Schumer tries to ground Trump’s jet plan

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, said he would put a “hold” on nominations to the Justice Department in protest against Donald Trump’s plan to accept a jumbo jet from Qatar. Mr Schumer described the proposed gift as “so corrupt that even Putin would give a double take”. Republicans have a majority in the Senate, so Democrats cannot completely derail the confirmation process. But they can slow it down.

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, sacked the acting head of the National Intelligence Council, which co-ordinates the work of government intelligence agencies, and his deputy. Both had worked for America’s intelligence services for decades. A spokesperson said that the dismissal was part of efforts to end the “weaponisation and politicisation of the intelligence community”.

America’s annual inflation rate fell to 2.3% in April, down from 2.4% in March. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was 2.8%. The consequences of Mr Trump’s tariff turmoil are expected to appear more clearly in the data in the coming months.

A federal judge handed control of Rikers Island to an official outside of New York City’s government. The federal government has supervised the city’s biggest jail since a class-action lawsuit alleging that staff used excessive force was settled a decade ago, but the city retained control. Finding that the facility had not improved, the judge appointed a “remediation manager” to correct the “ongoing violations of the constitutional rights” of inmates.

The Trump administration cut an additional $450m in federal grants to Harvard University. It accused the university’s leadership of failing to offer a “meaningful response” to findings recently released by Harvard’s task-force on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias. Mr Trump has already cancelled billions of dollars in combined grants to Harvard, Columbia and other universities, citing antisemitism. Last month Harvard sued the administration.

John Ewing junior became Omaha, Nebraska’s first black mayor, defeating Jean Stothert, the Republican incumbent. It is one of several good election results for Democrats since Mr Trump returned to office. A Democrat managed to pick up a seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court in April. And though Democratic candidates lost two special elections in heavily Republican districts in Florida, the results were closer than expected.

Mr Trump’s approval rating—the share of people who approve of the job he is doing minus the proportion who do not—plunged after he returned to office. But in recent weeks it has stabilised. Our presidential tracker, freshly updated with new polling data gathered by YouGov on behalf of The Economist, has it at -10.

Of all the leaders of Gulf states, it is Muhammad bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, who really gets Mr Trump. Yesterday he and the president signed a “strategic economic partnership” worth $600bn, which includes a $142bn arms deal. Today the two are expected to discuss regional security. Read our story about the cash and kudos Mr Trump wants from his tour of the region.

“Is this the dollar’s swan song?” asked Zakir Kibria in the Dhaka Tribune, a Bangladeshi newspaper. “Once the globe’s headliner”, it “croaks out its greatest hits to a dwindling crowd”. Bangladesh “clings to the dollar like a security blanket” while “BRICS+ nations hoard gold like dragons”. “The dollar’s encore won’t last,” making Bangladesh’s choice stark: “dance to the old tune or lead the new rhythm.”

34%, the tariff rate that will be imposed on Chinese goods entering America if the two countries don’t reach a new trade deal during the trade-war ceasefire they negotiated last weekend. Read our story about the strangely good tariff deal America has given China, for 90 days at least.

From Monday to Thursday we’ll quiz you on all things American. This week’s quiz is about trade between America and China.

Wednesday: In 1950 America imposed a total trade embargo on China. Why?

Tuesday: The Burlingame Treaty, signed by America and China in 1868, helped promote Sino-American trade by granting China “most-favoured-nation” status. What was peculiar about the eponymous Anson Burlingame’s role in the negotiations?

See how to take part in the quiz at the bottom of this page.

If you enjoyed this week’s questions, play Dateline, The Economist’s history game.