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ICE returns 40 migrants to US from Guantánamo

GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba (NYT) — The Trump administration has abruptly cleared out a second group of migrants it brought to the U.S. military base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, returning to the United States 40 men it had flown there in the past few weeks, according to officials familiar with the matter.

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The government has not announced that it relocated the men to one or more Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in Louisiana nor was the reason for the move clear. But the officials familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it happened Tuesday.

The move comes days before a U.S. District Court judge in Washington is set to hear a major challenge to aspects of the policy.

It is the second time the administration has brought people to Guantánamo Bay only to remove them after a few weeks, a costly and time-consuming exercise.

The Homeland Security Department’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As part of a broader effort to carry out mass deportations, President Donald Trump ordered the Defense and Homeland Security departments to prepare to send migrants to Guantánamo a week after taking office. As of Friday, according to a court filing this week, 290 migrants from 27 countries have since cycled through the base.

The administration has yet to offer a detailed explanation for temporarily sending migrants to Guantánamo.

Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs incite retaliation

WASHINGTON (NYT) — President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum went into effect Wednesday, inviting immediate retaliation from the European Union and escalating tensions with other trading partners reeling from his on-and-off approach to steep trade penalties.

Trump’s tariffs of 25% hit metal imports from every country that sells steel and aluminum to the United States. Many domestic steel and aluminum makers support the move, saying it will help protect their industry against foreign competitors. But the tariffs are expected to raise costs for American businesses that use foreign metals, including manufacturers of cars, canned food and drinks, solar panels and other products.

Some trading partners have vowed to retaliate by issuing levies aimed at hurting U.S. exporters. Canada, a major supplier of metal in the United States, said it would impose new retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of American imports, including metals, computers and sporting goods. And the EU swiftly announced tariffs on up to $28 billion worth of American goods, including bourbon, boats and motorcycles.

Those conflicts could spiral into even bigger trade wars.

Republican refers to transgender House member as a man

WASHINGTON (NYT) — A Republican lawmaker abruptly adjourned a congressional hearing Tuesday after being challenged for referring to Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., the first openly transgender lawmaker in Congress, as a man.

The Europe Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs panel was in the middle of a hearing on arms control and U.S. assistance to Europe when its chair, Rep. Keith Self of Texas, introduced his colleague by calling her “Mr. McBride.”

McBride, who entered Congress knowing she would present a unique target for Republicans who have politicized and attacked transgender people, has generally chosen to let such moments slide. On Tuesday, she briefly registered her displeasure by returning Self’s slight, responding, “Thank you, Madam Chair,” before proceeding with her remarks.

ICC takes Duterte into custody for drug war killings

ROTTERDAM (Reuters) — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was taken into custody by the International Criminal Court on Wednesday following his arrest in Manila on murder charges linked to his “war on drugs” in which thousands of purported dealers and users were killed.

The ICC said in a statement Duterte was “surrendered to the custody of the International Criminal Court. He was arrested by the authorities of the Republic of the Philippines for charges of murder as a crime against humanity.”

The 79-year-old arrived at Rotterdam airport on a chartered plane earlier on Wednesday. He will be brought before an ICC judge in The Hague in the coming days for an initial appearance, the statement said. He was transferred to a detention unit on the Dutch coast.

In Trump’s shadow, Greenland votes for a new government

(NYT) — With Greenland thrust into the spotlight by President Donald Trump’s insistence that the United States will somehow “get” it, Greenlanders held a closely watched election Tuesday that took on unusual importance.

Voter turnout hit its highest level in more than a decade, and polling stations on the remote, sparsely populated island, which is partly controlled by Denmark, stayed open late to accommodate long lines.

But with all votes counted early Wednesday morning, the results were mixed.

The winner was Demokraatit, a party that has been critical of Trump’s rhetoric.