Thursday morning news: May 15, 2025

Trump asks for Qatar’s help in Iran talks » President Trump is asking for Qatar’s help… in convincing Iran to give up its nuclear program.

TRUMP: I hope you can help me with the Iran situation because it’s a perilous situation and we want to do the right thing. We want to do something that’s going to save maybe millions of lives.

The president… speaking Wednesday at a state dinner in Qatar, before a gathering that included the country’s top leader. It’s part of Trump’s three-country Middle East swing this week.

The president wants Qatar to use its influence over Iranian leaders to persuade Iran to scale back its nuclear program, which is very close to having nuclear weapons capability.

The U.S. and Iran have been in negotiations since last month. To strike a deal, Trump says Iran will have to stop supporting proxy terror groups across the Middle East.

Qatar’s top leader did not publicly respond to Trump’s appeal, instead saying he’s focused on expanding the U.S. and Qatar’s defense and economic partnerships.

Putin, Trump won’t attend Russia-Ukraine talks » Neither President Trump nor Russian leader Vladimir Putin will attend the next round of peace talks over the war in Ukraine.

Earlier this week, Trump suggested he might mediate the latest negotiating session, scheduled for Friday in Turkey.

But after Russia released its list of delegates Wednesday -and Putin wasn’t on it- the White House said Trump wouldn’t attend either… citing logistical challenges with the president’s Middle East travel schedule.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will be there, says Russia has yet to show it’s serious about wanting peace.

ZELENSKYY: No time for playing games on the technical level, et cetera. It’s been only one thing that we need, to be more strong, [united], and tough on them. And today, I see only one thing: sanctions.

To be a success… Zelenskyy says, at a minimum, the next round of talks needs to result in an immediate 30-day ceasefire.

SC Supreme Court upholds six-week abortion ban » A win for unborn babies! South Carolina's high court is allowing protections for the unborn to stay in place. WORLD's Travis Kircher has more.

TRAVIS KIRCHER: The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled yesterday to uphold a 2023 law protecting unborn babies beginning at around six weeks after conception.

The language of the law states that abortions are prohibited once an ultrasound can detect, quote, "cardiac activity...or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart within the gestational sac."

Supporters of the law said that takes place the moment an ultrasound detects any cardiac activity...at about six weeks after conception.

But Planned Parenthood argued for a later interpretation of the language. Under their reading, protections for the unborn would not begin until about nine weeks.

The justices acknowledged that the language of the law was vague. But they ruled unanimously that the intention of the law was to begin the protections at six weeks.

For WORLD...I'm Travis Kircher.

WI judge indicted for aiding illegal immigrant » A grand jury has indicted a judge in Wisconsin… accused of helping an illegal immigrant hide from authorities.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan could face up to six years in prison. She's charged with obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest.

Prosecutors say she stalled Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents looking for an illegal immigrant who had a hearing in her courtroom. They say she helped the migrant escape by leading him out of the courtroom through a private back door.

GOP Senator Josh Hawley told Fox's Ingraham Angle earlier this week that no one—including Dugan—is above the law.

HAWLEY: It is outrageous for a sitting judge to be trying to obstruct justice in the United States of America. That's what this individual was doing.

But in a motion filed this week, Dugan's attorneys argue she’s protected by legal immunity for any official acts she takes as judge. They also say as judge, Dugan is entitled to complete control over her courtroom.

Judge releases Georgetown scholar from ICE detention » A federal judge ordered the release of a Georgetown University visiting scholar from immigration detention Wednesday.

Badar Kahn Suri was arrested in the Trump Administration’s crackdown on foreign college students two months ago. The White House says Kahn Suri is a supporter of Hamas with family ties to the terror group.

A U.S. district court judge ruled the government failed to provide evidence justifying Kahn Suri’s continued detention.

Khan Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh…

SALEH: Hearing the [judge’s] words brought tears to my eyes. I wish I could give her a heartful hug from me and from my three children, who long to see their father.

Khan Suri was being detained in Texas. He’ll now stay with his family in Virginia as he awaits the outcome of deportation proceedings and other legal matters.

This is at least the third release from immigration detention this year of a student or scholar detained by the Trump Administration.

GOP tax bill clears committee, but divisions remain » Republican’s so-called “big, beautiful bill” on taxes has cleared its first hurdle… getting the green light from the House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday after lawmakers pulled an all-nighter.

But it’s still facing headwinds… within the GOP. Lawmakers in the conservative Freedom Caucus say the bill’s new Medicaid work requirements don’t do enough to cut costs, and also argue their 2029 phase-in date is too late.

Speaker Mike Johnson, talking to reporters on a walk through the Capitol Building, says he’s open to changes.

REPORTER: Would you be open to moving up the phase [in] for Medicaid work requirements?

JOHNSON: Look, I would like to do that but it’s a matter of what’s possible. So it’s one of the things on the table we’re talking about. We’ll see.

Johnson’s hoping for a final passage vote from the full House before Memorial Day weekend.

I’m Mark Mellinger.

Straight ahead: Colorado is digging in its heels regarding minors and identity confusion. Plus, how states are hoping to challenge a ten-year old Supreme Court decision.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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