes for steel and aluminum products. Trump said Friday he'll increase the tariffs charged on cars and trucks from the EU next week to 25%, which could jolt the world economy. The Republican president says the EU is not complying with a fully agreed to trade deal, though he hasn't fleshed out his objections. Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had agreed to the trade deal last July. It set a 15% tariff on most goods.
PARIS (AP) — Activists worldwide are holding May Day rallies, calling for peace, higher wages and better working conditions. Many workers are struggling with rising energy costs and shrinking purchasing power tied to the Iran war. May 1 is International Workers’ Day, marked by rallies focusing on wages, pensions, and inequality. In Manila, protesters demanded higher wages and lower taxes. In Jakarta, workers called for stronger protection from rising prices. Tens of thousands of people joined marches across France including in Paris, where brief scuffles with police broke out. In the U.S., activists opposed to President Donald Trump’s policies also held marches and demonstrations. Arrests were made in front of the New York Stock Exchange as protesters gathered outside.
MIAMI (AP) — A former Miami congressman and close friend of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was convicted Friday in connection with a secret $50 million lobbying campaign on behalf of Venezuela’s socialist government during the first Trump administration. Jurors found Republican David Rivera and an associate guilty on all counts, including failing to register as a foreign agent with the Justice Department and conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of its work for former President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The seven-week trial offered a rare glimpse into Miami’s role as a crossroads for foreign influence campaigns aimed at shaping U.S. policy toward Latin America.
Stay tuned for the Live M and M Extra Podcast with Mike Gallagher and Mark Davis, a unique and deliciously unstructured session each day where these two iconic hosts summarize the day’s news and compare notes on countless other matters, large and small.
WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Friday the White House had given Spirit Airlines and its creditors a final proposal to try to rescue the bankrupt airline, even as the budget carrier makes preparations to shut down if no deal is reached.
"We're looking at Spirit. If we can help them, we will, but we have to come first," Trump told reporters. "If we could do it, we'd do it, but only if it's a good deal."
Trump added he expected an announcement later on Friday.
Two people familiar with the matter confirmed a Wall Street Journal report that Spirit is preparing to cease operations after hitting an impasse in talks with some creditors on a $500 million government bailout plan.
The White House has reached out to other airlines to discuss how to accommodate people who have Spirit tickets and could be stranded if the airline stops operating. United Airlines said it was preparing to support Spirit customers if the rival shuts down.
Trump said last month his administration was looking to buy the embattled carrier at the "right price."
Sources later said the administration had proposed $500 million in financing in exchange for warrants equivalent to 90% of Spirit's equity.
There had been disagreements inside the Trump administration over whether and how to fund the bailout, the Journal report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Not all Spirit bondholders were on board with the deal, the report added.
A rescue hearing scheduled for Thursday did not take place after talks over the terms of the government bailout continued.
A company spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing discussions, adding, "Spirit is operating as usual."
The carrier's demise would mark the industry's first casualty linked to the Iran war.
Spirit had earlier reached a deal with its lenders that would have helped it emerge from its second bankruptcy by late spring or early summer.
Those plans were derailed after the war triggered a spike in jet fuel prices, upending Spirit's cost projections and complicating its bankruptcy exit.
The carrier built its turnaround plan on jet fuel costs averaging about $2.24 per gallon in 2026 and $2.14 in 2027, according to March disclosures.
By the end of April, prices had climbed to around $4.51 a gallon, double the level assumed in its projections.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A body found in Tampa Bay has been identified as the second missing University of South Florida doctoral studen t from Bangladesh, a sheriff said Friday.
Nahida Bristy’s remains were found Sunday in a garbage bag, discovered by a kayaker whose fishing line got snagged, said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. The positive identification on the decomposed body was eventually made using DNA and dental records, he said.
The body of her friend, fellow USF doctoral student Zamil Limon, was in another garbage bag that was found two days before that on a bridge over the bay. Limon’s roommate, Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih, was taken into custody the same day and faces two charges of murder.
Chronister said the suspect showed no emotion when investigators presented him with details of the killings.
“He was nonreactive,” Chronister said. “He was callous and showed no emotion when we showed him the information we had.”
The two students were murdered around the same time and place, though detectives need to investigate further before they can decide that conclusively, the sheriff said.
The sheriff said detectives didn’t yet know a motive for the killings.
BEREA, Ky. (AP) — A person of interest has been taken into custody in connection with the fatal shootings of two bank employees during a robbery, a Kentucky state trooper said Friday.
The person is “believed to be involved” in the bank robbery in Berea on Thursday, Trooper Justin Kearney posted online.
A man wearing a gray-white hoodie, gloves and a mask entered a branch of U.S. Bank in Berea and shot a male and female employee on Thursday, state police said.
Law enforcement officials went door to door in search of information and surveillance video, as well as using helicopters, drones and dogs. The Lexington Police Department and county sheriff’s offices took part in the search, along with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“This was a team effort,” Kearney posted Friday morning.
He did not provide further details.
Area schools went into lockdown for a while Thursday until campuses were deemed safe. Students were not allowed to go home on buses and had to be picked up by their parents, state police said.
U.S. Bank said it was working closely with law enforcement and committed to supporting the victims' families and bank colleagues.
“We’re deeply saddened by the tragic event that took the lives of two of our employees at our Berea, Kentucky branch earlier today,” the company said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our colleagues and the entire Berea community.”
Berea is about 36 miles (58 kilometers) south of Lexington.
Salem Media, our partners, and affiliates use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, personalize site content, and deliver relevant video recommendations. By using this website and continuing to navigate, you consent to our use of such technologies and the sharing of video viewing activity with third-party partners in accordance with the Video Privacy Protection Act and other privacy laws.Privacy Policy