President Donald Trump has fired his embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. He made the announcement Thursday. He also said he’ll nominate Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her. Trump made the announcement on social media, two days after Noem faced a grilling on Capitol Hill from GOP members as well as Democrats. Trump says he’ll make Noem a “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that he said would focus on the Western Hemisphere. Noem is the first Cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term. Noem’s departure caps a tumultuous tenure overseeing immigration enforcement tactics that have been met with protests and lawsuits.

Savannah Guthrie made an off-camera appearance at offices of NBC's “Today” show, her first time back since her mother Nancy went missing from her Arizona home. Guthrie made the appearance Thursday morning. “Today” said Guthrie plans to return to the air eventually but remains focused now on supporting her family. Nancy Guthrie was last seen on Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day, in what authorities believe was an abduction. The Guthrie family has posted a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the 84-year-old matriarch. “Today” has been covering the story intently, and former anchor Hoda Kotb has returned to fill in for Guthrie.

A MrBeast video editor has been fired after accusations of insider trading by Kalshi. The prediction market operator says the immensely popular YouTube channel's employee traded about $4,000 on YouTube streaming markets with “near-perfect” success. The user has been suspended from Kalshi for two years and fined $20,000. A spokesperson for Beast Industries has confirmed the editor's firing and says the company has “no tolerance for this behavior." The incident places Beast Industries, founded by Jimmy Donaldson, in the middle of a debate over whether prediction markets are a form of gambling. Kalshi allows participants to wager on the probable outcome of events ranging from sports to geopolitics.

Sen. John Cornyn is going on offense against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as they fight for a Republican Senate runoff, and President Donald Trump’s endorsement hangs over it all. On Thursday, Cornyn’s campaign is releasing a new video that highlights corruption and personal allegations against Paxton. The video revisits Paxton’s impeachment trial and a securities fraud case. On Wednesday, Trump said he plans to endorse one of them before the May 26 runoff and expects the other candidate to quit. Paxton says he'll stay in the race even if Trump picks Cornyn. Republican leaders worry that Paxton’s troubles may risk the seat in the fall election.

Some two dozen states are challenging President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs in court. On Thursday, the states filed a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court. Democratic attorneys general leading the suit argue that Trump is overstepping his power with planned 15% tariffs on much of the world. Trump has said the tariffs are essential to address trade deficits. He imposed duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs he imposed last year under an emergency powers law. The new suit argues that law was intended to be used only in specific, limited circumstances.

The disappearance of the spring transfer portal window offers the opportunity for a reappearance of spring football games in campuses across the country. Playing a game in front of fans to end spring practice had become a fading tradition in the age of conference networks and the transfer portal. Coaches feared the possibility that rival staffs could watch televised spring games and turn them into scouting opportunities. That’s not as much of a concern now that college football no longer has a second transfer portal window in April.

The number of doubles and triples in the major leagues went down again last year. There were 7,745 doubles, down from 7,771 in 2024 and 8,254 a decade ago in 2016, according to Sportradar. Triples dropped to 628, compared to 697 in 2024 and 873 in 2016. In an effort to create more action on the basepaths, Major League Baseball made the bases bigger when it changed some of its rules before the 2023 season. There was an increase in doubles, triples and steals that same year before doubles and triples resumed their downward trend. Defensive positioning and ballpark dimensions are two of the biggest factors in the decline.

Denmark is debating whether top-level cooking counts as art, and the country’s most theatrical restaurants sit at the center of it. The culture ministry is exploring formal recognition for gastronomy. Some chefs say food can carry ideas, emotion, and social messages, like modern performance art. They also say art status could unlock public funding and private grants. But others say food has a different purpose which must be consumed. Art voices say chefs could start competing for the same cultural money.

Aston Martin has predicted it is unlikely to finish Formula 1’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix without its drivers risking permanent nerve damage. Adrian Newey is the F1 car design great who’s heading into his first race as Aston Martin’s team principal. He says on Thursday the team’s Honda power unit causes vibrations which could damage the hands of drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Newey adds neither can tolerate even half of the 58-lap race distance. Aston Martin had a poor preseason and was often slower even than new team Cadillac. Aston Martin logged the fewest laps of all 11 teams.

For years, Iran’s theocratic government warned it would blanket the Middle East with missile and drone fire if it felt its existence was threatened. Now, it's doing just that. Since the U.S. and Israel launched the war Saturday, Iran has unleashed thousands of missiles and drones at Israel, American military bases and embassies, and energy facilities across the Gulf. It's basic strategy is to instill fear about the dangers of a widening war in hopes that allies of the U.S. and Israel will apply enough pressure to halt their campaign. There is a risk, though, that the barrage-thy-neighbors strategy could backfire.

On its own, the phrase “Christ is king” sums up a core tenet of the Christian faith, that Jesus is the divine ruler of the universe. Many churches celebrate a Christ the King Sunday each year. But the ancient proclamation can morph into something political, controversial or even sinister, depending on the context. In recent years, “Christ is king” and similar phrases have been chanted at political rallies, posted on social media and proclaimed in speeches by voices on the right. At times the phrase is used to support the notion of America as a Christian nation. At other times, activists have paired the phrase with anti-Zionist or negative Jewish stereotypes.

Demonstrators took to the streets in cities around the world after the United States and Israel launched a major strike on Iran. Many rallies voiced strong support for the military action, while opposing protests condemned the attacks and warned of…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the United States and its allies in the Middle East are seeking Ukraine’s expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones. Zelenskyy says various countries, including the United States, have approached Ukraine for help in defending against the Iranian drones. He said he has spoken in recent days with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait about possible cooperation. Russia has fired tens of thousands of Shaheds at Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago. Iran has responded with the same type of drones to joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.