WORLD Radio – Friday morning news: May 16, 2025
News of the day, including the Supreme Court hears cases about birthright citizenship and nationwide injunctions, the White House is optimistic about nuclear negotiations with Iran, and Israel launches overnight airstrikes on Gaza
John Eastman, left, a California law professor accompanied by Attorney Paul Kamenar speaks to reporters after the Supreme Court hearing on Birthright Citizenship outside of the Supreme Court, Thursday. Associated Press / Photo by Jose Luis Magana
Supreme Court hears birthright citizenship/district judges case » Is President Trump’s executive order denying birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants constitutional? That’s what the Supreme Court is weighing.
Justices heard oral arguments in the case Thursday, and a majority voiced concerns about the president’s order. Attorney John Eastman supports the White House’s arguments.
EASTMAN: I think the historical record is much stronger in favor of President Trump’s executive order than the three or four justices that commented about the merits were willing to accept.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin is representing the nearly 20 Democrat-led states challenging the order.
PLATKIN: It’s about whether the rule of law and the constraints on the executive and, as Justice Jackson said, whether the president can act like a king. The answer I think the Court is going to say is no, he cannot.
But this case could have implications far beyond this issue. Birthright citizenship is just one of several matters over which lower court judges have issued nationwide injunctions to block the Trump Administration’s policies. Even liberal Justice Elena Kagan expressed concern over that.
KAGAN: Because of the forum selection process, a party goes to one place- you know, in the first Trump Administration it was all done in San Francisco. And then in the next administration, it was all done in Texas. And there is a big problem that is created by that mechanism.
It’s possible the justices could uphold birthright citizenship while curbing the ability of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions. A ruling could come by the end of June.
Trump wraps up Middle East trip, touts UAE investments deal » President Trump ended his four-day swing through the Middle East with what he says is another trillion dollar-plus investment in the United States.
The president spent part of Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, where he thanked the UAE for committing to $1.4 trillion dollars’ worth of investments in AI, semiconductors, energy, and manufacturing over the next decade.
Combine that with commitments from other countries in the region this week, and Trump says it adds up to a big number.
TRUMP: We have now, I think, substantially over $10 trillion dollars of investment. And now, when I add the $1.4 trillion, we easily break that number.
Among the latest investments Trump’s touting: the U.S. and UAE agreed to work together to build the largest AI data center outside the United States in Abu Dhabi.
Trump optimistic about Iran nuclear deal progress » During his Middle East swing Thursday, Trump also expressed optimism that the U.S. is close to a deal with Iran on that country’s nuclear program.
TRUMP: Iran has sort of agreed to the terms. We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran.
There have been several rounds of talks between the two countries the past few weeks.
A top Iranian leader says Iran is prepared to get rid of its uranium stockpiles, and to promise never to make nuclear weapons. In return, Iran wants the immediate lifting of Western economic sanctions, which have crippled its economy.
Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes like energy production, a claim the U.S. has long doubted.
SOUND: Missile hits building
Dozens killed in overnight airstrikes in Gaza » More than 50 people are dead after a second night of heavy bombing in Gaza. That’s according to the hospital morgue in Khan Younis, the city that took the most fire in this latest round of airstrikes.
No official comment from Israel’s military, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this week that his country’s troops would be pushing ahead with an escalation of force in Gaza.
He says that escalation is aimed at destroying Hamas, the terror group that governs Gaza and launched the brutal attack on Israel that provoked the Gaza war in the fall of 2023.
Low expectations for Ukraine peace talks » The Trump Administration says it doesn’t have high expectations for today’s peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, the first direct talks between the two sides in more than three years.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio,
RUBIO: I think it’s abundantly clear that the only way we’re going to have a breakthrough here is between President Trump and President Putin. It’s going to require that level of engagement to have a breakthrough in this matter.
Rubio, echoing similar comments from the president himself.
Earlier this week, it looked like a possibility that both Trump and Putin would attend today’s peace talks in Turkey.
But when Putin announced he wouldn’t be coming, Trump followed suit. Now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has backed out, too, rendering the talks a meeting of second-tier delegations.
Rubio says Trump is getting impatient with the lack of progress in ending Russia’s war on Ukraine, and hinted the president could meet for peace discussions soon.
Florida appeals court strikes down state’s no-parental-consent abortion law » A Florida appeals court says a state provision allowing minors to get an abortion without their parents’ consent is unconstitutional. WORLD’s Travis Kircher has more.
TRAVIS KIRCHER: The case is based on a 17-year-old girl’s request for an abortion at six weeks gestation without her parent’s consent.
Florida law typically requires written consent from a parent before any kind of medical procedure can be performed on a minor.
But a provision in the state law says the court can provide a judicial waiver for abortion, if certain criteria are met.
The 17-year-old argued she was mature enough to decide on her own whether to end her baby’s life.
But after hearing from her, Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeals said the teen lacked emotional development and stability.
The court also noted that the teen made the exact same request, 11 months earlier.
In its ruling Wednesday, the court called the judicial waiver provision unconstitutional,.violating parents‘ 14th Amendment right to due process.
For WORLD, I’m Travis Kircher.
I’m Mark Mellinger.
Straight ahead: John Stonestreet and Culture Friday. Plus, Collin Garbarino reviews a new documentary from AppleTV.
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