Trump backs off

on San Fran order

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s backing off a planned surge of federal agents into San Francisco after speaking to the mayor, as protesters gathered outside a U.S. Coast Guard base where they were located.

Trump posted on social media Thursday that Mayor Daniel Lurie said the city was making progress in reducing crime. Trump said he agreed to let San Francisco keep trying on its own.

Trump’s post came after Lurie said the two spoke Wednesday night and Trump said he planned to call off a federal deployment to the city.

Zhao, pardoned,

‘deeply grateful’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who created the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

Zhao served prison time after failing to stop criminals from using the platform to move money connected to child sex abuse, drug trafficking and terrorism. The pardon announced Thursday caps a monthslong effort by Zhao, a billionaire commonly known as CZ in the crypto world. He and Binance have been key supporters of some of the Trump family’s crypto enterprises.

Zhao said in a social media post that he was “deeply grateful” to Trump. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House counsel’s office had “thoroughly reviewed” the pardon request.

Vance criticizes

Israeli vote

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance has criticized Israel’s parliament vote on West Bank annexation.

Vance says that the move was an “insult.” He said that if the vote was a “political stunt, then it is a very stupid political stunt” and that he takes “some insult to it.” He also said the Trump administration’s policy is that “the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel.”

Vance’s harsh words at the end of his trip to Israel on Thursday came a day after the Israeli parliament passed a symbolic preliminary vote in support of annexation. The bill is unlikely to pass the final vote but was an embarrassment to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while Vance was still in Israel.