News Wrap: Supreme Court, Columbia Protests, Russia-Ukraine Conflict, and VE Day Anniversaries

Immigration Policy and Supreme Court

• 🏛️ The Trump administration is requesting the Supreme Court to allow the removal of deportation protections for over half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
• ⚖️ This action seeks to block a district court order that upheld temporary legal status granted by a Biden-era policy.
• 📄 Justice Department lawyers argue that the lower court's decision nullified a significant immigration policy.

Protests and Political Appointments

• 🚨 Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reviewing the visa status of protesters involved in clashes at Columbia University, where police took at least 80 people into custody.
• 🎤 President Trump withdrew his nominee for the top federal prosecutor in Washington D.C. due to a lack of Republican Senate support.
• 🚫 The acting head of FEMA was removed shortly after advocating for the agency's relevance, with President Trump having previously suggested eliminating FEMA.

International Relations and Anniversaries

• 🕊️ Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of violating a three-day ceasefire called by President Putin for Victory Day.
• 🤝 President Putin welcomed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the Kremlin, referring to him as the main guest for the Victory Day military parade.
• 🌍 VE Day anniversaries were observed across Europe, with leaders in Germany, France, and the UK commemorating the end of World War II and warning about current geopolitical concerns.
• 🇺🇦 President Zelensky criticized Moscow's Victory Day parade as a "parade of cynicism, bile and lies," highlighting Ukraine's significant sacrifices in defeating Nazism.

Economic and Social Notes

• 📈 Wall Street stocks rallied on hopes of President Trump firming up trade deals, with the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 all seeing gains.
• 🖼️ First Lady Melania Trump hosted the unveiling of a new postage stamp honoring former First Lady Barbara Bush, who is unique for being the wife of one president and mother to another.