America in Brief

United States signs long-awaited mineral deal with Ukraine; Trump admin reshuffles the Cabinet; and the U.S. economy declines for the first time since 2022.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (L) and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko sign a deal that will give the United States preferential access to new Ukrainian minerals deals and fund investment in Ukraine's reconstruction, in Washington on April 30, 2025. U.S. Department of Treasury via Reuters

US Signs Mineral Deal With Ukraine

The United States has signed a critical mineral deal with Ukraine in a “historic partnership,” sending a clear signal to Russia of its neutral involvement in the peace process.

The deal will involve rare earth minerals and other natural resources such as oil and natural gas that will also aim at helping Ukraine rebuild its economy following the three-year conflict since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were spotted talking together at the late Pope Francis’s funeral in the Vatican in Rome on April 27, following their infamous spat at the White House on Feb. 28, when discussions turned into a shouting match.

Trump has been trying to resolve the peace process between Russia and Ukraine since coming into office.

President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on April 30, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Trump Admin Announces Cabinet Reshuffle

President Donald Trump has announced a Cabinet reshuffle, appointing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to be his new secretary of defence and nominating outgoing Mike Waltz to be his U.N. ambassador.

This will be the most significant change to his inner circle since he took office on Jan. 20.

It will be the first time since the 1970s when Henry Kissinger also held both positions of secretary of state and national security adviser.

This comes weeks after Waltz confirmed that he accidentally invited The Atlantic media editor Jeffrey Goldberg into a Signal chat that discussed U.S. airstrikes over Yemen.

A container ship is seen docked at the Port of Oakland, Calif., on April 18, 2025. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

US Economy Contracted in First Quarter Amid Recession Fears

The U.S. economy declined by 0.3 percent in the first quarter, down from a 2.4 percent increase in the previous quarter, amid concerns about a recession and the threat of global tariffs.

There had been an import spike of 41.3 percent driven by businesses stockpiling in preparation for the global tariffs coming into effect, coupled with a 1.4 percent decrease in government spending.

The decrease was directly related to the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to reduce the size of government.

This is the first economic contraction in the United States since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022.

The California wildfires in January were also a driving factor.

Federal Judge Declares Strikes Down Alien Enemies Act

A federal judge has struck down President Donald Trump’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in Southern Texas as unlawful.

This may stump the Trump administration’s efforts to detain any gang members in this region before deportation, an area which also covers part of the southern border with Mexico.

This is also the first ruling of this kind, which could affect the decisions of other challenges that are currently pending.