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Google’s digital ad network declared an illegal monopoly, joining its search engine in penalty box

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — has been branded an abusive by a federal judge for the second time in less than a year, this time for illegally exploiting some of its online technology to boost the profits fueling an internet empire currently worth $1.8 trillion.

The ruling issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia comes on the heels of a separate decision in August that concluded Google’s namesake search engine has been illegally leveraging its dominance to stifle competition and innovation.

After the U.S. Justice Department targeted Google’s ubiquitous search engine during President Donald ‘s first administration, the same agency went after the company’s lucrative digital advertising network in 2023 during President Joe Biden’s ensuing administration in an attempt to undercut the power that Google has amassed since its inception in a Silicon Valley garage in 1998.

Although antitrust regulators prevailed both times, the battle is likely to continue for several more years as Google tries to overturn the two monopoly decisions in appeals while forging ahead in the new and highly lucrative technological frontier of artificial intelligence.

The next step in the latest case is a penalty phase that will likely begin late this year or early next year. The same so-called “remedy” hearings in the search monopoly case are scheduled to begin Monday in Washington D.C., where Justice Department lawyers will try to convince U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to impose a sweeping punishment that includes a proposed requirement for Google to sell its Chrome web browser.

Brinkema’s 115-page decision centers on the marketing machine that Google has spent the past 17 years building around its search engine and other widely used products and services, including its Chrome browser, YouTube video site and digital maps.

The system was largely built around a series of acquisitions that started with Google’s $3.2 billion purchase of online ad specialist DoubleClick in 2008. U.S. regulators approved the deals at the time they were made before realizing that they had given the Mountain View, California, company a platform to manipulate the prices in an ecosystem that a wide range of websites depend on for revenue and provides a vital marketing connection to consumers.

The Justice Department lawyers argued that Google built and maintained dominant market positions in a technology trifecta used by website publishers to sell ad space on their webpages, as well as the technology that advertisers use to get their ads in front of consumers, and the ad exchanges that conduct automated auctions in fractions of a second to match buyer and seller.

Although Brinkema didn’t rule entirely in favor of the Justice Department, the judge concluded Google has been abusing its power to stifle competition to the detriment of online publishers forced to rely on its ad network and pricing for revenue. Brinkema reached the decision after evaluating the evidence presented during a lengthy trial that concluded just before Thanksgiving last year,

“For over a decade, Google has tied its publisher ad server and ad exchange together through contractual policies and technological integration, which enabled the company to establish and protect its monopoly power in these two markets.” Brinkema wrote. “Google further entrenched its monopoly power by imposing anticompetitive policies on its customers and eliminating desirable product features.”

The Justice Department didn’t immediately comment on the decision.

In a statement, Google said it will appeal the ruling.

“We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs. “Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective.”

As it did in the search monopoly case, Google and its corporate parent Alphabet vehemently denied the Justice Department’s allegations. Their lawyers argued the government largely based its case on an antiquated concept of a market that existed a decade ago while underestimating a highly competitive market for advertising spending that includes the likes of Facebook parent Meta Platforms, Amazon, Microsoft and Comcast.

The market as drawn in the Justice Department’s case didn’t include ads that appear on mobile apps, streaming television services, or other platforms to which internet users have increasingly migrated, prompting Google lawyer Karen Dunn to compare the government’s definition a “time capsule with a BlackBerry, an iPod and a Blockbuster video card” during her opening statement when the trial began last September.

At trial, the Justice Department’s lawyers emphasized the harm to news publishers that has arisen from Google’s alleged dominance of the marketplace. Witnesses from Gannett, the publisher of USA Today and other newspapers, and News Corp., the publisher of the Journal, testified about the difficulties they have faced and what they said was a lack of alternatives to Google’s ad tech. Those companies rely on online advertising to fund their news operations and make their articles free to consumers on the internet, government lawyers have argued.

Now, government is in position to try to dismantle that byzantine ad system. When the case was filed more than two years ago during the Biden administration, the Justice Department asserted Google should be forced to sell, at a minimum, its Ad Manager product, which includes the technology used by website publishers and the ad exchange.

China dominates solar. Trump tariffs target China. For US solar industry, that means higher costs

Mike Summers was eager to install solar at his home in Ohio for years, and after he finally replaced his aging roof this year, his solar contractor swung into action. His system — including 19 panels and a battery backup — went up this week, and Summers considers himself lucky.

“I’m glad to have done it when I did,” said Summers, a former mayor in his city of Lakewood just west of Cleveland. He’ll get about $10,000 in tax credits on his $39,000 investment, but nearly as important is that all the equipment was readily available.

Other hopeful solar buyers may have a much harder time in coming months. President Donald ‘s escalating trade war with China threatens to crimp a massive source of solar panels and parts, with experts saying the cost of projects will certainly rise as China retaliates.

China accounted for at least 80% of the components of solar panels as recently as 2022, according to an International Energy Agency report, especially polysilicon, glass and solar cells. Solar also demands increasing critical mineral supplies, of which China is a key player across the globe, and electronics.

In the U.S., private industry has poured $18.2 billion into developing a domestic supply chain in recent years, according to Atlas Public Policy, that includes everything from the ingots and wafers that make up panels to electrical and structural components to assembly of the panels themselves. Most of that came from the Inflation Reduction Act passed during former President Joe Biden’s administration, with massive funding for clean energy investment.

But that won’t come close to replacing what China produces.

“Really everybody’s losing when you think about it, because the systems are costing more for the customers and it’s also just making it more difficult, in some ways, for us to do business,” said Brian DiPaolo, assistant sales manager at Cleveland-based solar installer YellowLite, which is doing Summers’ project. DiPaolo said some customers are holding off on plans until there is more clarity. The company still stocked up on solar panels, made in North America, a month ago to stay competitive in coming months.

“We’re seeing both international as well as domestic manufacturers of the equipment increasing their costs to prepare for the ,” DiPaolo said. “You think that the domestic manufacturers would keep their prices down because they don’t get hit by the tariffs, but they’re seeing this added demand for their equipment.”

It’s supply and demand, said Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Heliene, which focuses on large-scale solar projects. He described the price of a necessary glass component from China going up in February due to a tariff hike. Suppliers in other countries matched the higher price, meaning higher costs no matter the source.

Alexis Abramson, dean of Columbia University’s Climate School, said there’s no doubt that residential solar is going to be more expensive. That will cut solar adoption, and small and mid-size installers will go under, she said.

It’s just “extremely difficult to offer current and future customers pricing certainty” when trade policy is changing so much, said James Hasselbeck, chief operating officer at New England-based solar company ReVision Energy.

Solar has gotten significantly more affordable in recent years as the technology scales up, improves and gets cheaper to install. Systems can still cost thousands of dollars on average, but the average cost for a residential system is down more than 70% from 2010, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. American consumers have also had a shot at credits that bring the cost down still further, although the future of those is uncertain under the .

Commercial and utility-scale project costs have also dropped dramatically.

That’s fed rapid growth across the U.S. over the past two decades. In 2024, the commercial segment grew 8% and utility grew 33%, according to an annual report from the association and consultancy Wood Mackenzie. The residential segment fell 32% last year, but experts attribute that to high interest rates and election uncertainty, and said they had expected continued growth before the tariffs hit.

Solar is an important source of clean energy because it doesn’t emit the harmful greenhouse gases that coal, natural gas and oil do. Those are massive contributors to Earth’s warming.

Trump imposed tariffs during his first term on imported solar cells and modules in 2018 in hopes of slashing reliance on China.

But China subsidized its own domestic overproduction and some U.S. manufacturers accused it of essentially moving operations to four Southeast Asian countries that had a temporary exemption from tariffs.

Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said the U.S. is “quickly taking back control of the supply chain from China to build the strongest solar manufacturing base in the world.” The group reported that in 2024, module manufacturing capacity, largely concentrated in the South, grew 190%, and said cell manufacturing “was reshored for the first time in five years” with company Suniva restarting production.

But Hopper also said sudden changes in policy risk chilling investment and slowing job creation, especially for manufacturers. The group said during the first Trump administration that tariffs issued then were harmful to the industry.

Ultimately, Abramson said she “would encourage anybody who has been really thinking about putting solar on their roof to really look into locking that in sooner rather than later.”

Trump gripes about interest rates and says Fed Chair Powell’s ‘termination cannot come fast enough’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald slammed  Chair Jerome on Thursday, reiterating his frustration that the Fed has not aggressively cut interest rates and saying that the central bank leader’s “termination cannot come fast enough.”

Trump hinted at moving to fire Powell, whose term does not expire until May 2026. The Republican president’s broadside comes a day after Powell signaled that the Fed will keep its key unchanged while it seeks “greater clarity” on the impact of policy changes in areas such as immigration, taxation, regulation and .

Powell also reiterated that Trump’s tariffs would likely raise inflation and slow the economy, which could make it harder for the Fed to cut rates anytime soon. The Fed chair also suggested that the central bank will focus on fighting inflation in the wake of the tariffs, even if the duties did weaken the economy. Powell’s comments contributed to a drop in prices Wednesday.

“Oil prices are down, groceries (even eggs!) are down, and the USA is getting RICH ON TARIFFS,” Trump said in a social media post.

Referring to the European Central Bank, he added that Powell “should have lowered Interest Rates, like the ECB, long ago, but he should certainly lower them now. Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!”

The European Central Bank on Thursday lowered its key interest rate from 2.5% to 2.25%.

Powell was initially nominated by Trump in 2017, and he was appointed to another four-year term by President Joe Biden in 2022. At a November news conference, Powell indicated he would not step down if Trump asked him to resign.

He has also said that the removal or demotion of top Fed officials was “not permitted under the law.”

Trump’s comments come with the backdrop of a legal case at the Supreme Court that could determine whether presidents can fire the heads of independent agencies such as the Fed.

The case stems from Trump’s firings of officials from two independent agencies. The Supreme Court last week let the firings stand while it considers the case. It could issue a broader ruling this summer that would enable the president to fire Fed officials, including the chair.

Powell said the Fed is watching the case closely, adding that it might not apply to the Fed. Lawyers for the have also argued that allowing the president to fire the two officials wouldn’t erode the Fed’s independence.

“It is difficult to overstate the consequences at this stressed moment of a Court ruling that found that President Trump … does have the authority to dismiss the heads of independent agencies and did not establish a clear carve-out for the Fed,” Krishna Guha, an analyst at investment bank Evercore ISI, wrote on Thursday. “If you liked the tariff debacle in markets, you’d love the loss-of-Fed-independence trade.”

Powell started Trump’s second term in a relatively secure spot with a low unemployment rate and inflation progressing closer to the Fed’s 2% target, conditions that could have spared the U.S. central banker from the president’s vitriol.

But Trump’s aggressive and haphazard tariffs have increased the threat of a recession with both higher inflationary pressures and slower growth, a tough spot for Powell, whose mandate is to stabilize prices and maximize employment. With the economy weakening because of Trump’s choices, the president appears to be looking to pin the blame on Powell.

Powell, in his remarks at the Economic Club of Chicago on Wednesday, said the Fed will base its decisions solely on what is best for all Americans.

“That’s the only thing we’re ever going to do,” Powell said. “We’re never going to be influenced by any political pressure. can say whatever they want. That’s fine, that’s not a problem. But we will do what we do strictly without consideration of political or any other extraneous factors.”

“Our independence is a matter of law,” Powell continued. “We’re not removable except for cause. We serve very long terms, seemingly endless terms.”

Trump has unleashed a rash of tariffs that have put the U.S. economy and the Fed in an increasingly perilous spot. On April 2, the president rolled out aggressive tariff hikes based off U.S. trade deficits with other nations, causing a financial market backlash that almost immediately led him to announce a 90-day pause in which most countries would be charged a baseline 10% tariff while negotiations go forward. But Trump increased his tariff hikes on China to a rate of 145%, in addition to his existing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, autos and steel and aluminum.

banks such as Goldman Sachs have raised their odds that a recession could start. Consumers are increasingly pessimistic in surveys about their job prospects and fearful that inflation will shoot up as the cost of the import taxes get passed along to them. The risk of stagflation — stagnant growth and high inflation — would make it harder for the Fed to respond with the same playbook as recent downturns.

The Budget Lab at Yale University estimated that the increased inflationary pressures from the tariffs would be equal to the loss of $4,900 in an average U.S. household.

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AP journalists Sagar Meghani and Christopher Rugaber contributed reporting.

Commanders and the D.C. government are in talks on a stadium deal, AP source says

The NFL’s Washington Commanders and the District of Columbia are in discussions about a new football stadium in the nation’s capital, a person with knowledge of talks said Wednesday.

No deal has been finalized yet, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no agreement in place.

The team has been looking for a new stadium for several years, and that search moved to a new level when Josh Harris’ group bought the Commanders from previous owner Dan Snyder in 2023. Places in Washington, Virginia and Maryland have all been under consideration.

The site of old RFK Stadium is believed to be the preferred destination. The Washington NBC affiliate reported Wednesday that the team and D.C. government were close on an agreement to build there, with the framework of a deal north of $3 billion.

“In the coming days, we will share more on our growth agenda by highlighting our next budget to grow D.C. and outlining a plan to realize abundant opportunities at our RFK (site) as we forge ahead with shaping D.C.’s future economy,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office said in a statement.

Getting back to the franchise’s former home is a path that included Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill in December to pass legislation to transfer the 170-plus acres of land from the to D.C. It made it through Congress at the eleventh hour, and former President Joe Biden signed it into law in early January.

The Commanders’ lease at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, runs through 2027. Harris called 2030 a “reasonable target” for a new stadium.

The team played at RFK Stadium, 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) east of the Capitol, from 1961-96 before moving to Maryland. Harris and several co-owners, including Mitch Rales and Mark Ein, grew up as Washington football fans during that era, which included the glory days of three Super Bowl championships from 1982-91.

Wall Street is mixed after UnitedHealth’s worst drop in decades offsets gains for most US stocks

NEW YORK (AP) — is drifting between gains and losses Thursday as  Group’s  plunges toward its worst drop in more than a quarter century, while most of the rest of the U.S. stock market ticks higher.

The S&P 500 was up 0.4% in its final day of trading in a holiday-shortened week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 445 points, or 1.1%, as of 11:40 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% lower.

UnitedHealth was the heaviest force dragging on the market, and its stock tumbled 22.6% toward its worst day since 1998.

The health care giant reported profit and revenue for the latest quarter that fell short of analysts’ expectations, and it also slashed its forecast for financial results this year. It was surprised by how much care its Medicare Advantage customers were getting from doctors and outpatient services, which was above the company’s expectations.

Another high-profile stock, , also dragged on the market after sinking a second straight day following its disclosure that new export limits on chips to China could hurt its first-quarter results by $5.5 billion. It sank 3.5% and was the second-heaviest weight on the S&P 500.

But a wide majority of across Wall Street were nevertheless rising, including more than four out of every five within the S&P 500 index. Technology stocks held steadier following their sell-off from the day before after global heavyweight Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported a profit for the latest quarter that matched analysts’ expectations.

Perhaps more importantly, it also said it hasn’t seen a drop-off in activity from its customers because of President Donald ‘s trade war, as some other companies have suggested.

Still, the company known as TSMC was cautious. “While we have not seen any changes in our customers’ behavior so far, uncertainties and risks from the potential impact from tariff policies exist,” Chief Financial Officer Wendell Huang said. TSMC’s stock that trades in the United States rose 0.7%.

Eli Lilly was another winner after the drugmaker reported encouraging results for a once-daily pill that could help treat people with obesity and diabetes. Its stock jumped 14.7%.

Exxon Mobil rose 3.4%, and ConocoPhillips rallied 4% as oil prices rose to recover some of their sharp losses taken this month amid worries that the trade war could hurt the global economy.

Uncertainty still remains high about , which Trump has said will bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States and trim how much more it imports than it exports. Economists worry that the tariffs, if fully implemented and left in place for a while, could cause a recession.

Trump on Thursday offered some encouraging signals that negotiations with other countries could lead to lower tariffs, which is what Wall Street is hoping for.

“Had a very productive call with the President of Mexico yesterday,” Trump said on his Truth Social network. “Likewise, I met with the highest level Japanese Trade Representatives. It was a very productive meeting. Every Nation, including China, wants to meet!”

The uncertainty about what will happen in Trump’s on-again-off-again rollout of tariffs, though, could by itself damage the economy. Chair Jerome helped send stocks lower Wednesday when he said again that Trump’s tariffs appear to be larger than the central bank was expecting, which could in turn slow the economy and raise inflation more than it had earlier thought.

That could set the Fed up for a dilemma. It could cut interest rates to help the economy, but that would also push inflation higher. It has no good tool to fix both at the same time. Powell said again on Wednesday that the Fed would wait to see how conditions play out more before moving on interest rates.

Trump criticized that stance Thursday, saying the Fed is “always TOO LATE AND WRONG.” He also said, “Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!”

That could spook Wall Street. An independent Fed able to act without influence from the White House is one of the primary reasons the United States has long enjoyed its status as a safe place to invest. History suggests central banks with more autonomy tend to have economies with lower and more stable inflation.

Research also suggests Trump’s past attacks on the Fed in favor of lower interest rates may have helped drive expectations in financial markets for lower rates, which in turn may have had some influence on the Fed. But conditions are different this time around from Trump’s first term, when inflation was low.

“This request for lower rates could backfire if markets perceive that going forward the Fed will be less committed to low and stable inflation,” according to Francesco Bianchi, an economics professor at Johns Hopkins University.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.32% from 4.29% late Wednesday. It had been easing for much of this week, following last week’s scary rise. That sudden climb last week had raised concerns that Trump’s trade war may be causing investors worldwide to lose faith in U.S. investments as the world’s safest.

Reports Thursday morning came in mixed on the U.S. economy. One said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than economists expected in the latest signal that the job market remains relatively solid. But another report said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly flipped to contraction from growth.

In stock markets abroad, indexes slipped 0.6% in France and 0.5% in Germany. The European Central Bank cut its main , which is something that often pushes stock prices higher. But investors worldwide had already been expecting the move for a while.

In Asia, indexes were stronger. Stocks rose 1.6% in Hong Kong and 1.3% in Japan. Trump joined Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in talks Wednesday with a Japanese delegation in Washington.

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AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

Notes: Eds: UPDATES: trading, and headline.

 

The Latest: Trump hints at firing Federal Reserve chair Powell after tariff comments

U.S. President Donald  said Thursday that Chair Jerome ‘ s termination “cannot come fast enough” as he reiterated his frustration that the Fed hasn’t aggressively cut interest rates.

The president’s broadside came a day after Powell said in a speech that Trump’s broad-based have left the Federal Reserve seeking “greater clarity” on the impact of policy changes in areas such as immigration, taxation, regulation, and tariffs before making potential cuts.

Here’s the latest:

Schumer wants DOJ to find out if attack on Pennsylvania governor’s home is federal hate crime

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is calling on the Justice Department to investigate whether the arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence qualifies as a federal hate crime.

The suspect, Cody Balmer, has “admitted to harboring hatred” toward Shapiro, who’s Jewish, according to a police affidavit. Police obtained warrants to search Balmer’s writings or notes for any references to “the name of Josh Shapiro (or a) reference to Palestine, Gaza, Israel or the current conflict in Gaza.”

In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, Schumer said the incident “warrants immediate and serious federal scrutiny.”

“I appreciate your strong condemnation of the attack and urge you to ensure that the does everything in its power to pursue justice and uphold the fundamental values of religious freedom and public safety,” wrote Schumer, who’s the highest-ranked Jewish official in the U.S.

Ukraine’s future is at the center of talks in Paris with Rubio, Witkoff and top European officials

Paris is hosting the series of talks Thursday about Ukraine and its security, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, French President Emmanuel Macron and top Ukrainian and European officials.

Rubio and Witkoff were having lunch discussions with Macron and “talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

The meetings come as concerns grow about Trump’s readiness to draw closer to Russia, and after weeks of U.S. efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. There’s also frustration over the ‘s other moves, from tariffs on some of its closest partners to rhetoric about NATO and Greenland.

Trump’s schedule for Thursday

At 12 p.m. ET, the president will greet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to the White House schedule for Thursday. The pair are scheduled to participate in a bilateral lunch followed by a meeting in the Oval Office, where they may speak to the White House Press Pool.

Meloni is the first European leader to have a face-to-face with Trump since he announced, and then suspended, 20% tariffs on European exports. Meloni secured the meeting at a critical juncture in the trade war as Italy’s leader, but she also has, in a sense, been “knighted” to represent the European Union. She’s been in close contact with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the trip, and “the outreach is … closely coordinated,” a commission spokesperson said this week.

At 4:00 p.m. ET, Trump is scheduled to sign executive orders.

Federal judge will hear arguments as groups try to block Trump’s executive order on elections

The judge will hear arguments Thursday in three cases from national Democrats and voting rights groups that are challenging President Trump’s recent executive order on elections, which, among other changes, would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

The Democratic National Committee, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the League of Women Voters Education Fund and others are seeking to block Trump’s sweeping overhaul of federal election processes, alleging the changes he wants are unconstitutional.

The Republican president’s executive order says the U.S. has failed “to enforce basic and necessary election protections” and calls on states to work with federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election crimes. It threatens to pull from states where election officials don’t comply.

Trump says Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell ‘termination cannot come fast enough’

Trump hinted at moving to fire Powell, whose term doesn’t expire until next year, as he reiterated his frustration that the Fed hasn’t aggressively cut interest rates.

The president’s broadside comes a day after Powell said in a speech that Trump’s broad-based tariffs have left the Federal Reserve seeking “greater clarity” on the impact of policy changes in areas such as immigration, taxation, regulation, and tariffs before making potential cuts.

“Oil prices are down, groceries (even eggs!) are down, and the USA is getting RICH ON TARIFFS,” Trump said in a social media post. He added that Powell “should have lowered Interest Rates, like the ECB, long ago, but he should certainly lower them now. Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!”

Powell was initially nominated by Trump in 2017, and appointed to another four-year term by President Joe Biden in 2022. At a November new conference, Powell indicated he would not step down if Trump asked him to resign. He has also said the removal or demotion of top Fed officials was “not permitted under the law.”

Trump administration issues order to stop construction on New York offshore wind project

The Trump administration issued an order Wednesday to stop construction on a major offshore wind project to power more than 500,000 New York homes, the latest in a series of moves targeting the industry.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt construction on Empire Wind, a fully-permitted project. He said it needs further review because it appears the Biden administration rushed the approval.

Trump has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind. His first day in office, Trump signed an executive order temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pausing the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects. Last month, the administration revoked the Clean Air Permit for an offshore wind project off the coast of New Jersey, Atlantic Shores. Construction on that wind farm had not yet begun.

Trump joins tariff talks with Japan as US seeks deals amid trade wars

Trump on Wednesday inserted himself directly into trade talks with Japanese officials, a sign of the high stakes for the United States after its tariffs rattled the economy and caused the administration to assure the public that it would quickly reach deals.

The Republican president attended the meeting alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, top economic advisers with a central role in his trade and tariff policies.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Thursday in Tokyo that his chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, told him from Washington that the talks were “very candid and constructive.”

Ishiba said he will closely watch how ministerial talks go and plans to visit Washington to meet with Trump at an appropriate time.

Trump’s choice to get directly involved in negotiations points to his desire to quickly finalize a slew of trade deals as China is pursuing its own set of agreements.

Judge says labor unions’ lawsuit over access to Labor Department systems can move forward

A federal judge says he won’t dismiss a lawsuit from labor unions seeking to block ‘s team from accessing systems at the Labor Department.

The labor unions say that allowing Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to access the systems violates the federal Privacy Act because they contain medical and financial records of millions of Americans. They also contend DOGE doesn’t have the legal authority to direct the actions of congressionally created agencies like the Department of Labor.

In a ruling Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John Bates said those claims could move forward in court. But some other, more specific arguments made by the unions — including that the U.S. Health and Human Services Department violated health care privacy laws by allowing DOGE access — were dismissed by the judge.

The federal Privacy Act generally prohibits an agency from disclosing records about a person to another agency, unless the person has first given written permission.

DOGE targets a community service program in its latest cost-cutting effort

A 30-year-old community service program that sends young adults to work on projects across the U.S. was the latest target of the Trump administration ‘s campaign to slash government spending.

AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps informed volunteers Tuesday that they would exit the program early “due to programmatic circumstances beyond your control,” according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.

The unsigned memo to corps members said NCCC’s “ability to sustain program operations” was impacted by the Trump administration’s priorities and Trump’s executive order creating the Department of Government Efficiency. Members would be officially dismissed April 30.

More than 2,000 ages 18 to 26 serve for nearly a year, according to the program’s website, and get assigned to projects with nonprofits and community organizations or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It celebrated its 30th year last year.

The organization said on social media last month that teams have served 8 million service hours on nearly 3,400 disaster projects since 1999.

Mitre-backed cybersecurity program gets last minute save

Federal contractor , which has dual headquarters in and Massachusetts, expected Wednesday to lose the needed to operate and maintain its nearly 26-year-old Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) program, but a last-minute reprieve from the and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has prevented that from happening.

Established in September 1999, the CVE program has been run by Mitre and funded by contracts from CISA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The program aims to identify, define and catalog publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities. It is continuously updated by the global cyber community and is described by Mitre as “a foundational pillar of the cybersecurity ecosystem,” relied on by organizations across industry, government, national security and critical infrastructure.

“The CVE Program anchors a growing cybersecurity vendor market worth more than $37 billion, providing foundational data to vendor products across vulnerability management, cyber threat intelligence, security information and event management, and endpoint detection and response,” a Mitre spokesperson said.

On Tuesday, a memo from Yosry A. Barsoum, vice president and director for Mitre’s Center for Securing the Homeland, to CVE board members indicated that the program was in jeopardy. The memo, which was circulated on social media and confirmed by Mitre, stated that the current contracting pathway for Mitre to develop, operate and modernize CVE and several related programs was set to expire on Wednesday.

“If a break in service were to occur, we anticipate multiple impacts to CVE, including deterioration of national vulnerability databases and advisories, tool vendors, incident response operations and all manner of critical infrastructure,” Barsoum wrote ahead of the potential contract expiration.

However, Tuesday night CISA executed an option period to extend the contract with Mitre for an additional 11 months, ensuring there will be no lapse in critical CVE services. In a statement issued Wednesday, a CISA spokesperson said the CVE program is “invaluable” to the cyber community and a priority of CISA.

CISA did not respond to requests for additional comment.

Barsoum said in a statement Wednesday that, thanks to actions taken by the , breaks in service to the CVE program and the Common Weakness Enumeration program were avoided.

“As of Wednesday morning, April 16, 2025, CISA identified incremental funding to keep the programs operational,” Barsoum said. “We appreciate the overwhelming support for these programs that have been expressed by the global cyber community, industry and government over the last 24 hours. The government continues to make considerable efforts to support Mitre’s role in the program, and Mitre remains committed to CVE and CWE as global resources.”

According to a Mitre spokesperson, after the 11-month extension is up, Mitre plans to work with its federal sponsors, the CVE board and the cybersecurity community on considerations for continued financial and community support of the program.

Earlier on Wednesday, some CVE board members issued a news release announcing that they were launching a new entity called the CVE Foundation to ensure that the program could have long-term viability, sustainability and independence

“Since its inception, the CVE program has operated as a U.S. government-funded initiative, with oversight and management provided under contract,” the foundation wrote. “While this structure has supported the program’s growth, it has also raised longstanding concerns among members of the CVE Board about the sustainability and neutrality of a globally relied-upon resource being tied to a single government sponsor.”

The foundation said the concern became urgent following Tuesday’s letter from Mitre notifying the CVE board that the federal government didn’t intend to renew the contract for managing the program.

“While we had hoped this day would not come, we have been preparing for this possibility,” the foundation said. “In response, a coalition of longtime, active CVE board members have spent the past year developing a strategy to transition CVE to a dedicated, nonprofit foundation. The new CVE Foundation will focus solely on continuing the mission of delivering high-quality vulnerability identification and maintaining the integrity and availability of CVE data for defenders worldwide.”

The foundation did not return requests for further comment.

Earlier this month, Mitre announced it planned to lay off 442 workers in Virginia by June 3. The announced cuts came after the ‘s Department of Government Efficiency () said the government was canceling more than $28 million in contracts with Mitre. Launched by and run by SpaceX and Tesla billioniare , DOGE identified the Mitre contract cancellations as part of its cost-cutting measures, according to G2Xchange, a company that tracks federal contracts.

Founded in 1958, the not-for-profit Mitre manages federally funded research and development centers, including the National Security Engineering Center, which delivers research, engineering and analytical solutions to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.

Mitre has more than 60 sites worldwide, employing 10,000 workers. Mitre’s 200-plus labs develop innovations in applied science and technologies in sectors ranging from artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum computing to maritime and aviation safety.

Campbell breaks ground on $11M shell building

U.S. Rep. John McGuire, R-Goochland, and other officials attended a groundbreaking Tuesday for a 100,000-square-foot industrial building that will be built at Seneca Commerce Park in .

An $11 million project, the building is the largest initiative undertaken by ‘s Department in over a decade, according to the county. The building, which is scheduled to be completed in 2027, will be a dark , meaning it will offer few or no interior improvements.

Drawing of a shell building.
Architectural Partners designed the shell building. Photo courtesy Campbell County

‘s Architectural Partners designed the structure and will provide engineering services.

Manufacturers and logistics companies would be good fits for the building, which will have 36-foot clear ceilings, according to Nina Rezai, director of economic development for Campbell County.

Campbell County went with a 100,000-square-foot building because there’s a shortage of industrial buildings that size across the nation and in the Lynchburg region, she said.

Built in 1998, Seneca Commerce Park is currently home to Shentel, CTP Advanced Composites, and Pinnacle Trailers.

Campbell County has more plans in the works for the : the construction of a second 45,000-square-foot shell building and a pad-ready site on 3.5 acres. The three projects, collectively, will sit on 17.3 acres of the park, leaving seven parcels — totaling more than 58.7 acres — available for future development.

Preparing the site for the new shell building cost $808,000 according to Rezai. That cost was covered by county funds and a $404,000 grant from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission and a $202,000 grant from the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission. The county is financing the cost of constructing the shell building.

Deltek announces new chief marketing officer

Herndon-based software company and announced Wednesday that it has appointed Dan Barnhardt as its .

“Dan’s creative and strategic approach to will be instrumental as we sharpen Deltek’s voice and modernize how we engage in the market,” Deltek President and CEO Bob Hughes said in a statement.

Barnhardt succeeds Perry Hardt in the role. He’ll report to Deltek’s senior vice president and chief commercial officer, Natasha Engan, and focus on brand evolution, digital engagement, demand generation and customer advocacy.

“Deltek became a global leader trusted by 30,000 customers by distinguishing itself through a commitment to customer service and product excellence, and the opportunity to build on that strong foundation is incredibly exciting,” said Barnhardt in a statement. “I’m looking forward to connecting with Deltek customers, partners and team members alike as we accelerate growth for the next chapter of the company’s evolution.”

Before Deltek, Barnhardt most recently served as vice president of corporate marketing at Icertis. Before that, he held marketing leadership positions for Precisely and Infor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University.

Headquartered in , Deltek provides enterprise software and information solutions. It has more than 4,000 employees worldwide.

Powell says Federal Reserve can wait on any interest rate moves

WASHINGTON (AP) — The can stay patient and wait to see how and other economic policies of the administration play out before making any changes to interest rates, Chair Jerome said Wednesday.

“For the time being, we are well positioned to wait for greater clarity” on the impact of policy changes in areas such as immigration, taxation, regulation, and tariffs, Powell said.

The sharp volatility in financial markets since announced sweeping tariffs April 2, only to put most of them on hold a week later, has led to speculation about whether the Fed would soon cut its key or take other steps to calm investors. Yet the Fed is unlikely to intervene unless there is a breakdown in the market for Treasury securities or other malfunctions, economists say.

In written remarks to be delivered to the Economic Club of Chicago, Powell reiterated that the ‘s tariffs are “significantly larger than anticipated.”

“The same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth,” he said.

Powell said the inflation will likely be temporary, but “could also be more persistent,” echoing a concern expressed by a majority of the Fed’s 19-member interest rate-setting committee in the minutes of their meeting last month.

Yet some splits among the Fed’s interest rate-setting committee have emerged. On Monday, Fed governor Christopher Waller said that he expects the impact of even a large increase in tariffs to be temporary, even if they are left in place for several years. At the same time, he also expects such large duties would weigh on the economy and even threaten a recession.

Should the economy slow sharply, even if inflation remained elevated, Waller said he would support cutting interest rates “sooner, and to a greater extent than I had previously thought.”

But other Fed officials, including Neel Kashkari, president of the Fed’s Minneapolis branch, have said they are more focused on fighting the effects of higher tariffs on inflation, suggesting they are less likely to support rate cuts anytime soon.

For now, most recent reports suggest the economy is in solid shape. Hiring has been solid and inflation cooled in March. Yet measures of consumer and business confidence have plunged, raising concerns among economists that spending and business investment could weaken.